Unending question on bombings' intents and what we can do?

This week, everyone was alarm with spate of bombings in Mindanao and the disaster it brought to the lives of innocent victims.
Being a public security concern, all institutions and persons are studying the situation with obvious prejudices and varied political analyses are crafted. All of these becomes object of speculations but it did not end to answer the question on what are the motives/intents of these bombings that is now widening our distrust and dissention.
There were so many statements raised commonly ejecting their condemnation but as to who sponsors or authors these bombings remain an open unended question still.
Then the news broke that the president is going to meet USA president Obama to discuss security related matters and about relations.
There were those who said that this could be the hidden agenda behind spate of violence.
If this is true, whose agenda? the Arroyo? Obama? military? CIA? and for what? budget? territorial dispute and control? and who influenced local citizens here to conduct bombings for this speculated intention?
On the other hand, isn't it not logical to sow bombings just to earn the attention of president Obama for a short discourse on security?
The questions are unending and speculations continue no matter how we have agreed that investing under speculation is not directing us somewhere.
So, I won't further add more confusion to variegated analyses.
I would rather share some insights from Iligan experience's last year, 2008, when we were rocked by series of bombing that killed innocent civilians, including a Maranao student, and how civil society took crucial role as a response in confronting terror-related issues. Below was a blog post I had last year and I am sharing again, hoping that I can help provide insights.
For a refresh, let me say that bombing is a social reality. What should we do as citizens are matters that we must concretely answer.

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Addressing local concerns on anti-terror campaign
http://violetagloria.blogspot.com/2009/02/addressing-concerns-on-local-campaign.html

Combating terrorism isn’t just about educating our people to be aware on what are the different kinds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that could hurt any possible victims. It is also engaging all institutions and communities to take part in a dialogue on security and relations.
This is because terror doesn’t seek only to produce victims but is also intended to paralyze the economy, silence our political structures, ruin our communal relationships by sowing dissension and distrust, and weaken our governance. The impact is extensive and damage is far-reaching. This is what we sought to prevent, given our sad experiences last year.
Terrorism is open for all possible interpretation, specially its motives or intents. But whether it’s addressed for a specific agenda or not, peace advocates would rather prefer dialogical approaches in solving disagreements or in addressing political concerns. Besides, the human being’s natural approach to life is’ to talk’ rather than ‘to kill.’ The former can convince; the latter can dissuade.
Ergo, it can’t be said that terrorism can be addressed by complicating it further with politician’s dynamisms or by making hierarchical structure that loses foresight on the relevance of inclusivity and engagement of all institutions necessary for peace-building and peacemaking.
For sometime, we thought of intensifying cohesiveness, flexibility and interconnectedness in our advocacies. For only then that there is holistic participation of all institutions and community could we say that “we are indeed enjoying shared empowerment to protect our lives and properties.”
It is in this context that we propose a cohesive structure on how we would further enhance our peace-building initiatives in our city.
1. The institutions that should be engaged in this drive are the local government unit, AFP, PNP, Civil Society, Church/Masjid, and the Barangay.
2. Each of this office must have a decisive representative who would regularly meet, make coordination, decide on critical issues and concerns and sustain the campaign for ‘security and peacebuilding.’
3. They will have equal power and voting capacity in consensual decision-making. This body composed of representatives from these mentioned institutions will form part as the decision-making body relating to security/campaign against terror. It will make the blueprint or action plan for peacebuilding.They will decide consensually without disregard to their original mandates as an office.
4. All decisions consensually agreed will be enforced to all 44 barangays of the city, or depending on the number of barangays in the level of municipality.
5. There will be periodic assessment for all action plan and formulation of recommendations to improve the campaign.

With the campaign last year, the civil society here helped in:
a. barangay-based education campaign on how to identify IEDs and to know what to do when a bomb is found.
b. engaged the Muslim community to a sincere discourse with the AFP and PNP of the city and presented the fact that they too are civilians to be protected against terror
c. popularize the condemnation of the local residents, including that from Muslims, against senseless bombings with the help of local media
d. joined in all meetings of the peace and order councils and participate in all discussions
e. establish wider communication/network and maximize 811 as emergency call number of the city
f. leaflets of police numbers are posted in visible areas to improve civilian access of communication lines for reporting
g. others, like conducting of risk assessment with local officials
h. importantly, pray.


These are just recommendations. Do not limit with these enumerated points because we know that there are other standards too that can be used as gauges. At least, what we thought of this is that its kind'a workable for all. And at most, we are concretely working to disallow bombing to happen.

My net connection is back.

This afternoon, I spent downloading and reading files at a coffeeshoppe with a wifi.
Of course, you might have already read my letter and my story of frustration with a dead internet connection.
I can live without a cellphone. I rarely call and text now, but not without my notebook and the internet. Half of my life will die without it.
It can make and unmake me, like a pandemonium of craziness.
When I got back home past 5pm, I was told that a representative of PLDT-Maratel went home past 3 pm. That is when I'm done calling all nine numbers at the nth time, visited the main office and wrote the customercare center of PLDT.
Afterall, someone came but failed to see me and was not able to view and analyze the modem.
I am very certain that there is no problem with the modem nor with my notebook. As I tried to ran thru the process of checking and rechecking internet connection, the constant notebook analysis was "there is no problem with this computer, please contact your internet provider."
I read that notice to the nth time.
That made me decide to visit the main office of PLDT-Maratel to inquire why am not enjoying connection when we have just paid our bills.
Was there problems with cables or what? I was hoping for explanations. However, instead of an explanation, I was passed from one number to another number in a web of responsibility 'dis-ownership.' No one wants to be accountable with my question, ah, except that person who went home late 3pm.
I lost appetite thinking that I won't be reading files tonight without connection. But Lo! Behold! The connection is back when I tried opening my net at past 9pm.
Thanks. Thanks. Thanks.
Its just so irksome to suffer frustration first before I am back to my normal state.

Frustrated with PLDT-Maratel DSL Connection (LAndLine Plus) and with their IS workers

I want to be transparent with what I am feeling. I believe, I deserved to be given the right explanation as a customer of PLDT-Maratel (Landline Plus).
Every corporation should exercise corporate diligence and responsibility specially to its stakeholders/customers.
And, so I wrote the company to formally raise my frustrations.

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Dear Ma'am/Sir:
Greetings!
My family is one of your subscriber of PLDT-Maratel DSL connection.
This dawntime, 2 a.m., I noted that the internet connection is not functioning.
I called up 173 to report and complain this problem. I was told that I should be waiting till it will be solved. I called up again the IS office from 9am to 11:30 a.m.. but this time nobody is answering.
So I decided to visit the main office to formally register my complaints but the security guards told me that every body is on lunch and they gave me the following persons to contact.
a. Reynaldo Chan- 221-9778 but nobody picks up this number when called.
b. Reynaldo Clarion -- 221-6800 and still the same; not answering
c. Jerry Nadayag -- 221-6781 and its not also answering.
I called up 173 to the nth time until someone advised me to call 835-1488.
The person who answered my call said he is Rey but he did not give his family name when asked.
I told him that I felt so badddd, disgusted and frustrated that we are experiencing no internet connection since dawn time. What added more is that I have been dialing since the morning until this afternoon and yet nobody was able to fully answer me and resolve my problem. Mr. Rey just said he does not know anything about it because he is in the hospital.
He advised me to call, 221-9444 (/173).
I am so frustrated that I am experiencing this kind of inefficient workers of this company.
Finally, when a person picked up 173, he said I should be complaining to 221-3000/221-3001 and further said that its Saturday and its rest day.
I believe that our payment for 24-hour internet connection does not include paying for rest days of your employees. I believe that in this kind of service, there ought to be someone in-charged to explain to us customers what is going on and should resolve our concerns--be it Saturday or Sunday or holidays.
All my time 9 am to 2:30 pm , I have been redialing all those given numbers and yet nobody is giving me the right answer.
Finally, I surfed PLDT web and got to know that your DSL HelpDesk Tool free is 172. But when dialed, this is Iligan Light and Power company's office that deals on power interruption.
I hope your office could look into this if indeed PLDT-Maratel lives up to its mission "to be the preferred service provider of voice, video and data at the most attractive levels of price, service quality, content and coverage" to bring benefit to your stakeholders."

Sincerely,

VIOLETA M. GLORIA
Phone: 223-8680
Mobile: 0906-139-0576
gloria.violy@gmail.com

17 hurt in Iligan blast

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/07 July) – Seventeen persons were wounded when an improvised bomb exploded 10:30 a.m. today along Sabayle St., leading to this city’s seaport.
The bomb, planted under a red Toyota Corolla, also partially damaged the Exquisite pawnshop and damaged some television sets at Exquisite Resources Inc. and a military vehicle parked beside the car.

Elide Caburnay, city communication officer, said children were asked by a man wearing green polo and orange cap to put the improvised bomb under the car.
"The children refused because the object was too heavy for them, so the man himself planted the bomb as seen by our surveillance camera," said Caburnay. More @ MindaNews