Monday, August 06, 2007 Rama: It ain’t called Kamagong for nothing By Karlon N. Rama Stage Five
DESPITE the massive blow to its operation perpetrated by the 53rd Army Engineering Brigade’s immediate and unannounced recovery of its leased firing range at the Central Command Headquarters last July 27, Kamagong Gun Club Inc. appears to be back on track.
In what was the most well attended meeting in the club’s 14-year history, the general assembly resolved, last Friday, to secure its own property and authorized the release of funds needed for the purchase.
Colonel Ceferino Layao, the club president, said they’ve already identified two spots, both not five minutes from each other. And with the general assembly’s authorization, they are now in the process of acquiring the one offering the most advantageous terms.
They are keeping the location need-to-know until they secure the title.
“Both lots are within Cebu City and are both only about 15 kilometers of paved road from the Provincial Capitol,” he said.
The club will begin applying for the necessary government clearances as soon as the deal is closed.
The best bet seems to be one lot whose existence club officials discovered by accident when they were out inspecting another site.
“We have already spoken to the Barangay Captain and the landowner. There seems to be no potential opposition from the residents. The place is not heavily populated and the few registered families residing in the area will not be negatively affected in any way,” Layao said.
Hang together. The general membership meeting Friday night had members, old and new, filling the second floor of the Abuhan Dos Restaurant in F. Ramos St. It was, as one attendee put it, like a fellowship night that began with people mulling over bad news but later finding something well enough to be happy about.
“It was like the Sword of Damocles fell on us but nobody got hit,” said Dr. Tyrone Mercader, the club vice president and resident gun safety and proficiency instructor.
“We had long known that Kamagong wasn’t going to stay long at CentCom.
Late in 2005, we heard that the Provincial Government was going to get the area and there was no stopping it. Before that we were at an all-time high.
We’d expanded the CentCom range from three to 10 bays. We’d started to build a rifle bay but stopped because the area was reverting to Capitol anyway. It went bad after that. We lost the initiative. We even stopped organizing matches outside the regular circuit competitions,” he added.
But now that the takeover finally happened, albeit not at the hands of Capitol but by army engineers, the club is upbeat once more. Mercader explained: “This has given people a cause to get together again and face this problem with a united front.”
Friday’s meeting was highlighted with the creation of different task groups – Atty. Bayani Atup, together with a handpicked cadre of members, takes charge of the club’s re-registration as a stock corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission; Col. Layao, together with his own cadre, secures the land; and Engr. Virgilio Kong and Architect Filomeno Kangleon Jr. prepares the plan for the new range.
Meanwhile, Atty. Ervin Estandarte, together with the club’s other member-lawyers, takes charge of running against those responsible for the shabby way the club was treated during the boot-out.
The Provincial Board is also looking into the matter, courtesy of Atty. Victor Maambong who is himself a shooter.
Miscommunication. CentCom officials are calling the falling out with Kamagong the product of miscommunication.
In an interview with Col. Romeo Gapuz last Tuesday, the CentCom Chief of Staff admitted that the club wasn’t given the standard 30-day notice prior to the takeover but explained that it was an emergency. Moreover, he said, CentCom had no intentions of booting the club out.
