Tour guide gunned down in Bacolod

Sometimes when the situation seems normal, one suddenly gets a scary headline story as the assassination of an amateur tourist guide near the Bacolod airport last Wednesday.

The killing of Carlito Villamor, married, of Lagtapon St., Hinigaran, shocked Bacolodnons because of its boldness. It was staged shortly before noon near the Goldenfields Commercial Center Complex, a stone’s throw from the Bacolod airport.

All indications pointed to a professional hit. The gunman was wearing a bonnet; his accomplice waited for him in a Ramjet motorcycle. Both then sped off in the direction of Barangay Alijis.

Villamor and his companion, Roldan Diaresco, were returning to the Goldenfields complex after they had sent off a Japanese businessman-friend who was going home to Japan when the ambush happened.

Villamor’s wife is reportedly employed by Sharp Co. of Japan. Diaresco could not shed light on what could be the motive for Villamor’s slaying. The latter spoke Japanese fluently, thus he served as a guide for visiting Japanese.

Villamor’s four children are scholars of Willi Gane Kai, a Japanese association.

Senior Inspector Hermilo Pacigado of Precinct 8 reported that investigators are still trying to establish the identities of the gunman and his accomplice and the motive for Villamor’s slaying.

Meanwhile, a former Sipalay City policeman was more fortunate. He survived a slay attempt last Wednesday by an unidentified gunman who fired at him six times with a caliber .45 handgun.

Dismissed SPO1 Edgar Laomor survived multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital and managed to survive his wounds.

Sipalay police chief Jomil John Trio said investigators are also trying to establish the motive for the attempt on the former policeman’s life and the identity of the gunman.

IRA cut unconstitutional — Pimentel

Local dailies headlined the position taken by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel warning that a slash of the Internal Revenue Allotments of local government units cannot be done because it is unconstitutional.

Actually, Pimentel was merely reiterating his pronouncement aired to Manila mediamen last Tuesday when he pointed out that the Supreme Court, in two previous decisions, upheld the constitutionality of the Local Government Code and rebuffed previous attempts to cut the IRA.

Still, it was big news in the face of strong objections raised by local government units against the proposed slash in the IRA as suggested by Bicolano Rep. Joey Salceda.

The League of Provinces, according to Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon, earlier had taken a strong position against the IRA cut. And Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia also warned that the slash in the city’s IRA could undercut the capability of the city government to carry out its service projects for the Bacolodnons.

The League of Cities, headed by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, has also come up with a position paper strongly objecting to slash the IRAs of local government units.

Treñas stressed that the corresponding losses "will definitely devastate the resources of the cities and paralyze the delivery of basic services."

Treñas also emphasized that the "LGUs are in the frontline of delivering services to the people and implementing local development thrusts based on the President’s 10-point agenda. If only for this reason, the Salceda recommendation should be rejected."

The League of Cities also organized a special group that will handle the lobbying against the Salceda proposal. But their strongest arguments will hinged on the two High Court decisions on two previous suits involving attempts by the national government to cut the IRAs of LGUs.

As Pimentel pointed out, without the consent of the LGUs, their IRAs cannot be withheld without violating the law on the automatic release of their 40 percent share of taxes collected.

Pimentel was the principal author of the Local Government Code which provided the IRA sharing system which is the linchpin of local autonomy.

The LCP study pointed out that the proposed 23-percent slash could amount to some P40.6-billion cut in the funds needed for countryside development which LGUs usually handle. That could also deduct that same amount from the money stream at a time when what is most needed is to enable consumers to spend money for their needs. That could even eventually undercut product turnout by industries, especially those producing household items, the LCP paper pointed out.

Capiz’s pioneer Christian school

It never captured national attention. But the Filamer Christian College (FCC) of Capiz recently celebrated its centennial.

Dr. Expedito A. Seneres, FCC president, pointed out that "we’re now 100 years in giving children quality education." And he expressed hope he could see the FCC gain university status.

In a way, that statement by Seneres sums up the role played by Christian schools in molding children not only by educating them on modern trends but primarily in providing them the basic moral values.

That is also the point raised by the Silliman University High School Class of 1962 whose members recently donated their jewelry, cash and other items to be turned over to the government to help bail out the country from the current fiscal crisis which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had admitted.

Class ’62 president Hector Villanueva, also the Bais City mayor, said the class is setting up a committee for appraisal by the SU Alumni Association.

Dumaguete Regional Trial Court Judge Candelario Gonzales said the committee will also determine the mechanics of the auction of the donations, which included rings, necklaces and other costly personal possessions that stunned Negros Oriental residents.

That call to help the cash-strapped government was echoed by Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla who called on the faithful, especially the clergy, to embark on a collective sacrifice to help address the country’s financial crisis.

Capalla issued what is considered a "doable call to action." He asked bishops, priests, nuns, students and all the faithful to give up their monthly allowances, maybe for a month or two, and give them to the President.

As aptly pointed out by Archbishop Capalla, if the 75 million Filipino Catholics donated even just P1 per person, this could reach a substantial amount that could help ease the cashflow problem of the government.

But there is a problem. The Church has adopted modified tithing in most parishes and dioceses. But many pastors complain about lackluster compliance with that call. But this emergency call for action might just stir the faithful to share more of their resources with those who need their reachout.

That appeal by Capalla is expected to generate widespread response from the Catholic faithful across the country.

Ilonggo revival

I got a text message from Dr. Joey Dacudao that Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas had started the singing of the National Anthem in Ilonggo with the lyrics translated by Save Our Language Through Federalism itself.

He also said that Gov. Tupas had asked for 46 copies of the hymn which the Iloilo executive would distribute to the province’s towns for use in their Monday flag-raising rites.

Coincidentally, members of the Bacolod Capitol Lions Club also launched the revival of Ilonggo songs by distributing to interested parties a collection of vernacular compositions, including the translation of the National Anthem in the vernacular by the late M. Villaruz.

Although the club’s president, Kurt Slinkert, is a Dutchman, the general membership also approved the move to cap the joint induction of officers of three Visayas Lions Clubs — Capitol, Cebu Capitol and Fort San Pedro of Iloilo — with the presentation of Ilonggo dances.

Composer-musician Bagguer Villaruz said the songs in the CD collection include his own compositions, among them the hymn of Bacolod City, and those of his late father.

The SOLFED, incidentally, presented the Butuanon choir (from the Caraga region of Mindanao) in Cebu City recently where they sang before the UP Visayas faculty and students various local versions of the National Anthem and local songs, including the famous Cebuano "Usahay."

Dr. Dacudao is the lone neurosurgeon in the Caraga region. A scion of the Dacudao family from Davao and Negros Occidental, Joey is obsessed with preserving ethno-linguistic culture from extinction and founded SOLFED.

It now has several chapters all over the country. Language, Dacudao pointed out, represents the soul of a people. "Abolish the language and you erase an ethno-linguistic group," he said, explaining the philosophical basis for SOLFED.