NBI Chief Wycoco Dies

Report courtesy of Sun Star Network On-Line

Almost a month after he suffered a cerebral stroke, Director Reynaldo Wycoco of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) passed away at 6:16 p.m. Monday at the Manila Doctors' Hospital where he had been confined. Wycoco had collapsed during a meeting in his office last November 23 and was immediately rushed to the hospital. Wycoco's physicians said he suffered hemorrhagic stroke due to ruptured aneurysm. He later became comatose. MDH medical director Dante Morales said Monday that Wycoco's organs gave in one by one. Wycoco was under life-support system before he passed away. Malacañang sympathized with the Wycoco's family and lamented his demise. "We have lost a good man and a true professional," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said. Bunye, who is also presidential spokesman, said Wycoco "brought winds of change at the NBI", adding he hopes that Wycoco's successor will continue the good work of the late NBI director. Presidential adviser for political affairs Gabriel Claudio, for his part, described Wycoco as the "ideal bureaucrat and gentleman. He said they were also caught by surprise when he was rushed to the hospital after knowing him as a very health conscious person." "I'm deeply saddened by his passing. I have no doubt many of our countrymen feel the same profound loss. His record and reputation as a dedicated law enforcer, an honest civil servant, and a true gentleman will be very difficult to match, replace, or forget," Claudio said. (Sunnex/With JMR)
(December 20, 2005 issue)

Christmas Party pics

Guys, the barkada Christmas party held at Poppo's place in QC on December 17 (Saturday) was a complete success. I'm posting the photos for those who were not able to receive the pics from Jhackie. By the way, I'm making the yahoo group for us so please send me your updated e-mail addresses. Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

L-R: Pooh, Doc, Nigel, Poppo & Jhackie, Rodel, Des, Ate Rose and Luwi.

Da Boys Winnie Da Pooh, Rodel, Nigel, Poppo and Doc at the center.

Angelicum's firendly neighborhood dentist, Dr. Lorenzo Kho

Sister Rose

Love triangle ba itoh? pooh and Nigel fighting over Des??? hehehehehe

Nigel and Des... so sweet together...

The host and hostess Poppo and Jhackie at the residence of Poppo in QC

Love Team No. 2: Pooh and Des

and more pooh and Des

Maangas na bodyguards kasama si Doctor Kho...

Des and Jhackie

Jhackie and Rose

Luwi and Jhackie

Pooh and Jhackie

mga balisong boys ng pasko... magingat sa mga ito

Totoy Balisong... ang kilabot ng Visayas Avenue

MALIGAYANG PASKO AT MANIGONG BAGONG TAON!!!!

The Banares Clan Blog site is up and running!

friends and relatives, the banares clan blog site is now up and running and can be viewed at

www.banares-clan.blogspot.com

you can also view the history of the clan through its links or at

www.banares-clan-history.blogspot.com

or view the on-going exhibit of the restored drawings of clan hosues by the late Tomas Banares at

www.clan-houses.blogspot.com

Hope you guys like it!

PALASYO NG MALACANANG

For those who share my interest in old photos of various lcoations inside and outside Manila, I would like to share with you some old photos of Malacanang Palace. (Photos courtesy of the Malacanang Museum).

PALACE STATE ENTRANCE THROUGH THE YEARS







PRESIDENTIAL FAMILY ENTRANCE













PALACE RIVER SIDE










More pictures to come next time... :) hope you liked them.

SUCCESS!

HAHAHA! Sa wakas, natutunan ko na rin ang pag gawa ng authentic Bicol Tinumok (tilmok, Tinumok). Bwahahahahaha! Tataba nanaman ako! Wala lang... thought you should know.... :D

A RAY OF LIGHT BEHIND BARS

For the benefit of those who were not able to read my article regarding Edgar Eniego of Puerto Pirncesa in 2001, i am reprinting the panorama issue for your perusal. -- Rodel

ZACH'S BIRTHDAY PARTY PICS

Hi guys. I just wanted to show you the pictures of Zach (Jack and Poppo's son) at McDo Visayas Ave. last weekend. Sorry ha but i will post only 2 pics. :)


MMMM.... ANG LAMIIIG NG SUNDAE CONE! BRRRR...... HALA! HALA!!!! FIND THE PONGKAN EATING A SUNDAY CONE!


The Barkada with Hamburglar (alias Asyong Burger)and the birthday boy ZACH!

Wycoco's Stroke

I learned the other day (and from the papers today) the details of General "Wycs" Wycoco's stroke. It is indeed sad when a dedicated and honest government official suffers this fate. I admit i watch his show with Joel Torre and Gen. Angie Reyes (Laban Kontra Krimen). His stroke comes as a shock to all peace-loving citizens of this Republic. I enjoin the people reached by this blogsite to pray for Director Wycoco.

THE GARCI CONTROVERSY REVISITED

The past month saw a hiatus from the petty bickering initiated by the opposition. The Calibrated Preemptive Response (CPR) has not been challenged for days, and the Garcillano issue almost semmed to have died... or so we thought. The opposition has started to ramble on and on yet again about the faith of Garcillano and they keep on pestering the incumbent (and duly elected) government of Gloria Arroyo to "release" Garci. How can the government release someone who is not in their custody? As for proof, the burden is proof is with the accusers, not the accused. So if i were the opposition, please, please put up or shut up. You have caused the country great and probably unrecoverable damage with your petty issues. Give it up. If you want power, get it on your own next election.

ADDITIONAL RESTORED SKETCHES OF CLAN HOUSES BY TOMAS BANARES

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW

This information is from Greenpeace Southeast Asia: Food Safety is an important concern of all societies. Consumers anywhere in the world are wary of the rpesence of pathogens, pesticide residues, and other toxic chemicals in their food. There are especailly serious concerns about the safety of eating Genetically Engineered (GE) Foods. Because Genetical Engineering is based on the random insertion of genes, it can produce unintended and unexpected effects. The long term implications on human health of eathing GE Foods are also not known (and have not been investigated).

According to the Royal Society of London, a prestigious group of independent scientists, babies and infants are especailly vulnerable to allergies and changes in the nutirtional composition of their diet. A mandatory labelling system allows consumers to avoid these risks.

Sadly, Numerous bills on labelling are found in both our hosues of congress. However, these have never progressed beyond their filing, and to dat, no committee deliberations have been done to inform consumers about the items they are buying.

Need more info? Log on to www.greenpeacesoutheastasia.org

Some Restored Drawings of Clan Houses by My Grandfather Tomas

Note: All the drawings below were drawn by the then 83-year old "Lolo Chief" (My grandfather, Tomas Torre Banares). All were Drawn in March-April 1979 in their home in Bacacay, Albay.
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The above drawing shows the house of Tomas & Crispina Banares where teir son Onesimo (Oning) was born.
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SUPPORTING EMERGENCY RULE

Talks are ripe about Malacanang's alleged plan to use the power of the president to dclare emergency rule. This plan has been criticized by members of the opposition and the militant groups who are now afraid of the very ghost they created. I for one support this plan to impose emergency rule for several reasons: (1) this is to show that congress and the opposition are not int he position to dictate their whims on the commander-in-chief; (2) That the presidency is still equipped to utilize available means of controlling the country's continued downspiral due to the opposition's unabated thrist for power; and (3) to show that the constitution (yes, the Cory constitution) has given the president such remedies, the same powers which Cory and her gang of power-hungry cronies are now eager to condemn. Damn! Corazon Aquino and Susan Roces have gone far in their lives only to be pushed back into the primeval ooze by those politicians who have decided to crawl out and wreak havoc on our poor country. The likes of Lacson, Pimentel et al belong in jail and if I am the president, order their immediate arrests and summary execution. to hell with these destabilizers. The country is losing so much because of some oppositionists' lust for power --- even going to great lengths such as spying on other foreign powers just to destabilzie the government. i say kill all destabilizers on the spot. And to those civilians who are rumored to be arming themselves to protect GMa should she be forced out of office through extra-constitutional means, remember the words of Paul Revere: To arms! To Arms! We should be ready... armed and ready to fight for the country against these power-hungry destabilziers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOCTOR KHO

Doctor Lorenzo Kho of Sto. Domingo, Quezon City celebrated his birthday on the day of the Feast of the Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (Nuestra Senora de Santissima Rosario de La Naval de Manila) on October 9. Doc, as he is known to most of his friends and acquaintances, opened his house to friends and relatives around luch, serving food and drinks to guests. The party went on until early morning of October 10. From the barkada, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOC!

Prof. Astrologio laid to rest

It was a rainy Saturday morning. Friends, family and students of Prof. Crispin Astrologio gathered at the Royal Chapel of St. Peter Funeral Homes in Quezon City to pay their last respects. I headed the necrological service which followed the morning mass. The day before, i received a fax from Vice Governor Vicnent Villaluna of Catanduanes. He said he could not make it to the service, but he sent his eulogy via fax, which i read. It was a touching eulogy honoring the man who has inspired many of us, his former students, to do well. After the service, a convoy of about fifteen vehicles traversed the long road from Quezon City to Loyola Paranaque. Rain was pouring down hard on the convoy of cars led by the hearse. The rain let up a bit as the convoy entered the memorial park. As the group of people attending the burial gathered around his casket for the last time, i looked around. Familiar and unfamiliar faces alike were crying as his casket's lid was closed. As his casket was being lowered into the damp earth, a slight drizzle marked a final farewell to the man we called Astro.

MY FLOOBLE CHATBAORD IS UP AND RUNNING AGAIN! YAHOOO!

Due to my long absence in blogging, i realized too late that my chatboard was cancelled due to non-activity. Well its over now, and my flooble chatboard is up and running again. You may now post your messages!

TRIBUTE TO PROF. ASTROLOGIO

There will be a simple tribute and necrological service for Prof. Crispin F. Astrologio of Angelicum College at the St. Peter Funeral Homes along Quezon Avneue in Quezon City on Friday, September 23, 2005 at 8:00 pm. Those who wish to deliver their messages may contact me at 589-41-95 or 0917-2468-514.

Remembering Ninoy

Hi guys! Yesterday we commemorated the death anniversary of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. who was assasinated while descending the tarmac of the Manila International Airport. Ninoy, as he is fondly called by friends and family was returning from exile in the United States. Though he was discouraged several times by the Marcos government from returning to the Philippines to the point that he was refused issuance of a passport and visa, he still found a way to return to his native land. A few minutes before landing, he held a press conference inside the plane, and in what seemed to most as premonition, began instructing the reporters to be "very ready with hand cameras, because this action can become very fast. In a matter of minutes, it would be all over and i may not have a chance to talk to you again after this". True enough, a few minutes after the plane landed, he was shot even before he was able to set foot on his native soil. Many historians claim that his death served as the fire that ignited people to revolt three years alter, but for many, he was more than just that --- he was the personification of everything Filipino.

DUMBLEDORE IS NOT DEAD

I was told by my niece, who, just like myself, is a harry potter fan, that there is a site dedicated to estabnlishing the fact that DUMBLEDORE IS NOT DEAD. For those in the dark as to what i am talking about, i am of course talking about the second to the last installation of the Harry Potter Series, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". Sadly this time though, i decided not to have my book reserved and instead chose to wait for the price to go down before purchasing it. I, however, was able to read the book through the wonders of the internet. I can ramble on and on about why i personally feel that Albus Dumbledore is not dead, but i would rather you discover it for yourself, either through self discovery or through the website i just mentioned. More to come. Enjoy. :)