ILOILO CITY – Responding to the clamor of the people, the provincial government of Antique has finally created a Heroes Hall located on the third floor of the Antique Provincial Tourism Office (APTO).
“The hall is dedicated to honoring Antique’s late heroes and future ones,” said Juan Carlos Perlas, acting tourism chief.
The Heroes Hall is the provincial government’s response to the online petition that called for the establishment of a formal museum for Evelio Javier, whose assassination in 1986 had been considered as one of the last straws that ignited the uprising on Edsa.
The Antiqueños had expressed their “disgust” over the alleged neglect of Javier's memorabilia which were transferred from the Old Capitol building that was under renovation at the time.
Some also expressed dismay over the exclusion of Javier from either the Old Capitol or the Balay nga Bato Ancestral House, which are the renovation projects pushed by Antique Lone District Congresswoman Loren Legarda.
But Antique Governor Rhodora “Dodod” Cadiao pointed out that a museum for Javier should have been built a long time ago, especially that the hero’s brother was in power for almost 30 years after the Edsa event.
Exequiel “Boy Ex” Javier served as governor of Antique congressman from 1987 to 2016.