Sometimes, mistakes have meaning

The fact that I was unable to get in touch with Rep. Monico Puentevella regarding two incidents during the recent visit by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo indicated a draw-down in their bitter feud.

The first involved Newks' alleged bump-off from the E-Jeepney driver's seat. In short, it was Greenpeace that had asked the President herself to drive the jeepney, not "Mayor Bing or me."

Besides, in the case of protocol, the host congressman always stays beside the President in all visits with the governor and the mayor. Even the video footage shows that Lupita Kashiwara was "giving signs to me and the President where to place ourselves," Newks explained.

Besides, the day prior to the visit, Greenpeace conferred with Newks and asked his help on many problems with customs, VAT, etc. so that the E-jeepney project was not only of the city but involved national agencies as well.

Well, that's problem no. 1. The other was about the plane ride. Newks pointed out that he had never wanted to return to Manila and he had so informed Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Lito Coscolluela about it with Congressman Ignacio Arroyo.

"So, I never got into any plane at all. If I did, I believe there would have been some available space. And by the way, to make the story more accurate, Mayor Bing took the other presidential plane, not the one with the President.

But the one that caught my attention was the point raised by News - "I do not want to make an issue out of this but I have to defend myself from misimpression and misinformation. My apologies to Mayor Bing for being dragged into this," he added.

Well, Silay City Mayor Oti Montelibano released yesterday his photo of Bing and Newks in a friendly dialog. And that bears out my impression that the tension between the two has considerably ebbed. That's good news for Bacolod folk. And bad news for intriguers.

***

With national and local officials bent on having the new Bacolod Airport in Silay operationalized in November, I see no more delays for its activation.

That's usually what happens when officials sit down and break bread together with open minds. They speedily reach agreement and find commonality in their outlook.

That makes it imperative that national line agencies speed up the completion of the McKinley Road upgrading. As pointed out by DOTC Assistant Secretary Ricardo Tan, the road had turned dusty because of the damage to it by heavy trucks ferrying construction materials to the airport.

For the moment, if we have to look at the problem, the 20-meter wide highway can accommodate traffic in the area. After all, not too many vehicles will be traveling along it until possibly next year when passenger volume shall have climbed up.

And congrats to the DOTC for already discussing the possibility of a mass transport system with necessary franchises, as reported by Coscolluela. That, to a certain extent, will do away with the problems encountered by cab operators of Iloilo. One of them even proposed a "gratuity fee" of P80 in addition to the prohibitive P350 plus fare to and from the Cabatuan airport of the new Iloilo airport.

There are still a few problems that will crop up. But the more important ones have already been addressed. I hope there will be no more hindrances to the activation of the new Bacolod airport in Silay City. So, we can gird ourselves for the new airport in Silay.

***

Last week, I reported some highly questionable distribution of Certificates of Land Ownership Award to agrarian reform beneficiaries in Calatrava. Yesterday, I got hold of the report about CLOAs and their holders in Barangay Jerusalem of Cadiz City.

I noticed Dolores A. Licanda has four CLOAs to her name, all in sequential numbers. The same with Antonio B. Licayan.

Then, there were the Andresito Leomoras who got one and Andresito Leonoras, who received another CLOA. Note the change from Leomoras to Leonaras. Emilita, Gil, Gilbert and Judith Leonoras received each two CLOAs, But Patricinio M. Leonara Sr. becames later Leonoras, although retaining the same first name and middle initial.

Antonio B. Licayan was a lucky guy, he received four CLOAs. So with Julio B. Licayan. There were also the stunning report. Amelito F. Meguilo received four CLOAs. So with Ramon C. Meguilo and Rogelio C. Meguillo who were awarded four CLOAs each.

There were many who received two CLOAs each although they reside in the same barangay. These included Joven Llabore, Rosela S. Llafore, Warner Longo Sr., Danilo A. Lozada, Bienvenido Luang, Eduardo Macasling, Thelma A. Mahilum, Wilfredo Z. Martino, although the second CLOA of the latter was issued to Wilfredo E. Martino.*

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