Wanted: A debate on who can run Cebu better

Last Friday, while me and my son, Capt. Jesus Valeriano Avila, were asleep at the La Residencia Hotel in Dumaguete City on our way to the 19th Annual Convention of the Federation of Motorcycle Clubs in the Philippines in Bacolod City, the phone rang around 2:00am and my son was told that his best friend, 23-year-old Miguel Nicolai Ouano, had passed away. 

Miguel was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Rhabdomysocarcoma that grew on his right nostril. We had been praying for his recovery, but when it comes to cancer that hits you in your head, so close to the brain, it was just a matter of time. We know that Miguel suffered through a lot of pain due to his illness and you can say that his death eased his suffering.

We came to know Miguel as a young, vibrant, but humble kid from the landed Ouano Family of Mandaue City. They would go jamming in our house using new technology digital guitars and drums and stayed into the wee hours of the night. We allowed this because it is better to have your kids’ friends in your home rather than elsewhere. A year ago, after he was diagnosed with cancer, his close friends helped him through those difficult times… and when they graduated from the University of San Carlos, you could feel and share the joy that they had for Miguel.

Last Sunday, after we arrived from our big bike trip, we went to the Cosmopolitan Funeral Parlor in Nivel Hills to condole with the parents, Antonio “Tonypet” and his wife Cristina Ouano, Jr. and I told them that I too felt the loss of their son as if he were my own. Indeed in many ways, God gives us the blessings of children to touch our lives. As I told my son JV that friends like Miquel come into our lives as a lesson for us… or we are a lesson to them.

Thanks to our dear friend, Rev. Father Ernesto Javier who visited Miguel in the hospital and gave him the last sacraments. We know deep in our hearts that Miguel is now in heaven… more so that he died during Divine Mercy Week and I offered the chaplet of the Divine Mercy for the repose of his soul. May I also request our pious readers to please pray for the repose of the soul of Miguel Ouano, who will be interred in Cempark after the 2:00pm mass this afternoon. We bid you farewell Miguel, you now live in a better place.

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Mayor Michael Rama, as The Freeman headline yesterday said, dared the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) to top the Team Rama proclamation rally last Saturday which was estimated by the Waterfront Police at around 30,000. Of course, this was refuted by challenger Rep. Tomas Osmeña that there were only 3,000 people in their rally. So who is really telling the truth - the police because it is their job to find out the number of people in that rally or Rep. Tomas who is obviously a biased observer?

There is no doubt that Mayor Mike Rama is elated because of the huge turnout in his rallies and naturally, Rep. Tomas is peeved at this huge turnout and it shows in that Freeman article where after refuting the numbers presented by Mayor Rama, he then proceeded to say that it does not follow that the most attended rally would mean a landslide victory. Rep. Osmeña said “It doesn’t matter. Danding Cojuangco had the biggest Cebu rally I had ever seen when he ran for President. He brought then superstar Sharon. Well, he came out fifth place in Cebu City.” Presidential elections bya to!

Is Rep. Tomas telling us that he knows something that we don’t? Well, if you looked at how the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) caused that “tikas” in Compostela, you can immediately see that if the shadows behind the PCOS cheating machinery would even get into a small town like Compostela, how much for a major city like Cebu?

Now back to Mayor Mike Rama. In my book, his challenge for the BO-PK to top his rallies really fall short of the people’s expectations. Mike is a lawyer and I dare say that he should slap the proverbial gauntlet on the face of Rep. Tomas and challenge the latter into a debate as to who can run Cebu City better in the next 3 years. Frankly speaking, we “The Boss” as Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III would kid us, are sick and tired of politicians dancing in the entablado. We want to hear debates because the application is for the political leadership of our city, not as an entertainer.

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Call it a double whammy for my son JV who is still mourning the loss of his best friend and barkada, Miguel Nicolai Ouano because yesterday, my sister Adela A. Kono and I made the decision to “put to sleep” our faithful Beagle Wagger, who was no longer eating due to a tumor in his stomach. You can say that Wagger died in his sleep. Wagger was JV’s first dog and kept him company for many years. If there’s a role for dogs in our lives, it is to give undying loyalty and love asking only for food in return. Adela put him on a Balikbayan box earmarked “Heaven” because dog lovers believe that all dogs go to heaven.

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