As I write this, there is a hostage drama unfolding in front of the Manila City Hall. Thirty two toddlers ages 5-6 were on a bus enroute to Tagaytay for a field trip and were stopped in front of the Manila City Hall and held hostage since 9 a.m. (it's now 2 p.m.) The hostage taker, a certain Jun Ducat held them hostage and the demands were the simple: 1) Have Senator Bong Revilla negotiate; and 2) To take care of the education of 100 children being supported by his foundation.
Now that Sen. Revilla has agreed to do so, Jun Ducat decided to up the ante and demand for: 1) That President Arroyo guarantees the education of the children; and 2) Provide housing for certain families (I didn't get the full details).
Before I get to my main point, allow me to make a segway. Why do toddlers aged 5-6, housed in a day-care center need to be brought on a field trip without their parents? Managing 1 kid of that age is hard enough, 32 of them? You gotta be kidding me. The parents were not thinking when they allowed such a trip for these kids without them around. Besides, what could they possibly learn in Tagaytay at such an age?
Now, here's my main point: 1) Granting the demands of any hostage takers, whether noble or not these demands are, sends the wrong signal. It sends the signal that anyone who wants to get things done can go around with their guns and achieve their goals. 2) One grandma whose child was the first to be released knew Ducat personally. When asked if she was angry with him for what he did, she justified his actions by saying that his intention was good. Now, does the end really justify the means? This just goes to show the kind of Robinhood mentality our Filipino people have! 3) True that there is inequality in the system, but our system is one of the freest in the world where anybody bold enough to try can improve his lot. Using force to redistribute wealth does not sit well in a democracy and a capitalistic society. We might as well be communists! 4) I blame the movies that glorify the acts of a hero who goes around with his big guns and macho persona hitting back on rich tyrants. It subliminally sends the message that the reason people are poor is because of the oppression of the rich. How inaccurate! Now we see that heroes on screen are idolized and even sought after in situations like these. Before the Muslims clamored for Robin Padilla, now this idiot calls for Sen. Bong Revilla (his so-called Kumpare)!
Should Ducat prosper and go off unapprehended or even if he was apprehended but his demands were acceded to, you can expect a lot more of these types of drama occuring in the future. Mark my words.
