The war in Zamboanga City聽聽 is on its second week with no end in sight. Thousands of our brothers and sisters are displaced.
Sporadic fighting is still going on between government forces and the Moro National Liberation Front. People聽 continue to suffer and the city is damaged. Like many other Filipinos I want it over so that the city can recover.
One聽 question bothers聽 me: Why聽 is it that the MNLF doesn鈥檛 seem to run out of bullets?聽 Who is聽 supplying them? Apparently聽 someone is supplying them with ammunition that enables the gun battle to continue聽 despite a military cordon and the presence of military personnel everywhere.
Can diplomacy end the conflict? Do we need to annihilate the MNLF to end the war?
The diplomatic way seems聽 acceptable to many even as聽 some military聽 and government officials prefer to finish-
off the MNLF rebels. But this聽 won鈥檛聽 kill the movement or the ideology behind it. The government may arrest MNLF leaders but more leaders will take their place.
Meantime we Cebuanos should extend聽 help to聽 our suffering brothers and sisters in Zamboanga by sending donations and finding ways to volunteer service. Let us also聽 continue to pray for peace in Mindanao.
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I think there is only one way to settle the controversy hounding the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) regarding the board鈥檚 ban on the high school basketball player of the聽 USC Baby Warriors, Scott Aying.
The parents sued Cesafi for disqualifying their son in the聽 ongoing junior league tournament. The Cesafi board said Scott failed to meet a聽 two-year residency requirement, a rule that was adopted to prevent 鈥減iracy鈥� and discourage youth athletes from transferring from one Cesafi-member school to another.
The Aying camp questions the rule saying that Scott played for the San Beda team in the NCAA and not a聽 Cesafi school聽 in the previous year. But聽 Cesafi officials found out that Scott had聽 played for the聽 Don Bosco team in Cebu before he聽 transferred to San Beda in Manila then moved聽 to the University of聽 San Carlos. They believe the rule applies to him.
I pity the young athlete who鈥檚 in the聽 middle of this squabble between the sports association and his parents and the school.
He just wanted to play and didn鈥檛 expect this聽 controversy. I humbly submit with due respect to the Cesafi board of trustees who said the trial court can鈥檛 interfere with decisions of the聽 basketball league, that in the interest of the minor,聽聽 the court can and should settle聽 the issue of the athlete鈥檚 qualifications聽聽 in order o put an end to the controversy.
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Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to ask the Movement for a Livable Cebu about the proposal of Rep. Bebot Abellanosa to construct a tunnel in the junction of the South Road and F. LLamas Sreet.
Rudy Alix said that a tunnel was more聽 expensive than a flyover and聽 not practical in a flood-prone area.
Again we go back to the logical proposal that any infrastructure project should be consulted with聽 experts. Politicians can propose but should consult and coordinate with other government聽 authorities and聽 experts on this matter.
It鈥檚 a pity that Abellanosa was able to secure the go signal from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) only to be opposed by a group of experts.