The present traffic congestion now plaguing Tagbilaran’s main thoroughfares every time that there is a parade should be given attention by the present dispensation. For two times last week, a parade through the CPG Avenue congested the traffic in several areas in downtown Tagbilaran for almost an hour. Just imagine the number of tricycle units and the ever growing number of vehicles now in the city. Even a parade using only one side of the city’s main streets could still create traffic congestion. As early as 2001, we already proposed to ban parades along CPG Avenue. But considering that the schools in the city are really fun of making parades during intramurals and other big school events including church activities, we thought it would diminish our votes in the next political exercise. Who among the city officials would initiate banning parades along CPG Avenue? Your guess is as good as mine.

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This one brings a national shame. Mark Joseph Solis, a masteral student of the University of the Philippines, confessed to pass off as his own a picture that recently won $1,000 and a roundtrip ticket to Chile and Brazil in a contest sponsored by Ambassador Roberto Mayorga of Chile at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Solis submitted a photo of a boy whom he said was named Nilo and was from Zamboanga City. The caption stated that the boy helped his father farm seaweed. Gregory John Smith of Brazil came out in the internet to claim that the said photo was originally captioned “Neptune, King of the Sea” and he actually took it on a beach in Rio de Janeiro. It featured a boy playing with his brothers According to reports, Solis had done this machination at least 5 times since 2011. Tsk, tsk, tsk. This just goes to show how education does not necessarily convert into an ethical manners. And we hope that our very good kumpadre, Ric Obebencio should be warned of this maneuver. His pictorials must not be displayed in public like in the facebook. Hehehe.

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Not a few of our clan members are making their positioning to run in the barangay elections next month. They kept on consulting us about their campaign. We just told them simply: do not run if you don’t have enough money. If you have money, oodles and oodles of it, then think next about the political configurations in your area even if the barangay election is supposed to be non-partisan. Widen your political vision, we told them. That’s what we lack in the last two local elections. Take Tagbilaran City for example, expect at least a three-cornered fight in the race for Punong Barangay. Why a three-cornered fight? Because there are now three political groups in the city. Mayor Baba Yap should not take the barangay elections sitting down. With more reason that Atty. Dodong Gonzaga and Vice-Mayor Toto Veloso are trying to reconsolidate their forces. Ex-Mayor Dan Lim and his cohorts are frequently seen at a coffee shop beside the Holy Spirit School these days. We are sure that they are regrouping theirs too. As we have stated last week, the barangay elections next month is going to be a show window of the political forces in Tagbilaran. One group is even eyeing to make the barangay elections as a vehicle to recall elected city officials.

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There are 15 barangays in Tagbilaran. A majority of the punong barangays can easily sign a resolution to recall an elected city official. A recall could happen on the second year of the term of office among local officials. Just the other week, we received a lengthy text brigade calling for the recall of a city official next year. According to the text message, this city official was seen holding hands with a woman who is not a wife, during an executive-legislative planning in Panglao town last month. There were several infractions being made by this official which are not printable here. Simply stated, the exiting political forces in the city can easily do this recall once they have a control over the Liga ng mga Barangay. But whether this operational plan (OPLAN), as the military would like to call a strategy of operation, can be realized or not, depends upon the holding of the barangay elections next month of which the national Liga ng mga Barangay wanted to reset it together with the Sanggunian Kabataan (SK) next year.

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Why of all people will the initiative come from the national liga? Why not delegate the call to postpone the barangay elections next month to other interested groups, but definitely not the liga. This is quite demoralizing to the barangay officials themselves. Do they want an extension of their power in a holdover capacity so that they can enjoy more of their positions or they are just afraid that the next election will be their final hurrah in the barangay. Be that as it may, the Commission on Elections has already made the final preparations for the election like the printing of the ballots and other election paraphernalia. Secondly, we believe that the timing is already over to postpone the barangay elections. In all other places, there has been a lot of early campaigning already. One thing we surely await of is the barangay elections in one of the barangays here. If plans do not miscarry, it will be a battle of two mayoralty wives for the position of punong barangay. We will be seeing money overflowing everywhere as it has been the style nowadays. Sayang, we could no longer transfer our registration.

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POSTSCRIPT: Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile has been accused by a colleague, Miriam Defensor Santiago, of financing the MILF raid in Zamboanga City to the tune of P40 M. Will anyone believe that? What a lowly amount compared to the pork barrel scam. Is the call to have the pork barrel abolished pushed through? Of course, not. We are just confided on the case itself which according to the Ombudsman, will have to take months of evaluation and investigation, whew. There are still more when we return.