A presidential visit

When President Noynoy Aquino learned about the oath-taking of new Liberal Party members in Negros Occidental, he reportedly cancelled a lot of his appointments that day to give priority to the Negrenses.

For the first time in the history of the LP, the President of the Republic of the Philippines was the one who led the mass oath-taking of its new members. Around 230 elected officials, provincial leaders of Region 6 and the members of the United Negros Alliance attended the momentous occasion, held at Nature’s Village Hotel and Restaurant in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Welcoming the President were Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., Talisay Mayor Eric Saratan, Rep. Albee Benitez (Neg. Occ, 3rd District), Sonia Sarrosa, mayors of the cities and towns of Negros Occidental, Millie Kilayko and Tima Lacson. Arriving with the President were Senator Franklin Drilon and Department of Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas. The event was held following the request of Congressman Albee.

It just seemed like yesterday when then Senator Ninoy Aquino would spend lunch or dinner at Gov. Fermin Caram’s Iloilo residence. Iloilo Rep. Nene and Mayor Rosa Caram are related to the Aquinos, as the mayor is the daughter of mining tycoon and Spaniard Don Marino Olondriz and Doña Rosa Puno, who is from Tarlac. Mayor Rosa is a grandniece of the father of Senator Ninoy, in the Puno family side. Both the Caram children, Turkey and Francisco, were also grade school classmates of President Noynoy in Ateneo. Congressman Caram was among the senators drafted to the LP party under then President Cory Aquino, before the solon’s untimely death. Caram was known as a fearless defender of the sugar industry. It was because of his crusade against the corruption of the Marcos administration that Caram family’s colossal conglomerate was unjustly taken from them, including their airlines, gold and ore mining companies, paper mills, and banks.*