Espinoza: The tragedy and a jumble of presidential bets

The tragedy that hit Tinubdan Falls in Catmon, Cebu that resulted in the death of three people after the sudden rush of water on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, is a hard and tragic lesson for everyone, especially to the grieving family, and particularly for the local government units (LGUs) that open to the public their nature’s park, like the Tinubdan Falls, without the necessary precautionary measures.

With the unpredictable weather we have now and the rainy season, those who venture to nature’s places should exercise extra caution. In the same manner, the LGUs, like the Municipality of Carmen that opened the Tinubdan Falls to the public, should have put in place precautionary measures that would warn the bathers or tourists of any exigency. It’s even a question if the municipality has a watchman in the place.

I’ve seen the footage. It apparently showed, with due respect to the victims, that the bathers were unmindful of any untoward incident. Most of them were sitting down on rocks amid cascading waters, and when the heavy flash of brownish water rush in, they were carried downstream. There was one guy that, instead of running to a safer side of the falls, stayed and hung on to the rocks.

The provincial police office has asked the Municipality of Catmon to temporarily close Tinubdan Falls to the public.

The body of Kent Jude Monterola, 17, was found 14 kilometers away from the falls. On the other hand, the body of Princess Alatra, 7, was retrieved on Monday in Sitio Kulo, Barangay Duyan, next to Barangay Tabili, where the Tinubdan Falls is located. Jacel, the mother of Princess, was found Tuesday dawn by fishermen in the waters off Barangay Luyang, Carmen, a neighboring town of Catmon. Our sincere condolences to the grieving families of Monterola and Alastra.

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Oct. 1, 2021 is the first day of the filing of the certificate of candidacy, and Oct. 8 is the last day of filing for aspirants running for elective offices in the May 9, 2022 general elections. From the current state of things, next year’s election for president would be merrier than ever since there are so many interested souls wanting to be president of our one and only motherland, the Philippines.

Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was the early bird to make the rounds in the country to feel the pulse of the voters despite the pandemic. Suddenly, however, she is keeping her cards close to her chest after her father, President Duterte, on the supposed clamor of his party, PDP-Laban Cusi Wing, acceded to run for vice president.

Sen. Ping Lacson and Senate President Tito Sotto, on the other hand, were the first to declare their duo to run for president and vice president, respectively, and to contest as to whoever would be the official administration bets.

Sen. Bong Go, who is egged on by Cusi’s faction to run for president with President Duterte as his running mate, has declined several times, and speculations were high that at the end of the day it would be a daughter-father tandem—Mayor Sara for president, coalescing with PDP-Laban’s VP bet Duterte. Bongbong Marcos will also run for president with any one of the Dutertes as his running mate.

The 1Sambayan is hoping that Vice President Leni Robredo would run for president even after Manila Mayor Isko Moreno had declared to run for president. In Cebu City, Sen. Manny Pacquiao with Promdi leaders announced his decision to run for president. Wow, the product of a multi-party system!

From the current state of things, next year’s election for president would be merrier than ever since there are so many interested souls wanting to be president of our one and only motherland, the Philippines.