The Life and
Times of Evelio Javier

The eyes of Western Visayas will be trained during the EDSA I anniversary on Feb. 25 at the EBJ (Evelio B. Javier) Freedom Park of San Jose, the capital town of Antique.

Governor Sally Zaldivar-Perez said this will be the presentation of the Paranublion "The Life and Times of Evelio Javier", the former Antique governor who was assassinated by gunmen shortly before the EDSA Revolt.

As a matter of act, that helped trigger the upheaval that trounced the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos from power into exile to Hawaii in the United States.

The musical play was funded by the National Commission on Arts and Culture under chair Cecile Guidote-Alvarez. It is in Kinaray-a, the language of the Antiqueños and some upper portions of Iloilo Province. Javier's 20th death anniversary was recently commemorated by the Antique provincial government and the Provincial Historical Council led by Sangguniang Panlalawigan majority leader Dr. Zoilo Bernardo Tubianosa.

The death of the national hero also marred by a partisan row when the forces of Rep. Exequiel Javier held another celebration.

That signaled that the political alliance between Gov. Perez and the solon has been severed and that both are now bracing for a joust.

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The relic of St. Padre Pio will be brought to the St. Ezekiel Monastery in Tangub on Feb. 25. The veneration of the relic at the monastery will be between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. February 25.

The next day, it will be brought to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Valladolid town. There it will be on display from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. In the afternoon, it will be transferred to the St. Mary Magdalene parish in Hinigaran where it will be displayed for public veneration from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

In the afternoon of the same day, the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Kabankalan City will put it on public display from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

On Feb. 27, it will be transferred to the St. Joseph the Worker parish in the Victorias Milling Company compound for public veneration from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

The same day, it will be transferred to the San Diego Alcala Pro-Cathedral in Silay City where it will be on public display for the faithful from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

I shall include later the other schedules. I was fortunate that six years ago, Drs. Nena Paglinawan, Lourdes L. Espina (my wife), Norma Legislador, together with Fr. Rene Paglinawan, visited the Padre Pio place in the upper reaches of Foggia in Northeastern Italy that gave us a panoramic view of the Adriatic Sea.

There, we heard tales of the saint, his stigmata and how he repeatedly fought with the Devil.

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The police and the NBI should exert all possible efforts to run down the members of the Budol-budol gang that had victimized lawyer Luz Dato Lacson of some P3-million worth of cash and jewelry in what was described by the victim as a sort of hypnotism.

Our lawmen must be able to protect Bacolod citizens from such type of people who, with glib tongues, have already victimized many. Usually their victims are seniors.

But while Chief Supt. Pedro Merced doubts the hypnotism theory, it just happened Thursday evening that I was with a big group of matrons. Each had a tale of either a relative, a close friends or acquaintances who also narrated the same tale of having fallen in the spell of the victimizers.

One, the widow of a former governor, was reportedly advised by her helper against turning over her family heirlooms to the sweet-talking males who victimized her. But she went ahead despite her maid's protestations.

Later, she reportedly told friends that "I don't know why I did it…I just couldn't help myself."

There were similar stories I heard Thursday night. So, if just for curiousity, it may be a good idea for the investigators if they finally get hold of the gang members to have them examined whether they really possess that hypnotic power.

Another theory by the women - perhaps the perfumes they are peddling may be drugged and can put a person under.

Anyway, that is something that could mar Supt. Merced's stint as Bacolod police chief.

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Yesterday, according to Fabricanians Joy Sato and Percival Salado, thousands joined the funeral cortege of former Manila Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing.

Thousands of his supporters and those whom he had helped with his wife and children also thronged at the Our Lady of Loreto church in Sampaloc Thursday night where Bagatsing's remains were on display for a wake.

We salute Bagatsing as a true-blooded Fabricanian. He was always proud of his home barrio, and brought his entire family there once on a pilgrimage to show that he really rose from humble beginnings and not just painted a "PR" lifestyle.

His other love was the Negros Occidental High School where he studied high school while also working as conductor of the Visayan Rapid Transit.

His humanitarian gestures are unequalled. But if there was one thing that I personally heard, it was Bagatsing telling his two sons - Reps. Amado and Dondon (Ramon, Jr.) never to forget Fabrica and to help restore it to its previous glory days.*

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