We lost a pro-life fighter in Manny Amador

For tonight’s special presentation on our talkshow Straight from the Sky, we talk about what’s happening to the Information Communications Technology (ICT) and the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry in Cebu City. The ICT and BPO industry has only been with us in Cebu in less than 10 years, but it has experienced a phenomenal growth that is so visible, it has turned the old Lahug Airport into the AsiaTown I.T. Park and most of the buildings there are less than five years old.

 When Cebu entered the ICT-BPO industry, little did we know or realize that we would soon become a global player where a couple of years ago, Cebu became the number one ICT-BPO emerging destinations in the entire world. Last year, we have literally emerged as one of the most exciting ICT-BPO sites and the Philippines became the number one in the whole world in the call center industry, employing hundreds of thousands of Filipino workers who otherwise would have left the country for jobs abroad.

 But with the entry of the Aquino administration into the political scene, they have downgraded the importance of the ICT-BPO industry when Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III issued EO 47 that abolished the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) without consulting the stakeholders in this industry and put it under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). This is a black eye in the ICT-BPO world in the sense that the Philippines has now become a world leader in this bright and shining industry, but Malacañang has refused to give it any importance.

 Tonight with us are the big guns of the ICT-BPO industry here in Cebu, Mr. Jerry Rapes CEO of Exist Global, Wilfredo Sa-a, Jr. Executive Director of Cebu Educational Development Foundation for IT (CEDFIT) and Anthony Noel, Asst. Vice-President CIBI Information, Inc. who will update us of this very exciting industry where Cebu has become a major global player. Let’s hope and pray that this industry will continue to grow in the years to come.

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 Allow me to pay tribute to a good friend who unexpectedly passed away. He is Mr. Emmanuel “Manny” Amador, whom I first met over the Internet when he emailed me facts and figures about the cheating during the last May 2010 elections using those Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines. I learned that Manny was apparently the I.T. Head of the National Executive Committee of the Ang Kapatiran Party that fielded a full line of presidential and senatorial bets in the 2011 polls.

 So on July 26th, I interviewed him on Straight from the Sky where he gave me details of how the cheating using the PCOS machines were done, which only an IT expert could know. But the Comelec was euphoric about the quick results, even if the election tallies did not match what the PCOS machines transmitted.

 In fact, in the latest recount for the vice-gubernatorial race, Glenn Soco called me to validate what I have always feared - that the cheating was through the electronic transmission via the PCOS machines. This explains why the Liberal Party suddenly has become a party of interest in his case, even if their partymate Vice-Gov. Greg Sanchez is already dead.

 I also learned that Manny Amador, the brother of actress Pinky Amador who starred in the London cast of Miss Saigon (their aunt is the famous Zenaida Amador, the founder of Repertory Philippines), was now staying in Cebu City. We would later meet in many anti-RH Bill rallies with Manny on his dirt bike and his camera. The last time I had him on our TV show was last June 20th when he was with Dr. Rene Bullecer giving us an update on the RH Bill issue. He argued better than most priests I know!

 I last met Manny during a meeting with the Task Force for Life and Family (TFLF) at the Caritas Bldg. last week. From the reports we gathered, he must have died due to complications of his diabetes and he was found already dead and decomposing as he lived alone. But God in His mercy will certainly welcome Manny Amador in his kingdom as our rewards are all in heaven. We request the pious reader to please pray for his soul.

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 In another piece of big front-page news, Mr. Antonio Ouano, (the first cousin of my sister-in-law Nanette Ouano del Rosario-Avila) was shot by still unidentified motorcycle riding gunmen between the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) and Parkmall last Friday afternoon. He was rushed to the Mandaue Hospital, but he died shortly. No doubt that the Mandaue Police’s Investigation and Detective Management Bureau have their hands full, after all, Tony had a few cases in the courts that maybe linked to his murder.

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