A relief from the trial

Yesterday, the Manila dailies came up with a story that sort of provided a relief from the tedious and often “boring” Impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

That was the Cinderella story of Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad’s wedding with Rep. Roman Romulo of Pasig at the St. Benedict Church in Ayala Westgrove Heights in Santa Rosa City.

In a way, that provided relief among the public from the tension of waiting for the start of yesterday’s impeachment proceedings and the inevitable time of having listen to the claims and counter-claims of both the prosecution and the defense lawyers.

What made the Shalani story appealing was the fact that she was the former girlfriend of President Benigno Aquino III. But she found herself jostled out of the story, albeit without any single comment from either herself or the President.

Last night’s pre-wedding party thrown for local government officials and public school principals and teachers from Pasig City and Valencia City was impressively filled with the guests. None of them would have wanted to miss the event.

Anyway, I am glad that among the sponsors of the wedding is a good friend, Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua.

J. Antonio Cabangon will be the best man at the Jan. 22 wedding.

Ambassador Cabangon Chua is a long-time friend. One whom I have missed seeing for sometime now. Not that it matters whether we shall see each other again. We shall remain friends forever.

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But, as I had earlier pointed out, it is not expected for us to remain completely focused solely on the impeachment trial. Even if it is historical and unprecedented.

Sooner or later, there will be local or national developments that will distract our concentration on the impeachment trial.

For Negrenses, the big news yesterday was the torching by six suspected rebels of P1-million tractor owned by the family of my hijado Bacolod Councilor Al Victor Espino in Brgy. Cabacungan, La Castella town.

The suspects, armed with short firearms, arrived at about 6 a.m. Tuesday at Hacienda Vicenta.

Reports said the suspects asked driver Hansel Carpio to get off the tractor. Then, the suspects poured gasoline on the tractor and torched it.

The reason is the owner reportedly refused to pay revolutionary taxes to the NPA. Espino said they received extortion letters from the Boy Gatmaitan Command in October, November and December last year, but they refused to give money to the rebels.

In Brgy. Carabalan, last Nov. 13, seven suspected rebels also burned a sugarcane plantation and a 10-wheeler cargo truck of Brgy. Capt. Gerardo Titula in Carabalan, Himamaylan City.

A day later, another farm tractor and a cargo truck were also reported torched in Brgy. Tapi of Kabankalan City.

These are just a series of incidents of arson purportedly resorted to by the New People’s Army to compel resistant landlords or businessmen to pay the revolutionary taxes which they are not entitled to by law.

That may not be the desired situation, but that is the reality that exists on the ground.

San Carlos City’s Regional Trial Court Judge Danilo Amisola deserved kudos for having sentenced Jose Divinagracia guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the rape for a teenage niece of his co-worker in Escalante City six years ago.

It took six years for the trial court to finally find Divinagracia guilty of the crime. But the judge pointed out the victim had positively indentified Divinagracia as the person who raped her and her testimony was clear and straight forward, reports said.

Besides there were also other witnesses, including the victim’s younger brother. Divinagracia was meted a 40-year jail term.

Meanwhile, a seaman and his brother are in jail for having allegedly ganged up on their neighbor in Brgy. Singcang Airport Tuesday, reports also said.

Henry Morin, 32, of Purok Cadena de Amor and died at the Adventist Medical Center after he was allegedly stabbed by the suspects – Geoffrey Galvan, alias Nonoy, and his brother Gerry, alias “Ito,” 36, who were celebrating the latter’s birthday last Tuesday. Both are now detained in the Police station 8 lock up cell and facing homicide charges.

The question – why should a birthday celebration end up in a stabbing incident? That’s no part of the celebration, is it?*

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