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CITY OF
MALOLOS—For the first time in the celebration of
Independence Day at the historic Barasoain Church here,
a guest speaker chosen for the occasion did not attend
the ceremony.
This
after Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. failed to show up
during the 109th Independence Day celebration at the
historic church, where on September 15, 1898, the
Malolos Congress ratified the Malolos Constitution that
gave credence to the declaration of independence in
Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898.
To the
dismay of Bulakeños, de Venecia, who was reportedly in
Laoag City attending to some important matters, did not
show up.
His
absence spurred speculations that working for another
term as Speaker was more important to him than leading
the Independence Day rites here.
Neth
Jimenez, curator of the National Historical Institute (NHI)-Barasoain
Church Historical Landmark, said that de Venecia was
informed weeks ahead by the NHI that he would be the
guest speaker for the Independence Day celebration at
Barasoain Church.
Jimenez
said that de Venecia’s office was formally informed of
his participation during the NHI’s national organizing
committee meetings on May 24 and 31.
On both
occasions, Jimenez said de Venecia’s representatives
accepted the invitation, and even twice sent resumés of
the House Speaker to the official who will introduce
him.
With or
without de Venecia, the organizing committee proceeded
with the program.
The
celebration started at about 6 a.m. with a parade coming
from two areas, one starting from the Capitol compound
and the other from the Malolos Central School. The
groups converged at around 6:40 a.m. at the Barasoain
Church compound.
The
crowd waited for de Venecia up to 7:20 a.m., and when it
became obvious that he was not coming, the organizers
proceeded with the rites led by Mayor Danny Domingo,
Vice Mayor Noel Sakay and outgoing congresman and vice
governor-elect Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado.
After
Domingo and Alvarado had delivered short talks, Alex
Balagtas, curator of the Marcelo H. del Pilar National
Shrine in Bulacan, Bulacan, went to the podium and
announced that de Venecia was not coming. Balagtas
apologized to the crowd for the unexpected incident.
“Nakakalungkot
po at wala tayo ngayong guest speaker.
Napakahalaga ng pagdiriwang sa pook na ito dahil isa ito
sa tatlong mahahalagang lugar na pinag-gugunitaan ng
araw ng kasarinlan ng Pilipinas. Mukhang nabalewala ang
aming ginagawang paghahanda para sa pagdiriwang na ito,”
Balagtas lamented.
Participants noted that Tuesday’s rites at the Barasoain
Church were the shortest ever.
“Parang
mas pinahalagahan pa niya at mas importante sa kanya ang
pagsusulong ng kanyang speakership kaysa sa
pagiging punong pandangal as pagdiriwang ng kasarinlan
ng ating bansa,” a local official, who refused to be
identified, lamented. |
