Food riot? Possible!

A friend told me, if it's true government is neglecting our food security, particularly rice production, by encouraging importation instead of production then there will come a time when our farmers cannot feed our people if it's also true that exporting countrues like Thailand will refuse to export rice to us.

I said that's what I got from the report of a Manila columnist in an interview with our agriculture secretary.

And graft and corruption in the NFA… how true is that, I was asked. I said it is talked about within the circle of rice traders that NFA shipped trucks and trucks of rice to San Carlos supposedly to be distributed there. But it is not. They are shipped back to Bacolod to be sold to rice traders.

But I said it's useless complaining. It will be like a voice in the wilderness.

Just don't forget unless something is done for food security, there will come a time this country will experience food riots.

* * *

We interviewed recently two British friends, Ken Reader and Jerry Kort. The interesting topic was on how do foreigners view our tourism program. One item which visitors don't like is to see our men urinating on walls or on bushes. It's not too much with men.

Recently when police apprehended two women who told a false story that they were held up, one just looked for a grassy portion, then squatted to urinate.

That made the police suspect she was not a balikbayan she claimed to be.

Even without the foreigners reminding us, this practice is really bad. Our teachers should teach our young people the good manners and right conduct.

We also discussed marriage between foreigners, British particularly with Filipina girls.

There seemed to have been no problems.

* * *

Mostly it was British men marrying Filipino women. I only know of one Filipino marrying a British girl. My cousin Leon Garzon, Jr. married Brenda Valentine of London and have lived happily together the last 32 years in Vancouver, Canada. And once in a while they came we would meet and Brenda is still the same Brenda we knew 30 years ago. She has become more Filipina than Junior becoming a British. They were here last week. And when they packed up for a home trip, their luggage was bulging with Filipino food like "ginamos" which Brenda likes.

* * *

Have you noted lately there were plenty of vehicular accidents involving three-wheeled vehicles, either tricycles or pedicabs. That have no head or tail lights. And pedicabs have no reflectors. Some of these tricycles are not even registered including many pedicabs.

Can not police chief Pete Merced organize a Task Force just to go after these three-wheeled menace?

We need some strong arm from the police.

* * *

I got word from friends who have relatives in foreign countries that they also want to contribute to the Leyte landslide victims. Their problem is to whom do they give and how can they be sure it would reach the recipients.

Their problem is in a country where corruption is very rampant, they are afraid, their contribution would go to private pockets. I don't blame them.

Get an entity you can trust. If you do not, don't. Sunshine Channel which I wrote was campaigning for funds got an initial amount of P10,000 from the Sunshine Boys, a small group of businessmen, professionals, civic leaders who want to delude themselves they are still boys. Then the other day Mr. and Mrs. Agustin Hiñola gave P1,000 for the Leyte victims. Tuting Hiñola is another retiree as chemist of First Farmers and Mrs. Hiñola, retired principal of Domingo Lacson high school.

Tuting Hiñola who graduated in chemistry from the University of San Agustin in Iloilo in the same year I graduated in Commerce said, they just wanted to share.

* * *

The government had the capture of an escaped Magdalo rebel leader 1Lt. Lawrence San Juan televised and shown in prime time newscast.

He was handcuffed and roughly handled which does not speak well of our policemen. Personally I didn't like the treatment to a soldier who risked his life fighting for his country in the rebel-infested areas of Mindanao.

San Juan is not a criminal but a political dissenter. He should be treated as such. What our government is doing is making a hero out of San Juan.

It's treatments like this that encourages dissent. I didn't like the way the police pushed San Juan into the car.

If the purpose is to scare the wits out of rebellious soldiers, the result will be opposite.

* * *

Maltreatment or roughly handling suspects produces a negative effect. Even during war time captured enemies are to be treated with respect. That's how to get the best information from them.

Our people strongly resisted Japanese occupation during the War because of the fault of the Japanese of maltreating even civilians.

This was also the reason why the Americans were not able to pacify Vietnam. The maltreated civilians resisted.

One can just recall the infamous My Lai incident in Vietnam.*

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