“Sensationalistly” Untrue!

erroneous misleading sensationalist photo caption in The Freeman - a Visayas newspaper

The caption in that picture, I mean. Not necessarily the article about the evacuees, that actually seems to be unrelated, in the first place. I saw this “news” on the July 17, 2014 issue of The Freeman – a local daily with large circulation in the Visayas.

Let me quote the caption:
”A 6-wheeler van, loaded with relief goods for Ormoc City, turned to its side at the Maharlika Highway near sitio Lemon in Barangay Pinamopoan of Capoocan town in Leyte during the height of typhoon Glenda. The truck driver and his truckman were seriously injured. MEL CASPE”.

Here are what I know:
1) On July 13, 2014 about 430PM this truck was already like so (pictured above) as I passed by the area on a trip from Ormoc to Tacloban. Therefore, that incident must have occurred earlier than this time/date. Yep, earlier than 430PM of July 13, 2014!

2) On July 14, 2014 about 330PM this truck was still there (see my picture below) as I was traveling from Tacloban to Ormoc. There was another big truck (behind) – probably to help salvage whatever contents of this truck were still there or probably to even tow it to stand and run again - whatever. I did see some men bantering in between the 2 trucks amidst cases and cases of Coke – yeah, too many red plastic cases for a snack! Fairly sunny day with clouds in these areas (13th & 14th July)

actual positions and description of the truck that The Freeman erroneously described

3) Typhoon Glenda made landfall only on July 15, 2014! Here was the forecast

path/track of typhoon glenda, an illustration from PAGASA

It did not hit Samar but went a little bit up (Bicol). How much more 'western' Leyte?

So, why does that newspaper article say “during the height of typhoon Glenda”? Hmm, that MEL CASPE in the caption means the dude who took the picture and/or the one who submitted the ‘news’ to their Cebu offices, right? He/She should be grounded in his/her bedroom for a week. Not doing assignments properly! Bad boy/girl!

Here’s more:
That truck faces north, and down towards Capoocan (this is a mountain area). Therefore its ‘behind’ is facing south (which is Kanangga and further to Ormoc). If, according to the dyaryo, this truck was bound for Ormoc, a fantabulously unbelievably miraculous incident must have taken place before this thing finally rested on its side!

It must have pirouetted on its heels or made a back-summersault for it to lie down like that facing north – IF INDEED it was on its way to Ormoc, which is south! No no no, it couldn’t have done a “drift” like we can do with sedans, because – 1) this is such a big and long truck, 2) that is a narrow highway with a ridge on the left and a hill to the right, and 3) this part of the road is a steep climb from north heading south. And, if the caption is really true (that it was loaded with relief goods for Ormoc), all the more that it cannot just tumble back to face away from Ormoc!

Another thing:
Lemon is itself another Barangay of Capoocan, just like Pinamopoan, di ba? But the Maharlika Highway does not pass by any part of Barangay Pinamopoan if you were going to Ormoc from Tacloban. It is after Barangay Lemon if you were going to Biliran!

Anyway, no real harm done to the reading public, right? Just a reminder for us common folks, that these reporters could twist their facts, just so an otherwise simple accident will be sensational to make our chinky eyes grow wide. In this case, walang kinalaman si Glenda at hindi papuntang Ormoc ang truck na yan!

To this MEL CASPE, I say, upaya gad mano/mana, kubuton ko im paa!

Oh well… Happy 95th Anniversary to The Freeman.