This Friday morning, two pylons of National Transmission Corporation in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, two of the most prominent provinces in Mindanao was bombed thus rendering most of Mindanao to lose electricity. Luckily, no one got hurt this time not unlike the previous bombings. The government reports show that there have been attacks of this magnitude in the past week. The reason for these attacks remain unanswered however, the military is looking into the possibility that this might be for extortion purposes.

My sister finished her studies in University of the Philippines which hones most of the activists in the Philippines. She taught me some of the concepts that she learned during her college days there. She taught me to make my voice heard if I know that I was right. She taught me that once I have accomplished everything that I am set out to do, the only thing that will be left is my dignity. Therefore, I must not lose my dignity in the process of doing what I am set out to do and in reaching my goals. These are just two of the many concepts she taught me and I still hold on to these until now.

These are hard times for the Philippines because there are many reporters being abducted who never get to return home. The police keep on telling the family members of the abducted that they are still conducting an investigation but then again, they have been conducting one for nearly 5 years now and even longer for some cases. These abducted reporters vanished into thin air with no evidence whatsoever. They have been abducted in different times, in different places with different scenarios but they are the same in one aspect. They have all tried to publish something that is against the government.

Bombings can easily be seen as an act of terrorism. But sometimes, if no one listens to you and you know that you need to be heard, you tend to do whatever you deem to be necessary. You lose all morals and do what you think is right because if you won’t do it, who will? In this country where going against the government is punishable by death, what do you really have?