Nothing Good, New from P-Noy, A Year Later

YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW
Linggoy Alcuaz
8/29-31/11



Last week, we observed two anniversaries, one sad and one happy.

The sad one was the Luneta Hostage Massacre. The happy one was the first birthday of OpinYon.

A delegation of relatives and friends of the massacre victims came to Manila from Hong Kong. They sought an audience with the President, a formal apology, compensation and justice. They went home empty handed.

No less than P-Noy turned them down. He turned down both the request for an audience and the demand for a formal apology. He knew no better in regards to compensation. More on the injustice later.

Distorted Reasoning
According to P-Noy, only one man, Police Senior Inspector (Captain) Rolando Mendoza, was responsible for the eight deaths and the wounded.

He went on to cite the recent bombing and shootings in Norway.

This distorted reasoning just goes to show how P-Noy has not learned anything even after a year and almost two months in office. The respective governments’ reaction and response to both incidents were miles apart.

So far, we have not heard of any criticism or reports about “kapalpakans” by the Norwegian authorities.

The Luneta Massacre is the best and most complete compilation of all the do nots in hostage-taking situations.

Why did they not?
Sometime in the late Marcos years, there was a bank robbery at a BPI branch in Cubao. The police (at that time the PC Metrocom) response turned into a nationally-televised comedy.

Contrary to P-Noy’s jaded opinion on the matter, our opinion is the exact opposite.

Left alone or simply subjected to standard or “by-the-book” responses, Mendoza could not kill or would not kill anyone.

This must have been the perception and understanding of and by the negotiators, the ground commander and the local crisis committee.

Otherwise, they should have taken more aggressive and decisive action during the almost nine hours of daylight.

During this time, Mendoza could be seen, approached and talked to. There were countless opportunities to neutralize Mendoza both with and without gunfire. Why did they not?

Justice not Served
In not doing so, the authorities condemned the hostages to death, being wounded and/or psychological trauma.

Worse, it was the authorities who provoked Mendoza to run berserk when they manhandled his brother, Gregorio, in full view of the cameras.

It was the authorities who were criminally negligent when they did not prevent the live airing of the manhandling.

It was the most central authority, Mayor Alfredo “Fred” Lim, who could have been perceived as ordering the salvaging or extra judicial execution of the brother.

A year after, justice has not been served.

Aquino-Cojuanco Disposition
The responsibility for the injustice is squarely on the President’s lap.

It is he who thwarted the Incident Investigation and Review Committee’s recommendations that are almost eleven months’ old. He has continuously and consistently played favorites with his ka’s….

The Aquino–Cojuangco clan has a disposition for adding insult to injury.

At the same time that relatives and friends of the Massacre Victims were to commemorate the anniversary at the Luneta Grandstand Road, P-Noy was discovering a new toy, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, the new old USCG Cutter Alexander Hamilton.

His mother, Cory, did a similar thing.

In January 1997, the PC Metrocom with WPD, INP and Philippine Marines attacked violently and dispersed with gunfire a farmer’s rally at the Mendiola Bridge.

Although he was not the ground commander, PC Metrocom Commanding General Ramon Montano immediately resigned his position.

Exactly a year later, he was promoted and appointed PC Chief/INP Director General.

OpinYon: Of Deadlines and Computers
We have to congratulate OpinYon, Ray Junia and ourselves for the past year. We made it to our first birthday last week.

Our column, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, did not miss a single issue. Except for our first column (The Hard Part, How to Govern … in Six Years, August 23, 2010), we never managed to submit ahead of time. We usually had a Wednesday deadline.

On the average, we managed to submit our final draft just a day and a half late. Or sometimes, when the deadline was Thursday, we would be just half a day late.

Out of 53 columns (including last week’s issues # 1 & 2 of year 2), I wrote most with my son’s computer or laptop, in his ground floor room or in our second floor dining room.

I wrote one in a friend’s house in South Forbes, one at the Jeepney Coffee Shop of the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati City, two at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, and the last two in the new OpinYon office at Cityland 9 on De la Rosa Street.

I sent most of my final drafts by Internet from our New Manila, Quezon City home to the E-mail addresses of our paper, publisher, editor, layout artist and secretary.

Five times, I used different means: Friday, March 11, the day of the Japan earthquake and tsunami, I used my friend’s computer and Internet; once, I physically delivered it in a USB; three times, I used public Internet access, once at Annabel’s Restaurant (This was the Friday when the “buhawi” hit our New Manila neighbourhood), and twice at the St. Luke’s Medical Center (When my third child was confined for cellucitis).

If you knew how illiterate I used to be with the computer and Internet, you would congratulate me profusely.

Ray Junia Who?
Ray Junia has turned out to be the real man both behind and in front of the OpinYon.

A year ago, he was “Ray Junia Who?” to some of our readers.

Even when he was already better known, many could not believe that he was capable of financing our weekly opinion paper singlehandedly.

Many would speculate as to who was really financing our paper? Was it GMA? Was it FG? Was it some unknown and anonymous businessman? Sorry to disappoint everyone. It was Ray, just Ray and nobody else.

We congratulate the entire staff and the columnists of OpinYon, most specially our Editor Luchie. We remember also our first editor, Ike Seneres, as well as all the staff members and columnists who did not complete the first year with us.

White Lady in my Column
We would like to invite everyone to watch tonight, Monday, August 29, at 10 pm the QTV 11 program “I Juander” episode on the White Lady of Balete Drive.

Our YTT column in the November 1 – 7, 2010 issue of OpinYon was one of their source materials.

One of their several versions of the White Lady was our three houses away neighbour in the early 50s, Maria Elena Recto Garchitorena, daughter of Maria Christina Recto and a Garchitorena from Tigaon, Camarines Sur. They are relatives of Ricky Recto, Chona Kasten Recto, and Louie Ysmael.

The other white lady is a rape victim circa World War II.

Who else will Resign
Saturday, September 3, is the 40th day since our eldest brother Manuel Vicente Arsenio Zaragoza Araneta Tuason Alcuaz, Jr. who died at the age of 72 (December 14, 1938 – July 24, 2011). We will offer Mass at 6 pm at the Shrine of Mt. Carmel at Broadway Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets, New Manila.

Since his death, his articles have come out four times: (1.) Foul! Zubiri freezing the ball! In the July 25 – 31 issue of OpinYon. On Wednesday, August 3, Zubiri resigned; (2.) Making PH the “must experience destination in Asia”: Going back to basics. This was the last article written for the column MAPping the Future of the Management Association of the Philippines on page B4 3 in the August 8 issue of the PDI. Soon after DOT Secretary Alberto “Bertie” Lim resigned;

And, (3 & 4.) Fraud in 2004 presidential polls – was written five years ago but was only published in the full page Talk of the Town sections of the August 14 & 21, Sunday issues of the PDI. Who else will resign?