Political Developments,First Quarter of 2011,Part II:Disgraced ex-Congressman Romeo Jalosjos Sr.Tries to Re-draw Zamboanga

In my entry"Portait of a Warlord Part II:Romeo Jalosjos Sr.,Part 1"and"Part 2"I focused on the patriarch of what is presently Western Mindanao's most powerful political dynasty,the Jalosjos Clan.The man at the centre of this emerging power to be reckoned with is the convicted child molestor,Romeo Jalosjos Sr.Since I covered his misdeed and its consequences in those 2 entries I won't touch upon it here.

As I noted in those aforementioned entries,ex-Congressman Jalosjos spent the latter part of his 13 years in prison strategising politically and so when he was finally released from New Bilibid Prison in March of 2009 Jalosjos already had a gameplan ready to put into play.Branching out from the clan stronghold of Zamboanga del Norte Province he backed his children in races in Zamboamga Sibugay and Misamis Occidental Provinces in the May,2010 Election.While fending off the de riguer judicial challenges in almost every one of the just gained electoral victories Jalosjos still found time to lobby allies outside his clan to support what he called,the"Western Mindanao Movement."As he saw it,the entire region could be doing a whole lot better if only a couple of very basic,yet still radical shifts took place.

For starters,having 3 provinces sharing the name"Zamboanga"leads outsiders to confuse the provinces and stifled infrastructural outlay from the Government.Under Jalosjos' latest scheme Zamboanga Sibugay Province would be re-named,simply,"Sibugay."Zamboanga del Norte Province and the Jalosjos Family stronghold would be re-named"Zamnorte."On the other hand,Zamboanga del Sur Province would be known as"Zamboanga."

The most pressing issue as Jalosjos sees it is the issue of the Regional Center.Where as the Regional capitol currently lies in Zamboanga City,Jalosjos would have Regional Government offices spread throughout the Region.For example,Zamboanga City might retain the Regional DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) but the Regional branch of the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources might be moved to Ipil,etc.,etc.In Jalosjos' mind this insane idea would spur Development though he has only spoken of hotels and resturants that eould be needed to handle the envisioned influx of vistors to these disparate Regional Centres.In other words,this huge plan would turn the Region into a service economy dependent upon its own citizenry patronising the various Regional Government Centres.Jalosjos doesn't offer a single iota more.It is a typical swindle.Jalosjos would be the consummate used car salesman,talking rapidly about a 17 year old car's shiny hubcaps and new windshield wipers while never once lifting the hood to examine the engine._

Before unveiling this grandiose scheme Jalosjos had formed his new political party,or put more accurately,his new political bloc,APP,or Aggruppation of Political Parties.After hoodwinking second rate politicians into falling in behind his clan who had just swept the May of 2010 Election in 3 local provinces,he began seducing less established,less powerful politicians into joining this self serving Regional scheme.One of the uncomfortable realities of Democracies is that to engineer an election a candidate must be willing to spend A LOT of money.In many nations,the United States for example,the central government contributes a pretty penny towards this cost.Not so in the Philippines.In such a nation,one would imagine that the rich and powerful sponsor candidates whom they would"own"if elected.Again,not so.Instead,it is the rich and powerful themselves who run for election.Then,without stautes barring nepotism they perpetuate their hold on particular regions.One hears the phrase"Political Dynasty"tossed around so much that it becomes almost an afterthough if indeed it is considered at all.The point?The number one job priority of virtually all Philippine politicians is to further entrench themselves and their families within the degenerate political landscape.A Regional Plan that promises nothing EXCEPT the erasure of the present structure,unveiled just after staking clan members in 2 non-traditional provinces (Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga Sibugay) that together with his bastion of Zamboanga del Norte Province form 75% of this envisioned Region is nothing more than a naked,unadulterated grab for power.

On board this travesty and present at a 5 hour meeting at the Jalosjos owned Dakdak Resort on January 9th,2011 to finalise the roster of fools and swindlers were:

1) Governor Rolando Yebes,Zamboanga del Norte Province

2) Governor Rommel Jalosjos,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,son of the plan's architect,Romeo Jalosjos Sr.

3) Governor Antonio Cerilles,Zamboanga del Sur Province

4) Governor Herminia Ramiro,Misamis Occidental Province

5) Congressman Seth Jalosjos,Zamboanga del Norte Province,First District,another son of the plan's architect

6) Congressman Cesar Jalosjos,Zamboanga del Norte Province,Third District,brother of the plan's architect

7) Congressman Romeo Jalosjos Jr.,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,Second District,another son of the plan's architect,as well as his namesake

8) Congressman Jonathan Cabilao,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,First District

Jalosjos has made it clear that he doesn't need Zamboanga City's Mayor Celso Lobregat on board.The plan's unveiling took place just after Jalosjos' new political bloc,APP,began recruiting inside of the city.The message was clear,you are with us,or you are against us.After a few days Lobregat allowed that while he isn't against an addition of Misamis Occidental Province to Region 9,the region presently composed of the 3 Zamboangan Provinces,he would not allow the Regional Center to be moved from Zamboanga City.

In fact,the push to nullify Zamboanga City's status as Regional Center isn't new at all.In the heady days after the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' fall from power the government of President Corazon"Cory"Aquino decided to completely restructure the nation's system of Regional Governance.EO (Executive Order) #429 transferred the Center to Pagadian City.More over,it also attached Misamis Occidental AND Lanao del Norte Provinces to Region 9.

The following President,former-General,Fidel Ramos,issued EO #325 which transferred the Center back to Zamboanga City.In 2001 newly installed President Gloria M.Arroyo issued EO #36 which severed Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental Provinces from Region 9 and returned them to Region 10,their original structure but ignored the issue of Regional Center placement.Not able to leave it alone,in 2004 her Executive Secretary,Eduardo Ermita,issued Memorandum Circular #75,citing President Corazon Aquino's EO #429,which transferred the Center once again,to Pagadian City.Interestingly though,only 32 of the 121 Regional Government offices actually complied with the Memorandum's directive.18 other offices have tried to maintain a semblance of compliance by opening satellite branches in Pagadian City,12 of which maintain that they aren't satellites at all but merely transitioning to their new"home."Of course a move that has taken 7 years with no end in sight is a joke.

In what has become a ritual among successive Administrations,with only President Joseph"ERAP"Estrada not having taken action,Arroyo's successor jumped on the carousel.President Aquino,son of the late Corazon who started the whole mess,issued Memorandum Circular #11 on December 22nd,2010,though only released the following month.The Memorandum,signed by Executive Secretary Paquio Ochoa,directed the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government),Presidential Management Staff,Civil Service Commission,NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) and the Department of Budget and Management to jointly issue a comprehensive report within 30 days on the effect such a transfer to Pagadian might have.Why has it taken 25 years for this idea to break the surface?As intelligent as the idea WAS,it has gone the way of most bright ideas in the Philippines,sputtering out in the ether.The Report was never compiled,let alone filed and so Zamboanga City retains its position...somewhat.

Kidnap For Ransom,First Quarter 2011,Part II: Ceekim Gomonit and Olivia Angeles Barredo

Another victim from late 2010 has finally found his way home. The tragic story of 10 year old Ceekim Gomonit began on October 30, 2010. That evening Ceekim and his grandmother Nenia "Babet" Candil Gomonit were enjoying a relaxing couple of hours in front of the television in their Pagadian City home in Zamboanga del Sur Province. Early in the evening a group from the MILF's 113th Base Command kicked in their front door and dragged both family members into oblivion. Initially, as I alluded to in a prior entry on this case, authorities were stymied because unlike the 113th Base Command's usual modus operandi this group were all Cebuano (Bisaya) speakers and included a woman. The 113th Base Command are ethnic Maranaw (Maranao) and Iranun Tribesmen. To boot, Bisaya speakers are non-Muslims. This led some, including myself, to believe that the case may have been Rido (Clan Feud) based.

Unfortunately this was disproved by the discovery of the grandmother's corpse buried in a very shallow grave in the jungle just outside of the municipality of Sultan Naga Dimaporo in Lanao del Norte Province. The town, which sits just over the border from Zamboanga is the main base of the 113th Base Command. The group exerts total control over the municipality and more over Mrs. Gomonit was buried according to Islamic Law (Shari'a). Her remains were discovered in November after her son, Ceekim's father, received an SMS (text message) from the kidnappers earlier that week. They had included an MMS (video text message) of Ceekim as Proof of Life during the on going ransom negotiations. Sadly the messages also included co-ordinates for the body.

Immediately after digging up the cadaver, the son who was there on site turned to the media and offered that this wasn't going to change his decision NOT to pay ransom. I won't presume to judge anyone under a clear state of duress but it takes a unique type of individual to take that stance as his own mother's rotting corpse lays beside him. Knowing that his own 10 year old son was STILL being held, probably in a bamboo cage, can only make one wonder what goes through such a man's head. He closed out that media soundbite by telling the reporter that he was merely doing what his mother would have wanted him to do.

Fast forward to Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 8AM. 10 year old Ceekim was blindfolded, transported to Cotabato City and released in an empty lot in Barangay Mother. Having been given money and written instructions he made his way bravely to the city's Jeepney Terminal and took a passenger van directly to Pagadian City, arriving at that city's Jeepney Terminal at 230PM. He then made his way via triksiad (ubiqitous form of public transport here in the Philippines) to his extended family's home in Sunrise Village, a subdivision within the municipality's Barangay Tiguma.

March 03, 2011, just hours after Maricris Quatrocruz was released by the MILF's 113th Base Command, another victim was snatched into incognito. 36 year old Olivia Angeles Barrero, like Maricris, is a resident of Zamboanga City. At 615PM,having just left the pharmacy run by her family in the city's Barangay Labuan, Mrs. Barredo was with her husband next to their SUV when she was approached by 2 men riding tandem on a single Honda motorcycle. Stopping to answer a question she and her husband were quickly boxed in by several gunmen who quickly drove up in 2 SUVs. As Olivia screamed at startled bystanders she was dragged into 1 of the sports utility vehicles which then sped off towards the shoreline. Her husband, who had bravely tried to save her was unscathed by the 3 rounds fired at him by the fleeing kidnappers. At the shoreline, as she was being carried from the SUV to an idling pump boat (small motorised craft) her screaming drew the attention of a Barangay Tanod (an armed guard employed by the barangay). The Tanod, accompanied by a large group of residents rushed to aid her. Although the boat had already shoved off the mob did manage to capture 2 of the kidnappers, both MILF guerillas, who were turned over to Zamboanga City PNP (Philippine National Police) after having been beaten severely.

The pump boat was soon joined by 2 other pump boats and all 3 were seen heading towards the municipality of Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte Province. As of posting Mrs. Barrero is still being held although ransom negotiations are on going. The 2 captured guerillas, Abdulsalih Esmsail Mindoon and Zaldy Daing Mindoon were both found with 45 caliber pistols and are being held in Zamboanga City Jail.