The murder of her husband oppositionist former Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. widowed her in 1983.

By 1985 she gave in to the growing clamor that she fight Ferdinand Marcos in a “snap election”. Weeks after the fraudulent elections, a popular uprising now known as People Power booted out Marcos and installed Aquino as president. Aquino thus became the first woman president of the Philippines and the first female head of state in Asia.

Know more about her in this substantive New York Times obituary.

TV and radio networks carried live the Aquino family's announcement of her passing made in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday, and immediately started blow-by-blow coverage of the events after her death, taking the reactions from prominent Filipinos, showing old speeches and interviews of Aquino, and played songs and hymns that were part of the soundtrack of the movement to oust the Marcos dictatorship.

President Arroyo declared 10 days of national mourning in honor of Aquino. The former president had been critical of Arroyo and had twice called on Arroyo to resign from the presidency.

World leaders, led by US President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI, paused and likewise paid their respects to Aquino as the Philippines' icon of democracy and for her “unwavering faith”.

Even as the mainstream media devoted time for the Aquino death coverage, most of the views come from powerful Filipinos. Ordinary Filipinos, mostly from the middle class, used the web, especially blogs, microblogs and social networking sites, to give tribute to Aquino.

“Its a sad morning for the Philippines,” wrote Inghinyero.com, echoing sentiments of most Filipinos who woke up Saturday to news that Aquino had died.

In less than three hours since news broke, “Corazon Aquino” and “Cory Aquino” became trending topics on Twitter as Filipinos expressed their sadness and mourning online.

Babelmachine reported livestreaming of Aquino videos as the nation mourned and took note of yellow ribbons on avatars of Filipino Twitter users. Yellow was Aquino's campaign color in 1986 when she ran against the dictator Marcos.

The blog Vindication of a Fool stated that

in the next few days, we shall be hearing a lot of tributes for the late president. She deserves every bit of them. The nation has lost a moral compass and servant leader.

@cocoy agreed:

The words, “a grateful nation thanks you for your service,” seem hollow when applied to Corazon Aquino. The Filipino owes Cory Aquino a debt that can never be repaid, only rejuvenated as we carry on, as we soldier on, building our nation.

In a tribute to her “quiet dignity” even as she faced cancer, Far From Neutral republished Aquino's “Prayer for a Happy Death” which came out at about the time she entered the hospital.

EdericEder.com wrote in Filipino:

Sa paglisan ni Pangulong Cory, pag-ibig, pananampalataya, at pag-asa ang iniiwan niya sa atin.

Sa pagpanaw ng simbolo ng demokrasya, muling napupukaw ang mga alaala ng isang maningning na yugto ng ating kasaysayan nang tayo’y nagkaisang bawiin ang ating kalayaan at maghangad ng bagong Pilipinas.

Cheftonio said:

It's not very often that I feel sad for a passing of a public figure. I didn't feel sad when MJ passed but, with Tita Cory, I am sad and actually shocked about it. Although her vital signs were not as good before this, I had hope that she would recover.

“A lot of public figures have retreated to their final resting place already but none of them had blown such an impact on me than Tita Cory,” according to Bahay ni Badong.

A student leader and blogger wrote that

[Aquino] once have said in an inspiring message, and I quote, “I am burning the candle of my life in the dark, with no one to benefit from the light. The candle slowly melts away. Soon its wick will burn out, and the light is gone. If only someone will gather the melted wax, reshape it, give it a new wick. For another fleeting moment, my candle can once again light the dark, be of service one more time, and then, goodbye.”

and added that:

Now that there's already a lit path because of you, I take the challenge to be the wick of your remolded candle, ignite anew, and share the light to others, who still are in the dark. This is my promise, until another gathers our melted wax, and be its wick for the next generation.

Writing in Filipino, Ang Sa Wari Ko said:

Ina, ito ang siyng naging imahe niya simula noong pinangunahan niya ang laban kontra sa Martial Law ng rehimen ni Ferdinand Marcos, sa pamamagitan ng EDSA Revolution. Sa kanyang tapang at ginawa sa bansa ay hinirang siyang unang babaeng pangulo ng bansa.

An Apple A Day remembered:

Family. Faith. Love for country. Commitment. Forgiveness. And honesty. Those are just some of the things that I have learned from Cory. She lived it and breathed it. She was not just our president, she was a mother to all of us. The mother who saw us get out of an ugly regime that sowed the seeds of corruption, dishonesty and greed.

A blogger at Filipino Voices also wrote that

“Cory Aquino has left us with the ‘L” sign as a constant reminder that our freedoms can only stay with us if we fight for them”,

referring to the hand signal of the anti-Marcos opposition.

Travel blog Habagat Central retraced the “road to freedom” to honor Aquino.

akomismo, a blog of a high school social studies teacher, lamented a low regard for or mistaken notion of Aquino among his students when they discuss previous Philippine presidents.

Theanthology, a blog of a journalist, remembered being “in awe” when she had a chance to speak with her:

I was lucky to have asked Cory a few questions in ambush interviews. In one coverage, she did not answer questions but when I asked, she turned and looked at me and gave me a one-liner. I was in awe I forgot to ask a follow up. That was in 2006.

Mike in Manila, a blog by a another journalist, remembered Aquino and said:

Not everyone may have agreed with her point of view on the issues, but no one could question her personal integrity - nor her commitment to democracy. But Citizen Cory as she liked to be called after stepping down from power in what had been the first of three peaceful turnovers of transition in the country.Albeit the 4th turnover and her own rise to power came at the hands of ‘people power’ popular revolts.

mistervader had this to say to Aquino's detractors who “spit on her grave”:

I look at all this Cory-bashing, all these people who are taking the time to spit on her grave, not with sadness or anger, but with a sense of sardonic irony. Is it not a paradoxical celebration of Cory's indisputable role in the freedom we enjoy today precisely in that we are all free to malign her and belittle that achievement? To me, it is the truest and greatest acknowledgment of the freedom we currently enjoy and wish to safeguard and hone further from the clutches of the current powers that be. So I say to those who bash her, bash away, if you will. As a free man as you are, I will likewise choose to honor her in her passing instead.

In an apparent dig at the current de-facto president's seeming refusal to accept the impending end of her term of office, a blogger pointed out that “called to greatness she (Aquino) was, and reluctantly did she accept her role — but with all willingness to return it to the country when her time was done.”

An editor at alternative online news magazine Bulatlat meanwhile said that

Cory is much unlike the second woman to become president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is attempting to emulate Marcos by attempting to become a dictator and trying to outdo Marcos in corruption and human-rights violations. Seeing this, Cory Aquino had to rise again to the occasion and ask Arroyo to resign. She became one of the guiding forces of the movement to oust Arroyo. Cory fought tyranny to the very end.

Meanwhile, Ganns Dean addressed his Aquino tribute to current President Arroyo:

You will never be the woman Corazon Aquino was, and I hope her death – with you still out of the country, courting Barack Obama shamelessly – and the nation’s reaction to it will wake you to the realization that all the “accomplishments” in the past nine years you’ve led us, brought out at your penultimate valedictory work of fiction that you call a SONA, will never compare to the shameful legacy of corruption and iron-strong clinging to power that has characterized your tenure as president.

The blogger added that

There are tears in my eyes, but these are not solely for the death of one of the nation’s most beloved leaders. These are tears I weep out of frustration that the current crop of nation’s leaders do not share Cory’s heart and love for us. These are tears of sorrow that it has come to this, that the country’s matriarch is gone, and no one looms bright over the horizon to serve as the country’s guardian angel.

The D Spot urged everyone:

With the death of our beloved President Corazon Aquino, let us not feel as though we were orphaned, “hindi tayo nag-iisa”. We just have to rise—we must, and pick up the pieces. Let Ninoy’s and Tita Cory’s deaths not be in vain. She must be in Heaven now, continuously interceding for us, her crusade for a free Filipino, emancipated from the evils of corruption. Let us continue the crusade—the yellow ribbons must not only be physical. Let them be a reminder to all of us, to do our share, no matter how small, in helping create a better Philippines

The tributes continue to pour in across the Philippine blogosphere:  DeoDuey.com, My Freedom Wall, Paradox of Irony, I'm Walking Alone, Oh-Wheezers, Mark Bravo, GameOPS, Geekothon.com, Lalaine's World, Barrio Siete, Captain's Log, silver, The DJ who's not a DeeJay, Snow World, Deantastic!, The Marocharim Experiment, smoke, Jon Magat, Digiputz.com, Bikoy.net, Pagod Ka Na Bang Maging Si Juan?, Jose C. Camano, edwinsoriano.com, BendzG, Emil Amok, The Struggling Blogger, Coffeedrunk, AttyAtWork, ade magnaye, baddieverse, ARTUJI, and Your Majesty Sire.

Updates:

Aquino's remains are now at the De La Salle Greenhills gymnasium, where a citizens' quick count was held in the 1986 snap presidential elections. A TV network is broadcasting the wake via livestream.  They will be transferred to the Manila Cathedral on Monday (Aug. 3).

The Aquino family has refused the offer of a state funeral complete with military honors befitting a (former) head of state, and have announced a private burial.

Burial has been set on Wednesday (Aug. 5), which President Arroyo has proclaimed as a special non-working holiday to give Filipinos time to honor their departed Democracy Icon. Aquino's remains will be entomed at a grave beside that of her husband, Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino Jr.

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(Photo of Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Sr., courtesy of USM.)

Vicissitude witnessed the incident and could not hide the shock and disgust that she saw her own father and younger brother beaten black and blue by purported “public servants”.

A Filipino Mom Blogger asks bloggers to read up and take concrete action.

The D Spot wrote:

A lot of politicians have been lording it all over in cases of graft and corruption which is already unforgivable, now here they are lording it over, as if they own the world, as if they can go over the law, as if they can just maul and poke their guns on people—the old and the young, and the very old and the very young.

Misteryosa described the incident as “appaling” and “just about the most outrageous things I’ve ever heard this year”, and laughed at news that the Mayor actually received an award for “effective leadership”.

Random Detoxification is angry at the Pangandamans and the officials of the golf club where the incident happened:

What's worse than a group of armed politicians beating up an unarmed old man? The management and staff of a golf club who were there THE WHOLE TIME and did NOTHING! Nothing but watch and then afterwards tell the beaten up family to LEAVE!!! The old man was bleeding and half-unconscious but no doctor was called, no assistance offered. Only an order to leave the premises. As if the old man and his children were the perpetrators of the crime and not the victims.

lux-lucis.net contemplates:

What fuels my outrage — apart from the violence of the incident itself — is the fact that it happened in the first place. Monsters would not be able to do this if they weren’t so confident in the protection of their power; if they were not so absolutely certain they would get away with it, eventually. There are people who say that punishment is not a good deterrent for crime: I say it is, as long as people know that the punishment will be meted out regardless of the status of the offender. This… is not the case here, where the rich get away with everything from rape to murder and former presidents somehow find a way to re-establish their positions in power despite charges of plunder. Ours is a system that fosters injustice.

And I refuse — I refuse — to simply accept this. I refuse to say, “this is the way things work, we just have to survive and hope we don’t get crushed by the unfair system.” We don’t have to tolerate injustice. Acceptance, resignation, apathy — these things will just propagate it. But we need people to actively fight against it. We have voices, we have eyes with which to see, ears with which to hear, hands with which to write messages the world can see. Time to make use of them.

Mistervader writes:

I can't believe the gall of these people. I don't care if you're powerful, or influential, and I don't care how much clout you have. When you commit something this atrocious, you deserve more than just a slap in the wrist for it.

It's high time we stopped allowing people like these from getting away with their shenanigans, acting as if they are above the law. I have nothing but vile words to spare for them, and I have no sympathy for them whatsoever.

Let's see what happens next, and whether the elder Pangandaman gets to keep his post as cabinet secretary and what would happen to the case to be filed by police on Monday.

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Beltran was a worker up to his very end:

His death delivers the strong message that he's a worker; he belongs to the working class. He did not betray his class to the end.

Imagine a man of his stature and at his age climbing the roof of his leaky house to protect his family and grandchildren from the elements. He's really a member of the working class.

The blogger My Life… agrees:

the cause of his death…as silly as it may seem, is because he is fixing the roof of his house. a 75 year old man…not to mention a congressman…doing household chores…just shows much on how he lives (lived) his life..

when his house was featured…i was overwhelmed on how simple his life is…ordinary…yet so special to many…

The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU, May First Movement) honored Beltran and republished a profile story about him in the trade union center's website.

Here is a list of his bills, resolutions and committee memberships in the House of Representatives.

His office as Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) partylist representative attempted to summarize his log public record through a statement issued after Beltran's death.

His colleagues from Bayan Muna (People First) also paid tribute:

Ka Bel's death is an irreparable loss not only to the working class movement but to every Filipino yearning for genuine social change. He was a tower of a man, a pillar of strength for the progressive people's movement. His name has become synonymous to the militant labor movement.

Beltran's death is being met by an outpouring of grief from across the political spectrum: from the Palace whose current occupant Beltran staunchly criticized, and from fellow legislators and activists he worked with. Tributes continue to pour in from compatriots and friends abroad, and from journalists, the communists, a Filipino-American musical group, and more.

The mourning reaches various parts of the blogosphere as well.

like a rolling store was at the hospital when Beltran died and shared what he saw when wife Osang said goodbye to her husband:

Ka Bel was brought to room 311 where people gathered to grieve over the loss of a man who just fought his last battle.

Ka Osang, the wife of Ka Bel, embraced him. She was grieving and anguished but there was no bitterness. There was no “Bakit mo kami iniwan?!” (Why did you leave us?!) that we often hear in the untimely passing of loved ones.

Instead of bitterness, a grieving Ka Osang hugged Ka Bel’s body and thanked him for all the good that he has done. “Salamat sa iyong pagtataguyod sa ating mga anak. Salamat sa lahat ng mga kabutihang iyong ginawa….” (Thank you for bringing up our children. Thank you for all the good things you have done…).

I could barely control my tears. Theirs was a love for the ages. They have been together for decades, married for more than 50 years.

The Marocharim Experiment remembers the one and only time he met Beltran, and said:

For everything that a politically-minded and politically-aware person will say about Crispin Beltran, I think we can agree on one thing: he is a man of principle. Some will whine, moan, and bitch out on a pat with a truncheon or a half-hour in jail. Not someone like Ka Bel, who has seen it all, went through it all, and still had his ideals intact at the end of it all.

Andrea's Corner also remembers a visit to Beltran during his 15-month incarceration from 2006-2007:

Ka Bel was never pretentious. One time while I visited him at the Heart Center (where he was detained for many months), he shared how he and his family acquired their new home in Bulacan. “Naku, pinangutang ko pa yon.” He went on to tell me of his little garden and how it gave him and Ka Osang, his wife, some peace. All the while, the home he was describing seemed like a mansion because it gave him so much joy. Then he goes, “mahal din yon a, mahigit P100,000.”

And this was a congressman talking. Something hit me in the heart . My goodness! Here I was complaining at times, yet I was far more blessed than this congressman. I felt so rich that day.

Pedestrian Observer wrote about the simple way this congressman lived:

Despite the opportunity to enrich himself owing to his position and privilege he has been a true blooded worker never losing touch of who and what he represents. He could have easily and conveniently change his way of life with the stature of a congressman but preferred to live the life of a modest worker with gargantuan responsibility that comes with his position.

Winding the Path of Law used elegant Filipino language in paying homage, calling him a “dakilang mamamayan” or great citizen, and “dakilang lider” or great leader.

Meanwhile, doon po sa amin, sa bayan ni juan reposted several videos of Beltran's relatives and colleagues.

The Daily PCIJ declared that the “working class loses a defender in ‘Ka Bel’” and recounted his life's work and achievements as labor leader, street parliamentarian and legislator.

Uniffors called Beltran “a hero”:

Beltran is a true “anakpawis.” A former labor leader who was elected to Congress as a party list representative, Beltran never strayed from his mission to uplift the less fortunate among us. He made his Batasan colleagues uncomfortable with his honesty, humility and disdain for the trappings of power. He was detained for over a year by the Arroyo regime on trumped-up charges because he refused to compromise his principles and sell-out his constituents.

Ditto for pine for pine. For Talim ng Araw, Beltran was a “Worker. Statesman. Martyr.”

Another blogger, This Women's Views, paid tribute to Beltran, writing:

There will be no other Ka Bel but may his spirit lives on in every Filipino whose heart and soul is to serve this country without counting the cost.

the not so secret world of vikiki published a quotation from and a matching photo of Beltran:

If helping the poor is a crime, and fighting for freedom is rebellion, then I plead guilty as charged

A blogger at FilipinoVoices.com also wrote that:

There are many things about the man, his actions, and his decision making, that I was very much in disagreement with. But, this I can say, with great clarity, Crispin Beltran was a charismatic leader who believed that his actions were for the good of our nation.

Philippine Current Events hopes that “what ever he is fighting for the Philippines will not stop”.

A terrible loss, concluded Albert's Travel and Photo Blog.

Finally, Achieving Happiness remembers 12 years of working for, with and under Beltran, and whose words perhaps capture the common sentiments of most activists on this sad day:

I worked with and for Ka Bel for more than a decade. I became one of his staff when he was still the chairman of the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) back in 1995; and when he was elected to his first term as a party-list representative of Bayan Muna in 2001, I joined his office first as his media officer, and eventually as his chief of staff. This was a post I maintained when he got elected to his second and third term under Anakpawis until I moved to the NDFP-Nominated Section in the Joint Monitoring Commitee late in 2007. That’s a total of 12 years! I’m now 32, and I am proud to say that my most formative years as a writer, as an activist have been shaped and influenced by the likes of Ka Bel. Twelve years, and every day of it was a great honor to serve such a sincere, humble and highly-intelligent and deeply committed servant of the people.

I have to admit that this day is a day that I’ve long feared would come. Ka Bel wasn’t young, and he had diabetes and hypertension, and the last two years had been so stressful for him because of his unjust and illegal incarceration on trumped-up charges of rebellion. I feared that the day would come when I wouldn’t hear his voice anymore in the rallies or in the plenary hall of the House of Representatives. When I wouldn’t hear his laugh or see his smile and have him grasp my hand tightly in his as he asks how I’m doing. When the Philippine labor movement would lose its staunchest, most fearless leader.

Well, that day has arrived, and no matter how I’ve prepared myself for it mentally, emotionally it’s still quite, quite difficult to bear.

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rolling store listed the top 12 events for people's organization.

Topping the list is the release of the damning report of United Nations special rapporteur Philip Alston that said that the Philippine military was behind the extrajudicial killings of about nearly 900 activists.

durianburgdavao meanwhile posted the annual report of the human rights situation of the Bangsamoro people.

Filipino gamers celebrated milestones for 2007, as noted in gmtristan.com in a review.

Courtesy of Pinoy R.N., a “quick roundup” of events in the Philippine nursing world for all months of last year.

Basketball-crazy Filipinos went amok over these stories, according to the Philippine Basketball News Blog.

For what are considered as blogs with “best design” for 2007, head off to Basapa.com.

“Look backs” on 2007 aren't complete without a list of controversies in the blogosphere and they are listed here by Prudence and Madness.

Noting that other bloggers have written recaps on what have transpired in the Philippine blogosphere, yugatech made a personal review of the past year.

yugatech caps the review with this note:

I thought 2007 was the longest blogging year ever, at least for me. Hope the 2008 presents a better one.

JaypeeOnline also recaps the bloggers' 2007 achievements and thanks readers for being part of the successes:

2007 was a great year for me and my blog. I would call it the coming of age for JaypeeOnline. For what started out as my personal blog, has now turned into a more focused blog. I”ve never imagined my blog to reach this far but I’m very proud of it. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank my family, friends and loyal readers because without them, all of this won’t be possible. You guys are the driving force, my inspiration. Thank you so much!

Also, Pinoy Ambisyoso Blog wrote “Top Seven on 2007″ which encapsulizes the blog stats and thanks readers in the Philippines and abroad for many feats.

Ditto for Work With Ria.

Another blogger, Coredump, takes a different approach and recaps the year with photos:

I’m building up a review of 2007, using Flickr photos. Nothing spectacular — just a retrospective tool for me. We have had many blessings this year, and what better way to reminisce than through pictures.

gibbscadiz.com shares a review of the performing arts scene in which the blogger notes that theater companies celebrated many milestones like 20th, 30th and 40 anniversaries but:

[they] by and large held back on the self-congratulations–no grand fetes or nostalgic tributes–and just went about what they did best: mount plays.

and listed the best performances, as what the blog has done in 2005 and 2006.

A post on Autumn Blossom shares the the blogger's top music choices for the year and issues this caveat:

I'm not even pretending to know the best music that came out this year. I just want to remember the best stuff I've listened to in 2007.

Big changes were noted by bikoy.net who joined a Greek-letter society, lost in campus elections and went on a tour of the United States in 2007.

2007 was the “Year of the Risk“, according to Blue Pencil Chronicles.

The blogger explains:

for all the times I had to leave my comfort zone, for all the time I had to take on a challenge, for all the times I took a leap of faith (and times I fell, and times I rose from falling), and for all the times I took a chance… this year, it was definitely worth taking risks, for I’ve reaped many rewards because of it.

andrea's corner has bitter-sweet memories of 2007 and looks forward to 2008 with hope.

Expect another year of turbulence, says Carol P. Araullo who gives a searing look-back on 2007 from the perspective of an activist critical of the Macapagal-Arroyo government.

On a lighter note, 2007 was a year for Filipino vloggers or video bloggers. CokskiBlue presents a list of the top Filipino vlogs.

Also, CokskiBlue lists the most popular vlog posts, headed by the one that tackled the infamous Malu Fernandez fiasco.

Akomismo, shares two recaps on 2007: the blogger's top book choices for the year, and about the moments and travails as a teacher-cum-blogger.

Amid crisis, most Filipinos — or 91 percent, according to a survey — look forward to 2008, offering proof that we Filipinos always endure and find bright spots amid gloom and doom.

Also read: New Year's wishes for President Arroyo and Filipinos

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A Jeepney in Manila (from Wikipedia)

The jeepney drivers group PISTON declared the strike a success, with the government saying it did not affect traffic.

Bloggers took note of the strike in their own way:

Highway 53 complained about the cancellation of an orchestra practice at the University of the Philippines and noticed few jeeps serving students.

Writing passionately in Filipino, as if in a dream tells how she managed to go to the University of Santo Tomas only to find out that the administration cancelled classes at 3:00 pm. The blogger said she was able to get a seat in a “free bus” courtesy of the university and enjoyed the ride with other Thomasians.

Val Makasiar MD complains to Piston about jeepney drivers who cut their trips.

Another student-blogger, some grape juice for new year's day, also managed to get a ride and also found out belatedly about cancelled classes. The blogger hopes:

Sana, kung anuman kahantungan ng strike na yan, makakabuti sa bayan, hindi lang sa malalaking kumpanya. Sayang naman ang paghihirap ng mga Pilipino kung iba rin ang makikinabang.

Aude Sapere does not mince words for what he dubs as “Piss-ton”:

These jeepney drivers, who did nothing but pollute the environment, break traffic laws, cause too much heavy traffic, and hike up transport fares, are protesting the series of increases in oil prices. Too bad the only affected party is the average Filipino commuter, who are mostly students and employees.

For every diligent student that was forced to absent themselves from their classes, for every workman who lost his daily wage today, for all the kids in grade school who were forced to walk a couple of kilometers to school, for each and every grim story this strike has caused, I curse you PISTON.

Elsewhere, i.am.bliss tries to understand the jeepney drivers' and consumers' situation:

Hindi mo masisisi ang mga tsuper. Ang ginawa nilang tigil-pasada ang natatanging paraan para maiparating nila sa pamahalaan ang kanilang hinaing

Ang linggo-linggong pagtataas ng gasolina ay damang-dama ng mga tsuper. Sa pamilya namin, meron kaming anim na sasakyang pinatatakbo ng gasolina

The bloggers adds:

Bilang isang pasahero, hassle nga naman na ma-late sa pupuntahan… Trabaho, eskwela, gimik, atbp. Pero isipin mo, one-time hassle lang ‘to eh. Yung pinaglalaban ng mga tsuper, ng mga kasapi ng PISTON, yung kanilang isinisigaw, ang dahilan ng malawakang tigil-pasda… kaya nila yun ginagawa dahil merong mas malubhang problema, mas masama kesa sa ilang beses kang mahuhuli sa trabaho mo. Kung walang tigil-pasada, aakalain ng administrasyong Arroyo na okey lang tayo sa pagtaas ng presyo ng langis. Sa pamamagitan ng jeepney strike, naipahatid ang pag-resist, pagtuligsa…

Well said!

Also read: Lessons from PISTON's successful transport strike

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The person behind Blogenyo describes himself as “a geeky computer engineer and map fanatic” and blogs at vaes9 and Vista Pinas.

Here's the first strip:

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Killed were Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar and Marcial Tualdo, a driver for Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan who was also among the 12 in the injured list.

Updates were immediately posted by just me, on his face is a map of the world, PinoyAmbisyoso.com, ederic@cyberspace, Piercing Pens, Bryanton Post, Pinoyhood and Fish Tank.

While in Filipino, this report shows vivid images of the tragic incident:

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Life Spices is shocked that the House is not spared:

Imagine, if our government building were not safe anymore? How about public places that we ordinary people go? to think this building should be tight with security?

Blogbites also asks the same questions.

Questions are hurled by fabricating reality:

sino ang nasa likod ng pagsabog na ito? ano ang dahilan?. sa ngayon, wala pang mga kasagutan. Teka, magkakaroon pa kaya ng mga kasagutan? [who is behind this blast? right now, there are no answers. wait, will answers come?]

life is beautiful, a blog of a former student of teacher-turned-Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan who was among those injured by the blast:

Let us pray for the fast recovery of Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan, (she's my college professor in Ateneo) and to others who were injured and wounded. her driver died instantly in the blast. at this moment, she doesn't have any idea of the status of her driver. in a radio interview, she just said ” d ko pa alam kung saang hospital sya dinala.”

damn, when will this will end?

eloindigoart has one request:

sana huwag gamitin ni GMA ito na rason para mag-declare ng martial law [i wish Gloria Macapagal Arroyo won't use this as a reason to declare martial law]To my mind, this is not an accidental explosion, but let me leave it at that. Let's wait for the police to do their requisite investigation of the incident.

Also monitoring the news was A Pinoy Investment Banker's Homepage who makes a guess but says that we should wait for the results of the ongoing probe:

To my mind, this is not an accidental explosion, but let me leave it at that. Let's wait for the police to do their requisite investigation of the incident.

Note: This blog roundup is also posted at tonyocruz.com. 

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Here's the very first vlog post:

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Here's a photo of Macarambon Sr.:

Marambon's son posted on Moslemen Macarambon Jr. Personal Blog the newly-appointed Comelec commissioner's credentials and defended his dad from critics:

[H]e is the fiercest and the most feared Judge in Lanao Province because of his integrity and his case decision is not for sale. He also garnered some awards like one of the Most Outstanding Judges in Philippines

and adds that:

I believe he deserve [sic] the post of Comelec Commissioner and he has the integrity to restore the people’s trust in the poll body.

Buddy Blogs pities Macarambon:

I guess any person appointed to this position would get a high level of scrutiny. Some groups are also questioning why his appointment did not go through a transparent process. Now, this is something that i have to agree with.

But is this Mr. Macarambon’s fault? That he was appointed using a process not agreed by many?

and asks that he be given a chance to prove himself:

I suggest that we give Mr. Macarambon the chance to prove himself, that indeed he is fitted for the position. All eyes is now on him, plus there is a high level of vigilance in our country. I’m sure any wrong deed will be noticed.

Who knows, he might be an agent of a Peaceful, Orderly, and honest elections.

Also giving Macarambon a fair chance is Alleba Politics:

I do hope that new Commissioner Macarambon will be able to prove … critics wrong, not just for Macarambon and his family, but for the sake of the electoral body and the entire electoral system.

The team blog Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism is unimpressed:

Macarambon is a virtual unknown, which has only cast suspicions on his appointment to the Comelec. This, despite reports saying he was nominated by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide. As erstwhile presidential adviser on electoral reforms, Davide recommended thoroughgoing reforms in the electoral system, which include filling up the present vacancies in the poll body with people of known integrity and competence.

and presents a 1999 Supreme Court resolution of a civil case filed by Macarambon, who was at the time the presiding judge of the RTC, Branch 11 of Malabang, Lanao del Sur, against the Trans-Asia Shipping Lines, an inter-island shipping company. PCIJ left it for readers to decide what to make of it.

The elections watchdog of the influential Roman Catholic Church swiftly also assailed Macarambon's appointment, saying that the process of choosing the next Comelec commissioner and chairperson should be “made public”.

Says Random Thoughts:

There are legitimate issues to the appointment of Judge Macarambon in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). Why was he appointed when his name was not included in the short list of candidates? If your going to appoint somebody outside of your short list, then maybe you should not have submitted the short list of candidates in the first place and just appointed Judge Macarambon directly. The short list serves a purpose, it notifies people of the possible nominees so they can check their background and qualifications throughly, even before they appear before the Commission on Appointments.

Manila Journal posted the list of nominees that came out days before Macarambon's appointment.

In a statement posted on his blog, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Macarambon is a protege of disgraced former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano:

My two independent sources stand by their assertion that it was Garcillano who recommended Judge Macarambon to the Comelec. I maintain my position that if indeed Mrs. Arroyo heeded Garcillano’s request to have Macarambon appointed, there is no denying the fact that the appointment is, to say the least, tainted.

Garcillano or Garci the Comelec Commissioner President Arroyo allegedly spoke with for several times during the height of the canvassing of votes in the 2004 presidential elections.

Macarambon and the presidential palace have separately denied Lacson's accusation.

For An OFW Living in Hong Kong, the senator's charge is disputable:

Who is Moslemen Macarambon? He's the protégé of Hilario Davide, the former Chief Justice who became the kingmaker of Gloria Arroyo. Can Gloria refuse Hilario Davide? After Macarambon's appointment to the Comelec, the answer is quite clear. Senator Ping Lacson is therefore incorrect to say that Macarambon is Garci's.

but shares suspicions regarding the appointment:

Can anybody say that Gloria Arroyo knows Macarambon personally that she is so impressed by his qualifications and capabilities that he be appointed to a very sensitive post? I doubt that very much. Gloria is just proving us right that all her moves are transactional, this one is another payoff to people who've served her well.

Piercing Pens observes:

In an interview with Macarambon on ANC, he said he knows Garci, but Arroyo’s phonepal probably does not know him.

Says Random Thoughts:

There are legitimate issues to the appointment of Judge Macarambon in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). Why was he appointed when his name was not included in the short list of candidates? If your going to appoint somebody outside of your short list, then maybe you should not have submitted the short list of candidates in the first place and just appointed Judge Macarambon directly. The short list serves a purpose, it notifies people of the possible nominees so they can check their background and qualifications throughly, even before they appear before the Commission on Appointments.

The choice of persons for the two vacancies in the Comelec is an important one, according to Pages by Arlene dela Cruz and shares why:

Nothing wrong with accomodation, certainly nothing wrong with pursuing a genuine reconciliation between the so called EDSA 1, 2 and 3 factions but the task of bringing back the integrity of the poll body is another thing.

To accomodate the need to bring back the integrity of the commission, the president, if I may suggest, need not look far.

Pages by Arlene dela Cruz refers to Persida Acosta, the country's number one lawyer at the Public Attorneys Office, as an acceptable nominee to become the next Comelec chairperson.

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The group has posted the original mural in their website:

Titled “press freedom”, the 8 by 32 feet mural is now displayed at the NPC with the alterations.

A news report features the two conflicting sides, with an NPC official admitting that:

He said some of the changes suggested by Mabasa concerned “leftist leanings” in some of the images. This included the removal of the name of missing activist Jonas Burgos in the final artwork and the alteration of the headline identifying him as the son of a press freedom fighter.

He said the group also decided to remove the IFJ statement in the central image but said that it was the artist who decided to put the picture of a “bird-monster in a cage.”

The controversy however has spurred Filipino bloggers' interest, with some expressing surprise that the NPC, a journalists' organization, resorted to censorship or changes in the original work without informing the artists first.

According to Blue Pencil Chronicles, the original mural was:

a very compelling representation of the past and current state of Press Freedom here in the Philippines, what with freedom fighters Chino Roces, Marcelo del Pilar, Ninoy Aquino, Eugenia Duran-Apostol, Letty Jimenez Magsanoc and several others depicted in the painting.

The artists' petition — which spoke about the artists' “outrage, revulsion and protest” over the alterations — has been reposted in a growing number of blogs like: Pitong Pulgadang Produksyon, Glenn in progress, StudenStrike, The Phoenix, Listen to the beat, and the Tinig.com online magazine.

mackybaka also reposts the petition but adds that:

Ka Antonio Zumel (who was NPC President when Martial Law was declared and escaped arrest by swimming the Pasig River) must be rolling around his grave if he ever hear of this downright desecration of the freedom of expression and of the press.

Zumel was an activist journalist who became president of the NPC and is considered an icon of press freedom and progressive journalism.

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For a quick view of the pardon or executive clemency Arroyo granted to Estrada, take a look at the blog wits and nuts. It includes the full text of the pardon.

Noting the swift way the pardon was given, alice in wanderlust posts a news item on the issue and inserts her comments there, like a case of “thinking aloud”.

Proving that young Filipinos today as still concerned, cristiniwini gives her view alongside laments about the lost momentum in the semestral break:

She'll do whatever it takes to get people's attention off her. She even gave former President Joseph Estrada the pardon just to make people think about it more. I have nothing against Erap but don't you think that there are a lot more people deserving of it than him. He put the country in so much shame and she's just letting this go? I mean, wtf. Right?

Pabrika Imagery shares the views of many regarding Arroyo's motive in granting the pardon:

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has her dirty hands full of controversy: the broadband fiasco, the bribery AKA as financial assistance, and the deadly Glorietta bombing.

And what better way to deviate all the attention, all the boos and the insults thrown her way, than to do the unthinkable, the unforgivable?

and suggests that:

We might as well dissolve the Sandiganbayan, which found Erap guilty beyond reasonable doubt of plundering this poor country. Throw in the dissolution of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (tasked with recovering the ill-gotten Marcos wealth), considering that the Marcoses are back in power after all the pillaging they've done.

Addresing Arroyo, if i give up i'll get what i deserve has this to say:

~tiNAwaG ka LNg PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL AROYO paRDoN na KgaD! amfness! [You were just called by Estrada as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and you instantly gave pardon! Gosh!]

Thoughts of a Misplaced Jester is also incensed:

This is outrageous. This clearly proves that PGMA will stop at nothing to protect her presidency…

and takes the country's bishops to task for lobbying that Estrada be granted clemency:

The senile bishops of CBCP have come so far as to calling this pardon a Christian act when they were asking for it from PGMA. They reasoned that Erap has suffered enough and deserves the little amount of dignity in the twilight of his life. Let me pose this question. How about the faceless poor and their growling stomachs? How about the Filipinos who are yet to be born but already have unpaid accounts from the World Bank? How about us, the Filipino people who were bastardized by this plunder? We are all sad victims of these plunderers. Is it not frustrating to know that we have the laws to prosecute the culprits at court but with this blatant abuse of executive discretion this 6 year litigation is well, mainstream farce? Good heavens. This is Christian? Which Christ are we talking about here?

Telling it straight and in Filipino, reypinmoko agrees and says the pardon makes a mockery of the 2001 uprising.

another blog, bury me in this dress, feels betrayed:

The Dwarf just pardoned The Yak. I’m trying to laugh it off but I’ve really lost all respect for the administration. Goddess help the Filipinos because we are all doomed. Even Filipinos outside the country and living the golden life abroad.

A veteran of People Power 2 uprising, paolo's pen, perhaps speaks out:

The presidential pardon reportedly has good intentions, but for someone like me who was in EDSA everyday that fateful January in 2001, this latest development leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Is this what we fought for? For naught? At that time, our intention was to get rid of this crook, and for the main beneficiary of the people's actions against another person to give pardon to this same person, parang mag-asawang sampal sa mukha. I love this country, but in times like these, I question whether it's all worth it.

Newsstand describes the reaction at the central desk of the country's most influential newspaper:

We in the newsroom knew the decision was coming (as one editor-wag put it, “Pinatay na ang baboy,” referring to preparations involving Estrada's favorite food, lechon), but still, when it came, we recoiled, horror-struck.

Ditto for Filipina Soul who compares Estrada's fate with that of Ferdinand Marcos:

Marcos was exiled from the Philippines up to his death, and ERAP gets pardoned?!

This is absolute nonsense, a cause for blackamail, makes Arroyo a laughingstock, and a mockery of the justice system!

Oooh it makes me so mad!

For the blog THINKING ALOUD, a lamentation that the rule of law has been gutted by opportunism and that ultimately, an injustice was done against Filipinos:

I know of no words, negative superlatives, or any reaction for that matter, that could ever express my resentment and condemnation of this decision. Why do I disapprove of it?

The man was convicted of a crime–of robbing taxpayers of their money and keeping it for himself for his own selfish gains–and should, therefore, pay for his crime by serving his sentence in jail.

But no, because of political maneuvering, the incumbent president grants pardon to this criminal to divert the attention away from the more controversial issues, of which her name is written all over as the orchestrator, like the cash gift corruption at the palace, the national brodband network deal, and charter change. Former president or not, he deserves to rot in jail. If he doesn't, what message does this convey? It only says that here in the Philippines, you can get away with your crimes. It shows partiality: some others who are convicted of some petty felony, yeah, they get punished; but others like Estrada–with his loads of money, his years in public service, his love of the Filipino masses, and his supporters–he doesn't deserve to go to jail. He deserves to be forgiven. This only shows that indeed there is no rule of law in this country.

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As of posting time, eight have been confirmed killed while 120 others were being treated for various types of injuries.

Manuel L. Quezon III rounded up first-hand accounts, initial reactions and updates. Also taking note of furious blogging about the bombing was Blog Addicts. In fact, Inquirer came out with a special site on the incident.

Photos of the crime scene or disaster area taken and posted by Disney Cute Land are now all over the internet, including the frontpage of the country's most popular news website.

Videos courtesy of Gambit01 who was at Glorietta could be viewed here.

My Life was there when it happened:

It was just an ordinary friday afternoon and we were assigned to man the booth at Glorietta. Its actually located beside the Havin a Baby store at Glorietta 1. We were scheduled to man the booth from 10am - 3pm since another group would be manning from 3pm to closing time. Around 12:30pm, Didith ate her lunch and left Jacy and I behind. When she got back after eating, Jacy said she was still too full to eat while I was really planning on eating once I go home.

Around 1:30pm we were saying that we need to give away all of our fliers before the next group comes in. Then I distinctly remember I was seating on the couch facing the Glorietta 2 side when I heard a big boom. Together with the big boom was an earth shattering like earthquake. Then in just a couple of seconds, I saw something fell from the ceiling. It was a big chunk but it looked like it didn't weigh much. Then everybody started running as fast as they could towards our direction

Calls for prayers came out from citizens, including pas_la_truie. Babble On says:

let’s also pray for the long term implications of this event. Remember we have the Human Security Act now in effect in the Philippines. Plus there’s a lot of political chaos going on, with accusations of bribery, impeachments complaints, calls for resignation and large scale corruption charges being hurled everywhere. Political alliances are slowly breaking, and the last thing we need is a “terrorist attack,” if it is one, to splinter the remaining stability we have.

For mallrats and those with fond memories of Glorietta. the incident boggles the mind, says Akomismo:

A bomb hit Glorietta 2 while I was ending my class with Rosal today. For me, G2 was where I used to get my comics (Filbar’s) and the last thing I bought in that area was an R2-D2 Mr. Potato Head I gave to a friend for her birthday. The store where I bought that toy is now gone.

Akomismo also shared that his mom was there and, thankfully, got spared:

Mom was there when it happened. She was packing her stuff in the Gold’s Gym locker room when the bomb hit. For her the sound is unforgettable — just imagine an entire hallway of glass shattering and stone breaking both punctuated by high-pitched wails and unadulterated screams. Dust from the debris found its way to the locker rooms about 150m away from the site of the blast. Thankfully she made it out unharmed and relaxed despite being incredibly afraid. She is proud to discover that she can remain calm awhile everyone else went into a frenzied panic. These are the days I am inclined to believe in a God and His angels; regardless I am thankful.

Tragic, yes, but The Four-eyed Journal is a but suspicious about the bombing and begs answers to some questions:

Why was there no reports or warnings or intelligence alerts that we get to recieve every now and then during the height of the call for the GMA to resign and coup rumors to overthrow her administration?

The government’s intelligence units were so quick to issue warnings of terror alerts or coup attempts or plots to destabilize the government last year. But now that something horrible did happened, why is the government acting too calm and collected, it’s as equally disturbing as the bombing itself?

What happened to all that training and assistance, particularly anti-terror related training, exercises, assistance the AFP got from the US military?

Is this another ploy of the administration to distract the public from the recent wave of scandals that has once more ‘exploded’ into its face? Or is it a signal to all its opponents and critics that this administration would not go down without a fight?

The suspicions have become widespread that The Warrior Lawyer explains:

This may be a case of the tail wagging the dog, as Malacanang operatives are supposedly looking for ways to redirect public attention away from the latest shenanigans involving President Arroyo and her immediate circle. The Makati Business Club has labeled the incident a possible “diversionary tactic”. Sen. Trillanes warns against Arroyo’s setting the stage for a declaration of emergency rule. These reactions were prompted by the obvious question: Who has most to gain in the immediate term by this fomenting an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty?

People are now looking intensely at the investigation and staying vigilant over possible maneuvers by the President to use the incident to justify emergency rule or martial law.

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