“Fear, left unchecked, can spread like a virus.” –“Necromancing the Stone” by Lish McBride

When this year’s Paraw Regatta Festival unfolds from April 1 to 5, the world may still not be safe from the coronavirus disease, or Covid-19. By that time, the global death toll may have risen even more; there is no telling when the virus disappears.
Would the ongoing threat prevent crowds from gathering for the event?
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas confirmed the new schedule over the weekend following a meeting with the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc., who likely made the decision to hold the event before the virus is out of control and cripples any chances of holding festivals in the summer.
With coronavirus fears wreaking havoc around the globe, the Paraw Regatta will take place as the world struggles to avoid, if not overcome, the virus.

* * *
After Iloilo City Regional Trial Court Judge Emerald Requina-Contreras recently issued a writ of possession paving the way for the More Electric and Power Corporation to take over assets held by the Panay Electric Company (PECO), some political figures who have fought PECO since the 1990s took to social media to express “relief.”
“Where are the politicians who once backed you?” one of these figures said. “What have they done to help you?
While some are still active in public life, many having regained powerful seats in the last elections, they have become “sitting ducks”－they have no power and influence as PECO’s woes are beyond grandstanding, politicking, influence-peddling, and arm-twisting. Today, the court dictates the tempo of the game and serves as the final arbiter.

* * *
Alex P. Vidal, who is based in New York City, used to be the editor for two local dailies in Iloilo./WDJ