Some guests though
were glued to their TV sets, monitoring updates on the ‘hostage
crisis’ unfolding at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, Manila.
The “hostage crisis”
involves a dismissed policeman Rolando Mendoza to hostage a bus full
of Hongkong tourists, demanded a review of his case, but due to some
circumstances, the negotiations turned sour and brought his life and
some five other tourists to an end in all gore.
What drove this young
lad to write?
“I was in the
internet, as won’t every teen-ager and among the message exchanges was
the ‘hostage crisis,” Reign told this writer.
As the night wore on
and the hostage crisis left some casualties, Reign or Daboy to family
and friends started to write his letter.
For Daboy, it was just
one of those things, blogging, pouring out his emotions to a one and
thousand concerns, after an hour of seriously considering his ‘hurt
emotions’ by the effects the crisis may bring to the tourism industry
in his beloved country, he posted his ‘letter of apology’ to tumbler.
He then forgot about
it as he went his way assisting his parents entertain their guests,
after all it was the Feast Day of San Bartolome, Catbalogan’s patron
saint.
The letter is printed
here:
August 23, 2010
"A letter from a
teenage Filipino to the WHOLE WORLD”
As you are reading
this letter, I bet that you have seen/heard about what happened
earlier in our country.
Tourists were hostages
of a policeman here, Rolando Mendoza. After a few hours of the
horrible crime, some of the victims were dead including the
hostage-taker.
I wrote this letter
not just to apologize but also to let everyone know that we Filipinos
are not all like Mendoza. We are loving and good-hearted people.
For so many years, our
country has been standing tall and surpassing every dilemma; be it
small or big. Years ago (back when I wasn’t born yet), you have
watched us fight for what we think is right. We fought for the
democracy of our nation…The EDSA revolution. But that’s just one out
of many.
Second. We Filipinos
have been serving other countries for our families and we treat you as
our own as well. With all due respect, I thank you all for giving us
the trust through the years. For helping us to become what we are now.
The Philippines is
more than just a group of islands. We are a nation of strong and
remarkable people. A country of beauty and love known to be hospitable
and well-valued. I humbly apologize for what happened tonight. No one
in this world would want something like that to happen for life should
be valued.
I politely ask the
attention of the world. Please do not judge and mistreat us just
because of what happened tonight. I have been searching the net and
found terrible things. Hong Kong advices to avoid travels here, China
and HK bans Filipinos and that Philippines is the worst place to go.
I can’t blame you for
what you have decided but I hope that you could understand. Our
country is now in a sea of problems. And I know for sure that we
helped you in a way or another. Let peace and understanding reign this
time.
I know that this
letter will just be trash but I wish that you would understand. On
behalf of the Philippine population…WE
ARE SORRY.
As a song puts it…
And I believe that in
my life I will see an end to hopelessness, giving-up and suffering.
And we all stand together this one time then no one will get left
behind. Stand up for life. STAND UP FOR LOVE.
Sincerely yours,
Reigno Jose Dilao
Catbalogan City, Samar
(End of Letter)
Little did Daboy know,
that the whole world rave about his letter.
The following day, the
fiesta, his Mom, Socorro was all agog entertaining visitors and looked
for him for help, Daboy was upstairs talking to someone.
“He sounded serious
and even signalled me to stop,” Mom Socorro who works at Land Bank of
the Philippines - Catbalogan branch told PIA-Samar.
As Daboy put his phone
down, he told the unbelieving mom his ‘story’. “Medyo overwhelmed ako
Ma’am,” the proud Mama told PIA over the phone.
Dad Ilde who also
works at LBP-Catbalogan also felt proud about what his son did.
“You would say, Ma’am
that my countenance may not beam the pride, but deep inside I feel so
proud,” he was almost in tears.
Principal Tony Caveiro
of Samar National School said he could not remember the number of
reporters looking for him, but when he learned why, he could not help
but feel the pride for this young boy whom everybody thinks is just an
ordinary and typical high school senior.
His teachers from the
school said that Daboy is a good student and writes good essays, but
they all agree with Ms. Loretta Basa, the Filipino department head –
that this was the best, after all, he is the school paper associate
editor.
After all, the letter
came when no one in his country would ever think of such a feat moreso
in his town in Catbalogan as all were busy with the fiesta and all its
attendant festivities.
Daboy, is an ordinary
student, who even claims that as a leader he lacks the influence to
mobilize his peers to action, made waves not only in Asia but in the
cyberspace where his letter was posted many times and got some five
thousand views (as of this writing).
So many interviews has
left this young man preoccupied ever since the letter broke into
cyberspace, there is Pia Hontiveros of ANC, QTV, Radio Veritas and
others and this bubbly 15 year-old lad accommodates them all.
The incidence is
slowly sinking in and he himself could not believe it happened.
Before trudging back
to his classes, after the interview, Daboy shared his plan to enroll
in communications arts or mass communication and hones his writing
some more.
The boy hailed by
some as a hero has only one fervent wish: That Hongkong and the world
truly forgive, after all, he said in his letter “Let peace and
understanding reign this time”. (PIA-Samar)
