|
Monday, March 17, 2003
Antalan: Waiting shed bombing
By Roger P. Antalan
IT is painfully hard to write about something that is terrible and highly condemnable. A waiting shed is supposed to be a resting place while waiting for the arrival of friends and loved ones.
I had a nice and easy afternoon on March 4, 2003. At 2 p.m. I attended the milk feeding of some undernourished children, an ongoing nutrition program of the city. At 3 p.m. I proceeded to a crucial meeting of the department heads to push a "fast and accurate" service delivery to the people.
At 4:30 p.m., we were off to the newly opened first-class Chema's resort to have an early dinner with our two Canadian visitors. We have a partnership program with the town of Ladysmith, British, Colombia and Canada. The two Canadians are here for 10 days to help us improve our tourism resort program and the waste management program.
While enjoying the great amenities of Chema's and watching a big cargo ship passed by, we clearly heard the heavy and loud bomb explosion. "What was that?" Someone nervously asked. "An afternoon thunder," from one of the guests hoping that there was nothing wrong. A senior staff said: "I hope it does not come from there," pointing at the direction of the Davao Airport, a few kilometers away. Very sadly, he was right.
It did not take long for the cellphones and the textings to announce the dastardly act. Then we heard the wailing sound of the sirens.
For a while we sat there shocked and numbed. The wonderful work of saving malnourished children, the city's desire to improve services to the people, and the beautiful tourism plans and programs, were all muted out as we listen to the number of the dead and injured being reported on radio.
Davao City and Igacos has an informal but close Big Brother-Small Brother relationship. What hurts one, hurts the other. And these senseless bombings really hurt. A niece of one of our city councilors was one of those who died. The pain is really great.
Immediately we tried to find out how we can help in the rescue and recovery operations. We have been on red alert since the start of the US posturing against Iraq. This time when a bomb explodes just a breath away, we have to throw up additional protections against another attack.
An emergency meeting was called the morning after. The police gave us briefings on practically all the angles of security and protection of the civilian population, the vital installations of the city and everything else that we could think of.
What else we can do? The enemy, the terrorists, do not honor any border, they have no rules, and they have no respect for the lives of the innocent. We do not know who they are, where they are. And as the former mayor Giuliani of New York argued, the terrorists are counting on our cowardice.
And in situation like now, imagination makes things larger to fit the crime, to make the attackers uglier, to muddle the situation even more. It is said that sometimes when the tragedy is greater, the easier it is to learn wrong lessons from it. Worse still, it is easy to turn grief and grievance into further violence when the mobs go out looking for vengeance. Somehow, therefore we should know what to say - and just as important - what not to say.
Let the police and the military do what they are supposed to do. They are doing the very best. For the rest of us, let us hold off fear and despair and as soon as possible find our balance, find our armor of protection and join in to fight the dangerous but hidden enemy.
Please understand when the authorities sound realistic and optimistic at the same time. The danger has not passed. Our defenses are not perfect. Our enemies are cunning and well funded. This is the time to subscribe heavily on the adage that "the police are the people and the people are the police."
Each and everyone must be alert and watchful, and extremely cooperative with the proper authorities. There should be evidence that we are willing to do the hard work by choice, not just because we have to.
The harsh comment was heard after the waiting shed carnage: "Dili na kini tawhanon, demonyo na kini." Good does not need evil. We owe debts to the demons. The waiting shed attack should make us better persons and better
prepared.
The citation of Time Magazine when it chose Mayor Rudy Giuliani as 2001 Man of the Year can be a good guide: "For having more faith in the people than the people had in themselves, being brave when required, rude were appropriate, tender without being trite, for not sleeping and quitting and shrinking from the pain around him."
The problem of terrorism is certain to go on, hopefully not for long. No one has got it perfectly right. We just have to do our best. And then, pray.
(March 17, 2003 issue)
Want Sun.Star news on your mobile phone? Click here.
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
