We need a people and cargo mover, not an LRT!

Call it another feather in the cap of the Arroyo Presidency, just like the win of International Boxing Champion Manny Paquiao, but there's no denying that Filipinos all over the world were proud to watch on television Ms. Precious Lara Quigaman who bagged the Ms. International 2005 Crown. Ms. Dominican Republic was 1st runner-up. Our newest Ms. International is not known much here in the Philippines because she studied in Bahrain and in the United Kingdom as her parents worked abroad. She says her inspiration was her father who passed away last May. She now walks in our nation's history with the other beautiful Filipina greats: Miss Universe Ms. Gloria Diaz and Ms. International, Ms. Melanie Marquez. Call this another proud Filipino moment!

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I'm glad that finally, 1st District Rep. Eduardo "Eddiegul" Gullas has filed a bill proposing to establish a new light rail transport (LRT) system in Metro Cebu. But this early, let me caution him not to fall into the trap of the planners from Metro Manila as their proposal is exactly what it saysa Light Rail Transport, which is a people mover, something that they already have in Metro Manila, which if you studied this more carefully, still hasn't solved the traffic congestion of Metro Manila.

Secondly, Rep. Eddie shouldn't take the word of these planners hook, line and sinker, especially when they say that the LRT is an economical mass transit system. The ones operating in Metro Manila has already shown the fares are not anywhere near what we call "economical" as it is heavily subsidized by the National Government. What we need is a train system that carries people during the day and cargo during the night...and I assure you that a train like that cannot be and should not be a Light Rail type.

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By now, everyone in Cebu has his or her own ideas of who could be behind that Aug. 2nd P9.4 million robbery of Land Bank in the town of Bogo; after all, pundits from both sides of the political spectrum have been trading tirades for or against the Martinezes. If we follow the thoughts of Bogo Municipal Mayor Celestino "Tining" Martinez III who almost always links anything to politics like when the Visayas Ombudsman found strong evidence to file charges against his mother, Rep. Clavel Asas Martinez for violation of the graft and corrupt practices act, then his being linked to this robbery is also politically motivated. But is it really?

First of all, let me point out that I personally do not believe that Mayor Martinez is involved in any way with this robbery. I'm sure that Mayor Tining knows too well that the consequence of a criminal act could earn him a long jail term; hence, he would never dare get himself involved in this crime. In short, I don't think Mayor Tining has a criminal mind. Tanga? Maybe. Criminal? Nope!

But if you ask me whether I believe that Dindo Ancero, one of the suspects that the police have arrested in this case was involved in this, of course I do because he already blurted this out in the open, even revealing more among others, that he was a hired goon of the Martinezes. That he was caught in Masbate, a known Martinez political stronghold is a confirmation of that admission. Now whether he would retract this confession later is a possibility that the police ought to be prepared for.

I'm also inclined to believe that the Security Chief of Mayor Martinez, Cristituto Yee as Ancero also admitted may be a conspirator in this crime, after he fed Ancero and his gang now isn't this what is known as aiding and abetting? Whatever it is, Mayor Tining ought to move quickly on getting that polygraph test as soon as possible so that police investigators can clear the cobwebs of those alleged political issues and concentrate on the criminal aspect of this robbery.

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Kudos to Hon. Councilor Hilario Davide III for the approval of his ordinance entitled, "An ordinance seeking to penalize and revoke the permits of establishments selling fake goods" which has been dubbed as "Anti-Fake Good Ordinance". Indeed it's about time that piracy like this is covered by local laws; after all, we already had laws that supposedly protects the piracy of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). So the problem now is one of enforcement, something that Hon. Davide apparently admits. So before they implement this law, they should look at the various ways that would make this law work and not become a dead law like using cellular phones on cars where no one has been caught.

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For email responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila's columns can also be accessed through www.thefreeman.com