Dear Councilor Alvin R Calingin: When one’s political stench can already be so overpowering, any Shakespearean attempt to call ‘a rose by any other name,’ with the belief this would remain to 'smell as sweet', obnoxiously ‘infects the air whereon (the sponsor) rides'—or so the play Macbeth reminds. On Tuesday, July 10, 2012, you filed three resolutions, one of which is to rename Antonio Montalvan St. as “Felix Y. Manalo St.” in honor of the founder of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC). In the same vein, a second resolution seeks to rename the road from the junction of Concordio Diel St. and Villarin St. in Barangay Carmen to the landfill in upper Dagong up to the boundary of Barangay Canitoan as “Eraño V. Manalo St.” in honor of INC’s former executive minister. The third seeks to declare July 27, 2012, and every year thereafter, as INC Day in Cagayan de Oro City (Source: Mindanao Gold Star Daily, July 13, 2012). In case our local Historical and Cultural Commission has failed to provide you lessons of local history, Antonio Montalvan St used to be Biak-na-Bato St. The late Antonio J. Montalvan was captured, tortured and beheaded by the Japanese Kempeitai for his espionage work during World War 2 and was part of the preparations for the eventual return of General Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines. For his intrepid feat, President Manuel Roxas recommended him to receive posthumously the Distinguished Service Star, to remind Filipinos that many of us continue to live today because of the gallantry of such men as Montalvan and those beheaded with him. Your proposal to rename a street that strips our local hero of his honor adds to the disgusting series of historical carnage this current administration has committed over the years—from the desecration of the Huluga Archeological Site to the effortless surrender of CDO as a ‘carne norte’ brand. We deplore this pattern of wanton disrespect towards the preservation of local heritage, coming no less from a cabal of officials that takes no time to even consult with the community. Indeed, it has become easier for us to sniff and sieve through the mathematics of your motive: Felix Manalo was the founder of the Iglesia ni Kristo, which has their local church along Montalvan St. The Iglesia ni Kristo ensures candidates to win by way of their block voting. Any kindergarten can readily do the arithmetic for us. We ̶p̶r̶o̶t̶e̶s̶t̶ condemn your shameless intent to curry favor to a religious sect, and pander to your political machination well ahead of the 2013 electoral exercise. WE VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE THE RENAMING OF ANTONIO MONTALVAN AND CORDOCIO DIEL STREETS AFTER THE MANALOS! Signed 16 July 2012. CONCERNED CITIZENS OF CAGAYAN DE ORO

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