Today is my grandfather’s birthday. Happy birthday Tatay! We wish you better health.

But today is also a day of tragedy here in Makati. There was an explosion in one of the malls that killed at least 8 people and injured more than a hundred. I know that tragedy and disasters happen everyday in different places but this one hits hard because my family and loved ones could have been the victims since we live near and frequent the area. My mom was even there last night to get last minute gift items for a friend.

My dad who was in Batangas was actually the first one to inform me about the incident. Ali and I were having lunch when my dad called and asked me if I have news about the blast. I told him there were fire trucks this morning because a nearby building caught fire. He said it’s not what he heard, it was an explosion in Glorietta/Parksquare area and he was checking to make sure I’m okay. He also warned me about going to malls this weekend. I called mom because she was also here in Makati and told her not to go to the malls. She said she already talked to dad and she’s on her way home to Batangas. I also sent an sms to my brother so he’ll stay away from the area of the blast.

I went around and ask a few people about it and checked the web for updates but all reports were unconfirmed. I went to an adjacent office where my friend was listening to the radio. The news were quite sketchy and inconsistent at first but after a while there were official statements about the explosion. A few more minutes there were pictures all over the Net.

Before we saw the pictures and read official reports, we were even joking about it and acting silly about being paranoid and stuff. After knowing more about what happened and watching the news a while ago I know it’s no laughing matter. I saw people in panic and in tears. Some even have blood on their faces. It was such a sad sight.

The investigation about the explosion is still ongoing and there are a lot of theories and speculations about who was behind the incident. At this point, we don’t really know if it was a terrorist attack, politics-related or just a crazed bombing of some sort. With the controversy-laden Philippine politics, I can’t help but think about the movie Wag the Dog. But this explosion is not make-believe, this is the real thing. Still, I thought that one way or another we are being manipulated by the media, the government and the society. One way or another we are victims. I don’t want to be negative since I don’t want to attract anymore negativity but I know that these types of violence will not disappear in an instant. Let us just look after each other and be more vigilant. More importantly, let us pray for the victims of violence and hope that we can have a safer place to live in.

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