Private First Class Dhan Ryan Bayot; a true hero
For our special presentation on our talkshow Straight from the Sky, we bring you a very important discussion which everyone who lives in Cebu is concerned about, especially when no less than President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte last Tuesday told the League of Municipalities that almost all the policemen here in Cebu are addicts, including the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agents. The fact that two PDEA agents were recently killed in August brings some truth to the statement of Duterte. More so that no one dared to refute him.
I had a difficult time in finding a guest for this very delicate topic as to what we think about the police and the PDEA here in Cebu. If I had PNP officials, they will certainly give excuses and would dare not challenge Duterte's statement. Let me point out that the ordinary man on the street is confused as to what is happening in Cebu, more so that Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña dared call a high-ranking police official an “enemy of the state.”
So to answer my question as to what the media thinks about the police and PDEA assigned in Cebu, I decided to bring to you no less than people who have credibility without question. People like Atty. Paul Oaminal who has a show in CCTN and writes for The FREEMAN and is with the Dangerous Drugs Board, people like my idol Elias Baquero, host of our weekly 888 News Forum, and former newsman, radioman and TV personality who is now with MyTV Dante Javelosa Luzon.
So tonight you get to hear about the situation of the police and PDEA agents from Cebu's foremost journalists so you will have an idea whether we should be scared or not. So watch this very interesting show on SkyCable's channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV's channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.
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Today is National Heroes Day; it is a day that has been moved so many times in my lifetime, which I have already written before in the past. Unlike in the United States where they regard their heroes with sacredness that their dates are never changed. Anyway for this year, at least under the administration of President Duterte, he has given the firstever Filipino hero some kind of recognition, I'm referring to Chieftain Lapu-Lapu who fought and killed the first foreign invader, Ferdinand Magellan, in the shores of Mactan and thus proved that nearly-naked warriors can still overcome European invaders who wear armor during battle.
For many years, Lapu-Lapu has become a culinary delicacy in the Philippines and foreigners laugh at us for calling a fish delicacy after a warrior that defeated a foreign invader. But the joke was on us and during the presidential campaign of 2016, this was one of the promises of Duterte, that he would elevate Lapu-Lapu as a real hero and he did so with a real and honest recognition. But that's on April 27.
But today is also the day of Filipino heroes who fought for this country. Many of them were patriots who fought during the Filipino-American War, which Americans call the Philippine Insurrection. Then we have our heroes who fought against the Japanese during World War II. Many of them like my late uncle Col. Manuel F. Segura who died five years ago. His book “Tabunan” has been reprinted by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. which makes the family proud.
For our newer heroes, I can only think of one soldier in the person of Private First Class Dhan Ryan Bayot who during the first week of that War in Marawi was literally surrounded by Muslim rebels. The 24-year-old soldier knew that his time was up, but rather than give up, he radioed his commander saying: “Bombahin na lang ninyo and location ko, sir!” When his position was bombed, he carried many rebels literally into kingdom come. Pfc. Bayot's story should be repeated in our schools so that our students will always know that life maybe short, but it has true meaning when it comes to love of country!
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For email responses to this article, write to vsbobita@gmail.com. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.