Philippine Tragedy & Countdown to Coup?

A very sad story unfolding in the Philippines as two mudslides have occurred, nearly wiping out an entire village. At least 200 people were feared killed and 1,500 others missing, with 10 hectares of land were smothered in a landslide that hit Barangay (village) Guinsaugon in St. Bernard town, Southern Leyte province, Central Philippines on Friday morning, according to Red Cross officials.

Background: The Leyte island measures about 180 km north-south and about 65 km at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins Samar, separated by the San Juanico Strait , which becomes as narrow as 2 km in some places. The island province of Biliran is also to the north of Leyte and is joined to Leyte island by a bridge across the narrow Biliran Strait. To the south Leyte is separated from Mindanao by the Surigao Strait. To the east, Leyte is somewhat "set back" from the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, Samar to the northeast and Dinagat to the southeast forming the Leyte Gulf. To the west are Cebu and Bohol. Leyte is mostly heavily forested and mountainous, but the Leyte Valley in the northeast has much agriculture.

Meanwhile, The Philippine government and armed forces say they've "contained" a plot to overthrow and perhaps even kill President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo by fugitive mutineers backed by retired officers and opposition figures. Police remain on alert all across the island nation. The mudslide crisis offers a perfect opportunity and distraction for such an event, and if the Southern Muslims should get involved, PI could easily turn into another IRAN. once upon not too long a time ago, IRAN and the Shah were "best friends forever" with the US. A coup changed all that! Michelle Malkin is covering both the coup and the landslide.

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