There's a lot for us to be thankful for

As of press time, the skies above Cebu City are cloudy and the seas are not as choppy as we thought it would be as Typhoon Ramon was expected to hit north of Cebu Province. However a check at the PAGASA Website, as of 11:00am yesterday, the weather disturbance had weakened to a point that it has been downgraded into a tropical depression and public storm signal no. 1 was lifted over Cebu.

Just to be sure, I also checked the Hongkong Observatory, which also tracks cyclones or typhoons over the Philippines because they know that the Philippines always export our typhoons to them. As of 11:00am yesterday, the Hongkong Observatory tracked Tropical Depression “Banyan” a.k.a. Ramon over Biliran Island passing through Bantayan Island on its way to Mindoro. That by 2:00pm, we still did not feel the effect of this tropical depression and that is something we should thank God for sparing us with this potentially devastating natural disaster. But I can’t say this for last night.

Already, I heard many pundits complain that the PAGASA was wrong in their assessment of the typhoon. Many fishermen complained that the seas were so calm, it should have been a good day for fishing or that many school children missed classes for a day yet we were not even drenched by the rains. What is commendable is that, this time many of us were prepared for the worse… but if the worse doesn’t come, so we should not bitch and complain, but be thankful that we were spared this potential nightmare.

Perhaps what most of our people need is to stop being fault finders and look at the blessings surrounding us. Call it timely that my good friend from Australia Max Encomienda sent me this nice email, which should be food for thought for our readers, what we should be thankful for. Here are a few excerpts of what he sent me.

“I’m thankful: For the wife who says, it’s hotdogs tonight because she is home with me and not out with someone else.” “I’m thankful for the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato because he is home with me and not out in a bar with his friends.” “I’m thankful for the teenager who is complaining about doing the dishes because it means she is at home and not out on the streets on drugs.” “I’m thankful for the taxes I pay because it means I am employed.” Finally, “I’m thankful for the mess to clean up after a party because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.” Need I say more?

* * *

There’s been too much publicity regarding the recent arrest of Bella Ruby Santos, the principal suspect for the kidnapping and death of that poor six-year old girl Ellah Joy Pique. Because of the too much attention given to her, she is strutting about like a celebrity. I was watching the GMA-7 TV footages of her inside her jail cell in Naga City and she was all smiles for the TV camera, which makes you wonder what is her state of mind?

More importantly for this case to prosper, let’s be more cautious in our approach lest we be tagged as having judge her as guilty already. We should never forget that our constitution guarantees a person to be considered innocent until guilt is proven. But from the many radio commentators that I’ve heard, they have already crucified her in the court of public opinion. Not very recently, the same thing was tagged on Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson who hid from the law for more than a year and everyone was saying that this was proof of guilt. But now that he’s back… why then is he not behind bars like Bella Ruby? So be careful in judging her until the judge renders a decision on her case.

* * *

Talking about being in jail brings me to the proposed ordinance that our good friend, Council Augustus Pe, Jr. to come up with an ordinance imposing a stiff penalty of P5,000 for those inmates caught with a cellphone inside their jail cell. While I can understand the frustration of Councilor Pe for proposing this measure, the first question that comes to mind is, whether or not P5,000 is stiff enough a penalty? Secondly, what if the inmate cannot pay the fine? Will cases be filed against that inmate?

In truth those inmates couldn’t care any less what kind of ordinances that the Cebu City Council would impose on them, after all, they are already behind bars. If at all, what is needed here is the assistance by the City of Cebu that they should give to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology for scanners similar to that we use at the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA). Best of all, jail management can put in a device that would block any phone signals within the premises, thus rendering any cellphones within the jail useless. These are better alternatives than making an ordinance that may not be enforceable.

* * *