Crisis needs a light

Im sure many of us Cebuanos enjoyed a merry  Christmas. I wish everyone a prosperous and peaceful New Year!

At the 8 o’clock Mass last Sunday,  Fr. Ramon Mores  SJ reminded churchgoers  at  Sacred Heart Parish of the importance of family members being present at  Christmas especially nowadays when many families  are not complete because a parent is working abroad.

He emphasized this point by presenting examples. I guess the same message applies in the celebration of New Year’s Eve  as we prepare to greet  the year 2013.

As I agreed with Fr. Mores,  I thought of the  situation of suspended Gov.  Gwen Garcia and her family, with her loyal staff,  who celebrated  noche buena together in her Capitol office.

I guess some of them were allowed  to go home to spend Christmas with their own  families.

Everyday I pray for the early resolution of the impasse  at the Capitol.  I  pray for Garcia and Acting Governor Agnes Magpale to be guided and enlightened to do what is right and what is in  the best interest of the  Province of Cebu.

May I also ask and plead with our fellow Cebuanos to avoid using banned  firecrackers  in order to avoid injuries and deaths. I favor the move  to ban firecrackers like the successful example of Davao City.  If Davao  can do it, there’s  no reason  why the entire country can’t follow.

* * *

Apparently there won’t  be an early judicial resolution of the crisis at the Capitol. Justices of the Court of Appeals in Manila where Garcia’s lawyers applied for a temporary restraining order are  on holiday leave.

The earliest the court  can decide the matter would be January 2.

Last Thursday  the provincial treasurer said the Capitol had cash flow problems and couldn’t be expected to settle all obligations and payments at the end of the year.   This  status report  is being challenged by Garcia, who lamented that Acting Governor  Magpale was sending  the wrong signal and placing the province in a  bad light.

But it’s important to inform the people of the true state of finances of the province.  That’s transparency.

It’s best to continue to debate on this issue so that we can find the truth, which the people are entitled.

It will take a  take a while for the Capitol crisis to be resolved given Garcia’s stand not to leave her force unless she is removed “over my dead body”.

Many are hoping the crisis will eventually be resolved. I encourage people to  pray to San Pedro Calungsod for this to happen.