The Aquino administration barely made it and was still warming up in the driver's seat of a nation when this very unwanted incident occurred, yet never was in the history of the Philippines that the country was in international limelight and shame live twenty-four years after "People Power Revolution". The new administration has nothing to do with this misfortune, as some of those ultra partisan politicians want us to believe. Moreover, although the President and his cabinet secretaries perceived to have shown some incompetence and indifference; generally, I think that they have handled the situation well enough. Let us spare the President from sarcasm and negative criticism and give him and his administration a chance to pass through this test; after all, this government should be in honeymoon stage. If there are imperfections, it only shows that we are humans; and that nobody is perfect. Although let us not use human imperfections as an excuse to accept and justify repeated show of incompetence and stupidity. The person who is to blame is already dead and if there are more people to blame, those blames are for all of us; because I am convinced that this incident is about to happen, and one way or the other our hands are tainted with blood.
This crisis was a product of the past. Moreover, although it is unfortunate that it is transpiring in this administration, faith tells me that it came about because the new leadership and the hopeful people are tough, capable, and more than ready to handle such misfortune. What a way to start but let us face it head on. We are God's people and in our faith and in His loving arms lay our strength. Let us perceive our weakness, in this way we can harness the full potential of our strength.
Ignorance and arrogance is a bad combination; and in the Quirino Grand Stand Hostage Taking Incident, it has never been so visible. The Philippine National Police, the most hated element of our society even before this historic episode occurred, absorbs almost all the condemnation; and the ground commander of the hostage taking incident accepted all the blame by command responsibility and has taken a leave of absence. Manila Police District Chief General Magtibay maybe incompetent but he lives up to his name. I salute him for he is the first, and as far as I know, the only one who has the courage to take the blame; other sectors were not as courageous as he was.
Ignorance and arrogance is a bad combination; and in the Quirino Grand Stand Hostage Taking Incident, it has never been so visible. The Philippine National Police, the most hated element of our society even before this historic episode occurred, absorbs almost all the condemnation; and the ground commander of the hostage taking incident accepted all the blame by command responsibility and has taken a leave of absence. Manila Police District Chief General Magtibay maybe incompetent but he lives up to his name. I salute him for he is the first, and as far as I know, the only one who has the courage to take the blame; other sectors were not as courageous as he was.
The most noisy, nosy, melodramatic, sensationalist and scoop hungry media were too powerful and too perfect to commit mistakes. The politicians, understandably, were not to blame for since time immemorial they know how to wash their hands. The past administration perceived by many to be the most corrupt was even proud and has the guts to say, as if we are born yesterday, that they could have done better for they are decisive and experts in handling such scenario. Who could blame the insensitivity and foolishness of some of our people who aggravates the situation when they happily took pictures at "the mournful bus" in that grandstand? In addition, why blame the smiling face of the President? Moreover, even the hostage taker, a desperate former police officer Captain Mendoza was blaming the judiciary, the Ombudsman in particular, for his misfortune and unsecured future. Clearly, there is no one to blame and there is no way we can correct ourselves. .
During the senate hearing, I cannot help but notice the ignorance and arrogance of one of the police officers of the assault team as he answers the Senator's inquiry. He belongs to that what they call "Manila's Finest", supposedly an elite police force where the hostage taker was a former member. The same group that was in the headlines when one of its officers tortured a prisoner in one of the cruelest videos the Filipino nation had ever seen. Of course, he is not to blame either for he is not well equipped, well trained, and just following orders; although after watching the assault and following the senate hearing, I think twice about my belief that "those who swore to protect are ready to die". On that Grandstand, we saw that our police officers (aside from former Captain Mendoza) are ready to kill but not to die. Also in the senate hearing, it is ironic that the incident happened at the Luneta Grandstand for it is where most of our politicians are good at: in grandstanding.
During the senate hearing, I cannot help but notice the ignorance and arrogance of one of the police officers of the assault team as he answers the Senator's inquiry. He belongs to that what they call "Manila's Finest", supposedly an elite police force where the hostage taker was a former member. The same group that was in the headlines when one of its officers tortured a prisoner in one of the cruelest videos the Filipino nation had ever seen. Of course, he is not to blame either for he is not well equipped, well trained, and just following orders; although after watching the assault and following the senate hearing, I think twice about my belief that "those who swore to protect are ready to die". On that Grandstand, we saw that our police officers (aside from former Captain Mendoza) are ready to kill but not to die. Also in the senate hearing, it is ironic that the incident happened at the Luneta Grandstand for it is where most of our politicians are good at: in grandstanding.
Two mournful nations: one mourn for the lives of their dead loved ones; while the other, not only mourn for those who died but also for what they are. Let us accept our imperfections but let us maintain our sovereignty as a nation, let us not be pressured by the demands of the Hongkong nationals. Let’s say that we are sorry and even ask for forgiveness if necessary for it is what we feel, the right thing, and maybe what our Chinese brothers are waiting for us to do (to accept how weak and incapable we are). This is better than to punish those who tried to resolve the problematic situation even though they are incompetent because it is not their fault. They were there to do their jobs and their best to help; but unfortunately, they are not well trained, they are not well equipped, and again their best were not good enough. Besides, generally, we have an indifferent way of handling this kind of situation in the past. Let us look back and see how we treat our rebel soldiers. No matter how passionate and idealistic they may be, they usually surrender without a bullet fired when surrounded. They may go to prison but not for long; because eventually, if they do not escape from prison, they will avail political pardon, and if lucky become a senator. There was even an instance when a group of supposed to be rebel soldiers were only punished by push-ups.
We had become so familiar with our indifference and we had forgotten that the last crisis was a different situation; It was a case of a simple desperate man who came to the point where his only option when he lost his reason to live is to kill and to die. But although he might be a victim of a cruel society, with my sympathy and respect, I am convinced that they should have shoot him early on when those shooters had him in sight for he was already uncontrolled and was not in his right frame of mind; as what can easily be perceived in his demands. He was there wanting to be heard, to kill and to die; and putting him down instantly would had been a better death for him. We all have to leave our bodies someday and he has decided and planned his way out. They could have been kind if they had given it to him more early. Moreover, he was endangering the lives of civilians and visitors who were under our care. Innocent people who trustily and confidently walked in our land and who (unlike him) are not ready to die or kill.
While watching the incident and those entities involved, I saw our hopelessness; our desperation and insanity; our hunger, arrogance and greed; our insensitivity; our incompetence and cowardice; our foolishness and callousness. To sum it all, I saw our shame. It is not a crime to be ignorant and stupid for we are only humans and we are not perfect, what is wrong and not acceptable is for us not to accept the reality and of what we are. "This incident is not an isolated case" as oppose to the cliché that every politicians in this country would always say. This is a symptom that something is wrong within the core of our morals, of our values, of our culture. We can correct it not by blaming one person or one sector of our society but by self-examining and perceiving our weakness. And let me point out that some of our weaknesses are; we are a reactionary, we do not see and learn from our mistakes, we easily forget, and we are kind-hearted fools. This is the time for “national introspection”; let us introspect and learn if we do not want this heartbreaking experience to happen again.
The saying "it takes two to tango" is a wonderful dictum. It could help us gain knowledge by self-examination and introspection. Dear fellow citizens, indeed it takes two to tango. Only that this time, it was not a tango but a sad and tragic fandango; and in the world's center-stage, we are forced to dance. Lucky for us, we are very musical and we are born dancers. And like a Phoenix, we had many times proven that from our ashes we spread our wings and fly.
We had become so familiar with our indifference and we had forgotten that the last crisis was a different situation; It was a case of a simple desperate man who came to the point where his only option when he lost his reason to live is to kill and to die. But although he might be a victim of a cruel society, with my sympathy and respect, I am convinced that they should have shoot him early on when those shooters had him in sight for he was already uncontrolled and was not in his right frame of mind; as what can easily be perceived in his demands. He was there wanting to be heard, to kill and to die; and putting him down instantly would had been a better death for him. We all have to leave our bodies someday and he has decided and planned his way out. They could have been kind if they had given it to him more early. Moreover, he was endangering the lives of civilians and visitors who were under our care. Innocent people who trustily and confidently walked in our land and who (unlike him) are not ready to die or kill.
While watching the incident and those entities involved, I saw our hopelessness; our desperation and insanity; our hunger, arrogance and greed; our insensitivity; our incompetence and cowardice; our foolishness and callousness. To sum it all, I saw our shame. It is not a crime to be ignorant and stupid for we are only humans and we are not perfect, what is wrong and not acceptable is for us not to accept the reality and of what we are. "This incident is not an isolated case" as oppose to the cliché that every politicians in this country would always say. This is a symptom that something is wrong within the core of our morals, of our values, of our culture. We can correct it not by blaming one person or one sector of our society but by self-examining and perceiving our weakness. And let me point out that some of our weaknesses are; we are a reactionary, we do not see and learn from our mistakes, we easily forget, and we are kind-hearted fools. This is the time for “national introspection”; let us introspect and learn if we do not want this heartbreaking experience to happen again.
The saying "it takes two to tango" is a wonderful dictum. It could help us gain knowledge by self-examination and introspection. Dear fellow citizens, indeed it takes two to tango. Only that this time, it was not a tango but a sad and tragic fandango; and in the world's center-stage, we are forced to dance. Lucky for us, we are very musical and we are born dancers. And like a Phoenix, we had many times proven that from our ashes we spread our wings and fly.
In closing, to our Chinese Brothers: there are tears that shed "here" with you. However, although it would be too much for us to ask, please do not ask us or make us shed more. -PenSword10/2/2010
