MANILA, Philippines?I was in Sarangani as the hostage-taking at Quirino Grandstand unwound. At first, all our group received were vague reports of the incident gleaned from radio and Twitter accounts of those more wired than the rest of us. From time to time, Daphne Oseńa Paez, who was getting regular updates from her husband Patrick, news operations director at TV5, would share details of the awful events taking place.
Over dinner at our hotel in GenSan, all eyes were glued to the TV sets in the café, although it was difficult to make out what was happening over the din of the other diners and the aroma of grilled tuna. But there was no mistaking the meaning of the sudden police attack on the bus, the smoke rising in the heavy rain as the police threw tear gas into the bus and heavy gunfire exploded from within bus interiors. We were shocked into silence as bodies were shown being taken out of the bus.
For most of our group, the night stretched into early morning as we sought for more information, for answers to our many burning questions, and for a satisfactory conclusion. The last was not forthcoming, as the death toll and the anger roused by the bungled rescue attempt rose with the sun.
Still, even with the blow-by-blow TV coverage, it was difficult to summon strong emotion with regard to the events unfolding in Manila. It wasn?t just the physical distance. There was, too, a psychic distance, as if the shooting and killing were taking place in a movie, and both victims and hostage-taker, police and media were not visitors from Hong Kong and our country folk, but shadowy figures from some B movie.
Which got me to thinking. We Manila residents may believe that whatever happens here impacts the entire country; but our country folk, especially those living in the far reaches of our territory, often feel removed from events and personalities in the capital. Their world and their concerns are far different from ours, and their resentment of our Manila-centric mentality may be traced to this expectation that every Filipino should be concerned about what happens in the capital.
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THIS resentment is fueled further by the fact that we in Manila don?t exactly give a hoot about local, provincial matters, especially if we find them difficult to comprehend.
Recently, defeated Ozamiz mayoral candidate Connie Lim and Rep. Loreto Leo Ocampos of the second district of Misamis Occidental called a press conference confirming the statement of PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa that a private army holds sway in the province, including Ozamiz.
In a statement, Representative Ocampos said the formation of a joint police and army task force is ?timely and the right move in the right direction.? He cited the ?violence perpetrated by the Kuratong Baleleng (a notorious criminal group) during the last 2010 election? as proving the gang?s ?potency and audacity in disregarding the law.?
For her part, Lim, a former councilor who ran under the Liberal Party banner, has filed an election protest alleging not just electoral fraud, but wholescale violence and intimidation perpetrated by her opponent, Mayor Nova Parojinog-Echavez.
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IT?S a horrifying tale that Lim tells in public statements and in her electoral protest. A source of concern is that even before the Comelec?s First Division issued its findings, the case had been brought before the Comelec en banc, with no reason given why the case has to be decided by the entire body.
A former ally of the Parojinogs, especially former Mayor Aldong Parojinog, Lim decided to go head-on against the family when, as a councilor, she encountered several instances of corruption that went unchecked because they would benefit members of the family or their allies. Even though her husband, a local businessman, was skeptical about her chances, Lim forged ahead, bolstered by the appeals of ordinary citizens to bring an end to the fear and violence pervading their city.
For now, Lim is sheltering three eyewitnesses to the election violence in Ozamiz last May. Two are members of the local media, who were harassed by Lim?s opponent or who witnessed and recorded violence committed by ?KB? goons on Lim?s followers. One media man was mauled, his camera taken from him, and was even fired at when he fled the scene. The third witness is a former ?KB? member who volunteered his insider?s knowledge of the gang?s operations.
I?m told that Malacańang has already been apprised of the situation in Ozamiz, and of the intimidation foisted on a party-mate of the President?s. But I wonder, if the widespread violence were taking place in or around Manila, would it have been ignored for so long?
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ONGOING until today is ?Earth Matters?An EcoFair of and for the Earth,? sponsored by the Maryknoll College High School Class (MCHS) of 1985 at the TriNoma Cinema Lobby. The affair is marked by a mini-bazaar with eco-friendly merchants, talks on saving the earth, and other fun activities.
?Earth Matters? is actually part of the MCHS Class of 1985?s celebration of its Silver Jubilee as host of this year?s Maryknoll/Miriam College Grand Alumni Homecoming next Saturday, Sept. 4. With the theme ?Knoller Holler 2010: MC?s Blue and Gold Goes Green,? the homecoming includes the inauguration of the Maryknoll/Miriam Museum, mural painting with AG Sano, a thanksgiving Mass, and special performances by the 2010 Jubilarians.
After the program, alumni are invited to dance the night away at ?Knoller Holler: Let?s Go Party!? with music by Guarana and the Midlife Crisis Band.
Registration starts at 1 p.m. and each registrant will receive a Certificate of Donation of one seedling to the Southern Sierra Madre Reforestation Program of Miriam College?s Environmental Studies Institute.
