**mumbles**

It's been a while na pala since I wrote something. I had a few ideas of what to write next but I haven't really been up to writing anything long these days. I wanted to finish some of the poems that popped in my head recently but I got preoccupied. Not that anybody has been missing my writings,  haha... Anyway, I'll try to finish them by this month so I can organize those that I plan to publish by July.

Senseless Deaths and Killings

Just a few days ago, my phone finally broke, (well, considering I had been using it for more than two years and my sister used it before me, such was inevitable) hence, I was more or less, clueless of what was going on. It was through my phone that I keep abreast of current events and all. I ended up going out of my cave to catch the nightly news with the rest of the brood. It was then that my sister told me The Voice finalist Christina Grimmie was shot during an autograph signing in Orlando, Florida. The singer was rushed to the hospital but passed away soon after. She was just 22.

disclaimer: I do not own this photo, no copyright infringement intended

The gunman was said to have traveled there just so he could kill the singer, the reason for such is still unknown. He was armed with two handguns, had extra ammunition and a hunting knife. He was tackled by Grimmie's brother and then shot himself to death. Then, another tragedy struck Orlando. A gunman shot 50 people in a nightclub in Orlando and wounded many others. This incident has been tagged as the deadliest after the 9/11. 

It was later revealed that the gunman Omar Mateen called 911 prior to the attack and pledged allegiance to ISIS. His ex-wife had told the media that he was mentally unstable and violent. Plus, it was said that he was a homophobe. Many leaders condemn the attack and have said it was an act of hate. It was also reiterated how easy it was to access guns. 

It was very heartbreaking. I didn't follow Grimmie's career or know any of the other victims but I know they didn't deserve such senseless death. They were someone's relative, someone's friend, someone's other half, someone's inspiration but their lives were cut short just like that. Nobody deserve to die that way. So when will such cease to happen?

On May 26, Thursday, my parents and I geared up for our 3-day stay in my mother's hometown Liliw, Laguna. My father had been so looking forward to the trip as he would be celebrating his 59th birthday the very next day. Though, my parents regularly go back to the province since my maternal grandmother died, it was my first trip back this year. I wasn't even planning to go with them but my maternal aunt/godmother whom I'm very close to has been asking about me, ergo, my unplanned trip.

Initially, I thought that we would just prepare for a small feast with my relatives from my mother's side of the family. There were talks of going on a picnic but I really wasn't looking forward to it as they say, the more you plan the more it becomes drawing, hehe. Moreover, most of my relatives were elsewhere, it was still a weekday after all, in fact my siblings were in Manila since they had work. Plus, the venue wasn't even decided on, so the picnic didn't seem possible at all.

So it was kinda surprising when my mother told me to buy snacks for the picnic, I was literally like, "huh? tuloy ba?" And oh, it was so on. I woke up later than they did and had just found out that they already went to the market to buy the ingredients for our lunch. My aunt and cousins from Nagcarlan also arrived and brought along these really big tilapia with them. The elders decided to skip the picnic and just go on swimming after eating a hearty lunch at home. They thought that bringing food would be such a hassle since (1) we didn't have a vehicle big enough to accommodate us all and (2) we had children tagging along; we can't exactly carry the containers of food whilst looking after the kids.

#RaveResponsibly: Save Yourself the Trouble!

Music is universal. It transcends to all ages. Like love and food, music is a staple in our life. Hence, gigs, concerts, shows for a cause, etc are a big deal here in the Philippines. But just recently, a supposed happy event turned into a tragedy.

the event's poster

On May 21, 2016, Saturday, Close Up "Forever Summer" officially kicked off. In the wee hours of May 22, Sunday, five people were rushed to the hospital including an American national. They were found unconscious. Their ages range from 18-33 years old. They did not know each other and were on different locations at the time. Not long after, news broke out that four of the five attendees died while the other one remained unconscious.

Then, speculations of the cause of their death spread like wildfire through various social media. Allegedly, they consumed drinks laced with drugs. Social media was abuzz over the incident as there were a lot of questions yet to be answered. Later, the remaining attendee succumbed to death. It was a tragedy. Most of them were still young. Politicians, celebrities, public figures and even the average Juans expressed their sympathy, disappointment and ire over the incident. There were a lot of pointing fingers to the organizers, to the security, to the party-goers and even to the victims themselves. The event organizers extended their condolences to the bereaved families and promised to coordinate with the authorities in line with the ongoing investigations.

Close up's official statement from their official instagram account

 

By Monday, May 23, 2016, the National Bureau of Investigation said that the cause of death was heart attack due to high blood pressure. Furthermore, they had kidney failure and suffered dehydration. All of which were indicative of drug overdose. The police encouraged the concert-goers to share their experience of the rave party to shed some light to what really happened. But none were coming out, too afraid to be judged that they had anything to do with drugs. Yet despite their silence, the issue wasn't going away. 

A few days after the incident, the suspected drug dealers were nabbed. The investigation continued and the media kept the public up to date. Family and friends of the deceased then started sharing their two cents about the tragedy through interviews; while some of the event-goers posted their account of what transpired in their social media like Alma Concepcion.

To date, suspects are identified and are taken into custody and eyewitnesses' accounts are compiled and verified. The incident is far from being wrapped up. But the real fight against drugs has started. With the new president-elect, whom we all know detests drugs to the letter, it is my hope that this tragedy would not happen again. The fight would  be long and grueling. But in the interim, you and I should know our limits as well as the repercussions of our actions. Save yourself the trouble.

Work hard and party hard, they say; whilst some would shout YOLO, which is definitely true, you only live once, so seek the things that are meaningful, please don't do drugs and don't let your life be taken away from you just like that!- K.A