By Cong Corrales
MEMBERS of the Montalvan family have accused Councilor Alvin Calingin of trying to win the favor of the influential Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) as part of an alleged plan for him to replace embattled Rep. Jose Benjamin Benaldo of the city’s 1st District at the expense of a local war hero.
A UST yearbook photo of Cagayanon war hero Dr. Antonio Montalvan.
The Montalvans have gone ballistic and have launched a campaign to stop city hall from renaming a street in honor of the late Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) founder Felix Manalo. The move was seen as an attempt to strip a local war hero, Dr. Antonio Montalvan, of his honor in an apparent effort to win the INC, a religious group known for its big voting bloc.
The family’s spokesperson, Eduardo Montalvan, said Calingin was trying to score political points with the INC at the expense of his late uncle.
Montalvan Street was named after Montalvan’s uncle who was executed by the Japanese Imperial Army during the war. A physician, Dr. Montalvan, was caught by the Japanese in Quezon, brought to Fort Bonifacio and was subsequently beheaded for serving as an intelligence officer of the guerrilla movement.
Calingin’s proposal to rename the street has struck a sensitive chord even among residents not related to the Montalvans.
“Alvin (Calingin) wants to run for congressman. He wants to replace Benjo (Rep. Benaldo). He’s doing this so he can win the INC votes,” said the spokesperson of the Montalvans.
Calingin and Benaldo are both members of Mayor Vicente Emano’s Padayon Pilipino party. Benaldo has recently been caught in a controversy over his frequent travels abroad, spendings and lifestyle.
Montalvan said his family would go to court if the city council votes in favor of Calingin’s proposal despite the growing opposition.
“It’s illegal,” said Montalvan as he cited Republic Act 10066, otherwise known as the National Cultural Heritage Act, that provides that renaming a historical street requires the green light of the National Historical Commission (NHC).
Montalvan added, “Based on the law, even the local and national legislative bodies cannot change the name of streets without the approval of the NHC… We will fight it out in the courts. My uncle was not only a local hero but a recognized national wartime martyr.”
Councilor Alvin Caligin: congressman wannabe?
The citizens’ group Bangon Kagay-an, through its president Nixon Baban, vowed to oppose Calingin’s proposals. The group currently counts some 21,190 members.
“To deprive a war hero of the honor he richly deserves for the flimsiest of reasons is not acceptable and forgivable. The city council should call for a public hearing on this. And we will come in (throngs) to oppose this move to change the name of Montalvan St. and denounce in the strongest terms this (irresponsible) act of approving on first reading the proposed resolution,” reads part of the statement released by Baban.
During the city council’s regular session last Tuesday, Calingin filed three proposals––first, to rename Dr. Antonio Montalvan St. to Felix Manalo St.; second, to declare July 27 of every year as INC Day in Cagayan de Oro; and third, to name a long stretch of road from the junction of Concordio Diel St. and Villarin St. in Barangay Carmen to the landfill in upper Dagong up the boundary of Barangay Canitoan as “Eraño Manalo Street” in honor of INC’s former executive minister.
With only a few councilors opposing Calingin’s resolutions, city council approved on the first reading the three resolutions and scheduled it for second reading next week.
Residents and civic-political groups have vowed to stage a protest rally to denounce Calingin’s proposals, calling these “a cheap political stunt, at best.”
“The readable scheme is for the proponent to catch the council by surprise and elicit reactions from opposition councilors that would send negative signals to the INC, thus portraying Calingin as the ‘good boy.’ I don’t think the INC has not seen this (sic) and I believe the INC flock does not want to be insulted by any politician by cheap publicity gimmicks,” reads a Facebook post by lawyer Jose Edgardo Uy.
In a radio interview yesterday, Calingin scoffed at the negative reactions over his proposals.
“It’s not a big deal, really. Members of the INC, who come from other places, have a hard time locating their big church here. So why not name the street adjacent to their church after their founder for better recall?” Calingin told Magnum Radio.
Calingin said city streets get renamed all the time.
The late Dr. Montalvan was the third in his family to fight during World War II. His older brothers Jesus, the eldest, served as intelligence officer of Col. Wendell Fertig in the guerrilla movement. Another sibling, Jose, served as the first camp commander of then Philippine Auxillary Tactical Air Group (Patag). It is now Camp Edilberto Evangelista, the seat of army’s 4th Infantry Division.
Like his older brother, Dr. Montalvan served with the intelligence group where his assignments included information gathering against the Japanese in Manila and delivering this to Col. Fertig who was then based in Oroquieta, Misamis Occidental, using a banca.
The Japanese Imperial Army captured Montalvan at his wife’s ancestral home in Tayabas, Quezon, and he was beheaded together with other captured guerrillas. A monument honoring the group still stands at the North Cemetery.
Noel “Tito” Mora, erstwhile president of the Save CDO Movement, posted on his Facebook wall that his group would join in any protest action to denounce Calingin’s proposals.
“We join the Montalvan family, the residents of Montalvan St., the Iglesia ni Cristo and civil society groups to protest and denounce the renaming of war hero Antonio Montalvan St. to Felix Manalo St to buy the voting support of the INC by Councilor Calingin and the line-up of… (City Mayor Vicente) Emano for the May 2013 elections,” reads Mora’s post.
We urge Councilor Alvin Calingin to retract his proposal to rename Montalvan St to Felix Manalo St. And we urge Councilor Alden Bacal to continue his objection against replacing Montalvan St which is in honor of WW2 hero. Calingin is intelligent enough to find other ways to honor Felix Manalo without dishonoring a war hero.
replace benaldo, do not replace the street.
Why would anyone cultivate the good will of the INC cult? That group needs to be dismantled and the remains scattered to the winds.
The Japanese Imperial Army captured Montalvan at his wife’s ancestral home in Tayabas, Quezon, and was beheaded together with other captured guerrillas. If you read this sentence and understand even elementary level grammar it says that the Japanese Imperial Army was beheaded. I bet that took a lot of work with many swords.
bantay mo ni alvin gay marama na! nawong na kwarta!
no to the change of name.
Duhhhhh……. otro pod na nga apelyido……. walay maayo nga dungog !!! kahinumdom ba mo ni FORMER GOVERNOR CALINGIN ???—- record holder of being the most ______ governor in the entire country ??? duhhhhh naunsa naman tawon ni oy puro nalang kawatan ang magpuli-puli ???
Sus! Pareha lang na sila ni Benaldo way mapili! Tang ___ nani CDO puro na lang way ayo ang mga pulitiko! Dapat bombahan na ning CDO aron malimpyo ang mga makasalanan.
Tama din kayo! Nakakasuka yang mga culto na yan pati yang Manalo nag dyos dyosan! Eh bat si Manalo pa? ano ang nagawa niya sa CDO nangwarta sa iyang mga miyembro! That’s a good idea! Gagawa na rin ako ng relihiyon at magpayaman at sambahin ng mga fantards followers at huthutan sila ng pera!
alvin calingin has nothing else in mind except his personal ambition. a person whose principles are easily bent by money is worse than the dumpsite in dagong. he bolted the camp of emano 2 elections ago. why? was it because he was not given his fair share in the loot? was it because his personal ambition of becoming a congressman was curtailed by dongkoy? what were his reasons? to the eyes of the watching public, calingin’s only reason could be his greed for power and money. what else? his proposed resolution to rename montalvan street into felix manalo street, and kalambaguhan into montalvan street was clearly the handiwork of dongkoy himself. who else? can the city council, or any administration councilor, come forward in once august halls of the city city council and propose a measure that has relevance to the perpetration of power of the corrupt dongkoy group. no! because unless dongkoy says so, no administration councilor will, in his right mind, risk his political ambitions by contradicting the city dictator. that being so, why did calingin allow himself to be used by dongkoy in this drama? if he is a principled man, he would should not allow himself to be treated like a cow which ca be led anywhere against its will, if it has one. the handwriting is on the wall. calingin’s only purpose of being is to become the most corrupt and powerful politician. so beware, cagayanons.
what’s this i’ve heard lately that calingin has been suspended by the supreme court? if true, looks like he has done something bad for the legal profession. i hope somebody can check this with the courts.
alvin is a principled and a very responsible person.he s not only responsible as a public servant but a father to his own family, siblings,nieces and nephews.he came from a humble family and was born here in cdo.he grows up in an old st. named real st now capistrano n front of landbank.his mother died when he was 11 yrs. old.as a young boy he experienced of not having a mother.he had seen his father struggling to support the 9 children.he even had shoe shine services and even sold peanuts at avenue theatre now landbank capistrano so that he will not ask baon anymore from his father.I am mark, a close friend of his sister,she told me this story.
I know this guy too and their family. We used to be playmates and its true…he shine shoes before so he could not ask money from his father who was struggling to support his family. Then we still see each other when we grew up together. Then me and my family transferred to Davao because my father was assigned there. I read in the newspapers about my friend Alvin who joined government service. I was happy coz I know he can better serve the city of Cagayan de Oro and I know the integrity of this buddy of mine.
AHI! NGA UNSAY NAHITABO NI VILLAR DAW BEH NGA POBRE KUNOHAY SA UNA?! BUOTAN PA BA SIYA SA PRESENT TIME?! JUST BECAUSE SHOESHINE BOY NA SIYA SA UNA DOESN’T MEAN HE WILL STILL REMAIN HARDWORKING LIKE HE IS BEFORE AND HONEST IF HE WAS. LAHI ANG TAO PAG MATINTAL NAS DAKONG KWARTA. KANA MAN GANING MGA KWARTAHAN NA KAAYO, MANGAWAT PA MAN GANI SA POSITION NILA SA GOVT. KANA PA KAHANG MI AGI UG KALISOD SA UNA. SO LET’S NOT TALK ABOUT THE PAST, TAN AWON NATO KUNG UNSA ANG TAO KARON. IF MAAYO SIYA THEN MAAYO, IF NOT THEN WHAT YOUR PAST EXPERINCES WITH HIM HAS NO BEARING ANYMORE.
PWEH! TU-A RA! MAO DIAY KAPALIT SA PAG REPLACE SA MONTALVAN CAGAYAN DE ORO HERO STREET TO IGLESIA NI MANALO UG IYANG MGA UTO-UTO ANG PAG SUPORTA SA IYA PARA MAPILDI SI APRIL BOY REGINO BENALDO SA DISTRICT 1 CONGRESSMAN. TANAN TAWO SA CDO OKAY KAAYO NGA PULIHAN NANG WAY PULOS NGA BENALDO NGA MAS DAGHAN PANG NABUHAT PAYAPO KAYSA SA PANILBIHAN ANG DISTRICT 1. SA KADAGHAN NANG NABUHAT NGA PROJECT NI RUFUS SA DISTRICT 2, KINING APRIL BOY REGINO HANGYA PA NAKASUGOD ANANG DRAINAGE PARA DIHAS BULUA. MAO PA LANG NA?! TU-O MAN SAD NG MGA UGOK SAD NGA PULITIKO NGA SOLID MO BOTAR NG IGLESIA NI MANALO, MASKI NA TUOD UTO2X NG ILANG MGA MIYEMBRO PAG ABOT SA RELIHIYON. DI NA SILA UTO2X TANAN PAG ABOT SA PAGBOTAR. MAGPAKAMATAY USA UNA ANG MGA IGLESIA NI MANALO PARA SA CAGAYAN DE ORO HANGYA SILA NAAY RIGHT NGA MAKAPANGALAN UG DALAN PARAS ILA. KAY MASKI ESKINITA, WA SILAY KATUNGOD IPANGALAN SA ILA. WA SILA NABUANG?! KUNG PAGBIGYAN NA SILA EH DI DAPAT NAAY ROMAN CATHOLIC STREET, BORN AGAIN STREET, ALIVE ALIVE STREET, SHALOM STREET, JEHOVAH’S WITNESS STREET, MORMON STREET, ISLAM STREET, IGLESIA NI MANALO STREET, IGLESIA NI QUIBOLOY STREET, PILIPINISTA STREET, SABADISTA STREET!
apila sad inyo pagbutang UCCP Street (Protetant St. nalang) hahaha
apila sad inyo pagbutang UCCP Street (Protestant St. nalang) hahaha
Why would anyone want to curry favor with a company (INC) masquerading as a cult masquerading as a religion?
Ridiculous! Calingin are you in your right mind? Daghan kaayong problema sa city nga angayan tagaan ug dakong pagtaga, such as traffic nga ang cause mao sa walay road courtesy sa mga passenger jeepneys. Suggestion ko ani. . . Apply color coding sa mga jeepneys.
greed