Flora Pineda--the woman who wanted Pnoy to step down--is no mental case

Why is it always axiomatic for some of our journalists to consider a person a mental case whenever someone does something out of the ordinary?

News reports depict Flora Pineda--the woman who packed a pistol just to scare Pnoy and ask him to step down--as a mental case. I mean, the woman is even more sane than the rest of us!

First, she had the courage to tell everybody, even the President, that she is sick and tired of what's happening around her and she's concerned with the condition of the poor and the poorest of the poor, especially those kids forced as beggars due to poverty.

Don't tell me that a woman who went pass strict Presidential Security Group protocols armed with a loaded 45 caliber pistol is a nutcase? I had the privilege before of covering Malacanan and mind you, it is not as easy as it looks going pass those metal detectors and eagle-eyed presidential guards. Yet, Flora Pineda managed to elude those and was caught inside the palace grounds. Of course, Pineda probably does not know that Pinoy does not reside in that area, but what if she knew?

Pineda had the courage to do what she intended to do and that, to our mind, is psychotic?

I remember several years ago, of this tragic incident that happened when a man occupied the airport signalling tower at the Ninoy Aquino international airport. Actually, this man was a retired government official.

Armed with only a pistol, this man occupied the tower and demanded that former president Gloria Arroyo steps down from power. During that time, this man even called broadcaster Arnold Clavio and expressed his disgusts against Arroyo and her way of managing things. While he was talking with Clavio, heavily armed airport assault teams barged into his room and gunned him down. It was all recorded on audio.

I also remembered how a man took several kids hostaged inside a bus in Manila. This man, who built a school for children, was armed with an assault rifle and I think several other people assisted him in holding hostage several school children for several hours. Eventually, a friend of his, a legislator, managed to convince him to stand down and surrender. He did, but not after getting half an hour of exposure on air which he used in lambasting government to smithereens.

These people did what they did probably out of sheer frustration over what is happening in our society today. I don't think they were out of their minds when they did those things which shocked the Nation.

Random acts of violence committed by ordinary Filipinos are tell-tale signs of an undercurrent of dissent being felt by majority of the people. There is a brewing revolt among the people, now feeling the tremendous pressure and strain caused by high prices of goods and of everything and the obvious lack of support coming from government. There is an evident breakdown of law and order. Systems are now suffering severe neglect and services are getting worse by the minute. And all because most, if not all of those elected or appointed by the People to manage the government are now busy trying to secure their futures post-Aquino.

Everything is getting nuttier by the second and expect more dramatic incidents such as these in the future because the people are really tired, frustrated and angry over what is happening in their country today.It is just a matter of time before things get out of hand and the crowd's passions boil over.