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Monday, May 05, 2003
Editorial: Palaro 2003: A crucial decision
THE latest reports say that the controversial on-and-off Palarong Pambansa 2003 for thousands of public elementary and high school athletes from all the country's regions will finally be held on May 18 to 25 at one of the country's most modern sports facilities -- the muliti-million-peso Mindanao Civic Center in the town of Tubod, Lanao del Norte -- built through the initiative of Gov. Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo and husband Rep. Bobby Dimaporo.
If that should materialize and rank as one of the most successful Palaros ever, much of the credit should go to the Dimaporo couple, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) headed by Commissioner Eric Buhain, Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya, Philippine National Police head Dir. Gen. Hermogenes Ebdane and the provincial/municipal governments of Lanao del Norte. And of course, the participating delegations from all the regions.
But that is going ahead of the story. The question remains: Will the annual sportsfest push through on May 18-25 as rescheduled from the original May 4 to 11 as per assurance coming from the organizers?
We ask this question because of what earlier had caused its earlier postponement: the series of attacks by elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under a certain "kumander" Bravo on two barangays of the province which resulted in death and injury to dozens of innocent men, women and children.
The incidents were given ample coverage by the country's tri-media, enough to raise apprehension among parents of athletes who had been chosen to represent their respective regions in the prestigious sports extravaganza. One cannot blame parents who recoil from the prospect of sending their children to a province where roam armed groups who have no compunction about shooting people, especially Christians.
That dilemma all but threw a monkey wrench, as it were, into the preparations for the Palaro which teetered on the brink of cancellation to the horror of the organizers, especially the Dimaporos, who saw their long-time dream of hosting the popular sportsfest that would showcase Lanao del Norte's coming of age about to evaporate into thin air.
The crisis committee composed of those concerned with the Palaro's success met a few days back to tackle the problem and eventually decided to bite the bullet: The Palaro would push through, albeit two weeks late. The AFP, PNP and local government units would see to it that there would be no interference coming from any armed group.
As PSC's Buhain put it: "Let us take the route of peace and erase the impression of Mindanao as a region of divided people...the Palarong Pambansa knows no boundaries and serves as a unifying factor between Christians and Muslims."
We say bravo to that. But what about kumander Bravo, is he part of the equation for the holding of a successful Palarong Pambansa 2003?
(May 5, 2003 issue)
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