On Criminal Incompetence, Negligence, And Crass ‘Trapo’ Gestures
This must be affirmations of phrases “there will be hell to pay,” and “perception matching reality.”
And I’m not talking just about the class action suits being initiated against the functionaries responsible for the mishandled release of excess water from the dams.
I’m also talking about this:
Disaster-preparedness officials warned Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro about the possibility of widespread flooding this year, but the presidential aspirant apparently miscalculated when he did not act quickly on purchasing life-saving equipment.
In particular, officials of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) had urged and advised Teodoro to immediately order the procurement of rescue boats for the expected flooding in different parts of the country.
But for some reason, the potential standard-bearer of the ruling party decided the procurement could wait.
Documents obtained by abs-cbnnews.com/Newsbreak from the OCD showed that the emergency purchase of rigid-hull inflatable boats was being pushed to Teodoro as early as February this year to prepare the country for more flash floods.http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/12/09/teodoro-delayed-purchase-rubber-boats
The sympathizers of both NAPOCOR and Sec. Teodoro will, I am sure, say “there’s a logical explanation to what happened,” along with mustering the best legal resources money can but for their defense.
But as the verdict from bar of public opinion is concerned the bailiff will, in a manner of speaking, will now the next case.
And do you know what the next cases, actually two cases, are?
Images that have just surfaced on the socnet site Facebook (which has emerged as a prime source for story leads for journalists).
First up:
These images of calamity evacuees arriving at Mansion House in Baguio City and being dutifully given relief aid packs by President Arroyo:
They were transported to the venue by Philippine Military Academy buses from Fort Del Pilar, prompting the none-too-innocent question about their authenticity and if this was an instance of a photo-opportunity propaganda spin.
This is the quote from FB:
The Hakot Evacuees in The Mansion. The evacuees, almost all Maranao traders and their families, arrived in PMA buses before President Gloria Arroyo at the mansion. After her visit, they also left in the same PMA buses.
Next up are these photos of thoroughly trapo-esque ‘calamity aid’ operations by a presidential wannabee:
(Photo reportedly taken around 2 p.m. on EDSA Oct. 12, 2009)
No further comment is necessary.
