TOURISM OVER TRADITION
NEWS about Santa Fe Mayor Jose Esgana’s insistence to hold a music festival on Black Saturday drew disapproval from several Cebu residents.
One broadcaster was stunned to learn that the mayor wanted to sue the priest for violating the anti-noise ordinance during a prayer rally held against the festival.
“The mayor doesn’t mind making noise during the holiest week for Christians. Tourism over commemoration of the Lord’s passion and death? What kind of logic is that?” he asked.
LET THEM BE
Police were at the ready when protesters staged a rally in front of one of the venues of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit meeting in Cebu.
One of the policemen said there was no need to violently disperse the group because they just wanted to let three persons speak during their program.
“Sige na. Pabayaan n’yo na sila. Pang-funding kasi nila yan. Baka sa amin pa manghingi ng pang-funding ang mga yan (It’s okay. Let them be. It’s for their funding; otherwise, they might ask for funds from from us),” he said.
FREE BOARD AND LODGING
Plans to decongest the jails remain to be a dream, and not a few people realize this only too well.
“I hope the government will really find ways to address the problem; that is if they really want to help the inmates,” a coffee shop patron said.
His friend disagreed, saying inmates should be treated with minimal care. “They are inmates, not hotel guests with free board and lodging,” he said.