by Isabel

Last week, I learned that one of the banks inside Ever Gotesco was held up.

I waited for a news report on TV that night and the following morning, looked for news items both in the papers and on the Internet that might give the details. Nothing. Or did I just miss it?

Anyway, because there was no “official” news, I have no way of knowing how true the story was. Just the same, hearing of this made me think of previous incidents in Ever. Who could forget the robbery on the evening of 25 December 2006, in which armed men dressed in SWAT uniforms made off with millions in sales and employees’ salaries? The abduction of Jonas Burgos also took place inside Ever, in April.

I decided to blog about it because I came across this article a few days ago, about four men who were caught while holding up a bus along East Avenue. The robbers led the police to a fifth man, who was caught in Ever while waiting for the robbers and their goods. According to the report, the fifth man allegedly bought stolen mobile phones from the gang.

Where these phones are eventually sold is anyone’s guess.

by Isabel

It’s that time of year again.

Tomorrow, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo delivers her State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the opening of the 14th Congress.

For us living just a stone’s throw away from the Batasang Pambansa Complex, that means using alternate routes as Commonwealth Avenue is expected to be closed to vehicular traffic.

According to this article on ABS-CBN Interactive, rallyists will converge in front of the St. Peter’s Church along Commonwealth and hold programs in the Ever Gotesco area while the SONA is ongoing.

As reported, the IBP Road leading to the Batasan complex will be closed by noon, or “when the number of rallyists starts to build up.” No mention was made of the exact time Commonwealth Avenue will be inaccessible to cars.

Unless you’ve just moved to our area, this situationer is nothing new. But just so we are all aware, another report pegs the number of protesters from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) at 10,000 to 15,000. Pro-GMA rallyists, estimated at 15,000, are also expected to converge in the area tomorrow.

Some 9,000 policemen will be deployed in roads leading to the Batasang Pambansa complex. Traffic enforcers and barangay officials from the affected areas will assist in traffic management.

Despite the SONA, tomorrow is not a holiday. The coding scheme will still be in effect, according to the MMDA.

To all motorists and commuters, take the necessary precautions to avoid the traffic tomorrow!