Airport budget
and revenues

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. is asking the Bacolod Silay Airport manager to explain her side on complaints raised about its present state.

But, perhaps, the best thing to do is to ask for the airport manager to explain in detail how the airport budget plus the various income from service sources had been used to upgrade the airport.

Other than just asking for the extension by several meters of the runway, perhaps it is more important that the airport manager declare before the public how the money from the terminal fee, the parking fee and other sources have been spent, and for what.

The vital question is where is the P200 per passenger terminal fee going and what for has the money been used?

Former Rep. Edith Villanueva, now president of the Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc., came up with pointed questions about the terminal fee in the face of what she claimed dirty hands and fingerprints on the glass windows. And the seemingly dirty, stained urine-dirty floors, and sensors, malfunctioning escalators and x-ray conveyors.

In short, there is also the P40 parking fee. Where does that money go, and for what purpose, since the parking area is already well-maintained and does not need extraordinary care and addition.

Transparency is what is needed. And we ask Mrs. Mecine Reyes to answer these questions from disturbed commuters and local residents.

***

Definitely Bacolod has become the city in the Philippines where the 31st anniversary of the Blessed John Paul II visit some 31 years ago was celebrated with the high noon mass of thanksgiving and the pealing of the Cathedral bells yesterday noon heralding the event.

The JP II tower at the reclamation area also opened a prayer room dedicated to the former Pontiff.

The tower, now a tourism and religious shrine, was donated to the Bacolod Diocese by Atty. Simplicio (Sammy) Palanca to the tune of more than P8-million. And it has also an outside elevator that enables visitors to reach up to the top of the tower.

I remember how that visit of the late Roman Pontiff was at the insistence of former Bacolod Bishop Antonio Y. Fortich.

While several local media workers talked about following the papal motorcade up to the San Sebastian Cathedral, I recall that the conspicuous figure at the time was Col. Agudon, the provincial commander, seated in front of the Pope Mobile.

I was then part of the close-in security of the Pope. And, thus was privileged to rush ahead to the Cathedral. There I waited with the close-in security personnel (although I did not actually consider it necessary to have such contingent to protect the Pope from the more than a million Negrenses and others from neighboring areas).

Well, one of the things that still in my memory was that he also shook hands with others. And I remember that his touch was electric. There was unmistakable urge in my body as he greeted me and looked me straight in the eye.

That was the first experience I had with his magnetic personality. I had the same experience earlier with Msgr. Fulton Sheen, the American Catholic bishop whom we had met in Cebu.

Later, children, including the youngest Junior, were escorted by me to the near the stage where the Pope celebrated the mass and delivered his historic message on the Church’s social teaching.

Pope John Paull II left a lasting imprint on Negrenses and the rest of the country with the JP II National Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family, headed by Msgr. Vic Rivas, the vicar general of the Bacolod Diocese.

To JP II, our prayers to help the Catholic faithful commit ourselves to the promotion of Christian marriage and the Christian family. Ave, Jon Paul II.

***

Somehow, two more were reported killed and eight other persons injured when a former member of the revolutionary Proletarian Army exchanged fire with a group at a benefit dance in Kapitan Ramon of Silay City Saturday night.

The fatalities were Richard Centina, 40, of Hda. Cumabat, of Silay City, and Sonny Tongcua, 41, of Sitio Mambucog, Talisay City.

Police investigation showed that Ryan Layo of Guinbalaon, Silay, had a heated argue with Centeni before the shooting happened.

Later, Layo and three identified men who had covered their faces, went down to the benefit dance at Hda. Lapus and reportedly opened fire at Centina, who managed to shoot back.

But, in the exchange of gunfire several others were also injured. Victor Sumulong, RPA spokesperson, told ABS-CBN that Layo was a former member but had been inactive for the last three years now.

Police recovered an empty shell of a Grand rifle, two empty shells of a Carbine, and empty shell of a .45 caliber pistol.

Layo escaped from the scene with his companions. Why, the question is asked, had the three other Layo companions hide their faces behind handkerchiefs?

Were they afraid to be identified as members of the RPA-ABB with which the government had already linked a peace pact?

That’s a question that must be answered by Layo and his companions as well as the Silay police.

****

That is major tragedy, the dismissal from the service of Secretary Nilo Alejandrino of the Sangguniang Panglungsod of the city in the administrative case filed against him by Councilor Caesar Distrito.

The problem was that Alejandrino seemed confident that he could overcome Destrito’s case against him, hence his failure to give his answer to the city council.

This was a fatal mistake that earned him the harsh action by the city council that also undercuts his chance of earning a living within the ambit of government.

He may still appeal the SP ruling. But I doubt whether the government agency could change its decision insofar as the decision of the SP is concerned.*

A pity.*

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