A crime solved and one that can't be solved!

Our special guests for tonight's Talkshow on Straight from the Sky, we bring you a tour of the SOS Children's Village in Talamban. Little do people know that great impact that the SOS Children's Village has done to Cebu and throughout the Philippines and the World as it is an international organization devoted to bring hope to abandoned children… the result of some reckless fathers or mothers who, through their own personal circumstances, could not raise their own children in a healthy family environment.

SOS Children's Village virtually duplicates a family atmosphere, complete with their "Nanays" who take care of the household as normally as possible… sending kids to the best schools suited for the children and developing a healthy community within a community. Just going around the village gives you a sense of serenity, something most villages or subdivisions can only dream of. Perhaps it is due to the fact that the Catholic Church is deeply involved in its operation. After all, our beloved Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal is the President of SOS Village in Cebu.

What's remarkable with the SOS Village is that, when many of its orphans graduate from school, they find ways to return the favor for giving them a second chance at a better life. Some do come back as social workers, others help the SOS Village in securing donations to keep it well funded. SOS Villages can be found in Calbayog, Davao, Iloilo, Manila, Lipa and Tacloban.

This Saturday, SOS Village will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary in Cebu… it's already 30 years in the Philippines and 56 years worldwide when Hermann Gmeiner established the 1st SOS Village in Austria after World War II. .

So for tonight, SOS Village Executive Director Danilo Latonio together with his staff, social workers, his Nanays and the children will give you a tour of SOS Village in Talamban on SkyCable's channel 15 at 8:00 pm.

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How time flies. It's been three years already since that dastardly massacre of the Bacolod Family was done to Mr. Elpidio Bacolod, his wife Rosalia and children, Ben and Evelyn by the lone gunman who was only identified as a member of the Philippine Benevolent Missionary Association (PBMA) of Supreme Master Ruben Ecleo Jr. whose trial continues until this day. Since the lone gunman was also killed in that massacre, this is one crime that you can say will never be solved.

Yet, in God's own way, we know in our hearts who ordered that massacre. We take heart from yesterday's Gospel reading which said, "Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known". Our hopes and prayers go to Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Geraldine Faith Econg that she too can persevere through this rough trial so that Justice can be served!

Meanwhile, I'm sure that the criminals intend to go on their usual rampage… unless the police take positive steps. Perhaps the best one that the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Cebu has done was when they literally went out of their way, to Barangay Monte Alegre, Aurora Zamboanga del Sur, to arrest the infamous Rey Torres who was shot in the leg twice. Torres was tagged as to committing 15, mostly daring robberies here in Cebu. That fashion designer Jed Sevilla, who was shot four times allegedly by Torres has now come out in the open to identify Torres as the perpetrator of that crime gives us hope that his criminal days have already ended. So there you have it, two celebrity criminal incidents… one practically solved and the other, we can only hope that by some divine intervention, it too can be solved!

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Our heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Col. Zosimo "Susing" Angan (Ret) who passed away last Friday after a long illness. Susing as we knew him was one of the most humble military officers I have ever met and to think, I first met him at a time when it was fashionable to be arrogant; after all, the military were lording it during the Martial Law days. But it was a simple Colonel Angan who made life in Cebu less difficult during those dark days of martial rule; hence, he was widely respected by the Cebu community. I once knew him well, played lots of golf with him, which makes me proud that in this country there were still a few good men who walked with us!

The best consolation to his family, especially to his wife Connie, and children, Teng, Chicho and Baby, Jobelle and Councilor Jun Davide Jr., Lyndon and Jinging, and Col. Jojo and Lody… is that, Col. Angan died in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ… and therefore, he lives in the light! May we request the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul!

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