Saturday, November 14, 2009


RUBBERNECKS

The Associated Press reports that when Mayon Volcano spewed flaming boulders and sent a river of lava flowing down its slopes, a crowd of Bicolanos cheered the pyrotechnic (pyroclastic) display.

Well, we Filipinos are a nation of rubber-necking curiosity seekers. We like to be on the scene of the action even if our very own lives are endangered.

Remember the various coup attempts against the Aquino administration? There were more uziseros than there were government troops and rebels combined. These by-standers cheered the soldiers on either side to shoot one another. Others grabbed as souvenirs ammo shells just as they were ejected from the hi-powered rifles.

The combatants had the problem of having these curiosity seekers under control. Many of these rubbernecks did not leave their vantage points even if it meant getting caught in the crossfire. A few of them were run over by military vehicles.

In hindsight, many of the participants in the EDSA 1 and 2 revolts were most probably uziseros - not the highly-motivated civilians that the Aquino and Arroyo supporters love to brag about.


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