Shocking days of 2006

Shock after shock after shock. That is what the world seems to be getting in the early days of this Year of the Fierce Dog that had started so auspiciously. We have the sinking of the ferry from Egypt where almost a thousand lives were lost. We have the uproar in Europe over the publication of a cartoon that Muslims regarded as an insult to Mohammed and has caused not only protests, but drastic action, such as the burning of the Danish Embassy in Paris. The anger may not die down quickly, with other European newspapers reprinting the cartoon, further angering the followers of the Prophet.

***

And now, we in the Philippines have gotten our own big shock, the deaths of some 79 people, children among them, at a sports arena in Pasig City, Metro Manila, in a senseless stampede involving crowds hoping to participate, and win valuable prices offered by a television program celebrating its anniversary. Reports said that the PhilSports arena, or Ultra, as it is also known, that has a capacity of only 12,000, had no less than 30,000. As the saying goes, "Something's gotta give", and when it did at the Ultra, about 500 were injured or killed.

***

I was almost as appalled to see the picture of program host Willie Revillame, supposedly weeping, in one of the national dailies, as I was to read an item in another quoting him as saying that they pick as venues for their program "places where the poor are hard-up". Maybe I am prejudiced against Revillame, but it seems to me this guy's name spells trouble for the TV programs he is in. Remember the times he had to be sanctioned for acts or statements considered offensive by viewers? Why the company ever got him back puzzles me, he seems like bad news, no matter how many alleged "fans" he may have.

***

In the meantime, it should be of interest to Filipinos, especially sports lovers, to know what is happening to the loose-tongued Prime Minister of Thailand right now. Remember how he spoiled the early days of our Southeast Asian Games hosting by saying that the Philippines had already "fixed" the results with other countries? His officials apologized profusely for that, but I could not forget or forgive him for it. But what happened? A few days after the games ended, his own country's athletes were caught, and eventually convicted and meted prison terms for game-fixing! Now his people are moving to oust him, and like all power-mad leaders, he refuses to budge, saying he got 19 million votes in the election and has the mandate of the people. Let us watch his case with interest, he is not a friend of our country. By the way, his name is Thaksin Shinawatra, said to be a very wealthy man in Thailand.

***

Meanwhile, the latest state visitor of the Philippines is the Prime Minister of India, whose bio-data proclaims to be a very talented and accomplished fellow. I confess that I was a bit startled to see his photo, but then, learning that he is a scientist as well, recalled how Albert Einstein also looked. In the published photos of the Indian PM and our President, it can be seen that he sports longer hair than her. His name, however, is a little bit difficult to remember or to spell: Avil Pakia Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam. No wonder he is mentioned in the news only as A.F.J. Abdul Kalam.

***

A man about to take the Cebu Pacific plane to Bacolod the other day tried to be funny and kidded the flight stewardess by asking her to be careful with his hand-carried luggage because it contained a bomb. The girl promptly reported him to airport security and he was not only questioned, the flight was suspended while passengers were asked to deplane. The last time I was at the Domestic Airport in Manila I saw a sign posted in a prominent place warning passengers against making jokes about bombs because authorities would take them very seriously. Maybe he did not see it, but it was an annoying experience not only for the crew, but for the passengers as well.

***

What happened to former general and Local Government secretary Angelo Reyes? Has he fallen out of grace? Somebody else has been appointed in his place, while he was sent off to the Environment and Natural Resources Department. Well, it should be a less taxing job than the DILG, in fact, that office could run even when its then head, Mike Defensor was doing so many other jobs that eventually made him indispensable to GMA. But everybody thought Reyes, like the other retired generals, would also get an ambassadorial post? Who's got the inside story?*

back to top