Going through the gallery (I’m not actually done yet) has made me think about where I was at a particular time, and also made me wonder what things I’ve blogged about through the years. More importantly, it has made me curious to look further into some of the news stories they mentioned. I guess I won’t run out of blog topics this month. 😉
If I remember correctly (and am too lazy right now to check on my oldest blog), I only started blogging in 2002 or early 2003 so if I were to make a round-up of my own favorite posts for the decade, I’d be a couple years short. But it sounds like a good project to me, and I will try to endeavor such a task. It will be a huge undertaking considering I’ve blogged in five different places and my bravejournal site doesn’t have very friendly archives. I will give it a try though.
Tracy also has quite an interesting round-up for her December 2009.
[photo from the Facebook page for the Online Vigil for the Victims of the Maguindanao Massacre]
As if the country hasn’t been through so much in the months leading to Christmas, on Saturday Malacañang issued Proclamation 1959 declaring Martial Law in the Province of Maguindanao. Their basis: rebellion.
Who is rebelling against who? Aren’t the Ampatuans in power, and in fact in liege with the President? I don’t think they’re rebelling against anyone. They have their own army, yes. They have a reported 2000-strong militia at their disposal, but they’ve been laying low since the events of November 23rd. Many don’t see the need for martial rule, specially since slow as it may have been, arrests are already happening and weapons have been seized.
It is not surprising that in a search done in the elder Ampatuan’s residence today, they found his bank-size vault empty. It was locked, but was found to contain NOTHING at all once it was unlocked. What would a vault be for if it would be kept empty? Looks to me like it was cleaned out recently. Then there are reports that some suspected to be involved in the massacre are hiding out in Metro Manila. O-K. So they flew all the way to Manila to hideout. Then the courts have ruled to transfer the hearing for the cases to Quezon City, miles and miles away from the court which would have had jurisdiction over the issue.
So what’s next? Will they expand Martial Law to include Metro Manila?
The country is wrought with tension, as we bare witness to one of the most brutal killings we’ve seen in our modern history.
On Monday November 23rd, supporters of Vice Mayor Mangudadatu along with media practitioners covering the event, left their town of Buluan to journey to Shariff Aguak where his wife would have filed his candidacy for Governor of Maguinadanao Province. Despite their precautions, they did not make it to the provincial capital. In broad daylight, their convoy was intercepted by armed men (reported to be numbering upto 100). They were forced to a remote location (or locations) where the killings happened.
47 bodies found so far in shallow graves. Some of them beheaded, dismembered, even raped. Many of the reported 60-strong delegation who left Buluan were women and journalists.
I seldom read the papers these days. But today, I read all of the stories pertaining to the massacre, as told by correspondents of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. These are not fun, inspiring stories to read. But read them I must, for perhaps some of it might make sense to me. Since I heard the news, I could not comprehend what had happened. How could something this horrifying happen in these modern times? Perhaps, in our people’s long history it is no surprise to see word of tribal wars and clan wars. Of bloody feuds amongst people.
But one would think that such were a thing of the past. They belong in the history books. Not in present day Philippines. What happened in Maguindanao on Monday – that was merely a show of greed and cowardice.
Many point to the ruling clan, the Ampatuans, as the perpetrators of this barbaric crime. This clan holds many leadership political posts throughout the province, including the Governorship of Maguindanao and of the ARMM. They also secured GMA’s win against FPJ in 2004’s Presidential elections. It seems that to ensure their hold of the province beyond 2010, they’ve started early in terms of eliminating the competition. After all, if no one goes up against the elder Ampatuan for the gubernatorial race (just like last time), there’d be no reason for him to cheat.
The campaign season hasn’t even started and yet we already have these many casualties of election-related crimes. How many more lives will be lost in the run up to May 2010?
But this isn’t just an issue of election violence, is it?
It is only today that I have heard about a controversy surrounding the delayed delivery of service by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. A blogger posted about relief goods in DSWD’s warehouses that were not being distributed to victims of the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. It’s been one month since Ondoy hit, and we still have people in relief centers. There’s another storm raging through some parts of Luzon. Isn’t there an immediate need for those goods?
The blogosphere is abuzz with this heinous crime, and the local media has picked it up as well.
I will not repost the author’s original blog post, but instead I will give you links to the two recent articles she wrote that have the world’s attention now:
If the DSWD needed volunteers, they should have asked for them. If no one heeded their call, they should have looked for alternatives. It is their duty.
EDIT:
I just logged on to my Twitter feed and found Tweets about Rock Ed Philippines organizing volunteers to finally do something about the stockpile of goods awaiting repacking and distribution. More info can be found here:
Still, isn’t it infuriating that private citizens and civic organizations are the ones reaching out to DSWD to do something about these goods rather than the other way around? If you can go and volunteer, please do.
September 26, 2009 – Typhoon Ondoy hits Metro Manila. Everyone thought it was just going to be another typhoon. One of the many many such storms that pass through this tropical country.
When I woke up at 430AM, the creek in front of our house had already risen and spilled over to the road. My mom asked me to check if the water was receding so my dad could bring the cars back down to our level. No – instead of receding back to the creek, the water level had actually risen. It was just a few feet away from kuya’s car. We woke dad up. He waded through the water and moved the car to safety.
At around 8AM (probably earlier), when I checked again, the water was gone.
At 9AM, the rain hasn’t stopped, and the water was rising – rapidly. After having breakfast, I took my camera out and snapped photos. I was surprised that the water was more than waist deep already out there on what was the road.
My cousins were preparing for the inevitable flood – and my nephew was still in good spirits to smile for me:
None of us thought that this would be more than just the usual flooding. Who would’ve known that our house, built with the highest flood recorded here in mind, would be chest-deep in water? And that the three-door apartment’s first floor would be completely submerged in water? That’s where my cousins and grandpa live. Who would who would have thought that we would wait until the next morning to see land again?
I would love to share more of my family’s version of the Great Flood of 2009. But I have other things in my mind just now.
No time to worry about my blog, of lost earning opportunities, nor of superficial concerns like acne, nor of getting my hands and feet dirty. It’s four days since the waters receded, and we’re still not done cleaning up. I went back to work last night, and I wish I hadn’t. But I did, and to work I shall be tonight. Which means instead of helping out in the cleaning, to bed I go. Maybe tomorrow, the photos will be ready for posting.
Please consider donating and/or volunteering for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. A lot of people were more devastated than we were.
