Monday, December 29, 2008

Repost: The World Has Gone Crazy

Friday, December 26, 2008

The world has gone crazy.

So, I just had the worst day of my life.

At around 1:30 PM today, at Valley Golf and Country Club, Antipolo City, Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr., Mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur, his father, Secretary Nasser Pangandaman of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and company, beat my defenseless 56-year-old dad and my 14-year-old brother to a pulp because of some stupid misunderstanding on the golf course.

This is a golf course. I have been a golfer all my life, and I have never seen anything like this. NOTHING. This is hard to comprehend. And it happened to my own father and my own brother too. Right in front of my eyes.

My brother and I were playing golf at the South Course of Valley. We were on the 3rd hole, and we see two golf carts going past us, overtaking our flight, and setting up to tee off on the next hole. My dad goes up to them and asks them why they would do that, why they would overtake us without even asking for our permission. Golf etiquette 101. One of the guys says that they're with the flight in front of us. (So what? That doesn't give them the right to just pass us WITHOUT asking.) So, we go to the 5th hole. The flight behind us catches up with us, and asks us what caused the hold up. We said that this flight just slipped in front of our flight. So we complained to the marshall. We play the 5th hole and walk towards the next hole, where there is a teehouse, and both the flights in front of us were there, talking with the marshall. The mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur talks with my dad. Things get heated up. Voices were raised. But never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine that someone would pull out a punch. Apparently not. He attacks my father. His flightmates, maybe 2 or 3 of them, rush to his aid and beat up my father. My 56-year-old father. My younger brother and I could not just watch. We rushed to break the fight. My younger brother pleads to the mayor to please stop it. To not hurt my dad. To just stop. His words still ring through my head..."Sorry na po, sorry na po...tama na...tama na po..." With his hands in front of his chest in a praying position. PLEADING. The mayor socks him in the face. My brother defended himself. My dad is still on the ground getting clobbered. My brother is the same way. I try to stop the fight, but all I can do is stop one person. There were 4 or 5 of them attacking now.

Someone breaks up the fight. I thought it was all over. The mayor shouts to his caddy: "Hindi nila kami kilala! Sabihin mo nga sa kanila kung sino ako!" And believe me, I had no idea who this person was. But now I know. He's the person who, with 4 other men, beat up my 56-year-old father and my 14-year-old brother. He's the person who sacks a pleading 14-year-old kid in the face. He's a person who, I am sure, is gonna rot in hell.

I lash out, but my dad held me back. I was screaming my lungs out, shouting to this mayor, telling him about what he had done. I said: "Nakakahiya kayo. Singkwenta'y sais anyos ang tatay ko. And kapatid ko kakatorse anyos. Anong ilalaban nila sayo?"

The mayor looks at my brother, point to his face, and says, "Tatandaan kita!" And he tells me that my brother has a bad attitude and that I need to watch him. WHAT THE HELL?! So, my brother's bad for defending his father?!

We leave. We walk to the clubhouse to file a complaint. My brother asks for a doctor. My dad could barely walk. Their group comes to the clubhouse, sees my brother. Once again my brother pleads, says sorry, and is crying. He was CRYING, for crissakes. But no. The relentless mayor still punches him in the face, and then sees my dad and goes after my dad again. Him and his friend pull my dad to the ground, pulls at his feet, and steps on him like he's dirt. I run to him and try to hold him back, holding him back by his shirt, while this other guy and this girl tries to stop me. She tells me to just stop it. I scream in her face "they're beating my father up and you want me to stop?!" I pull at his shirt--I don't let go. All I can see was my dad being trampled on. I didn't even see my brother getting beat up.

People pull them away. I get my dad, and I saw my brother. His right ear was bleeding. I freaked out. I told the receptionists to bring my brother to the clinic. I pull my dad away. People were separating us.

My mom and my older brother come. I tell her Bino's right ear is bleeding. They both look like they could kill. My dad holds my brother off, I hold off my mom. When I finally got my mom under control, my older brother gets away and I hold him off. Two of the mayor's bodyguards pull out guns. I embraced my brother from the back, just holding him back, crying. The receptionists came to us, crying, hugging me, my dad, and my mom, whispering to us to just leave. "Maam, umalis na po kayo, may mga baril sila...Maam...umalis na po kayo please..."

I am pretty sure the Secretary of DAR did not take part in the fight, but he just watched all this happen. He watched two of his sons, as we figured out, the other guy was his son, too, beat up my father and my 14-year-old brother. He didn't do anything to stop it. And this person is what now? A cabinet member. A politician.

Sounds like something out of a movie, doesn't it? But this is what happened. TODAY. The day after Christmas. To my family. And all I ask for is JUSTICE. The people at Valley Golf did not seem to want to help us. None of the security guards even tried to stop the fight. Right in the clubhouse. I came back after the fight was over and talked to the receptionists. They say they did not see anything. The general manager of Valley Golf would not give us the names of the men who made my brother's ear bleed. It took him an hour. Maybe even more than that. He seemed to not want to help us. Because, we were against the SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM and the MAYOR OF MASIU CITY, LANAO DEL SUR. They were all scared.

The world has gone crazy. Two politicians beat up a defenseless 56-year-old father and his 14-year-old son. At a golf course. I swear to God, I thought golfers were decent people. You would think politicians were decent people. I guess not. I guess they gang up on 56-year-old men and beat up pleading 14-year-old kids.

Please pray for my dad, my brother and for my whole family. Please pray that we get JUSTICE. Oh God, please, give these people what they deserve.




If these are the kinds of politicians that we have, especially in the Lanao del Sur and ARMM areas, I do not see any reason to expand the ARMM territory or to have a Bangsamoro region.  Why do so many people have to resort to terrorism?  Terrorists bombed Iligan some days ago, and from what I've heard, there are still bomb threats in our city.. All because we were against the Memorandum of Agreement a few months earlier.  Of course we're against the inclusion of any part of our city in a Bangsamoro region, with the calibre of many politicians ruling the ARMM region.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

another Kuya story

last text Andrei (while he was still in Manila) received from Doms (while he was still in Tacloban visiting the family of his GF):

manong, ayawg kalimti ug bisbis sa akong bonsai.
(manong, don't forget to water my bonsai.)

and the award for best in bisaya goes to... (with translation)

Kuya Doms: Ma, inyo man ming ihatud ugma sa airport noh?

Mama: Dili. Di namo ka ihatud ugma.

Kuya Doms: Ha?! Ngano man? Nganong di man mi ninyo ihatud ugma? [imagine him saying this with his loud voice]

Mama: Dili namo ka ihatud ugma. Amo kang i-tagbu ugma.

Kuya Doms: Ai, bitaw noh. Hehe



translation

KD: Ma, diba ihahatid mo kami bukas sa airport?

M: Hindi. Di ka namin ihahatid bukas.

KD: Ha?! Bakit naman? Bakit di niyo kami ihahatid bukas?

M: Di ka namin ihahatid bukas. Susunduin ka namin bukas.

KD: Ai, onga noh. Hehe

Friday, December 19, 2008

on the lighter (?) side of the bombing incident

Despite the graveness of the situation that happened, Iliganons still have a knack of making situations a bit lighter.

status messages of some Iligan contacts:
- Merry Christmas! Boom! [Rexxie]
- Maaga (natapos) ang pasko sa Iligan [Johann]
- Let it blow! (3x) [Ackie] ("let it snow" dapat)
- Good bombings we bring, while you go shopping [Ackie] ("good tidings we bring..." dapat)

excerpt from a blog post:
- my mom was actually shopping for gifts for her fellow teachers in Unicity around two pm. She even saw the explosion. She said the people around her were screaming and her companion even made weewee in her pants because of fear. [BR]

comment from a photo album:
on a picture of people running and panicking, while one guy is just walking calmly
- 100% pinoy. I like the guy in lower right.. just playin' it cool.. para ingnon isog! (kalibangon na diay tu sa kaguol) [translation: so that others will say he's strong! (but in fact, he feels like shitting because of panic)]. ;)

forwarded text message:
- safe ang iligan 2day ky naa c PGMA k0ug nya clang Naruto, clang Goku ug ang Justice Leage, m0pas rdw unyang hp0n ang p0wer rangers .. 0k ra mang laag unya gbie .. Pls pass ..
[translation: Iligan is safe today because PGMA is here, with Naruto, Goku and the Justice League.  The Power Rangers will arrive later this day.  It is alright to go out tonight.  Please pass]

*update:
best prize for terrorism creativity:
papaya bomb!!! 'nuff said

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Not Again... X(

A bomb exploded in two of Iligan's local department stores (click this link to find out) (I prefer to use department stores because I do not consider the establishments as malls).  Based on the latest news I read, six people were killed.  I guess this season is the perfect time for such acts of terrorism because it is expected that there will be lots of people shopping for Christmas.  I just don't understand why violence has to happen.  Why can't everybody just get along?

I learned of this news when I was on my way to Rustan's to buy softdrinks for my Philo class's Christmas party.  So while I was enjoying my day of freedom from school work, other people were suffering.  Sometimes I wonder why I let myself get so troubled and stressed about school when there are more pressing problems happening in this world right now (therefore, we must not study that hard XP).

Saturday, December 13, 2008

My Mantra For This Sem

One day at a time
One task at a time
I think I can
I think I can

(repeat n times until motivated)

Monday, December 8, 2008

Keith and Company, and everyone else

Christmas Party ta beh (just like before)!!! 

Si Karyll wala siya Dec. 23 onwards kay muadto siya ug Cebu.  I therefore volunteer Karyll's house on Dec. 22 (kung musugot siya).  Kung dili sa balay ni Kai, I volunteer Kara's house (peace Kara :P).

If ever mag exchange gifts ta, pwede kanang tarung?  Kanang walay pabuto or parehas sa gift nilang Ian sauna.  Hahaha.

Pangreply mo doh!!!  I suggest si Ricah or KEITH AND COMPANY ang magplano!  (haha, pasagdi ko, taman lang ko sa pagvolunteer ug uban tao)

Ganahan ko na naa tay Christmas party... hahaha

Dayun ganahan ko ug lechon baka!!!  Si Elmer di na jud tigdala ug baka :(

Monday, December 1, 2008

Not Wish List

People usually post their wish list at this time of the year.  I will also post a list.  Except it's a not wish list.
  • Photo Album
  • Picture Frame
  • Mug
  • Figurine
  • Pen Holder
  • Paperweight
  • Low/Failing Grades
  • Soap
  • Cloth or panapton
  • CD case