RAIN OF FIRE

Ceasar G. Bonilla
Presidential pardons and bad movie trailers

LAOAG CITY -- The grant of presidential pardon to the gunman of the late Maureen Hultman can give us an idea how justice runs and is served in this country. After that tragic incident, Maureen was in coma since she was shot by the gunman with her friends Roland John Chapman, who died on the spot, and Jussi Olavi who survived to testify against the suspect.

A news report about the death of Maureen was broadcast three hours making the Hultman family hold a press conference at their home in Dasmarinas Village, Makati to deny rumors that the shooting of the three victims was “drug related.”

The conference was attended by close friends of the family and some of Maureen’s own friends who expressed disgust over the ugly rumors. Her parents, Anders and Vivian Hultman, said their daughter would have wanted something positive to come out of all the tragedy caused by the bullet in her head. Indeed, more and more people are becoming aware of the condition in the society, wherein the rights of criminal suspects get more in law than their innocent victims. Taxi drivers and other people from all walks of life have come up with one conclusion, when the case of Maureen is discussed – that any person who willfully curtails the right of another to live should, in all justice, be made by law to forfeit his own.
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Movie and television industries should devise ways by which teenagers and children could be spared from exposure to harmful movie trailers such as those showing extreme violence and explicit sex scenes. The apparent breakdown of rules is evidenced by indiscriminate screening of movie trailers with objectionable scenes on television even during prime time or in theaters even when scheduled feature films are intended for general patronage.

The tremendous influence of movies and television, on the impressionable minds of young people is universally recognized. With the help of the officials of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, theater owners, movie and television producers and media organizations such as the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster sa Pilipinas, the young could be molded properly. Modern technology depicted by mass media has a vital influence in the promotion of social, spiritual, and moral values of the Filipinos.
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The Rio Grande de Laoag of 1.6 hectares filed with forested terrain is the perfect backdrop for a scenic journey along the Laoag Padsan River. The resort features three swimming pools, country-style guest-rooms, picnic huts and cottages, and a grand conference hall to suit any company’s demands. Aside from the natural vista of the place and the distinct hospitality of the staff of Rio Grande, other reasons guests should visit the resort is its affordability.
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Most historians agree that Filipino national consciousness began in Jan. 20, 1872, now known as the Cavite Mutiny. It was a mutiny that took place in Cavite. The authorities lost no time in blaming Fathers Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora as the masterminds of the mutiny. The three were garroted and their execution marked the dawn of a national consciousness that would bring about the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal, the founding of the Katipunan, and the Declaration of the Philippine Independence by General Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit or old Cavite, making Kawit the cradle of the Republic of the Philippines.

The two most important national symbols – the Philippine Flag and the national anthem – were officially inaugurated in Kawit. For centuries, the galleon trade represented the entire economy of the country. There was only one highway in the country, the Camino Real that extended from Intramuros to Cavite City. We must develop a national consciousness without constantly obliterating the past for it is the very essence of our being and oracle of our future.
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The Saviour’s Christian Academy is one of the best schools in Ilocos Norte because of its values and education imparted by intelligent educators like Barnette P. Tayamen and Ester Tayamen. This religious school internalizes fully the teachings of the Lord God to little children for them to become more matured, God-fearing and respectful to their parents and society. Some teachers in other schools have been displaying arrogance in dealing with other people as if their attachment to their Church can warrant spiritual salvation. Their false Christian values can be destructive to the image of the academy they represent. Not so with Saviour’s Christian Academy for I, myself, when I first visited the school, a long, long time ago, I found out that the teachers were well-bred, brilliant, friendly, and hospitable.
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I would like to greet Madam Gloria Alano Caluya of Rio Grande Hotel and all of my students of DATA like: Kathlyn, Eilhma, Minette, Apple, Sheila, Angeline, Grace, Mark, Novie, Jeff, Gerard, Jansen, Lorenzo, Elphie and others. Happy Semestral break!