ILIGAN CITY—Four blocks away from Unicity, one of the department stores rocked by the twin explosions here on Dec. 18, a throng of numbers game habitué gathered on a street corner.

In their midst is a “tipster,” who explains the numerical patterns of results of Power Lotto and Swertres draws of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The tipster had the four-week draw results of each game graphed and pasted on a folding board.

The supposed ‘significant patterns’ of results are highlighted with colored ink, and on this basis the tipster had drawn a long list of probable winning combinations.

But to be able to gain access to the tipster’s shortened list, one has to pay him some money.

For those who can’t afford to buy the “probables,” they contend themselves with the tipster’s long list of reference and figure out for themselves “what is the best number for today.”

Basis

This could be based on just about anything: dreams, vehicle license plates, serial number of receipts, birthdays, and figures associated with significant events.

The recent attacks on the city have not escaped this hunger for “sure winning numbers.”

Among the numbers associated with the blasts, which claimed the lives of three persons and wounded more than 40 others, are the following:

Four: nearly four dozen people were injured in the explosions. There were also four bombs—including the ones that went-off—planted in the city in December.

Four is also the exact number of months between the Aug. 18 attacks by Moro rebels on Kolambugan and Kauswagan towns in nearby Lanao del Norte, and the twin blasts.

Four is also the number of days that the regional tourism event “Pasundayag sa Northern Mindanao” was staged in the city—from Dec. 11 to 14.

Three: There were three people killed in the Dec. 18 explosions. The two, cousins Erwin Suico and Jonas Badelles, died instantly, while midwifery student Najmah Basher died the following day.

Bombings

Three was also the total number of bombing attacks staged in the city since February last year. It was also the number of days between the start of the traditional Misa de Gallo and the blasts.

Two: This was drawn from the number of individuals suspected to have planted the bomb at Unicity department store.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also spent a total of two hours here when she visited the victims of the explosions.

Two hours after the President left, another bomb was found just across one of the two bombed stores.

Hope

It was not immediately known if a bettor had already won from the numbers associated with the tragedy but people continue to listen to the explanation of the tipster—hoping they would find the right combination that would give them cash for the New Year.

As this developed, the city government said it was not gambling on the safety of residents, which was why it created the Task Force Depensa.

Mayor Lawrence Lluch Cruz admitted that the series of attacks here, compounded with the worsening bomb scare, had caused too much anxiety among residents that the city’s economy has started to suffer.

Cruz said the task force, being multi-sectoral, was hoped to bring back the sense of security of the residents. With a report from Richel Umel