by Rev. Dr. Mariano C. Apilado
The gospel of hope rooted in my being as a religious and spiritual person, living among a people with deep spiritual resources, was tested to the limits last Monday, August 23, 2010.
I witnessed, together with millions in the Philippines and in the world, thanks to television, an unfortunate tragedy when the hostage-taking incident perpetrated by SPO Capt. Rolando Mendoza near the Quirino Grandstand in Manila resulted in the death of nine persons, eight tourists from Hong Kong and Mendoza himself.
The tragedy revealed one person’s pent-up feelings of dissatisfaction over the slower than turtle pace of the justice system in the country.
The tragedy also revealed the embarrassing incompetence and ineptitude of law-enforcement officials on how to deal with critical incidents like what happened.
The tragedy revealed, furthermore, the utter absence of coordination by those concerned on how to control crowd behavior.
The tragedy revealed still further the excesses of media in their frenetic race to project the drama live to the public, thereby worsening the situation.
The tragedy revealed excruciatingly how authorities at the scene failed to come up with the right decisions that could have prevented the ugly situation from deteriorating, thereby saving precious lives and avoiding national embarrassment and global censure.
Officials from Hong Kong and friends in “Facebook” had complained of their their inability to contact Malacanang or any competent authority with the power to take charge and decide.
Then there is the tragedy of the “day after” practice of finger-pointing at perceived scapegoats.
In short, the tragedy should not be allowed to become a pathetic tragic incident.
We should not allow the tragedy to be thrown into the dumpsite of the inconsequential.
he gospel of hope is rooted in the biblical admonition, “Be ready at all times to give reason for the hope that is in you.” (I Peter 3: 15)
