Come Friday, some will recall, in simple rites, the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled the 14-year Marcos dictatorship. The word “some” is used advisedly.

Most students today have hazy memories of the Edsa uprising, a Pulse Asia survey found. Few remember how Ferdinand Marcos, family and cronies scrambled aboard escape helicopters, fearing they’d end up like Romania’s Nicolae Ceausescu and wife Elena, executed by a Christmas Day firing squad.

A retired BIR District Officer

(Original author of multi-billion (now P20 B) pesos a year of taxing interests earned from bank deposits)

LOS ANGELES, Ca. — I hate to be awfully repetitious. Let me take you back 25 years ago when the late Teodoro “During” Araneta was chairman of the Zamboanga City Water District which was, at that time, newly-acquired from the city government. “Nor During” wasn’t exactly a technocrat, for he was a logger, first and foremost. But he had foresight. He went before the city council and proposed the construction of a modern water treatment plant that could supply the amount of water that the city needed at that time. He needed part of Pasonanca Park for the facility, which was the equity that he needed to borrow from the World Bank. After fencing with the council for three weeks, he got the nod, finally, to use part of the reserved park to construct the treatment plant. I remember that during the council deliberation, Mr. Araneta went flat out to say that the facility could withstand only for 20 years, considering the population growth rate of the city, plus the migrants from other provinces, that would make the project irrelevant thereafter. He was right, God bless his soul.

I have been barking at the right tree all along, but a tree is a tree. Clint Eastwood in a 1970 movie “Paint me a Wagon” sang: “I talk to the trees, but they won’t listen to me. I talk to the stars, but they won’t hear me. “My uncle, Vicente “Te” Jaldon, is probably the most competent person to run and manage the Water District. He’s been there since 1980, the year that the people’s mayor, Cesar C. Climaco, was elected into office. Obviously, his financial advisers are like a tree. They should be fired! We have had sufficient water since the water treatment plant was erected to supplant an aging water holding dam. But that was it. There wasn’t any effort at all to construct a second and bigger water treatment plant and water holding dam to gather enough water supply that would last for two years without rainfall. Now, Zamboanga is back to the future. Because of the long dry spell that’s been predicted since last October, there’s no water coming out of the faucets, except for a short period of time each day. Water rationing, again? In one of the fora called by the water district last year, I opined that they should forego with their repiping project and concentrate on putting up a bigger water treatment plant or a water holding dam. So, now we have new pipes with air running in them. The financial wizards of the district said it would cost them almost one billion pesos to put one up. Wouldn’t that have been better than having no water at all? One billion pesos is one billion pesos. The water district isn’t going to pay for it, granting that it acquires a loan to do it. We (the consumers) will, as in the case of the first water treatment plant. Mr. Araneta was right on the money. Now, we’re suffering. While we have food, shelter and clothing (the hierarchy of needs), we don’t have water. “Naspu-naspu ya lang anay” until the next rainfall.

How can justice be achieved for “poor” ARMM people? Find the answer elsewhere in this corner.

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Our Philippine Government have had always been tolerant and patient in matters that deal with our rebel problems, but this problem has never been contained, and our peace situation come in, on and off.

In most cases, those who were granted amnesty, go back to the hills once they lost the financial help extended to them by government thru mismanagement. Knowing too to come back to the folds of the law, they abuse the and patience of government, those that come back to the folds of the law for the second or third time, ‘cause it will appear as if they’re making a livelihood of it.

Our Philippine Government have had always been tolerant and patient in matters that deal with our rebel problems, but this problem has never been contained, and our peace situation come in, on and off.

In most cases, those who were granted amnesty, go back to the hills once they lost the financial help extended to them by government thru mismanagement. Knowing too to come back to the folds of the law, they abuse the and patience of government, those that come back to the folds of the law for the second or third time, ‘cause it will appear as if they’re making a livelihood of it.

Pursuant to the implementation of Section 6 of R.A. 9136 (EPIRA 2001) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has adopted Resolution No. 10-02 series of 2004 entitled: A Resolution Setting the Deadline for Entities Owning Self-Generating Facilities (SGF), Existing or Newly-Constructed, To Submit Application for COC and Prescribing Fines and Penalties/or Non-Compliance.

Corollary, the ERC has sought the assistance of the ZAMCELCO by way of informing all commercial and industrial establishments within its area of jurisdiction regarding the Certificate of Compliance (COC) requirements.

“Stay calm and just continue living our normal lives.”

This was the advice of Mayor Celso L. Lobregat to local residents in the wake of the bomb scare brought about by the circulation of text messages purporting bomb plots in various targets in Zamboanga City.

A new Vatican document should be very interesting to us. It’s entitled “Dignitas connubii” (Dignity of marriage), and is a handbook or manual to help Church tribunals handle cases of marriage annulment more effectively.

Truth is marriage-related problems are exploding in many places today.

LAKE TAHOE, Ca. — Well, the NFL season is over. I’m pretty sure that Atty. Vic Solis, who partly grew up in Connecticut, is the happiest person in Zambo Town with the Patriots winning the 39th edition of the Superbowl. Vic, as very few of you know, earned his first trip to this land of milk and honey when he was 16 years old, having been an AFS scholar. He moved on after a year to the land of the crazy (Manila) to study law at the Ateneo de Manila University. Then, after stocking enough knowledge, went on to top the bar examinations. As you all know by now, he hosts the top-rated “30 Minutes” talk show aired over IBC TV-11 managed by the Chuas. The rest is, not history, but futuristic. If there’s going to be a Constitutional Convention in 2007, he would be my candidate, just like Jomar Lobregat will be my candidate for congressman in the First District. And before I move on to tell you about Lake Tahoe, a Mafia hideaway in the 1930s (if they weren’t counting their gambling money), I must greet Daniel “Jing” Evangelista a belated happy, happy birthday. Jing is the fellow who takes his coffee almost every morning at Lantaka Hotel to go with his super menthol cigarettes and two pieces of toast bread slapped with butter and jelly. I’ll drink Chivas Regal with him when I get back from my cold, cold vacation. Esta bien, amigo. And before I forget, let me also greet Bong Gollena, the man behind Wealth Marketing, a happy, happy birthday. That fell on Valentine’s Day, the same day my son, Robert Valentin, celebrated his 23rd birthday.

A semi-independent government, like an autonomous region must be given a territory of its own to govern and should not be allowed to occupy an area under the jurisdiction of another local government. Because if it is allowed, confusion will arise and perhaps latter there will be serious conflicts of interest. Unlike the existence of the defunct Regional Autonomous Government (RAG) of Region 9 where the mandate was clearly defined that governance of the former (RAG) does not authorize it or was not empowered to administer local government units in its area of responsibility but only to coordinate the policies of the national government and was created by virtue of a Presidential Decree under a regime of Martial Government. The Autonomous Regions of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has a different status. It is a Constitutional Body, created through a plebiscite and given special powers far different from the RAG and all local government units under her jurisdiction fall operationally and administratively under her command.

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President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is expected to visit Lamitan any time or day this month. The President schedule or itinerary includes the inauguration of the house on stilts built for the Badjaos. She is expected also to meet with provincial and municipal officials of the island province of Basilan. Mayor Roderick H. Furigay of Lamitan may have the opportunity to meet the President and probably ask GMA some financial assistance to fund some important projects for implementation in the premier municipality. Lamitan under House Bill No. 7582 is being proposed for conversion into a component city. Deputy Speaker for Mindanao, Congressman Gerry Salapuddin in his speech during the opening of the ARMMAA Meet announced that the “bill creating the cityhood of Lamitan has been passed on second reading. The third and final reading becomes ministerial before submission or transmittal to the Senate. He asked the people of Lamitan in particular local officials to lobby for its approval and ask for support from the members of the Senate.

In its regular session last February 16, 2005, the Sangguniang Bayan of Lamitan adopted several resolutions addressed to Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for her support and assistance. One such resolution is asking her support to the Municipality of Lamitan in its quest for cityhood passed on second reading under HB No. 7582 authored by Congressman Gerry Salapuddin. The resolution was sponsored by Councilor Joaquin P. Puri, Jr. and Hilario P. Blando, Jr. of the SB Lamitan.

I will take exceptions to comment on the writing of my good friend Rod “Drigo” Balbon, titled “Who’s the real Zamboangueño”? ( Looking In, Daily Zamboanga Times, February 14, 2005).

It was some sort of having a cold shower on Valentine’s Day reading his article!

Headline: “GMA OKs ARMM legislative body to occupy Cabatangan” (DZT Feb 15, 2005)

This story has once again caused reactions and interactions among Zamboangueños. Some reacted with intense anger and some took the issue lightly and there you are again — the seemingly implied rift between the ARMM and the City Government of Zamboanga has been disturbed anew.

Mayor Celso L. Lobregat has called on barangay officials and tanods to be on alert and vigilant in their respective communities.

Lobregat said that barangay officials and tanods know their barangay well and as such must be in the forefront in the monitoring and gathering of vital information relative to possible threats to the city''s security, and peace and order.