Hostage-taking drama
I wanted so much to blog about the hostage taking, but seriously, there are just no words. :|
I read a lot of Plurks and Tweets on the issue. About how Ronaldo Mendoza is a selfish man who only thought about himself, about how the SWAT team sucked in being able to open the bus and free the hostages, about how the media sensationalized the entire thing, about how people are ashamed of being Filipino, about how people are pissed at people who are ashamed of being Filipino, about how Venus Raj should "save" us tomorrow in the Miss Universe pageant, about how Hong Kong has issued a travel ban on the Philippines, about how PNoy has remained quiet, and about how this entire ordeal has become disheartening.
I agree on the selfish part. I think Mendoza was selfish for doing such a thing. For me, personally, his actions did not make any sense. You want to be reinstated into the force, and yet you hostage a bus full of foreigners? Wow, sure, let's put you back in right now! Not. Mr. Mendoza, let's assume that you were innocent, that you were kicked out of the force on false evidence - paano ka maibabalik sa ginawa mong 'yan? Did you really think that endangering the lives of others would get you your job back? But then again, I kinda get that you wanted attention, you wanted people to hear you out. My point is, that wasn't the right way of getting people to listen. There are other ways - ways that do not involved bloodshed and tears. But anyway, it's all done now, and I pray for your soul. May you rest in peace, and may God forgive you for the lives you took today. May God also forgive the sniper who took your life.
About how the SWAT team sucked. I think it's easy for people watching on TV to go and say, "Ano ba! Bakit ang bagal ninyo? Ang dali-dali lang niyan eh!" precisely because they're watching on TV. They're not out there, fighting under the rain and on risks of gunshot (considering na M-16 ang hawak ng hostage-taker). I'm sure the SWAT team was trained well, it's just that it's really different when you're already out there and it's show time. Of course you fear for your own life, no matter how trained you are. Yes, I think the SWAT could've done a better job, but they did their job pretty well today too. You gotta give 'em props for that.
About Hong Kong's travel ban. Well, it says on the website, "avoid all travel". Hindi naman sinabing "bawal pumunta sa Pilipinas ever". Though it's still saddening, I think it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. Understandable din naman ang Hong Kong government.
The people who are ashamed to be Filipino - to you I ask, were you ever really proud to be Filipino? Because I don't think someone who's truly proud of his nation would be denounce it because of an isolated incident. It's not everyday that we have incidents like this. True, this is very saddening, and it paints a bad picture of us internationally (what with CNN's interview with Isko Moreno, but that's an entirely different issue), but it's not reason to denounce your nationality.
The people naman who are pissed at those people who are ashamed to be Filipino - to you I say, guys, chill. :))
About Venus Raj and the Miss Universe tomorrow. I think this gives us a silver lining, that there's something to look forward to still, that there' something to give pride to the Filipino name. I look forward to that tomorrow. Though it might not be enough to cover today's damage, still, it's something. However, I don't think it's Venus' responsibility to do that. I don't think she "should" do that. Gets? What will happen will happen, so let's just all pray and hope for the best for Venus tomorrow.
About PNoy's quietness. I think it's really inappropriate. Though it was an isolated incident, it sure got us international attention. As president, he should be doing something about this. Dapat nga siya ang ininterview ng CNN eh, hindi si Isko Moreno. Just my thoughts. (Okay, may statement na si PNoy. Di ko pa nababasa, sorry. Pero ang tagal niya bago naglabas ng statement ha. Oh well. Better late than never, I guess.)
About media's sensationalism (and overall behavior). Nakakainis. Nakakalungkot. They were all after one thing - ratings. I think they forgot to consider the situation - how delicate it was, etc. I seriously think a media blackout would've been better, given circumstances. Or kahit TV blackout lang, since malaking sagabal yung ilaw nila talaga. Sana kahit radyo na lang, just to update the public on what's happening. Then, nung nabuksan na yung bus, sobrang dinumog nila - nauna pa sila sa ambulances. Bakit? For scoop, siyempre. But they shouldn't have done that. Nahirapan lumabas yung mga hostages. Mas lalo silang nagmukhang kawawa. The media people should have known better than to act that way. I'm sure tinuruan naman sila nung nag-aaral pa sila. Kaya lang, nahigop na sila ng sistema. Ng numbers game. Nakakalungkot.
And finally, to those who have been disheartened by this incident. I hope you guys can look at this in a different light. I think instead of being disheartened, we should be like, "No, I'm going to prove that the media can be better, that I can be better, that the Philippines can be better." At this point, we're down, so there's really nowhere else to go but up. It's not being naive to think that someday, somehow, we (the new generation of media practitioners) can slowly re-shape the industry, can slowly eliminate the numbers game, can slowly shape a more critical audience, can slowly work towards a better Philippine media and a better Philippine society.
I choose to remain optimistic about my race and my country. I choose to continue to be proud to be Filipino. I always have, and I always will be.
I read a lot of Plurks and Tweets on the issue. About how Ronaldo Mendoza is a selfish man who only thought about himself, about how the SWAT team sucked in being able to open the bus and free the hostages, about how the media sensationalized the entire thing, about how people are ashamed of being Filipino, about how people are pissed at people who are ashamed of being Filipino, about how Venus Raj should "save" us tomorrow in the Miss Universe pageant, about how Hong Kong has issued a travel ban on the Philippines, about how PNoy has remained quiet, and about how this entire ordeal has become disheartening.
I agree on the selfish part. I think Mendoza was selfish for doing such a thing. For me, personally, his actions did not make any sense. You want to be reinstated into the force, and yet you hostage a bus full of foreigners? Wow, sure, let's put you back in right now! Not. Mr. Mendoza, let's assume that you were innocent, that you were kicked out of the force on false evidence - paano ka maibabalik sa ginawa mong 'yan? Did you really think that endangering the lives of others would get you your job back? But then again, I kinda get that you wanted attention, you wanted people to hear you out. My point is, that wasn't the right way of getting people to listen. There are other ways - ways that do not involved bloodshed and tears. But anyway, it's all done now, and I pray for your soul. May you rest in peace, and may God forgive you for the lives you took today. May God also forgive the sniper who took your life.
About how the SWAT team sucked. I think it's easy for people watching on TV to go and say, "Ano ba! Bakit ang bagal ninyo? Ang dali-dali lang niyan eh!" precisely because they're watching on TV. They're not out there, fighting under the rain and on risks of gunshot (considering na M-16 ang hawak ng hostage-taker). I'm sure the SWAT team was trained well, it's just that it's really different when you're already out there and it's show time. Of course you fear for your own life, no matter how trained you are. Yes, I think the SWAT could've done a better job, but they did their job pretty well today too. You gotta give 'em props for that.
About Hong Kong's travel ban. Well, it says on the website, "avoid all travel". Hindi naman sinabing "bawal pumunta sa Pilipinas ever". Though it's still saddening, I think it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. Understandable din naman ang Hong Kong government.
The people who are ashamed to be Filipino - to you I ask, were you ever really proud to be Filipino? Because I don't think someone who's truly proud of his nation would be denounce it because of an isolated incident. It's not everyday that we have incidents like this. True, this is very saddening, and it paints a bad picture of us internationally (what with CNN's interview with Isko Moreno, but that's an entirely different issue), but it's not reason to denounce your nationality.
The people naman who are pissed at those people who are ashamed to be Filipino - to you I say, guys, chill. :))
About Venus Raj and the Miss Universe tomorrow. I think this gives us a silver lining, that there's something to look forward to still, that there' something to give pride to the Filipino name. I look forward to that tomorrow. Though it might not be enough to cover today's damage, still, it's something. However, I don't think it's Venus' responsibility to do that. I don't think she "should" do that. Gets? What will happen will happen, so let's just all pray and hope for the best for Venus tomorrow.
About PNoy's quietness. I think it's really inappropriate. Though it was an isolated incident, it sure got us international attention. As president, he should be doing something about this. Dapat nga siya ang ininterview ng CNN eh, hindi si Isko Moreno. Just my thoughts. (Okay, may statement na si PNoy. Di ko pa nababasa, sorry. Pero ang tagal niya bago naglabas ng statement ha. Oh well. Better late than never, I guess.)
About media's sensationalism (and overall behavior). Nakakainis. Nakakalungkot. They were all after one thing - ratings. I think they forgot to consider the situation - how delicate it was, etc. I seriously think a media blackout would've been better, given circumstances. Or kahit TV blackout lang, since malaking sagabal yung ilaw nila talaga. Sana kahit radyo na lang, just to update the public on what's happening. Then, nung nabuksan na yung bus, sobrang dinumog nila - nauna pa sila sa ambulances. Bakit? For scoop, siyempre. But they shouldn't have done that. Nahirapan lumabas yung mga hostages. Mas lalo silang nagmukhang kawawa. The media people should have known better than to act that way. I'm sure tinuruan naman sila nung nag-aaral pa sila. Kaya lang, nahigop na sila ng sistema. Ng numbers game. Nakakalungkot.
And finally, to those who have been disheartened by this incident. I hope you guys can look at this in a different light. I think instead of being disheartened, we should be like, "No, I'm going to prove that the media can be better, that I can be better, that the Philippines can be better." At this point, we're down, so there's really nowhere else to go but up. It's not being naive to think that someday, somehow, we (the new generation of media practitioners) can slowly re-shape the industry, can slowly eliminate the numbers game, can slowly shape a more critical audience, can slowly work towards a better Philippine media and a better Philippine society.
I choose to remain optimistic about my race and my country. I choose to continue to be proud to be Filipino. I always have, and I always will be.