Cha-cha will remove our 24 mini-dictators!

For tonight's topic on our talkshow Straight from the Sky, we bring you a debriefing of the National Maritime Week 2005, which was held last week. While the annual celebrations are over, many issues remain unresolved and those issues are the ones we shall discuss here on this show tonight. To discuss the issues relating to the Maritime Industry, we have with us Atty. Glenn Cabañes, Regional Director of the Maritime Industry Authority, Capt. Jeffrey P. Solon, President of the Visayan Association of Ferryboat and Coastwise Services Operators and Mr. Cerwin Eviota who helped package the Maritime Week celebration. See them tonight on SkyCable's channel 15 at 8:00 p.m.

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Around 10 o'clock last Saturday night, we were stunned to hear on CNN and BBC news that the famous resort town of Bali in Indonesia was once more terrorized by bomb blasts, killing as of presstime some twenty people and wounding countless others. Three years ago, Bali was struck by one of the most vicious terror attacks killing more than 200 tourists. While the death toll in this latest bombing of Bali is quite small compared to the first bombings, the message to us is crystal clear that terror groups like the Jemaah Islamiyah continue to wage their war of terror against those who wish to stop them.

When I read the Philippine Star's Sunday edition yesterday, I was struck by the front-page story, which blared, "New JI Terror Plot Revealed". There's no doubt that the intelligence agencies were forewarned that JI was preparing another terror bombing... unfortunately, no one was looking at Bali again... probably believing that lightning doesn't strike the same place twice. Well, JI is the principal suspect in this recent terror attack and this early, we in Cebu ought to press the panic button and place ourselves in a high state of alert because it is very easy for Cebu to be targeted by the JI and if that happens, our tourist boom may just dry up... like Bali.

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I fully agree with Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when as Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, via Executive order no. 464, she virtually disallowed any soldier from general to private to appear before any Senate investigation without her expressed permission. While I may agree with E.O. no.464 for military officers, I would like to believe that the Senate or Congress may call the executives under the president for their inquiry... though I must say that those under a Senate investigation must also be afforded their right to self-incrimination.

I'm glad that this issue has now exploded into the national consciousness. For too long, we have suffered with a Senate that has done nothing good for this country, except do investigations in aid of destabilization as many of us including the president has aptly put it. Perhaps a singular question directed to Senate President Franklin Drilon ought to solve this issue... how many laws has this Senate enacted which was obtained from any of their investigations? I would like to believe that there is none!

It is for this very reason why we want all this nonsense to stop. But as you know, those senators have become too swellheaded, they would never stop. Hence the need to change the constitution and finally eradicate this nation from 24 mini-dictators who call themselves senators! Meanwhile, this issue has once again split our people into those who side with the legislative and those who side with the executive. Hence, this ball should be thrown to the judiciary so the Filipino people will know once and for all, who are really right in this issue and who are wrong.

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Kudos to the municipal council of Carcar for approving a resolution granting authority to the Carcar Heritage Conservation Council, which aims to preserve its cultural heritage, especially its old historic homes, many belonging to the Spanish era, while others were built during the American colonial times. Few municipalities in Cebu have such historic old homes and preserving them today would mean a lot to our children in the future so they would be able to look back at Carcar's past.

Now is it up to the Carcar Heritage Conservation Society to map out its plans for the preservation of Carcar's old buildings and houses, something that made the City of Vigan one of the best tourism sites in the country. If I'm interested in what's happening in Carcar, it is because the roots of the Avila family started in Carcar. In fact, my great-grandfather was the Spanish priest Fr. Manuel Rubio Fernandez who finished the present day Sta. Catalina Church in Carcar.

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For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila's columns can also be accessed through www.thefreeman.com