Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Governor Marquez Basketball Cup

The Governor Carlito S. Marquez Basketball Cup tournament is a sport to remember. Everybody is unanimous, that basketball tournament was very successful. The attendance in the ABL Sports Complex was standing room.
Those who were not able to watch the games in the venue of the tour-nament watched them in either Kalibo Cable TV or Aklan Cable TV.

Those who have no TV monitor heard the final games play by play over the radio. The tournament is worth repeating. However, there are always rooms for improvement in all human endeavors. As I watched the games, I observed just minor things that if considered and corrected, may improve future tournaments.

First, the referees have neither number nor name in their shirt. There are three of them at the same time inside the court during the game. To enhance recognition in case of fair and just or lapses in their officiating, they can be easily identified. For excellent officiating, they may be commended, and sanctioned for bad officiating.

Second, the use of referees from other provinces maybe beneficial to Aklanon referees if they are skillful and has mastered the rules of the game. However, watching them during the elimination games, local referees appeared skillful than them. Worse, in the champion-ship round, no Aklanon referees was allowed to officiate. Are the referees from other provinces superior than the Aklanons?

Third, in the best of three championship, a play was halted because of error in officiating during the third and final games. Alacar of Banga was fouled by Numancia. Moreover, Numancia was called a technical foul. Ricafuente of Banga was allowed to execute the free throw for the technical foul. After the free throw for the technical foul, Ricafuente was allowed to execute the two free throws penalty for a foul against Alacar. This is the referees’ big mistake. It must be Alacar to do the two free throws as the foul was committed against him.

This elicited complaint from Team Numancia that delayed very long the resumption of the game.

Fourth, in a game between team New Washington and Team Numancia, time out called by New Washington was counted against team Numancia. When team Numancia called for a time out, is it has one more time out, the table did not honor the request as its record showed team Numancia has no more time out.

Assuming that Numancia has really no more time out, the table could have granted the call and then slap a technical foul. That error sent the game into double overtime which New Washington won.

Be that as it may, the tournament management deserves congratulation. However, the following points maybe considered: 1. Compel referees to use number and name in their shirt for proper identification; 2. Train management technical staff to improve their work; and 3. Give priority in officiating to Aklanons; referees imported should be most skillful than the locals.

U.S. Gov’t Offers $1M Reward

For Abu Sayyaf Chief Sahiron Arrest

Alex Vidal in San Diego, California reported: "Enough is enough", seems to be the battlecry of the Department of States of the United States of America as it announced in Washington D.C. a reward offer of up to $1 million for information leading to the location, arrest and/or conviction of Radullan Sahiron, senior leader of the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Many innocent men, women and children have been killed or seriously injured as a result of Sahiron’s actions, announced Ian Kelly, spokesman of the Bureau of Public Affairs, Washington D.C.

Kelly said Sahiron played a role in the May 2001 Dos Palmas kidnapping of three U.S. citizens and 17 Filipinos from a tourist resort in Palawan, Philippines.

Several of the hostages, including U.S. citizen Guillermo Sobero, were murdered.

He said Sahiron continues to plot terror schemes that impact many communities in Mindanao. Due to his leadership position in the Abu Sayyaf Group, whose terrorist attacks have resulted in the deaths of U.S. and Filipino citizens, U.S. authorities consider Sahiron a threat to U.S. and Filipino citizens and interests, Kelly said.

"We encourage any-one with information on Sahiron’s location to contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, any U.S. Government official or military commander, or the Rewards for Justice staff via the (www.rewardsforjusti ce.net),e-mail (RFJ@state.gov) or mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, DC 20520-0303, USA), All infor-mation will be kept strictly confidential", Kelly said in a press statement.

Since its inception in 1984, the Rewards for Justice Program has paid more than $80 million to more than 50 persons for information that prevented international terrorist attacks or helped bring to justice those involved in prior attacks. /MP