Many are responsible

President Aquino announced that he will hold local officials responsible for the tragedy that has killed 1,249 persons so far as Cagayan de Oro (674) victims and Iligan City (448) fatalities.

He wants to punish those who allowed the illegal logging and Cagayan de Oro officials who allowed people to build houses on a sandbar in the middle of the Cagayan River.

At first blush, the announcement sounds good, but is it legally correct? Will we now hold responsible all the local officials of Davao, Marikina, Quezon City, Cainta, Pasig and other provinces who allowed squatters to build shanties at their river banks? How far back do we go? CDO Mayor Vicente Emano reacted that as far back as when he was still a kid, people were already residing at the Cagayan river sandbar.

In the case of illegal logging, shouldn’t ARMM past and present officials, DENR officials and PNP commanders in the area be held jointly responsible? Shouldn’t it go up to the level of the ARMM Governor, DENR Sec. Ramon Paje and several PNP Director Generals? One thing sure, President Aquino’s logging ban under Executive Order No. 23 issued almost a year ago has not been followed, demonstrating one more example of executive non-performance and corruption.

And if top officials of ARMM, DENR and PNP are responsible, shouldn’t the President also accept responsibility?

The buck stops at the President’s desk. In blaming CDO Mayor Vicente Emano and Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz, he may just be pointing one finger at himself!

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DONORS PLENTY. . Cong. Manny Pacquiao once again demonstrated his generosity when he visited 3 evacuation centers in Cagayan de Oro bringing relief goods and donating P1 million. He was mobbed by the typhoon victims. Apl de Ap of the Black Eyed Peas also visited.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda visited CDO and distributed 6,000 relief bags. Vice President Binay distributed 18,000 relief bags and blankets. Other major donors include Cebu province P6 million; San Juan City, P4 million; Valenzuela City, P3 million; Pampanga province, P2 million; Don Emilio Yap, P2 million; Pangasinan P1 million; William Gatchalian 200 boxes of bottled water; Nilo Raymundo and Philippine Eagles 36 boxes of food products and clothes.

Keep it coming, the need will be there for months.

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NO HOLIDAY FOR CRIME. . American James Thomas Kakara, 61, a Marine amputee, was bludgeoned to death at his Tagaytay home by robbers.

Gun for hire assassins killed Army Sgt. Marlon Soriano and Barangay Kagawad Bernardo Besmabe outside a cockpit in Orion, Bataan.

Two Misa de gallo churchgoers – Renato Samaro who was shot as he was about to attend mass at Longos, Malabon while his friend Jaylord Morales who was also shot remains at Tondo General Hospital for treatment.

In Navotas, Dennis Ilanan, 28, was critically wounded when he was stabbed after attending mass. Barangay Tanod Ronnie Villacorte, 30, was mauled and stabbed by 3 men as he was going to buy beer at a store in Pasay City.

PO1 Lloyd Fernandez of NCR Regional Office in Taguig went on a shooting spree in Loreto St. in Sampaloc killing Roberto Sales and wounding 2 others.

Jesus Balaza, 70, a market guard was stabbed to death at Katipunan Ave., Barangay Loyola Heights, QC.

Prostitution joints are flourishing in Quezon City, Malate, Manila, Pasay, Makati and Marikina.

Drug dealing is done openly in Tondo, Sampaloc, Paco, Sta. Cruz and North Harbor in Manila. Also in Pasig, Pasay and Las Piñas.

Five persons were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in a busy street at Poblacion, Kabacan, North Cotabato on Friday night. A security guard shot a 12-year-old boy to death at a grocery store in Alcala, Cagayan.

Albert Paredes, Chief of Staff of Mayor Antonio Calixto of Pasay was shot by a lone gunman inside his house at Barangay Aurora, Tolentino, Pasay City.

When will Sec. Jojo Ochoa and Jessie Robredo attend to this problem?

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GOOD JOB. . Mindanao State University’s Iligan Institute of Technology opened its doors to more than 2,000 families who were victims of storm Sendong. Chancellor Sukarno Tanggol opened the university gates giving complete water and washroom facilities to the evacuees. Faculty and 12,000 students took care of the evacuees at the university gym.

People are asking what Xavier University did in Cagayan de Oro, considering the 3 crowded evacuation centers thereat.

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TIDBITS. . . Five time Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. celebrated his 75th birthday yesterday with a dinner at the Golden Bay restaurant attended by 750 guests headed by the Vice President of Indonesia, the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia and political kingpins from Mexico. Keep fighting, Joe.

2011 registered the fewest labor strikes in history. Congratulations, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. PEZA Chairperson Lilia de Lima is doing a good job at that agency.

The DOJ has ruled that irrigated agricultural lands cannot be reclassified by DAR to commercial and residential purposes.

The Professional Regulation Commission says that there are 230,000 unemployed nurses and to increase with 68,000 taking the last nursing exam. Hire 15,000 for DepEd where there is only 1 nurse for every 5,000 students.

Condolence to the family of Jose Velez of Pototan, Iloilo, formerly with Pagcor.

Thank you to Justice Arturo Brion, Robert Coyuito Jr., Cong. Ben Evardone, Cong. Buboy Syjuco, Cong. Rene Diaz, Lilia de Lima, Tony and Ching Evangelista, Kenneth and Anabelle Ching, Atty. Felix Fuentebella III, Sec. Armin Luistro, Margaux Salcedo, Noel and Emma Calanog, Adel Antonino, Gov. Antonio and Congw. Aurora Cerilles, Charlie Nique, Vic Maambong, Boy and Cora Tibayan, Myrtle So, Dr. Antonio and Erlinda Fortuna and Shirley Plaza for their Christmas greetings.