Month: August 2010

The Quirino Grandstand hostage drama

Community issues

I was supposed to write about the Quirino Grandstand hostage drama that took place last Monday. It killed 8 Hongkong nationals and the hostage taker himself. It was a sad day not only for the victims and their kin but also for each one of the us Filipinos here and abroad. It was evil and there are no words to console every one involved. “Condolence” and “Sorry” won’t bring back the lives lost. And the lives scarred by what happened.

I am just praying that the Philippine government have learned their lesson. Firstly, on the case of the hostage taker Capt. Rolando Mendoza. How come a decorated cop, said to be a really good and clean one, turned to a hostage taker? How come his extortion case wasn’t given the attention it needed and now that he’s dead it will be reviewed upon the president’s order?!? We all know good cops are so few and they are the ones neglected by our government! I hope the president will do something about this.

Secondly, on the case of our hostage negotiators. I heard from the news that one of the two who negotiated with Capt. Mendoza even trained in Australia. How come he wasn’t able to do something in those hours he was talking to the hostage taker? They were seen laughing and calm the whole time. And nothing?!? Have you, guys, seen the movie The Negotiator? Are you, guys, watching those cop series in the US like NCIS? Our negotiators should be trained regardless whether hostage taking in our country are far and few between.

Lastly, on our president. Sure, the Quirino Grandstand hostage drama was an isolated incident. But he should know what to do in situations like that. Have you heard the news that HK Chief Executive Donald Tsang was calling him up and the whole time Phil. President Noynoy Aquino couldn’t be reached? And then the flak he got regarding the videos taken wherein he was seen smiling all the time. I noticed that, too! He was even laughing while he was beside the window where the bus driver got out. Considering what happened, he should have worn a very serious facial expression. He said smiling was his way of dealing with the gloom of the situation. I don’t know, I just feel he could have been more mindful of his actions in my opinion. He could have intervened during the hostage taking, calling up Capt. Mendoza or even sending an emissary. He said in his press conference 5 hours after the hostage taking that he will have Capt. Mendoza’s case reviewed. If he could have told that to the man while the hostages were still alive, it could have made a HUGE difference! But no, he was just monitoring the situation during that time. Darn!

Everything could have been handled differently. The hostage drama could have ended without any casualty. But the policemen, the media with their incessant coverage, and the government officials who could have intervened…

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Dealing with government agencies

Community issues

Government offices tend to give you a headache when you try to call them up for information. Most of the personnel are either grouchy or just plain rude! I’ve encountered my fair share in some of the popular government agencies and GOCC’s for the past couple of years and I must say that with three presidents (P-Noy being the current one), there are no changes at all!

The only government agency (a GOCC, am I right?) that has pleasant personnel and one that you can really commend is PEZA. Oliver Reyes of PEZA, if he’s still there, was one of the most pleasant and helpful personnel I’ve dealt with while I was still working for a call center company. I took care of the company’s PEZA registration and periodic PEZA reports and every question I’ve asked of the guy was answered with as much information as he could inject in our conversation. See, I really remembered the guy’s name! That’s because he’s one of the few people who works (worked?) for the government who knows how to deal properly with those seeking their assistance. I must say that even their department head and co-workers were as pleasant as him. I just remembered Oliver’s name the most because he was the one assigned with the periodic PEZA reports.

To government personnel: There is nothing wrong with being pleasant, especially to those who approached you with courtesy and respect. I understand that persons working for the government are overworked and underpaid. But why stay if you are unhappy with your work? And since you are unhappy, you are annoyed at people seeking your assistance? There are even some of you who are downright rude!

Of course, let me say that there are a couple of government people I’ve dealt with who were very accommodating. Anyway…

If these two old women I’m dealing with in a government agency will continue to sit on my grandma’s death benefits, I will really write their names here, their commanding officer’s name, and their whole department in the Air Force! I will detail here how rude they are to me and how lazy they are!

I kept wondering what happens to those people dealing with this kind of government personnel who are timid. I guess it takes them months and months to get a benefit that should be processed in a day or two.

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The danger of being a co-maker in a loan

Money matters

I did a stupid thing five years ago: I became a co-maker in a co-worker’s loan. It was an act of kindness. Loans were extended to the employees of the company I was working for and since we’re in the Finance department, we were prioritized by the bank. So to race ahead of other employees, we signed loan forms right away. Since there were only four of us in Finance back then, we asked one another to become co-makers of each other. I was just unlucky to become the co-maker of this former staff of mine.

I, along with the other two of my Finance team, already paid the loan within the payment period given to us. Only one is still unpaid to date. My former staff, the one whose loan I was the co-maker of.

I thought she was able to pay off the loan two years ago. Apparently, after the last time I saw her, she stopped paying. Until I got a call yesterday from a lawyer handling her loan. This time around, I was lucky because my former staff is now working for one of my good friends. I was able to track her down easily. Today, she paid a percentage of her loan. I am monitoring her payments this time around. I was stupid not to have done this a long time ago. This time around, I won’t be the stupid one anymore.

I have an unsolicited advise to all of you (one I know most of you already know way back when): don’t be a co-maker to a loan! Because chances are, you will end up the loser in the whole deal. Unless, of course, you know the capacity of the person you are co-making a loan with. Otherwise, save yourself the headache and DON’T!

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Minors in conflict with the law

Community issues

According to the news, more and more minors are getting involved in crimes. The Alabang Boys, Jason Ivler, Ivan Padilla and his gang, Snake gang and so many others. Most of the kids involved in high profile crimes are even kids from rich families.

An expert was interviewed about it and she said that this is caused by many factors foremost of which is seeing these things from the elders around them. My take on this is… media and the lack of proper guidance by an authoritative figure in these kids’ lives. Add to it poverty and peer pressure.

It is actually very alarming considering these kids should have been the blessed ones, the ones who wouldn’t even think of committing crimes just for easy money. But they are and the gravity and frequency of these crimes are increasing.

I think parents, guardians, elders in the family and school authorities should double their efforts in monitoring kids. They now start young. And we can prevent this from happening if we are only open and more aware of what our kids are getting themselves into.

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