Even The Grass Bleeds

by Norbert Mercado

CHAPTER 9

  1 The author went to DZRH twice, at night time on July 18, and July 23 to make announcements on the relief operations effort of Christian groups coordinated by Christians for the Upliftment of the Poor [CUP]. Return

  2 All roads to Baguio City were closed due to landslides Return

  3 This is a true incident heard by the author over DZRH Return

  4 Dalton Pass was made totally impassable by landslides. It was reopened to traffic by Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos three weeks later. Return

  5 Portions of the Carmen Bridge collapsed during the earthquake, causing the road to Baguio to become impassable. All vehicles had to pass through Camiling, Tarlac. Return

  6 More than 130 people were buried in a landslide in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya. Return

  7 The Philippine Air Force sent everything which flew to earthquake devastated areas, especially in Baguio City, Dagupan City, La Union, Cabanatuan, and Nueva Vizcaya. It was the biggest rescue-relief mission ever undertaken by the Air Force. The authors set up the Christian’s Coordinating Center right at Villamor Air Base to assist in the relief operations in cooperation with the Villamor Air Base Relief Operations Center (VABROC). Return

  8 Colonel Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan of the rebel Reform the Armed Forces Movement [RAM], later Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa, offered a ‘truce’ with the government during the period of rescue-relief operations for earthquake victims. The offer was spurned by President Aquino. Return

  9 At least 1,621 people killed, more than 3,000 people injured and severe damage, landslides, liquefaction, subsidence, and sandblows in the Baguio-Cabanatuan-Dagupan area. Damage also occurred in Bataan Province and at Manila. Large fissures were observed in the epicentral area. Surface faulting occurred along the Philippine and Digdig faults. Person, Waverly J. 2010 Jan 05. Significant Earthquakes of the World 1990. Retrieved August 8, 2012, from https://earthquake.usgs.gov/ Return

  10 The day the CPP-NPA [Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army] command declared a ‘unilateral ceasefire’, Sparrows in Metro Manila ambushed and killed three Capital Command soldiers in Pasig. Then, a few days later, they ambushed a Vice Mayor in Ifugao who was on his way to a relief area, killing him and the military soldiers with him.) Return