It is very unfortunate for the government. We only have very few ageing jet fighters, and now one had crushed somewhere in Bukidnon.
That means the Air Force is further depleted of its air assets. What happened to the long talked about Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program which transcends a number of national administration already?
Now we can imagine the Chinese Air Forces officials could be laughing with their mouths extended up to both of their ears!
Nevertheless, we are commiserating with the families of the two Air Force men who were flying the fighter jet. For certain it was far from their minds that their loved ones will be gone too soon.
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We do not know how true is this report on mayoral aspirant Karlo Nograles. Last Tuesday the candidate was at The View, a venue located in Magtuod, for the recording of his campaign propaganda videos. A guy who knows us very well was there as he has some of his equipment rented by the video propaganda producer.
This friend of ours who dropped by at our little roadside snack center told us that he and his son wanted very much to approach Karlo to tell him that he and his immediate family member are avid supporters of the young candidate.
Unfortunately for him and his son, they were prohibited from getting near the candidate by his bodyguards. So they just contented themselves in seeing Karlo from the distance.
Personally, we believe that this actuation of Karlo’s bodyguards should be looked into by his strategists. They have to make the necessary adjustment even if for the duration of the campaign period only.
We know that what has been developed into a habit, or a supposed religious performance of duty, could not be changed overnight unless the concerned will endeavor to do it themselves.
And if changing what has Karlo and his security men been used to, calls for a little sacrifice as it may be inconvenient for him, or them, he has to, if only for the young Nograles to have his chances of winning against former President and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte improved.
Karlo has to show some semblance of a candidate both from the masses and the elite of Davao’s society.
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In a news report the other day, Mayor Baste Duterte seemed convinced that the resurgence of crimes and sudden rise in illegal drugs prevalence in Davao City is the making of some people not from Davao but from somewhere outside whose interest is to destroy the present status of the city as one of the safest in the whole of Southeast Asia.
Without being blunt about it the mayor’s suspicion is that the scheme has something to do with politics which he and his father former President Duterte are now fiercely engaged in.
The mayor may be correct. Why, because the peace and order situation in Davao City is one attribute of the place that every Davaoeno is very proud of. And it is beyond arguing that this attribute cannot be dissociated from the ruling political family – the Dutertes. For certain the nemesis of the Dutertes from both local and national political scene have to find whatever avenue that the city’s leaders can be vulnerable.
There is no doubt that the Duterte political adversaries see a destroyed peaceful and most livable image of the city as one effective way of bringing the ruling family down.
But can the mayor gather enough evidence that indeed the steep rise in criminality and illegal drugs prevalence in Davao City are the handiwork of his family’s political enemies? Can he elevate his claim beyond the status of hearsay or another-politically driven suspicion?
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Our congratulations to the family of the late Davao Light President Alfonso Ybanez Aboitiz. He is awarded posthumously as the Datu Bago Award for 2025 for Innovation. Indeed the late Al truly deserves the award as we were personally witness to all his efforts to help in the development of Davao City.
The massive street lighting project of the city is living legacy of the late Davao Light President. Another is the now countrywide famous 911 emergency response system the operational concept of which the late Al Aboitiz was a major player in developing.
We also congratulate Ms. Perla Pichon Kwan for being one of five awardees for Leadership in Education. She is founder-owner of the prestigious Precious International School of Davao. She is the wife of Engr. Rogelio Kwan, a former Manager of the Purchasing Department of Davao Light.
