Land Bank heist should be decided in court!

Now that Mr. Joel Sumabong, the alleged brains of the P9.4 million robbery of the Land Bank in Bogo Branch have finally surrendered, let us hope that his arrest will bring a closure to this case. Of course, the problem is, Mr. Sumabong has tagged no less than Bogo Mayor Celestino "Tining" Martinez III as the alleged "brains" of this robbery, together with a policeman and an asset of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Again, let me point out that I find his story incredible; after all, I still believe that Mayor Tining was brought up properly by his parents. But then, it would be foolhardy if we disregard the accusations of the very man who pulled this heist, even if we know that criminals cannot be trusted. We really don't know the motive of Sumabong why he has implicated this people. Is this fellow really telling the truth or has he become someone's patsy? Naturally, the Martinez camp insists that this case is politically motivated.

However, I also don't believe it is. So, in order to find out the real truth and get into the bottom of this mess, it is best that the courts decide on this case as soon as possible. Today this has turned into a media circus, which is wrong!

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The Cebu City Police Office came up with its "Crime Clock", which is an analysis of when particular crimes happen at what time of the day. That report says that snatchings usually occur around Sunday, Thursday or Tuesday between 6PM to 7PM. This information is quite valuable in the sense that it would make our people aware when they should be more careful when they go out. But that doesn't mean that petty criminals do not strike in other days.

No doubt, snatchings have become commonplace in Cebu. Just a week ago, I happened to learn of two snatching incidents, which happened to the wives of two close friends of mine. The first case happened in the Port of Cebu just after she met relatives in the pier where in less than five minutes, her cellphone was taken off her handbag. No doubt, these snatchers pretend to meet their friends arriving on the vessel, but we know what their real intentions really are.

The second incident is even more dramatic. It happened to the wife of another friend last Friday as she was walking towards St. Therese Church around 6PM when two guys riding a motorcycle snatched her bag, containing her wallet, cellphone and Ipod. The snatchers apparently threw her bag along Sepulveda St.. By chance, a Mrs. Edna Narvaez saw the bag on the roadside looked at its contents and called up the wife of my friend around eight in the evening.

To her surprise, the husband had to pick up her bag at the Regional District Office of the Internal Revenue (BIR) in Mandaue City. It turned out that Mrs. Narvaez is the wife of RDO Ramir Narvaez of the BIR. Call it a very pleasant surprise that we still have honest people working in the BIR, which have been perceived to be one of the most corrupt agencies in the government. I really haven't met this BIR official, but if I do, I will give him a big hug! It's about time that we see a change in our ways that after all, honesty is the best policy.

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If you've not been watching the unfolding events around the world, it is time you should do so because you can very well see that the whole world is changing fast, especially in the Muslim world where riots in Indonesia and in many Mideast countries have been raging because of a lampooned cartoon or caricature of the Prophet Muhammad done by a Danish newspaper. It would seem that the age of Religious tolerance is over where Freedom of Expression can be cowed and threatened by religious fanatics who have no regard for time-honored practice of diplomatic immunity.

Danish Embassies in many countries, including many European Union members have been besieged, even burned or ransacked by angry Muslims. In older times, such violent acts constitute an act of war; after all, signatory nations promise to protect all embassies from harm because they are the sovereign part of their respective countries.

What could be fueling Muslim rage when the newspaper already apologized for this incident, and people apparently forgot that the newspaper is independent of Denmark? This tension should be diffused soon before these wildfires become a major conflagration and consumed the whole world. If there is so much trouble in the world today, it is because certain Muslim fundamentalists are fueling the fires of hatred on other nations. This should be stopped for the sake of peace on earth!

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