Another day in paradise

I learned about the blast that rocked the Glorietta 2 mall in Makati City in the Philippines about an hour after it happened, when news about it appeared in my MSN home page. Soon after I received text messages from my friends in Manila and my Filipino friends here in Phnom Penh. I wanted to write about it the next day (Saturday) but when I searched for it in Yahoo I was surprised to find no news about it. In CNN and BBC, reports were at best, sketchy. I then tried the websites of ABS-CBN and INQ7.net and reports were of the same quality.

Among the (few) facts I learned: the blast hit the ground floor of Glorietta 2 at around 1.30 in the afternoon of Friday; the blast was so strong that it shattered the roof of the 3-storey mall; 6 people (at that time) were dead, about 80 were injured. The cause was still being determined, although many speculations have been made: terror attack, LPG leak, car bomb, political diversion, etc.

Fortunately I received an email from a friend who gave me an account of the blast that was clearer than any news item I’ve read so far. Vic was on his way to Makati when he encountered the traffic that resulted when police cordoned off the major roads leading to and out of the city. He also told me of the degree of speculation that was happening as to the real cause of the blast. Yesterday it was reported that the explosive CD4 was found in ground zero. An extremist group has claimed responsibility for the blast. The President visited the victims in the hospital. A fire razed a restaurant in Glorietta 4–part of the upscale shopping complex.

So I decided to postpone writing about it for another day, because I wanted more information. This morning, however, as I scanned for news about the blast, a batch of news conflicted the previous reports. An accident angle is now being pursued by investigators, lending weight to the gas leak theory. The claims of the extremist group was apparently ‘invalid’. A senator has called for an impartial body to investigate the blast for fear that the outcome might be manipulated by government. More stories on the victims–dead and injured–surfaced, espousing their own theories on who should be held responsible. The fire was ruled un-related to the Friday blast. Police tells the stores to remain open and the public to go on shopping.

To this last item, may I just say: As if anything could keep Filipinos from going to the mall!

Looking at how stories on the blast have gone to different directions, I can only marvel at how a tragic event like this has once again reflected the current social and political climate in my dear old country. On one side, you have the politicians pointing fingers at each other and looking for someone to blame, on another side, you have the victim’s kin also who are also looking for the parties responsible for the terrible fate. On yet another side, there is the conglomerate who owns Glorietta, worried on how the outcome of the investigation will affect their business (after all, a terror attack is considered force majeur in insurance terms, rather than accidental gas leak). Let us not forget the media, reporting and pursuing all leads for a ‘good’ story. We Pinoys love a good sob story focusing on the effects of the blast on the individual and the family, then on stirring the pot of speculation with yet another theory. Soon the blast itself will become a footnote in somebody’s agenda. All of us will know how we felt when it happened, but not all of us will know what actually happened–and why.

Truth, as always, has remained elusive.

But we go on. I remember the December 30 Light Railway Transit bombing in Manila in 2000. Ground zero was very close to my home; it was the station that I used when taking the train. The next day was New Year’s eve and I had to make some last minute shopping. Against my mother’s wishes I took the train. The station was eerily quiet, but the trains were still filled with Christmas shoppers. That is Pinoy resilience for you. Love it or leave it.