Act of God?

Still on the issue of fault and accountability...

A lot of people in the media keep saying that insurance companies likely won't cover damages caused by Typhoon Ondoy because they were "acts of God."

But, can it be argued that the damages were caused, not by acts of God but by "neglect of government?"

Renowned Filipino architect Jun Palafox says so, as do many "hazard specialists (who) think that the disaster is largely due in fact to Metro Manila's unregulated urban sprawl."

Now, just how authoritative all these people are remains to be seen, but our guess is that there are enough experts out there who can support this theory.

Then of course, there is the question of whether the release of waters from Angat Dam caused the flooding. How much of it was God's act, and how much was man's (or government's) fault?

Fortunately or unfortunately, we're not really set-up to do anything about this idea. But we would love it if someone else better equipped, skilled and qualified ran with it and pursued this idea to its logical end. It would certainly be an interesting test case for the courts, or for once, a worthwhile investigation in aid of legislation.

Either way, difficult and embarrassing questions will be asked and a great many people (especially those car/home owners who thought they were comprehensively covered) would surely appreciate getting some answers.

***Photo: JAY DIRECTO/AFP/Getty Images