BY MATÉ ESPINA
THE LONG weekend was supposed to give us a chance to celebrate the Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day but on both occasions, things turned ugly and bloody in separate incidents in Negros Occidental.
A headline in Digicast Negros called it Bloody Valentines and falling on a Sunday, it reminded me of that U2 song “Sunday Bloody Sunday” that talks about the massacre in Northern Ireland at the height of the conflict between English troopers and the Irish Revolutionary Army.
I’ve visited Belfast some years ago and remnants of that conflict still exist today, plastered on walls, in bars and along the roads where portions of steel barricades remain.
Back home, a birthday celebration that was supposed to extend to Valentines turned bloody after the celebrator was gunned down in a resort in San Enrique town.
Ryan Villanueva checked into the resort with his girlfriend and some friends last Saturday to celebrate his 33rd birthday. The following morning, five bonnet-wearing men forcibly entered his room, dragged his girlfriend out and shot Ryan multiple times.
Police recovered 28 shells of a .45 pistol and some drug paraphernalia inside the room. While they could not categorically say what the motive was, it was obvious that Ryan was the only target.
In Sipalay and Kabankalan cities, two more individuals were gunned down separately while an uncle and nephew died on the spot after getting swiped at by a speeding truck while on their way home from a christening.
A dash cam from a motorist was able to record the accident that left Allan Bedonia, 55 and Rodrigo Bedonia, 22 dead on the spot after a truck owned by the Central Lopez Sugar Central sideswiped their motorcycle and flung the victims several meters away from each other and smack in the middle of the airport circumferential road.
It was an ugly incident over the weekend and adds to the pile of tragic vehicular accidents along that road. Perhaps someday accidents will be fewer in that area when the “Sugar Road” will be completed and will be the access road that will be officially used by truckers.
It is unfortunate that nobody mans the stretch of the airport circumferential road because in principle, sugar trucks are not supposed to pass through that road and the only ones allowed there are trucks used by sugar farms in that area.
However, with no one monitoring the road, it’s been a free for all and sometimes there are even tricycles plying that stretch. Three LGUs have jurisdiction of that road – Bacolod, Talisay and Silay, and the safety, especially at night when most road lights are not even working, has always been a problem.
Sunday night too, some families in Sagay and San Carlos in the north part of the province had to be evacuated as waters rose again due to non-stop rain.
Provincial Disaster chair, Zephard Caelian reported that the Danao River in Sagay City overflowed Sunday night and flooded portions of Old Sagay. In fact, early in the afternoon of that day, ankle deep waters were also recorded in Victorias City.
Since the first day of this year, there have been reported flooding in many areas even just after a 2-hour continuous rain and this highlights the need to put in place a strong environmental program that will address this, especially in the northern part of the province.
Recently, Board Member Andrew Montelibano who chairs the provincial environmental committee revealed that there are over 200 quarry operators in the third district alone and they are reviewing permits and operations of the same for any environmental abuses.
In other news, the mega-billion proposal to build the Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridge may be actualized after the feasibility study for its construction has been completed, as announced by Public Works secretary Mark Villar.
However, Iloilo senator Franklin Drilon is not optimistic that construction of the same will commence this year because negotiations for loan agreements may take another year.
In reports, Drilon was quoted saying that while China initially agreed to fund the P128 billion bridge, it has now pulled out from that commitment and the Philippine government may have to look for another funder and one of which may be the Koreans.
Drilon also said that it may be possible for the Panay-Guimaras stretch to be funded as it is shorter but it will take some time for the Guimaras to Negros stretch to be realized as it is longer.
The proposed bridge will span over 32 kilometers and from its design, it sure looks fun to traverse that from here to Iloilo when that happens. It will also spur tourism in Guimaras which boasts of beautiful beaches as well. And best of all, shopping in Iloilo’s S&R will be easier since plans to have one here has never taken off./PN
