bomb at glorietta

We just got word that a bomb exploded at Glorietta, one of the premiere malls in Makati City, leaving a number of people hurt. The mother of one of my close friends was there, but made it safely out, as people stampeded.

I do not normally post much about politics and such, but I cannot help but be infuriated by this horrible event.

Lacuna jumping: I cannot help but suspect that the government is creating terrible distractions to draw attention away from the latest Malacanang bribery scandal, where 190 congressmen and officials were handed out glossy bags of cash ranging from 200k-500k. With the heat on our Lady President, her circle has transformed into a bastion of denial, deadma, and absurdist reasoning: that those were early Christmas gifts, that it did not come from the government, that the Lady President did not know about it despite the fact that she attended the very same breakfast meeting where the cash was distributed like loot bags for a children's party. And when she denies any knowledge of such cash disbursements, the implication is that she is not in control (how can she not know?, ask many observers).

In the light of so many important issues that our government needs to address, this explosive sleight-of-hand - if it is what I think it is - is simply too cruel.

Update:

Reports are coming in that was a gas-related explosion.

Update 2:

It was a bomb.