GMA skeds in Iloilo and Negros on hold

Iloilo City officials have crossed their fingers and offered prayers that First Gentleman Mike Arroyo would sufficiently recover so that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could push through with her scheduled visit to the city.

In Negros Occidental, however, Gov. Joseph Marañon has already written off the "unofficial" visit of the President because of the emergency heart surgery of the First Gentleman.

In the case of Negros, the President is expected to attend today’s opening of the Panaad Festival at the Panaad Park and Sports Complex in Mansilingan, Bacolod.

The alternative schedule would have the President visit and informally inaugurate the new Bacolod-Silay airport of international standard in Silay City on April 19. She was also supposed to visit other major projects.

Such is the case in Iloilo, too. Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas earlier said there was no postponement of GMA’s scheduled visit to inaugurate the Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan airport. The visit would have also given the go-signal for the awarding of the lots sold in the old Iloilo airport in Mandurriao.

But based on TV and newspaper reports, it is very unlikely that the President would be able to adhere to her scheduled Western Visayas visits. For that matter, the latest reports indicate that she may have to go ahead with her China visit instead of local sorties by April 19.

Anyway, it is now a fact that the collective prayers of the public, including that of Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, may have helped ease the state of health of Mike Arroyo.

Panaad Festival

Panaad Festival 2007 kicks off tomorrow with a solemn thanksgiving Mass at 8 a.m. This will immediately be followed by the opening of the trade fair, and the gifts, houseware and toys exhibit.

There will also be an organic farming and livestock and dairy products fair at the stadium. This will actually be a daily affair for the duration of the Panaad.

At SM City, there will be a costumes’ display and photo exhibits.

The formal opening rites in the afternoon and the raising of banners will be preceded by a motorcade starting from the provincial capitol lagoon.

Yesterday, the Association of Tourism Officers of Negros Occidental actually opened the Panaad with an exhibit at the Northwing Event Center.

This was marked by the special performances by the NOHS JGM Rondalla, a group from Pulupandan town, the Babaylan festival dancers of Bago City, Sonas by Hyacinth Beningnos of Escalante City, the Pintaflores dancers of San Carlos City, and the Pasalamat dancers and drumbeaters of La Carlota City. The Panaad theme song by Rojie Bacosa of Isabela was also played and sung.

There will also be cultural performances by Victorias City and E.R. Magalona on April 16; Bacolod City, Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique and Pontevedra, April 17; Hinigaran, Binalbagan, Himamaylan City, Moises Padilla and La Castellana, April 18; and Kabankalan City, Ilogo, Candoni, Cauayan and Sipalay City, April 19.

And, yes, there were reports that Team Unity senatoriables may descend on Panaad today. And the Genuine Opposition ticket, too. Well, Gov. Marañon said they are all welcome. After all, Panaad is the provincial festival and it has been drawing thousands of Negrenses yearly.

Early birds

Sen. Mar Roxas and LP senatorial candidate Benigno (Noynoy) Aquino were the early birds of the GO team.

The two lawmakers, especially Sen. Roxas, stressed the need to improve the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, pointing out that it has not lived up to expectations that it would alleviate poverty.

In short, if CARP is to be continued, it must be in a different form and with more resources, was how Roxas summed up his impression of the controversial CARP.

Roxas cited the distribution of land titles to beneficiaries who ended up with no support mechanisms and who used their CLOAs for loans that often got foreclosed.

"Simply distributing land is not going to attain the objective we want. We want a society where wealth is fairly and equally distributed, where there is opportunity for all," was how Roxas put it.

"I do not agree that we should continue spending P119 billion on something that is flawed," Aquino riposted.

Actually, after several decades of CARP, there is now an outcry against the proposal to extend it as it is currently practiced. Instead, there has been a mounting agitation calling for a review of its implementation by the DAR and to provide the CARP with the necessary support services and resources that will enable the beneficiaries to make a go of their new ventures.

In Negros, the latest incident was the stone-throwing that marred the installation of 57 ARBs at Hacienda Velez-Malaga in La Castellana by DAR Secretary Nasser Pangandaman. Pangandaman and several DAR officials as well as police and Army officers have been charged by employees of landowner Roberto Cuenca for the forcible installation.

Charges and counter-charges

Well, in Negros Occidental, warring politicos still resort to the filing of charges and counter-charges against each other. That’s certainly better than hiring professional gunmen as what has been happening in other places.

That simply means that, for the time being, it is the rule of law that local politicos still adhere to. A comforting thought.

City legal officer Allan Zamora yesterday filed a complaint before the Ombudsman-Visayas against Rep. Monico Puentevella for his alleged failure to account for P8 million worth of liquid fertilizers.

Zamora contended that reports of the Senate committee, the Philippines Center for Investigative Journalism and the Department of Agriculture showed that big chunks of money were diverted to congressmen, mayors and governors who were allies of the President in the last presidential elections.

The reports also said that a portion of the money mysteriously ended up in the hands of obscure private foundations and companies and eventually "siphoned off to the campaign."

Puentevella, however, dismissed the charges and claimed that he was never involved in defrauding the government of money. The MPO (allegedly a Puentevella foundation), according to the lawmaker’s spokesman, Eric Tenerife, would issue a statement to defend itself from Zamora’s claims.

On the other hand, retired policeman Victor Eduardo and Sancho Nagar, former executive assistant of former mayors Oscar Verdeflor and Luzviminda Valdez, filed a complaint against city officials for the release of P59 million as payment to Hilmarc’s Construction Corp.

The charges for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and administrative charges for grave abuse of authority and grave misconduct were filed before the Ombudsman.

The two contended that the city officials, headed by Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor Renecito Novero, allegedly misappropriated public funds.

Aside from several members of the city council, the two also included in their complaint acting city treasurer Anneballe Badayaos, acting city accountant Eduardo Ravena, acting city engineer Belly Aguillon, budget officer Luzviminda Reyes, and HCC president Efren Canlas.

They also filed a motion to amend their first complaint to include other members of the bids and awards committee.

Zamora, however, said the approved budget for the contract was deliberated upon by the Sangguniang Panglunsod. The SP and the BAC also ratified the P400-million loan agreement with the Land Bank of the Philippines for the government center.

Landbank withheld the payment of P590 million because the group tried to sabotage the government center project by filing a civil case against the city officials and the bank.

Well, so long as they keep filing cases against each other, there is no reason to fear any untoward incidents. In short, nobody seems to be losing his cool yet.