The best and the worst in us

Tragedies most often reveal the best and the worst in people.

As a media man, I have been greatly disappointed by fellow media men in the Ultra Stampede incident. Of course, there were very many other heroes among our people.

One media man asked the friendly but sometimes acid-tongued Sen. Richard Gordon what did he "think was the cause of the tragedy."

Gordon did the right thing. He barked back, "I am here to help. Not to investigate." Gordon is chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross.

Don't forget when a typhoon hit us a few years ago. Gordon sent his Subic Bay volunteers to help put up the fallen electric posts that brought a prolonged brownout. It's acts like these that we remember.

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It's not only insensitivity but stupidity as well among us in media that is shameful.

During the big earthquake in Baguio, do you recall, in a hotel flattened by the tremblor, one media man pushed his microphone into the man pinned by steel. "How do you feel?" he asked. Stupid question!

At Ultra how else would Gordon know the cause while people were still rushing the dead and the injured to the hospital?

In a tragedy like this, everyone's concern must be how to help. In some hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other volunteers complained of the bothersome media people.

Give it to the ABS-CBN competitor and rival, GMA TV. GMA was helpful and did not exploit the tragedy.

* * *

We must not exploit tragedies.

In the election of 1969, the Congressional fight was between Roberto "Bobby" Montelibano and Arsenio "Buc-an" Yulo which Bobby won.

In a political rally by Bobby at now Bangga Maria Morena at Calumangan, now dubbed the Killer Highway because of so many accidents there and recently had it blessed by Bago City Mayor Janet Torres, a wayward truck plowed through the crowd and killed many people.

It was a big crowd because of a popular radio drama personality present "Maria Morena." It's because of that accident that the place is now called Bangga Maria Morena.

I don't know if Buc-an remembers. I was correspondent of The Manila Times then. Buc-an went to our house at Homesite and told me he condoled with the family of the victims but he would never raise an issue to exploit the accident. He offered his own help.

That was 37 years ago. But I clearly remember what Buc-an said, "I don't want to exploit for election purposes this tragedy."

I told Buc-an then he stood ten feet tall but because Bobby was a former student I would vote for Bobby.

* * *

Impressions last. Until today, Buc-an Yulo stands tall whether he is, in the language of our high school days, treading the light fantastic or warbling his signature song, "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean."

Last Saturday on the birthday celebration of Hermes Aguilar, Buc-an again sang his signature song. I suggested to him to change Bonnie to Ana. It will sound cute. "Oh, bring back my Ana to me."

We Filipinos have many faults. But one of our best traits is our willingness to volunteer to help people in tragedies.

Recently on a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do, I drove to my little farm between Taloc and Calumangan.

While turning left at Bangga Trece y Media, a speeding motorcycle hit me at the right rear side of my pick up. I just felt the thud.

When I went down to find out, two men were lying motionless near a motorcycle. I thought they were dead.

I wanted to bring them to the hospital but people told me to take care of myself first. Purok president William Carmona insisted he would drive me to Bago City Hospital because I was pale.

He said other people would take care of bringing the two to the hospital in Bacolod. I called up my children to take care of the two.

Really my blood pressure shot up so high but after a short rest it dropped to normal.

* * *

The following morning I went to the place to thank William Carmona and the people.

I like their answer, "That's nothing. It is our obligation to help." I wanted to know whose jeep it was and the driver. They said, there was no need for it. That was the driver's obligation to help the victims.

Looking for heroes? We have very many of them in our ordinary people. The man in the streets.

That's what makes this country great, even if people cannot eat three meals a day. In other countries you drop dead and nobody would care.

* * *

I got a CD from Bagguer Villaluz containing a commemorative collection of traditional Ilonggo and Chinese songs dedicated to Honorary Bacolod Mayor Lucio C. Tan.*

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