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.
Sabi nung friend ko from Ayala, the blast came from underneath (underground) Glorietta 2 through the service bay for deliveries. Unfortunately, this is a place not managed by Ayala, but by another entity.
MBW,
Actually im reading his blog too and i’ve seen his posts about terrorism and stuff but he cites sources such as Maria Ressa’s book, Seeds of Terror.
I know he’s not authority on terrorism but he sure is posing as one.
MBW, try “google earth” search for Glorietta Mall, makati and it will give you the close-up and if you’re familiar with Makati city layout you can picture its location. I have No idea at all how Makati looks like nowadays.
“Sabi nung friend ko from Ayala, the blast came from underneath (underground) Glorietta 2 through the service bay for deliveries. Unfortunately, this is a place not managed by Ayala, but by another entity.”
This is pure speculation. Ayala should not wash their hands this early.
you’re right, we don’t want a repeat of what happened during in the rizal day bombings…
http://www.politicaljunkie.blogspot.com/2007/10/glorietta-mall-bombing-kills-8-injures.html
signing off for the day…
May the injured find comfort and may the souls of those who died find peace in the loving arms of the Lord.
Silence in Makati.
“Only a crisis, actual or perceived produces real change.” – Milton Friedman
Naomi Klein quoted Milton Friedman and made him a reference on her controversial book – The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.
The current political and economic situation in our country plus the tragic incident that happened in Makati this afternoon is somehow similar to the events that were referenced in Klein’s book. Excerpts from the book indicated about ‘…using the public’s disorientation following massive collective shocks – wars, terrorist attack, etc. — to achieve control by imposing economic shock therapy.’
Strategists here would agree that the capacity for resistance is diminished through disorientation.
I’m not being a conspiracy theorist. I just support what I believe Ms. Klein is trying to say through her book — INFORMATION is shock resistance. Therefore, arm yourself.
Let’s all keep an open mind. Let us all be informed.
Be safe and Godbless, kabayans.
(i offer silence on the bombing issue for now…an opportune moment for prayer.)
—–
i don’t know if there really is a shortcut but it will help if you already have a template (typewritten even in notepad) for the html tags to start and end the blockquotes. copy-paste it onto the comment box and just insert text in between the blockquotes that needs to be quoted.
“Alfonso Reyes, spokesman of the Ayala Land incorporated said the rest of the Glorietta mall complex, except for Glorietta 2, will resume operations 10 a.m. Saturday.”
Profit, profit and more profit.
Lumang tugtugin na ‘yang mga blast blast na ‘yan. Natural, magbabago ang mga headlines kinabukasan.
It’s an [b]evil[\b] act.
“May those who died in this dastardly act rest in peace.God please make this incident not an opportunity for those who are inflicting harm, and continue to do so, on the Filipino people to advance their interest. Please help our country. ”
On the theory on who could be behind the incident. What law is that which says that if all plausible explanations have been eliminated, the nearest one to truth is the answer. God please help the Filipino people think with calrity and open mind. It will save us from further harm.
Francis, bb codes dnt work here. sorry. gotta learn html bro. click the wordpress link below and it’ll lead to some tutorials abt wordpress codes.
as for me, too lazy to do that. bb codes are easier to learn bcoz their codes are not too kilometric.
equalizer, an answer:
– Hyde, singning out
a more reflective answer:
1) who would have the REAL MOTIVE? everyone standing to benefit from it
2)Who would have the capability? everyone who bothers to to have it
3)Who stands to gain? whoever fate favors
4)Who would be so ruthless to inflict pain on innocent civilians? everyone
5)What’s the real game plan that will evolve after this dastardly act? this isn’t a game. and no plan can ever cover all contingents.
though you are right. this is a dastardly act. but there are acts more dastardly than this, do you agree?
frombelow: that’s a derivative of occam’s razor. sir arthur conan doyle used a similar formulation, albeit not quite as positive as yours. it goes something like after you eliminate the impossible, whatever is left is the answer. occam put it more directly: all things being equal, the simplest answer is the truth. or something like that.
it bothers me that a number of comments here actually agree with GMA’s call for calm, sobriety and reflection… okay, okay, let’s pray for the dead. but calm and sobriety are the very things that GMA wants in response. those who died in the bombing have already been silenced. are we going to mourn and grieve in silence as well?
inhibiting ourselves from speculations or making (at least) partial conclusions or judgments would only allow the authorities to concoct grand lies that would blaspheme the blood that has been spilled and the sacrifice of those who died in Glorietta 2 today.
objectivity? facts? what is more objective and factual than the glaring facticity of dead bodies?
this culture of silence is no different from GMA’s culture of impunity.
renmin, thanks for pointing that out.
deviladv8:what’s the Motive?
There is an unwritten policy for the traditional rebels to lay off the Ayala malls. These are the the stomping grounds of society’s noisiest people and the security systems are Israeli-designed. The Ayalas actually hired experts who know their shit. If I am not mistaken, this is stated somewhere in their website.
I must admit that it is really too early for an ordinary pedestrian like myself to rule out anyone. Given the backdrop however, I cannot help narrowing my list of suspects down to the Abu Sayaff and Caluag’s boy, NSC Chief Norberto Gonzales.
So far, I think these are the only personalities who have the capability, opportunity to gain anything and false confidence with utter disregard for the individuals behind the statistics.
Taking on the Ayalas furthermore means earning the ire of our favorite Carlysle boy. His partnership with those Insulareses run deep. One does not need to master Gen Sun Tzu’s teachings to know that this is a monumental blunder. Both the NPA and MILF would not have lasted this long if they never avoided hurting the close allies of Uncle Sam’s lackies personally. These traditional rebels know that the most they can bust up are the Ayala’s Globe cellsites in the less unpopulated places.
The priority at this point, of course, should be the medical assistance to the victims and heightened security against those who might want to take advantage of the situation. After the smoke has cleared, though, I think there will be drastic shifts in our political tectonics.
News reports showed that authorities have determined that the Glorietta blast is caused by high explosive ( TNT or C-4 ).
C-4 is very hard to procure but TNT is available at the market.
Also, terrorist always claimed or owned their work. For what’s the use if they could not show to all of us, and terrorize us in the process, that they have the capability to sow terror. It’s only logical.
So one of those terror group must own the bombing, otherwise… it will be an unsolved bombing.
but this is a very high-profile. No one will plant a bomb for a very flimsy reason. One could think of the Oklahoma bomber as an analogy that this could be done by single bomber or group motivated not by waht we usually suspects. Islamic fundamentalism, government enemies out to embarass GMA, government agents on order to wreak havoc as prelude to some political moves and others. Still the question. Where did that single terrorist get his bomb? A very sophisticated bomb. So we will return to the ususal terrorist groups. But they have to own the bombing to terrorize us and make thier action successful. Non-owning of the bombing will negate the purpose of their terrorism. Back again to earlier premise. If terror groups failed to own the bombing, who the hell did it. One possible thing. We go back again to the LPG scenario. Gas tank overheated and exploded. May maniniwala pa ba?
equalizer, motives are hard to determine. people may theorize, guess, divinate – in the end, only the one/s who did it will ever know.
And most importantly GOD;he or she will NOT escape the punishment of GOD one day for such a dastardly act!
leading to only a few possibilities:
a. insider job
b. outsider job
LOLS. that narrowed the suspects down. rofl.
“A death of a few is a tragedy; a death of many is statistics! ”
May the souls of the departed rest in peace and the family of the victims find strength and comfort in their times of need.
Seeing and hearing from the T.V. news gave me goosebumps. And seeing this picture made me realized how stupid the initial investigation resulted to entertaining possibility of an LPG blast. Check this pix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:WTC_1993_ATF.jpg – the 1993 bombing of the WTC, the initial plan of bringing it down was not as effective yet as 9/11. But it was a confirmed sodium cyanide bombing. Does the picture not look like Glorietta. Who ever did this was just as heartless!
It’s all about motives! Who stand to gain the most from this dastardly act?
Reflect
Discern
mbw, i was going to hold my peace in deference to the casualties and their grieving families, just ignoring the insensitive politicking of the rabid anti-gloria forces in this blog (they remind me of the desperate, panic-stricken antagonist in a battlefield – shooting blindly at everything that moves, including his own comrades), until i saw your comment re international perception of “instability”.
that could have been a motivation of the perpetrators but it was a stupid one. america had 9/11, u.k. had the london carnage, spain had the madrid train bombings, all with relatively more casualties than the recent makati blast. yet, i never heard any one saying that u.s., u.k. or spain have “unstable” society or government. what i am saying is that terrorism is non-discriminatory, not necessarily ideological or political, nor geographical. it could happen in washington or timbuktu (assuming the latter has a lot of foreign tourist, the large-scale killing of which would attract world attention). it could kill an infant, a “liberal” senator, a ceo, a media personality, a janitor, an s.c. justice, a president, etc., and of course, the terrorist himself.
If some known terrorist group does acknowledge such act, the answer to the — who and why is easy. The terrorist group did it and they did it just to give people a scare, to TERRORIZE!Too easy to believe huh? I don’t like to stop thinking there.. Could the terrorist not be paid to do or even just claim such act? I mean, paid by someone who would be less expected, or someone who can simply deny…If each congressman can be given “gifts” of P500,000, how much would a gift to a terrorist group cost?
If the terrorist group affirms their act, what will be done with them? Hunted head per head? Or just some all-out war announcement?
“yet, i never heard any one saying that u.s., u.k. or spain have “unstable†society or government.”
non sequitur
I can not see any trackback links so:
-> http://snow.gameshogun.ws/5philippines/the-glorietta-bombing-19th-october-2007-
God Bless to all and keep praying!
prettypeach, yeah that’s possible (speculation). then again, some people are known to have conspired with a pinoy-am u.s. government aide in the u.s to “destabilize” the philippine government, among other anti-government activities. for how much? we can only speculate. the alleged source has “unlimited” source of fund and you know whence it came from.
Bencard, “never heard any one saying that u.s., u.k. or spain have “unstable†society or government.” Agree! Does it not point out how paranoid our gov’t people are thinking it’s a destabilization plot?! Or are they hiding something?! hmm.defensive! Cannot tell though if it’s pro-admin or the opposition. Analyze. Think. Discern?
“what i am saying is that terrorism is non-discriminatory, not necessarily ideological or political, nor geographical.”
I disagree – the US 9/11-was it not ideological? The Al qaeda viewed US as an evil which they have to shake and bring down and they showed their capacity for it. The Madrid bombing- there was political stains into it. UK bombing- it was the first suicide bombings in Western Europe- now ain’t that geographical considerations??
equalizer, more like “no comprende” on your part.
i suggest you check mbw’s 10:35 p.m. post to see where i was coming from, you hip-shooting, shoot-first-ask-question- later m.f. anyway, my comment was for mbw, not you!
What is your point Bencard? Oh well, never mind.
No matter how you love Gloria or admire her wonderful, marvelous and glorious governance, you must accept that the Philippines does not have the stature, but NOT AT ALL, of either the UK, France or Spain and cenrtainly not of the US to believe that it can discard international perception, i.e., that the Philippines is an unstable country and by extension, the country has an unstable govt.
News about mutiny, military restiveness, coup d’état attempts, kidnapping, bombing, Abu Sayyaff, Gloria’s pronouncements of all out war against the NPA, impeachment tries against her, accusations that Gloria cheated in elections, etc. and now this blast, etc. contribute to this international perception of instability of the nation and of her government. There is no turning around that. You will be lying to yourself if you say that this is not true.
We often read of travel advisories being posted against the Philippines by these foreign governments. Do you think foreign governments do that for the heck of it? That they find it fun to slap the Philippines with a negative travel advisory?
No! Travel advisories are usually posted based on several important critera and one of the major ones is about political instability, i.e., coup d’état attempts, bombing, kidnapping, war, etc. which foreign govts believe could lead to a climate of physical insecurity in RP and therefore could be ‘hazardous’ to their nationals. These advisories in effect are a warning to their nationals about restricting their travel to the places in RP (or sometimes NOT TO TRAVEL at all to those places in RP).
This Makati blast is not yet in headline news in Europe (Bhutto’s visit to Pakistan and the bombing there are more important to the Western press than this Manila blast it seems) and good on the Philippines but if ever this hits the press, most Europeans and Americans (not talking here of Fil-Ams) alike will not think twice – they will think the nation is unstable and to me, that kind of perception is bad for business.
rr raneses:
and what should we do? holler and yell in the streets? tear out our hair and beat our chests and smear ashes all over our faces?
and ignorant speculation and partial conclusions based on nothing more substantial than your chest beating and hair pulling will only cloud your judgment. but hey, if you want to come to conclusions, that’s your privilege. i just couldn’t ignore your ignorant ranting. that’s a compliment too.
what does that even mean? objectivity means trying to actually find the truth and not going off chasing shadows created by your own biases.
and yours would be? a culture of prejudgment? or a culture of jumping to conclusions based on nothing?
“A weeping woman was heard talking on the phone, saying she heard one of her companions was dead. A television news crew tried to interview her, but her foreigner companion angrily asked them to go away.”
Media at its best.
pretty, whether the government say it’s part of a destabilization plot, or the hate-gloria club says its a ploy to divert the public’s attention from the alleged “scandals”, everything is speculation at this point. no sense debating conjectures, and no self-crafted verdicts or conclusions for now, please.
read again my post, please. i did not specifically say 9/11/, the london and madrid bombings were or were not political, ideological or geographical. i said terrorist acts (in general) are NOT NECESSARILY so.
Ben, Was there a verdict in my statement? It ends with Analyze.Think and Discern(?). Yeah speculations. That’s all that we can do for now. Wonder!It’s a wait and see… Am not pointing at whosoever. Just speaking some ideas out coz I can’t sleep. It freaks me! It saddens me. It angers me!
Nope you didn’t specifically stated them as being or not being of such nature. But you mentioned those as examples so was also “re”using them as examples. Terroristic attacks are NECESSARILY SO. Couldn’t think of an attack that had no “hitch” what so ever to it. It can’t be a sudden burst of idea that a man has and hail a bomb to any place just to scare people. It is well planned and crafted. What’s the message– Be scared! for what reason– one or more of those- ideology, politics or geography.
Agree with your take Prettypeach!
Look at Manolo’s posts: after the bombshell comes the bomb!
Maria Ressa is right, C4 is more like it. Very powerful yet portable and could easily slip even through the most watchful guard manning the gates. All that is needed is a cellphone and 2 short wires. What’s funny is that the police after 5 hrs cannot even say it was definitely a bomb. Gas tank explosions’ shock waves are unidirectional, this one is multi.
The security cams could have spotted the bomb and bomber if one was in the area. Assuming that and the mall opening at 9 am, they would have reviewed the whole 4-1/2 hr portion of tape in time for the 6:30 news. So far, nada.
It’s just sad though that this will again taint travel advisories of other nations to their citizens. Come to think of it, when London had those bombings, did U.S. or Australia issue advisories of not going there? And when U.S. was bombed, did UK issue any advisory not to go there?
So why on us? Is it not because they think our government cannot take care and handle the situation? If they don’t think our government is capable, what about us? Should we just stay home and have pizza or a bucket of chicken delivered? Tsk tsskk. Too expensive!
More food for thoughts! I’ll go try grab some sleep else day breaks and overtakes me, and sleep shall be more elusive. Peace!.. for the dead and the living!
Ferrum,
Pretty premonitory that title was, wasn’t it?
Prettypeach – maybe some good home cooked dish instead of pizza and oily breaded chicken? Not healthy these things from those fastfood restos are, if you ask me.
There are some thoughts in my mind:
1. There is no much fire in this Glorietta-2 explosion. It is likely from C-4 or TNT. It seems like a professional job. They know how to hit the building with the explosive, less casualties, no fire, but left the building devastated.
2. This is certainly NOT LPG. It’s High explosive.
3. It’s said that the bomb was planted near the escalator at Glorietta-2.The question is how they plant and put the bomb there? the only possibility is that they use plastic explosive (C-4) or TNT. Considering the damage (it ripped open the roof of the building) and the possibility of planting the bomb inside the mall, I believe this is C-4, which is simple, stable and safe to carry everywhere, but very powerful. C-4 can easily be molded into any desired shape.
4. Yes, C-4 is difficult to procure. Only military and high-profile terrorists could get the access to C-4.
5. I am tempted to say that JI or any other Islam fundamentalists are NOT behind this bombing.Why? The Bali blasts and Jakarta bombings, for example, are quite different from this Glorietta-2 bombing. Bali bombing and Jakarta bombing were orchestrated by Jemaah Islamiah. They used ammonium nitrate and potassium chlorate in very huge amount with around 40-70kgs TNT for bomb making. The modus operandi is always with car bomb. Like the one in Bali, They parked the car somewhere near the buildings and they sent some suicide bombers to detonate very small explosive inside the buildings/restaurants to cause panic and afterward they detonated the car bomb OUTSIDE for a bigger explosion. The almost same thing happened in Jakarta when they used delivery van containing huge amount of explosive (ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate and 30-70 kgs TNT) to destroy Australian Embassy and surrounding buildings.
The bomb in Glorietta-2 was inside the mall, and left the building devastated. We could assume that the explosive which exploded inside the mall was a very high explosive (it ripped open the roof). What kind of explosive that people might carry easily inside the mall and could rip open the roof? It could be C-4. JI and any Moslem fundamentalists never used C-4 in their action in south-east asia because it is so hard to obtain. They always use fertilizer in huge amount and some kilograms of TNT.
Could you imagine somebody carrying a bomb which consisted of 40Kgs potassium chlorate and 40 Kgs ammonium nitrate at the same time and put it near escalator easily in Glorietta-2? It seems unlikely.
How about C-4? it’s possible! FYI, C-4 is 1.34 times as explosive as TNT
6. The last bombing in Makati was in February 2005. It was considered a small blast and it was not even a high explosive. That one was by Muslim extremists. The one in Glorietta-2 is the worst bombing so far in Metro Manila for the past 5 years. It left the building devastated.
7. Who is behind this bombing? there are some possibilities:
* Those who have access to C-4: military and high profile terrorists
* Muslim fundamentalists organisation: JI, Abu Sayyaf. It means that they already got access to high explosive (C-4) and they are getting sophisticated which is very very very dangerous. But as I said in point number 5 and considering their “fingerprints” in previous blasts in south-east asia, I am tempted to say that they are not behind this bombing. If the police find out that it was not C-4…then i believe we have more “suspects” here….
I prefer to say nothing about “conspiracy theory”, or whether the government, politicians are behind this bombing. Some people said that it could be government effort to divert the issue of corruption etc etc, or it could be some oppositions try to destabilize the country blah blah blah….I guess it is too early to come to such conclusion or even speculation, since we do not know the material of the bomb.
so the concensus here is not to believe trillanes?
Ayala’s liability could go to at least a P100 Million at P1 million per victim. In that case the security tapes might not show up. Too much evidence of negligence against them.
I don’t think the consensus is whether to believe or not to believe Trillanes.
The consensus is to suspend all judgments until more information/facts are known. The consensus is to be open to all possibilities without making irrational and unsound judgments.
My heart cries out for all the loved ones who needlessly perished. May God grant them peace and comfort to their families.
“Profit, profit and more profit.”
Supremo, we can’t let the terrorist win. I’m shopping in Megamall tomorrow where there’s a sale, a tasty target for the bombers. Who’s with me?
BrianB,
Agree! “we can’t let the terrorist win.”