On May 25, Friday, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) will be holding the 12th edition of the iconic Gabii sa Kabilin (GSK) which has become an event that Cebuanos have learned to live and love because it gives everyone a chance to look back at Cebu's past --what we were, what our ancestors did, how they lived their lives in those days when technology did not change or affect their lives as it does our society today. GSK started 12 years ago with four participating museums, today it has 29 museums that our people and tourists can enjoy.
To talk about GSK's 12th edition, we have with us Casa Gorordo Museum curator Florencio Moreño II and Mrs. Lourdes Odette Jereza of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF), which offers the best Rizaliana, exhibits outside Manila. To make the USPF Rizal exhibit a different museum experience, they have turned the museum into a coffee shop so one can enjoy its historic exhibits while having a cup of coffee.
So watch this interesting show on GSK tonight on SkyCable's channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV's channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.
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President Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte was in Cebu last Saturday for the ceremonial start of the Alegria oilfield, which covers a total area of 197,000 hectares with some 42,749 hectares devoted to the production area. It is operated by the CIMP Co. Ltd. President Duterte only had one important message to the people of Alegria; to prepare themselves for the massive migration that happens when oil of commercial value is discovered. This oilfield is a great blessing to Cebu!
President Duterte was also here to grace the formal opening of the Philippine National Games at the Cebu City Sports Center. Then he went to the Pacific Ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel for a private dinner with the local executives of Cebu. I greeted former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who was seated with Pres. Duterte and chatted with him about motorcycles. Then he spoke for nearly two hours with no huge news to report.
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I was of the impression that the issue of the ouster of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno by her peers in the Supreme Court was behind us by now. But apparently, certain quarters of the yellow kind just can't accept this judgment. Last Friday's Inquirer headlines read: "Davide: 8 Anti-Sereno Justices Impeachable." It seems that former CJ Hilario Davide Jr. wants to be the voice of the opposition to this SC ruling. But if you read the social media networks, you will see that Davide is being chastised by many quarters.
From a Facebook friend, Mr. Ricardo B. Ramos, he said: "Former Chief Justice Davide is so pathetic speaking without any credibility. He was even about to be Impeached himself when he was Chief Justice in late 2003 or 2004. There were issues against him for corruption. It is known in the Supreme Court then of the issues against him pertaining to probity and integrity."
The appointment of Davide as chief justice in November 1998 is due to the endorsement of a taipan close to then president Joseph Estrada, who is known as the biggest contributor in the 1998 presidential elections. The taipan, with a pending case of P23 billion in tax deficiency, is said to have contributed P1 billion to ERAP's presidential campaign. All his tax cases were later dropped.
My good friend, former senator Rene Saguisag, has told me on several occasions that the said taipan never lost a single case with the Supreme Court when Davide was chief justice. Well, Davide is known to have met the taipan in his hotel in Manila. The same taipan won again in a recent case with the Supreme Court that reversed its earlier decision on the same case. If I were Davide, I will just shut up and write my memoirs. He can do a JPE and write his version of the truth on the events that transpired. I do not have any respect for Davide for his ignominy. Poor Hilario Davide, he is losing it!