Views and Opinion
Aven Piramide
SHAKEDOWN!
This article could have been much interestingly written by my most favorite author of thriller novels were he alive today. But since Robert Ludlum has crossed the great barrier, I dare to draw the initial sketches of a story which could have been a good Jason Bourne thriller if written by him. It could even be titled SHAKEDOWN a catch word that could run parallel to his other books Matlock Paper, Parsifal Mosaic and Gemini Contenders. By the way, the very first of the 27 novels of Robert Ludlum that i read was Scarlatti Inheritance. I was then first year in law school, almost half a century ago.
The opening scene of Shakedown could be a mass action of former employees of a large banking corporation. It could be a thrilling twist to show that the bank was formerly government owned. Innocent bystanders would have come to learn that these retired workers are rallying in front the bank’s regional offices throughout the country demanding the implementation a recent decision of a high tribunal. The case itself is ancient. It is about the claim for employee benefits which for perceived reasons of influential power, had been buried deep in the archives of the court. That it has just recently been resolved is the indication of SHAKEDOWN.
In appearance, the mass action is legitimate yet low key. It is a common democratic process for people to go to the streets to air certain grievances and demand rights. While the activity is observably common, Ludlum could have worked his literary mind from that seeming innocence of the demonstration rally to emotional meetings presided by the owner of the bank in the Boards of Directors of the other corporations he owns. The writer could have woven the profiles of such companies as one, a huge international airline, also formerly government owned, two a large producer of beer and three a dominant manufacturer of leading cigarettes brands. And we, the readers would simply say “Oh my go
Raining, erosion and sinkhole subsidence happening this afternoon allover Cebu City a.k.a. "Singapore-like Cebu".
About 2pm today, a two-storey concrete house along Banilad Road in Tintay, Barangay Talamban started collapsing as rushing rainwater from the drainage eroded its foundation (see video).
On Legaspi st. near Metropolitan Cebu Cathedral in Barangay Sto. Niño, a sinkhole appeared in half of the road right next to the old Patria de Cebu compound where a new high-rise building is under construction. Across the street is Belmont Hardware Depot Cebu.
Negros Oriental governor shot dead inside his house
By Nestle Semilla and Kaye Brier @inquirervisayas
CEBU CITY — The governor of Negros Oriental was shot dead Saturday morning by still-unidentified assailants at the receiving area inside his home in Barangay Isidro, Pamplona town.
Siaton Mayor Fritz Diaz confirmed his death on Saturday afternoon.
Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo suffered gunshot wounds on different parts of his body, according to Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).
The initial police investigation showed that Degamo was distributing assistance to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) when the assailants suddenly emerged and shot him at 9:36 a.m.
Some civilians who were with Degamo were also wounded.
“The perpetrators were in full battle gear when they shot the governor several times,” Pelare said.
Degamo and the other victims were rushed to the hospital.
Pelare said the local police led by Colonel Reynaldo Lizardo, director of Negros Oriental provincial police, are conducting a hot pursuit to arrest the perpetrators.
“The provincial director is now at the crime scene to conduct further investigation. Roadblocks were established (to arrest the assailants),” he said.
Degamo earlier lost in the gubernatorial race in the May 2022 elections. However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) eventually declared him the winner after the votes of nuisance candidate Grego Gaudia, who used the name “Ruel Degamo,” was nullified in his favor.
Roel received 277,462 votes, while Ruel got 49,039 in the last elections. When the numbers were added, they were sufficient for Roel Degamo to defeat Pryde Henry Teves, who garnered 296,897 votes.
Teves, who served as governor of Negros Oriental for almost four months, stepped down from his post on Oct. 11, paving the way for Governor Degamo to assume his post.
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CCTV video courtesy to the Degam
DIVISION PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
4TH INFANTRY (DIAMOND) DIVISION, PHILIPPINE ARMY
Camp Edilberto Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City
PRESS STATEMENT
Past 12 midnight on July 12, 2022, a fire incident broke out in one of the buildings inside the Ammunition Complex, 10th Forward Service Support Unit (FSSU), Army Support Command (ASCOM), PA, Camp Edilberto Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City which caused a series of loud explosions. The said building houses 155mm Howitzer rounds and various small arms ammunitions.
Immediately, eleven (11) fire trucks from CDO City have responded but could not get near the burning structure due to dangerous explosions. There was no casualty from the military personnel, but three (3) civilians incurred minor wounds due to shrapnel and are now treated at Camp Evangelista Station Hospital.
All personnel near the incident site evacuated for safety. Likewise, civilians nearby were advised to evacuate to the 4ID Gymnasium, the designated evacuation center within the camp.
The cause of the incident is yet to be determined. The fire was declared out at 3:10 AM. However, the incident area needs a cooling period before EOD personnel could move in to clear the area. When the residual fire would have been completely contained, Army investigating team including City fire authorities will come in to conduct thorough investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
In the meantime, the Command administers psycho-social support and stress debriefing to affected individuals in coordination with the officials of Brgy Patag and CDO City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) at the Evacuation Centers.
Tumama na ang Bagyong Odette sa Ormoc City and the northwestern seaboard of Leyte Island about 4:40pm.
May kalakasan ang hangin na may dalang ulan.
So far, wala pang balita ng mga nasugatan o namatay sa bagyo na bumabayo sa northern Mindanao at Visayas area.
BE ALERT AND STAY SAFE ALWAYS.
ABANTE SAMBAYANAN files today with the Commission on Election (COMELEC) the Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) of its five nominees for the May 9, 2021 party-list elections.
The nominees are the following:
First - Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz
Second - Winefredo " Winie" Doblizo, Jr.
Third - Arthur "Ka Art" Tariman
Fourth - Lolita "Ka Lolit" De Jesus
Fifth - Abundio "Ka Rico" Hambura
ABANTE SAMBAYANAN is largely composed of former CPP-NPA-NDF cadres, members, commanders and operators who have since returned to the folds of the law and helped the government fight the scourge of communist terrorism in the country.
Ka Eric spoke to the media immediately after the filing at the COMELEC Tent in Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City.
Mental rehab for ex-rebels essential in reintegration process
By Priam Nepomuceno
June 4, 2021, 9:51 am
MANILA – Taking care of former rebels' mental health is essential in their reintegration into mainstream society, a defense official said.
"Aside from deradicalization, psychosocial assistance is also integral for our former rebels to be able to start their lives anew. We want them to also live a life with an optimal state of mental health and overall well-being,” Defense Undersecretary and Task Force Balik-Loob chair Reynaldo Mapagu said in a statement Thursday night.
Mapagu's remarks came after the Philippine Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion and the JH Cerilles State College signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for a mental rehabilitation project for FRs dubbed as "Project Good Life".
The signing of the MOA took place at 53rd Infantry Battalion (53IB) Headquarters in Camp Maj. David Sabido, Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur last May 28.
"I applaud the 53rd Infantry Battalion and JH Cerilles State College (JHCSC)'s recent Project Good Life. The psychoeducation program will be a huge help for the reintegration of former rebels, or rather, "friends rescued" into our society," said Mapagu, who is also head of the E-CLIP and Amnesty Program (EAP) Cluster of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC).
"Project Good Life" is a psychoeducation program for former rebels who surrendered to the 53rd Infantry Battalion which carries the theme "Threading the Path to Fulfillment and Authentic Happiness with FRs (Friends Rescued)".
The project takes a holistic approach to improve the mental health and overall wellness of the FRs, as well as address their other rehabilitation needs.
Mapagu hailed the unit's intervention program with JHCSC and commended its unwavering support to Executive Order No. 70 and sustained efforts to the whole-of-nation approach in ending local communist armed conflict in the country.
He added that "Project Good L
