Under the Basilan Electric Cooperative (BASELCO) By-Laws, general membership meeting shall be held annually following the election of directors representing a particular district. The general membership meeting is one venue where members can air grievances or clarify issues adversely affecting them.

But what is obvious for the last three years or more, district elections were not held. The term of office for a particular director is three years. The district election is held on staggered basis for the different districts. In Lamitan, both east and west districts have not yet held district elections. The term of office of concern directors representing said district has already expired.

Kris KNB?

Etu Brute

And you Brutus? Then fell Caesar.

The highly-rated television program “30 MINUTES” hosted by Atty. Vic Solis and aired over IBC-11 operated by Eddie and Lolita Chua, asked the question: “Is Martial law needed to solve the problems of the country today?” I wonder how Zamboangueños would answer it. But consider these factors that led to the signing of Proclamation 1081 31 years ago as Mr. Marcos alleged. There was a hate campaign against him in newspapers, television and radio. The press, said the dictator, was beginning to act as the political opposition rather as an impartial observer of public events. (In those days, Mr. Marcos controlled only one newspaper, the Manila Bulletin, which was published by his close friend Gen. Hans Menzi. There was even a joke among Palace reporters that Malacañang had three comfort rooms — His, Hers and Hans.) He also said that there was a grand design to assassinate him. By whom, he didn’t say. There was also a plan he said, again without saying who the plotters were, to divide the civilian government and the armed forces. He even foresaw the outcome of such a plot — eventual coup d ‘etat and then a civil war which would result in his resignation from office or death from an assassin’s bullet. He also claimed, based on intelligence reports, of clandestine meetings among insurgents and persons in high places (the oligarchy), politicians and members of the media.

He also disclosed that retired generals were secretly meeting in an effort to overthrow him by influencing the young military and police officers to rise up in arms against the government. He went on to say with a clenched fist that foreign assassins were hired to kill him. Student demonstrations were rampant and politicians were financing the students to raise hell against his government, he claimed.

Two women and a man were arrested by policemen during a drug buy-bust at Gov. Alvarez Avenue last Tuesday night.

Arrested were Teresita Torres y Borja, 35, married, of Boholano Drive, Rebecca Zapra y Gallardo, 42, single of Canelar Barter and Celso Legaspi, 20, single, of Boholano Drive.

The Police Regional Office-9 claimed its anti-drug campaign has cleared 111 of the 185 drug-affected barangays in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

The region covers the cities of Zamboanga and Isabela and the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte. It has a total of 1,942 barangays.

Peace and order stability, livelihood and education are the priorities set by President

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her visit to Sulu yesterday.

A soldier and four militiamen were injured when a lightning bolt hit a military outpost in Zamboana del Norte, the military said.

The military said the incident occurred over the weekend during a lightning storm in the village of San Antonio in Sergio Osmena town. The five suffered burns in the body and were rushed to a hospital by other soldiers.

The military has shifted its search for international terrorist Fathur Rohman Al Ghozi from Central Mindanao to Zamboanga City, a top military official said yesterday.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Narciso Abaya said in a press statement that after a week-long intensified intelligence operations, their informants said that Al Ghozi was sighted at the border of Zamboanga City and Sibugay Province several days ago.

A carpenter and his three companions narrowly escaped electrocution in Sangali, this city yesterday morning.

DZT gathered that Victorio Adolza, 46, married, of Sangali together with three companions were installing a television antenna at the house of a certain Imboy when the incident took place about 11 a.m.

A 12-year-old boy died after he was bumped by a passenger jeepney along the highway in Sinunuc, this city yesterday morning.

The fatality was identified as Radzmir Jailani. He died while undergoing treatment at the Brent hospital.

Authorities in Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay have launched a pursuit operation against pirates who robbed six fishermen at the sea off sitio Lo-ok Lapak, Barangay Bagong Buhay last Wednesday morning, a police report said.

Police regional information officer Sr. Supt. Isah Abdullah identified the six fishermen as Rogelio, Esin, Samuel, Jose all surnamed Alarcon; Manuel Enoc and Arnel Ponce, all residents of Pandan-Pandan, Alicia.

A resident of Barangay Bungiao was stabbed and seriously wounded by a drunk during a barangay meeting last Saturday afternoon.

The victim was identified as Tito Eijansantos y Enriquez, who sustained stab wounds in the chest and left hand and was rushed to the Zamboanga City Medical Center.

Performance ratings of top local officials and political probables fop the May 2004. election are among the items included in the September 2003 Opinion Survey which will be conducted by the STATFACTS-WMSU/MPA survey group.

Prof. Bien Fernandez, STATFACTS Director and WMSU Professor, said that the survey is one of the bi-annual opinion survey. they have been conducting since February 2000, It could be recalled that the survey they have undertaken in April 2001, accurately predicted the outcomes of the May 2001 local election.

A four-year-old boy died after he was bumped by a 10-wheeler truck in Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay last Friday morning.

A police report identified the fatality as Ebame Ampalo y Tahopis, resident of Barangay. Coloran, Siay.