Guns and more. RPA-ABB members lay down their guns as they fall in line waiting for their turn at the inventory table where a person-specific form will be filled with firearm and ammunition details. Members also submitted themselves to bio-metric data gathering.   

RPA-ABB submit guns, ammo for inventory

By Georgene Rhena P. Quilaton-Tambiga

                Elements of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) submitted their firearms, ammunitions and explosives (FAEs) to the inventory team of the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process (OPPAP) and Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office-Crime Laboratory at Barangay Bagonbon Hall, March 21-22.

Just an inventory

                RPA-ABB spokesperson Victorino "Ka Ricky" Sumulong said the inventory does not mean that their group is now turning over their arms to the government but that the latter is accounting FAEs as "a step towards the final disposition of arms and forces" as the peace agreement draws to a close. The inventory is also considered a "confidence building measure" for the closure of the agreement which was signed December 2000.

Inspection. Police personnel from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office-Crime Laboratory inspects the long firearm submitted during the inventory. Some arms are high caliber while some are improvised called in Cebuano as pugakhang or sulpak. RPA-ABB has not yet agreed to surrender their FAEs but the inventory is already a step to settling the issue.       

Armed. RPA-ABB members who have found Barangay Bagonbon, San Carlos City a peaceful and suitable settlement stand guard at the Barangay Hall where OPPAP teams are gathering bio-metrics data of profiled members. The group has 192 profiled members in District I. They refuse to surrender their firearms yet feeling the threat posed by a rival armed rebel group. 

Security issue

                Sumulong explained that RPA-ABB continues to hold firearms for security reasons. "Ang peace agreement is thrust gid ya sa amon organisasyon. Pero security ang amon concern. Sige pa ang negotiations sa actual nga disposition sang mga armas," he added but maintained that their continued possession of FAEs is not a hindrance to the closure of the negotiation and the reintegration of RPA-ABB members back to mainstream society.

                Thus, the group's arms that include M-16 armalite rifles, M-14 and M-1 garand assault rifles, Uzi and Ingram machine pistols, .45 caliber and 9mm pistols, among others, were returned to them right after the inventory.

                Of the 192 members profiled in District I (Escalante City to Don Salvador Benedicto), Ka Ricky said 185 came to the center of Barangay Bagonbon for the inventory. This process is being conducted since March 21 in Negros Island, Panay, National Capital Region and Bukidnon.

                Based on a close examination by the Crime Laboratory, the arms are all functioning but some are only improvised. It is estimated that one RPA-ABB member possesses one firearm and that they also possess community owned guns. Approximately 90 percent of all the arms of the members in District I had been accounted for.

Peace & development

                OPPAP is now on the process of settling members in peace and development communities (PDCs). In Negros Island, there are three; one each in San Carlos, Negros Oriental and Panay.

                Members in District I chose Sitio Nangka, Barangay Bagonbon as their PDC site. It is a 20-hectare forest area around 10 kilometers away from the barangay center. Ka Ricky said the site suits their community well because most members are agricultural workers and had been engaged in forest protection way before the agreement was inked.

                RPA-ABB has around 700 members nationwide but the bulk of their force is in Negros Occidental.

An open letter

Our Sincerest Appreciation

            No words are enough to express deeply our unending thanks and appreciation for the manifestation of deep love and emotions for the untimely death of Rogelio R. Debulgado, the beloved Former City Mayor, this city. Please accept our sincerest thanks to all who condoled us during our moments of depression and emptiness. [We] also thanks those who gave financial help, sent flowers, attended the nine days Novena Prayers, accompanied us to his final journey to rest, and to all those who whisper to us words of comfort, and who silently prayed for Roger's soul in their hearts. Deep in our hearts, we shall never forget the sincerest appreciation of sympathy to all whom Roger had touched when he was still with us.

            Our family acknowledges all the deepest manifestation of true emotions of love, and regrets for his passing away. Time can never erase these from our memory.

            From our family's deepest corners of our mind and hearts, where words cannot perfectly convey the language we all want to express,

            
To All: Thank You Very Much.

                  Vicky,

                      Roel, Rommel, Yvette, Gina and all Grandchildren

BFP-SCC wins Fire Olympics

PRESS RELEASE

                The San Carlos City Fire Station formed a team to participate the 3rd Provincial Fire Olympic Competition. The team was composed from different members of ORCA, SCRU, Fil-Chinese Fire Brigade, two tanods from Barangays V and six, and two Bureau of Fire Protection personnel. The said competition was hosted by the Office of the Provincial Fire Marshall in line with the celebration of Fire Prevention Month of 2012. Said activity was held at SM Parking Lot, Bacolod City on March 16, 2012 and was participated by different fire stations of Negros Occidental including the two volunteer fire brigades from La Carlota City and Sagay City.                The competition was covered by three different games wherein the San Carlos City contingent won all the games in different levels of prizes and the board of judges of the event has tallied the total points earned by the San Carlos City Team and declared the San Carlos City Fire Station as the Over All Champion of 2012.
                The Hon. Renato Y. Gustilo, Board Member of 1st District and Peace and Order Committee Chairman of the Province of Negros Occidental was the Guest Speaker during the Awarding Ceremony and awarded the trophy and cash incentives to the champion and cash prizes to the deserving participating teams.
                The OIC-City Fire Marshall SFO4 Jonathan P. Badel, Sr. expressed his sincere gratitude and heartfelt thanks to the City Mayor and Chairman of City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, Hon. Gerardo P. Valmayor, Jr. for the great support (for the foods and snacks from the start of practice until the event is finished) to the team, Hon. Dickson N. Yu, Mr. Marton Cui (athletic uniforms), Mr. Dennis Tan Yu (PPE equipment) and Mr. Raul T. Bulfa, Terminal Manager of  PPA.

Source: San Carlos Bureau of Fire Protection, SFO4 Jonathan Badel

Quotes of the Week

QUOTES OF THE WEEK2008 

      “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.”

- By Plato

        “Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase.”

- By Joseph Pilates

All in a day's work

Essay 

By 1Lt. Alexandre Cabales, PMA Class 2008

                I had some interesting talk with my troops after we had our usual meetings to plan out our future activities. As what I usually do, I spend time explaining to them why we do what we do if only to inspire more commitment in the kind of work that they deliver to the people that we serve. Anyway, our discussion came to the various activities that we have been doing in the barangay - from the Water System Project that we turned over to the local residents on March 12 to the cooperative that we are in the process of organizing in the same barangay.   I narrated to my men the incident that happened that morning. Well, at least allow me to share the story including its background.

                Last Thursday, I decided to go to Davao City and try to learn some more about organizing a cooperative. I have been toiling for this project in the past weeks and after reading almost all available material on the topic I can find from the Internet, it was just time for me to ask the experts. I went to the regional office of the Cooperative Development Authority in Davao City. I was impressed by how accommodating they were plus an enchanting conversation with one of the staff whom I had the terrible mistake of not asking who she was in the Office (she just might be the BOSS). Well, I came out of the office with more vigor in really pushing through with the project although I also made some realization as to how difficult it would be after I was "formally schooled" about the actual problems they have encountered.

                Armed with my new knowledge, I was looking forward to a wonderful meeting with the potential cooperative the other night only to be met with a disappointing attendance. I was able to overcome being hysterical about it, thinking that it was normal since I was actually trying to introduce something new to the community. In the end, we were able to come up with a working plan on how to move forward with the agreement of fixing our attendance problem.

                I made a call to the Muncipal Cooperative Development Officer of Lupon, Davao Oriental. Although it is still too early to pass judgment but this is how the conversation happened:

Woman: Hello?
Me: Yes ma'am, ako po si Lt Cabales of 28IB, I was referred by a personnel from Cooperative Development Authority in Davao City and I was told that you are the one to be asked about my concerns.
Woman: Ano po ba yun sir, kung information lang po ang kailangan nyo maganda po kausapin nyo yung taga CDA talaga.
Me: Galing nga po ako ng CDA ang sabi nila kayo raw po ang makakatulong sa akin
Woman: Ano pala gusto nyong gawin, Sir?
Me: Nag-oorganize nga po ako ng cooperative and I want to know on how do I make arrangements for a pre-membership seminar for the group that I am organizing as a cooperative.
Woman: Hindi kasi ako, Sir, ang nagbibigay niyan. Tanong kayo sa iba.
Me: Kayo naman po kasi ang ni-refer sa akin, I'm sure kung hindi kayo dapat meron kayong marerefer sa akin kasi I was told that you were the point person when it comes to cooperatives in the Municipality.
Woman: Ay sige sir kailan ba ang plano nyo?
Me: Yun nga eh kaya I really need to talk it out kasi po itong grupo na ino-organize ko ay mga habal-habal drivers (motorcycle drivers) so wala po silang time to have the seminar during the day kasi oras po yan ng paghahanap buhay nila.  Gusto ko po sana gabi.
Woman: Ay hindi pwede yan sir after office hours na 'yan.
Me: Yun nga po kaya gusto kong makausap kasi naman para naman pong mali na hindi natin kaya silang i-accomodate ng ganung oras eh gusto nga natin silang tulungan tapos kailangan pala huwag silang maghanap buhay para lang matulungan natin sila.
Woman: After office hours na kasi yan, Sir!
Me: Ma'am di ba po taga gobyerno tayo, para namang sinasabi natin sa kanila na huwag na munang kumain yung pamilya nila para maka-attend sila ng seminar na kailangan nila para matulungan sila ng gobyerno. Ang tingin ko po dapat tayo ang mag-adjust kaya nga po sana pag-usapan natin.
Woman: Wala na kasing trabaho niyan, Sir.
Me: (By this time if she was in front of me I would have slapped her) Ganito na lang po, Ma'am, punta na lang po ako dyan para mapag-usapan po natin ng maayos yung concern ko.
Woman: Sige sir. (then immediately puts the phone down).

                I was able to finally connect to the Provincial Cooperative Office who was in fact more accommodating and I think is more professional. Again I am not passing judgment on her (God Bless her Soul) but if only our government workers put some form of commitment in what they do maybe we have less problems. For me now, I will go on, move forward, in the end all of these things are just part of a day's work.

Nakigsulti ang Ginoo ni Manny?

Komentaryo

Ni Dodong Mondragon

               Nakalitan ko sa pagbasa sa headlines sa Philippine Star nga matud pa ni Manny Pacquiao ang Ginoo misulti kaniya pinaagi sa damgo nga paundangon na sya sa boxing. Wala kuno hino-on sya sultihi kon kanus-a sya moundang. Sa pagbasa nako niini, naglibog ko kung angayan ba syang dayawon o kataw-an sa iyang pamahayag.

                Sa akong gamay nga nahibal-an kabahin sa Bibliya, sa tibuok kasaysayan sa tawo, pipila lamang ka personahe nga nahisulat nga ang Ginoo nakighinabi sa tawo. Usa sa akong nabasahan mao si Noah. Matud pa sa sugilanon, ang Ginoo nagmahay nganong gimugna pa niya ang tawo nga ang resulta dili man maayo kay sa ilang pagpuyo sa kalibutan nahimo man kini silang mga dautan. Napuno sila sa mga kasal-anan mao nga nakahukom ang Ginoo nga puokon ang tawo pinaagi sa dakong lunop.  Pero makita sa Ginoo nga may usa pa ka maayong tawo nga mao si Noah ug sya dili maka-ako nga madalahig sa silot si Noah.

                Busa iyang gisulti-an si Noah nga magtukod ug dakong arko nga iyang sikupon ang iyang pamilya ug nagkalain-laing hayop ug sila magpuyo sulod niini aron sila maluwas gikan sa dakong lunop.

Image source:  http://celebrityandcelebrity.blogspot.com/2011/08/manny-pacquiao-filipino-boxing-player.html

                Ang usa nga akong nahibal-an mao si Moses. Nakighinabi ang Ginoo ni Moses kon unsaon niya pagdala ang mga Hudeo ngadto sa kagawasan gikan sa pagka-ulipon sa Ehepto. Ug sa pagsaka niya sa bukirang Sinai aron makamugna sa napulo ka sugo, mipakita ang Ginoo pinaagi sa nagdilaab nga kalayo ang usa ka puno-ang kahoy. Ug dinhi misulti ang Ginoo kabahin sa napulo ka sugo nga angayang tumanon sa katawhan.

                Usa usab ka higayon nga nakigsulti ang Ginoo sa mga pipila ka nakasaksi nga si Jesus gibunyagan ni San Juan sa sapa nga matud pa sa kasulatan ang langit mi-abli ug milanog ang dakong tingog nga miingon, "Mao kini ang akong anak nga akong gikahimot-an pag-ayo." Mao kini ang mga dagkong panghitabo nga diin ang Ginoo nakigsulti sa tawo.

                Duna kitay nailhan nga mga tawo nga nakahimo ug mga maayong butang alang sa katawhan sama sa kang Mother Theresa nga usa ka madre nga ginatawag ug 'living saint' pero wala gyud kini sya mag-ingon nga ang Ginoo nakighinabi kaniya. Ang usa usab, si Pope John Paul II nga karon gideklarar na nga usa ka santo. Bisan sa atong pagtuo nga kini sila du-ol kaayo sa Ginoo apan sa buhi pa sila wala gyud kini sila mamahayag nga ang Ginoo nakighinabi kanila bisan lamang sa damgo.

                Unya karon ani-ay usa ka Pilipino nga boksingero moingon nga ang Ginoo misulti kaniya pinaagi sa damgo. Sa binilyon ka tawo sa kalibutan sya pa ang gigahinan ug higayon sa Ginoo nga sulti-an kabahin sa iyang karera sa boksing?

                Unsa mahinungdanon na gyud kaayo ang iyang boxing sa Ginoo? Pagkayamat baya niini!

                Dunay ginaingon sa mga nagtuon bahin sa pangisip, "If you talk to God it is prayer but if God talks to you, you have psychosis." Hinaut nga si Manny Pacquiao na misquoted lang o nagkomedya lang. Kon mo-insister sya nga ang Ginoo misulti kaniya, mabalaka na ko kabahin sa iyang hustong pangisip.