Tag: Bombing

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LRT/MRT slapdash security worrisome

Despite President Duterte’s declaration of “State of Lawlessness” after the bombing of the night market in Davao that killed 14 and injured over 60 individuals, still the security at LRT and MRT stations are seemingly in a relaxed mode.

Earlier, when I took an LRT ride in Boni station going to Shaw, I expected a more stringent security check knowing that Metro Manila is already in a heightened alert following attacks and bombing threats. More so, tons of information in social media were already circulating warning the public to be vigilant for possible suicide bombing attacks in public and overcrowded places.

The train station which is the major transport system in Metro Manila is an excellent target should terrorist decide to cause high number of casualties.

If we are going to learn from past train station attacks for example the 2010 Moscow Metro bombings were suicide bombings carried out by two women during the morning rush hour of March 29, 2010 where at least 40 people were killed, and over 100 injured. (Wikipedia)

Also, the 2004 Madrid train bombings on the morning of 11 March 2004 – three days before Spain’s general elections. The explosions killed 192 people and injured around 2,000. (Wikipedia)

These attacks should become the working precedent of our security measures, now that we are battling faceless enemies who want to spread misery and havoc in the country. A bombing in any of our train station in the country will surely paralyze most of the business districts not to mention the number of possible casualties.

The LRT and MRT management now should increase their security capabilities, plan and design emergency response protocols in times of emergency especially bombing. I hope that the transportation department now take the preventive stance rather than the old and usual post facto interventions.

Let’s elevate our measures by being more intelligent than our enemies. It is through with adequate preparation that we would be able to protect the general welfare and safety of the public.

Don’t wait for an attack to occur before acting on the threat. Now that change has come, it’s time also to change our approach. We cannot afford seeing a burning train, during rush hour with roads blocked by traffic and dead, charred, dismembered bodies on the street.

#Mutya

Photo credit: http://blog.vroomvroomvroom.com/

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A letter to those who ridiculed Davao after the bombing.

Dear my fellow Filipinos,

Being Filipino knows no political color, it knows no boundary, it shouldn’t hold any grudge or propagates preconceived prejudicial thoughts; more so if our fellow Filipino were caught between a catastrophic and not to say demonic act such as bombing. The bombing, I can understand but the ideology and the rancid thinking of some of our countrymen are more destructive and injurious than the bomb that exploded in Davao last Friday.

When our countrymen die, he or she carries with him a piece of our nation, and a piece of you. A part of aspiration and history are rubbed from us forever. We lose a kin, a member of our big family, who like us, hopes and dreams for a unified and peaceful nation.

How can we laugh at them? How can we judge them instead of giving our purest sympathy to the living and our prayers to the dead? No true Filipino will be jubilant while seeing his or her countrymen being bodily dismembered because of the sadistic bomb.

It is not only that the bomb separated the living and the dead in Davao but horribly it divided us into many pieces. There are some who speculates that the incident was staged, there are some who believe that there is a big plan to overtake the government and there are funny conspiracy saying that it was the government who planned the bombing.

I too, don’t know the truth. Finding the truth should only be secondary, and caring should be the priority. The truth will always come out and soon to unveil itself. But the suffering and the abused deserve a n immediate attention.

My dear countrymen, we survived super typhoons and many deadly catastrophe in history, we made it because we placed our faith into our neighbours, friends and even enemies. During these difficult times, we should try to open our hearts, adopt a positive and constructive thinking and extend our arms to those who need us.

When Paris was bombed, we immediately posted “PrayforParis” but when our country was terrorized we chose to swallow our condolences.

Maybe this is now the new characteristic of being a FILIPINO. Seeing and experiencing kindness and compassion are as fugacious as the snitch in Quidditch and genuine Filipino now is evanescent like the shooting star in our dark and vast skies.

-Mutya