commentary on stupidity
I don't know what to say, to be honest. I am a mix of anger, guilt, and shame. It's like time stopped and I am put in the spotlight to be condemned by the whole world. I guess that's what the majority of us feels today. Don't you?
I don't have to give a blow-by-blow account of what happened yesterday. I'm sure if you type 'Quirino Grandstand Hostage-taking' on Google, you'd find the details you're looking for. So I'm just giving my thoughts on the tragedy, however insignificant it may be.
- I do not condone what Former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza did nor do I symphatize with his cause but, ironically enough, I get why he did it. I don't want to say "understand" because I will never understand why the hostages had to die. But to be relieved from your post, to live in shame...he must've felt like a caged animal, half-mad wanting to escape and wanting to die. But because he was strong, he got out of that prison. So surely, he'd go through whatever lengths to redeem himself to have it all back again. I don't intend to romanticize him but the plight of the working man stripped off his source of living, and most of all, his pride is...sad. It's unfortunate that he had to resort to violence but in those times, I believe, he was in a cage again--one of his own making. But sadly enough, he was not to get out of it alive and the eight Chinese nationals with him.
- Another point would be about the media. I don't excuse adrenaline rush for something so fragile as a hostage taking. And since it is like that, they should have the mind not to broadcast everything LIVE especially when they know the hostage-taker is watching. They were the catalyst to the tragedy, they urged Mendoza to fire because they had his brother and son plastered on screen as they were taken forcibly by the police. I did not major in Psychology but common sense told me that anything that would agitate the hostage-taker should be kept from him. Is it that hard to understand? Why do you have to risk the lives of many innocent people? What for? Was it for glory? I'm sorry, but I think all the "glory" you're ever going to get is scorn from people all over the world.
- Do I have to go and say I want to spit when I think about the police's behavior yesterday? They went in to battle without a plan that sacrificed a single brain cell in making it. They went in there to FAIL. Why? Let me count the ways. First, they let the media cover EVERYTHING. Based on the outrage of the international media, there should've been a news blackout during the hostage taking. But there wasn't. My only thought about it is that if it were impossible, there must've been someone monitoring the coverage. And if monitoring it is not possible, they should not have let the media close by. Don't they have the power to do that? Freedom of speech is not breached especially if it meant securing the safety of the hostages. Second, since the strategy would have made terrorists have a field day, success was out of the question. It all boils down to poor strategy. Stupidity and incompetence killed those hostages not Mendoza. If there was a plan at all, an intelligent one, lives would have been spared. We would have avoided the scorn we are receiving now from the international community. Third, and this is what makes me spit fire, you're the police why's there no crowd control?! Your heads stuck in your asses?! For the nth time, THINK!
- President Aquino, I wash my hands off you. There was zero visibility from you since the hostage drama started and then you held a press conference in the wee hours of the night. You are our leader. Shouldn't you have done something instead of waiting it out until it's over? Shouldn't you have pleaded, beg even, to let the hostages go? But where were you? At the comforts of God knows where, watching the drama playout on TV. You disgust me.
- Contrary to people who think it's not cool to be a Filipino anymore because of the tragedy that happened yesterday, I am still honored to be one. What happened was heartbreaking and really really sad but it isn't right to say or joke about being ashamed to be a Filipino. We are already getting criticisms all over the world. Our country is being banned by other nations. Aren't our heads already bowed down in shame? Aren't we sorry enough for what happened? We are, aren't we? We don't have to prostrate ourselves and beg not to be called Filipinos because the world doesn't want that, they don't need that from us. So instead of bemoaning the fact that you're a Filipino, grow a spine, own up to your mistakes, develop a sense of national pride, and love your own country.