A day after the seige

well, it seems that the controversy stirred up by the hostage taking at the quirino grandstand will haunt us for quite some time. President Aquino was rather soft and naive in the actions he had taken after the incident. Come to think of it.. why did He not intervene while the hostage taking is happening? Isn't he the commander in chief of the country? the chief executive? Isn't it that the hostage taking is not just a simple police matter but one that concerns international security? Some people are joking that the new meaning of SWAT is "Sorry Wala Akong Training", which is quite evident in how the incident is handled. No training, no skills, no control. Much of the Filipinos seem to be not aware of the severity of the situation or the magnitude of its impact. It is quite evident in the videos wherein there are audible sounds of some people laughing in the background. Add to it the number of "usisero" near the hostaged bus. It seems to them that this is merely a headline news or showbiz news. Sadly, some Filipinos are not broadminded when it comes to a situation like this. Take a look at these pictures i found in the internet. This makes me angry and depressed that some Filipinos don't understand what just happened. The more bad news is that the Police also thinks that this is just a matter of photo opportunity. Guys, show some values and morals. It's time for a change. Isn't it what we have been advocating for so long?!

Unsafe Philippines once again!

This not a good day for the Philippines. Another policeman tarnished the "Philippine's finest" reputation. But to certainly a bigger magnitude. The Manila hostage taking is a depressing, embarrassing, and disappointing event rolled into one. The Philippines is again the "apple of the eye" of the rest of the world for being a violent and unsafe country. 8 hostages died in the incident which clearly reflects that the "negotiators" did not handle it well. The arrest of his brother heightened the tension of the incident. Why such a violent arrest? And what evidence is at hand to have him an accessory to the crime? To me, it seems (at least to what i have seen in the news), it is not clear why is he being linked to the hostage taking. Kudos to the police for further heightening the tension! (Did they take notice of the hostage taker's first demands?! the Commission on Human Rights thinks otherwise.) The "avalanche" of tear gas thrown in the bus made it difficult for the police to control the situation and come to think of it, maybe some of the victims were killed by some of the police themselves?!? (did they have a clear view of the bus when they are trying to get in or have they been confounded by the tear gas?) The number of hours required to end the crisis reflects the lack of training of the police force to handle such a situation. This crisis had put the Philippines once more on bad light. Also, the Philippine National Police is again under fire from the people for the way they handled the situation (The "torture" incident is still fresh from everyone's minds). Something should be done to further equip the PNP to handle such situations. Equipment and trainings as President Noy said. But this has been an old issue... I hope the President will ACT instead of just commenting.

Six Sacred Stones (Matthew Reilly)

this a book comment slash review to matthew reilly's book entitled "The Six Sacred Stones". this is apparently the second book to the trilogy of adventure of the main lead characted Capt. Jack West Jr. Wikipedia offers a summary of the book but I am not assuring its accuracy. The book seems to be boring at the start but as you read further you will be amazed of the adventures that the characters have undertaken. But the book is rather too much for a person not inclined or not much into history and symbols things. In comparison to Dan Brown's Robert Langdon Adventure Series ("Angels and Demons"; "The Da Vinci Code"; "The Lost Symbol"), the book is rather too technical in the use of history facts. The situations that the characters have been into are rather a little "far fetched", in the sense that it is somewhat improbable to happen in real life. (Dan Brown made his series enjoyable and simple to understand for the common person.) The book it rather lenghty, almost 600 pages. The book is a good read but you must have real patience to reach the good part of it. The first parts were not encouraging for you to read on. The plot is good but it could have been presented more simpler and easier to read on. I am NOT writing this blog to malign the book. Mind you, the book is indeed a good read. The only thing going against it is that the author tried to squeeze in almost all of the information and/or facts contained within his bibliograpy or "references". If I were to rate this book in a range of 1-5 stars, 3 stars for the good research.

Chicken a la carte, from Ferdinand Dimadura (2006)

Chicken a la carte, from Ferdinand Dimadura (2006)
(click on the link above)

Have you ever thought whatever happened to your leftovers? sa mga pagkaing inorder mo pero hindi mo nauubos? In a third world country such as ours, hunger is undeniably a problem that has been crippling the country for decades.

As defined by Wikepedia, Hunger is the most commonly used term to describe the social condition of people (or organisms) who frequently experience, or live with the threat of experiencing, the physical sensation of hunger. But hunger, in reality is just the tip of the ice berg, it reflects a bigger problem which is sadly the real life situation in the country. Many people in the country die of hunger and malnutrition. Many of us today do not realize that we are so blessed when we are able to eat in fast food chains. The current administration boasts of corrupt free 6 years. But will this be enough to solve the problems that plague the country? I hope the president really do have programs to address the country's problems, most of them are due to poverty (which includes hunger). President Noy and the rest of the country, let us do our share and see the bigger picture. Many people who voted for you includes those who are in this video. Let this serve be as your drive to serve the people.