CAT CONFUSED

I noticed the CAT had not been her spunky usual self for almost two weeks. I would often see her half-crying or talking to old friends actually crying.  So what’s eating you CAT?

She’s beautiful to behold. So pleasant to talk to. I wonder what the fuck is up. 

I could not stand it any longer, yesterday I talked to her  Yep, she is bothered. She wants to quit her job. I asked if she made enemies? money-problems? boylet-problem?

No, she feels she has lost the trust and confidence of her boss.  She is relegated to doing non-supervisory work which even a student trainee can do. I can’t blame her for feeling down and confused.

I will ask the CAT is she wants to purrr in a new environment. Perhaps it’s time to say hasta la vista to the old sand-box.  I know of a perfect new sand-box where she can shed her beautiful furry skin without resigning. All she has to do is take the leap of faith and trust herself again. 

It’s ok to get confused. It gives you the chance to take a reality check. Don’t take too long though to remain in a state of confusion. Opportunities might be there in plain sight but you still can’t see.  

DAKIP NG BATAS

It was very good news indeed that suspected wacko-killer, Jason, was captured in a shoot-out with operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation.

Now the bad new. In the accompanying video of the arrest, I can spot at least ….flaws on how the encounter could have turned into another tradegy.

The operatives serving the search warrant for a known armed suspect did not come prepared for battle.  

1. The arresting team was “accompanied” by media men. They should have just worn webcams on their tactical vests to record the incident. Very dangerous since the media  were literally all over the place.   

2. The arresting team were not in stack formation when they searched the house. A hand-grenade thrown in the middle of the house  could have wiped them out.

3. They brought along the wacko-mother in the room by room search, again another tactical error that could have killed the civilian in an unexpected shoot-out.

4. When they finally determined were wacko-Jason was hiding, they spread into a semi-circle behind the door. Another death wish  for lobbed grenades or indiscriminate firing.

5. They yelled for the suspect to surrender without the benefit of intel inside the room. Bad move that gave the badguy a good idea where the attack was going to come.  They should have used dynamic-room entry techniques : flash bangs, battering ram, tear-gas to drive him out to give them the advantage.

6. The badguy opened semi- automatic fire on the door after hearing the yell to surrender.  The operative infront of the door was hit in the vest and dropped to his knees.  While he was wearing a bullet-proof vest, it was only for small caliber firearms. The perp fired armor-piercing M-4 rifle rounds 7.16MM.   The bullet however was not fatal as it just slashed through the side of his ribs.  They were not equipped to face-off with a well armed badguy.  Another rifle round bounced off the walls and hit an operative on the forehead. They did not wear any tactical helmets. Budget constraint? or little training in Close Quarter Battle.

7. One operative started to  return fire at the door without seeing what’s behind it. He could have hit innocent civilians trapped inside.  To make things worse, he was firing on top of the head of another operative crouched near the door to his 9 oclock position.  But worst, (or even an odd blessing) after 2 rounds he accidentally pressed the magazine-release button. He was out of the fight immediately.

When they finally arrested the perp, he was hit with 3 M-4 rounds fired by the operative crouched  behind the door. Then they committed technical errors on the actual arrest :

1. They did not have handcuffs to restrain the hands of the perp and render him immobilized. 2 operatives held the wrists of the perp.

2. A third operative pinned him on the ground with one foot. A tactical error since the perp can sweep his leg and God knows what would have happened. The operative should have used his knees to pin down the perp so the center of gravity was low and no opportunity to sweep the legs.

Overall, the mission was a media success after seeing Jason the Wacko dragged out of the house, bleeding like a pig. For those who can analyze the tactics that the operatives used, you can say they were dammned lucky they survived with minimal casualties.

I give my snappy salute to the brave women and men who were part of the arresting team.

You all had balls. You all have heart. Mabuhay po kayo.

Piece of advice guys, equip yourselves better. You can’t be lucky all the time. 

Train hard, fight easy.

TINGNAN MO NGA NAMAN

Ang lamig pa rin ng simoy ng hangin sa Tumana.  Kung akala mong tapos na ang ihip ng habagat at tag-init na eh, o-gag ka kasi ang amihan na mula sa bansang Tsina at dulo ng Rusya ay patuloy na nagbubuga ng malamig na hangin.  Isang umaga na kay sarap ng lamig ng hangin eh may bumisita. Isang balingkinitang chikas na ubod ng ganda! Medyo alat lang at may asawa at isang anak, pero men…ang ASIM pa nitoh.

Nag simula siyang magkwento tungkol sa mag bagay-bagay at buhay-buhay habang sinisimsim namin ang sariwang hangin tanaw ang mga bundok ng Antipolo.   Sa kanyang salaysay ay marami rami na rin siyang naka relasyon na mga lalake bago siya nakapag-asawa.  May isang lalake siyang isinalalarawan na parang pamilyar sa akin ang kwento. Di naman ako nagtanung kung sino yun at binayaan ko lang siya mag-salita.  Pero grabe na ha, habang humahaba ang kwento nya tungkol sa lalakeng yon ay di ko na matiis magtanung…”alam mo, may kilala ako na ganyang-ganyan ang kapalaran, ang pangalan niya ay Jeff, di kaya siya ito? …”

Lumuwa halos ang mata ng aking bisita sa tumana at muntik pa akong bugahan ng kape sa aking mukha. TUMPAK! TUMBOK! SAKTO! Yun daw ang pangalan ng kanyang dating kasintahan ng walong taon bago sila mapait na nagkahiwalay.  Susmaryosep! malay ko ba na iisa ang kinukwento niya sa kaibigang kilala ko na ganun din ang kwento!  Para na kaming mag-kaibigan ng aking bisita na mahigit pa sa sampung taon ng lumabas ang rebelasyong iyon.  Eto ang kwento ni babae :

Apat na taong mag-kasintahan sila ni Jeff sa kolehiyo. Lahat na ay napagdaanan nila, pati ang pag-papalipad ng “helicopter”.  Tanggap sila sa mga pamilya ng isat-isa. Pagkatapos ng kolehiyo ay nakapagtrabaho sila sa magkaibang kumpanya pero maslalo silang naging sabik sa isat-isa lalo nat may sarili na silang perang pang date at pampalipad ng helicopter !  Pero sadyang nagbabago ang panahon lalo na’t hindi na kayo araw-araw na magkasama parang kolehiyo.  Dumating ang ika 6 na taon nila bilang mag sintang-irog pero ito na ang simula ng pagtabang ng kanilang relasyon.  Noong malapit na ang ka-arawan ni Jeff ay nag plano ng surprise-merienda ang dalaga at namili ng pancit, puto at lumpiang shanghai at dadalhin sa opisina ni Jeff.  Laking gulat ng dalaga ng mayrun merienda-cena na nagaganap sa opisina ni Jeff na inihanda ng isang ka-opisina ni Jeff!  Nag mukang delivery-boy ng Ambers ang dalaga at siya ang na-sorpresa sa nakita. Ibang-iba na ang kilos ni Jeff pagkatapos noon. Lagi ng umiiwas sa mga lakad at lagi bang masakit ang ulo pag niyaya ng dalaga na mga palipad ng helicopter na dati ay walang tanggi!  Pero eto pinaka matinding sorpresa sa dalaga. Isang araw, pina punta ni Jeff and dalaga sa kanilang bahay kung saan sila nag hapunan kasama ang mga magulang ni Jeff. Doon niya sinabi sa dalaga na magpapakasal na sila! Laking gulat ng dalaga at halos lumundag sa tuwa. Pero may biglang kabig ang Jeff.  Ang ibig palang sabihin ni Jeff ng magpapakasal na sila ay ….. papakasal si Jeff  sa ibang babaeng nabuntis niya! Inimbita lang niya ang dalaga sa kanila bahay upang di siya eskandaluhin na malamang ang mangyayari  kung sa labas sila mag uusap. “Susmaryosep!!!” sabi ng dalaga. Itinumba nya ang kanyang silya at binuhusan ng spagheti si Jeff sa kanyang pag kakaupo. Hinablot ang dinner-knife at itinutok kay Jeff. Napalundag sa silya ang ina ni Jeff at hinarang ang sarili sa pagitan ng dalawang mag-sintang irog!  Huminahon ang dalaga pagkalipas ng halos dalawang oras na pag mumura kay Jeff. Nahimasmasan na rin lahat ng tao sa bahay ni Jeff at doon na sila nag-tapos ng kanilang relasyon. Isang sambit lang ang iniwan ng dalaga kay Jeff  - “Fuck You and Die, you ass-loving mother-fucker!”

– Nagimbal ako sa kwento ng aking bisita. Tinanung ko siya paano siya naka bawi sa napaka pait na pangyayari at ngayon ay pamilyado na rin siya. Simple lang, “humanap ako ng lalakeng mas magaling mag palipad ng helicopter”…..

Akalain mo yun, nakilala ko lang siya habang nag-kakape eh mukang makakapagpalipad din ako ng helicopter kasama nya mamaya.                                                                                                                                     

THE ANNUAL HERO AWARDS

In the company were I work, there is an annual awarding of “heroés”.  Hero is defined as an employee who have delighted a customer and said customer gave feedback about it to the company. This award giving tradition happens during the company’s anniversary party.

While this is well and good for the employees morale, let me share my own interpretation of what a hero is.

 A hero is someone who knows he’s dying of a really bad disease but keeps on fighting in order to bring his family and loved ones closer to each other. He does not whine nor whimper but offers the pain to God. 

A hero is a mother who after losing her unborn child, picks up the pieces immediately to let the other children know that they are as much loved.

A hero to me is the daughter, who after witnessing her father gets brutally slain, finds it in her heart to offer everyting to God. I myself would only be appeassed if I hear someone whiper : “don’t worry, we’ll kill them all” .

A hero to me is the silent-worker who works 9 to 5 without complaint and goes on day by day without hurting his co-workers.

To me, the  hero is the one who truly deserves to be called a hero but will never have to walk up the podium and be recognized for it.

 Again, that’s only me and my thoughts.

Teaching Pia

It was a week after the wake when I asked Pia again if she really wanted to learn to how to shoot a pistol.

We first talked about it during her dad’s wake in Lipa City, Batangas.  Her father, calculatedly assasinated in front of her elder sister is a memory that their family will never forget.  Pia grew up around guns but never had the opportunity to use any of them.  Her father, retired PAF Colonel Romulo Mantuano, taught his son how to use guns but never the girls in the family. She confessed that she and her elder sister wanted to go try firing guns so they can also experience the real-deal.  It is really a shame that Colonel Mantuano will never teach Pia or anyone else how to responsibly handle a fire-arm.

She said yes to my question without hesitation and we walked towards the firing range.  I introduced her to the range officer and he gave Pia a crash course on GunSafety and Responsible Gun Handling. After an hour of theory, she was prepped for the real-deal.  The range officer fed her gun’s ammunition and she cycled the weapon like a natural born shooter. 

Slowly, she worked herself a steady tempo, following the 6-8 second breathing technique to steady the gun in hand. She squeezed nervously at first but after 20+ rounds, the sound-shock and recoil is already tolerable.  She was a very eager student, absorbing what was taught to her like a sponge.  The stance, draw, and position were textbook execution.

After 2 hours and roughly 118 spent bullets, I knew that Pia was on her way to becoming a good shooter. God have mercy on the jackass that will stand in her wrath, 5 meters or less, will be a life-less jackass.  She hit Alpha 75% ( Center-Mass) . Not bad for a rookie shooter.  

We carried the target back to the office for her to study her ”grouping”.  I asked her if she will come back with me to practice. She said, “next Tuesday, this time, I buy my own bullets”