in memoriam: 04 Mar Davao bombing

Last Sunday was the 4th anniversary of the Mar 4 Davao bombing at the old Davao International Airport. A month after, April 2, another bomb went off at the Sasa wharf. The airport bombing claimed many lives including that of our classmate and divisionmate Kenneth Rasay. KC, as he was fondly called, was at the airport waiting shed waiting for his cousin who will be coming home when the bomb went off exactly in the shed. It was the next morning that I learned about the tragic accident. One of our teachers, Mam Daf Padilla and his close friends went to identify KC's body at 4am in one of the hospitals here. They easily identified him with his yellow green rubber shoes he always wear during our cheering practices. When our teacher was retelling the tragedy in class, I can't help but remember seeing KC glum and unenthusiastic when we had our division victory part in one of the resorts here just a couple of days before the tragedy. I noticed that he was silent and didnt join much of the group's senseless merry-making.

A year after, I suggested to our journalism professor, Atty. Cha Zarate, if an update on the bombings can be a topic for the investigative story we're supposed to submit for the finals. She gladly agreed and promised to have it published in the local papers in time for the 1st anniversary. Here was the story:

Davao bombings a year after: Scars, hopes, broken vows