Manila Check In and What it Means - Chaos and Gunfire
The following is from the "Come and Make It" blog, which I know nothing about, and found it following links, so who knows how I got there.
Anyway...
Here is a post which has echoes of what Solzhenitsyn wished had happened.
The old man paid a price, but next time someone won't be brandishing, but aiming and pressing.
Anyway...
I obviously have a connection to the Philippines through my wife, but it’s also an interesting window on a number of levels:
1) They have traditionally been very pro-America due to being a protectorate as a result of the Spanish-American War and having been treated and well educated to Western standards.
2) They are an Asian nation who is 2nd World, so they are a good gauge for the entire region, much better than industrialized, 1st World Japan
3) The current president is a train wreck authoritarian which helps us gauge how such an approach works on American ideals. In one word, “Beware”.
4) They are fighters. While primarily a blade culture, they have fairly loose gun laws for citizens and aren’t afraid about personal repercussions when it comes to making a point and standing up for what is right. This is fueled by the Catholicism vs Islam war which has been going on for over 100 years.
5) COVID-19 is testing the limits of personal freedom in every nation. In the Philippines, caucasian Americans are almost a protected class - so far. That allows observation without consequence, but that isn’t going to last if the current president stays in power.
6) Look to the Philippines for a temperature check on USA relations with China.
7) They are very hard workers with strong family ties despite being scattered across the globe. If family is threatened, everything is threatened.
Here is a post which has echoes of what Solzhenitsyn wished had happened.
The old man paid a price, but next time someone won't be brandishing, but aiming and pressing.
Manila Corona Virus April 13. Chaos
Repost and translate from someone I know.
Will this be the norm in the coming days, weeks?
(Edited) Incident happened 04.11.2020
Read:
Witnessed a troubling event today.
I was waiting in line outside of the grocery for a supply run.
Across the street, at a small bakery, four merchandisers from the grocery were on their break, snacking on some bread.
Suddenly, a convoy of vehicles, two pickup trucks and two multi-cabs, with Antipolo City plastered on the sides came passing.
All the vehicles were full of people, and the pickup trucks had what seemed to be relief goods.
The lead vehicle suddenly started blaring, with a large megaphone,
“Hoy bawal po yan! May distancing po tayo na pinapatupad. Magsitigil po kayo, kung hindi huhulihin po kayo!”.(Hey! We have a distancing we implement. Please stop, if you won't be arrested!)
The merchandizers began to disperse, along with the other customers. One of the merchandizers however, couldn’t contain himself and shouted back, “Bakit kayo po punung puno? Mas dikit dikit pa nga po kayo sa sasakyan nyo!”,(Why are you so full? You are even more in your car!) then whipped out his cellphone to take a picture or a video of the convoy.
I thought that was it. Suddenly the lead vehicle came to a halt, bringing the whole convoy to a stop.
The men alighted from the vehicles and surged towards the merchandizer.
The first person to reach him grabbed his phone and pocketed it.
Then the other men grabbed him and started to drag him towards their vehicles.
So the resulting commotion caused quite a scene, people were shouting and calling for the guards at the grocery to intervene and help the lone merchandizer. Passing vehicles began slowing down.
Now this is where it became weird . . . one vehicle started honking his horn and stopped in the middle of it all. The driver, an old man, disembarked and started shouting at the City Hall employees to stop what they were doing and to let go of the merchandizer.
Since no one seemed to be paying attention to him, he suddenly drew a gun from under his shirt. So you can just imagine how all hell broke loose!
A few of the City people tried to grab his gun. At least 4 other people also drew their guns! A lot of the other bystanders then started to whip out their cellphones to document the whole thing. The City people then started grabbing cellphones left and right and accosting their owners.
Pandemonium ensued.
To think we were only about thirty meters away from a police outpost.
One by one the bystanders were hauled into vehicles and as soon as it was filled, it sped away. Four of the City people subdued the old man with a gun and dragged him in handcuffs. One guy drove away the old man’s vehicle. The megaphone blared that ‘Lahat po ng mag vi-video ay dadamputin namin. Magsi alisan na po kayo.” (We will take all video. Please get rid of it.)
Eventually the street cleared.
The security guard behind me then said, “Kayo na po susunod. Pakuha lang po muna ng temperature.”(You're next. Just take the temperature first)
The new normal.
Will this be the norm in the coming days, weeks?
(Edited) Incident happened 04.11.2020
Read:
Witnessed a troubling event today.
I was waiting in line outside of the grocery for a supply run.
Across the street, at a small bakery, four merchandisers from the grocery were on their break, snacking on some bread.
Suddenly, a convoy of vehicles, two pickup trucks and two multi-cabs, with Antipolo City plastered on the sides came passing.
All the vehicles were full of people, and the pickup trucks had what seemed to be relief goods.
The lead vehicle suddenly started blaring, with a large megaphone,
“Hoy bawal po yan! May distancing po tayo na pinapatupad. Magsitigil po kayo, kung hindi huhulihin po kayo!”.(Hey! We have a distancing we implement. Please stop, if you won't be arrested!)
The merchandizers began to disperse, along with the other customers. One of the merchandizers however, couldn’t contain himself and shouted back, “Bakit kayo po punung puno? Mas dikit dikit pa nga po kayo sa sasakyan nyo!”,(Why are you so full? You are even more in your car!) then whipped out his cellphone to take a picture or a video of the convoy.
I thought that was it. Suddenly the lead vehicle came to a halt, bringing the whole convoy to a stop.
The men alighted from the vehicles and surged towards the merchandizer.
The first person to reach him grabbed his phone and pocketed it.
Then the other men grabbed him and started to drag him towards their vehicles.
So the resulting commotion caused quite a scene, people were shouting and calling for the guards at the grocery to intervene and help the lone merchandizer. Passing vehicles began slowing down.
Now this is where it became weird . . . one vehicle started honking his horn and stopped in the middle of it all. The driver, an old man, disembarked and started shouting at the City Hall employees to stop what they were doing and to let go of the merchandizer.
Since no one seemed to be paying attention to him, he suddenly drew a gun from under his shirt. So you can just imagine how all hell broke loose!
A few of the City people tried to grab his gun. At least 4 other people also drew their guns! A lot of the other bystanders then started to whip out their cellphones to document the whole thing. The City people then started grabbing cellphones left and right and accosting their owners.
Pandemonium ensued.
To think we were only about thirty meters away from a police outpost.
One by one the bystanders were hauled into vehicles and as soon as it was filled, it sped away. Four of the City people subdued the old man with a gun and dragged him in handcuffs. One guy drove away the old man’s vehicle. The megaphone blared that ‘Lahat po ng mag vi-video ay dadamputin namin. Magsi alisan na po kayo.” (We will take all video. Please get rid of it.)
Eventually the street cleared.
The security guard behind me then said, “Kayo na po susunod. Pakuha lang po muna ng temperature.”(You're next. Just take the temperature first)
The new normal.
