THE COLOMBIAN commando operations which rescued former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt from her guerrilla captors should be studied carefully by our own Army rescue specialists, as well as the special forces of the Marines and the police. Such precision could help them in rescue operations, especially in the troubled areas of Mindanao and particularly in Sulu.

This classic operation freeing Betancourt and other high-profile hostages in Colombia ranks among the best in planning and in actual mobilization, which compares with the manner by which then-President Alberto Fujimori of Peru captured and routed the dangerous Shining Path guerrillas who created so much havoc in Peru for many years.

I wonder if human-rights groups in Colombia opposed this brilliant operation and then complained to Prof. Philip Alston in the United Nations.

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I hope the opposition will not blame President Arroyo if prices will suddenly escalate, considering that in this country, the President is always faulted by critics even if they are only bitten by mosquitoes.

As of this writing, the cost of oil in the world market has already reached $145 a barrel. Unfortunately for us, our appetite for oil continues to rise while we have no sufficient alternative fuel for our people’s needs. In fact, many do-gooders obstruct government efforts in finding alternative fuels like coal-powered power plants. All these efforts have been blocked, especially by the Church.

Two weeks ago in Iloilo City, the Greenpeace group invaded my city. These abusive foreigners even had the temerity to invert the Philippine flag displayed in their vessel while many Catholic sisters and nuns were cheering them.

The people in the barangays nearby tried to repel them but the nuns warned the natives that “they will go to hell if they will not support Greenpeace.”

Have these sisters and nuns probably trained under Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who also had the temerity to announce that he will deny communion to the President?

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We join the entire nation in welcoming home Manny Pacquiao for the singular honor of being the first Asian and the first Filipino to win four international boxing titles.

As we have observed after Manny won the lightweight championship of the World Boxing Council in Las Vegas, Manny had, at one moment of glory, electrified the whole world as a Filipino boxing icon and the best fighter in the world—pound for pound—in any weight category.

Now he has returned home as a conquering hero and a great unifier of the nation. Manny’s fights always unify the administration and the opposition, and those with different ideologies, sufferers from typhoons or not, because to a man, we are proud of our countryman, Manny Pacquiao, a great symbol of Filipino manhood.

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Still grieving from the MV Princess of the Stars sinking, we are once again shocked to learn that the ship, which is the focus of so many dives and deep-water probes to retrieve dead bodies, is carrying toxic cargo which can add to the number of victims already stunningly unbelievable.

Should the chemicals leak into the pristine waters around the island, it would destroy the diverse marine life in the area and the lives of residents along the island’s coasts who depend on fishing as their only source of income.

Why the delay in Sulpicio’s declaration that the sunken ship carries poisonous materials that can be fatal to man and marine life? What excuses this time?

It is time to review our marine laws, rules, regulations and guidelines, and ensure that all angles are covered, including the protection of passengers, cargo and the environment.

We hear that this chemical onboard the Sulpicio ship is so toxic it is banned by the European Union.

Such gross negligence is criminal!

One Response to “Learn from the experts”

• 1
  nangtud
  July 7th, 2008 12:32

  Greenpeace conducted a peaceful activity along the shore easements of Brgy. Ingore, Lapaz warning the Ilonggos on climate change impacts. In a bizarre twist, Greanpeace left on tuesday to be honored by the Antique provincial government on wednesday and the following day worked out a manifesto for eco-friendly tourism in Boracay (just like Bali) - by saturday, Frank was a big hit!

  Btw, coal prices has been galloping from $30/ton in 2000 to more than $140/ton today. If only Sec. Gonzales and his ilks lesson to the the nuns’ warning: Quit Coal! Save the Climate!

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