Paranoia

By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
30 January 2011

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The Tuesday bus explosion along EDSA in Makati sends us a clear and absolute message: We’re still not safe. It’s really hurting but it’s vividly true.

In the last quarter of 2010, countries like the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and others issued stern advisories warning their residents the risk of traveling to the ever-beautiful archipelagic Philippines. Surely, that will still be the advisory.

The Initial investigation revealed that the bomb could have been triggered remotely; the attack was believed to be orchestrated by terrorists.

Maybe;

The terrorists’ behavioral pattern, if it is indeed true, is resoundingly clear: During the early days of any incumbent, civil disturbances like bombings, demonstrations and protests are carried out.

The Tuesday blast is never new; it was a warning! To date, the investigators are running after those perpetrators. To my sound knowledge, I can name at least two: Messrs. Poverty and Injustice.

Poverty set up the bomb and remotely triggered its explosion because it wanted to send the message on line: its fellow citizens have been severed by high prices of commodities, marginalized education, inferior health services, soaring transport fares and petroleum prices. It set up the bomb and remotely triggered its explosion because it has been homeless in its own land for more than six decades now, unemployed in this labor capital of Asia and foodless in the food basket of the Far East.

Injustice set up the bomb and remotely triggered its explosion because it wanted to send the message on line: its fellow citizens have been denied of judicial processes. Injustice set up the bomb and remotely triggered its explosion because it has been the victim of the blatant hoarding of the meat from a domestic animal called pork in a barrel that consumes the major slice of the pie called national budget, thus, sending Injustice back to its tiny house located in the city called deprivation.

When travel advisories were released by these countries, Malacanang sternly quoted that the situation is under control; intelligence reports have been provided to the chief executive. Then why are they not able to contain this when they have been actually, as they claimed, were informed about this?

To date, the bomb explosion claimed lives of five Filipinos named dream, fortitude, perseverance, courage and conviction. Dream perished along with smoke belched within the space of the bus called life; Fortitude died along with the craft’s engine that rocked the power called endurance; perseverance expired along with the passengers’ resolution that dictated the flesh called existence; courage extinguished along with the mob’s motion that stirred the spirit called survival; and conviction passed away along with the passengers’ rejuvenation that boosted the subsistence called willpower. All these five Filipinos died in the blast because they simply wanted to live with their meager-earning jobs.

The surviving fourteen others are related to the families of, either by affinity or consanguinity, rebellion, vengeance, remorse, self-pity and defeat. Yet, undoubtedly, they can be the new breed of perpetrators who will rock legislative or judicial halls and storm dump streets in defense of their brothers Poverty and Injustice.

Maybe not.

The Tuesday blast is never new; it was a warning. Destabilization may only be the motive. And I can pinpoint upfront at least two perpetrators: Their names are discontent and bad governance.

Discontent set up the bomb and remotely triggered its explosion because it wanted to send the message on line: The government has been hitting the cherry with the blindfold. Barangay Executive is divided; its members are working on its own in the effort of making its own cliché in the trash bin of Philippine politics. The Truth Commission was created without taking a deep breath with the truth of its commission.

Discontent set up the bomb and remotely triggered the explosion because it obviously loosely handled critical situations like the August 2010 hostage crisis, plunder, graft and corruption, drug trafficking, car-napping, kidnap for ransom, etc. This etcetera, when drilled down, will in fact give us the drop-down list of eternity.

Bad governance set up the bomb and remotely triggered its explosion because it wanted to send the message on line: There has been inconsistency between and among citizens of Barangays Executive, Legislative and Judiciary that are apparently oppressing the one-hundred-million Filipinos in queue. Bad governance set up the bomb and remotely triggered the explosion because it apparently mishandled good governance thus allowing it to slip through the hands of true democracy.

Do you know why Messrs. Poverty, Injustice, Discontent and Bad Governance set up the bomb and remotely triggered its explosion?

The answer is relatively simple: All of them, all of the people in the government and all of us are paranoid.

Paranoia is contagious; it kills!