Catholic Bishops Colluded with Pidals (CBCP)
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has just come out with its new pastoral letter after a 10-hour emergency meeting, just weeks after calling for "communal action" - whatever that means. As usual, the bishops' decision was hailed by Malacañang as it did not succumb to mounting pressure to ask for Gloria's resignation.
It did come out however, with a six point apostolic manifesto:
Beloved People of God:
Greetings in the peace of the Lord!
Today in the midst of restlessness and confusion, we come to you as pastors, for that is our precise role. We do not come as politicians whose vocation it is to order society towards the common good. Our message contributes to the flourishing of a democracy which must not be built only on political formulae.
We face today a crisis of truth and the pervading cancer of corruption. We must seek the truth and we must restore integrity. These are moral values needing spiritual and moral insights.
Therefore, we address this pastoral statement to everyone particularly you our beloved people and in a special way to our political rulers and officials.
We are convinced that the search for truth in the midst of charges and allegations must be determined and relentless, and that the way to truth and integrity must be untrammeled, especially at the present time when questions about the moral ascendancy of the present government are being raised.
For this reason, we strongly:
1. Condemn the continuing culture of corruption from the top to the bottom of our social and political ladder;
2. Urge the President and all the branches of government to take the lead in combating corruption wherever it is found;
3. Recommend the abolition of EO 464 so that those who might have knowledge of any corruption in branches of government, may be free to testify before the appropriate investigating bodies;
4. Ask the President to allow her subordinates to reveal any corrupt acts, particularly about the ZTE-NBN deal, without being obstructed in their testimony no matter who is involved;
5. Appeal to our senators and the ombudsman to use their distinct and different powers of inquiry into alleged corruption cases not for their own interests but for the common good;
6. Call on media to be a positive resource of seeking the truth and combating corruption by objective reporting without bias and partiality, selective and tendentious reporting of facts;
For the long term we reiterate our call for “circles of discernment” at the grassroots level, in our parishes, Basic Ecclesial Communities, recognized lay organizations and movements, religious institutions, schools, seminaries and universities. It is through internal conversion into the maturity of Christ through communal and prayerful discernment and action that the roots of corruption are discovered and destroyed. We believe that such communal action will perpetuate at the grassroots level the spirit of People Power so brilliantly demonstrated to the world at EDSA I. It is People Power with a difference. From the grassroots will come out a culture of truth and integrity we so deeply seek and build. We instruct our CBCP Commissions to take active role including networking for this purpose.
May the Lord bless us in this sacred undertaking to build a new kind of Philippines and may our Blessed Mother be our companion and guide in this journey to truth and integrity.
For and on behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines:
+Angel Lagdameo, D.D.
Archbishop of Jaro
President, CBCP
February 26, 2008
During the several times in the past seven years when the CBCP virtually rescued Gloria from one scandal to another, I have kept true to my faith and continued to respect those who represented my religion.
But this act of the CBCP, whose members are supposed to be the highest of our spiritual shepherds, was the proverbial last straw. I cannot accept the CBCP statement that goads the flock into following a leader that is constantly pushing them to the end of the hill.
I strongly condemn this statement which asks the Resident Evil to even lead the moral crusade in fighting corruption when this Bitch is the one that is most corrupt.
I vomit at the sheer hypocrisy of the Bishops' condemnation of corruption when they have not even lifted a finger against their own who have placed my religion in a despicable and scandalous position by accepting bribes themselves thus abetting further corruption.
I deplore the Bishops' indifference toward the deafening vox populi who for seven years have blindly obeyed their pastorals and restrained their indignation despite the continuing impunity of the agents of Satan, people now want a change to moral leaders but look who's stopping them.
I reject the devise by which the Bishops want us to arrive at the truth - more open investigations, less media, less fanfare, more evidence, more witnesses - when the truth has been staring them in the eye all along. The Bishops seemed to have been convinced that the "legal" truth is the "real" truth.
The real problem of Philippine society has now turned from political to moral. The religious, for many of the rural folks, are the only educated people they happen to interact with that every word they say is gospel truth, no pun there, and when they look up to them not only for spiritual guidance but for other aspects of their existence, I can't imagine what values such religious workers could possibly inculcate when guided by the CBCP's stupidity.
In view of these, and after searching deep inside my soul, I will now commit to break loose from the chain of command of the Roman Catholic Church, and take all matters regarding my faith on a personal level and directly with my Creator.
I will not receive the sacraments administered by priests whose leaders have effectively conspired and colluded with, abetted and propagated, the works of evil.
I will not attend mass nor will I receive penance and communion until such time that the bishops acknowledge this mistake and make amends to correct it.
Finally, I call on all Catholics to join me in this undertaking. We want change don't we, and whether with or without the bishops, we owe it to our country and our children who deserve a just and free society, that we destroy the manacles of despotism and tyranny, terminate the deadly diseases of cheating and lying, and eradicate the unmoderated greed of the ruling kleptocrats armed only with genuine patriotism and shielded by unblemished truth.
It is time for the pResident Evil, Gloria Dorovobitch, to cut and cut clean.
...
Labels: CBCP, Cover-ups, Gloria, Gloria Resign, NBN/ZTE Broadband Scam, Pastoral Letter, Senate
Lozada and Neri: Tears for Fears
The latest entry in Pinoy Press' blog is the second installment in Lozada's testimony, the first part which took all of 8 hours Friday and had everyone glued to their radios and TVs. It was a phenomenal blockbuster. This revelation by Black and White Movement's Enteng Romano is as explosive as Glorietta and the Batasan blasts put together.
What’s good that would come out of Enteng’s decision to preeempt whatever "accident" that may happen in the Senate in today's hearings, by publishing this writeup by Senate witness Jun Lozada, and it’s now out in the open, there is now the opportunity to read these statements into the records of the Senate:
1. Arroyo casually told him (Neri) to ignore it (Abalos’ bribery attempt) and work for its recommendation for approval anyway.
2. When he (Neri) tried to reason that it may not be accommodated in the Chinese ODA package because it has been filled up with a list of projects already, (Gloria) Arroyo again ordered him to remove the low cost housing project and some water project to accommodate the ZTE-NBN deal in the ODA loan.
3. When he (Neri) attempted to reason that it may not be approved in time for the Boao Forum which was only two days to go from that fateful April day, (Gloria) Arroyo with raised voice told him to include the ZTE-NBN project in the agenda of the following day’s meeting of a combined NEDA Board and Cabinet Committee, who as expected promptly approved the project paving the way for the contract signing between ZTE and DOTC in China the next day.
Logically, the immediate question that would be asked of Lozada is, “Do you confirm what Enteng Romano said that it was you who wrote this?” And as Lozada answers in the positive, official Senate records would reflect another wrongdoing attributed to the administration, with Gloria explicitly named as the perpetrator.
And let us not be fooled that the truth is hinged on Lozada’s testimony alone. It was exposed first by JDV3 in the past hearings, suggested by Jarius Bondoc in many past columns, hinted at by Neri himself, and soon, a few more witnesses who have been part of the botched NBN deal. I also have this feeling it had been intimated already by Neri himself in that eventful executive session since the palace hacks in the Senate are threatening anyone who divulges the same with removal from the chamber.
These three things are very damaging in itself, let alone the accompanying death threats and “soft-touch” kidnapping that had been committed in the cover-up of the huge commissions that would have been pocketed by a few brokers, cronies, and spouse.
The inevitable end has come for the large scale plunder of the nation’s wealth never before seen in this damned country’s history, the brazeness of how it was carried out, the accompanying arrogance by which truth was muzzled, the wholesale destruction of all institutions that embody true democratic values, and the unbelievable criminal ends by which we, the people, are made to suffer to break our collective spirit so that this marauding syndicate calling itself government can further strengthen its grip on a country successfully terrorized by its own leaders.
All laws whether universal, human, and divine, have been violated. Sure, they can twist the man-made rules to fit their diabolic interests. But not those that were established by the physical universe, moreso those by the Omnipotent Being who created everything.
God bless the Philippines.
.....
Labels: Cover-ups, Jun Lozada, Malacañang, NBN/ZTE Broadband Scam, Romulo Neri
Back To Square One?
Nov. 8, 2007
First Update (10:09 pm)
I got this from Newsbreak, click to view the large graphic image:
I was reading Manolo Quezon's latest post in Current: "Exhibit A & Exhibit B" wherein he still linked my preceeding post, "Bomb? What Bomb?", also in this blog and I was later pointed to Joey Allarilla's @play blog also in Inquirer's Blogs which had this very cool Animated 3D Walk-through of the Glorietta basement I saw in the news last night.
Online Videos by Veoh.com
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Nov. 7, 2007
Back To Square One?
Pictures (Courtesy of Inquirer.net): 1. The delivery bay after the blast; 2. A view of the atrium damage (Note the trap door leading to the basement); 3. The curved beam; 4. The diesel tank's top
Main Post:
Just as the PNP investigators looked comfortable with the gas-mixture theory based on the stories carried by media the past days, Ayala comes out with its own findings and the whole investigation is back to square one.
What the investigating team thought was a solid ground that their conclusions can stand on are, at the very least, shaky and could come down crumbling anytime.
The Israeli "expert"
First, David Nevo, the Israeli security contractor whom PNP had called a "security and anti-terror expert" due to his being a retired police chief superintendent and "over 25 years of experience in security and anti-terror management" wouldn't file a report because he was there merely as an "independent observer". And truly so, he had one look at the basement and his VISUAL inspection was enough for him to conclude it was a gas blast.
Looking at his statements, Nevo, the managing director of Coral Integrated Security Systems Ltd (Coraliss) merely mouthed the lines that gas blast theory proponents would have wanted him to say and then they planed him back to Israel. Nothing he said in the interview could be considered crucial, merely vague descriptions of a methane explosion I doubt he has even experienced investigating one like it. But if it were a terrorist bomb, I would definitely seek his wisdom, coming from probably the "most bombed" country in the world.
The Australian Forensic Police's report
Next, the PNP's resource persons from the Australian Forensic Police did prepare a 13-page report but again, it was inconclusive as to the source of the blast. What they did say was that there were several "potential sources" like sulphur dioxide, methane, ammonia and diesel fumes. They also confirmed my analysis posted in my last post that the diesel inside the tank could not have caused it. They said, "there was insufficient damage to the tank to indicate it as being the source of the explosion". Phil. Daily Inquirer quoted the report:
" 'It is possible that the ignition source was remote from the area of greatest fuel build-up. From the detailed scene examination, physical evidence, blast damage effects, and background information provided, it appears the explosion has occurred in the basement of Glorietta 2 as a result of an explosive fuel-air mixture being initiated by unknown means,' the report also showed."
"To fully determine the cause of the blast, Australian experts also advised its counterparts to: examine the floor area of basement to determine the extent of the damage; engage independent appropriate engineers/experts to examine machinery including septic pump, exhaust system, diesel tank, control panel switches and pumps; examine CCTV footage; examine maintenance records of Glorietta 2; ensure that all relevant witness statements would be collected and evaluated for significant information; examine post-mortem reports, including location of deceased, among others."
What they are actually telling the PNP is, "Get your asses in there and find the evidence!" The Australians, like the Israeli, however, were leaning towards the gas-blast theory and ruled out bombing due to the absence of traces of "bomb parts". We all know that the female chemist from the PNP Crime Lab announced in front of the National Security Council in Camp Crame that RDX or Royal Demolition Explosive, the main component of cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine (C
3H
6N
6O
6) or C-4, was found during the swab tests conducted in the same day of the blast. When the Aussies mentioned "bomb parts" I would assume they meant those other than RDX.
So for the whole of last week, the PNP had been saying they have reached a conclusion based on their investigations, as CONFIRMED by the foreign experts and even announced that they will be filing their report on November 6 because they were confident they were convincing enough they had the concurrence of foreigners. They were zeroing in on methane since the Australians have debunked the possiblity of the diesel tank causing the havoc.
Ayala's expertsNow, over the weekend, the killjoy Jimmy Ayala came out with his own experts: Dr. Stephen Etheridge, the biogas expert from the UK's Science Council and Burgoynes, a forensic prober/consultancy and conducted a presscon at the Intercon Hotel. Aided by an
AV presentation, Ayala refutes the last plausible theory the PNP seemed ready to blame on them and charge them with.
Dr. Etheridge proved many of my suspicions and arguments right. One, that the sewage pit could not have produced the
amount of methane gas needed to cause that kind of damage to Glorietta 2. Aquaeous sewage does not produce methane in the same volume as a dewatered sludge tank which has greater concentrations of fecal solids.
As I also mentioned in my post, a gas leak would have been easily detected as
hydrogen sulfide is a highly-toxic gas and emitted foul odor that should have been noticed by Ayala maintenance people, the guards, stall owners (Starbucks, with a few smoker's tables outside, I believe, is just nextdoor) or even just by passers-by. This was consistent, too, with Dr. Etheridge's report.
He also concurred with my argument that the area could have been well ventilated since there was a diesel generator in the room.
My early hunch against the methane theory actually started when the PNP announced the blast was the product of a gas mixture accumulated in the basement, just A DAY after the NSC presscon where cops reported RDX was found. In the process, they forgot that they said they
cannot yet enter the basement as it was flooded and smelled like crap. If that were so, how did they arrive at such a conclusion? Cuz the caucasians say so?
But another superior human being (yes, I meant caucasian) has refuted the diesel + methane cause of the blast more convincingly.
My suggestion in
Ellen's blog that inspecting the deformed reinforcement bars encased in concrete as to bend direction and close inspection at the points of fracture will tell the blast direction and magnitude of the blast wave, was apparently done by Ayala's experts and they concluded that these were "consistent with the damage usually created by a bomb."
Ayala and Dr. Etheridge likewise corrected many wrong impressions, like that of the police's, that the sewage pit was a septic tank, similar to what our houses have. It was, after all, simply a transfer tank that automatically pumps out to the city sewers once a certain level is reached. (Whaaat? I thought large establishments like Glorietta or the whole Ayala Center are supposed to have Sewage Treatment Plants? Hmmm...)
The transfer pit is no bigger than a 2-door fridge standing 6'6" tall. According to Ayala, and as shown in their
presentation, the 1.5 x 1.2 x 2.25mtrs pit pumps out sewage 2 to 3 times daily.
No way can methane-producing organisms create enough volatile gas to even cook rice! Setting aside the possibility that the "city sewer" or a central sewage system serving the whole Ayala Center was responsible for leaking methane back into the Ayala basement, I AM 100% CONVINCED it was NOT a methane gas explosion! If the converse were true, the ball now lies in Mayor Binay's court, which could explain why Binay now wants an independent investigation.
Further, Dr. Etheridge explained, "You need a tank about
3 to 5 times larger than the one that is there. These tanks are emptied out and they are
exposed to oxygen. The area is also
well-ventilated".
Other important details coming from the Ayala experts:-Methane, one of two components of biogas, could not have been produced since it takes microorganisms eight to 10 days to multiply to sufficient quantities. The water in the basement sump pits was discharged to the city sewers "several times a day". (That is new.)
-The accumulation of biogas, which is 20 percent less dense than air, was unlikely “because it would have vented via the large open stairwell leading to the delivery bay that is open to the street". (I've said so.)
-It is unlikely that a gas explosion in the basement would have caused the severe damage observed in the loading bay area because at the time of the incident, the loading bay was open to the street. (Just as I had figured)
-The diesel tank suffered only "minor secondary damage" with its roof deforming and forming a weld, which is "entirely consistent with it having been caused as the result of the primary explosion," thus overpressure in the diesel tank "could not have caused the damage". (Didn't I say that?)
-Upon testing by a major oil company, the "flash point" - or the temperature required for the combustion of vapor from a liquid - of the diesel fuel in the day tank was found to be normal at 76 degrees Celsius and within specification.
Ayala also showed a three-dimensional rendering of the basement where the blast was believed to have originated, and pointed out the locations of the two sump pits in one corner and the diesel tank a few meters away. (It is consistent with my theory.)
-Ayala said the second pump was for "backup, in case the main pump malfunctioned". (I believe this is standard.)
-The experts also said that the blast moved 14 meters of the mall's structure. The movement, they said, is equivalent to 270 tons of force or the lifting of 270 vehicles, which is impossible if it was indeed a gas explosion. (I'd like to see the formulae and the computations!)
-The ALI president did not say if the ALI-commissioned team found bomb fragments at the blast site. (Cleaned?)
-"We could not say conclusively whether or not there is a bomb crater," Ayala said, adding that ALI's hired experts had said the twisting of steel reinforcements in the building was consistent with damage usually caused by a bomb. (I thought the stair well leading to the trap door at the lobby WAS a crater? How about the "hole" in PNP's Presentation 2?)
-NBI's Romulo Asis said the NBI probe was far from over because materials like electrical devices recently retrieved from the basement were still under analysis. (One funny thing here, they were checking the submersible pump if it created the spark that could have ignited methane gas, if it was SUBMERGED during operation, how could it ignite gas?)
-Emilio Tumbocon, president of Ayala Property Management Corp., (Ayala's in-house building management team) said, "The fuse box shown in the papers today is the fuse box of the old jack pump, which has already been decommissioned. It is not used anymore and was replaced by a new jack pump". "It wasn’t connected. That was a fuse box from old equipment," he said, adding that it was not near the diesel tank. (The pictures showed that.)
-Asked to comment on reports that the Philippine Bomb Data Center had discovered the center of the explosion and found a "curve" in a beam that may indicate a bomb, Ayala said: "We were at the site Sunday, and we observed the beam in question.” “We understand that authorities are looking at this very carefully and we would encourage them to continue this line of investigation," he said.
Trillanes' witness comes forwardA certain Ronald Ramos a.k.a. Abdul Rackham who claims to be a former member of Manila-based terror group Rajah Solaiman Movement to ABS-CBN's Jay Ruiz that he worked with a group of soldiers and civilians under National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and pointed to the group as the ones responsible for the Glorietta Tragedy. According to the ABS-CBN
report,
The release of the ALI-commissioned probe report came alongside the revelation made by a man who reportedly fed information to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV regarding the government's alleged role in the blast."
"The witness identified himself as Ronald Ramos alias Abdul Rackham, a former member of the Manila-based terror group the Rajah Solaiman Movement."
"The witness told ABS-CBN News correspondent Jay Ruiz that he surrendered to the government and worked for a special operations group of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales along with members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-National Capital Region Command (AFP-NCRCom) from 2004-2006."
"He claimed that his job was to monitor a number of malls in Metro Manila, including the Glorietta shopping complex."
" 'Tinitignan ko ang security sa Glorietta, sabi ko sa report pinaka-mahina ang security sa Glorietta (I monitored the security of Glorietta and reported that it had the weakest),' Ramos said."
"While admitting he has no solid-proof evidence, Ramos is convinced the surveillance job is linked to the Glorietta blast."
" 'Sila 'yun... Para gumawa ng gulo (It’s them… to start chaos),' he added."
"Ramos also admitted that he monitored the movements of 34 activists. Three of the subjects, including Sherilyn Cadapan of the University of the Philippines, were eventually abducted."
" 'Ginawa ko, sinusundan ko siya mula eskwelahan hanggang bahay (I followed her from school to her home),' he said."
"Gonzales, meanwhile, denied Trillanes's allegations. The security adviser said he will no longer comment on the issue."
ConclusionWith the diesel theory satisfactorily disproved many times and now it appears the methane gas from the Glorietta sump pit theory is headed towards the same direction, the only remaining possibilitites left are:
-methane gas leaked into the basement by the city sewer or a central sewage system that serviced the cluster of buildings in the immediate surroundings;
-another non-nitrate based gas intentionally leaked into the basement and subsequently ignited ;
-a terrorist attack from either side.
Which one is it?
***********
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Labels: Bombing, Cover-ups, Glorietta Blast, Terrorism
Bomb? What bomb?
UPDATES:
Manila Times: Stinky Explosion
Phil. Daily Inquirer: Metro Manila cop chief: ‘Bomb theory hard to sustain’ and Ayala: 'Nothing extraordinary' about G2 basement conditions
GMANews.TV: Ayala Land says PNP theory of methane gas blast unlikely
PDI Editorial: Don’t rush
GMA Photo Gallery: Great Pics Here
(NOTE: Please click on the "Comments" link below to view more and updated details from exchanges with commenters. Some are too long to rewrite here. Thanks - Tongue
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Original Post
Four days after. Nothing conclusive still. No suspects, no arrests. Not even the cause of explosion. They're floating a new spin: Diesel and/or methane probably did it. Aaah...
Diesel or bunker will not ignite, much more explode, without heat and/or high pressure. That is why you don't need to use spark plugs in diesel engines. Diesel engines instead use heaters that raise the air temperature in the combustion chamber. As the injector nozzle sprays atomized fuel into the chamber, the approaching piston increases the pressure in the fast-diminishing free space inside the cylinder. The increasing pressure produces more heat to vaporize the droplets of diesel to mix with the heated air and just as the piston reaches Top Dead Center in the compression stroke, rapid combustion (explosion) takes place in the chamber, the tremendous force pushes the piston down again (power stroke) to rotate the crankshaft one cycle. This are the second and third strokes of your typical four-stroke diesel engine. The other two are the intake and exhaust strokes.
Compression in the manner I described here is very difficult to recreate accidentally. It is a slow process requiring an almost perfectly sealed environment (like the engine's cylinder). That is also why diesel engines are slower than gasoline-fed ones. Compression bears a heavier load on the power components (pistons, rings, rods).
If the diesel tank, which by the way is almost always filled especially in applications such as malls and other establishments frequented by many people, did cause the huge explosion, it should have been blown beyond recognition. Generators used for critical applications such as Glorietta's are typically run with and without load weekly both automatically then manually for about fifteen minutes just to make sure the Genset (engine + alternator/dynamo w/ Auto-start/Auto-shutdown circuits) and the electrical controls (Automatic Transfer Switch, Paralleling Switchgear, etc.) will work in the event a real power interruption (brownout) does occur. It also ensures that the batteries are recharged regularly. Without batteries, generators are worthless. This regular process, called Plant Exercise, makes it imperative that the fuel tank/s are always filled to its upper limits. Meaning very little space for compression and combustion in the tank's upper chamber.
What did the pictures show? A fuel tank standing perfectly by itself, except for a small hole and with a portion of the top cover appearing to me as intentionally pried open. The tank did not appear to have "bloated" or puffed out as it should be if it had exploded from inside. The small hole? It looks to me like it was there all the time. Maybe a vent punched out by maintenance for pressure release. This is necessary especially if the fuel delivery pipes to the engine operate by gravity (think pressurized water tanks vs. gravity tanks).
Or it could have been used as inspection hole to check fuel level either visually or by using a dipstick. Some tanks usually have level indicators using a transparent plastic tubing stretched vertically outside with both ends connected to metal tubes welded at the top and bottom of the tank's side. The level outside is the same inside since liquids seek their own level. But since this type of indication is neither rigid nor durable, at some time maintenance people disable this and use the more reliable dipstick method.
Again, the metal plate that this hole was created in did not look dented in nor puffed out that would have indicated any explosion either coming directly from the top or from the inside, respectively.
I now also remember talking to military officers from the Electronics group called AFPCES some years back who wanted me to design and build diesel tanks thick enough to repel bullets. I was told the NPAs use AFPCES' tanks for target practice (including soldiers climbing their antenna masts) but when I asked how many have died in the explosions, I was told the bullets just punctured the tanks and at worst, it would deprive them of a week's supply of diesel but no explosions. Either I was watching too many cowboy movies at the time or totally ignorant to have asked that.
I need not discuss it if there was fire in the aftermath or if soot or black smoke or blue flame was present because judging from the condition of the tank alone and my discussions regarding diesel combustion, I'm amazed some dorks posing as investigators are still looking at the diesel tank angle.
Those who still are inclined to believe the spin that the blast was caused by diesel or bunker are, well, bonkers!
Now what about the sewage tank angle?
From what little I know about sewage treatment plants (I designed and installed electrical controls including semi-automation modules for, what do you know? A high-rise 5-star Hotel and a mall complex!), the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA)- if your establishment spills a huge volume of effluent towards the Laguna Lake or any of its tributary rivers, or the DENR - if your sewers lead to floodways or esteros flowing to any of the seas in Luzon, sewage treatment plants (STPs) ARE required by either gov't offices before Environmental and Sanitation Permits are issued, thus construction permits are withheld in their absence. A mall the size of Glorietta, or the whole Makati Commercial Complex or Ayala Center as it is now called, IS required to operate a Sewage Treatment Plant.
Two possibilities, therefore. Either Glorietta has its own or it pumps its sewage into a central STP operated by Ayala Center. If not, then either LLDA or DENR did not do its job here. Or were bribed. In the late nineties, 2 or 3 malls/condos in the Ortigas-Shaw corridor were issued Cease and Desist Orders by LLDA because they were found pumping sewage straight to the city lines. They were heavily fined and closed temporarily until they constructed their own STPs. At least, that's what the papers said.
What does an STP do?
To simplify, it first screens solids out of the influent waste from the mall, breaks down into "digestible" size large sediments like a giant blender with many agitator blades at the bottom of the tank; then pumps all of it into an aeration tank where air produced by big fan blowers is pumped from under the sludge, making aerobic bacteria digest organic waste. The next tanks would separate liquid from the remaining sludge. Liquid undergoes chlorination before the effluent is released to the city sewers while the remaining sludge repeats the process. This is where methane gas is produced. In large quantities, it may be dangerous as 14% methane mixed with oxygen explodes when ignited. Some large STPs use the gas to heat and dissolve the sludge but in this size (Glorietta's) there is not enough methane produced to install a collector-burner stage. Abroad, it is common in city-size STPs but of the 3 private-owned medium-sized STPs I've worked on in the past, I have not seen one with a methane collector-burner stage, much less one that exploded.
It would be stupid likewise that Glorietta, or Ayala for that matter, would maintain a large septic vault holding raw sewage under one of its public buildings. They employ the finest architectural firms in the world to design their projects, any firm of that caliber would definitely not skip the basic requirements in their designs. So will sanitation and safety engineers, too. Even our houses' pozo negros have vent pipes with which to "breathe" out the gas. Further, Methane does not stay stable for long. It breaks down into Hydrogen Sulfide which is a very toxic gas. We haven't heard anyone die of gas poisoning in Glorietta prior to the incident, have we? Instead, what many witnesses and victims smelled was a gunpowder-like odor. Or in one victim's words, "amoy-paputok", which is characteristic of a C4 blast. A explosion caused by methane could be preceded or followed by flames and we haven't heard of any such thing in Glorietta. Let's take a look at the simplified chemical equation of burning methane in ordinary air:
CH4 + 2(O2 + 3.76N2) = 2H2O + CO2 + 2(3.76N2 + energy
where energy may be all or combination of Sound/Heat/Light/Shockwave
It is standard that explosion relief vents are constructed in STPs, more so one under a Generator room. The Generator Room itself, depending on the size and quantity of gensets, may have several exhaust fans to evacuate the hot air around the engines, the cooling system's radiators (or water pipes to the external cooling towers for large installations), and the exhaust mufflers. I will not accept any excuse that the generator room is a totally contained/enclosed one, meaning a sealed vault where the operators can die from fumes inhalation either from the fuel or the engine exhaust. It is therefore safe to conclude that the generator room was well ventilated. Blast waves and shock waves cannot be produced like that as in Glorietta (blasting through the flooring up to the 4th floor) if it was not a sealed container.
Now, a room that has many vents and openings, doors, windows, vents, etc. should have allowed the smell at least of the foul-odored sewage, or methane gas, or hydrogen sulfide (when methane breaks down) and it would have been detected earlier by Ayala personnel or reported by shoppers. Any reports? Nothing I'm sure.
That being the case, and all the foregoing arguments here from my raw experience and stock knowledge, all debunks either the methane or diesel theory or the combination of both.
Here's one link emailed to me, it used 9,000 liters of methane gas (about to fill up a tanker truck) and totally enclosed. Watching the resulting blast, you can estimate that it wont even be sufficient to rip a hole that large through the thick concrete floor slab and even send shock waves up to the building's ceilings. I doubt there was even that amount ( a tanker truck) of methane concentrated in the Glorietta sewage.
DILG's Marius Corpus rattling out that the mixture of of methane and diesel could have caused it, is of course, another attempt at cover-up.
These liars never stop, don't they. I bet the next day it will be spontaneous combustion!
Labels: Bombing, Cover-ups, Glorietta, Terrorism
