RedBlueThoughts

Filipino entrepreneur Jun Ducat, along with two others, held 32 children hostage in Manila today. With assault rifles and a grenade, Ducat’s group reportedly commandeered a bus somewhere in Tondo Manila. He then stopped the bus infront of a monument of Filipino hero, Andres Bonifacio and demanded media attention.

Who’s Jun Ducat?

Based on radio reports, Jun Ducat is an entrepreneur who has a string of similar incidents before. Sometime in the late 1990’s, Jun reportedly held hostage a priest whom he accused of failing to pay him his contractor fees. Five or six years ago, he was the same guy who went atop the Rotonda Monument in Manila demanding government to help the poor. He also held a hunger strike at that time to dramatize his cause. Sadly though, media never bothered with him.

Other reports picture him as a conscientious guy who has a genuine heart for the poor. Activists and other members of people’s organisations say that Ducat founded the Musmos Daycare center, an organisation helping impoverished kids in the slums of Manila get education. Apparently, he’s a well-loved guy who helps poor folk in Manila and Cavite.

Reports also said that he founded a native crafts company which exports furnitures. That’s where he got his money to fund his activities. He also took part in the elections in Manila (3rd district) but lost to a veteran politician.

What’s clear, he has a history of activism. He’s also a labor leader in Cavite, as what the senator’s son describes him.

Some questions

Evidently, his caper is well-planned. Bus driver Deogracias Bugarin told mediamen that Ducat’s group is well-armed and well-prepared. Its a premeditated thing. Ducat admitted having invited the kids for a field trip in Tagaytay. Obviously, Ducat planned this very well.

And he’s succeeding. The world took notice of his cause. Global newspapers and the wires are covering this event. As we speak, Ducat has just released one of the kids. A senator, who’s Ducat’s compadre, is still negotiating for him to release all of the students.

Some thoughts on this:

• Ducat obviously, is a well-trained cadre. From where in the political spectrum, we obviously don’t know. Definitely, he’s not a member of the CPP-NPA-NDF, though its surprising why he decided to do this in the eve of the NPA’s 39th year anniversary. He’s really a professional.
• From where he decided to do this betrays yet again his cadre roots. Look at how he positions the bus right infront of the monument of Andres Bonifacio. We all know that Bonifacio is a plebian hero. Notice where he got the bus from—Tondo Manila. Tondo is where Bonifacio was born and where all the poor masses who staged the May 1 2002 revolt came from. What’s ironic though, he decided to hostage the very kids of the masses whom he’s supposed to protect (it could have been different if he did it in a busload full of the elite’s kids)
• Look at the timing. This incident happened today, 28 March 2007, a day before the start of campaigns for local posts. its 3-10 (2+8) - 9(2+7). And the incident was reported to have started around 9am. Anything relevant? 9 is divisible by 3, while ten is divisible by 2. Is 1 just around the corner?What about zero?
• Take note of what he said when he was being interviewed by media. Its full of political-speak. He’s an intellectual. He knows what he’s doing that makes him extremely dangerous.
• More on this in a while….

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