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Death can come in an instant. It can even arrive in the most unexpected manner. That͛s what
happened to the 5 passengers who perished after the detonation of a bomb inside a passenger bus
travelling along Buendia Avenue last week.

It was just a normal day for the passengers. Some of them are going to their offices. Some are
going to their schools. Others are going shopping with their families. The busy roads of Edsa-Buendia
seemed to be normal. But suddenly, a loud, thundering explosion spread havocand hysteria among the
motorists and bystanders who were present to witness such unfortunate event. Anyone who was there
could see the rushing ambulances trying to recover the survivors. One could hear the alarming sirens of
fire trucks trying to extinguish the fire.

After restoring the order in the scene, investigators filled the site. They recovered 5 severely
burnt cadavers. In nearby hospitals, victims with severe burns and shrapnel-induced wounds filled the
emergency rooms.

After his operation, one of the survivors shared his near-death experience. He was the only one
sitting on the middle row. While getting money from his pockets, he noticed that there was a bag on the
other side of the bus that seemed to be left by its owner, an old lady. When the bus conductor was
giving his tickets, the bag, which actually contained an explosive device, exploded. If it weren͛t for the
conductor, who blocked him from the explosion, he͛d be dead. Because of it, he only suffered from
abdominal wounds and severe burns.

This was a discrete act of violence. Lives of innocent people were wasted because of that action.
It also caused the bereavement of the families of those who died. It also destroyed the credibility of the
police officials, whose actions were not sufficient to prevent the disaster.

But as the saying ͞There is light even in the darkest of places͟ implies, this tragedy just not calls
for mourning. This calls for an action, the process of finding a solution that it may not happen again.

This serves as a reminder for everybody to be vigilant at all times. The survivor must have
informed the driver or the conductor about the suspicious device that he had seen to alarm everyone
aboard the bus and avoid casualties. One must be observant of the surroundings, that if he/she notices
something out of the ordinary, he/she can examine it and avoid possible nasty outcomes. One must be
careful in everything he/she does. This is to avoid accidents that can be stopped by precaution.

The catastrophic explosion of the Makati killer bus is nothing but a memory. It can never be
altered. But surely, it can happen in the near future. So, for the welfare of all, constant vigilance is
required so that everybody will be safe in life-threatening experiences, situations that seems to be a
little too dangerous, circumstances where one would say, ͞I shouldn͛t be alive.͟