Wanted!

August 22, 2008

Sabi nila walang panalo sa giyera. Pero kung ako ang masusunod, gusto ko sanang magdeklara na ng all-out war laban sa mga MILF. Short-term pain pero long-term gain.

Ang hirap din naman kasi nilang intindihin. Gusto nilang sila ang masunod. Pero hindi yun tama. Kung tutuusin ay wala silang karapatang magdemand dahil wala naman talaga sila sa lugar. Hindi sila bahagi ng Hukbong Sandatahan pero armado sila ng matataas na kalibre ng armas. Terorista. Kinukuha nila ang gusto nila sa pamamagitan ng dahas.

Kamakailan lang, sumalakay ng walang awa yung isang faction ng kanilang grupo sa North Cotabato. Ngayon, tinutugis na ng militar yung grupo ni Kumander Bravo at Umbra Kato na siyang sinasabing nanalakay. Sabi ng pamunuan ng MILF, walang basbas nila yung ginawa sa North Cotabato pero ayaw naman nilang isuko yung mga may kasalanan.

Ngayon, pansamantalang nahinto ang negosasyon para sa MOA (memorandum of agreement). Tapos gusto na ring idagdag ng gobyerno ang disarmament bilang bahagi ng kasunduan. Di naman pabor ang MILF sa nais ng gobyerno. Ako sa tingin ko, talagang dapat na maisama ang pagdisarma kung magkakaroon man ng kasunduan sa pagitan ng mga rebelde at ng gobyerno. Kasi kahit na may ceasefire o anumang kasunduan para sa kapayapaan, mananatili pa rin silang threat sa national security hangga't may pinanghahawakan silang mga armas. Kung pwede nga lang eh buwagin na lang ng todo yung grupo.

Habang tumatagal, lalong lumalabo yung tyansa na magkakaroon ng kasunduan sa pagitan ng dalawang panig. ALL-OUT WAR na lang talaga siguro. Sa bagay, nasasabi ko lang naman ito dahil di ako nakatira roon sa Mindanao. Hindi ako kasama dun sa mahigit isandaang libong pamilya na apektado ng bakbakan. Hindi ako kasama sa kanila na palipat-lipat ng tinutuluyan para lang muling masikatan ng araw kinabukasan. Sana talaga ay maayos na ang lahat ng ito. Sana nga ay maghari na ang kapayapaan na wala ng papatak pang dugo.

911

August 20, 2008

Phone rings. Family friend. She asked me to go to her parents' apartment and check on her mom. Her dad told her that her mom fell off her bed. I obeyed. I came down and went to the next building where her parents' apartment is. Our friend's dad opened the door. Their apartment is on the third floor.

Apartment door opens. I asked him what happened. He said that he just suddenly heard a loud noise from his wife's room then saw her lying on the floor. He added that his wife was about to stand up when she fell. She looked hurt, sitting on her bed. She said that she couldn't stand or even move her right leg. Phone rings. It's their daughter again. I informed her of her mom's condition. She said that she's gonna call for ambulance. I went downstairs to wait.

Sirens wailing. Fire truck. Three men came down and asked me if we were the ones who called for ambulance. I said yes. They asked me what happened. I told them that the old woman fell off her bed and couldn't move her right leg.

Upstairs. The old woman could speak no English. She could even hardly speak our own. The firemen wanted to get answers directly from her. I did my best to do the translation. She was responding except for some which she didn't quite understand. She seemed to be afraid. The medic finally arrived. Only the three of us were left in the room.

Outside the room. The firemen and other medics were talking to our family friend over the phone. They were trying to get information about the medical history of their patient. Diabetes. Stroke. (I'm not sure if there's something else.) Our friend said that she was on her way. She said she was going to meet them at the hospital.

Inside the room. I was still translating. The medic asked her to touch the part of her leg that hurts. She touched her knee. Then he asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital. Our friend's mom didn't know. The medic said that she might had torn a ligament or a meniscus. The medic took out his penlight and checked her eyes. He then checked her blood pressure, sugar level and her lungs. Everything seemed to be fine. The medic then said that she really needs to be brought to the hospital to have her knee checked. The old woman nodded. She still seemed to be afraid. The medic asked me to try to calm her down. I softly told the old woman that she doesn't have to be afraid and that they were just trying to help her.

A chair is being brought in. The firemen carefully lifted the old woman and made her sit on the chair. Seat belts lock. They brought her downstairs. Outside, they put her on a stretcher then into the ambulance. I was just watching... Closely watching, waiting for my first 911 experience to end.

I went back home and it took me some time to recover. It was just that I was still shaking a bit then and was worried. Deep breath. Back to normal.

She's still in the hospital right now. They've said that she has a broken hip. She's scheduled for an operation so she needs to stay in the hospital for a while. Hope she gets well soon.

Basta ako (sana) pag yung mga magulang ko na yung tumanda, gusto ko nandoon ako lagi para sa kanila. Ayoko silang mapabayaan. Naging mabuti rin naman silang mga magulang. Responsible provider ang tatay ko tapos nanay ko maasikaso naman siyang maybahay. Yung bilang ng taon na iintindihin at aalagaan ko sila ay kaunti lamang kung ikukumpara sa tagal ng kanilang paggabay sa akin. Tama lamang siguro na suklian ko lahat ng oras at pagmamahal nila sa akin. Tapos pag sila naman yung na-911 (pero sana huwag naman), gusto ko nandoon din ako. Gusto ko magawa ko rin nun yung lahat ng aking makakaya para lang matulungan sila. Sana ganun din yung gusto mo. Sana.