Manila Tourist Bus Hostage taking

Disappointing.. not a new word to ascribe to the police but what happened yesterday was downheartedly DISAPPOINTING.. prompting me to ask so many questions as to what role really the police play in our society? for on this one occasion for them to shine and show that, (behind those big beer belly of theirs, behind the very dirty and disgusting image that they have continuously and easily maintained anywhere in the country enough for the people to fear and not respect most of them even a bit,) they can actually, swiftly handle such a situation... they failed.

They did not know what to do. They have allowed the hostage situation to last from morning til night and yet come the moment that every good soul hoped would not happen, they faltered! Armalite shots were heard inside the bus and yet no team was there to handle the situation. After waiting the whole day, all they could do was rely on the snipers.

Please dont blame the media. If the media was not there, we'll definitely hear a different story from the police on how hard the situation was. Obviously it was hard since an ex-police was armed and threatening to hurt tourists if his requests will not be granted and in the situation he had the 'vantage point', according to the police. But then again, what are all their trainings for? Waiting the whole day and eventually coming up with at least 7 dead tourists! If it was not real life what happened yesterday during the 'attack' of the 'elite' 'SWAT" teams (yes, TEAMSSSS!) was a comedy show.

After almost an hour after 'armalite' shots were heard inside the bus (if the hostages were hit, they would have bled to death), they finally decided to attack (maybe for the purpose of killing the hostage taker, if everyone else was indeed dead as the escaped bus driver said).

PLAN A. The first team attacked at the front. for fear that there might be a bomb at the hydraulic door (must have watched SPEED) they tried to smash the right portion of the wind shield. then shots came from the inside of the bus. all of them dropped and then disengaged (retreated!!!)

PLAN B. Then the next 'elite' team came again smashing the windows, this time at the back of the bus. then they kept throwing flashbangs and tear gases. And then what? Nothing. They piled up, some 15-20 of them, behind the bus beside a police mobile car. Then rapid shots came from inside the bus once again. This time a civilian 'usi' was hit.

PLAN C. Then they made another move (ala McGyver). Thinking that there might not be a bomb at the hydraulic door after all, or if there was one then they can open it without risking the life of one of their elite and precious police SWAT by tying a rope and then pulling the door using a police car. The comedy show that it was the rope snapped.

Can we blame those who look differently on us? Yes, we have produced great people and things, but which country does not?

On a daily basis, do our institutions work for us?

When meeting a policeman, do you ever feel SERVED and PROTECTED?

MIDTERMS

man...hell of a day today...finished with my 1st midterms in law school in one of our toughest subject yet under miss beth...and this is the 1st blog i've ever felt so freely to do, probably coz of that relief i got after that verbal exam...6 questions in 8 minutes...did pretty well i would say (and the teacher said it as well.hehe) although i wasnt the top in our batch of 5 (class was divided in 8 batches) thats ok, my batchmates were all good ones. anyway...

hoping that that momentum i got will continue... i think a big EFFORT really is needed and things will be all worth it... however it should not be an effort which is done thru cramming but on a daily basis... as one philosopher said... "you are what you do, therefore excellence is a habit"

Paradigm Shift

here comes the adjustment period in my work. i am now in sales, i used to be in purchasing. so it really is a challenge for me now to be the one negotiating instead of the one deciding if i like what's being presented to me. its like all the power is lost so suddenly. kind of disappointing but i do hope this adjusting thing would happen fast.
well i have my teammates and supportive bosses to help me. these bosses are so great in their leadership style. i've barely worked with them for so short a time but they are just always there for you and always full of wisdom in doing everything. its like you don't feel that you are a subordinate, its like they are your family and they are there as guides. i have friends in my team. some old friends, some new, but we kind of get along very very well in an instant. i sure hope things will patch up for some very few i havent touched based with. well you cant please everybody all the time that's what i should remember..

no more turning back now, i guess...

i feel so novice with the way i write...i have this friend she writes like she's a feature writer in a sports or food magazine..

For my friend Jochebed

With the best English that i know...i'll try to translate this song Anak by Mr. Freddie Aguilar...its a Filipino classic...

Nang isilang ka sa mundong ito - When you were born (here on this Earth)
Laking tuwa ng magulang mo - Your parents were overjoyed
At ang kamay nila ang iyong ilaw - And their hands were youre guiding light
At ang nanay at tatay mo'y - And your mom (mother) and dad(father)
Di malaman ang gagawin - They didnt know what to do (due to their happiness)
Minamasdan pati pagtulog mo - They watched you even as you were sleeping
At sa gabi'y napupuyat ang iyong nanay Sa pagtimpla ng gatas mo - And in the middle of the night your mom wakes up just to make you some milk (in the feeding bottle.hehe)
At sa umaga nama'y kalong ka Ng iyong amang tuwang-tuwa sa iyo - And in the morning your dad happily carries you on his lap

Ngayon nga ay malaki ka na - Now youve grown
Nais mo'y maging malaya - You want your independence/You want your space
Di man sila payag - Even if they dont want to let you go
Walang magagawa - There's nothing they could do
Ikaw nga ay biglang nagbago - Then you suddenly changed
Naging matigas ang iyong ulo - You became hard headed
At ang payo nila'y sinuway mo - And their teachings, you disregarded

Di mo man lang inisip na Ang kanilang ginagawa'y para sa iyo - You didnt even realize what they were doing were all for you
Pagkat ang nais mo'y - Cause what you wanted was
Masunod ang layaw mo - to follow your caprice
Di mo sila pinapansin - You never thought of them (or their sacrifice)

Nagdaan pa ang mga araw - So the days past
At ang landas mo'y naligaw - And you lost direction in life
Ikaw ay nalulong sa masamang bisyo - You got hooked on bad vice (drugs,etc)

At ang una mong nilapitan - And the first person you run to (when everything went wrong)
Ang iyong inang lumuluha - Your mom who was crying
At ang tanong,"anak, ba't ka nagkaganyan" - then she asked "my child, why have you become like this?
At ang iyong mata'y biglang lumuha ng di mo pinapansin - Then you did not notice, your eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'yNalaman mong ika'y nagkamali - You were sorry, You learned you had been wrong
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'yNalaman mong ika'y nagkamali
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'yNalaman mong ika'y nagkamali
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'yNalaman mong ika'y nagkamali

Actually i think this song has in other version a next part were the child already had his family and the song says..."now you will understand how it is to become a parent"...I hope i didnt sound like a comedian in translating Tagalog to English.hehe

Astonishingly...

...beautiful but half-way around the world...

How many times?

Come to think of it...many times, we are who we are. I mean the wiseman would say that we can be who we want to be but most of the time we really dont know who we want to be...we're just who we are..how many times have the smokers said they'd quit smoking?

But if we are lucky, and most of the time the lucky ones are really those who try really hard to get what they want, then we can make it happen. Then we remembered all our efforts and say that this is what I did to achieve this and that. But along that way a lot of efforts would seem to be wasted. So I guess with some things that we really want to get or achieve, we should put our heart on them, FULLY...cause little by little and as we grow older and wiser, we would realize that those who started out really high or at the top (especially those who bragged about their position) would soon be at the bottom...

When my friends and i were in highschool we were not the "coolest" among our batchmates when it comes to being siga (bullying) and fashion and gimmicks and style and all of those teenage craps (which at that time even us thought was cool) but we tried really hard, of course, "to belong" peer pressure and all...

But academically we were fine. We were very good, i think. My hypothesis at that time was if a class has intelligent and studious males on it, then it is a great bunch of students...females of course are expected to be good students (not just in studying but in behaving in class as well).

So now 9 years after high school, my friends and i can look back and say it was all worth it. To be very close and just be a solid group among our batch and not mingle much with those who we're "cool". To be very young and curious but still have that sense of responsibility and knowing the boundaries of our actions. To be who we really are and not pretend on being the best!

Where are those "cool" people now? What have they become? (sigh)

Itinerary

Today, Feb 10, 2008, Piyesta sa Brgy Bago, Gen. Tinio, Nueva Ecija...masarap ang sisig sa bahay ng barkada naming c Richard. Meron silang Eatery (kung saan karamihan ng sundalo ng Fort Magsaysay ang kumakain) kaya kahit hindi piyesta ay nagpupunta kami dun kapag nauuwi ng Papaya (Gen. Tinio's other name) dahil nga sa sarap ng sisig dun. Pero ang Sisig nila ay parang more of kilawin/kinilaw. I can compare it more sa sisig ng Ineng's BBQ kaysa sa Sisig Hooray. Basta sobrang sarap lalo na sa dami ng sibuyas na toppings. We've always thought of turning it into a bigger business coz for sure it will be a hit. So what more today kung saan piyesta nga sa kanila...marami pang ibang potahe ang matitikman namin sigurado!hehehe