Something happened on my way to Alta Vista

It was the 56th anniversary of the fiery crash that took the life of the most beloved President of the Philippines, the late Pres. Ramon “Monching” Magsaysay. While I was only six years old when that crash occurred, this incident is the farthest I can go back in my memory. We were still living in our small home in Ibarra St. when my father, Atty. Jesus “Lindong”Avila was frantically asking my mother and us to hurry up as we had to go to the old Lahug Airport as the body of the late Pres. Magsaysay was arriving.

Honestly, I didn't know who the President was or what was his relations to my father (I found out in his old black and white photos that my father was Pres. Magsaysay's favorite non-politician friend in Cebu) so we huffed over to Lahug Airport… and I won't forget the exact spot… at the corner of the AsiaTown I.T. Park where the Sikorsky H-19 “Chickasaw” helicopter was hovering for a landing. To a six-year old like me, it was with great awe seeing that whirlybird. I didn't even notice what was happening. I was just amazed at seeing the helicopter. That triggered my love for aviation.

Last Sunday, my big bike group the Easy Riders rode up to that part of Balamban in West 35 for a check up ride in preparation for our April ride to Bacolod for the Big Bike Convention. We didn't ride anymore to Mt. Manunggal where hundreds of people were there including senatoriable Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. who is seeking to return to the Senate. But whenever I ride in this part of Cebu… I never fail to say a little prayer to Pres. Magsaysay and hope someday, we shall have a president that the Filipino people would truly love as a man of the people.

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I was on my way to the 14th annual board meeting of the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club (AVGCC) when I noticed a huge throng of people crowding the main gate. As I reached the main gate, I stopped to check out what was going on, and Alta Vista General Manager Nimrod Quinoñes was with Cebu City Police Chief Senior Supt. Mariano Natuel surrounded by a SWAT Team. Since, they let me through, I didn't bother to go down anymore and went to the Social Hall where the meeting would be held.

As it turned out, the Social Hall wasn't even ready because no one could enter the premises in Alta Vista. It was a good thing that I was able to talk to Mr. George Aznar who told me his side of the story, why they had to close down the main gate. Apparently, five years ago, the Aznar Brothers Enterprises won a judgment in court over certain unpaid rentals for the Batching Plant beside the Alta Vista Clubhouse to the tune of P12 million.

George Aznar told those members listening with me that they sent demand letters via registered mail to Sta. Lucia Realty Corporation but these were never answered. Then George Aznar told us about the Aznar Road, wherein the realty taxes of this road lot has been unpaid for many years, to the point that the City of Cebu was going to put it into auction. So the Aznar Brothers paid that bill for some P3 million.

So point blank, I asked George Aznar why did he or his family resort to the drastic move of closing the road. He told me that it was their way of informing the membership that it is high time for Sta. Lucia Realty to pay what was due to them. Frankly speaking, I told George that the members did not like their high-handed tactics. However, I pointed out to him that the Alta Vista members are all in the dark as to what kind of deal the Aznar Brothers had with Sta. Lucia Realty Corporation. In short, Alta Vista members are caught in the crossfire in this incident.

The General Membership meeting was supposed to start at exactly 9:00am but by 10:30am, there was no sign that the annual meeting would push through. So even if I already signed my being present in that meeting, I had to beg off because of an important meeting scheduled in the morning.

By 12:30pm yesterday, I got a call from Engr. Willy Go, the President of the Homeowners Association in Alta Vista, who told me that the meeting had been cancelled. Hmmm, I have to check the by-laws on what the Alta Vista Board can do if the annual meeting cannot proceed. I would like to believe that the only reason why a meeting cannot push through is because of lack of quorum. So that means the Alta Vista board must call for another meeting as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the members of Alta Vista do not really care about the politics between the Aznar Brothers and Sta. Lucia Realty Corp. But they are kept in the dark as to what was the deal between the two. I think that it is high time for Sta. Lucia Realty Corp. to level with the members of Alta Vista, so that we would know the real score.

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