stampede

54 to 66 deaths in a stampede in the ULTRA stadium in Pasig this morning. Apparently, thousands of people lined up for days to participate in a Wowowee draw. According to some reports, someone shouted “bomb” and the people scattered in all directions.

Whatever was the cause of the stampede, what’s alarming is that when you read the reports, what immediately becomes obvious are the words, “lined up for two days,” and the figures: 30,000 people. And that, as we’ll all admit, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Read the newspapers; Arroyo is all over the place, bragging about the appreciation of the Peso. Something I can’t quite appreciate. Nor will others, I bet. Especially since prices have been rising. And, as you can see, people are risking life and limb to get some dole outs, even if they have to wait in line for two days.

Meanwhile, if you take a look at the Daily Tribune, you’ll find that there are still some questions that this administration needs to answer, such as, What happened to the P700million fertilizer funds that went AWOL on the eve of the elections; and all those bugging questions about the elections; and the bugggings during the elections! Migod. It’s like we’re all being transformed into playthings and pawns and ways to get rich and powerful easy. It’s not easy; it’s not easy to be such a poor country, with poor people. I don’t know how to make those in power understand.

Is that the nature of power? Mind the clichés. We’d better get rid of those seats in Malacanang. They have some sort of mind… control power over those sitting on them. They become greedy.