Target of opportunity (updated)

There but for the grace of God, go we, must be the thought in many a person’s mind. David Llorito definitely had that passing, sobering, thought. jackson_nash recounts a mother’s concern and relief:

As soon as I get home I call my mom. She told me how she freaked out and how it gave her a headache. Her tone of voice was sounded so defeated yet relieved. It made me feel sad but it also reinforced that even though my mom doesn’t say it, she does really love me. I mean I didn’t doubt it, but it’s the little things we do for each other that shows how much we care.

Blogger ambonsamakati blogs about being in the vicinity (complete with snapshot of crowds); Adventures in the Temporary Autonomous Zone blogs about sirens and watching the action from a few blocks away. magentic_rose blogs about how her brother had a close call. Sunny Side Up! was there. So was uchihayukiko:

I was in bo’s cafe, teh exact opposite o f where the bo,b was placed. But it felt like the explosion was just above us. It was tha strong. It was my second grande cup of coffee that day.I drank my first at home, because I thought I have to be alert this day.

If I decided to drink coffee in starbcujs that day. I will be dea now.
If I wore skirt ad heels this day, I wouldn’t be able to run fast.
My intuition never failed me. Never since I was alive. And I am thanking god for it.

I sent sms to people in my phone list. And called KR, because I know glorietta is his home too. And he is always in timezone, where I think the bomb was near.

I do not want to listen to the news now. What I saw was enough. Ambuklances everywhere, people lying in the streets near the ambulance, a man’s limp hands…limp and carried by someone from the ambulance.

White Lady recounts a friend’s experiences:

Miru was in netopia glorietta 2 printing something and after that,only 10 minutes after while walking in glorietta 4(in front of jollibee) he felt the impact of the explosion.It’s like something pushed him daw from the back and he saw the glass walls of jollibee shook. He was able to video pa the people screaming and running inside the mall to the nearest exit and outside he took pics of the damages.He even saw a dead body daw.

My Life… – Hayds also recounts her experiences:

Around 1:30pm we were saying that we need to give away all of our fliers before the next group comes in. Then I distinctly remember I was seating on the couch facing the Glorietta 2 side when I heard a big boom. Together with the big boom was an earth shattering like earthquake. Then in just a couple of seconds, I saw something fell from the ceiling. It was a big chunk but it looked like it didn’t weigh much. Then everybody started running as fast as they could towards our direction. I didn’t panic since as some of you might know, I was also in Glorietta during the Valentine’s Day bombing last February 14, 2005…

But today was different. I heard the explosion and I saw something that triggered why everybody started to panic. Everything I saw was not close enough for me to realize the urgency to get the heck out of the mall. I started to pack my things calmly and I was again trying to look for more details why the people were trying to get out of the mall but Jacy was really scared that she kept on calling for us and was in a hurry. We got out of Glorietta and went straight to Park Square 1. While everybody was outside and trying to figure out what happened, everybody just started running away again. This time we stayed at the Dusit Hotel. For about an hour of calling people we know, we just wanted to go home but Didith and Jacy were kind enough to make sure I’ve gotten my car in the parking lot of Glorietta 4 before we went our seperate ways. Unfortunately, nobody was allowed to go inside the mall nor the parking. We had to seat together with the hundreds of people around the area while the fire brigade, ambulance and media people were trying to check on what happened.

The most complete eyewitness acount I’ve come across is from angeliz105 in an online message group:

I have never expected myself to be an eyewitness to such a tragedy. Man staring blankly at his bloodied hand, women hysterically screaming, unconscious woman lying lifeless near the blast, frantic sirens and alarms, broken glass and debris everywhere…

I had just parked my car at Park Square 2, 3rd floor near the timezone entrance. After switched on my car’s alarm, exactly, a loud explosion was heard. A cloud of smoke was seen. I ran at the back of my car where the railings are and there it was, I am directly looking at it from where I stand.

My knees turned jelly and felt my whole body shaking. My brain felt numb. I can’t believe, that a few moments ago, barely 5 minutes have passed, I was there at the ground floor on my way to the parking lot.

I never noticed I was crying until two elderly chinese couple approached me and asked if I am okay. I was just telling them, ” No, look out there, there’s a dead woman…” I was ushered by the elderly man to sit on the hood of one of parked cars. I didn’t know how long I stayed there, coz the next moment, I am maneuvering my car out of the parking lot.

I called my brother, I was crying. I have no idea how I was able to drove out of that place and eventually got home when all the while I could see are the images of the tragedy. To stay calm is easier said than done.

I still don’t know whatever it was that exploded, all I know is, those images will haunt my memories like a movie, playing repeatedly… even in my dreams.

See websaytko.com who republishes a father’s account.

Blogger Sprclfrglstcxpialidotius! (who also has pictures) says gossip saved her:

While we were on our way back (from the hardware shop in Park Square), we noticed there was a crowd gathering outside Glorietta. We initially thought there was an on-going shoot or perhaps some actor/actress was around. We heard some people talking about a bomb going off in the center, near the fountain. Another man said it was on the second floor – the Subway resto…

But then some people were still entering Glorietta, and when we were about to cross the street to get in, a wave of screaming people suddenly came rushing out of the doors. This sent everyone else in a panic, and the crowd started running away as fast as they could.

I thought someone had a gun or something because some people had their hands over their heads. Kristel and I held hands and ran with the crowd… and then it happened.

Y’know those chase scenes in movies? When someone always has to fall right when they’re NOT supposed to? Yea, someone fell alright… I did! It’s quite hard to run for your life while in platform flip-flops!

I’m really grateful Kristel didn’t just let go of my hand and run…that’s a real friend for ya. She made sure people didn’t step on me 😀 Love yah, sis!

I must say, I’ve never felt so alive though. I could feel my heart threatening to explode through my chest, and my leg muscles trying to leap out of my skin as Kristel and I sprinted our way through the crowd.

just walk away was also there:

anyways tapos punta kami sa mei meeting place wala pang bus..so punta kaming gold crest..ayan na!nasa store kami tapos biglang mei narinig kaming malakas na sabog!tas mei nabasag!as in na feel namen ung lakas ng sabog!ung glass ng store parang mababasag!bumaba kami nina mariel para mag take cover tapos dapat lalabas na sila mariel at dzi sabi ko huwag muna kasi baka may sumabog pa..tapos ung tindera kinuha ang bag at nauna pa lumabas samin..so lumabas narin kami..ang scary kasi ang gulo na ng place ang daming tao na nag panic tas hinanap namen ung bus..kahit Wat a face na kami haha..
sa bus umiiyak na sila mariel and dzi ako..shock.di ako maiiyaK!as in wala lang di pa nag sink in sakin ung nangyari!tsaka naluluha ako kasi umiiyak sila mariel naawa ako..nung kinausap na lang kami sa bus dun na ako naiyak.tapos humagulgo ako nung naghug kami nina mar,dzi tsaka tita baby..grabe!nanghina ung knees ko ..grabe talaga!tas sa chapel..xbrang thankful ako kasi binigyan pa ako ng chance na maglaro pa tomorrow sa championship!haAy sobrang naapreciate ko adviser ko…tsaka narealize ko kung bumasag ung glass sa likod namen..cguro..hmmm..haAY..grabe talaga!2nd life?di ko toh makakalimutan!

(Loose translation: Anways afterwards we went to the vicinity of our meeting place but the bus hadn’t arrived. So we went to Goldcrest. Then it happened! We were in a store when suddenly we hard a strong explosion! Then something shattered! As in we felt the strength of the explosion! It seemed as if the glass of the store was going to shatter! Mariel and I descended to take cover and then Mariel intended to exit and I said, not yet because there might be another explosion. And then the saleslady took her bag and left the store even ahead of us. So we left as well. It was very scary because there was so much confusion and so many people panicked and we we looked for the bus, never mind however we must have looked haha… On the bus Mariel wept and I got dizzy. I was in such shock I couldn’t cry. Then I started tearing because Mariel was crying and I felt pity for her. When we were talked to on the bus that’s when I started to cry. Then I was overcome when Mar and I hugged, and Tita Baby too. It was terrible, my knees got weak. At the chapel I was so very thankful that I was given a chance to still play in tomorrow’s championship. And I really appreciate my adviser. And I also realized that if the glass had shattered behind us, well, probably, hmmm… A 2nd life? I won’t forget this!)

…My Life… has a smiliar account.

Another account is In My Pocket, this time, of someone who got there an hour after the explosion:

As I walked down Ayala Avenue and crossed toward the Makati Stock Exchange, I was walking with a group of people that included a young couple and their daughter. The father was carrying the little girl and the couple tried their best to be calm around her. Then, as we reached the Stock Exchange, the father passed their daughter into the mother’s arms as he walked inside a bank. The little girl asked the mother something, to which she replied, “E diba may sumabog sa Glorietta? Hindi ba katabi natin yun? (Didn’t something explode in Glorietta? Weren’t we standing next to it?)” I took a closer look at them. They were carrying hardly anything, and the daughter was sock-footed and holding her sole shoe in her hand.

I had arrived at SM some time around 2:20pm. An MMDA truck and the ever-vigilant media (represented by ABS-CBN News) already were parked out front. The SOCO van arrived just as I was walking away from the scene, continuing on my way. They — and I — had only missed the explosion by an hour.

See Witnesses account: ‘People thrown like dolls by blast’ for more eyewitness accounts.

Disney Cute Land has pictures of the area and the damage (Interior photos from ABS-CBN reproduced in look at this tangle of thorns). Azrael’s Merryland also has exterior photos. a round world for a square me has a photo of the interior of Glorietta filled with smoke. Horrible, horrible. However, Don Geronimo has calmer photos and criticizes media for portraying the situation is worse than it is.

And because the political situation is tense, notes from the peanut gallery expresses a suspicion that can only gather steam unless the authorities make an effort to remain sober and calm. For now, ksolaris points out one reason a gas explosion is the main theory right now:

They’re still investigating the cause, and I’m wondering if it’s a busted LPG tank, since I do remember that some time earlier this year, one of the restaurants inside the mall caught fire. They were able to quickly put out the flames that time, though, and only part of the restaurant’s ceiling got burned. The restaurant was back in business after about a week.

A spokesman from Ayala Land says it doesn’t appear the explosion emanated from any restaurants. A shaky-sounding policeman says there was a strong smell of gunpowder in the blast area, and says there was no smell of gas. Blogger bubble hearth has an eyewitness insisting he smelled gunpowder, too, “just like New Year”:

although ben insists he smelled pulbura when he went near the smoke. “para daw new year”

Tony Velasquez pointed out that the initial smells are important in investigating the cause of blasts. The NCR police chief has announced Metro Manila is on red alert.

(A blogger, Public Static, doesn’t want to dismiss the LPG explosion theory and explains why, but then says, basically, the reasoning all b.s.)

This is a time when engineers, architects, and other experts can help weigh in and contribute to a sober analysis of the event. The photographs of the damage are so chilling (see link above), and the damage so extensive, that unless the experts weigh in, public hysteria could run rampant.
Online media sites are constantly updating. As of this posting, the news is: 4 dead, over 40 hurt in Makati mall explosion (ABS-CBN); Blast hits Makati’s Glorietta Mall: 3 killed, says report (Inquirer); Makati mall blast kills 3; top cop says not LPG but ‘a bomb’(GMA).

On TV, a spokesman from the National Disaster Coordinating Council, quoting the Red Cross, says the number of fatalities has reached 6, with 70 wounded. Latest update is that police suspicions have shifted to a bomb being the cause of the explosion: ‘Bomb likely’ in Makati mall blast–Razon.

The PNP spokesman on ANC (4:12 pm) says they have to consider if this was a bombing by Muslim extremists. Said NICA reports and other intel had warned of activity after Ramadan ended.

Personally, at this point, finger-pointing won’t help anything. The priority right now remains aiding the wounded and securing the area. Then an investigation can proceed and the public can judge if the investigation raises instead of settling questions. There are simply too many groups that could benefit, politically, from a terror bombing. Finding out what kind of bombing took place, could help narrow down the potential culprits.

4:58 pm Ayala Land has issued a statement saying the blast seems to have originated from outside, not inside, Glorietta 2. Bertie Lim of Makati Business Club dispels text message which quotes him as having blamed the Palace; he says he never said such a thing and that businessmen believe the President needs to get to the bottom of things.

5:31 A blogger who works at an emergency room, gives an eyewitness account of what it was like to be working as the casualties were brought in, See zalveen-ice’s Site:

I was eating lunch when nag aanounce na for the trauma team sa ER. Last time I heard this was nung nag bomb sa MRT nung valentines 3 years ago ata. So I thought baka may vehicular accident na massive. I was wrong…. Sobrang dami tao sa ER blast injuries. Initial reports sabi may LPG leak daw sa Luk Yuen at sumabog yun. Well tha’ts pure speculation. In my humble opinion di ito gas leak masyado madami nasaktan at napakalaki ng area nung blast. Bomb to sa palagay ko. Well during y stay sa ER dami shrapnel injuries yun mga debris ng cement acted like shrapnels nung sumabog. Kawawa innocent people. May dead on arrival, meron din namatay sa harapan ko wasak yun ribs. For a while it gave me goosebumps. I know sanay ako makakita ng dugo sa mga accidents pero iba.

(loose translation: I was eating lunch when the announcement came for the trauma team to go to the emergency room. Last time I heard this was when the MRT was bombed on Valentine’s Day three years go, I think. So I thought there might’ve been a massive vehicular accident. I was wrong… Too many people in the emergency room with blast injuries. Initial reports said there was an LPG leak at Luk Yuen and that it caused the explosion. Well, that’s pure speculation. In my humble opinion it wasn’t a gas leak, too many people were hurt and the area of the blast was too large. It was a bomb, I think. Well during my stay at the emergency room, very many shrapnel injuries the debris from the cement acted like shrapnel when the explosion took place. Poor innocent people. There was someone dead on arrival, there was someone who died in front of me with shattered ribs. For a while it gave me goosebumps. I know I’m used to seeing blood in accident victims but this was different.)

The blogger then concludes.

I couldn’t take pictures kawawa talga and unethical din pero kung nakita nyo magagalit talaga kayo dun sa gumawa.

(loose translation: I couldn’t take pictures, I really pity them and it’s unethical but if you saw what I saw, you would be furious at the perpetrators).

More later.

5:54 pm A very angry Sec. Norberto Gonzalez said that if the bombing wasn’t accompanied by demands, it can’t be covered by the Human Security Act. Gonzalez very irritated over comments criticizing the Palace. Says the event does not justify emergency powers for the President.

6:04 pm Maria Ressa says the timing of the blast is within the “bombing season.” Last year was the only year JI hadn’t conducted a bombing within this season. The blast is strong she said, the radius is large, the strongest probably that’s taken place in the country, she says. No burn marks either, if you look at interior damage photos, so this indicates expertise and training, and there are only two umbrella groups with this capacity: JI and law enforcement agencies. It’s interesting she says, in this context, plus recent Australia warning and PNP warnings of Mindanao. She says she’s seen JI plots to bomb Glorietta but they were made in 2002-2003. She says people have to wait for the investigation and that what she’s discussing is putting the blast in the perspective of past events. This is blast impact, “pure wave,” she says. She says sources say it was a bomb, and that C-4 explosive was involved.

7:54 pm Per TV news report, Red Cross says there may still be bodies buried in the rubble. Number of casualties (dead and wounded) has passed the 100 person mark.

8:01 pm The President, dressed soberly in black, addresses the nation. Says it is likely it was a bomb. Issues warning against using the bombing for political motivates. Appeals for country to unite. Asks public to cooperate in increased security measures. Keep abreast of breaking news at Glorietta Blast special section of Inquirer.net.

tonyo links to raw video from an eyewitness.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

349 thoughts on “Target of opportunity (updated)

  1. I think we’re missing the larger picture here. Yes there is a big undeniable possibility that Mrs. Arroyo herself staged this thing (she may deny it but truth is, she has a lot to gain from this), but let’s not forget that terrorism today is not just political or regional in nature. It is way bigger than that. Whether the people responsible are from JI or other Muslim terrorist group, one thing remains… they all are Muslims. This is religious uprising and they have long declared war against us, infidels (any person who is not a Muslim). To them, we all deserve to die. Mind you, they get a number of virgins if they die for their faith and they get rewarded for every infidel they get rid of. World domination, that’s what it is. There’s a lot more i wanna say but maybe I’ll save it for later. I don’t wanna sound like I’m imposing my beliefs and views… God bless all of us!

  2. “Yes there is a big undeniable possibility that Mrs. Arroyo herself staged this thing…”

    Lsterrr, no way. If she had something to do with it, ako na mismo magagalit kay presidente.

  3. “Lsterrr, no way. If she had something to do with it, ako na mismo magagalit kay presidente.”

    I do respect your opinion but I honestly don’t think staking your emotion on this make your opinion any credible.

    I’d appreciate unhazed reasoning or material evidence if u must. Maybe then we can have a better discourse. Thanks.

  4. 🙂

    All right man, it’s illogical since as she might have learned from Erap’s time, a president in trouble is always the first suspect in a tragedy such as this, just as Erap was everyone’s suspect during the Rizal Day bombings. Wgo did it turn out to be?

  5. Thanks, your last input was much more insightful. I’d like to lay down some things but I figure I’ll just stick to your line of reasoning. Say I am Mrs. Arroyo, and as you said, I already know that I will always be a suspect, then by all means what would stop me from doing it? Guilty or not, I’m always a suspect anyways. Why don’t I just do it, especially now that impeachment complaints and graft expose’s are sprouting from everywhere. This, in fact, is the best time to launch such a thing.

  6. lesterrr,

    This is not child’s play. We are dealing with mass psychology, simple and virtually uncontrollable. Your theory makes her out as totally insane. Why risk it? Merely to deflect attention? Too risky, and reward is iffy at best.

  7. “Your theory makes her out as totally insane. Why risk it? Merely to deflect attention? Too risky, and reward is iffy at best.”
    That’s what the whole world thought of Hitler and Saddam when they first came on the world scene. Too risky, yes, but they did their thing anyway.
    If that would be our line of thinking, then Mrs Arroyo will never be guilty of anything. Everyone else will be at fault, but not her, simply because she knows she is a “usual suspect.” To think like that, that is dangerous…

  8. Alright BrianB, my time’s up. It’s been nice trading thoughts. I will check back again later today. Please feel free to throw me your opinions.
    Peace bro!

  9. as a principle in criminal law goes, criminal intent could be determined through overt acts. in a couple of day’s time, we would probably get to have a good enough inference as to who is behind this bombing.

    if it were jemaah islamiah or some terrorist group, they would have already spoken up by now. making some demand of sorts.

    whether or not this is politically motivated remains to be seen.

    this i’m pretty sure of though – whether or not the admin is behind this, they’ll be using this to advance their agenda to show and prove to us all that the human security act does have good use after all.

    as for us common citizens, we all need to be vigilant as regards our surroundings and as regards who the possibile culprits behind this bombing may be. terrorism, after all could be brought about both by state and non-state actors alike.

  10. Just thinking out loud…

    What if, with the current situation of GMA’s administration, someone thinks that GMA gets to be blamed for this bombing (just like people perceive this to be her doing). Could this be a possible motive for her enemies to further weaken her already weak image, and possibly overthrow her?

    Since people don’t see any credibility with this government, could other “enemies of the Filipino people” — I say this because the Arroyo govt is not the only enemy of the Filipino people, a third party could be involved — have done this knowing that the people will not believe even if the present government had nothing to do with it?

    This is like hitting 2 birds with one stone: destroying the government at the same time driving the Filipinos further away from the truth.

    This could be like EDSA 2. GMA, as the other “enemy of the Filipino people”, taking advantage of the peoples’ anger with Erap’s administration, which eventually catapulted her to power.

    Could we be fooled again this time if the current administration is overthrown by the people just to be replaced by another enemy? I am not saying that we should support this administration — I think a new government should have been instituted in 2004. I guess what I’m trying to ask is, could there be other “enemies” taking advantage of this current situation?

    If I was able to think of it, I don’t see why a sinister group could have not been more motivated to think of this possibility.

    Again, just a possibility.

  11. Yes there is a big undeniable possibility that Mrs. Arroyo herself staged this thing (she may deny it but truth is, she has a lot to gain from this), – lesterrr

    on the other end, trillanes and his group has a lot to gain from this too. gloria’s downfall means freedom for them. remember, trillanes group rigged oakwood with bombs.

  12. on the other end, trillanes and his group has a lot to gain from this too. gloria’s downfall means freedom for them. remember, trillanes group rigged oakwood with bombs.

    my primary suspects are JI. trillanes and his group are all in jail. the only criminal elements in the military that are still free are from the other side… so i think trillanes and oakwood gang are less likely, their counterparts on the other side, more likely…

  13. erap was in jail too when the aragoncillo conspiracy in which he (erap), and panfilo lacson, were implicated, was found to have been committed, wasn’t he?

  14. Many people are dead and dying and here comes Trillanes with an immediate conclusion that the Admin is behind the blast. If I can recall correctly, the Magdalo group ringed Oakwood of explosives and I wonder whether those explosives were confiscated or surrendered to the government. It is not far fetched that this carnage is where those unaccounted explosives found their targets to further destabilized the government.

  15. trillanes and his group are all in jail. the only criminal elements in the military that are still free are from the other side…

    as Bencard has pointed out, anybody could be pulling the strins here. though trillanes and his group are in jail, their ‘symphatizers’ are not. if their group can rig oakwood with bombs, it only show they’re capapble of ‘terrorism’ as well.

  16. I didn’t discount the possibility of the oakwood gang doing it. just less likely. they’re a bunch of screw ups.

    more likely are those who have actual experience in toppling gov’ts and keeping them there by whatever means necessary.

    But I still think JI did it.

  17. excuse me, actual experience in successfully toppling gov’ts and keeping them there by whatever means necessary pala…

    and as one pro-arroyo columnists said, bencard, erap is “too dumb” to concoct such a plan.

    http://www.inquirer.net/issues/jan2001/jan03/frontpage/front_6.htm

    Maceda: Erap lacks the
    brains to plot bombings

    By Armand N. Nocum
    Inquirer News Service

    PRESIDENT Estrada is not mentally equipped to plot the Saturday bombings that killed 15 people and injured around 90 others.

    This left-handed assessment was made yesterday by the President?s own spokesperson, outgoing Ambassador to the United States Ernesto “Ernie” Maceda, in the course of maintaining that Mr. Estrada was not in any way involved in the five bomb attacks.

    In an interview over dzBB, Maceda said the government was not entirely dismissing the possibility that “government men” could have had a hand in the bombings.

    “Maybe they are part of it. You cannot rule out anybody,” he said when asked whether government investigators were not ruling out the involvement of government men.

    But Maceda also pointed out that newspaper columnist Alex Magno was right in his observation that Mr. Estrada did not have the intellectual capacity to order the bombings.

    “I don?t think the President has the intellectual competence to go into an adventurous act like this,” he quoted Magno as saying.

    He also noted that even Magno concluded that “maybe the generals were involved, not the President.”

    But Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, the President?s son by ex-starlet Guia Gomez, said Magno?s theory could not be true because his father was in control of the military and police.

    Ejercito also said it was not possible that military or police officials could have staged the bombings without his father?s knowledge, just as the assassination of former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. was pulled off without then President Ferdinand Marcos knowing anything about it.

    =====

    magno’s wrong though about erap’s generals (or lacson) being the mastermind of the LRT bombings as some in the anti-erap opposition have claimed.

  18. everybody should see trillanes true colors by now. he’s in jail but at an instant, point the blame on the govt, naming names. “i believe’ he said.

    this is ‘HIS’ website: http://trillanes.magdalo.net/details.php?mid=8

    prominently mentioned at ellen tordesillas blog. i wonder if he personally maintains this site, or more likely, by his ‘symphatizers’?

  19. (edited)

    everybody should see trillanes true colors by now. he’s in jail but at an instant, point the blame on the govt, naming names. “i believe’ he said.

    this is ‘HIS’ website: http://www.trillanes.magdalo.net/details.php?mid=8

    prominently mentioned at ellen tordesillas blog. i wonder if he personally maintains this site, or more likely, by his ’symphatizers’?

  20. trillanes and his group are all in jail. the only criminal elements in the military that are still free are from the other side…

    as Bencard has pointed out, anybody could be pulling the strins here. though trillanes and his group are in jail, their ’symphatizers’ are not. if their group can rig oakwood with bombs, it only show they’re capapble of ‘terrorism’ as well.

    dinapinoy, i know you’d love to link trillanes = ellen tordesillas = terrorism. that’s a grand slam for the admin sympathizers here.

    as for trillanes, he’s no different from heherson alvarez and his anti-erap ilk.

  21. They are afraid that I am going to say things that are not supposed to be said. They are afraid that I am going to say — the TRUTH.

    The truth is that there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there? If you look about, you witness cruelty, injustice and despotism. But what do you do about it? What can you do?

    You are but a single individual. How can you possibly make any difference? Individuals have no power in this modern world. That is what you’ve been taught because that is what they need you to believe. But it is not true.

    This is why they are afraid and the reason that I am here; to remind you that it is individuals who always hold the power. The real power. Individuals like me. And individuals like you.

  22. prominently mentioned at ellen tordesillas blog. i wonder if he personally maintains this site, or more likely, by his ’symphatizers’?

    ah, so one of his “sympathizers” maintain his blog. which is not hard to do. I run a blog myself. I don’t know if trillanes’ sympathizer/blogger is a military guy or a bomb making expert though. lol.

  23. JM,
    gloria has to go but not like this. do not equate. keep an open mind. if i question someone else’s motives, that doesn’t ‘equate’ i’m on the ‘other’ side. trillanes ‘IS’ different. he’s the knight in shining armor to a lot of filipinos right now. i just wish he’s really one and really trying my best to understand what’s going on in his mind. he should not disappoint the millions of filipinos who voted for him.

  24. john, estrada himself may not have the intellectual capacity to concoct such a conspiracy but that cannot be said about the diabolical “brains” around him. all he has to do is show the dough (of which i doubt he is lacking) and these “professionals” can work wonders in terms of death and destruction. anything is possible, especially evil deeds. i don’t discount the oakwood mutineers’ sympathizers either as possible culprits.

  25. ah, so one of his “sympathizers” maintain his blog. which is not hard to do. I run a blog myself. I don’t know if trillanes’ sympathizer/blogger is a military guy or a bomb making expert though. lol.

    you got it. now you see anybody/group could do ‘it’ for him (his blog or otherwise)

  26. “This is not child’s play. We are dealing with mass psychology, simple and virtually uncontrollable. Your theory makes her out as totally insane. Why risk it? Merely to deflect attention? Too risky, and reward is iffy at best.”

    and then again… ‘the capacity for resistance is diminished through disorientation.’

    This type of ‘Shock and Awe’ strategy is nothing new. If you look at similar tragic events on the past century, there is always a prelude to the incident – almost often there is a political or economic crisis.

    Mass media will play a very important role in this crisis as most of us base our thoughts and decisions from what they feed us. I totally agreed with ramrod when he said –

    “..discern, analyze, filter, synthesize, accept, reject, and integrate these bits of information into a coherent line of thought.”

    The RIGHT information is the key to understanding what has and will about to happen.

  27. spark,
    please discern, analyze, filter this:

    trillanes’ press release from his website

    Trillanes says Glorietta Bombing Malacanang Handiwork
    October 19, 2007

    “I believe the Glorietta 2 mall blast that killed eight and wounded hundred other persons is the handiwork of Malacanang Palace, particularly National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon.

  28. …and then again… ‘the capacity for resistance is diminished through disorientation.’

    This type of ‘Shock and Awe’ strategy is nothing new. If you look at similar tragic events on the past century, there is always a prelude to the incident – almost often there is a political or economic crisis…

    year 2000: Bush, newly set in office, besieged by protesters, hecklers, and suits – that he stole Florida and disenfranchised a lot of blacks thru his machinery.

    And then 9/11.

    In an instant, America forgot that for one moment, Gore might’ve been their true president. Rallying behind the call of “dear leader,” the US started the “war on terror.”

    And Bush was safe from doubters. for a brief moment.

  29. It was 2o’clock pm yesterday, when I got on a cab headed to my office at the Fort. The cab driver was actually listening in an AM radio and the news was all about an explosion in Ayala mall few minutes ago.

    When I first heard the mall’s name, I made a second thought.. Did I hear it right? Glorietta? And the driver confirmed commenting how devastating it was.

    I felt nervous.. I texted my sister who is not yet home at that time. Good thing she replied back soon and said that she’s at my other sister’s school in Mandaluyong. I then texted my friend who is working in a shop at the Park Square 2. She did not respond. I tried to call her but she was not answering my call. I texted my other friends whom I thought was at the Gold’s Gym that time.

    I was more nervous for my friend who is working at Park Square,not knowing exactly where the explosion came from (just speculations). I tried texting her several times asking her to reply soon. I received her reply when I’m already at the office.
    She said she was thankful for me thinking of her at that very moment and thank god that it was her day off. I felt relieved.

    I could not imagine that time what was the actual scenario. I just really felt bad and saddened by that devastating moment.
    I am praying for the souls of the innocent people who have been victims of that blast. Lord, please take care of them. Help their families recover and accept what happened. Please guide and protect our country and the Filipino people.

  30. From a comment in Ellen Tordesillas blog, posted by TonGuE-tWisTeD on October 20th, 2007 at 5:53 am:

    “….I had also wanted to keep an open mind, but I cannot think of any other group that would have benefited the most from it except Gloriaetta herself and her minions.

    No single person in the country today has innards built the way Gloria’s are. What’s another 8 dead Pinoys today when we average 140 a year? The year’s almost over and we’ve not even hit a hundred? Has she lost her touch?

    Ellen posted it, that part of Gloria’s message, and the link to the full message, too, which I repeat here:

    “I warn those who seek to destabilize our government not to exploit this incident for their selfish political motives.”

    Read between the lines. The message was explicit against her opponents in politics but was silent against the perpetrators of this dastardly act. READ AGAIN! This time follow the link for the full speech. Did she ever condemn the supposed bombers? But she did warn her political enemies, didn’t she?

    The subconscious mind gave her away again. She cannot denounce the bombers because they belong to her cabal….”

  31. It is difficult to believe that JI is behind this bombing.Why? This is not their “style”. Please read my previous comment.The most possible suspects are those who have access to C-4. So far, JI has no record of using C-4 in their action in south-east asia. They use fertilizer and TNT in huge amount, and always do the bombing from outside using car.
    The Glorietta-2 bombing was inside the mall, and with severe damage to the building, and there was no much fire, which is the characteristic of C-4 explosion.

    If it is true that it is JI behind the bombing, it means they are now getting sophisticated since they have access to C-4. This is very very dangerous because they could just put it everywhere and destroy everything since C-4 is very powerful and difficult to detect, easily to carry and very stable explosive.

    JI is always a usual suspect, and it is easy to everybody to pinpoint JI. But considering the damage, the nature of explosion and the modus operandi, it is difficult to believe that it is JI.

    What kind of explosive could destroy the building from inside without much fire, but with a huge explosion? How the terrorist plant the bomb inside the mall? the bomb must be handy and portable and yet powerful. I could only think this is C-4.

    Police should ASAP find out the material of the bomb. If it is C-4, I guess they could have some names to investigate. C-4 is difficult to obtain.Only military and high-profile terrorists have access to C-4.If it is not C-4 (which is hard to believe), then I guess Police are having more difficult task to find suspects.

  32. devil,
    for a brief moment, america and the world became one because of 9/11. americans were fully behind bush when it attacked afghanistan. sa iraq siya nagkamali – he deceived the american people.

    analogy is apple against oranges.

  33. No single person in the country today has innards built the way Gloria’s are.

    wrong. military men have innards. specially those who witnessed marcos’ martial law years. men of military background are all over the place. in and out of malacanyang.

  34. At this point, I guess it is useless to have any speculation whether the government or politician are behind this bombing.We just simply don’t know. We don’t even know yet the material of the bomb, and how they plant the bomb inside the mall.
    How come Trillanes come to the conclusion? He believes? what he believes? the fact or his prediction/accusation? GMA warns her opponents. What is happening to the politicians and government of this country?? They start to pinpoint each other when something bad is happening to this country.This country is just like a boxing ring. They just fight even at the very sad moment of our fellow Filipinos.

  35. DinaPinoy, you are of course entitled to your opinion. but i beg to differ. you may view that date as the date that America and the world was united, but again, I beg to differ.

    In the coalition of the willing, do you find China, France, Russia on the list? Does your view of the “world” include Muslims? or does it only include people you accept as “the whole world?”

    the gist of the matter, is that the whole world was more divided after 9/11 than before it. and the polarization of religious moderates and fundamentalists, extremists and humanists have not been as stark as after 9/11.

    as i said you are entitled to your opinion. you are not entitled to the monopoly of truth however. or a semblance of intelligence.

    analogy of orange and apples, needless. am not making it. am pointing out what happened.

  36. i don’t discount the oakwood mutineers’ sympathizers either as possible culprits.

    nobody can discount anybody as the culprit pending the result of an impartial investigation. I certainly hope that the Aussies and US Feds (one FBI agent was reportedly seen at ground zero yesterday) could extend assistance, dapat e tumabi-tabi muna ang PNP.

    i personally believe that Gloria could not have ordered the bombing, pero I also wouldn’t discount the possibility that her security officers acted without her knowledge. Norberto Gonzales isn’t the most credible man in her cabinet, not after his foiled attempt at selling the country via that Venable fiasco.

    Gloria-lovers can claim all day till they froth in the mouth that she has the economy rising. But one thing is very clear, she has lost control of leadership and has totally squandered all the moral ascendancy if she ever had it.

    Yesterday’s bomb bore through Glorietta’s roof and created a hole that could now be as big as the one Gloria’s security officers must plug to keep the ship from sinking.

  37. Rep. Pete Stark, the longest serving member of Congress in his state of California, was being true to his name on the floor of the US Congress. The other day, the congressman lambasted President Bush for the presidential veto of a health care program, supposedly to benefit 10 million children, with this stark criticism:

    “The Republicans are worried that they can’t pay for insuring an additional 10 million children. They sure don’t care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal war in Iraq. Where are you going to get that money? Are you going to tell us lies like you’re telling us today? Is that how you’re going to fund the war? You don’t have money to fund the war or children. But you’re going to spend it to blow up innocent people if he can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President’s amusement.”

    Seventy-five percent of Americans today oppose Bush’s war in Iraq. My own take is that Bush lied into this horrible war of choice not necessarily for his own amusement but to advance his highfalutin neo-con agenda. This means that people who are not really diabolical like Bush are capable of causing the death and suffering of tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of people to gain or retain power, not necessarily solely for themselves but also for certain attachment to some creed or ideology.

    Power is aphrodisiac indeed irrespective of the gender, race, religion or nationality of its practitioner.

    It is therefore not for “thrills” at all for RP’s youngest senator, Sonny Trillanes, to live up to his name too and express the belief that President Arroyo could be behind the recent bombing of Glorietta that caused the death of nine people and injury to scores more.

    I just want to get this one out now although I am not through yet reflecting on this very unfortunate tragedy.

  38. the gist of the matter, is that the whole world was more divided after 9/11 than before it.

    you’re confusing me here. do you mean after IRAQ or after 9/11? there’s a HUGE difference between the two. 9/11 happened in the year 2001. if i’m not mistaken , the iraq invasion (which you said needed coalition of the willing) happened in march 2003.

  39. Dr. D,

    that exactly was my thought yesterday in my post at 10:20pm.

    Why did she have to direct her energies at warning her political enemies? She could have been a hit had she gone straight to ground zero ala George Bush and spew all those motherhood statements against terrorism and promise to identify and capture the perpetrators of the senseless act.

    Nahahalata nga yata sa subconscious…

  40. Augustine, you sound like you are from the military, and I won’t be surprised if you really are. I have a question for you bro: Is it really hard to pinpoint the type of bomb used in this incident, based on its’ effects, and the circumstances involved in the incident? Almost 20 hours after the explosion, PNP Chief Avelino Razon (1) has denied that they issued a statement saying it was C4 (see gmanews.tv report), (2)is still clueless as to the possible bomb type that was used (“Hindi pa po natin alam kung ano ang components ng bomba” –> but as you have pointed out, C4 is difficult to detect), (3)has not even made an attempt to narrow down the choices (as you have done).

    Are they dumb or are they hiding something?

  41. devil,

    9/11 = war with afghanistan where the real al-queda is based

    coalition of the willing = war with IRAQ, no al-queda

  42. It’s an inconvenient truth, but there are forces even more evil than GMA. Live with it,or die of frustration.

    Yes DJB, and i can almost feel your anticipation of an announcement by JI that they did it. Let’s see kung meron…di ba dapat meron?

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