As they say, death comes in threes!

Our special presentation on our talkshow tonight is an issue that has plagued our country and most of the western world - illegal drugs. If there is any problem that plaques the entire world today from nations rich and poor, it is illegal drugs, the devil’s tool to sow greed, terror, murder, even wars. If the Americans are in Afghanistan today, it is mostly due to their poppy fields that produce half the world’s cocaine.

No doubt, America’s insatiable desire for heroin and other illegal drugs is the demand that 3rd world countries would like to supply. Hence, the war against illegal drugs should be fought first at the family home level. When demand ceases, I guarantee you that the supply will disappear and the farmers in Afghanistan would have to find other crops to sell in the world market.

So tonight we have with us, Atty. Paul Oaminal Vice-Chairman/Undersecretary of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) together with Regional Director Randy Pedroso of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7) and his legal officer Atty. Mauro Licen. I certainly hope that our televiewers would listen intently to this discuss because they will know that fighting the illegal drugs scourge really begins at home. So watch this very educational show on SkyCable’s channel 15 at 8:00pm tonight.

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Last Saturday was indeed a very emotional day for me, as we escorted our dear friend the late Press Secretary Cerge M. Remonde to his hometown in Argao. Although he wasn’t a Rotarian, the Rotary Club of Cebu (Mother) Club began its meeting last Saturday with a minute of prayer for Cerge. That shows to you how he made an impact on the lives of people. Cerge was not a biker, but he knew about my being a big bike enthusiast. Our Easy Riders Club President Ed Gonzales asked me if we could escort the funeral cortege to Argao. One text message I sent to my brother Bing Avila and the arrangements were instantly made with riders willing to escort Cerge.

So early Saturday morning, 28 big bikes from the Star Touring and Riding Club, Cruizers, Cebu Island Riders and Easy Riders rode their bikes to the Malacañang sa Sugbo and escorted the funeral cortege to Argao 60 kilometers away. Entering the town of Argao, 10 km. from the main town, the road was already festooned with white or silver buntings with banners proclaiming “Cerge we will miss you”, “Cerge we love you.” As we neared the town, the road was lined with people from both sides of the road, students carrying flowers and threw petals on the hearse carrying his remains.

The motorcade snarled to a crawl as we neared his ancestral home where we stopped to wait for the hearse. It arrived 15 minutes later and stopped on the roadside of his house for five minutes where family and friends bid him goodbye. Then we brought his remains to the Diosdado Macapagal Cultural Center where he lay in state until his burial yesterday.

Unfortunately I cannot make a report on the funeral of Cerge as I could no longer go because as I got back from Argao Saturday afternoon, my cousin Tony Segura who lives next door to my house told me that his father, Archt. Gregorio “Dodi” Segura passed away at 2:30pm in his house. He was 93 years old. Tio Dodi as we fondly called him was the eldest of the family of the late Capt. Valeriano Segura (who died in Bataan); he had Alzheimer’s. But living just beside him since we were children, I would ask Tio Dodi if he remembered my name and he would always respond, “You’re Bobit!” That’s my last talk with him.

Death, as the old timers would say, comes in threes. Exactly last Monday, we wrote that short tribute to a man that I truly admired, “El Capitan” Ernesto Aboitiz who passed away last Jan.14. Then on Jan.19, we learned of the sudden passing of Cerge Remonde, so my Wednesday column was a tribute to Cerge. Just when we thought that we’d have a respite from death, I learned that my uncle passed away.

When I was growing up in Parian, Tio Dodi who also lived next-door would often ride his “Whizzer” around and allowed us to back-ride with him. Yes, Tio Dodi set me off to riding motorcycles although his biggest bike was only a Honda 90cc. He also sparked my love for aviation as he once had an L-4 or a Piper Cub who flew us to our farm in Bohol. Because of his plane, he could be on site for the construction of the Redemptorist church in Dumaguete. He also constructed the Guadalupe Church, Velez Hospital and many more buildings, like the restoration of the burnt Oriente Theater and our family home. He was the oldest living architect that I knew.

For his work in the Church, Msgr. Esteban Binghay told me that the late Julio Cardinal Rosales made him a Papal Awardee, a knight in the Order of St. Sylvester, an award given also to the late Ernie Aboitiz. We once again request the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul.

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