The Fury That Was Ondoy

September 26, 2009 will be a date that many Filipinos will remember as the day it rained forever.

It started out like any ordinary rainy day, and, in my case, I made my way to the Ateneo that morning to give a teacher-training seminar to public school teachers. When I arrived at the high school campus, the rain had actually let up, making me think that it would be the end of it.

But, as the day progressed, it was clear that this wasn’t an ordinary rain, as it continued to rain in torrents, causing the drains to almost overflow, and deep puddles to form on the high school lawn.

By midday, we started hearing reports of huge traffic jams outside, and the participants began to worry and ask me whether the seminar would be cancelled, so that they could go home. However, I was told by our head that Katipunan Avenue outside was hopelessly gridlocked, and we might as well just finish the seminar sessions. All the while the rain pounded incessantly, a constant sheet of water.

By lunchtime, we started hearing horror stories of our co-teachers’ houses in Marikina and Cainta being flooded, almost up to the ceilings. My coordinator came in from the grade school fair with her family, and told us that there were a lot of stranded people there due to the traffic outside. Mr. Pagsanghan, my mentor, arrived from Miriam College, where he was giving a talk, and told us how the flood waters came into the covered courts and shorted out the electricity.

My own problem was that I had forgotten my cell phone at home, and I couldn’t contact people to find out what the conditions were outside. My call to my mom told me that my wife and her sister was somewhere out near the Delta area, and my sister, who was at the nearby Parco, couldn’t get to them because the floodwaters were too deep for the car to go through. Fortunately, my daughters were safe, albeit in different locations: my eldest was with my mom, whose house is on a hill, and my youngest was at our own house, which is elevated.

At the high school workroom, a part of the ceiling apparently gave way, and flooded the entire workroom; I’m not sure if part of the flood was due to the overflow from the drains, though. The last time that had happened was about a decade ago, when water came through the seams, and we had to frantically remove all of the computers from the computer room. Fortunately, the water only reached the edge of my cubicle, so I hurriedly shifted all of my boxes onto my desk and cabinet.

My co-facilitators and I wound up finishing the seminar an hour earlier than the given schedule, to allow the participants to try to get home. As for me, my co-teachers and I stayed at the workroom, and, while the internet was still working, we kept updated from the status posts of our friends on Facebook, some of whom had been stuck for hours in the traffic gridlock.

The brownout came at around three, so we relocated to the cafeteria, where we waited for news of the traffic easing up. That came around five, when the guard told us that traffic was free-flowing on Katipunan.

I decided to take the C.P. Garcia route, only to find out it was backed up just after the UP CS entrance. Fortunately, I managed to cut through UP, but, since Ylanan Road was backed up and not moving, I made my way to University Avenue, where the traffic was slow, but moving.

At the intersection with C.P. Garcia, traffic coming from that road was snarled because of cars turning left from University Ave. However, it made a great block to cross the intersection, and it was easy getting to Commonwealth Ave., where I had heard the traffic going home was light.

At Commonwealth, I saw this was the case. Several trucks and vans had attempted a counter-flow going to the Quezon Memorial Circle, thus causing a massive gridlock wherein only a few vehicles at a time were able to get through. As it was, there were dozens of people on the road, all walking towards Tandang Sora Ave.

The road was clear all the way to my parents’ house near the central temple of the Iglesia ni Kristo, so I made it home from Ateneo in less than an hour. For some, however, it would take hours to get home, and for many others, the storm had stranded them where they were.

The next day, the Philippine Star, in its headline, compared the storm, codenamed ‘Ondoy’, to hurricane ‘Katrina’, which devastated the Southeastern part of the United States a few years ago. Inside were pictures of trucks half-submerged and people stranded on rooftops. A news story reported that the amount of rain last Saturday was almost equivalent to the rainfall of the entire September. A good number of places across Metro Manila are without electricity, telephones, or potable water.

So far, despite the devastation wrought by the storm, casualties appear to be fairly light, although that might be because authorities are still collating data (I’m hoping, though that the number casualties are truly low). Among my friends and co-teachers, while there is a great amount of property damage, I don’t have any reports of casualties, for which I am very grateful. Doing a quick scan of Facebook posts show that a number of people are missing or out of contact. Hopefully, this is due to the lack of network coverage than anything else.

Still, there is a lot of work to be done. Many families have been rendered homeless due to the flood waters that engulfed their homes. Many are still stranded because flood waters haven't abated in their area. Food and clothing are needed, and donations are coming in from everywhere, which goes to show the goodness of man shining through in the darkest of hours.

The storm is a reminder once again for us not to forget the fury that nature is capable of releasing.

UAAP Basketball: Final Four Update

It appears that Ateneo didn’t miss the services of forward Nico Salva, at all.

The Blue Eagles made short work of the UST Growling Tigers, and never trailed in beating UST, 81-64. Ateneo guard Jai Reyes did most of the damage, scoring 17 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Former Rookie of the Year Ryan Buenafe chipped in 15 points, and guard Eric Salamat harried the Tigers with impeccable, making away with four steals.

Coach Norman Black made use of the Blue Eagles’ bench, and found ready substitutes for Salva, who was suspended for having punched FEU’s Jens Knuttel in Ateneo’s previous game. Christopher Sumalinog came in and contributed a lot, sacrificing himself at one point with a suicidal dive for the ball, which Ateneo converted into an easy two points.

It was a bittersweet moment for UST’s Dylan Ababou, for, although he is the Most Valuable Player for the year, UST was unable to get past the first round of the Final Four; the Tigers have not won the championship since their 2006 crown. Also graduating from the UST squad is standout Khasim Mirza, so the Tigers are likely to be in rebuilding mode next season.

In the other Final Four matchup, the UE Red Warriors hung tough, and defeated a Mark Barroca-less FEU team, 84-74, earning the Warriors a rubber match on Thursday to determine the other Finals competitor.

At first, it seemed that the Tamaraws would be able to buck the loss of Barroca, who left the team for good after rumors of his being involved in game-fixing arose. But, apparently, his loss, as well as Knuttel’s injury (hamstring), left a gaping hole in FEU’s guard rotation, and the Tamaraws fell prey to the Warriors fast-paced offense.

However, all is not lost for the Morayta-based squad, as coach Glenn Capacio has a deep enough lineup to make the necessary adjustments for Thursday’s game. Still, momentum is on the side of the Warriors, who have now won seven straight to keep their Finals hopes alive.

As for the Ateneo team, they now have a full week with which to rest and prepare for what promises to be a grueling Finals. Whether it will be the Warriors or the Tamaraws, the Blue Eagles are going to have their hands full.

UAAP Update: Onwards to the Final Four

At the close of the UAAP men’s basketball elimination round, the playoff picture became so much clearer.

Last Thursday, the De La Salle Green Archers were upended by the lowly National University (NU) Bulldogs, thus ending the Archers’ chances of keeping their hopes alive for a Final Four slot. La Salle needed to win, and, if the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers lost to the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, a playoff game for the last slot would have to be played. With UST playing the way it’s been playing its last few games, I have no doubt the Archers would’ve been able to get the last slot.

However, NU had other plans. Having been long eliminated from the playoffs, the Bulldogs were looking for some consolation to their sorry season, and got it in the form of ending not only the Archers’ hopes for this year, but also La Salle’s 14-year streak of making it to the Final Four (except, of course, for the year when they were suspended). It’s something the Bulldogs can take into the off-season to cherish.

With La Salle eliminated, the other game last Thursday between UST and UE became no-bearing, with UE winning handily over the hapless Tigers, who have lost four straight games. It’s not a confidence-building situation going into the Final Four.

Last Saturday, Ateneo and Far Eastern University (FEU) slugged it out to determine who would get the top spot and face hapless UST, and who would get the second slot and face the dangerous UE Warriors.

I only got to see the second half of the game, but it looked like FEU was going to coast to clinch, as FEU guard Paul Sanga was red-hot in the third quarter, and the Tamaraws stampeded to an 18-point lead, although the Blue Eagles cut it down a bit by the end of the quarter. However, Ateneo sophomore Nico Salva was summarily ejected for backfisting FEU’s Knuttel, and, while it’s fairly clear that Knuttel did a fair bit of acting to sell it, it was also clear from the replays that Salva engaged in a bit of unsportsmanlike behavior. It’s likely that he’ll miss the Ateneo’s first game in the Final Four.

In the fourth quarter, though, Ateneo stormed right back, with Jai Reyes and Eric Salamat leading the charge. The Blue Eagles dug in deep, and found the will to come back from the daunting deficit, and managed to capture the lead halfway through the quarter. At the same time, the Tamaraws, who were sizzling in the third quarter, suddenly found it difficult to find ways to score, and, thus, Ateneo led by as many as 5 points after trailing for so long.

However, FEU was not done, and kept the game close right until the end. With 2 seconds to go, and Ateneo leading by 2 points, the reigning MVP Rabeh al-Hussaini committed his fifth and last foul on Neil Cervantes, sending Cervantes to the line. It was a tense moment for both teams: Ateneo was hoping that Cervantes would miss one of the free throws, and FEU was hoping to tie the game and send it into overtime, where they would have the upper hand over an al-Hussaini-less Ateneo.

Cervantes, obviously pressured, made the first shot, and then missed the second. Salamat (I think) grabbed the rebound, and cheers of celebration erupted from the Ateneo side. Ateneo had survived, 74-73.

With the win, Ateneo clinched the top spot, and will face UST in the first round of the Final Four. The Eagles, though, are likely to face the Tigers sans Nico Salva, although, given the Tigers’ fortunes as of late, the Eagles might not miss Salva’s services too much. FEU has a much tougher assignment, as the UE Warriors have been on a winning streak, and have a strong lineup.

As for the rest of the league, Adamson trounced UP in the game prior to the Ateneo-FEU match, and, in doing so, the Falcons tie La Salle’s 5-9 record. But, because Adamson has a superior quotient, the Falcons clinch 5^th place, and the Archers slide to 6^th. While the Fighting Maroons come in last tied with the Bulldogs, they can boast of one unique accomplishment: UP is the only team to beat Ateneo so far this season. Add that to the fact that they also beat La Salle, and UP has the unique distinction of having beaten last year’s finalists. That’s something that coach Aboy Castro and his team can take with them to build on for next year.

It’s been an exciting regular season. Now, on to the playoffs.

Culture of Impunity: Mikey's Big Mouth

The more Presidential son and Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo opens his mouth, the deeper a hole into which he digs himself.

Arroyo’s predicament began when a group of veteran journalists, under the title “The Vera Files”, came out last week with a report of how his and his brother, Camarines Sur Rep. Dato Arroyo’s annual Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) didn’t list certain U.S. properties that they had acquired. The report also questioned how the Arroyo’s net worth had ballooned exponentially during the time they’ve been in office.

A few days after the report, Rep. Mikey Arroyo appeared on GMA 7’s morning show “Unang Hirit” to answer the report’s accusations. His appearance, which has come out on YouTube, didn’t do him any favors, as he stumbled over questions posed to him by Winnie Monsod and Arnold Clavio. His attempts to dodge the questions were clearly seen, as well as the sheer arrogance with which he acted. He even challenged Monsod and Clavio to sue him in court if they had any problem with his SALN.

The problem with that, as Monsod asserted, that the basis of filing one’s SALN is for transparency’s sake, and that the burden of proof lies with the SALN filer, not the public. Arroyo’s challenge for people to sue him in court is the standard response of the Arroyos and other public officials who have done their very best to obfuscate their wrongdoings. But, in this case, it is the wrong response, and is indicative of Arroyo’s attempt to avoid answering the issue directly.

One statement that stood out, and, became the basis for another report by the Vera Files, was Arroyo’s assertion that his increase in wealth came out of wedding gifts and campaign contributions. Of course, one question that immediately comes to mind is whether election campaign contributions can be used for personal expenditures such as houses.

The Vera Files punctured Arroyo’s assertion by noting that, in his SALN, he listed zero campaign contributions, which indicates that Arroyo may have perjured himself on national television when he stated, on the record, that part of his wealth came from campaign contributions.

Whether the Ombudsman decides to act on this issue is anyone’s guess, given how beholden the current Ombudsman is to the President. It is because of this situation that the Arroyos’ culture of acting with impunity has arisen. The other problem is that, because of the sheer number of scandals that this government has created, we the Filipino people have become so jaded and desensitized to corruption that we don’t raise a fuss when a new scandal rears its ugly head. Thus, the culture of impunity is strengthened.

Culture of Impunity: The Case of Chavit Singson

One of the glaring problems of the administration is the prevailing perception that the officials in the government, particularly the President and her close allies, act with impunity, comfortable in the knowledge that they are protected by the system.

Take, for example, the case of Deputy National Security Adviser Luis “Chavit” Singson. A few days ago, he practically bragged on national television that he beat up his live-in partner, Rachel “Che” Tiongson and her lover, after he allegedly caught them “in the act”. He even stated that the two were lucky that he didn’t kill them.

Keep in mind that this is a public official, who’s supposed to uphold the law and comport himself properly, admitting, for the record, that he committed a crime, which is basically violence against a woman. Instead of being contrite and humble, he even arrogantly states that he could’ve killed them, under the misconception that the only punishment he would get would be a slap on the wrist. The truth of the matter there is that, if the rule of law were upheld in our country, had Singson done what he said he’d do, he would’ve been charged with homicide.

Worse, being involved in national security matters, it’s very possible for Singson to have used assets available to him to maintain surveillance of his ex and her lover. If proven to be true, then Singson is not only guilt of violence against women; he is also guilty of abusing his office.

So far, however, Palace officials have been pussyfooting around the issue, simply saying that Singson should submit himself to the legal process, and that they would wait for the results of the investigation. It doesn’t seem bothersome for them that Singson has already confessed to the crime of beating up a woman. Shouldn’t that be troubling enough to suspend him, considering that our President herself is a woman?

At the same time, I’m not too willing to believe the story of Tiongson wholesale, as there is enough detail to call her version of the story into question. But, if we simply focus on the matter of the beating, shouldn’t that be enough evidence to at least suspend Singson while the investigation is ongoing?

Of course, it’s important to remember that Singson is very close to the President, and, as shown in the past, the President is very forgiving of her inner circle. So, unless the clamor for Singson to face the charges against him continues to grow, it’s very likely that the President and her officials will do their utmost to see to it that this sordid affair be swept under the rug as swiftly and as furtively as possible.

UAAP Update: Playoff Picture

It’s been a busy season, what with the preparation and administering of the exams, giving me little to no time for writing. Add the very addictive game “Plants vs Zombies” to the mix, and it’s a recipe for not writing at all.

In the UAAP, the playoff picture remains muddled, except for the third seed slot, which the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors hold without dispute. University of Sto. Tomas (UST), which currently holds the fourth slot, seems more than willing to give it away, having dropped crucial games against La Salle, which is one game behind UST, and Adamson, which is playing the spoiler role to the hilt. In both games, the Growling Tigers, known this season for a very explosive offense, and a very porous defense, showed more of the latter, and little of the former.

All UST had to do was win one game out of the remaining three, and it would clinch the fourth slot in the Final Four. But, apparently, for UST coach Pido Jarencio’s crew, that seems to be a Herculean task, as the much-vaunted Tiger offense, centered around MVP candidate Dylan Ababou, Khasim Mirza, and rookie Jeric Teng, was defanged yesterday against a soaring Adamson Falcon attack.

Now, UST is in a must-win situation against 3^rd placer UE in its final game. If the Tigers manage to pull that off, they’ll have clinched the fourth seed. If they don’t, then UST will have to hope that the National University (NU) Bulldogs beat the Green Archers on Thursday; otherwise, the Tigers will have to play a knockout game against La Salle, whom UST hasn’t beaten this season.

On the other side of the playoff picture, the Ateneo Blue Eagles remain perched at the top, after handily beating the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, thus avenging the Eagles’ only loss of the season. Just a game behind Ateneo are the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, who survived a gutsy La Salle squad to prevail in overtime last Saturday. The two teams are set to meet on either Saturday or Sunday. If Ateneo wins, it will have clinched the top spot, and will face either La Salle or UST in the Final Four. If FEU wins, it will have tied Ateneo at the top spot, and the two teams will play another game to determine the standings for the Final Four.

It’s another rip-rollicking ride as we approach the end of the basketball season, and, at this point, it’s anybody’s ball game for those still fighting for a slot in the playoffs.