AUG. 5 - AUG. 11, 2018


4 OPINION EDITORIAL ‘Clean Riders’


The Philippine National Police has launched a new program called the Clean Rider campaign.


The PNP believes the program will address the problem of criminality. As most shooting incidents are staged by suspects on board motorcycles -- who always manage to flee before authorities arrive at the crime scene -- motorists are now invited to register with the PNP database, and be considered law-abiding citizens.


are flagged down at checkpoints, and subjected to a rigid inspection. If you are driving a motorcycle not registered in your name, you will have to prove that you did not steal it.


Those who do not have these stickers


METROPOST


The motorists are given a sticker that allows them to drive by checkpoints without being checked.


This program seems to have its merits. But what is to stop criminals from registering as Clean Riders to get their own sticker, or printing their own stickers -- to be able to drive by checkpoints after committing a crime? It does not take a brilliant mind to see that unless they are caught by surprise, most of those who pass through mobile police checkpoints do have complete documents wiht them, and are law- abiding citizens.


documents, whose motorbikes have noisy mufflers and have no headlights nor side mirrors, just simply and cleverly stop about 50 meters from the checkpoint, and wait by the roadside until the policemen decide to pack up and go home. We have all witnessed once too often how the policemen manning the checkpoints can actually see these motor riders just waiting by the roadside, but would not make any move to check on their identities. Isn’t the concept of checkpoints but a


We have all witnessed once too often how motor riders with


incomplete sham?


Perhaps the PNP can reexamine this Clean Riders program, and see if it is not just another layer to put the burden on motorcyclists? It would be safe to say that 99.99 percent of motorcyclists are not necessarily criminal elements but are simply in need of a more affordable mode of transport to take them from point A to point B.


ATTY. WHELMA SITON-YAP ECON 101 whelmayap@yahoo.com W


“plain housewife” would eventually depose a much- feared dictator? “Go d


mysterious ways!”, for those who believe, we have seen a manifestation of God’s works in the life of Maria Corazon “Cory” Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino, born on 29 January 25, 1933 to the prominent family of Don Jose Cojuanco and Demetria Sumulong in Paniqui, Tarlac.


fluent in French, Japanese, Spanish, and English, aside from her native Tagalog and Kapampangan, her early education at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, a Catholic liberal arts college in Riverdale section of the Bronx in New York, U.S.A.,


She grew up privileged, wo rks


ho would have imagined that a self-proclaimed


in


founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York. After finishing her studies in the U.S, Cory continued her studies at the Far Easter University in Manila where she settled in an upper class lifestyle. Later, she caught the eye of Benigno “ Ninoy” Aquino Jr., an upcoming Tarlac pol itician, and


called for snap elections; Cory Aquino ran for president with former Sen. Salvador Laurel as her vice president. After the elections were held on Feb. 7, 1986, the Batasang Pambansa proclaimed Marcos and his running mate, Arturo Tolentino, as the winners of the national elections, amidst allegations


Remembering Cory (Jan. 25, 1933-Aug. 1, 2009)


after they married, she described herself as a “plain housewife”.


During the Martial Law years, her husband Ninoy was the staunchest critic of President Marcos, and then was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983 upon returning to the Philippines from exile in the US. In the late 1985, Marcos


WILLIAM E. ABLONG EYE OPENER wea_129@yahoo.com


Member, Philippine Press Institute


ALEX REY V. PAL Publisher & Editor-in-Chief (On-leave) IRMA FAITH B. PAL Managing Editor


JOEL V. PAL Online News/North America Editor RICHLI D. AVES Cartoonist


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2016 Best in Visayas: Best in Photojournalism, Best in Environment Reporting, Best Editorial Page, Best Edited Community Newspaper


2007 National Awardee: Best Editorial Page


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The MetroPost is published by the UniTown Publishing House. All rights reserved. Subject to the conditions provided by law, no article or photograph published by the MetroPost shall be reprinted or reproduced in whole or in part without its prior written consent. The views expressed in the opinion pieces are those of the Columnists, and not necessarily of the Editors and the Publisher.


Dumaguete expressed his disagreement over the idea of priests bearing arms for protection. His statement came after one of the priests in the Diocese of Dumaguete confirmed having received death threats from unidentified individuals. To quote Bishop Cortes:


I


“I personally do not agree with the need that (us) priests should arm ourselves in the sense that our trust should be in the Lord.” He further asserted: “We are ministers of the Lord and we believe that the Lord will take care of us. If something happens, then that’s the whole part of the scheme of things.” (Italics mine) How true.


the Bishop reminds me of two Biblical events recorded in the greatest Book of all time -- the stories of Daniel thrown into the lions’ den, and of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were also thrown into a fiery furnace. The accounts of these men illustrated what God can do to His believers, and to those


The pronouncements of


n a news story (MetroPost, July 22), Bishop Julito Cortes of the Diocese of


who place their full trust in the Creator. Actually, the story of Daniel


is one of the most adored in all scriptures. Briefly, the narrative involves Daniel, a prophet of the true and living God, who defied King Darius’s decree that the people should pray only to him for 30 days. Daniel, a law- abiding man, disobeyed the decree, and instead, continued to pray to Israel’s God as he


has always done. Evil men, who instigated the decree to entrap Daniel (of whom they were jealous), reported him to King Darius. The king then was forced to put Daniel into a den of lions where he would be torn to pieces. King Darius – who knew that Daniel is inherently a good man -- was greatly distressed about having to punish Daniel but was compelled to be true to the law he created, so he said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you” (Daniel 6:16). God indeed rescued Daniel by sending His angel to shut


the mouths of the lions so they cannot harm him. The next day, Daniel was removed from the lions’ den, unexpectedly, without a scratch.


In this scenario, Daniel knew right after the decree was proclaimed that if he did not comply, he would be killed. But Daniel also knew that if he complied, he would be violating God’s law not to worship anyone else aside from Him or bow down


God, not guns


one’s head before any graven images. Daniel decided to follow God’s rule no matter what. Daniel fully trusted that God will protect him against enemies, and he was right. God did protect and defended him against the starving lions. Daniel’s story shows that our responsibility to God is to obey Him, to trust Him, and to submit to His will and believe that whatever He ordains will be for our benefit and His glory (Romans 8:28). In Daniel’s case, “no wound was found on him, because he had trusted his God” (Daniel 6:23). The second story involved


of electoral fraud; and Cory Aquino calling for massive civil disobedience actions. Defections from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, support of the Catholic hierarchy and Protestant aggrupations led to the People Power Revolution along EDSA that ousted Marcos, and secured Cory Aquino’s accession


on Feb. 25, 1986 as the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office. The rest is history.


Cory was not your typical politician because she was steeped in her Catholic upbringing and beliefs. Prior to People Power 1986, she had not held any other elective office. Considered


leader of the world’s most successful non-violent and bloodless peace revolution against a dictatorial regime, however, the People Power Revolution is replete with religious origins, as it was the call of Cardinal Sin that made people of all classes, rich or poor, to gather at EDSA, that led to her ascendancy to the highest office of President. It was a call to the people, who were internally boiling with fear, “learned helplessness”, and the “assassination of Ninoy in broad daylight, at the international airport tarmac, which figuratively broke the camel’s back”. What is the difference


between a foreign assassin and a Filipino assassin? Answer: A


TO PAGE 10


three faithful believers of God -- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, a huge image made of pure gold was erected in the middle of his kingdom and ordered everyone to worship that image. Because the three men knew that God forbids the worship of graven images, they did not obey the decree. If in the time of Daniel the punishment was to be thrown into a den full of famished lions, this time, the three men will be put to death through a blazing furnace. However, the three men were unperturbed. Before they were executed, King Nebuchadnezzar told them to defend themselves but the three men replied, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17- 18, NIV). Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual, and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie them up, and throw them into the scorching furnace.


The three men were not TO PAGE 8


the


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