The Moro Islamic Liberation Front should better focus on the more important agenda of signing a truce with the government instead of delving in the paranoid speculation of the political opposition that President Arroyo is about to impose martial law.

The separatists elements do not seem to have the right tract of mind when they warn of massive unrest of martial rule will be imposed. If we get our thinking right, martial law comes after civil disorder and the irrational belligerence of secessionist groups can well suit this category.

They said that there wouldn''t be any People''s Republic of China after Mao Zedong. They termed it as "demaoification". They were wrong. The Chinese proved that such a view was baseless. The late Mao, who was responsible for the "Great Cultural Revolution" and one of the founders of the new party and state, made far-reaching contributions to the Chinese revolt. In 1981, the Party Central Committee gave a high appraisal of Mao''s exemplary contributions to the Chinese uprising. EDSA I and II pale in comparison. The "Mao Zedong Thought" has always been the guiding principle for the economic and political trails that China has taken. Political scientists the world over have been asking: What will China be after Mao? The party stand has been simple: "China after Mao will remain a socialist country adhering to Marxism-Leninism and the Mao Zedong Thought."

I never understood this until we visited China in 1985 under the auspices of the National Press Club and the All-China Journalists Association. The new China is committed to shift its focus of work to socialist modernization, speeding up agricultural development, making economic readjustments to solving the problem of "disequilibrium" in the development of its economy, putting socialist democracy on a sound level and strengthening the socialist legal system.

I am not quite sure now how I should react to the stratospheric prices of oil. What happens to the world prices of crude oil eventually affects me (and all of us) in terms of prices of gasoline at the gasoline station and just about everything else -- rice, groceries and other foodstuff, soap. Is there anything that we buy or pay for that is not affected?

Why am I not sure about how I should react? Well, the reason is mainly that since the price of oil kept going up, and up, and up, there have also been reports and commentaries that say if there is anything good that can come from this it is that the search for alternative fuels and the development of technology away from dependence on oil will be encouraged. Now that is a prospect we should applaud.

The Consultative Constitutional Commission can proceed separately and independently from whatever deliberations there would be in the House.

Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits have threatened to kidnap traders if they fail to pay illegal taxation in southern Philippines.

Officials said the bandits were demanding as much as P1 million and those who refused to pay were threatened with harm.

Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits have threatened to kidnap traders if they fail to pay illegal taxation in southern Philippines.

Operatives of the Divisoria Police Station recovered a motorcycle owned by an employee of the ComelecARMM few hours after it was stolen by unidentified men at noon last Wednesday.

A police report said that Marlon Saridul, 31, married, of Suterville and employed at the Commission on Elections in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, appeared at the Divisoria Police Station and reported that his Honda Dream was discovered missing after he parked it at Bloc 2, Lot 1, Phase II, Morning Glory Subdivision, Putik around 12:30 p.m.

Mayor Celso Lobregat has called on the public to avail of the government''s amnesty program for delinquent realty taxpayers or face the consequences.

Lobregat said this is the last opportunity for the delinquents to settle their real property tax without paying the penalties.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front should better focus on the more important agenda of signing a truce with the government instead of delving in the paranoid speculation of the political opposition that President Arroyo is about to impose martial law.

The separatists elements do not seem to have the right tract of mind when they warn of massive unrest of martial rule will be imposed. If we get our thinking right, martial law comes after civil disorder and the irrational belligerence of secessionist groups can well suit this category.

They said that there wouldn''t be any People''s Republic of China after Mao Zedong. They termed it as "demaoification". They were wrong. The Chinese proved that such a view was baseless. The late Mao, who was responsible for the "Great Cultural Revolution" and one of the founders of the new party and state, made far-reaching contributions to the Chinese revolt. In 1981, the Party Central Committee gave a high appraisal of Mao''s exemplary contributions to the Chinese uprising. EDSA I and II pale in comparison. The "Mao Zedong Thought" has always been the guiding principle for the economic and political trails that China has taken. Political scientists the world over have been asking: What will China be after Mao? The party stand has been simple: "China after Mao will remain a socialist country adhering to Marxism-Leninism and the Mao Zedong Thought."

I am not quite sure now how I should react to the stratospheric prices of oil. What happens to the world prices of crude oil eventually affects me (and all of us) in terms of prices of gasoline at the gasoline station and just about everything else -- rice, groceries and other foodstuff, soap. Is there anything that we buy or pay for that is not affected?

Why am I not sure about how I should react? Well, the reason is mainly that since the price of oil kept going up, and up, and up, there have also been reports and commentaries that say if there is anything good that can come from this it is that the search for alternative fuels and the development of technology away from dependence on oil will be encouraged. Now that is a prospect we should applaud.

The Consultative Constitutional Commission can proceed separately and independently from whatever deliberations there would be in the House.

This clarification of the nature of the commission was made by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye who said that the Consultative Constitutional Commission was an Executive initiative, the purpose of which was to conduct consultations and studies. The commission will help crystallize what needs to be done. Based on the consultations conducted it will make the necessary recommendations. The recommendations will then be submitted to the President, who will then refer it to Congress.

The domino tournaments of Congressman Erbie A. Fabian in Lunzuran and Divisoria have spawned a buzz among enthusiasts and nondescript alike.

As the tournament gets close to a more exciting phase and game leaders are starting to build a clear lead over rivals, spectators and domino aficionados, closely following the games, are eager to know who will emerge as winners of the competition.

Good news to clientele of the Land Transportation Office here.

The LTO here formally inaugurates today its newly constructed seminar center intended for applicants of driver''s license, and also for individuals who would be undergoing seminar for traffic violations and other related trainings.

Atty. Mel Sadain, one of the noted lawyers in Zamboanga City, has manifested his willingness to join a pool of lawyers that Vice Mayor Beng Climaco proposed to create to assist pro-bono abused women and children in the city.

"This is a noble cause and I am more than willing to serve pro bono to assist the abused women and children," Sadain said as he lauded the vice mayor''s move.