Aviation Security Group needs to be rechecked

Last week, Straight from the Sky brought you a special episode with footage of the 18th Grand Wine Event at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Resort Hotel. While that event was recorded by many, we were the only ones who showed it on mainstream television. Today we again show you something that television companies in Metro Manila didn’t record, while MyTV recorded and showed it for posterity.

I’m referring to the turnover of command of the Manila Yacht Club (MYC) to Commodore Robert “Bobby” Joseph with a very colorful flag-raising ceremony. It turned out that the MYC had its own flag and Joseph raised that flag then after that raised his own flag. There was also the flag of the Coast Guard and flag of the Rear Admiral of the Philippine Navy. On hand to attend this event was Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto. Then they boarded a huge yacht of Chavit Singson for a salute of the vessels to the new commodore. Of course, I interviewed Joseph whom I inspired to have the MYC be the flag bearer for the cleanup of the waters of Manila Bay, a challenge he accepted.

So watch this very interesting Special Presentation on SkyCable’s channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV’s channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.

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We arrived from Fukuoka, Japan, Saturday afternoon and we took a later Cebu Pacific Air flight to Cebu. While flight no. 5J-557 was uneventful heading there, there was a bit of commotion among the passengers in the back after landing. Before all passengers could deplane, security officers entered the plane and picked up a foreign passenger. Then everyone was allowed to deplane.

As I went to pick up my luggage we met the security officers on their way back, so I stopped their head and introduced myself as a columnist of The FREEMAN and asked what happened. He explained that the foreigner was drunk, but since there was no complainant, they let him go as he was leaving for Bohol supposedly today. I was just taken aback by the speed with which they let him go. It turned out that he possibly molested a passenger and some people even filmed the incident. They released him too easily and swiftly. If you ask me, incidents like these should have protocol ready on what to do with a passenger who may have caused disturbance. At this point Philippine Aviation Command should have their systems rechecked for validity and accuracy!

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I was still in Nagasaki, Japan, when I learned through Facebook that Jon Ramon Aboitiz left us for eternal life on November 30 at 70 years old. At the time of his death, he was chairman of the Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) and was AEV’s president and CED from 1994 to 2009 when he passed the torch to Erramon Aboitiz. Under his leadership AEV grew by leaps and bounds, a growth that continues up to this day.

Jon Ramon was never media-shy. I remember some years back when the Aboitiz Family opened the old but well-preserved house of Don Ramon Aboitiz to the media. Both Jon Ramon and his brother the late Bobby Aboitiz answered questions from the Cebu media. Jon Ramon was one of the most approachable among all the Aboitizes. Now he has left us. May we ask the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul.

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US President George H.W. Bush, the 41st US president, who led the nation through a period of sweeping global change, has died at the age of 94. His death late Friday at his home in Houston, Texas, was announced by his son and fellow Republican, former President George W. Bush, who praised his father as "a man of the highest character."

I will never forget the elder Bush was a pilot on board the USS San Jacinto and flew 58 combat missions in his TBF Grumman Avenger. He was shot down in Chichi Jima and some of this crew were never found. But a submarine rescued him and he later because the 41st president with one term. President Bill Clinton foiled his reelection bid.

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