Iggy returns to 5th district

Monday, former Rep. Ignacio Arroyo (5th District, Neg. Occ.) returned to the warm embrace of his grateful constituents.

The 6,000 torch-carrying constituents lighted a 200-meter stretch of the road and filled the St. Mary Magdalene Church in Hinigaran to welcome “Iggy” as he was called by almost everybody in the district and elsewhere in the province.

I did commit a mistake. I pointed out that Aleli, Iggy’s wife, had accompanied the first wave of his family who arrived Monday evening. But I committed a major mistake. Aleli came in only yesterday.

The second group, paced by former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, came in by private plane with Iggy’s sister, Marilou Arroyo-Lesaca of Kasangga.

The decision of Aleli to come into town separately from the first wave of escorts to Iggy’s remains was considered a gesture intended to set aside possibility of a head-on confrontation between her and Iggy’s long-time companion, Grace Ibuna.

The House of Representatives abided with protocol and Aleli, as the wife of Iggy, gained the platform and described her late husband as a loving and doting father.

Grace, according to Manila dallies, reportedly walked out. But she pointed out that she had just went to “pee.”

Local officials yesterday joined the paeans of tribute to Iggy who served his district for six years.

Anyway, I could not report about the Hinigaran wake because my physical condition does not permit me to travel far and to wade through a crowd.

The only thing I can say is that I had known Iggy as a real friend – soft-spoken hardly giving out his opinion about anything unless asked to do so, and he was soft-touch to many. I still could not remember his having lost his patience, although I suppose that must have happened several times during the campaign for former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and his own.

Otherwise, he was the perfect gentleman. And I remember that we often spoke to each other in Spanish since he invariably wanted to practice the language of Cervantes.

Goodbye, Iggy, God bless you. May He grant you the rest that you have craved in your lifetime.

****

I must doff my hats off to the police intelligence network. The day after the P3.6 million robbery of the Ceneco, they immediately pointed their safehouse. And received the CCTV film that enabled them to identify the suspects. They reportedly were members of the Kuratong Baleleng and Parohinog groups of Zamboanga.

Not only that, according to police chief Ricardo de la Paz, they had even spotted members of the gang returning to the crime scene and inquiring from the people there on the result of the ongoing police investigation.

And they managed to trace the ownership of two motorcycles and the Hi-Lux van used by the hold-uppers to flee the crime scene.

And they even warn local establishments that there is no certainty that gang is not here anymore.

A professional group that had pulled the heist in just a few minutes.

But if they were really professional, how come they had not spotted the CCTV camera in their rented place since February 27?

But there are questions raised also. How come that the four intel agents reportedly assigned to Ceneco went out just shortly before the heist which occurred early morning. Then, how come that the gunmen had entered the Ceneco lobby and were posted one-on-one with the private security guards inside?

Only the two security guards of the VILMAPI tried to wrestle the guns of the men who entered the lobby after they had disarmed the two outside and signaled the inserted gunmen to make the drop on these inside the lobby.

If the gang members had returned and asked questions about the police probe, how come the police did not try to grab even just one of them?

Of course, I am sure that the hold-uppers must have already gone out of Bacolod. Either towards Oriental Negros or the Northern where they can conveniently board bus to Cebu.

Just questions, Chief de la Paz.

****

My attention was caught by the headline of the Panay News yesterday – Case solved.

This involved the No. 1 fugitive in Iloilo province who has become the most “convenient suspect” in the shooting of broadcaster Fernando Gabio.

Eliseo Mabayag, leader of the gun-for-hire group Magcal, was one of the two men who reportedly tried to kill Gabio. The hard-hitting 64-year-old radio commentator was shot by two motorcycle-riding men while washing his car near his residence. Both wore helmets to hide their identities.

Gabio, however, survived the attempt on his life. He was wounded on a leg and taken and recuperating in a hospital.

Iloilo press Club president Rommel Ynion announced a P1-million rewarded to whoever could give information leading to the arrest of Gabio’s attackers.

Meanwhile, there was also the other report that Panay News’ Danny Fajardo had also been receiving threats to his life.

This should serve a warning to local news media workers. There are still those who can kill them with impunity. On guard, gentlemen.*

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