Jonas Cabiles Soltes

Jose Rizal can now sleep in peace--at least in Naga City--after the Supreme Court (SC) decided on which between Naga City and Camarines Sur province can rightfully administer and supervise the plaza named after him.

Plaza Rizal, located within the old central business district of Naga City, has been the subject of a heated and long-standing dispute between the city and the province, which has controlled the Plaza even after Naga became an independent component city in 1948 through Republic Act 305.

The city has sought a declaration that the administrative control and management of Plaza Rizal should be given to it because the plaza is situated within its territorial jurisdiction. But the province argued that it was the legal and absolute owner of the plaza and, therefore, had the sole right to maintain, manage, control, and supervise it.

LEGAZPI CITY (2 October)-The municipal government of Vinzons, Camarines Norte ordered the preemptive evacuation of residents living in the town's coastal villages.

PAGASA hoisted storm signal number 2 over Camarines Norte after Typhoon "Pepeng" had threatened the northernmost Bikol province.

As of 11:00 am today, 500 persons have been evacuated to Vinzons Pilot Elementary School in the town proper from the affected villages. The number is expected to rise, according to Michael Narido, planning officer at the Mayor's office.

NAGA CITY-Participants of the Bikol regional military parade competition missed either old friends or old foes.

Several Catholic schools in the region, including the Jesuit-run Ateneo De Naga University, did not join the military parade this year because the parade was held within the nine-day festivities in honor of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

NAGA CITY-Even the downpour brought by a brewing storm did not dampen the piety that was also trickling on Friday as thousands of Bikolanos kicked off the nine-day festivities in honor of their "Ina" (mother), the Our Lady of Peñafrancia, through the traditional traslacion, a foot procession.

The procession, which dates back to the 17th century, transferred the image of Mary and the Divino Rostro (Holy Face of Jesus) from the Peñafrancia Shrine to the Naga City Metropolitan Cathedral.

NAGA CITY-A rights group in Bikol has expressed approval over the passage in a senate committee of a bill seeking to impose penalty on enforced and involuntary disappearance.

Paul Vincent Casilihan of Karapatan-Bicol said they were happy over the approval of the House Bill 5886 or the Anti-Involuntary Disappearance Bill in the Senate committee on justice and human rights. "This would strengthen the fight against perpetrators of involuntary disappearances in the country," he said.

NAGA CITY-Caceres Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi says the current situation of the country does not call for priest-turned-Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio to run for President.

"There are many qualified candidates among those who declared their intention to run for the presidency," said Archbishop Legaspi in an exclusive interview this week.

"Nagdududa ako kung Diyos nga ang tumatawag sa kanya na kumandidato sa pagkapangulo." (I doubt if it is really God who is calling him to run for the presidency.)