A more acceptable proposal

NOW THE heads of the country’s armed services are known to have roots in Davao. They are Lt. Gen. Noel Clement, newly assumed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, and Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, just this week designated as Officerin-Charge (OIC) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) after erstwhile Chief PNP Oscar Albayalde went on Non-Duty Status (NDS) last Monday. Both Clement and Gamboa had studied at the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) before entering the Philippine Military Academy.

The two top officials of the armed services of the government are in addition to Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Babao Romulo-Puyat, a niece of former Davao Historical Society President Enriquita “Baby” Babao.

Of course, we have the administration’s top economic manager also from Davao Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez, Labor Chief Silvestre Bello III, and Philippine Sports Commission chief Butch Ramirez.

We hope that none of them will do anything that will tarnish the administration of Davaoeno President Rodrigo Duterte. For certain the President has given them his utmost trust. Therefore, they must endeavor to keep that trust intact until the last day of the Duterte administration.

They also make their fellow Davaoenos proud. Let that pride in them linger on.

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A few weeks back we tackled in this column the absence of any heritage site in Davao City. We also talked about one building that probably could be a candidate to be one, if properly endorsed and communicated to the public. And we were referring to the building that used to house the Court of First Instance (CFI), and later, the Museo Dabawenyo.

We were hoping then that when the Museo was requested to vacate to give way to what was first reported as an extension building to house the City Engineer’s Office (CEO), the old CFI building will be retained and restored to its old self.

But lo and behold! What could be the oldest building in Davao City is being demolished. It seems the city government is bent on incorporating the space occupied by the only potential heritage site in Davao for the construction of the new CEO building.

We have no doubt that people who are conscious of the role history plays to the Davao City that it is today, are sad with what is happening to the old CFI building.

But whatever is the reason behind the city government’s decision of doing away with that historical landmark we can only wish the decision is proven right.

Now the remaining candidate to become a heritage site is the old Dacudao residence in Mintal. And it really is in terms of years of existence and architecture. But then, it has already become a family mausoleum.

Well, the likelihood is that we will have an all modern Davao with nothing to remind us of the city of old except its chronicles in limited copies of history books published by enterprising Davao historians.

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There is now this snowballing proposition to add one more congressional district in Davao City.

This is on top of a proposal several years back to divide Davao City into two. The earlier proposal met heavy opposition from certain political quarters. Thus, it did not gain even a single inch of a lift from its proposal status

Now here is this plan of adding another congressional district. And it appears that no less than Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is endorsing it.

We believe that this proposal is more acceptable by the people of the city and by the political leaders. Those who are in power at the local government unit will not have any reason to fear that their clout will be diminished.

Besides, the creation of a new district will give some aspiring politicians better chances of making it to a council seat with lesser expense since the area comprising the districts will be substantially reduced.

We are hoping that this time around the proposition will finally reach Congress and acted accordingly.