A dam about to break CTALK By Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star) | Updated November 15, 2013 - 12:00am What will come first: Law and order, or total anarchy? Watching from the sidelines and gleaning from the testimonies and accounts of people coming out of Tacloban City, it is not difficult to draw a picture of a race; on one side the government and responders trying — under impossible conditions — to organize and establish a working system for rescue and rehabilitation. Right alongside them we have hundreds of thousands of hungry, dehydrated homeless people whose anger and desperation have slowly come to a boiling point. Last Wednesday shots were reportedly fired, homes and a government warehouse looted. Somehow as if to even the score, US Marines successfully jump-started the landing facilities and night landing capabilities for what is left of the Tacloban airport, as a result flights are now on-going 24/7. Quite ironic how US Marines are first responders to a nation where a handful of loud mouths don’t want them around. MacArthur returned, now the US Marines have returned once again to help fight a different battle. Their motto: Semper Fi “Always Faithful.” * * * It helps that people in Tacloban have tried to find relief elsewhere, some walking hour upon hour as if re-enacting the Jewish Exodus. Last Wednesday while waiting for my flight at Mactan airport I chanced upon passengers disembarking from a Philippine Airlines flight out of Tacloban, they all had one thing in mind; to get out and wait until there is law and order, or start all over but not in Tacloban. From the looks of it, Cebu City or Cebu province stands as the new Promised Land while Tacloban has become “The Dead City.” * * * Members of Philippine media have opted to restrain their selves devoting most of their reports to coverage and relaying of information, perhaps not wanting to add fuel to the fire or be part of the problem instead of the solution. But for how long, now that the victims have started to challenge and question why the local media, unlike international media, have not taken the government to task for their lack of appropriate response and force? Yes there is a race and the outcome of that race will be dependent whether the dam that represents the collective self-control and belief in government does not burst. It has happened in many places in many parts of the world. If the national government does not increase its actions exponentially, the world, the international media will end up covering an uprising instead of a massive relief and rescue operation. * * * On location remarks made by foreign correspondents and media have stung government officials and their entourage. Unfortunately, the remarks are actual observations on site about relief efforts. What government officials may not realize is that even non-media entities have started to comment on why the P-Noy government and their media allies continue to put a facade of being in control and having the capability when it is quite obvious that they are not. As one European official mentioned, “you don’t have to be strong, you simply have to be honest.” No one and no country can possibly be ready and able for something that has never occurred and was beyond our imagination in terms of human history. * * * “Abandon ship”: There is no shortage of people wanting out of the disaster zones, but for some strange reason the Philippine Navy, the private shipping companies have not yet been commandeered to ship out to Tacloban and be the veritable “Noah’s Ark” that can bring people to different ports. That’s what they did in 9/11. All available boats, yachts, ferries, etc. went in to get people out. Why do victims have to be victimized a second time by paying ten times the regular rate to board an AUV or commuter van out of Tacloban? In this state of emergency we can get at least one ro-ro from EVERY operator to fast track the crossing from Samar to Leyte. Why isn’t this being done? Ten ro-ros are nothing! Two “madres” who are literally sisters approached me and asked why the DOTC has not organized a massive “bus run” where buses can come in with fuel and relief goods then go out with people who wish to leave? People are not asking for freebies, they are people willing to pay for goods and services but we need to get the services to them. For instance people are wondering why the Department of Energy has not politely or forcibly required all fuel / petroleum companies to bring in diesel and gasoline tankers via the Philippine Navy that can be stand alone stations. How can people help themselves, travel, or run generators if there is no available fuel to be bought? How can government trucks and heavy equipment be used if there is no diesel? Even volunteers and deliveries are holding back for fear of running out of fuel. Ten tankers every 4 or 5 days is nothing Mr. Secretary! * * * Pastor Raymond De Guzman shared a story from church: a mother of 3 just learned that her children who were in Tanauan, Leyte actually took refuge in an evacuation center when Typhoon Yolanda landed. This belies claims or suspicions that the people did not prepare. But during their stay at the evacuation center the storm surge struck and washed away so many of their townmates. Her children managed to stay alive by never letting go of each other. Realizing they had nothing left the 3 children walked for days, eventually hitchhiking their way out of Leyte and are on their way to Lipa, Batangas. Not only is this proof of life, it also proves that some people lied to the President. * * * As a final note, I just want to commend the crew on board PAL flight PR-856 particularly lead cabin attendant Lara Kristina Pelayo, Ann Margaret Dimen as well as the rest of the team Philip King Aguilar and Anthony Briola Dimen. Upon takeoff from Mactan a passenger suddenly had an epileptic seizure. The cabin attendants quickly dashed to assist the passenger, called for medical assistance resulting in 4 medically trained people rushing to the passenger. The CAs did not panic, did what needed to be done and showed the rest of the passengers what PAL is famous for: Care and Concern for passengers. Cheers!
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 14:18:53 +0000