tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63998781774255477112024-03-08T05:41:13.623-08:00THE TRAVELERMAURO GIA SAMONTE
My Thoughts, My TreasureMauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-20798168855832971902015-06-13T17:12:00.001-07:002015-06-13T17:15:14.978-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">BOOK
EIGHT</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">HOUSE
BUILT ON A ROCK</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Chapter
I </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DAYBREAK depicted a
picture of another gloomy day. At five o’clock in the morning when ordinarily
you could already see a touch of brilliance in the sky, the hour that Wednesday
had the surroundings wrapped in a mist of gray. The foliage, consisting of
hardwood and fruit trees which together with bamboo groves made up the
landscape around the house, was virtually just silhouettes, unlike in summer
when even at dawn the house already struck up some nice picture framed by green
scallops etched in blue sky and accented by fire trees whose orange blossoms
served to crown the steeply-inclined house roof. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao was up and about that early, doing his regular chore of sprucing up the surroundings,
cutting grass that had begun to thicken in the lawn with the onset of the rainy
season. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That had been his routine daily on schooldays, since by
eight o’clock he should start attending to Gia, cooking her breakfast, then
ironing her school uniform. Gia would get up from bed at this time, but she
took too much time toying with her stuffed toys in bed. Only about past nine
o’clock would she take breakfast and then start her toilet routine which,
including her bath, would be done with a few minutes past ten. Good thing Assumption
was just a walk away, and she would make it to the school still with plenty of
time to spare before the bell.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A gust of breeze swept by, causing Ka Mao to cringe
slightly. He tightened the faded denim jacket he wore around his body. He was
shivering but was controlling it. He looked up to the sky to see if it was
going to rain, spreading his palm to check any raindrops.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No sign of rain, Ka Mao thought. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
checked his foot for a while. It had grown some swelling. Pressing a finger on
the swollen top, he betrayed pain. He fixed the bandage around the wound, then as
he was about to resume his work, he paused at sight of the house getting
illumined by the increasing sunlight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
otherwise austere triangular roof made of galvanized iron sheets toping the
main section of the house was made prominent by its very flatness in green and
its steep inclination which approximated those of Swiss houses. That roofing
style served similar functions: for the Swiss, to prevent the gathering of snow
on rooftops; Ka Mao’s design, to prevent the gathering of leaves which created
rust on the galvanized iron sheet. At the same time, the roof design gave space
for an attic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Where
the roof inclination ended, it touched the tops of the triangular canopies of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>three-division promontory on the second
floor. From inside, the promontory served as a view room where one could watch
the surroundings through the grilled French windows; both grills and windows were
painted white. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This room, having the
amenities for reading hours and coffee time, served those functions for the
main bedroom which belonged to Ogie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
the right of the promontory rose from the level of the attic a single-section
turret. This section, which served as Gia’s powder room, broke the otherwise
bare look of that extremity of the house on the front elevation. A single
window done in the style of that of Ogie’s reading room served to accent this
section, which Gia loved to call her Castle Room.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opposite the powder room is the attic bathroom,
featuring a bathtub improvised in concrete and done with enamel finish. The
shower valve hung on the rafters of the pyramid-shaped roof, with water from it
dropping at the center of the tub. In-between the powder room and the bathroom
was a lanai-like<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>section roofed with
trellis covered with fiber glass. .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below the turret was a structure which
adjoined the promontory, with its roof being a continuous flow of the main roof
inclination. This section,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a continuity
of the main house on the ground floor, was the guest room. Ka Mao expected to
occupy this room when he got too old to climb to the attic which he now shared
with Gia, because she insisted in sleeping with him. To the left of the
promontory was the music room adjoining the living room and with high-rise
rounded walls done French-window-style, roofed with concrete which at the same
time served as open balcony for the attic living room above it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Below the
promontory were the two large posts holding it up, decorated with pre-cast Gothic
design and, together with the concrete railings done with similar pre-cast
decorations and filling the spaces between the posts and the structures on
either side, serving as frame for the wooden main door with elegant
antique-style carvings. In-between the posts at the center and leading to the
porch by the main door were the four-step stairs from the lawn. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Further
to the left, beyond the rounded music room was a square room with wide windows
done in bronze-colored aluminum and glass. This used to be Ka Mao’s library but
was now Maoie’s bedroom. The top of the this section was a roof of galvanized
iron sheets which, however, was covered from view by the gutter wall all around
it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao envisioned on this spot a deck with wooden railing and trellis on which clang
flowering vines, like yellow bells, cadena de amor and sampaguita. Similarly,
Ka Mao saw the rising of a rounded structure whose roof in the shape of a cone
went even higher than the steep overall roof of the house. But an exquisite
pain, like caused by minute blades slicing through his flesh, cut off this
thought abruptly: crow bars tearing at roof sheets, sledge hammers pounding on
concrete walls, wooden poles shattering glass walks and doors… Ka Mao shook his
head, eyes betraying his seizure by a sudden fury. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did not want to remember.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
smiled to himself consolingly. For all which he thought was his material
failure, he was able to build such a house after all. This was legacy enough to
leave to his family, particularly Gia.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had made use of by far the best knowledge he had gone to in his studies of
civil engineering in building the house. He had learned somewhere in those
studies that the best way to build a house was to put it under one roof. In his
case, however, he found it too tall an order to put under a single roof the
L-shaped floor plan that even had a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">T</i>
on top of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L</i> leg, which made the
whole design look more of a swastika than an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan, spread over a land area of some 300
square meters, would have required an enormous single roof which in turn would
require enormous expenses. For lack of funds, he was constrained to do
construction one section at a time, accordingly as money came in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but
with such section already livable as a home everytime. This way, what finally
came up was a sprawling house comprised of two storeys, and sitting on sloping
ground, made room for basements laid out, as determined by the topography, in
the shape of, too, a swastika. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As to the roofing problem, Ka Mao necessarily solved it
one at a time as well. What came about as a consequence was an interplay of
designs reminiscent of steeply-inclined Alpine roofs, Arabian turrets, Japanese
trellises, Mayan pyramids, Venetian balconies, and French canopies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of himself, Ka Mao was a very austere man. When he first
settled on the Antipolo property, he put up a simple hut made of bamboo and
nipa. That was in the mid-sixties, when he began frequenting the place during
weekends. Even then, he was already feeling the itch to let<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>things out of his mind by writing them, and
the rural atmosphere in the property augured well for this hankering. He loved
to scribble ideas on his notepad while he sat on a boulder with his feet
getting caressed by the gentle current of the creek.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When he got involved in the strike movement, the Antipolo
property served another purpose. While being venue for underground meetings and
martial arts training from time to time, it became a steady source of materials
needed in strikes, like bamboo poles and wooden clubs for combating strike
breakers with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And when, obviously because of his continuous questioning
of the Sisonite conduct of the revolution, he was isolated by comrades upon the
declaration of martial law, his own recourse for countryside retreat was the
Antipolo property; it was dangerous to stay put in the city where you would
never know when your turn was for getting arrested.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This was when his occupation of the property began on a
more permanent basis, subsisting most of the time on rootcrops like cassava and
camote and fruits like banana. When the hankering for rice meal became
unbearable, he would sneak into the city and get a good fill of it in Manay
Consoling’s house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For a long time in the early years of martial law, the
hut remained as it was when Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>built
it. If there were any changes at all, they were mainly repairs or replacements
of bamboo components eaten up by termites.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But perfectly in accord with a popular Mao Tse Tung
dictum, martial law was a bad thing which he, albeit unwittingly, turned into a
good thing. The increasing desire to write and the curtailment of press freedom
became as stimulants for him to pursue creative writing. In this field of
endeavor, he got all the freedom to write unfettered by state repression of the
press.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He had tried writing a screenplay once in the past,
“Tag-Araw” for direction by Jun Gallardo, but it was an assignment given to him
more as a concession to his influence as Entertainment Editor of Makabayan
publications at the time. This time, if he was to make a real go at film
scriptwriting, he must really sharpen his skill at the craft.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the purpose, Ka Mao stayed at the M. Hizon apartment
of Manay Consoling, doing household chores in exchange for his board and
lodging. In the Philippine vernacular, it is termed “alilang kanin”, literally
translating to “servant paid with rice.” That’s a lot lower in rung than that
of an average household servant who is paid, in addition to food and shelter,
regular salary. But Ka Mao would not put himself in the category of “alilang
kanin”. It was with pure goodwill that Manay Consoling took him into her fold,
giving him food and shelter, and he saw no way of putting a price on that act.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
his chores were done the first half of the day, he would walk the distance from
that place to the Thomas Jefferson Library on the corner of Pureza Street and
Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard in Sta. Mesa and there browse all afternoon on every
material he could lay his hands on in learning screenwriting. In the evenings
he worked on manuscripts of screenplays based on what he thought were good
story concepts. He did the manuscripts long-hand on yellow pad, for he had no
typewriter yet at the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had not delved any on the market consideration of filmmaking, so his works
in this learning period were expressions of what he believed were good
concepts, like a child contending with the impossibility of his conception,
hence, the title “Genesis To The Minus Infinity”; or an untitled screenplay
which he had intended to be his contribution to the development of film art,
creating what he conceived to be visual music, a concept whereby without sound
he depicted the musical structure through sheer editing technique intrinsic in
the cinema. About this last concept, he was strictly adhering to the school
that held cinema was pure visual medium and that sound movies,
institutionalized by Hollywood, constituted a bastardization of film art.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao paused in his work, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>smiling to himself. He remembered that when he
finally got the opportunity to go hands-on in film scriptwriting, he did it a
hundred percent the Hollywood way.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chapter
II</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
SUN glared in his eyes as Ka Mao looked up to see what time of the day it must
be; he still had not gotten used to wearing a watch. The sun was at about sixty
degrees upward from the horizon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Must be ten o:clock,” he murmured to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then he turned toward the gate of the subdivision which
he would be entering. The gate security guard hailed him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where to?” asked the guard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Celso Ad Castillo,” Ka Mao answered</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s
far from here,” said the guard. “You should take a taxi going there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s okay. Walking is good for our health.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Not for your shoes,” said the guard, pointing to the
ones Ka Mao was wearing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Indeed, the walk to Celso’s residence would be grueling
enough for Ka Mao’s Swatch. It was evident he was doing his gait in such a way
that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he didn’t drag his feet but were
lifting them so as not to ruin the soles of his shoes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The daily grind in
the two months of Ka Mao’s journeys to the Jefferson Library did not see Ka
Mao’s indefatigable Swatch shoes figuring in. It would have been ravaged by
now, with no prospect of being replaced by a new pair immediately. Suffering
the ravagement in those trips was a pair of cheap rubber sandals. Ka Mao’s
Swatch had remained under the landing of the apartment stairway where Ka Mao
had given it a special shelter, to be taken out only on special occasions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
trip he made that morning was one such special occasion. Ka Mao had decided he
had learned enough film scriptwriting to present his work to Celso.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Celso lived in Moonwalk Subdivision, a middle class housing site in Parañaque
City, where you needed a taxi to get to your destination. Manay Consoling had
given Ka Mao just enough for jeepney fare and no more, and Celso’s house was a
good many blocks away from the gate. His Swatch bore the grunt of the journey
just the same, though it might be special.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao felt very bullish about his meeting with Celso. He
had developed enough camaraderie with the director, having covered his film
shootings frequently in the past and given him and his films more than enough
mileage in the publications he edited. Asking Celso to give him a break in film
scriptwriting should not be a problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, Mao,” greeted Celso as he stepped out into the porch
where a maid had asked Ka Mao to wait after letting him into the compound. He
joined Ka Mao at the white-painted, wrought iron porch set, nearly squeezing
himself between the arms of the iron chair.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Clad in sleep slacks and sando, Celso was evidently fresh
from bed, but he nonetheless struck up the flamboyance characteristic of his
comportment. About the guy was a way of giving himself an air of superiority
over the rest. And as he stroked his protruding belly while he sat, Ka Mao
thought if Celso was not doing a Buddha in the Hindu God’s own heyday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso did look like Buddha in many a physical respect. He
was robust-framed, with bulging tummy, excess flesh here and there on the arms
and torso, and with his five-foot-five height tended to contract into a
veritable ball as he slouched between the arms of the iron chair. Above all,
when he grinned, which made his eyes even more chinky, and his mouth like the
slit of a coconut shell coin bank, he was almost everything Buddha come alive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso had all the reason to be vain. After making
“Nympha”, which boldly, courageously and with exquisite guts cast a nameless
housemaid in the lead role of a nymphomaniac, he gave signal that he was the
film director to beat after the era of Gerry de Leon and Lamberto V. Avellana.
Franklin Cabaluna had put it quite succinctly: “Celso Ad Castillo is the
Lamberto V. Avellana of today.” The reference, of course, was to flair and
conceit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
a time, the showbiz media had been dubbing him the Philippine version of Enfant
Terrible, a distinction attributed to Roman Polanski.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But though he loved the comparison, Celso
preferred to have his own showbiz moniker, The Kid, to embody all that was
young, and new and ingenious about him as the personification of the new breed
of Philippine film directors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How are you, Cels?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso was a man of few words. His flamboyance in most
instances was play-act and in instances where he needed to verbalize his
braggadocio, the words almost always came out as theatrics. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso nodded, smiling “I’m okay” while stroking his
protruding belly with his palms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Coffee, Mao.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao made himself coffee, rather fumbling with the
spoon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso eyed him with his characteristic probing stare. He
had had a period of enough familiarization with Ka Mao’s mannerism to see what
could be wrong with him now. There were tremors in his hands as Ka Mao scooped
powdered coffee from the tin server, creating a thin, tingling sound as the
spoon struck the lid of the porcelain cup.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re trembling,” Celso quipped. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sure, Ka Mao had jitters about how to start the topic
with Celso. But he realized his hands trembling was actually a particularity
about him: he should take rice for breakfast otherwise his nerves got shaky
towards noon. Having had to start early in his travel to Celso, he had no time
taking a heavy rice breakfast. He knew his tremors now, as it had always been,
were an alarm that it was time he took his lunch. He would be very embarrassed
to say this to Celso.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What you get when you have the habit of washing your hands
after much typing,” came Ka Mao’s alibi. “I’d say writer’s syndrome.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’ve had that syndrome once,” Celso said, actually
alluding to the time he was struggling to make a name in the creative field by
writing novels for comics publications.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, yes?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Empty stomach,” said Celso, flashing his enigmatic
smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao felt squeamish, embarrassed after all that Celso
knew he was hungry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso spoke to the maid.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Set the table for lunch.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I want to get busy writing again,” Ka Mao quipped,
side-stepping the idea of hunger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re not editing any magazines now?” Celso asked,
lighting a fresh stick of Marlboro with the one he was smoking before crushing
the butt into the ashtray. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No point fighting press repression with empty words,” Ka
Mao said, betraying inner bitterness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You want to get busy writing,” said Celso.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That’s
why I see you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso waited for Ka Mao to say his next word.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If I write scripts…,” Ka Mao paused, sizing up Celso’s
reaction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso took a puff at his cigarette.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I may not necessarily be subject to press repression,”
Ka Mao finished his words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We have the board of censors,” Celso warned impliedly</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Gimo De Vega is a man of letters.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We’re
both alumni of the MLQ,” Celso informed, in a way echoing the air of many a
renowned writer priding in their alma mater, the Manuel L. Quezon University.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
I heard. And he’s got high respects for your works,” said Ka Mao, remembering a
piece he had read in the past in which Gimo praised Celso for his “Asedillo,” a
true-to-life film on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the fabled rebel
hero of Laguna. Ka Mao had been enthralled by one particular high moment of the
movie wherein Fernando Poe, Jr., as Asedillo, rides into town alone on
horseback and rouses up the folks with his award-winning incantation: “Mga mamamayan
ng San Antonio, kayo ang ilog, ako ang isda. Kung wala kayo, saan ako lalangoy?
Papaano ako mabubuhay? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(People of San
Antonio. You are the river, I am the fish. Without you, where will I swim? How
can I live?)”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao recalled the lines to Celso, then said with a shade of boasting, “That’s
Mao Tse Tung.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
his characteristic ambiguous grin and a touch of mischief in his stare making
his eyes even more chinky, Celso stood, turned inside the house with a quip.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“A
minute Mao.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao trailed Celso’s steps toward the house with a remark, “Many writers in the
forefront of the anti-dictatorship movement are not just Gimo’s contemporaries.
They are also brothers in craft. With Gimo as Chairman of the Board of Censors,
I expect minimal restraint in getting progressive ideas across to an audience.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The maid stepped out and told Ka Mao, “Please get inside,
Sir.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From inside came Celso’s voice. “Come, Mao.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao rose and got himself led by the maid to the dining
table inside the house. Celso was taking the seat at the head of the table; Ka
Mao took the seat at the side next to Celso, who handed him a tiny red book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao gaped in amazement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Red Book by Mao Tse Tung!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the purpose for which he came to Celso that day, the
revelation was particularly elating for Ka Mao. It assured him that, if only in
matters of proletarian revolutionary politics, Celso was in the same wavelength
as he was. So Celso was sympathetic to the revolution. Ka Mao felt early on
that he wouldn’t have much problem inserting revolutionary ideas in the scripts
he would be doing for the director if ever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though he knew he had been abandoned by comrades, Ka Mao
had not even for once<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>forsaken the cause
of the working class. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso began having the meal, gesturing to Ka Mao to do
the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He said, “You were saying…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If I wrote movie scripts, I need not worry so much about
having my ideas reach the masses,” declared Ka Mao. He took his first bite of
pork adobo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
III</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">LONG lean days normally
precede the heyday of one’s career in filmmaking. Particularly for a
screenwriter whose work value is contingent not upon the merit of his job but
on the star value of the cast of a film project, it entails untold hardship even
just to do a take-off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the start of Ka Mao’s screenwriting career, tt was not uncommon to find quite a
number of screenwriters, many of them already boasting of credentials in the
craft, hanging around on the corner of T. Pinpin and Escolta streets in Binondo
where film production companies had their offices. Each of these guys,
invariably clipping in their arms folders of either finished scripts,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sequence treatments or story synopses of film
project proposals,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would be there as early
as eight o’clock in the morning to vend their works, their faces pale from
having missed breakfast and getting paler as the minutes would drag on toward
noon and no prospect of lunch ever coming. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence what rejoicing would the hopefuls break
into once any of them rushed out of a building, brandishing a check in his hand
as he announced it to be the down payment for a script he had just sold. The
lucky guy would rush to the barber shop nearby where a financier was ever
around to encash the check for a rediscounted amount, say less three percent if
the check was dated on the day or ten percent if post-dated for a week; the
longer the post-dating, the bigger the percentage of rediscount. And then the
guy, who himself had felt the pinch of missing meals for eons in the past,
would hail his colleagues to a blowout at the small coffee shop on a side
street where one would have his first taste of food for the day topped by a
possible slot as co-writer of the guy in the film assignment he had just
gotten.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If at all, what the difficulty suffered generally by
screenwriters in the Philippines brought to fore was a pure, sincere concern
one had for the other fellow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Early on in his attempt to make a breakthrough in
screenwriting, Ka Mao found himself associating with Robustiano Lu. Morota and
Jerry O. Tirazona, former colleagues in the movie press and who were staying
together in an apartment in Sta. Cruz, Manila. The two continued to be engaged
in movie journalism, while Tirazona was gaining the prestige of being a real
quick draw in screenwriting: one finished script overnight. Ka Mao had then not
yet gotten over his underground existence and was testing the waters, so to
speak, of resuming legal status. He needed to do this testing in a place apart
from the residence of his family or any of his relatives, and Morota and Jerry
were only too glad to accommodate him in their apartment – for which, as in his
eventual stay in Manay Consoling’s apartment on M. Hizon, he had given nothing
in return but eternal debt of gratitude. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Quite
in contrast to the experience of many a screen writer, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>starting a filmmaking career for Ka Mao had
been most auspicious. It was instantly a heyday. This was mainly because he was
riding on the crest of Celso’s popularity which had made The Kid the most
sought-after director in Philippine cinema in the Seventies. So as loaded as
Celso was with film directorial assignments, Ka Mao was with film script jobs.
After only a short while, Celso would admit to Ka Mao that he had completely
become dependent on Ka Mao’s script. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
of his films which became a grand FAMAS Award winner was under the credit of
two other screenwriters, but Celso had required him to be on the set of the
shooting of the film, making him do the lines which eventually turned out to be
the award-winning moments of the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
Ka Mao was spared the agony of having to peddle his works. Ka Mao had all
script assignments for the taking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His first collaboration with Celso was “Ang Madugong
Daigdig Ni Salvacion,” a sex-spiced drama set in the rustic island of Tulay
Buhangin (Sand Bridge) in Quezon Province. Its cast – Pilar Pilapil, Ricky
Belmonte, Johnee Gamboa, Vic Diaz, Robert Talabis and a newcomer sex nymphette,
Leila Hermosa – were not exactly the kind that would impress one as super duper
in terms of star value. But the chemistry of Celso as the New Messiah of
Philippine movies with media-hyped superb performers, a grandiose seascape for
a setting, and a pretentious theme that purported to be an allegory of the
political tyranny obtaining at the time, succeeded in creating an image of a big
film production.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even
before “Ang Madugong Daigdig Ni Salvacion” was half-way through shooting, two
offers came Celso’s way, one for a Vilma Santos-Christopher de Leon starrer,
and the other for any idea Celso would come up with. To the first offer, Ka Mao
showed Celso a script of a film adaptation of his first-ever published fiction,
“Forests Of The Heart”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which as filmed
Celso titled “Tag-Ulan Sa Tag-Araw”, and to the second offer, Celso responded
with a concept of a young woman forced into striptease act in order to sustain
medication for her ailing father. Celso had a title for the concept, “Burlesk
Queen”, and a germ of the story which Ka Mao would develop through his
screenplay accordingly as the shooting progressed. For the young striptease dancer,
Celso had in mind the then up-and-coming starlet, Lorna Tolentino, who had all
the needed attributes: youth, charm and allure, and a fresh undefiled body. On
top of all these, she had the acting prowess and terpsichorean skill.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
choice of Lorna was perfect, so it looked. And she was willing to do the
part,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>something rather controversial for
her age of sixteen. But her mother insisted on a fee which the producer, Romy
Ching of Ian Films, Inc., was not inclined to give. So the part went to Vilma
Santos finally.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
definitely, not that Vilma Santos was a poor second choice. As it turned out,
she was the best choice for the role, which in the subsequent 1977 Metro Manila
Film Festival won for her the Best Actress Award – along with the Best Actor
Award for Rolly Quizon, Best Supporting Actor Award for Joonee Gamboa, and Best
Supporting Actress Award for Rosemarie Gil. All in all. “Burlesk Queen” won all
but one of twelve awards in that festival, including the Best Picture Award,
the Best Director Award for Celso and the Best Screenplay for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
accepting the award – a huge bronze medallion which award presentor Eddie
Garcia took fancy in taking time hanging on a ribbon around Ka Mao’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>neck – Ka Mao declared: “I did want to say
something with ‘Burlesk Queen’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it
is that art rises or falls accordingly as those in control of political power
allows it to rise or fall.” He ended his acceptance speech by enjoining his
listeners to “transform art from being an instrument for personal gain to being
an instrument for social good.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Uttered
at a time when the martial law rule was about only just beginning its upsurge,
the short speech elicited good reaction. A group, evidently activism-friendly,
clapped their hands hard, stomped their feet on the floor, while letting out a
challenging hoot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If,
indeed, there’s a feeling of being made, this is it, Ka Mao told himself as he
tarried onstage acknowledging the mild audience cheers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reactions
to Ka Mao’s speech continued days after the occasion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Franklin
Cabaluna congratulated him but did not fail to mention negative comments from
some quarters that the speech was rehearsed, memorized. Ka Mao had had enough
doses of grain of salt in the past to be affected. Franklin also told of a
criticism by a film cineaste from Europe that “Burlesk Queen” was in the most
part “nitty gritty”, whatever that meant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Most
serious was the remark from Pete Lacaba, who had just been released from months
of incarceration at Camp Crame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Take
care,” said Pete when they met a period after the event.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Curt
as it was, Pete’s caution spoke of all that must be felt by someone who had had
a good dash of state fascism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Strangely
enough, Ka Mao felt elated by the warning. It meant he was being minded, it
meant he mattered. He knew too well that the saddest thing for a writer – for
any artist at that – is to realize that no one is paying attention to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
it seemed everybody was cuddling up to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
producer, a lady, implored him: “Your ‘The Relationship’, do let it be mine.” A
gay line producer, speaking for his boss, reminded him with virtual plea,
“Remember, your “Kabaret”, you offered it to us first. The two were speaking of
film projects Ka Mao had early on vended to them but elicited hardly no
attention. A fellow scriptwriter, desperate for some monetary commission by
which to spend in the horse racetracks, rummaged through his folders of film
manuscripts and singled out “Pag-ibig… Magkano Ka?”, exclaiming: “Yes! This is
it. The title alone is a sure money-maker. I’ll bring this to Leroy, he is
intending to start a film company.” The guy named Tommy was referring to Leroy
Salvador of the famed show business Salvador clan. Shortly after, Leroy
established Showbiz, Inc., with that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka
Mao’s screenplay as its initial venture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Still
a bachelor at the time, Ka Mao was staying on a monthly basis at Regency Hotel
on Avenida Rizal owned by Mother Lily Monteverde of Regal Films. Such stay, a
very costly one by any standard, was precisely the leverage Ka Mao got for
assurance of film assignments from the outfit: the company had better given him
jobs or he wouldn’t be able to pay his hotel bills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was really not that kind of writer who cranked out scripts overnight. One
time, he observed the late Jerry Tirazona pounding the typewriter all night long
and by dawn wrote 30 to the screenplay he was to deliver to a producer first
hour in the morning. How Ka Mao chuckled at the feat. He cringed to himself, “I
just can’t do it that way.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao took time writing a film script. The gestation alone consumed eternities,
so it would seem to him. How was he then able to cope with the swamp of offers
that came his way after hitting it big with Celso?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
one thing, he had had eternities, too, of doing nothing but read and write
after dropping out of college, during spare times and at nights in that period
of doing household chores in Manay Consoling’s apartment. Anything that came to
his mind and he found worth enough turning into a story, he wrote. And when he
began systematically transforming those stories into the cinematic form by way
of concretizing the self-learning he acquired from his trips to the Thomas
Jefferson Library, he was actually creating a deep pool of screenplays that
would come in handy now that producers were queuing up to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
for the most part, he was in the late thirties, much grown from the twelve
year-old-elementary-graduate who ventured into Manila to search for the
proverbial pot of gold but was immediately confronted with the stench and
squalor of the city and at the same time with sights and sounds of ceaseless
glitter and merrymaking. This irony that to Ka Mao best described Manila
provided a rich source of substance for many a tale which by some irresistible
urge Ka Mao just found himself committing to writing on whatever surface he
could lay his hands on: a vacant page of old used notebooks, on smoothened
crumpled pads and bond paper, on yellow pads whenever he could afford to buy
one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
good thing about that kind of writing, Ka Mao was doing it not for a price and
so produced true mirrors of life. When turned into films, that writing had a
built-in universal appeal, i.e., commercial success. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prior
to the judging for awards in the 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival, Ricky Lee,
who hadn’t quite started on his binge of promoting himself as the country’s top
screenwriter, barged into Ka Mao’s hotel suite, asking to see a copy of the
script of “Burlesk Queen”. What Ka Mao was able to show were scribblings on
yellow pad on a clipboard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Burlesk
Queen” was not written on a typewriter. It was written on the set, with a
ballpen on a yellow pad clipped on a board, conforming to the requirements of
the scenes scheduled for shooting. Celso discusses the sequence with Ka Mao,
then proceeds to block the actors, direct the camera movements, including
lighting effects, then without any warning, turns to Ka Mao: “Mao, dialogue.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
first time Celso did that to Ka Mao in the shooting of “Salvacion”, Ka Mao was
literally dumbfounded: Celso had not discussed with him about lines to speak in
the scene. So very discreetly, Ka Mao sidled up to Celso and whispered, “Cels,
we have not talked about it.” But the actors had been blocked, camera work
directed, and the rehearsals that had been set up inevitably had to proceed,
and Celso was quick to Ka Mao’s rescue. He took Joonee Gamboa’s placement,
“Masakit ito sa kalooban ko. (“This is against my will.)”, then moved over to
Ricky Belmonte’s position, countering, “Kalooban? Kalooban mo rin ba na anakan
ang ina ko – at ako ang maging anak! (“Your will? Was it also your will to
impregnate my mother with a child – and I to be that child!)” Joonee Gamboa was
playing the role of a priest, who only during the shooting of that particular
scene, was revealed to be Ricky Belmonte’s father in the story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Celso, no script was ever final until it was shot – no, not ever final until
the shot scene had been thoroughly edited and the strips of cut film spliced
together to make a final whole – no, not yet, not ever final until the edited
whole had gone through the gamut of dubbing, music and effects lay-in, sound mixing
and, at long last, the negatives had been copied into positive prints – when it
was no longer practical to introduce any further changes in the creative
process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was very enlightening for Ka Mao to observe that Celso had a firm hand on film
creation every step along the way – from gestation, to writing, to production
and post-production – no, not yet, all the way to devising marketing slants
like catchlines in publicity materials. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Much
much later in the progress of Ka Mao’s film career, he had some little verbal
tussle with Alicia Alonso, mother of now current Star Cinema talent, Maja
Salvador, over the direction in the script of “Walang Panginoon,” one of the
more serious films he did for Seiko Films. She must have had motivated herself
into a heavy crying scene so that she felt shortchanged when in executing the
scene, Ka Mao directed her to do her lines with melancholy, all right, but not
with tears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alicia
flashed before Ka Mao’s face the page of the script which directed the actress
to do the scene in stereotype tear-drenched melodrama.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“See?,”
she said complainingly. “The script says I should cry. It’s your script. You
wrote it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“No
need to cry,” Ka Mao insisted. And he ordered, “Take.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
the actress failed to realize was that Ka Mao was doing a Celso. That Ka Mao
did not find it necessary to explain it to her, was another doing of a Celso. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Celso never found time to expound to Ka Mao but which Ka Mao imbibed through
sheer observation of The Kid’s mannerism, style and method, was that a director
has all the prerogative of doing whatever he pleases to do with the film
assigned to him to be done. Ka Mao had come to realize that when a producer
asked him to do a film, implicit in the offer was an assurance from him that
that film would make fair returns on the producer’s investment. Assurance of
such returns were no one else’s obligation but his and so it behooved him and
no one else all sorts of prerogatives in crafting the film, from rewriting the
story, to overhauling the entire script, to getting a firm hand on all aspects
of the film production process, including editing, laying in of music and
effects, introducing in every step along the way any change necessary to ensure
that the film made money when finally shown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
by Ka Mao’s criterion, no right-minded actor must dare get the gall to tell a
director what to do. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mainly for this
reason, Ka Mao was averse to directing superstars who in every case actually
themselves direct their scenes in a movie. In time, he would be known as a
star-builder because he preferred to direct complete unknowns like what Celso
did with the house helper Rizza in “Nympha”. In many a time during the shooting
of the film, Celso himself would act out the way Rizza should do a scene and in
just as many a time, the girl, due to sheer inexperience, would fail to do it
the way Celso wanted. In most of those many times, Celso found himself wanting
to blow his top. But he never did. He coached the young hopeful patiently, devotedly,
in fact, until she struck the right acting he wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from turning out to be a box-office
hit, “Nympha” earned for the sultry Chabacana housemaid the distinction o being
among the BEST FIVE ACTRESSES in the subsequent FAMAS Awards night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Quite
many of Ka Mao’s movies were launching pads for newcomers: Stella Strada in
“Kirot”, his script and subsequently in “Angkinin Mo Ako,” his direction, too;
Rey PJ Abellana and Leni Santos in “Iiyak Ka Rin” together with Julie Vega;
Lani Mercado in “Sa Ngalan ng Anak”; Jestoni Alarcon and Rita Avila in “Huwag
Mong Buhayin Ang Bangkay,” third Best Picture in the 1987 Metro Manila Film
Festival; Maita Soriano in “Gatas”; Ruffa Guttierez in, first, “Huwag Kang
Hahalik Sa Diablo” together with similar neophytes Jean Garcia, Cristina Paner
and Isabel Granada, then “Isang Gabi, Tatlong Babae”; Sunshine Cruz in “First
Time Like A Virgin”; Cristina Gonzales in “Bad Girl”; Klaudia Koronel<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in “Kesong Puti”; Aila Marie in “May Gatas Pa
Sa Labi”; Ramona Rivilla in “Sambahin Ang Puri Ko”; Rosita Rosal in “Hayop Sa
Ganda”; Cesar Montano in “Machete”; Rossana Roces in “Machete II”; Priscilla
Almeda in “Halimuyak ng Babae”; Natasha Ledesma in “Kiliti”; Nini Jacinto in
“Talong”;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brigitte de Joya in “Kangkong”;
oh, the list is long.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
these films were blockbusters, and this pointed to one incontrovertible fact:
stars don’t make movie hits. What, then? Ka Mao would get crystallized on in
due time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the time being, what mattered to Ka Mao was to get across to people that in the
matter of film direction , his authority must be absolute. Not even the producer
was to meddle in his job. The film flops at the box-office, the director gets
the flak, that’s why in ensuring that his films made money, Ka Mao had resolved
that he alone must be responsible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
the time “Burlesk Queen” was underway, Ka Mao had grown accustomed to Celso’s
style and provided the lines, though written on the set, perfectly as demanded
by Celso. As mentioned already, “Burlesk Queen” won all but one of twelve
awards in the 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival, including the Best Screenplay
for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Ricky Lee went barging into Ka Mao’s hotel suite, asking for a copy of the
script of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Burlesk Queen”, what he did
not realize was that Ka Mao was not writing that script according to norms
Ricky Lee must have garnered from the academe but according to principles Ka
Mao himself had firmed up in his self-study of the craft, i.e., that nobody
writes things he hasn’t himself lived. Consequently, any writing in violation
of this principle is unrealistic and achieves only pretentiousness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had no difficulty writing “Burlesk Queen” on the set. He only needed to
think back on that long period of stay with Mamay Oliva in that P. Gomez,
Quiapo apartment to be able to turn out a realistic and poignant piece of
reminiscences: when he scrimped on his measly daily school allowance so that
with the savings he could steal a weekend view of the burlesque show at Inday
Theater just a block away on Aroceros Street. Those reminiscences combined with
social insights Ka Mao gained in his subsequent struggles in the city to be
molded, in Celso’s impeccable grasp of film art, into a great film masterpiece.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celso
did not produce “Burlesk Queen”; Romy Ching of Ian Films did. But when the Best
Picture Award was received by Celso for the company during that awards night,
he was receiving it for himself forever. Up until he died three years ago, he
held on to the Best Picture trophy –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>never letting it go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Kabaret,”
produced by Showbiz, Inc. and directed by Leroy Salvador, was a similar case.
It only took Ka Mao to recall his gallivanting days, or nights, in the cabarets
– actually cheap flesh spots – on Fifth Avenue in Caloocan to come up with a
meaningful movie on the theme of prostitution. In a most subtle way, Ka Mao
actually intended the project to be an allegory of the virtual prostitution the
martial law regime had immersed Philippine society. For obvious reasons, Ka Mao
could only do so much in delivering the message, and that the message was not
grasped at all on a mass scale, Ka Mao thought it was a failure attributable to
the limitations of figure of speech.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
want to agitate the masses into action, do it straightforward. People don’t go
rebelling on the strength of poetry and metaphors. The late Felixberto Olalia,
on the eve of the declaration of martial law when he was heading the May Day
Revolutionary Committee, pointed out that the Russian Revolution broke out not
on any intellectualized, pretentious advocacy as the struggle against
imperialism or the establishment of a national democracy but on the simple,
sincere, literal call for “Bread! Bread!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
call galvanized the Russian masses into the first bloodless People Power revolt
in history to overthrow the centuries-old dynasty of the Romanovs, paving the
way for the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Such
an uprising in the Philippine setting would be a nice material for a movie Ka
Mao would much like to do. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao hardly realized that the circumstances for such a movie were already in the
making.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER IV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CELSO AD CASTILLO AND
ASSOCIATES was suddenly the talk of the town in the film industry. With a grand
blessing of its offices on the top floor of a building in the corner of Avenida
Rizal and Carriedo Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila, the film company which Celso
established in the aftermath of the “Burlesk Queen” windfall served serious
notice that The Kid was living true to claims that he was the Messiah
long-awaited to revive a film industry widely chastised for its affliction with
base commercialism and mediocrity. And Celso had had enough prestige to command
support from the entertainment media in hyping this theme effectively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All of a sudden, Celso was already the producer to reckon
with in Philippine cinema. At first glance, this was a plus factor. But coming
down to brass tasks, he had nothing so far to back up this claim. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
had a title, all right: “Daluyong At Habagat”. Good enough to evoke something
grand and tumultuous, an epic turbulence. The cast was, as in “Salvacion”, a
defiance of the current<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>formula of casting
superstars in lead roles. Actually this defiance was functional in Celso’s
case, i.e., to highlight the one single star of the project, the Director. Its
concession to the star-value system was apparently the topbilling of the cast
by known performers Vic Vargas and Pinky de Leon, plus the inclusion of what
then was being hyped as the newest sex kitten, Alma Moreno, who was introduced
in “Tag-Ulan sa Tag-araw”. To play pivotal roles were, again, Ricky Belmonte
and Joonee Gamboa together with Lito Anzures, Best Supporting Actor awardee for
his brilliant performance in the Miss Universe Gloria Diaz-starrer “Ang
Pinakamagandang Hayop Sa Balat ng Lupa”, which triggered Celso’s soar to fame.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
already had, too, even a catchline already boasting of what a great movie the
first venture of Celso Ad Castillo and Associates would be: A NEW BREED OF
PERFORMERS IN A GIANT OF A MOTION PICTURE!.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Only
question was, what is the story about. That one single lack, Ka Mao evidently
had to fill in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celso
had in mind the great Hollywood movie “The Godfather” when he sat down with Ka
Mao to discuss the concept: a poor guy who through gangsterism rises to be the
kingpin of the underworld. The story was set in the days immediately following
the liberation of the Philippines by American forces from Japanese occupation
in 1945.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
in all cases, Ka Mao just nodded to Celso’s ideas. He had grown used to Celso
agreeing to his own ideas which he would eventually contribute when he finally
got the screenplay written. It would even appear that Celso put out ideas as deliberate
baits for Ka Mao to modify or improve on, knowing that Ka Mao would not agree
to anything wrong by his own standard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
his own standard, a copycat of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The
Godfather” was a no-no for Ka Mao. He was too self-respecting to be caught
copying somebody else’s thoughts. Concept-wise, Celso’s idea was good;
ganglordism is a universal phenomenon and a film may not be accused of
plagiarizing “The Godfather” by tackling the same theme. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao identified the problem: how to do a “The Godfather”-like movie without
being an imitation of it. He did not have to wring his brain so much. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Just
go by your own writing principle, he told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao saw the opportunity of depicting in a movie what until then was dearest to
his heart: the great proletarian revolution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
poor boy rising to the top of gangland, Ka Mao took that hook, line and sinker.
But the whys and the wherefores were entirely his handiwork, which gladly sat
well with Celso. Reporting to the shooting set in famous ruins of San Juan,
Celso proudly boasted to staff, crew and cast: “You people realize what we’re
making? We’re doing a great proletarian movie.” And he flashed to everyone the
poster he was carrying to be integrated with the production design: a large
portrait of Karl Marx.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How
proletarian was “Daluyong At Habagat”? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
finished product speaks for itself. At the start, vignettes of poor folks’ life
in the slums of Intramuros, the Walled City center of Spanish Colonial
Philippines. In the aftermath of America’s ravagement of Manila in the guise of
liberation, Intramuros had been transformed into a despicable, albeit grand,
showcase of post-war squalor. Flesh trade in dingy alleys. Cheap entertainment
in rowdy honky-tonks. Workers slaving in factories. Old and young scavenging in
a scrap yard. A sixtyish man sawing an unexploded bombshell to cut it into
pieces of scrap. The shell explodes, shattering the man into smithereens. Thus
starts the shift of the otherwise straight-living son of the bomb blast victim
into the path of crime to rise in social status. This development is paralleled
by workers threading the path of revolutionary social upheaval to achieve
liberation from poverty. The son rises to the zenith of gangland supremacy, but
being individual, his rise is met with opposition as is characteristic of
gangland rivalry. He ends up getting massacred with his men in an explosive
ambush, while in the streets of Manila erupts a thousands-strong uprising of
workers defiantly rending the air with a stirring mass rendition of the
“Internationale.” As the militant workers leader puts in, “We cannot hope to
rise above poverty without first destroying the rotten system of society.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">University
of the Philippines professor and respected critic, Petronilo Bn. Daroy, in an
article in the Daily Express, had this to say of the movie: “Daluyong at
Habagat” is today what “El Filibusterismo” was during the Spanish colonial
regime.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celso
could not have had a better timing for his initial work as a producer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Martial
Law was into its sixth year at the time and did not appear to be anywhere
ending in the foreseeable future. Though the armed struggle of the so-called
National Democratic Front seemed to be attaining sizeable headway in the
countryside, in the main arena which were the cities, the Marcos dictatorship
had things well under control, so to speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
exchange rate stood at P7.36 to 1$, which, compared to the current rate of more
or less P50 to a dollar, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>indicated a
healthy society on the economic front.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the political front, Ninoy Aquino, though remaining in prison, dared lead the
opposition to Martial Law in contending for the seats in the Interim Batasan
Pambansa. The entire opposition ticket was trashed into oblivion with a dismal
score of O. Besting them was the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) ticket headed by
First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
Ka Mao, what became a barometer for whether or not the revolution would succeed
was the establishment of the SM City North. If, as the Communist Party of the
Philippines predicted, the revolution would succeed in establishing socialism
in the country, was it not stupid of the SM entrepreneurs to start building a
capitalistic empire in what could shortly become<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a hub of socialism and communism?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But SM had been well on track over the
current decade. From a small shoe store beside the old Ideal Theater on Avenida
Rizal, it grew into a full-blown department store, built on the very spot in
Araneta Center which had become the Waterloo of the strike by KAMAO against the
Makabayan Publishing Corporation. In that respect, then, the KAMAO defeat was a
foreboding of a truly gargantuan disaster of the working class struggle in the
Philippines in inverse proportion to the upswing of SM malls the country over.
Today, as SM malls dominate the Philippine retail industry, consequently
transforming Henry Sy into the country’s richest man, the national democratic
revolution and its instrumentalities Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)
and New People’s Army (NPA) had been reduced to where it was before the KAMAO
strike began.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
it was great wonder that SM did not commit any stupidity of building a
capitalistic empire in the midst of what appeared to be widespread socialistic
uprising.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
proved to be stupid was the reverse: building a socialistic armed revolution in
the midst of a burgeoning capitalism. As, they say, you cannot argue against
success – which translates to, you cannot argue against the success of Henry Sy
– so you cannot argue against failure – which translates to, you cannot argue
against the failure of the national democratic revolution. These two givens
just speak for themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
did the failure of the KAMAO strike speak for itself: it was stupid to believe
that one local strike, no matter how courageous and militant, could bring about
the liberation of the proletariat. In many a moment when Ka Mao indulged in
self-searching, he would find himself fancying that had he not been stupid to
launch that inutile strike, he would have remained in the good graces of the
Aranetas and would have had some nice placement in the bureaucracy of the
Aranetas’ own empire, which had become formidable, too, in its own right.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
yet, and yet…When the opportunity to promote proletarian revolutionary politics
in his movies came, he grabbed it like he was gobbling it for the first time. The
heck if Pete had warned him, “Take care.” It was as if he was willing to go
through it all over again: the skirmishes with police and security guards, the
rendezvous with bullets, pill box bombs, Molotov cocktails and grenades, the daring-do
of getting his body threateningly run over by tires of strike-breaking trucks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ah,
the deathless romance of the First Quarter Storm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No,
there was no stupidity in the whole exhilarating exercise. That vested
capitalistic interests might be pulling the strings behind the revolutionary
movement was beside the point. What mattered was that Ka Mao and one whole
generation of idealistic youth were getting baptized into the fire and fury of
proletarian revolution and everyone did his part sincerely and well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the final analysis, albeit without Ka Mao realizing it, when he took “Daluyong
at Habagat” as an opportunity for renewing his espousal of the proletarian
struggle, he was not taking it as an argument against the failure of the
national democratic revolution. He was taking it as an agreement with destiny,
success or failure regardless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was a matter of course that elements from the national democratic movement
began gravitating around him in that period. He was not only slanting his
screenplays toward the workers struggle; he was actually engaging again in
revolutionary organizing, this time in the industry he now belonged in, the movies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Together
with Pete, he took the initiative of forming the Screenwriters Guild of the
Philippines. Ricky Lee, increasingly identifying himself as a screenwriter, was
contributing his own share in the endeavor. During one consultation with Ka
Mao, he suggested that Pete, though a renowned journalist, had not yet done
much screenwriting to be head of the group. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
all due respect though, Pete would turn out a number of screenplays that would
be rated as among the truly significant condemnations of the martial law
regime, to wit, “Jaguar”, “Kapit Sa Patalim”, and “Ora Pronobis.” All films
were directed by Lino Brocka, who endeavored to generate international
attention for these, Pete’s works..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though
Pete was the interim president of the screenwriters guild, the SGP, in the
elections held at the Caloocan residence of Marina Feleo Gonzales, Tony Mortel,
then editor of People’s Journal, was elected president. It was a wide consensus
among guild members that Tony was in the best position to gain benefits for the
screenwriting profession. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At any rate, Ka Mao’s organizing effort was
again catching the Party’s attention. This became evident to him when during a
chance meeting with writer and stage director Behn Cervantes in the house of
actress Rita Gomez, he was asked by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behn
how the union was progressing. Behn was referring to the screenwriters guild.
Behn’s interest betrayed he was in on Ka Mao;s initiative as a Party element;
an information Ka Mao had gotten revealed Behn was a responsible element of the
Party cultural bureau, so Behn asked the question as somebody asserting
superiority over him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was farthest from Ka Mao’s mind, however, of doing union work in the ranks of
artists. As Bayani had cautioned him a number of times, artists are the hardest
sector to organize. This is because, artists are so individualistic that not
one artist will admit he is inferior to the other. Ka Mao observed one time a
fellow director shouting to everyone on the set before taking a scene, “Nobody
makes suggestions.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao’s idea of a screenwriters union is one honed on the principles of the
working class: fearless, dedicated, selfless. Sure, the objective was for an
upping of economic benefits of screenwriters, but the method was political. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
that reason, during one meeting, Ka Mao did the rigors of political economy to
determine the minimum fee for a screenplay, in much the same way he would
compute the minimum wage for a factory worker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He hadn’t quite gotten over Marxist doctrine on capitalistic
exploitation of the proletariat which summed up into the theory of surplus
value. Pete cut him short.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Let’s
be brief about this. How much?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao appeared stupefied for a moment. How could he ever be brief about the
matter? By Marxist reckoning, what a capitalist can be entitled to in the value
created in the commodity are portions of that value corresponding to the amount
of raw materials and machine used for producing the commodity. Such value does
not vary in any phase of the production process and so contributes nothing to
the value created once the raw materials are turned into commodity. The source
of the created value – the surplus value – cannot but be the labor power
infused by the workers in the commodity. Determining surplus value along this
reckoning in the case of filmmaking requires a more complicated process, since
the categories of labor involved in doing a movie are as varied as the elements
comprising the finished product: story, script, music, editing, production
design, sound engineering, special effects, dubbing, direction, acting of the
performers, and, finally, labor of the production and post-production crew.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao just found himself silently asking: How can I be brief about such
multi-faceted complication?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
somebody suggested, “Let’s peg it at fifteen thousand,” it got carried. And
since then, the minimum screenplay fee, at the time running at seven thousand
pesos, was upped to and standardized at P15,000. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao felt it was too low. But he kept his feeling to himself. Realizing early
on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>how difficult, as Bayani had often
advised him, it was to get film artists agree on anything, he decided to
himself that a screenwriter’s fee is a matter of individual artist outlook; he
had his own outlook which he thought he’d get done through his own private
means.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
best way, he resolved to himself, is to direct his movies. That way he could
package the fee for the screenplay with that for direction. Because directors
enjoy a high degree of prerogative in determining who and how much to pay for
those to involve in filming a movie, chances were good that if he could direct
his own movies, he could command a price for his screenplays that he could
consider right: ten times over. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
package price he got for one of the last films Ka Mao had directed, “Bakit
Kailangan ng Ibon and Pakpak?”, was P550,000.00, P400,000.00 for direction –
P150,000.00 for screenplay. As Ka Mao had reckoned early on, ten times over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meantime,
he had to make do with the P15,000.00 that had been agreed in the meeting. Of
course the consensus reached did not bar anyone from charging more than fifteen
thousand pesos for a script; the intention was to set a ceiling below which no
guild member could go. But screenwriting being a highly-competitive field –
worse even, its importance in the industry is much subsumed to that of the
obtaining star system in which the commercial value of movies was ascribed more
to the stars than anything else – you price your work too high, you price
yourself out of competition.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Ka Mao’s particular case, a new imperative served to determine his actions
during the period. He realized he wasn’t getting any younger and he felt he
could no longer contain himself to seeking momentary pleasures with bar girls
and cabaret dancers whenever the urge for sex seized him. He wanted more
permanent happiness, not much really like having a partner with whom to have
personal pleasures but rather more like having own kids to raise and look after
and work a good life for.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
V</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SWEET was how Ka Mao
began to call the girl colleague Felix Dalay brought before him for audition
one afternoon. She was Betchay, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
seventeen-year-old third-high-schooler who fancied herself<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>becoming a movie star and quite excitedly
agreed when Felix, who had met her in a shooting set, offered to introduce her
to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Much, much later in the story, during a session of the
Marriage Encounter movement under the auspices of the Cactholic Light in the
Spirit Seminar, when Ka Mao was asked what attracted him most to the girl, he
said, “Her hips.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was how it was that afternoon Felix brought Betchay
to the hotel suite which until then Ka Mao continued to occupy. It was
physical, all right. What her hips evoked were imageries of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shapely statues of goddesses, of girls
romping around in bikinis on beaches, or of belly dancers doing erotic
performances. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One other thing which the Priest Moderator in the
Marriage Encounter session did not ask about but which sealed Ka Mao’s decision
to take Betchay for a wife was her status in life. He visited her at last in
her home and just found himself melting in pity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
in the yard of a typical hoveler’s shack in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>rubbish-ridden surroundings on the edge of an unattended, abandoned fish
pond, the girl, rather slim for her age, was munching a sugar cane stem like it
was to sate the hunger evident in her face; the cane was freshly cut from a
bunch grown in the yard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Why
are you here?” she asked, almost with a snub, a pout in her mouth but a glint
of ache in her eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it
embarrassed her to be found by Ka Mao in that condition and she had to play act
something for a defense mechanism. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Enthused by the presence of Ka Mao were Betchay’s
youngest siblings, two adolescent girls and a nine-year-old boy. They giggle to
one another, their gestures teasingly insinuating<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sweet, nice relationship between Ka Mao and
Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Won’t you be gone,” growled Betchay at the kids.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Your siblings?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m Maricar,” said the elder of the two girls.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m Eva,” said the younger one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Bobong,” said the boy, cutting in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So you’re four kids in the family?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No, we’re seven,” informed Maricar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where are the others?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Kuya Victor and Kuya Jonathan, roaming around,” said
Bobong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ate Bebe is in school,” said Maricar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about you three, why are you not in school?” queried
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay quickly butted in, not wanting to hear what the
kids were to answer, “Won’t you just be gone. Go, go…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bobong was quick at replying. He said, “We’ve got no
allowance.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ate Betchay, too. She has no allowance so she is absent
today,” continued Bobong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao faced Betchay, “Where are your parernts? Why
didn’t they give you your allowances?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Papa is a jeepney driver but hasn’t had trips the past
days. He had no money to give us when he left to work today,” said Maricar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about your mother?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Mama is a dressmaker,” said Betchay, firmly gritting her
jaws. “She attends to our needs. She had to leave early and did not expect that
Papa wouldn’t be able to give our allowance. This does not happen everyday.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao took a split-second to decide on something. He
fished three hundred-peso bills from his pocket and give one each to the two
girls and the boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s time to catch up with your classes. Go,” said Ka
Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay could only stare at Ka Mao, who took care not to
look at her lest he got her embarrassed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao gladly trailed Betchay’s sisters and brother with
his eyes as they hurried inside the shack to get dressed for school. Then he was
distracted by Betchay’s continuing to stare at him almost defiantly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Anything wrong I did?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay managed a pain-laden, self-consoling smile. She
said, “This is my life. So what’s it to you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Look. Let me take you to school so you may catch up with
your classes. Then afterward, I can treat you to a movie,” Ka Mao was pretty
prudent with the way he said the words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That Betchay welcomed Ka Mao’s offer after all was
betrayed by her words as she turned into the house, “I’ll only be a minute.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That date in Odeon Theater was the beginning. The many
afternoons afterward were the interludes, when she would proceed to Ka Mao’s
hotel suite after school, there to do her homework and then enjoy ubiquitous
chopsuey rice dinner with him before going home. And that evening she could no
longer refuse his urgings and opened herself up to him completely was the
beautiful finale.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With voice aching as she clung to his shoulders, she said,
almost pleading, “Don’t forsake me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay actually had Ka Mao all to herself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had never lain any girl in love for a fling. The greatest myth about him
ever told was that because for a period he had been known as a bold director,
he had had a heyday bedding bold stars. None of it. He had flatly rejected
quite a few offers from sex stars to sleep with him. From as far back as his
youth, his outlook on sexual union outside of prostitution is that it is an act
meant for a lasting relationship. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure
he had had many a lay with other girls before, but all those were for a price
and in Ka Mao’s view, he only got his money’s worth for doing it. No need to
feel any guilt about it nor qualms of any kind. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the case of Lala, Ka Mao did not abandon her; she did him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Ka Mao never told Betchay – for it was a matter of a deep ideological resolve –
was that – no matter, too, the deep naivette inherent in his resolve – in order
to be consistent with his proletarian revolutionary conviction, he must have
for a wife somebody from the despised, wretched sector of society called
squatters. Ka Mao utterly failed to consider that it is not to be a squatter to
qualify as proletarian but rather for anyone, regardless of station in life, to
embrace proletarian class standpoint, viewpoint and method.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was doing it perfectly right when on at least two occasions, he attempted
to strike up amorous relationship with girl comrades in the KASAMA Party Group.
With Ka Openg, from the Propaganda Bureau, the attempt was frustrated when Ka
Erning, another member of the Educational Department, became more aggressive in
winning her, ultimately marrying her in Party ceremonies conducted by no less
than Banero, head of the NTUB.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Ka Didith, from the cultural group Panday Sining, who was a constant visitor in
the KASAMA headquarters, the attempt, punctuated by what Ka Mao thought was a
wrong he did but which he wanted to set right by marrying her, was aborted by
her sudden deployment to the Visayas, there to do her party task. She had been
unheard of by Ka Mao eversince.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Betchay, the paramount revolutionary
criteria for choosing a mate was completely lost to Ka Mao. Here was a girl, no
less proletarian than any of the workers whose liberation from oppression and
exploitation he had vowed to work for. Didn’t she deserve just as much devotion
from him as he had for any of those in the working class?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had resolved to stand by his responsibility to Betchay<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that very same night she gave all of her to
him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
one evening Ka Mao arrived home in the hotel suite and found a forty-year-old
woman waiting, he immediately surmised what was up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
was attending to the woman. She spoke with a mixture of jitters and put-on
lightheartedness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“My
mama,” Betchay introduced the woman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh,
how do you do?” said Ka Mao, not quite knowing how to make himself sound,
whether evasive, apologetic, or apprehensive. He was expecting some harsh response,
as all telenovelas go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
none of it when the woman spoke. With no trace of animosity whatsoever, she
spoke quite calmly, even meekly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
how is this to be now?” she said, clearly trying not to sound offensive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao understood what the woman meant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I will marry her,” he said, eyeing Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay had never been showy of her inner feelings. But
there was a coy smile on her lips, a girlish glint in her eyes.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
VI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ALTHOUGH Ka Mao’s
Antipolo lot had a very wide frontage on Sumulong Highway, he chose the spot at
the back beside the creek on which to build his house. The spot was shaded by a
large century-old mango tree on a side, a grove of bamboo trees on the opposite
side, on a lower level of the slope, and an enormous acacia tree with a wide
spread of large branches on the other side of the creek. In this position,
hardly was there any hour of the day when the house wouldn’t be shaded from the
sun, except in the early morning, when sun rays would shoot through bushes from
the eastern horizon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It pained Ka Mao somehow that he had to destroy a large
patch of yellow ginger in flattening the area on which to build the house. He
always took care that he did not hurt any vegetation in doing any endeavor. But
the area had to be flattened on which to lay out the cement floor, and so the
ginger must go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was a simple square house that Ka Mao put up: average-size
square post each on the four corners, two layers of hollow blocks wall joining
them on the ground, with wooden beams on the tops on which were fastened the
wooden trusses; wooden purlins <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>held the
trusses in place and on which were nailed the bamboo slats for tying the nipa
roofing on. The walls were consisted of webbed bamboo barks which similarly
wall the frames of the window covers; the windows had bamboo slats for grills.
The main door, also made of bamboo slats , was facing the area shaded by a huge
low-lying branch of the century old mango tree. A porch was set up on the side
facing the highway, serving as a side-entrance to the house, through the
kitchen. Adjoining the kitchen is a beddings storage room. All sidings of the
porch, kitchen and beddings storage room, like those of the house proper, were
done in webbed bamboo barks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bert Putol, so-called because of his deformed left hand
which had all four fingers joined together and their tips joined up with the
thumb, was, for all his infirmity, a skilled mason-carpenter but whom Ka Mao
paid a pittance for erecting the house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Someday I’ll have a house just like this,” said Bert
Putol by way of admiring his finished work.</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ah…,” Ka Mao wanted to wax poetry. “House where no sun
can burn with heat nor water stop from flowing like hope that springs eternal.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s true,” said Bert Putol. “Springs in this area
never dry up even in the hottest of summer,”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According to Bert Putol, the creek joined up with bigger
streams of water downhill to form the legendary falls called Hinulugang Taktak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>observed
that the creek ran through the adjacent 11-hectare lot called Valdez Farm at
the time, being owned by Ambassador Carlos Valdez.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ambassador Valdez must be an environmentalist,” Ka Mao
commented. “Water flowing from his property carries no garbage at all as it outs
into mine. That’s why I wanted our house built here. Water is so clean we can use
it for all our water needs.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Except for drinking, of course,” said Bert Putol.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Still no problem,” quickly retorted Ka Mao. “Plenty of
springs.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao walked over to one gush of water on the creekside,
scoops some with his hand and drank it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This has always been my drinking water here,” he said.
“Only problem is, we’ve built on sloping ground. What if the soil erodes?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Never,” said Bert Putol. “Soil erosion happens when the
underside of the ground gives for lack of strong foundation. Earth in this area
is held fast by solid rock foundation. It will never give.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bert Putol had occupied as overseer the lot adjacent to
Ka Mao’s property. He should know whereof he spoke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He explained, pointing to the flowing water at the bottom
of the slope, “That water we call creek is actually a collection of seepages
from different spring sources all around this area. The water<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>streams down the open crevices of one solid
rock foundation. The foundation of your house is a portion of this one solid
rock which is the size of one whole mountain.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao gaped in disbelief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Your house is built on a rock,” declared Bert Putol.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay, all along just listening to the conversation of
the two while busy sprucing up the newly-finished house and starting to put
their belongings in place, was pleased<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>to hear<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the words. It meant a lot
of things to her. A home to last, at long last, she said to herself. No more
going back to the squalor that had been her world during the long first
seventeen years of her life. No matter how modest, the house was good enough a
start, to improve on and keep strong each time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bert Putol grabbed
his paraphernalia. “Be going.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you, friend.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Don’t mention.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao turned toward the house just as Betchay felt a
stirring in her belly. She caressed it with her hand, eyeing him as he
approached..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Anything wrong?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She smiled by way of assuring him that nothing was wrong,
while she spoke, “For many times that you did me nice things, I never bothered
to say thank you. I think maybe I had better say it now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Say what?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you for what?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“For giving me a home to last.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao stares wonderingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No house built on a rock can crash,” Betchay said, like
uttering an oath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay was visibly pregnant and Ka Mao worried that
something might be ailing her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re sure you’re okay?” insisted Ka Mao</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Never
been more okay in my life,” Betchay said as she exerted effort to settle the
bed in a corner. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>quickly stopped Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s too heavy for you. Tell you what, you had better
rested. I can do this chore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay instead minded fixing the linen on the bed as
soon as Ka Mao was done with it and he shifted to the kitchen where he moved
the refrigerator to put it in place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Along with the bed, the refrigerator was the first item
Ka Mao purchased as a way of starting to establish home furnishings. He bought
it when first he and Betchay settled with his folks in Mamay Oliva’s Cavite
Street apartment, then took it along when Betchay wished they would instead join
her folks in Malabon. After having a house built for Bethay’s folks on the edge
of the abandoned fish pond and staying with them for a time, Ka Mao made his
mind up to establish permanent settlement in the Antipolo property. Still, the
bed and the refrigerator stuck with him and Betchay. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A thought crossed Ka Mao’s mind and he smiled while he
continued his business with the ref..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s funny?” asked Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can’t figure why we had to carry this heavy thing all
the way from Malabon when we can’t make use of it here,” Ka Mao said, not quite
sure whether he had done right with the refrigerator placement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s not been a year since you bought it. It’s in good condition,”
said Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I mean,” said Ka Mao, “Friend Bert just told me that the
electricity running on the highway lines is high voltage. No way to have a line
tapped to our house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, dear…,” said Betchay. “Can’t even watch TV. But,
wait a minute. Valdez Farm has got electric lights.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“They’ve got their own transformer.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s what you need to reduce the high voltage of the
main Meralco line to 220 volts allowable for home consumption.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So we put up our own transformer then, like Valdez
Farm.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We need hundred fifty thousand pesos .”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao spoke as coolly as he could.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay gaped as in horror.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao returned Betchay’s horrified gaze with a look that
indicated he was grappling with an agony in his mind: at P15,000 per screenplay,
he would have to write 10 scripts to raise the P150,000 needed to put up his
own electric transformer – and that was granting he and Betchay and their baby
who was shortly to come wouldn’t require any nourishment in the meantime. At
his average of two months writing per screenplay, he would require one year and
eight months to finish the ten screenplays. But that’s a reckoning by sheer
averaging. Actually the most number of scripts he had so far accomplished in a
year was four, which meant, granting he had all four scripts for the asking in
a year, he needed more or less two years to raise a hundred fifty grand and get
a supply of electricity in the newly-built house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At Betchay’s helpless stare, Ka Mao said assuringly,
“We’ll make do.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the evenings thereafter, contending with the chirping
of crickets and the croaking of frogs in the creekside surroundings were the
furious cliticlacks of typewriter keys coming from inside the house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was Ka Mao, all right, furiously pounding at his
second-hand Olivetti, while his face variably grew taut or tender, furious or
pitiful, accordingly as the emotion evoked by the particular scene he was
writing. Eyes getting moist with angry tears, his fingers pummeled the
typewriter keys with the fury that had seized him and with which he wrote out
the dialogue of resistance by the leading character in the scene he was doing:
“Hindi ninyo ako naiintindihan. Si Neneng Magtanggol ay hindi simpleng preso sa
bilangguan. Siya ay isang sagisag. Larawan<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ng isang lumang lipunan na nagbubuntis ng bago. Ang kanyang
pagpupunyaging makalaya mula sa pagkabilanggo <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ay salamin lamang ng marubdob na adhikain ng
uring manggagawa na wasakin ang tanikalang gumagapos sa kanila sa walang habas
na pang-aapi’t pagsasamantala ng uring kapitalista. Ano ang makapagluluwal sa
ipinagbubuntis ni Neneng Magtanggol? Puwersa ang komadrona ng bawat lumang
lipunang nagbubuntis ng bago! (You don’t understand me. Neneng Magtanggol is
not a simple prison inmate. She is a symbol. A picture of an old society
pregnant with a new one. Her struggle to liberate herself from imprisonment
mirrors the intense aspiration of the working class to break their chains of
oppression and exploitation by the capitalist class. What can deliver the child
Neneng Magtanggol is pregnant of? Force is the midwife of every old society
pregnant with a new one!”)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The hour was deep into the night. Betchay was fast asleep
in bed. Ka Mao pounded the typewriter so hard at the end of the line which he
loudly vocalized that it awakened Betchay. The pounding caused the typewriter
cover to get unlatched and nearly flip over. Ka Mao moved in time to catch the
typewriter cover and put it back in place. He did it rather gingerly, for
actually fastened with electrical tape to the top of the cover was a kerosene
lamp improvised from an average-size powdered coffee glass container, the
cotton wick inserted into a rolled strip of thin tin sheet punched into the
middle of the plastic cover of the coffee container.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was the lamp that since the couple moved into the
Antipolo property Ka Mao had been using to light his writing. Of course, in the
day, light was no problem. He would just move the collapsible writing table
under the century-old mango tree and there pound the typewriter till not enough
sunlight could filter any longer through the bamboo grove on the west side.
Still, it was cause enough for big problem, since Ka Mao’s writing voracity was
in the evenings when he would pound his typewriter endlessly until the last
crowing of the cocks at daybreak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Initially, Robbie Tan of Seiko Films had the kindness to
buy him what appeared to be a much better light source, a petromax. It was a
kerosene-powered gadget that operated exactly along the principle of kerosene
burners popularly used for cooking in the fifties all the way to the sixties.
Ka Mao immediately welcomed the brilliance, but early on he realized its
overriding impracticableness as far as writing was concerned: it needed pumping
of air into the fuel chamber every fifteen minutes to maintain its brilliance.
At first, Ka Mao bore with his annoyance over having to pause from writing
every once so often to do the pumping of air, but in due time he got fed up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Manufacturers of petromax don’t realize one idiosyncracy
of writers,” Ka Mao found himself reviling. “You don’t disturb their flow of
thought. Once you do, you throw them back into the agony of endless gestations.
Don’t they know how hard it is to recover a writer’s muse once lost? That’s
what petromax did to him, throw him into agonies, endlessly piling on top of
one another, of having to recoup lost inspirations due to unwanted pauses in
thought flow.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So Ka Mao devised his own method: improvise that lamp
fashioned from used powdered coffee glass container. It worked wonders. The light
stayed constant all night long, his muse stuck to his mind, and his thought
flow remained undisturbed but by the first crowing of cocks at dawn – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which after all was signal for him to stop and
rest. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Who are you fighting?” Betchay asked as she attempted to
rise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No problem. I’m just acting out a line. You sleep.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao minded Betchay no more. He fastened the kerosene
lamp back in place on the typewriter cover, then resumed his writing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay made herself snug under a blanket but stayed awake
for a moment. It pleased her, the way Ka Mao wrote. She had grown so accustomed
to his method and style that she was aware how he would never stop rewriting
his lines until he was himself vocalizing to himself loudly how a line was to
be delivered in the scene: madly, for evocation of anger and violence;
tearfully, for sorrow and pain; tenderly, for love and pity; gleefully for joy
and excitement, and so on and so forth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A…, Betchay sighed to herself, what intricate webbing of
emotions Ka Mao was capable of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
VII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NIÑOS INOCENTES,
or “Innocent Infant Boys” as translated from Spanish, is a Catholic feast day
so-called because it commemorates the day King Herod of Judea ordered infant
boys up to two years old killed. As the Biblical account has it,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>certain wise men came to King Herod asking
for the whereabouts of the new-born Infant Jesus who had been prophesied to be
King of Israel, King Herod became so insecure of his throne that then and there
he ordered all boys up to two years old killed to make sure the infant Jesus
was finished off. According to the story, an angel warned Joseph and Mary of
the danger and instructed them to hie off to Egypt with their new-born child and
there stay until it was safe to return.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over time, the significance of the event had been so
diluted as to connote escape from one’s obligations or responsibilities
committed on the Feast Day of Niños Inocentes, traditionally set on December 28
yearly. So on this day, people go borrowing money at will and then afterward
invoke, in order not to pay the debt, the spirit of escape from obligations as
connoted by the celebration of the feast day of Niños Inocentes. The lender, by
virtue of the tradition, just finds himself condoning the debt. What he gains
is the lesson that you don’t lend money on the feast day of Niños Inocentes or
you will never get paid. On the whole, it has been generally observed among Catholics
that contracts of obligations on the day of Ninos Innocentes are null and void
– of course, all in the spirit of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
December 28, 1979, Ka Mao and Betchay were wed. Along the spirit of Niños
Innocentes, their marriage contract must be null and void. It had been Ka Mao’s
wont to point this out to Betchay each time he felt like kidding her on his
obligation to her. Betchay, however, always had a ready retort: Niños
Innocentes is a tradition of the Catholic church; theirs was a civil marriage,
legal in every aspect, just he try breaking it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
asked by Mayor Nemesio Yabut of Makati, who officiated the very simple wedding
rites in his municipal office, why Ka Mao and Betchay were getting wed only
then when they had been living together for more than a year, Ka Mao answered,
“We had a child only now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">True
to Ka Mao’s resolve, having a wife was not so much for want of a partner in
life as for having kids to raise and build a good life for. Marrying her would
have come earlier had not their first child, which was a girl, had not been
lost to a miscarriage. That sad event happened in a resort in Laguna where
Celso had them billeted during the shooting in Majayjay of “Pagputi ng Uwak,
Pag-itim ng Tagak.” The film was among Celso’s great works and eventually
became a grand FAMAS Award Winner. It was not Ka Mao’s assignment though, but
Celso insisted that Ka Mao be present on the set as script consultant or some
such, translate that to, writer of critical lines. As The Kid would admit,
“You’ve made me too dependent on your scripts.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ir
rook another season of seed planting, with much advice from Manay Consoling for
Betchay not to stand after coitus but to continue lying, her legs propped up.
This was to facilitate the merging of egg and sperm cells.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
July 9, 1979, a healthy baby boy, for whom Ka Mao coined the nickname Maoie,
was delivered by Betchay caesarian section for being a breech. In subsequent
baptismal rites at the Antipolo Cathedral, the boy was named Mauro Gia Samonte
II, with a formidable array of sponsors representing, by Ka Mao’s deliberate
design, the main spectrum of social classes, Pete Lacaba, Diego Cagahastian,
Bayani Abadilla for the proletarian side, Franklin Cabaluna, Tony Mortel, Bella
Salvador, wife of Leroy Salvador, and Gloria Sevilla, wife of Amado Cortes,
for, at least a semblance of, the bourgeoisie. Each of the sponsors, in any
case, stood in the baptismal rites not really consciously representing a social
class but as individuals drawn together on the basis of the more universal and
humane consideration of friendship with Ka Mao. On the occasion, Ka Mao made
sure that Dr. Angel Juliano, the obgynecologist who delivered Maoie, was a
special guest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
Ka Mao’s mind, Maoie’s coming completed the trinity a family ought to be: a
father, a mother and a child. So Ka Mao decided it was high time he made that
family sacred by marrying Betchay at long last. This decision was not without
substantial prodding from Manay Consoling, who saw Betchay could be a good
partner in life for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
the question was, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>why do it on December
28 and run the risk of instantly getting annulled by the tradition of Niños Inocentes?
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
choice of the date was very deliberate and quite practical. December 28
happened to be the birthday of Leroy Salvador, who was to be their wedding
sponsor; one lady sponsor would fail to come. That day, then, being his
birthday, Leroy would surely be having some celebration in his house and Ka Mao
thought he and Betchay could just share in the celebration with Maoie in tow, and
make of the celebration as though it were their own wedding reception. And that
was what happened. Ka Mao and Betchay got wed not only on the day the killing
of innocent infant boys <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was being
erroneously observed but also with a wedding reception that was not their own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let alone the fact that Ka Mao just didn’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have the money to spend even for a simple
get-together with friends and relatives in a cheap restaurant, proletarian
simple living had become his way of life so much so that he wouldn’t be caught
indulging in luxury or ostentation of any sort. What appeared for a time as
avarice in his interlude of residence in a hotel was really a pragmatic
approach to his calling. It made him quite accessible to producers who needed
only to walk a block or two to reach him. In the case of Regal Films, which
owned the hotel, Ka Mao enjoyed assurance of film assignments if only so he
could pay his bills. He could still have opted for continued stay in the hotel
and enjoyed the same assurance when he settled down with Betchay but that this
time around, he not only needed to continue getting assignments but raise a
family, too, in proper surroundings. The Antipolo house perfectly filled in the
latter need.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When Ka Mao came home with Betchay and Maoie that
evening, he seemed to glow with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inner contentment.
Living in the house from then on would be living entirely under the blessing of
the holy matrimony, he oathed to himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Now I feel complete,” Ka Mao told Betchay as he lit the
kerosene lamp fastened on the the cover of the typewriter on the collapsible
table by the bed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
lost no time taking off the dress she wore in the wedding rites and rather
peskily dumped it into the laundry basket by the foot of the bed. She changed into
house clothes and quickly attended to Maoie, who was squirming from his wet
diapers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What do you mean complete?” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder,”
he intoned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s true for church weddings,” she retorted, removing
Maoie’s diapers. She proceeded to give the boy a quick sponge bath, wipe him
dry, powder him around the groins and torso, then dress him with fresh cotton
linen for diapers, which she fastened in place with stainless pins, and then
garb him in fresh sleep attire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao went tongue-tied for a long while, just observing
what Betchay was doing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Done with clothing the boy, Betchay settled him in his crib.
She then mixed the boy’s formula in a bottle and fed it to him as he snuggled
in his pillow. She prepared the bed for sleeping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You don’t mean God is not present in civil marriages, do
you?” he told her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Maybe yes, maybe no. How will we know?” she asked as she
lay in bed, throwing a blanket over her body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao realized Betchay was having a bad temper and he
thought he knew why. He spoke consolingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Of course, I understand that most every girl wants to
walk down the aisles and be given away as a bride to her groom.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay covered herself with the blanket all over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Continuing to observe Betchay’s mannerism, Ka Mao sat on
the bed as he removed his shoes. Betchay inched herself away from touch of his butt.
He went on to undress, throwing into the laundry basket the pieces of garment
he took off. His pants stayed as he patted her thigh; she was lying on her
side, facing the wall, away from him. She tapped his hand away, while inching
closer still to the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s our wedding day,” he said, caressing the blanket
over her thighs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I was so humbled,” she said, her voice indicated she was
weeping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What?” he asked, rather surprised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She thrust her hand from under the blanket, showing the
ring on her finger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s okay with me that this is practically just
imitation gold. It’s what we can afford, what else can we do?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao was amused by the remark.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So that’s what you’re fretting about,” he remarked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,” she growled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Don’t you worry, when I get my next script assignment,
I’ll replace this with a 24-karat gold ring,” he said, taking her hand and
kissing the ring finger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She yanked at her hand and brought it back under the
blanket.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I said, No!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s with you anyway?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The clothes you insisted I wear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It was not I who insisted. It was Godmother Belle. She
wanted you to wear a dress, not the denim jeans and T-shirt you had on.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay now threw the blanket off her face. She was in
tears and she spoke with voice quivering achefully. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
what if I wore faded jeans and T-shirt? It’s me,” she said then leaped off the
bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She
snatched from the laundry basket the dress she had worn in the wedding rites,
and flashed it before Ka Mao’s face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But an old hand-me-down for my wedding dress… I’ve been
so poor all my life, at least I expect something nicer on my wedding day. But
no…” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She madly threw the
dress aside, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh,
how so even poorer everything made me feel. That reception. Ah, you were so
busy rubbing elbows with guests that you never noticed I didn’t eat a bit of
any of the servings in your reception. Your reception!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She
shifted to the kitchen where she grabbed a a tin pot, scrounged with her hand
left-over rice in it which she ate voraciously.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why
did we have to pretend? If left-over food is all we can afford for our wedding
reception meal, so be it. It’s all we have. What’s disgusting is for us to
feast on something that is not ours.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She
swallowed the last lump of rice she had chewed, scooped water from the earthen
jar set up in one corner, and drank.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
the while Ka Mao just stood watching Betchay’s tantrums. He wanted to explain
but wouldn’t. What Betchay was mad about because it humbled her immensely was
to Ka Mao precisely the act of pure goodwill she should partake of in all
humility and pure satisfaction. To reject that goodwill could only be an act of
arrogance, of self-righteousness, which ultimately<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>could amount to pretending what you are not. Ka
Mao saw the matter just the way it was: he and Betchay were the ones in the
position of receivers and the Salvador couple, of givers. Were they to receive
or reject the goodwill being given? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
would be down long, long time when Ka Mao would feel crystallized on the
question. During the recent visit to the country of Pope Francis, he bequeathed
to his multitudes of followers a number of gems of thought. One such gem were
the words spoken to a youthful inventor of electrical gadgets who, albeit
braggingly, recited a litany of assistance given to poor folks of the country
and elsewhere in the world. After commending the youthful scientist for his
enumerated acts of giving, Pope Francis said, “The only thing you lack now is
how to learn to receive.” So though Jesus might have unequivocally declared
that it is better to give than to receive, what Pope Francis implied was that
between giving and receiving, the harder to do is receiving. For while it is
easier, therefore better, an act of self-renunciation to part with, indeed give,
something which you have, it is far more self-destructive to receive what in
your arrogance and conceit you don’t want to accept.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Perforce
triggered by Betchay’s tantrums now, a recollection flashed in Ka Mao’s
mind:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that first visit with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Betchay in her shack by the abandoned fish
pond in Malabon. That air of arrogance she exuded was what singularly struck Ka
Mao then about her. How she seemed to pride even in her desolateness! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
Ka Mao thought, Betchay was never humbled in the wedding event. She was made
consistently proud and arrogant. But did he have the heart to tell this to her
now? He lightly shook his head. He just eyed her as she walked back to the bed,
passing him and then throwing herself there again under the blanket. But just
as soon, her hand with the wedding ring thrust toward Ka Mao and firmly grasped
his hand with the wedding ring, too. She uncovered her face, now grown mellow
with what warm feelings. At Ka Mao’s inquiring glance, she spoke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s
our honeymoon.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
that, Betchay stretched herself to blow out the light of the improvised
kerosene lamp on top of the typewriter on the writing table close by.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
the house was thrown into pitch darkness.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER VIII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">INTO THE <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">80s</b>, the nation was throbbing with
rumblings on the political front. The Mindanao secessionist movement
spearheaded by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was gaining sizeable
headway, mainly due to its backing by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC). Marcos was bragging in the media about how effectively he was
handling the Mindanao situation by talking direct to what he termed “Party in
interest.” That period saw First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos visiting Libya
and using her charm on Libya strongman Moammar Kadhaffy in his desert
headquarters. Out of that visit emerged the Tripoli Agreement which detailed
the terms for ending the MNLF rebellion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meantime, the socdems had begun the Light A Fire Movement.
a terrorist bombing spree conceived to be nationwide in scope but in practice
concentrated in the National Capital Region or Metro Manila and suburbs. It was
big wonder though that what would be apprehended as suspects in the explosions
that took place in the region were Muslims. A confessed participant in the
movement would clarify it much later: indeed they were Muslims, because the
movement had entered into an arrangement with the MNLF whereby in order to
confuse the enemy, meaning Marcos forces, MNLF elements would do the bombings
in Metro Manila and the Light A Fire Movement in Mindanao. In a way, this
clarification was confirmed by Ninoy Aquino when in his so-called memorable
speech in Los Angeles, California in 1981, he admitted having traveled with his
physician to Saudi Arabia to talk with Muslim elements on intensifying the
struggle against the Marcos dictatorship.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ninoy, convicted of what he called trumped-up charges,
had gone on a hunger strike in his prison cell the year before as one more
means to draw popular support for his obsession to topple Marcos. But as Ninoy,
again in his California speech, admitted, “the Filipino people would not
listen.” The hunger strike merited though the intercession, read that coercion,
by the United States which pressured Marcos to let Ninoy go to America, there
to have his heart operation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thus
did Ninoy get himself free from martial law incarceration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thereafter
he went on a binge of lambasting Marcos every chance he got in America – in
speaking engagements and in television interviews. He went as far as offering to
be a part of Jehovah’s Witnesses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paralleling
this Ninoy binge in America was what would amount to a worsening of Marcos-US
relationship. From the time Marcos sat as President in 1965, he had been
imposing rentals on US military installations all over the country,
particularly Clark Airbase in Pampanga, naval bases in Subic Bay in Zambales
and in Poro Point in La Union, Camp John Hay in Baguio, etc. Early on those
rentals amounted to millions of dollars annually, all of which, according to
stories, went direct to Marcos’ pocket, just like the huge overprice on the
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
rentals imposed on US military sites were not a one-time application but
ongoing through the years, worse, subject to renegotiations every five years.
The next expected renegotiation of those rentals was in 1985 or thereabouts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
upping of those rentals was taken as a matter of course. The question really
was, could US swallow some more?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
appeared to be on the periphery of the issue was the increasing ties Marcos was
building up with communist powers Russia and China. Actually those ties could
serve as arm twisters for Marcos in the next rentals negotiation. Certainly as
to whether or not Russia and China would serve that purpose could only be up
for speculation, given the dearth of information anyone might have on the
matter. Nevertheless real developments are determined by laws made manifest in
unmistakable phenomena. These phenomena, once subjected to incisive analysis,
betray developments with amazing accuracy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the revolutionary front, the CPP-NPA was said to have ballooned into 25,000
regulars, all in company formations, on top of a 500,000-strong militia force and
an undetermined number of armed propaganda units. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
that figure, the Communist rebellion had greatly surpassed the ratio of 10:1
for the revolutionary forces viz the enemy, the condition for a successful
guerilla warfare. Government forces at that time were placed at 150,000. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
fact, the national situationer released by the Party for the period placed the
Communist rebellion at heading fast toward the strategic counter offensive
(SCO) in the balance of forces with the enemy. The SCO was said to be the
advanced sub-stage of the strategic stalemate from where to advance to the
strategic offensive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These were, then. the givens in the political situation
obtaining in that period when, after a meeting of the SGP, Pete discreetly
requested, in behalf of a revolutionary study group, the use of Ka Mao’s house.
Before that, Pete had visited the place a couple of times to discuss with him the
mechanics of screenwriting. This time around, Pete made it implicit that the
requested use of the house was for a far more serious and delicate purpose. If
in many instances it needed only for somebody to identify himself as part of
the progressive movement to get into Ka Mao’s good graces, all the easier would
Ka Mao accommodate a revolutionary request coming from Pete.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The group Pete brought to the house a few days after was
introduced by him as IL, which, as the group’s leader Joey, actually a lady,
explained was the “most powerful Party organ next only to the NPA.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IL,
Joey explained, stood for “international liaison”, whatever that meant. Ka Mao,
by practice, never inquired into the meaning of things in the revolutionary
movement not volunteered for him to know. Head of the group’s Educational
Department, of which Pete was a member, was Nimfa. Heading the Organizational
Department was Sandra, with Donna, a school teacher, and Vince, a photo
journalist, as members. No Finance Department element was introduced and Ka Mao
did not bother to ask. At any rate, there were two other girls in the group,
Jett and Tess, whose tasks in the group Ka Mao was not informed about.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With the group was a lean, short, fair-skinned fellow,
who walked on steel crutches. A polio victim, Ka Bryan, as he was called,
immediately reminded Ka Mao of Apolinario Mabini, who had been titled in
history as the Sublime Paralytic, being the famed brains of the Philippine
revolution against Spain and, eventually, against America. When told that the
guy was from the HO (for “higher organ”, meaning an agency directly under the
Central Committee, if not the CC itself), Ka Mao chuckled to himself, “Wow,
paralytics can be great revolutionaries indeed!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From Ka Bryan’s account of himself, Ka Mao gathered a few
things about his person. He happened to be in Paris when the anti-dictatorship
movement intensified in the early seventies and he was recruited into the
movement by a group engaged in generating logistical support on the
international front. Ka Mao could only surmise to himself that the group Ka
Bryan spoke about was the core leadership of the National Democratic Front
(NDF), the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which had
based its international liaison work in Netherlands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Bryan was the political officer assigned by the HO to
handle the political education of the group, To Ka Mao, this was a big plus
factor for the Party, entrusting such a huge task to someone who initially
impressed him as no better than that deformed creature who walked on all fours,
whom Celso had taken pains to search in order to be made the objective
correlative of his message for “Burlesk Queen”. Viewers of the film amused
heartily as Rosemarie Gil, the dethroned star burlesque dancer, after painfully
glancing over the façade of the burlesque theater now ordered closed by the
court, walked away blurting out like crazy her laughter over the irony of it
all. Beside her was the boy who walked on all fours, now on his legs curved
much like bows so that his gaits looked much like steps in a cha-cha, now on
his arms which made him look like doing the cha-cha up-side down in mid-air,
and then would be back to walking on all fours which made it difficult for one
to determine if he was aping a mule or, indeed, an ape. That must have really
drove home Celso’s message in “Burlesk Queen” which clinched for it the Best
Picutre Award in the 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Bryan turned out <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to be Joey’s husband.
It became a great source of inspiration for Ka Mao to observe Ka Bryan doing
his task religiously and Joey attending to his personal needs as the need arose,
including toilet chores and giving him bath at the small pool in the creek
every morning, before start of day-long study sessions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
study course took one whole week. At the end of each day’s session, the group
crammed themselves in spaces allotted to them. The girls took the bed which Ka
Mao and Betchay volunteered for them to use; the boys, shared a common mat on
the cement floor padded with flattened cardboard boxes; Ka Bryan, the aluminum
folding chair Ka Mao used for resting;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ka Mao and Betchay, together with Maoie, what little privacy they could
have from the small room used for keeping beddings in and the clothes closets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If, contrary to Mao Tse Tung’s dictum, revolution were a
picnic, what took place that week in Ka Mao’s house was just it: a picnic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During
breaks in the study, the group took much pleasure from savoring the rustic atmosphere,
harvesting rootcrops like cassava and sweet potato along with other food crops
like banana, and then picking the fruits of the mango, santol, lanka and macopa
trees for desserts in meals which they ate with bare hands in common servings
on one whole banana leaf laid out on the bamboo dining table. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
this, in between absorbing lessons on protracted people’s war.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the end of the week, everybody was satisfied and
insinuated that they would want to repeat the experience in the house on and on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was pleasing to Ka Mao anyway, a tendency built-in in
his character to do anything he could for the revolution. And so, at the
insinuation that the house would be used further for revolutionary purposes
over and over again, Ka Mao already envisioned an enlarged house that could
accommodate in comfort such Party group as the IL that might come his way
anytime.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It did help a lot that in that period, Leroy Salvador had
made some nice score at the tills with “Pag-ibig… Magkano Ka?”, enabling his
outfit to go full blast in producing follow-up films. Ka Mao consequently got
film assignments which gave him the money to embark on expanding his virtually
one-room affair into something a lot bigger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To the eastside was added a section, about five meters
wide and with the same length as that side of the original house. Since the
roof of this extension area would flow from the original inclination of the
initial roof, the extension area would be left with little headroom. So Ka Mao
had the ground in this area dug in order to make the roof comfortably high.
That made the original house rise five steps from the extension and turned the
expanded structure into some kind of a split-level bungalow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
porch facing the highway was maintained but made to step down accordingly to
the extension through an opening which now became the new entrance to the
house, with the extension area now serving as the receiving room. This way, the
original one-room affair became a solo bedroom, with the amenities of a
dressing room, a conversion of the original room for clothes closets and
beddings, a function moved over to the spot originally occupied by the kitchen
which outed to the porch; this spot was now entirely walled, serving only as an
adjunct<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the bedroom. The kitchen, at
the same time, was moved to the west end of the extension, with an opening that
outed toward the creek. The<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mid-section
of the extension opened with a door facing the yard where stood the century-old
mango tree, whose long, low-lying branch flowed down almost to the level of the
wide window of the extension. The original comfort room made adjacent to the house
on the creekside was retained as it was and so now rose, as the original house
did, five steps high from the extension area.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Coming home from the shooting in Baguio of “Ang Dalagang
Pinagtaksilan ng Panahon,” Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was
greeted by the sight of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Betchay needing
only to stretch herself a little to pick a fruit at the tip of the low-hanging
mango tree branch. But he was elated by how the house looked now..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The walls around the extension area were done in concrete
up to the level of the window sill, the rest up to the rafters, in webbed
bamboo barks fastened on wooden frames. The wide windows to either side of the
door at the mid-section were grilled with slim bamboo tips and covered with
steel screen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maoie, now two years old, noticed Ka Mao first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>:”Tatay!” the boy rejoiced and rushed to him. He leaped
to his arms and pressed a kiss to his cheeks. Ka Mao kissed him back and then put
him down. He took out of a plastic bag packs of strawberry and gave them to the
boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Strawberry! Yummy!” said the boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betraying great appetite for the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>green mango she had picked, Betchay indicated
her delight at Ka Mao’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>arrival. She
walked to him. Maoie gave to her one of the packs of strawberry while beginning
to eat some from the pack he had opened.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay brought you a present,” Maoie said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
took the strawberry pack, immediately opened it and munched at the red fruit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Strawberries…
I like,” Betchay said. “Sweet but a little sour. I feel like eating all sour
things.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maoie
rummaged through the other contents of the plastic bag.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Bring
that inside, Son,” said Ka Mao, and the boy did.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then
after a silent exchange of gazes with Betchay, Ka Mao dropped to his knees and
gently hugged her around the hips, pressing his face to her bulging tummy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How’s the shooting?” Betchay asked, delighted by Ka
Mao’s hug.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Done,” said Ka Mao, continuing to savor the feel of
Betchay’s belly on his face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Any prospect of another assignment.?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao appeared surprised by the question. He rose,
silently asking with a gaze why Betchay asked the question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
consulted with Dr. Juliano yesterday,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
said I need to be operated on soon. Possibly no later than middle of next
month.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao stayed silent for a moment, then walked over to the foot of the mango tree
and sat there, staring at the house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
just stood there, anticipating his words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why
operate?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
said that’s the way it should go.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
was hoping you can deliver our next baby normal.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
said once a woman starts delivering on cs, that’s it, it’s caesarian section
for the succeeding babies.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“As
things are, just to get our house finished, I have advanced from Ninong Leroy
my fee for whatever next project he would assign to me. I don’t expect to get
further advance from him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
found no words to say.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
night Ka Mao pounded his typewriter furiously, wanting to crank out a piece
which he could peddle around immediately. The family’s upkeep wasn’t much
problem for him. At certain times when he needed stop-gap means for the
family’s survival, he would just go over to his folks and plead for assistance.
His mother never failed him in this regard, even for Maoie’s medicine whenever
he got sick and Ka Mao didn’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have money
to spend. But cs operation for Betchay was not stop-gap; it was the life of
their next child at stake.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
caesarian section done for the delivery of Maoie cost P17,000.00. Though Ka Mao
did not expect it, it came at the heyday start of his screenwriting career, he
had saved a substantial amount, and the simple living he practiced with Betchay
in the Antipolo home would not use it up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
how could he ever produce P17,000.00 in so short a time?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
question riveted in his mind with each strike of his fingers on the typewriter
keys deep into the night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay,
lying in bed and feeling the stirrings inside her belly, could feel the
desperation seizing Ka Mao as he worked. How she wished she could help, “But how?”
she asked herself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
can a high school senior do to help her husband earn a living? Even high school
graduates were good only for low-paying menial work, like house helper or store
attendant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Maoie turned two years old, Betchay exerted effort to graduate from the
Antipolo National High School through the accreditation program of the
Department of Edication. By that program, high school juniors who had reached the
age of maturity, especially married individuals, were given examination in
order to accredit them for graduation. Ka Mao needed to pawn their television
set to raise money for Betchay’s travel to Laguna where to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>take the exams. With much<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>assistance from Mrs. Elfa, Betchay’s adviser
in the ANHS, Betchay passed the exam and thus, though in third year at the
time, was allowed to graduate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
one gifted with the ability of verbiage, Betchay could not say how she truly
felt that afternoon she received her high school diploma, but she had it in her
heart to turn herself into something risen above her poor beginnings. So it
must really be paining her deeply inside to just watch helplessly while Ka Mao
worked so hard all night long under the bare glimmer of the now ubiquitous
improvised kerosene lamp fastened to the typewriter cover. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was working out a story concept germinated by an incident which happened in
the farm in the intense heat of summer. Betchay was taking time doing her
market chores, Ka Mao was busy washing Maoie’s clothes and diapers in the small
pool in the creek, taking advantage of the hour when the boy Maoie, not yet one
year old, was asleep in bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Suddenly
thick smoke swept into the house and awakened the boy who, evidently getting some
degree of suffocation, squirmed around in bed and ultimately fell off. That was
when Ka Mao was astounded by the loud cry of Maoie. He rushed up the slope and
then barged into the house where he gaped in horror at the empty bed, smoke
swirling around. But Maoie’s cry continued to resonate, and tracing its source,
Ka Mao saw the boy crawling out through the side door just beyond which was a
huge fire eating up the patch of cogon that rounded the house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao snatched the boy off the floor and felt relieved to see no signs of injury
in him. But what instantly gripped him with terror was the fire threateningly
advancing toward the house. He quickly made the boy secure in a crib, which he
placed under the mango tree to insure the boy was safe from the fire just in
case, meantime that he worked to put it out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
grabbed a bamboo pole, one of a few resting upright on the mango tree, by which
he began sweeping the fire off, at least divert it away from the house. Made
mostly from bamboo and nipa, the house already much heated up could catch
flames instantly at touch of a spark.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“God,
no!” he yelled continuously, seeing that his effort was getting futile. A
number of times he looked up, as though there, indeed, was somebody up there to
hear his plea. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
for the immediate surroundings, no neighbor whatsoever was around to help. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wherever
he stood striking at the flames, the fire would be contained. But beyond his
reach, the fire spread on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then
he was horrified to catch in the corner of his eyes a trail of flames heading
toward the bamboo grove at the back of the house. The fire could not reach the
house through the ground because that area was shaded, preventing the growth of
combustible shrubs and grasses. But the danger lay in the bamboo trees, for
whenever swayed by the wind, their tips whip the rooftop of the house. The minute
the dry leaves which were lumped around the foot of the bamboo trees caught
fire, that would set the entire bamboo grove aflame and torch the house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao decided to attend to the bamboo grove first. And in just a while, he was
done securing that area from the spread of fire. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
in the meantime, the flames on the opposite area were ominously heading for the
spot where stood the mango tree under which lay the crib wherein Maoie continuously
cried. Seeing this, Ka Mao rushed back to the main body of the fire, sweeping
the bamboo pole through the flames in seemingly wild abandon – no matter that
he got burned here and there on the body, on his hands, arms and legs. With
each swing of the pole, the cracking of his voice outing his desperate cry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“God!
God! God!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nobody
was around to hear Ka Mao, nor to witness what was happening. It was a very
private communion between him and whoever it was whom in all faith and
submission he called “God”. And at the last cracking of his voice, as he felt
himself too exhausted to contend with the conflagration any further, he wobbled
on his legs then dropped to the ground much like melting jelly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that moment, Ka Mao found himself resolving:
this is it. In the face of adversity, you can only do so much with your human
strength. Ka Mao wondered afterward if he could have minded it ever had the
flames proceeded to eat up his flesh. He felt he would even not have felt pain
at all. He was ready for anything – except that the shrill sound of a baby’s
cry, Maoie’s, stuck to his consciousness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two
years later, that incident would form one of the highlights of Ka Mao’s first
directorial assignment, “Isla Sto. Niño” by Seiko Films. Out of that incident,
Ka Mao had woven a photoplay that drew heavily in content from the historic
Balanggiga Massacre in Samar during the American aggression of the Philippines
in the 1900s. According to historical accounts, the entire troops of an
American contingent were annihilated by Balangiga resistance fighters. In
retaliation for the massacre, the US military commander, Jacob Smith, issued
his infamous exhortation to his men: “I don’t want anything alive. I want you
to kill. The more you kill, the better you will please me!” And with that, as
history had recorded it, the American aggressors embarked on a killing spree, butchering
people and animals, destroying crops and plantations, while torching the whole
town of Balangiga to the ground.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Ka Mao would put it in his story, Fredo, played by Lito Lapid, and his band of
rebels organize a retreat aimed at saving from the American carnage the babies
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sto. Niño, a fictitious island off
Samar. With their ward of some one hundred babies, the rebels are cornered in
an encampment at the foot of the hills which the American soldiers set on fire,
using flaming arrows. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the movie, just as Fredo and his men
are rendered helpless against the flames that are encircling the camp and their
only recourse is to shield the babies with their bodies, divine intervention
takes place: a sudden heavy rain falls from heaven, instantly dousing the fire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Ka Mao’s private battle with the bushfire flames, there was no such artifice.
It was pure human will and sheer grit to overcome the adversity which impelled
him to continue the battle no matter that he had already fallen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Struggling
to get back on his feet, he grabbed the bamboo pole once more with which to
continue combating the fire. His eyes gaped. No more flame was in sight. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao suddenly realized how ardently he had been calling out to God. Had God
listened to him then? How would he know? There was no medium of any sort of
heavenly intervention as the suddenly falling rain that would be dramatized to
douse the fire in “Isla Sto. Niño.” There were only the smoldering embers of
stumps of cogon, of bushes and twigs, embers no longer capable of spreading
flames around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Isla
Sto. Niño”, which put back on track Lito Lapid’s journey to super stardom and
ultimately to the high echelons of the government bureaucracy, would be a
product of Ka Mao’s artistic vent; the bushfire episode, a real fight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
of the two, Ka Mao would eventually realize, the fundamental difference is: films
are made great by men’s artifice, life by man’s mortal strength to triumph over
adversity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Did
Ka Mao conquer the bushfire flames?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No,
he did not. The flames died the minute Ka Mao was left with no more strength to
put it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In any case, that struggle with the bushfire inspired Ka
Mao to embark on writing a photoplay which he initially titled “Green Inferno.”
As early as then, he was contemplating to do a movie that could be released
worldwide. Thus the English title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
evening, Ka Mao pounded his typewriter all night long. He hoped to finish writing
the script as fast as possible and transact it with any producer, even with
Leroy again. With his presentation of a new script, it would not be embarrassing
for him to ask his godfather for another advance payment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
as Ka Mao had never been steeped in finishing scripts overnight, writing the
bushfire-inspired photoplay went his normal pace. So his desperation that night
after he came home from the Baguio shooting would be replicated so many times
that before he realized it, Betchay’s hour was at hand but the money needed for
her cs delivery was not. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was the house that came into play at this crucial period. The IL group came
again in that period for another study session. Ka Mao thought the revolution
must be intensifying such that its cadres had to engage in political work
increasingly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning of the couple’s
predicament, the IL group, particularly Nimfa, worked on an obgyne of the
Philippine General Hospital, Dr. Talens, from the medical sector of the NDF.
The benign medic did the job on Betchay on Valentines Day of 1981. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr.
Talens himself had chosen the Manila Lying-In Clinic on Taft Avenue in which to
perform the operation. It would not be too costly doing it there. On top of
that, his professional fee would be reduced to the minimum and on a
pay-when-able basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“A
boy,” casually announced Dr. Talens to Ka Mao as he walked out of the operation
room after the cs was done.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rather
premature, the boy was placed in an incubator, with Ka Mao viewing him lovingly
through the glass wall of the nursery. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two
nurses came to the spot, one excitedly pulling at the other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Come,”
said the one pulling. “See how pogi (handsome) this Baby Samonte is.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao delighted at the compliment. He talked to the nurses, rather raising his
chin,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’m
his father,” he declared.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
nurses stared at Ka Mao, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>glanced him
over, then stared at him again, nearly gawking, “Huh?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao understood the reaction. It didn’t really look like the baby could be a
child of a dark-skinned, Malayan-looking guy that Ka Mao was. The baby was
fair-skinned, with facial features that, indeed, were handsome, evidently
occidental. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Ka Mao thought this was not time to lecture the nurses on Mendel’s genetics,
which after all, they, being medical people, should know, that is, that
parental traits get manifested by offsprings generations away. In time, the
baby would grow up, manifesting physical characteristics not even either of Ka
Mao’s parents, Tatay Simo and Nanay Puping, but that of Tay Celso, Nanay
Puping’s father, who was tall and handsome, with evident Castillan descent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the time being, Ka Mao reacted to the nurses’ insulting gaze with a wry smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
three were distracted by cheers coming from the street. The nurses knew what
was happening and they hurried to the balcony overlooking the avenue that was brimming
with folks who were cheering, waving their hands at somebody approaching. The
nurses immediately waved their hands, too, at the approaching figure: a frail, old
man garbed in white robe, a white cap on his head, riding in a specially-designed
vehicle with glass walls around so people could see him through from all angles
as he continuously gestured his hand to them in blessing.. The vehicle had been
played up in the media as Pope Mobile, with bullet-proof glass-walled chamber
specially built for the man riding it, Pope Paul II. This was the Pope’s first
visit to the Philippines and that ride in the Pope Mobile was his travel from
his arrival at the Manila International Airport to the Vatican Nunciature,
where he would be homed a few blocks away from the hospital.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao mused to himself, “As the throngs of people who welcome Pope Paul II down
Taft Avenue feel blessed by his passage, so in the same sense must be the birth
of my second son.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moreover,
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who willed it that because Ka Mao was so
hard-pressed with cash that a Party element must seek a doctor to perform cs on
Betchay for a pittance and for that doctor, out of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>brotherly kindness, to chose a hospital in
which to perform that operation just as the Pope was en route to the vicinity
there to spread his blessings?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If,
as Ka Mao had learned in his study of Marxist dialectical materialism, social
phenomena happen not independently of, but rather in their interrelationship
to,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one another, then there must a
relevance of the Pope’s passing the hospital, showering people with spiritual
blessing at the very moment Betchay’s baby was being born. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Somebody
distracted Ka Mao from his thoughts, a nurse who spoke, “Your wife wants you in
her recovery room.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Ka Mao entered the recovery room, a nurse was interviewing Betchay as she lay
in bed. She had barely recovered from the operation she had undergone for the
delivery of the baby.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“They
want to know what the name of our baby will be,” Betchay said to Ka Mao. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao looked to the nurse inquiringly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We
need to enter his name in the birth certificate,” said the nurse then asked as
she prepared to write on the birth certificate form the name Ka Mao would say,
“What will you call your baby, Sir?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao found himself thinking back on the scene just past before his eyes out on
the street: throngs of believers in a great outpouring of affection and
reverence for Pope Paul II. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Almost
dreamily, Ka Mao answered, ”Paulo.”</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER IX</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A DAY AFTER Paulo was
born, Ninoy delivered his much-touted memorable speech before hundreds of
listeners in Wilshire Ebell Theater, Los Angeles, California. He was walking on
steel crutches and to Ka Mao, he did strike up a semblance of Ka Bryan, the HO
Political Officer for the IL Group. But though all throughout the speech Ninoy
appeared in the pink of health, exuding his characteristic flamboyant air, when,
after being introduced by the emcee, he ambled to the microphone in midstage to
begin his speech, he pathetically limped on those steel crutches and by that
got the audience hooked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But Ka Mao could not have failed to notice that after
just a couple of steps, Ninoy was doing it exactly as Julie Vega did in doing a
scene in his movie “Iiyak Ka Rin”, one of the many box office hits he directed
for Seiko Films. The scene required the smart teen superstar to walk on
crutches in entering a hospital. But too much an imp for her age, the girl thought
of testing Ka Mao’s direction by virtually just walking, just acting out a
limp, with the crutches just getting carried by her hands, hardly touching the
ground. Of course, she expected a retake. But Ka Mao, keenly sensing the
deliberate misbehavior, got back by allowing the take to stand as the spoiled
brat did it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Who would suffer from the bad acting? Not him but the
actress, Ka Mao told himself and shouted, “Pack up.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ah…, Ka Mao sighed as he watched on video Ninoy doing his
thing at the very start of his speech. Unmatched by Julie Vega in that
particular situation, Ninoy appeared to be perfecting the artifice, the genius
to evoke mass illusion of his heroism through vivid pictures of injuries
sustained in battle. Ka Mao began seeing that genius in Ninoy as he walked down
the stairs of Hilton Hotel that night of August 21, 1971, when the entire
senatorial ticket of the Liberal Party got blasted by two grenades. A cocked
.45 pistol gripped in his hand, he strode down the stairs ready to do battle.
He got no injuries though, since he was miraculously away from the party
political rally on Plaza Miranda, but his party mates lay onstage all terribly
maimed along with wounded and killed bystanders, and with Ninoy’s courageous
stride with the .45 juxtaposed on these grim images, he certainly etched in
people’s mind <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on a mass scale the figure
of a warrior savior. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In similar grim circumstances, that figure would shine
on: street demonstrations in the increasing Marcos curtailment of civil
liberties, arrest and incarceration of Ninoy and other top opposition leaders
upon the declaration of martial law, his solitary confinement, the hunger strike
embarked on in continued defiance of the Marcos dictatorship, the near-death he
sustained as a consequence which prompted the government to confine him in a
hospital, onward to his veritable furlough in the United States, there to
continue fighting Marcos under atmospheres endemic in the land of the free.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even his failed attempt to get elected to the Interim
Batasang Pambansa, Ka Mao thought now, could not have been conceived to win.
How could a political genius that Ninoy was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>have failed to realize that he could never hope to win in an
election<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>under martial law. The LABAN
ticket he headed was pitted against a slate of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL)
with no less than First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos at the helm. No way Ninoy
and company could win. And they did lose with a dismal score of O. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chances
were that Imelda and her group did win in an honest way. There were no
indications of any irregularities in the conduct of the election. The counting
of votes was open to public view, very transparent, and the final count put KBL
team winning 21 to nothing for Metro Manila. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Could
Ninoy give a damn? Not at all. He ran not to win but to get another trouncing in
the hands of Marcos and thereby get martyred on and on to the point of sanctification,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And what better testimony to this would there be than
Ninoy’s mystery-shrouded homecoming on August 21, 1983. A single bullet, shot
through his skull as he was being led by AVSECOM soldiers down the stairs of
the China Airlines that had taken him to the Manila International Airport, sent
Ninoy dropping to the tarmac.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That picture of Ninoy lying dead face down on the
pavement finally accomplished the sanctification. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And maintaining Ninoy in exactly his same physical
condition in death, i.e., the face made ugly by the bullet wound, and uglier
still by the blood that had been splattered on it, allowed to dry and entirely
unwashed, just like the similar bloodstains on his immaculate clothes, there to
stay all the way to his entombment – what <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>did all this do but make the sanctification
eternal!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From then on, Ninoy would be god. Because of him, Cory
would be president. Because of him, Noynoy would be president. Because of him,
what generations descending from, or claiming rights under, him would take
turns ruling the Philippines after Noynoy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
going back to his February 15, 1981 speech, Ninoy related that as he stepped
out of his car to come to a speaking engagement in Ohio State University, he
must have tripped on the gutter, causing what he said as his Achilles heel
tendon to tear up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just his luck, one might say. But no matter, it gave him
the excuse to come to the Wilshire Ebell Theater Freedom Rally in crutches. All
the better for imparting to an enthralled audience the image of somebody
getting injured in battle but getting back up on his feet and fighting on and
on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was a wonderful speech, deserving of what it had come
to be known: Ninoy’s memorable speech. Interspersing it with his characteristic
humor, he got the hundreds awake through his two-hour long litany of
accusations against Marcos and self-adulations of his virtues.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ninoy had one single message for Marcos: step down and
return democracy to the Filipino people or throw the country in chaos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To the cheers of the throng in attendance, Ninoy intoned,
“Though I have vowed never to enter the political arena again, I will dedicate
the last drop of my blood for the dismantlement of your dictatorship.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And Ninoy did that day he returned to drop dead on the
airport tarmac.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The nation – or, anyway, Metro Manila and select sites in
Luzon, Visayas and Mindano – threw in worrying disturbances: street demos here,
confetti prostest showers there, symposia in campuses, and noise barrages, all
sorts of mass actions condemning Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The economy was suddenly on the downtrend, with the peso
dropping to 22 to 1 dollar. The increasing turbulence, mainly from the middle
class but with strong participation from the workers, was beginning to drive
investors away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But as if in contrast, Ka Mao’s private economy
experienced an upswing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1981 was the year Betchay began conceiving their third
child. Into the next year, Ka Mao again began to worry where to get money for
Betchay’s next cs operation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the way home from a visit with his folks in Manila, Ka Mao was walking across
Araneta Center<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>heading for the terminal
for jeepneys going to Antipolo, Maoie in his arms. Now in getting to the
terminal, they would have to pass Jollibee unavoidably and Maoie would pester
him on and on until he took him into the store for a yumburger and French
fries. In times when he got money, Ka Mao would even delight at Maoie’s
throwing in tantrums before bringing him in the store for a snack. This time,
however, he had no money to spare for that purpose and the Jollibee signage ahead
struck Ka Mao’s eyes like a sudden terror. Ka Mao made a sharp detour into the
Farmers Market. That way they would be skirting Jollibee and cross another street
to get to the jeepney terminal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Maoie had grown used to the surroundings and he knew they were not going the
right way. And he fretted, indicating to Ka Mao where they should go instead –
the Jollibee way. The boy would have gone on squirming in Ka Mao’s arms had he
not been distracted by Ka Mao being greeted by Efren Piñon and Conrad Poe. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
two were close buddies. They had stood as sponsors in Paulo’s baptism. When not
making movies, they engaged in dealing tuna which they got from Cotabato. The
fish variety was abundant in the province and heads of the fish were virtually
cast aside as trash in tuna canning factories. These fish heads were prime
items in beer joints where they were grilled for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pulutan </i>or dish for munching on while drinking brew.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That afternoon, Efren and Conrad were at the market,
transacting with fish vendors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Just right time, Mao,” said Efren. “I got an assignment
from Seiko Films.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao had worked with Efren on “Nang Umapoy ang
Karagatan”, a big project which Efren directed for Showbiz, Inc. A known action
movie director, Efren was offered by Seiko to direct a comics epic, “Boy
Condenado” by Carlo Caparas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are you free?” asked Efren. “You can do the script.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Am I free!” exclaimed Ka Mao. “I am.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Boy Condenado” was significant to Ka Mao in a number of
“firsts”. It was his first movie for Seiko Films. It was his first time working
with Laarni Enriquez, the charming, amiable and adorable Tondo beauty queen who
shortly after would be Ka Mao’s leading lady in his first directorial job,
“Isla Sto. Niño”; six years after, Laarni would be First Lady of the Land in her
own right, being love partner to President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. And it was
the first time Ka Mao had a hand directing a scene in a movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Efren, who years after would betray his spiritual depth
in directing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>video presentations of the
El Shaddai Movement, had the good graces to make Ka Mao direct a highlight of
the movie, with himself confining to handling one of three cameras needed for
the scene. It was a truly big scene involving men and equipment, fire trucks,
police patrol cars, and stunts as crowd panicked in a neighborhood-wide fire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao did his damn best and pulled off the job with, as
the cliché goes, flying colors. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What he did not realize was that Robbie Tan, the
executive producer of Seiko, was around all the while, keenly observing. After
“Boy Condenado,” Seiko’s next project would be “Isla Sto. Niño”, with who else
as the director but Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
X</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE SUCCESS of “Boy
Condenado” at the box office, Ka Mao credited solely to Robbie Tan whose
marketing expertise Ka Mao would rate superb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sure, the movie had a superstar for the leading man, Rudy Fernandez,
playing the title role; a known author of movie hits, Carlo Caparas; and a
reputed action movie director, Efren Piñon. All these and more would form plus
factors which by conventional reckoning ensured fans would go and see the
movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But Robbie, a young <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>graduate of the Asian Institute of Management,
had the daring to defy conventions. For one thing, in the hierarchy of values
he had come up with to determine whether or not a movie would make money, the
cast, meaning star value, fell only on the third rung, with marketing on the
second. At the topmost level was concept.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Concept translates to, what is the movie all about? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
what was “Boy Condenado” all about? Was it about that good-boy-gone-astray
stereotype as harped on in the comics serialization of the material? Robbie
wouldn’t buy that stuff. The only reason he got the comics story was, it was a
novel by Carlo Caparas, who was getting to have a captive audience. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
the shooting of the movie began, Robbie, having much doubt about the project,
even had a meeting with Carlo in which he expressed his preferrence to have
another material from him to shoot, or else he would just return “Boy
Condenado”. This was another way of saying, “return the money already paid for
it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Carlo was evidently offended but kept his cool. Trying
hard to be polite, Carlo spoke, “No, Robbie. That’s yours. I can’t take it
anymore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
the filming of Carlo’s novel went ahead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
due time, the production phase was completely done. While work proceeded to the
post-production phase, Robbie began minding how to sell the movie. That night, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao had a brainstorming with him and his
brother Edward. They needed to have a catchline for marketing purposes, in
newspaper ad placements and in other publicity formats as lobby displays,
posters and billboards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After much exchange of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ideas, Edward nonchalantly spoke the phrase: “The story of a boy from
Malabon.” Ka Mao took it as too commonplace. Edward himself, not pretending to
any literary skill, didn’t attach any deep significance to what he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was Robbie who instantly looked like having hit gold.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At that time, a very hot issue was Ben Tumbling, the
underworld character who had been involved in a number of high crimes. The
legendary criminal was recently gunned down in an encounter with law enforcers,
prompting movie producers to beat one another in getting the film rights for
his story. But the martial law dispensation saw it fit to ban the filming of
the Ben Tumbling story for obvious reasons: nothing against the establishment
was to be allowed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With Robbie, the government restriction offered no
problem. He did not have to film a Ben Tumbling story. He only needed to
impress upon film audiences – indeed, marketing – that “Boy Condenado” was the
real-life story of Ben Tumbling. But precisely because of the government
restriction, he could not pass on, even for marketing purposes, “Boy Condenado”
as a film on Ben Tumbling. The catchline austerely thought of by Edward would
do the trick.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was known to all and sundry that Ben Tumbling was to
Malabon as Asiong Salonga was to Tondo or Narding Putik to Cavite. It only
needed to play up Edward’s idea to make people believe that “Boy Condenado,”
“The story of a boy from Malabon” was the story of Ben Tumbling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And the people believed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All of a sudden, “Boy Condenado” was the talk of the
town, on sidewalks, in barbershops, in many a tete-a-tete in slums
neighborhoods, and even among students in campuses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That “Boy Condenado” would score big at the tills became
a foregone conclusion. That would be the good product of that brain storming in
the Malabon office of Seiko Wallet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The bad thing was for Ka Mao. Because of the sensational
marketing Robbie did, the Board of Censors got so strict about the movie that they
deleted most anything which in their perception had a semblance of Ben
Tumbling’s exploits. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The result was a badly-mutilated photoplay that found Ka
Mao reeling from attacks from all self-righteous critics lambasting him for bad
writing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From that experience, Ka Mao swore never to do a movie
again unless he would direct it himself. This was the only assurance he could
have that his scripts would stay faithful to his intentions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before that, known drama director Armando de Guzman,
recognizing Ka Mao’s talent <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to write,
advised him: “If you want to get your break in directing movies, write a good
script then offer it to a producer on the condition that you will direct.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so it was that as Betchay was infanticipating on
their third child, Ka Mao worked on his initial drafts of the “Green Inferno”.
In a short period, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he finished the
script, this time titling it “Isla Sto. Niño.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When he presented the synopsis to Robbie, his eyes
glistened with dollar signs, evoked by imageries of a hundred babies getting
subjected to every ordeal in the forest: fire, raging rapids, the elements. All
this, while avoiding canon shells from American forces rendered intransigent in
their objective to annihilate everyone, rebel or baby.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was the concept and Robbie nodded, smiling..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The proposal sheet Ka Mao presented already had a
catchline to carry: “God, save the babies!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’ll do it,” Robbie said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao fixed his eyes on Robbie as a take-off for his
next words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I must direct,” Ka Mao said, indicating grit and
resolve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Robbie understood, smiled, then said, “Ok.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
was a day after July 17, 1982, when Dr. Juliano came out from the operation
room of the Tiongson Hospital in Taytay, Rizal, done with the cs operation on
Betchay for the delivery of their third child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Kengkay,”
Dr. Juliano told Ka Mao, gleaming. The term actually alluded to the female
genitalia.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao gleamed, too. He already had two boys and had wished for a girl. His wish
was granted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
the deal clinched on “Isla Sto. Niño,” Ka Mao did not have a hard time
requesting Robbie for down payment from which to draw the amount needed for
Keng’s delivery. Dr. Juliano’s given nickname for the girl as a jest stuck:
“Kengkay.” But in formal baptism, she was named Maripaz, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the first half of which derived from the first
half of Betchay’s full name “Maribeth” and the second half, “Paz”, after the
full name of Ka Mao’s grandmother, Nay <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paz.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE BIRTH of Maripaz
appeared to signal the start of a good life for Ka Mao and his family. Food and
other provisions for day-to-day subsistence were getting increasingly plentiful.
Indulgence in little luxuries became affordable. Weekends saw Ka Mao taking
Betchay and the kids to some form of diversion or the other.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As for the house, Ka Mao now wanted a concrete one. But
without much planning, he leveled down the whole original one-room affair and
exactly on the same spot on which it stood,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>he immediately embarked on constructing a replacement, already
erecting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>columns on two sides, three on
each side. Once done with five columns, three on one side and two on the other,
he realized the ultimate budget for the intended house would be too enormous
for his present capacity. He decided to halve the structure, with two columns
on each of two sides. And that’s how the house turned out, only one half of
what had originally been meant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
problem was that the completed half was the one consisting of the bedroom, the
kitchen and the bathroom. The non-done half was the one meant for the living
room. Once walled around with concrete, the resulting structure looked more
like a series of solitary confinement cells joined together by a hallway at the
entrance and a narrow corridor that was the gap between the bedroom and the
kitchen. The hallway was that gap between the solid cement wall of the front of
the house that rose all the way to the rafters and the solid wall of the
kitchen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
the right end of this hallway was the comfort room and at the left, the landing
of the steps to the sunken extension area on the one hand, and on the other
hand, the stairs to the attic, again made of bamboo. The trusses were fastened
to the top of the walls, both the one above the entrance and the one at the
back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The openings through the trusses
were fitted with iron grills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Clinging
on to his apparent fetish for all things native, Ka Mao still used nipa for the
roof of the new house and made it high so as to accommodate an attic, a feature
which Ka Mao added in order to compensate for the lack of a living room. The
kitchen wall facing that of the main entrance was made to rise such that its
top served as a railing from where one on the attic might look down on the
hallway to, say, check who was getting inside the house. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The floor of the attic consisted of bamboo
slats nailed on the wooden beams with little spaces in between. Ka Mao had this
done deliberately for purposes of ventilation. That might be good for airiness
in the attic atmosphere but on questions of privacy, it was highly inadvisable.
One on the attic got to see the activity on the groundfloor and vice versa. But
this was how the family house was back in his childhood days and Ka Mao just
could not overcome the nostalgia. For that matter, one reason why Ka Mao
prohibited his family from cutting bamboo shoots for viand was because he
wanted the bamboo trees to flourish and provide steady supply of bamboo anytime
he needed it. Had he tolerated Betchay in her own fetish of eating bamboo
shoots, no more bamboo trees in the property would be standing by now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such an eyesore was the unused column that now
stood like a Meralco post gone astray. Tearing down the column would readily
cure the sore, but Ka Mao would have none of it. The column had cost much and
he would not want to waste that money. He cranked his skull and soon hit the
idea. Around the column, he put up four wooden posts, four inches by four
inches in diameter and set in a square formation five meters apart from one
another. The top of the posts which were six feet six inches high, he fitted
with two inches by four inches wooden beams joined end to end. Then rafters two
inches by four inches in diameter were fitted from<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the tip of the concrete column to a
corresponding tip of the wooden posts where the beams were joined up as well as
to corresponding points above the midsections of the beams. These rafters were
then rounded with purlins so that the whole set up had the look of a spider
web. On this setup of rafters and purlins would be fastened nipa roofing to complete
the structure of a pergola. Completed wih bamboo railing that connected the
posts to each other below, with one such section left open to serve as
entrance, the resulting structure was a pretty, quaint architecture that would
serve both as receiving room and dining room for guests. Ka Mao ordered a
rattan six-seater round dining table with matching rattan sala set as
furnishings for the pergola. At the foot of the concrete column were stacked
modest-sized boulders plastered with cement to one another, on top of one side
of which was placed a native earthen jar for holding drinking water to complete
the amenities of native dining. The other top of the boulders was fitted with a
lavatory for washing hands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, Ka Mao
intended the attic to be his library. writing room and conference room all
rolled up into one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
since he wrote all throughout most of the night, it was in the attic that
sleepiness almost <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>always overtook him
and there he would lay out a mat for him to sleep on.. And since the kids
always loved to sleep with him, it was on the attic that they almost always got
themselves overtaken by sleepiness, too, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and there would sleep with him. Besides, it
was on the attic that Ka Mao guided the kids in doing their school assignments,
so that almost always after the study sessions, they would be too sleepy to get
down to the bedroom where Betchay could now be snoring all by her lonesome.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In many such a moment, Ka Mao would pause from his
writing and get amused at the kids doing various funny positions in their sleep.
How nice to be just kids, he would muse. To be worry-free and letting daddies
bother about all the cares in the world. Ka Mao felt he had not much to worry
about at the moment anyway. He was not lacking in film assignments, with Seiko
having vaulted to the top third spot among the leading film producers, the
first two being Viva Films and Regal Films.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The only thing Ka Mao could not seem to give to his
children until now was the luxury of electricity. Light was remediable, because
they could have similar amount of it from petroleum lamps; in his case, from
his goodie ole improvised kerosene lamp fastened with electrical tape to the
top of his typewriter when he wrote. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Electricity
meant a lot more of things: radio, television, cassette recorder and player,
educational and entertainment gadgets, and, yes, the refrigerator that remained
unoperated. Above all things at the moment was their need for clean water. The
creek was getting dirtier and dirtier due to wastes dumped in it by settlements
on the higher planes. There was no more way to distinguish the creek water from
the spring water with which it unavoidably got mixed up. If he could have
electricity, he could dig a deep well and then pump water from it, using the
jack pump Leroy Salvador gifted him with sometime ago.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao could manage now to raise some hundred fifty
thousand pesos to have his own transformer installed in order to lower the
voltage of the high-tension wire that passed his place. But that’s not the only
item he needed to spend money for. The kids’ schooling was top priority, and
when money was put into that priority, what was left was the budget for the
family’s subsistence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Checking with Meralco again for a possible remedy, he was
informed that he could buy stocks of the company and use those shares as
back-up for the transformer that would be put in place for his use. Ka Mao lit
up. The amount of shares he needed to buy was very affordable. Before long, he
was applying for a certificate of electrical inspection with the Municipal
Engineer’s office. Through the help of one Alegre, a very amiable and
accommodating fellow, Ka Mao was issued the certificate plus another one, a
certificate of occupancy, a most fundamental requisite for occupying a house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Alegre came to him that morning announcing as he
brandished the documents in his hand, “Approved without looking.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the same time, Ka Mao put up an entrance post with all
engineering specifications for such a facility, complete with electrical plan
for causing the electric wires<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to pass
underground rather than above, for optimum safety. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So in less than a year after Maripaz was born, the family
got its one remaining single lack: electricity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The family rejoiced. Ka Mao wanted to shout out something
grand. But he could not. It would take more than two decades thence when –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>due to unpaid bills the electric connection
so dearly gained was permanently cut up and Ka Mao’s reapplication for the same
was denied on account of an encumbrance by the Epira Law that applicants for
Meralco electric connection must submit a title to the land on which the
connection was to be made and Ka Mao could not show one, but he argued his case
vehemently nonetheless and Meralco, through the kind intercession of Vice President
for Communications Joe Zaldarriaga, acquiesced in the end – Ka Mao, in a text
message to Joe, finally worded his joy: “’Tis no hypherbole. After eons of
darkness, Meralco is the next best thing to life.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In due time, Robbie would sell to Ka Mao his Toyota Land
Cruiser at a very friendly price. With the vehicle, the family completed the
normal standard for gaining the status of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>well-to-do: a house-and-lot and a car, with children going to good
schools. When she came of school age, Maripaz joined Maoie and Paulo at the
Montessori, and when things got even better, all three transferred to
Assumption. At the time, boys were accepted in the school but only up to Grade
4, so early on Ka Mao wondered if he could afford to send Maoie and Paulo <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to Ateneo. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During a meeting of the Assumption Family Council Ka Mao
voiced out this concern to one parent, who right away remarked, “If you can
afford Assumption, you can afford Ateneo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was how very attentive and meticulous was Ka Mao
about the education of his kids. Poverty had not allowed him to finish his
engineering course and he did not wish to see his children meeting with the
same fate. With his film career progressing all throughout the 80s, it looked
like the education of his children would take on a happy course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meantime
Ka Mao’s bank account was getting fatter everyday. Particularly for Betchay,
this was source of much secure feeling. Though it was not in her name, she kept
the bank book and thereby held power over the purse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
was making sure she got to achieve her own agenda. She wanted to finish college
and pursue a profession of her own. As all the kids were now in school, she
found enough time to mind her own studies. Ka Mao was quite heartened by her
desire for college education and supported her enrollment at the Philippine
School of Business Administration for accounting studies. A new vehicle was
added to the family’s modest motor pool, a Ford Laser, and this became
Betchay’s personal car in going to and from school. She had endeavored to study
driving without Ka Mao knowing it, but he was glad to know she could drive, because
it meant she could be his personal driver. Ka Mao himself knew how to drive,
but he got this habit of conceiving<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>stories while in travel and he rightly deemed it dangerous to be doing
so while driving on his own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
so, at the same time that Betchay got the nice feeling of being admired by the
crowd in the PSBA campus as a car-owning student, she also did the good job of
driving Ka Mao through many journeys into creating stories. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
the side route through Binalonan, Pangasinan during a travel from Baguio, they
passed a large plantatation of eggplants and the sight of that vegetable
variety being grown on a large scale stirred Ka Mao’s mind into creating
“Talong”, the movie that launched Nini Jacinto and Leonardo Litton to stardom
and turned out to be a big moneymaker. Ka Mao observed Ricky Lee and his
same-sex company stepping out of a theater, enthusing at the movie,
particularly that scene where Nini, in giving a drunk Leonardo a sponge bath,
gleefully toyed with his genitals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Kangkong”, which, for all its earthy
celebration of sex, drew a heartening<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>commendation from the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines
and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>made a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>star out of a poor slums denizen, Brigitte de
Joya , was a product of a similar journey. Betchay was driving down a Morong,
Rizal highway which skirted the Laguna de Bay when Ka Mao noticed that the
shores of the famous lake were teeming with ponds growing the favorite
vegetable for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sinigang</i>, an exotic
dish of either fish or meat boiled in tamarind juice with a rich mixture of
spices, serving both as viand and soup in meals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Halimuyak ng Babae”, originally titled by Ka
Mao as “Sa Daigdig ng mga Toro”, was inspired by a sprawling cow ranch in Baao,
Camarines<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sur which on a travel to
Catanduanes struck Ka Mao as a lovely landscape, with Mayon Volcano majestically
pictured in the background. In all instances before that, Ka Mao had been
traveling the same route but on public transport and always at nights. There
was no way he could see the herd of cattle grazing on the meadow. With Betchay
driving this time, the travel was in broad daylight and then and there got him
gestating the story of a girl given away as prize in a rodeo festival; the
movie made more money for Seiko and turned the otherwise unheralded starlet
Abby Viduya into the sex superstar Priscilla Almeda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
journey to Pagsanjan Falls had Ka Mao and Betchay passing Lumban, Quezon, a
town proclaiming as its prime cottage industry the production of cheese from
carabao milk. Ka Mao revisited the town at dawn to witness the production of
such delicacy and there completed his concept of the movie “Kesong Puti,” a
super hit which made Klaudia Koronel a star overnight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
travelling through a deserted highway in Mauban, Quezon, Ka Mao witnessed the
large-scale cutting of coconut trees for turning into coco lumber and it got
him so mad he thought of a story to advocate a stop to such despoliation of
nature, and the result was “Bad Girl,” which picked up a struggling starlet
from the doldrums and catapulted her to superstardom, Cristina Gonzales, who in
1991 would beat them all with a whopping score of fifteen movies in a year, all
casting her in the lead role: “Katawan ni Sofia”, “Maiinit na Puso”, “Akin ang
Asawa Mo”, etc., the rest of the fifteen being works of other directors. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kring-Kring
became the most sought-after star after “Bad Girl”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
brief, during trips, Ka Mao must have complete freedom to let all his thoughts
bloom. Gestating stories and driving at the same time could invite disaster. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
time Ka Mao was driving, Betchay comfortably seated beside him, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and was into his usual indulgence in creative
thinking, when a truck laden with pigs suddenly sped out of the gates of a piggery.
Ka Mao realized he was already face to face with the driver of the truck who
exchanged terrified stares with him. Ka Mao was ready to take a terrible smash-up.
But his foot stepped on the brakes nonetheless while his hands spun the wheel
furiously to the right, causing his Mitsubishi van to spin 180 degrees,
avoiding by an inch the truck which in fright, the driver drove on, quickly
shifting to high gear.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao leaned back on his seat, heaving a sigh. It was a long stretch of empty
highway they were on anyway and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he had
all the time to just sit there and wait till his nerves leveled up. But Betchay
took no time taking over the wheels, turning the car back to its original
direction, resuming the travel.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They
were on the way to Puerto Azul for Ka Mao to do a double-check of a location
for “May Gatas Pa Sa Labi”, an idea of a man and an adolescent girl washed
ashore on a deserted island from a sea mishap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ka Mao had traveled to the place one time during a location hunting and
that area in Cay Labne, Tanza, Cavite had the distinct feature of a forest
adjacent to the sea, with a river flowing down into it. It germinated in Ka
Mao’s mind a Robinson Crusoe type of adventure, and when he offered the idea to
Kara Films which had sought him out for a film project, the good-natured
executive producer, Roger Leonardo, said, “Your call, Direk.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
all systems went for the project, The production staff and crew were organized,
and to play the role of the adolescent sea mishap victim opposite top star
Tonton Gutierez was a Vir Mateo talent whom Ka Mao discovered while she was doing
a tryout for a role in a theater play in the Ninoy Aquino Park and Wildlife. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao did not have to think twice when he came face to face with the girl. She
was thirteen, petite and pretty, her big round eyes, glowing doll-like, mirrored
girlish innocence, but her French mestiza allure already exuded some pleasant
sultriness – Aila Marie, the name she would retain in the billing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Invariably,
that was how Ka Mao judged his stars. The looks came first. Acting, a period of
workshop would solve it. Above all, Aila was new, so very new, completely
malleable so as to be made submissive to his direction. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
invariably as well, the approach worked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Ka Mao was not so sure about the location. His particular requirement was a
stream flowing from falls in a forest so that without having to cut a shot, you
trail the flow of water with a camera pan and capture the stream outing into a
panorama of the ocean, its blue waters reflecting the color of the sky, with a
clouds-rimmed horizon yonder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Much
to his dismay, Ka Mao realized Cay Labne, though having inspired the concept,
did not fit into the shooting requirement. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thus
did<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that near-crash with the pig
delivery truck go for naught.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao would finally find the perfect site in his native town of Calolbon, now San
Andres, Catanduanes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And “May Gatas Pa
Sa Labi” made so much money when shown that not long after, Kara Films,
hitherto relatively unknown, was being reckoned with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s
me you’re getting popular with this, Direk,” said Roger of his venture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, as if by tradition, Aila Mare was
signed up <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for exclusive contract by
Regal Films.That had been Regal’s way of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>keeping bankable talents in the industry completely under its control. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao nearly fell into it, too, that day Mother Lily invited him to her office
where without much ceremony she instructed Ate Luz, the ever loyal and devoted
secretary-cashier of the Regal matriarch, to prepare pronto the advance payment
for making Ka Mao exclusive for the company. In a little while, the lady Man
Friday was done with a thick wad of checks which Mother Lily eagerly signed for
issuing to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
is three hundred thousand, Direk,” said the First Lady of Philippine
movies<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as she signed the checks. “Just
down payment for ten movies. The balance per movie, you get everytime you
shoot.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao found it extremely hard to refuse the offer from somebody whose winsome way
of dealing with people, albeit play-act, was simply irresistible. But Betchay
kept elbowing his side, nearly gnashing her teeth as she counseled him, “Don’t
sign.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Only
when Mother Lily was done signing the checks did Ka Mao get to say, “Sorry,
Mother. No need for this contract. Just you hire me anytime you wish”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao didn’t know why he listened to Betchay. Mother Lily had been so nice to him
that it indeed made him sincerely sorry to have rejected her. The lady eyed
him, looking deeply hurt inside. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
remembered the first time he saw that look in her eyes. That noon at Jade Vine
Restaurant in Greenhills Shopping Mart. She had invited him for lunch along
with Ishmael Bernal for discussions on film projects. But the hours wore on and
it was now nearing two and still Mother Lily was nowhere in sight. Ka Mao was
taking it good-naturedly, having grown used to her habits, tantrums and
everything. But Bernal, the super director that he was, was visibly irked,
though he kept his thoughts to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally,
at ten minutes to two, Mother Lily arrived, beaming even as she was profuse
with apologies to her guests. They must have waited for nearly three hours, for
to a lunch invitation by someone as important as Mother Lily, you are expected
to arrive as early as eleven o’clock. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
minute Mother Lily took a seat at the table, Bernal rose abruptly, and without
looking at her nor saying a word to her, he turned away and got lost. That
clearly was the snub he had deliberately designed to get back at the lady for
having made him, a very important person, suffer the agony of a three-hour-waiting.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mother
Lily was left gaping, appearing like having been hit by a blow. She made no
adverse reaction of any sort, just that look of hurt in her eyes with which she
trailed Bernal’s oh, too proud strides in going away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
at Ka Mao’s rejection of Mother Lily’s offer, he just found himself wondering
if he was not doing a Bernal. And that made him feel guilty. Mother Lily had
been so good to him to deserve his snub. And so unavoidably, as Mother Lily
casually tore the checks intended for him, Ka Mao just found himself suddenly
reminiscing on some nice times he had had with the lady, like that midnight
trip to Pangasinan to which she had wanted him and Betchay around when she paid
homage to the Virgin of Manaoag. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">People
were wont to engage in ill talk on the lady’s frequent tantrums, growling at
employees and throwing things at them, like ash trays and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>telephone sets, whatever she could grab in
her moments of bad temper. What was hardly talked about was her regular visits
to the Virgin of Manaoag in whose miracles she manifested deep faith. At the
entrance of the Valencia Street office of Regal Films, an interesting amalgam
greeted every visitor before entering: the Virgin of Manaoag richly garlanded
with sampaguita side by side with a Buddha figurine surrounded by burning
incense.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao would have some spiritual union with Mother Lily in the Life in the Spirit
Seminar conducted in the Regal office in 1991. Along with a number of Regal
celebrities, Ka Mao underwent the seminar for a week. From that seminar, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao got a copy of the Good News Bible,
which had since then become his ready reference for Gospel guidance; the one
Manay Consoling gifted him with stayed kept in the shelves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why Ka Mao heeded Betchay’s counsel for him
not to sign the exclusive contract, he couldn’t say. Chances were that Mother
Lily had sincerely wished to keep him for keeps. The fact was that even with
his refusal to sign, Ka Mao continued to enjoy the good graces of Mother Lily.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Into the 90s, Ka Mao was getting to be a
topnotch director in number of films made; in 1991 he scored six for the year
alone. Four of those six were for Regal films.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao would realize that goodwill is not sourced from worldly trappings of legal
contracts but from a sincere covenant with God to do good. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER XII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SOCIETY threw in tumult
in the aftermath of the Ninoy Aquino assassination that August 21, 1983. Like
most anybody else, Ka Mao’s impulse was to call it a handiwork of Marcos. But
after a period of putting two and two together, Ka Mao advanced the opinion
that Marcos was no fool to make a hero out of a dead man walking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his admitted sojourns to various places outside of the
United States to strike up formal<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>alliances against Marcos, sticking always to his side was Dr. Solis, the
surgeon who performed triple heart by-pass operation on him in Dallas,
Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The doctor had become so dear a
friend to Ninoy that, as he admitted in an interview with the Philippine Daily
Inquirer, he “would take Ninoy’s secret to his grave.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ninoy was a terminal case, no doubt about that. That was
why he needed Dr. Solis to travel along with him in those numerous trips to meet
up with allies and supporters. But on that particular journey for homecoming in
1981 when he should need medical attention most, Dr. Solis was prominently
missing. Ninoy appeared a pathetic lonesome as he moved from one plane to
another in the circuitous trip back home, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The question, then, is unavoidably asked: When does a
patient no longer need a doctor? The answer is simple: When there’s no more
hope of cure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As a finale to a lengthy essay on Ninoy which Ka Mao
posted in his blog KAMAO in 2010, he cited a passage from a video documentary
entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beyond Conspiracy: 25 Years
After</i>. The presentation was hosted by Tina Munzon Palma, who, as a
clincher, declared: “In the end, Ninoy won his political chess game with Marcos
by doing the unthinkable: he sacrificed the King.” And Ka Mao, after citing the
consequent rise to power of what the media had hyped to be apolitical, Ninoy’s
widow Cory, made his own fearless pronouncement: “That was a good death, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>translation of the Greek word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">euthanasia</i>.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So much given to metaphors in his writing, Ka Mao was
alluding to the medical practice of physicians finally ordering the detachment
of various life supports from a patient to facilitate his passage from life.
Mercy killing, that’s how it is generally known. But the gory manner by which
Ninoy got killed and depicted in the video presentation prompted Ka Mao to
recall a scene in a cowboy movie in which a horse with broken legs, thus with
no more hope of living further, was shot by its very owner, thereby, with that
single bullet through its skull, making its death easy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sure, Ninoy got death good and easy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But for the nation, that drama on the tarmac ushered in
terribly difficult times. Cory, suddenly grown political, led ceaseless
disturbances all riding on the single cry: “Sobra na! Tama na! Alisin na! (Too
much! Enough! Remove!)” Foreign capital held back on its investments, creating
an abrupt drop of the economy, ultimately leading to mass poverty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao was intrigued by the phenomenon. He would wonder
if people were made to be like that, enjoying pleasure from getting hurt.
Despite getting whacks on the head with police sticks, they would brawl with
state troopers even more. So if the turbulence from the assassination of Ninoy
was creating hard times on their livelihood, suits people fine; they had it
coming. It was their mindless accommodation of the Cory call that made them
poorer in the first place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>People’s protests all over the nation provided the crest
for Cory to ride on in a clear intention to get Ninoy’s oath, declared with
resolve in his memorable speech, done once and for all: “I will dedicate the
last drop of my blood for the dismantlement of your dictatorship.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How the people loved to repeat after Cory on and on and
on: “Tama na! Sobra na! Alisin na!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the armed CPP-NPA rebellion, the disturbances just
augured well for pushing the revolution ahead. This was the time the rebel
leadership assessed its so-called people’s war to have attained the strategic
counter offensive (SCO) sub-stage from which to spring to the strategic
offensive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the US, the situation would not be good. American
overriding concern at the time was to get Marcos done with for purposes of
achieving their intentions in the forthcoming renegotiation of the American
bases rentals. If, initially the communist movement helped US interests in its
program of demonizing Marcos as a springboard for his ouster, this time around,
that movement was poised to take over in the event of a rebel overthrow of Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Sisonite strategy of a protracted people’s war sat
quite well with the US. That strategy was only aimed at protracting on and on,
with no timeline for victory. Simply because the strategy was designed not to
win, the imperialist enemy would not lose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But into the 80s, a shift from the conventional strategy
of surrounding the cities from the countryside was becoming evident. Urban
guerilla warfare was intensifying in Metro Manila as witnessed by the
assassination of General Tomas Karingal, Chief of the Police Northern Sector
Command, and Col. James Rowe, JUSMAG Commander. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meantime, policemen became a most scared lot, not knowing
who among them would fall next from assassination by city guerillas in their
ceaseless conduct of agaw armas, a binge of killing policemen for the simple
reason of snatching their service weapons. That was how, invoking the principle
of self-reliance, urban armed city partisans (ACP) were able to arm themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This shift in revolutionary strategy should be cause for
worry for the US. Its experience in its own backyard had shown that armed city
uprisings were the modern-day effective method of toppling tyrants. Fidel Castro
did it in Cuba and the Sadinistas, in Panama.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Jun, or Rolly Kintanar, as NPA Chief was into
perfecting the blueprint for such a Sadinista-approach uprising in the
Philippines, and though it was <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>not
openly advanced, the transpirations obtaining in Metro Manila spoke for
themselves: a city-based insurrection was in the making.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For that reason, a Marcos overthrow through popular
uprising must be nipped in the bad as far as US intentions were concerned. The
communist rebels could sneak into the fray and before anybody knew it, they
were at the helm of the new dispensation that would come about. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rather, a democratic election – or, at least, an election
made to appear to the people as one aimed at restoring democracy – was the best
US option.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So alongside militant rebellion-inspired mass protests,
were sudden cries for democratic elections wherein the Marcos presidency was at
stake. In due time, as from some strings having been pulled behind the scenes,
Marcos agreed to the holding of snap presidential elections where he, in tandem
with Senator Arturo Tolentino, would run against the tandem of Salvador Laurel,
for Vice President – and Cory Aquino for President.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Political pundits viewed this as a Marcos error in
judgment. It was not. If Marcos was cocksure he would win in the snap polls, it
was because he rightly saw the balance of forces between him and Cory. As then
Singapore President Lee Kwan Yu would remark on the matter afterward, “There is
no comparison.” The favor was on Marcos’ side.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If at all, the Cory bandwagon was good only in Metro
Manila, Cebu, select areas in the Visayas, but overall surveys showed Marcos
would win. And as the counting of votes at the Philippine International
Convention Center immediately showed, Marcos was far ahead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But, alas, the team of vote counters, which curiously was
composed of ladies, staged a walkout and before the international media – intriguingly
having been organized perhaps precisely to cover the grandstand act – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>denounced the counting as a hoax.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That denouncement was the alibi Cory held on to in
claiming the presidency through a self-serving victory count conducted by
National Movement for Free Election (NAMFREL). . </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thus, at the same time that Marcos was being proclaimed
winner in the Batasang Pambansa count, Cory was proclaimed victorious by
NAMFREL. And to Marcos’ intransigence in holding on to his post, Cory countered
with a civil disobedience campaign that already threatened to explode into a
bloody situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
desperation, Marcos sent a trusted lieutenant, Labor Secretary Blas Ople to
Washington to get the final say of US on the hostilities. That was when US
President Ronald Reagan, though a good friend of Marcos, sent him the curt
final message: “Cut and cut clean.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shortly
after came the repeat of a cliché: and the rest is history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Into
his retirement years, Ka Mao became so appalled by the Syrian civil war,
particularly the brutalities it was heaping upon innocent children and babies,
that he wrote a piece and got it posted in blog site <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Get Real Post</i>, which had been introduced to him by Twitter friend
Ilda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
article went: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
Syrian Civil War:</b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">MARCOS IN RETROSPECT</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Mauro Gia
Samonte</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Given
the turmoil obtaining in Syria at this hour, Marcos could be the kindest
president the Philippines has ever had. What the Philippines was during those
four days, February 22 to 25, in 1986 was what had Syria become first quarter
of 2011. Decades-old regimes had began falling across the Middle East either as
a result of sheer civil unrest, as in Egypt where mass protests on the streets
forced President Hosni Mubarak to resign, or where demos and rallies proved
insufficient to force the perceived dictators to step down, a certain degree of
armed action became necessary as in Libya where it needed a civil war to topple
Muammar Gaddafi and get him killed. Certainly the gravest of all these
downfalls was that of Sadam Hussein which required the costly Iraqi war, both
in terms of destructions to infrastructure and human casualties, to bring about.
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If, then, Assad were at the helm of
the Philippine nation in those four days of February 1986, the country could
have been reduced to shambles as many parts of Syria have since the civil
unrest early 2011 escalated into a civil war. With Assad’s intransigence in
clinging to power, there is no visible end to the bloodshed and devastation
that are getting worse in Syria every day.</span></h1>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Looking back now, I ask if it was
not to the country’s fortune that Marcos did not have that much intransigence.
The nation saw on television how then Defense Secretary </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(an oversight;
should have read “AFP Chief of Staff”)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Fabian Ver was urging President Marcos to have tanks moving in and disperse the
thousands that had already massed on EDSA<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-- certainly implying firepower. But President Marcos cut him short,
ordering instead to use water hoses or any somesuch method, but never guns.</b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And thus did the EDSA uprising of
1986 go down in history as a peaceful people power revolt. It would be the
height of political naivette to believe so.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The EDSA rising turned peaceful
because Marcos refused to use guns.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Assad were in his place, he would insist that those in EDSA – granting
they did count a couple of millions – constituted a very slim minority of the
Filipino people who at the time were counting 83 million. Assad would have
insisted that the majority of the people were in the middle, “to be precise,
not against him.”</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was just that the event was
perfectly hyped in the media so that what was actually a happening in a very
small section of Metro Manila was projected as a nationwide phenomenon. And
Marcos, instead of defying Reagan’s order (how do you put this in diplomatic
terms?) to “Cut. And cut clean,” did not resist when flown to Hawaii by United
States operatives.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Assad’s case, when asked for
reaction to a demand by US President Obama for him to step down because he had
lost legitimacy to rule, he said he will not listen to anybody, never mind if
that anybody is President of the greatest nation on earth, outside of Syria.
Assad, by his assertion, would listen only to the Syrian people, and again he
would insist that the majority of Syrians are in the middle, “not against me.” </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During the EDSA crisis, Marcos
definitely had the numbers and add to this the “majority” who, by Assad’s
reckoning, must be in the middle and were not anti-Marcos, he enjoyed enough
public support to stay in power. Unlike Assad, however, Marcos, though not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>really acceding<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the Reagan direction, did not choose to
defy the US wish for him to step down and allowed himself to be “kidnapped” for
bringing to exile.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Had Marcos did an Assad, he would
surely have thrown the nation into a conflagration such as what’s happened to
Syria, decimating the population by tens of thousands and bringing the country
to utter ruins. But by not doing an Assad, had not Marcos exemplified the
height of magnanimity and benevolence, care and concern, and love a leader
should reach for the people he leads?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The EDSA rising propelled the plain
housewife Cory to the pinnacle of political power. She got the whole world
enthralled. In speeches before the United Nations and the US Congress, she
gloated in the glory of the “bloodless revolution”.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And Cory called that bloodlessness
her feat!</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What hypocrisy!</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Almost just as soon as Cory took
over the presidency, she declared: “Now I know why people would kill for this
position.” </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The bloodiest event that ever took
place on Mendiola was the Mendiola Massacre on January 22, 1987 – very early on
in the Cory administration. And the bloodiest massacre that ever took place in
Concepcion, Tarlac was the Hacienda Luisita Massacre on November 16, 2004 –
when Cory could have prevented it but did not.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If the EDSA revolt turned out
bloodless, it was because Marcos just refused to make it bloody.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Years ago, I came across a passage
from a speech by Senator Bongbong Marcos about how to treat his father. He implored
his listeners, “Look beyond the man.”</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It takes the grim reality of Syria
to view the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos in the correct perspective. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
short article generated scores of comments, many of them evidently coming from
Cory loyalists. The propaganda slant intrinsic in the anti-Marcos comments
prompted Ka Mao to write a follow-up article, also posted in the same blog
site. Those who made comments went by aliases.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Here
was the article: </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Mauro Gia Samonte</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Apropos
the stream of comments generated by my article SYRIAN WAR: MARCOS IN
RETROSPECT,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m prompted to think back
on RASHOMON, that movie by Akira Kurosawa which won the Best Picture Award in
the 1950 Berlin Film Festival onward to winning a similar honor in the Cannes
Film Festival.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RASHOMON
tells the story of a murdered samurai viewed from different angles. Each of these
angles claims to be the truth, to be more precise told during the trial by a
number of people claiming to be witnesses to the crime. The testimonies
contradict one another, making for the difficulty of telling which is true and
which is false. This dilemma constituting RASHOMON’S theme is what I believe
stares us in the face in the current discussion.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Which
of the contradictory comments that poured into GRP on account of my article is
true and which is false. Each of the comments is not wanting in historical
proof.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">jcc
goes to such great lengths, thank you, citing someone’s account of the EDSA
event (I promise to read up on this to get me less ill-informed) to show that
orders to shoot the EDSA crowd were given out but that the field commanders
refused to carry out those orders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On
the other hand, Andrew<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reports on a
conversation he heard between General Arturo Enrile and somebody in a London
Times’ correspondent’s bash in 1995 in which the general, said to be leading
the armored column in EDSA, admitted that they were ordered to stop and being
the army, they obeyed.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Twenty
six years after, therefore, the question continues to hang: Did or did not
Marcos order shooting the EDSA crowd? </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">jcc,
again, calls it being “ill-informed” to believe the exchange between AFP Chief
Ver and President Marcos was one for real. Johnny Saint agrees, calling it odd
that Ver and Marcos should be talking that way on television. “The whole
event,” Johnny says, “seems contrivcd – a scripted melodrama, and a bad one at
that.”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
her part, sendonggirl, whom Amir Al Bahrs alludes to as “lockness monster” and
whom Johnny Derp would rather liken to a “mewling quim” (whatever that means),
points out impropriety in comparing a leader to Assad. “Such a low bar
hehehehe,” she comments, hardly realizing that “such a low bar” in fact was
what people in the 70s – at least Ninoy Aquino and his ilk – were
measuring<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marcos against already:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Marcos! Hitler! Diktador! Tuta!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So okay with sendonggirl<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for Ninoy to go low, low to Hitler but never
low enough to Assad?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for a final
challenge, she prescribes, “compare him to lincoln so we can see.”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
okay, sendonggirl. You asked for it..</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
did self-study of law. Marcos reviewed for bar while in prison. Even Stevens.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
passed the bar. Marcos topped the bar. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
lost a number of attempts at winning lower political posts. Marcos never lost
an election. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
went turncoat from Whig Party to Republican Party and won US presidency. Marcos
went turncoat from Liberal Party to Nacionalista Party and won Philippine
presidency. Even Stevens.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
was captain of volunteers during the Black Hawk War but, as one account says,
saw no combat save for “a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes.” Marcos
actually fought in battle as a combat intelligence officer for the allied
forces in the Philippines during World War 2. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Seven states seceded from the United States
during Lincoln’s term. No portion of the nation seceded from the Republic of the
Philippines during Marcos’ term. Marcos up. (P.S. Such secession is being
contemplated by the current PNoy administration for Mindanao through the
Framework of Agreement. History will assign score to PNoy for this.)</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The American Civil War broke out during
Lincoln’s term. No civil war broke out in Marcos’ term. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus and
arrested suspected Confederates sympathizers without warrant. Marcos suspended
writ of habeas corpus and arrested suspected communists <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>without warrant. Even Stevens.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln said, “Hold your friends close and your
enemies closer.” (Sun Tzu said this first.) Marcos<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>said, “There are no permanent enemies. There
are only temporary allies.” Even Stevens enough.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln said, “A house divided cannot stand.”
Marcos said, “This nation can be great again.” Marcos sounds better, or don’t
you agree?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln served for a little more than four
years. Marcos served 20 years. Marcos far, far ahead. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So now, sendonggirl, see for yourself how
Lincoln and Marcos compare There is only one area in which Lincoln does one
over Marcos. Lincoln was so hated in America that a popular actor assassinated
him on April 14, 1865. Marcos was only exiled. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why is that the case, that is, why exile
Marcos? “Because,” says Hayden Toro, “</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Marcos
was against the bases agreement to be extended. Enrile, Ramos and Honasan were
just front men of the Americans….”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m
inclined to believe Hayden. The US military bases agreement was subject to
review every five years. When Marcos came into power, he began imposing rental
on these installations, the first president ever do so. By 1985, when another
review was in the offing, the US must have had enough. Marcos had to go. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
this regard, Teddy Boy Locsin, reacting on Twitter to this same article,
contributes a very helpful insight. He cites a meeting between Cory and Philip
Habib, special envoy sent by Reagan to intervene in the crisis gripping the
nation as a consequence of the presidential snap election. According to Teddy
Boy, Cory rejected Habib’s proposal for her to share power with Marcos and
declared that if that happened, she would tear the nation. At which, narrates
Teddy Boy, Habib stood and told Cory that she will (apropos<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the comment of Jack, tense is Teddy Boy’s
original) win. And as the cliché goes, the rest is history. With EDSA, Cory
won.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now,
see how we have meandered through a labyrinth of views which we seem to find a
hard time<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>getting out of. In much the
same way,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RASHOMON treats our
consciousness to endless juxtapositions of current and past scenes seemingly
able to achieve only a grand display of incoherence. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the opening sequence of RASHOMON, a priest and a man (later to be identified as
the woodcutter who, by his own testimony, discovers the murdered samurai) are
under the ruined gate of Rashomon outside Kyoto, lamenting something which they
say they cannot understand. An intruder rushes to the scene, taking shelter
from the rain that is pouring hard. He is told of the two’s lament.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Says
the priest, “War, earthquake, winds, fire, famine, the plague. Year after year
it’s been nothing but disasters. And bandits descend upon us every night. I’ve
seen so many men getting killed like insects. But evcn I have never heard such
a story as horrible as this. Yes, so horrible. This time I may finally lose my
faith in the human soul.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s
more horrible than war, earthquake, winds, fire, famine, the plague? The
question prompts you to view the movie on. For all the disasters that had
visited the Philippines, the country hasn’t quite had enough?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the finale, you get the answer: lies.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cries
the woodcutter at the intruder who accuses him of having stolen the precious
pearl-inlaid dagger that went missing from the chest of the slain samurai.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Damn
it! Everyone is selfish and dishonest. Making excuses. The bandit, the woman,
the man and you!” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thus
the film delivers its powerful message: that nothing is true in the world and
that what truth is to people are consequences of things that work to their
favor.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RASHOMON’S
impact precisely lies in its shattering of the hitherto held western belief of
the universality of truth – which obviously is what comments in the GRP stream
without exception smack of. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We,
all of us, always pretend to nobility in our words. But always we betray a
gleam, if a tiny one, by which our listeners can look beyond our façades.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
is mine in this instance? An ache wrought by the babies and children getting
brutalized in the Syrian civil war. It’s a pain a lot more fundamental than
striking up a brave political braggadocio or priding in grammatical perfection.
</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
really just a plain, simple cry: “Please stop the Syrian civil war. Save the
babies and children.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Discussions
in RASHOMON abruptly stop as an infant’s cry rends the air. The discussants
look and discover an abandoned baby, wrapped in an expensive kimono with an
amulet left by the baby’s parents obviously to protect it from harm. The three
proceed to do each respective concern, The greedy intruder snatches the kimono
off the baby then growls at the woodcutter as the latter tries to stop
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You
selfish…” says the woodcutter.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s
wrong with that? Dogs are better off in this world. If you are not selfish, you
can’t survive.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
priest cradles the continuously-crying baby in his arms as the intruder hies
off. The woodcutter asks to have the baby.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
have six kids of my own. Another one wouldn’t make a difference.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
priest hands the baby to the woodcutter, whereupon it stops crying. The rain
has stopped. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Manifesting
a cleansing of spirit inside him, the priest says, “I think I can keep my faith
in man.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And when, clearly smarting from having been rebuked, the
Cory loyalists again posted their angry reaction, this time diverting from the
original issue raised by Ka Mao on Marcos holding back fire in the EDSA crisis.
Instead they focused on some little lapses in Ka Mao’s copyreading of his
article and made mountains out of certain minor shortcomings. Ka Mao realized
that the Cory loyalists were a coterie of cowards who hid in their aliases in
firing away insults at their adversaries. This smacked of neophyte tactics to
which Ka Mao would not stoop down. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so in order to finally settle the issue, Ka Mao wrote
an account on Kirk as a way of telling those detractors that Ka Mao knew
whereof he spoke. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This was Ka Mao’s final say:</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MEMORIES OF A CIVIL WAR</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">By Mauro Gia Samonte</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kirk was already in late-twenties when he got into the mainstream of
the so-called national democratic movement initiated by Jose Maria Sison. From
the ranks of mass activists, he was elevated to candidate membership in the
Communist Party of the Philippines and after a few months in that status became
full-fledged party member. The chaos within the party resulting from the sudden
declaration of martial law on September 22, 1972 saw him getting separated from
his party unit, but he went on organizing among workers on a self-style basis
in which he advocated a review of the Sison strategy of protracted people’s war,
which he saw inappropriate to the concrete Philippine condition. Forced to
surface from his underground revolutionary work, he pursued his writing craft
and became successful at screenwriting, subsequently at film direction.
Beginning 1977 when he won a best screenplay award in the Metro Manila Film
Festival, old acquaintances in the revolutionary movement began gravitating
around him, which would shortly siphon him back into the fight, so to speak. He
found himself sitting with a group that called itself IL (for International
Liaison) which the polio-stricken political officer heading it loved to call
“the most powerful commission in the Party central committee, next to the
military commission”. Eventually a former co-member in a party group in the
workers sector led him to then sitting Chairman of the CPP, Rodolfo Salas alias
Kumander Bilog, also the head of the Military Commission. After a while of
performing tasks under the N2 (Intelligence) of the General Command of the New
People’s Army, he was appointed head of the Special Intelligence Unit
subordinate only to the General Command and directly responsible to it. He was
in that position when the EDSA crisis erupted. The following are his
recollections of those circumstances.</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">***</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The days into February 1986 were a period of chaos among responsible
cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines – to be precise, of the
lower-level cadres. Compartmentalization in the Party made it impossible for a
member of a unit to know what’s going in the other units, much more in the
higher organs. Party directives were disseminated through policy papers and the
Party organ, Ang Bayan. Once these directives were passed down to the mass
level, that’s when matters were discussed on a mass scale. The issue during
that period was: Would the movement participate in the coming snap presidential
election.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Back in December, through much of the initiative of Jaime Cardinal Sin,
the tandem of Corazon Aquino and Salvador P. Laurel was hastily formed to beat
the deadline for filing certificate of candidacy. And the country, mainly in
Metro Manila, was thrown into the frenzy of the political campaigns by both
sides. In many aspects, rallies and demonstrations and teach-ins were
reminiscent of the days immediately preceding the declaration of martial law in
1972. The demonizing of Marcos then had reached its flaming zenith.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But conspicuously absent from the crowd of Cory campaigners were the
natdems (acronym for national democrats), those in the national democratic
movement. Opposed to the natdems were the socdems (for social democrats), now
carrying solo the banner of the Cory cry: “Tama na. Sobra na. Palitan na. Alis
dyan!” Of course, along with the new slogan was the ubiquitous trademark of the
Marcos hate campaign: “Marcos Hitler! Diktador! Tuta!”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Certainly the natdems were side by side with the socdems, but their cry
was different: “Boycott! Boycott! Boycott!”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It had been the position of the Party, as reached in a meeting of the
KTKS (Komiteng Tagapagpagganap ng Komite Sentral), not to participate in the
election, which it deemed another maneuver of the US to further entrench Marcos
in power. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It is impossible to tell for someone outside the KTKS how each member
of the committee voted on the issue. So it was difficult for me to determine
who among them to express my view of the situation. Though the principle of
democratic centralism, by which any member may express his views on any issue,
was preached among party members, still one needed extreme caution in
expressing his ideas lest he be branded anti-party, an offense punishable by
death. But being head of a unit directly responsible to the General Command, I
developed intimacy with GC leading elements, particularly Ka Jun (alias of
Rolando Kintanar, NPA chief of staff). I believed with Ka Jun, I did not stand
to be sanctioned for expressing an honest belief.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The snap election struck me as a grand US show. A US congressional
observer team had been dispatched to the Philippines to monitor the conduct of
the election. This was odd. The election was exclusively the country’s affair
and no other country had business interfering in it. But the US was making sure
it had business to do in the event.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Moreover, a large contingent of international media people had been
mobilized to cover the election, something which to me was overkill. So Marcos
was staking his position ahead of the expiration of his term, was that so big a
deal as to warrant such a huge army of international media men? Either way the
election would go, they could well cover it through the wires. But they chose to
go get the big news, whatever which would come about, first-hand. Again, this
was a US handiwork.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And on top of everything, the US Seventh Fleet was just offshore in
Manila Bay. The fleet had been US’s greatest arm-twisting instrument in the
Asia Pacific. What did it have to do with the Philippine snap presidential
election? There must be a war somehow which the US needed to confront just in
case. Marcos by then had been, in a manner of saying, hobnobbing with Russia
and China, something the US didn’t like. From the time of the American
aggression in the 1900s, the Philippines had always been an exclusive US
enclave, but Marcos, with martial law, had been increasingly veering the
country away from such exclusivity. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So I talked to Ka Jun during a break in his meeting with the General
Staff and mustered enough guts to propose that we strike up an alliance with
Marcos under the current circumstances. I said it was Marcos who the US was
intending to get out of power through the snap election and so it was he who we
should ally with inasmuch as we were anti-US imperialism. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">At my proposal, Ka Jun spoke no words. He fixed a stare at me, a
piercing stare that betrayed a deep inner thing in him, like some kind of soul
searching done to accommodate my idea. Ka Charlie, intelligence head of the
General Command, overheard the talk on striking up alliances in the crisis and
butted in, “That’s a good idea.” </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“He is proposing alliance with Marcos,” cut in Ka Jun, clarifying the
issue.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Impossible,” Ka Charlie snapped.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Marcos is the one the US wants out,” I insisted.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Marcos is still the US boy in this fight,” Ka Charlie insisted in
turn, his voice stern but his lips lined with a grin that indicated he was more
entertained than anything else by my idea.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I had hoped that if I could convince Ka Jun on my idea, then he could
talk the KTKS into reversing the boycott policy to one of participation – of
course, participation in favor of Marcos. I was thinking of the Bolsheviks in
1917.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were together with the
Mensheviks in toppling the czarist regime of Nicholas II. Instead of forming a
government of their own as a result of the Czar’s downfall, Lenin insisted in
joining up with the Kerensky government that had been installed. Once
entrenched in that government, the Bolsheviks arrested the entire Kerensky
cabinet and with that proclaimed the famous: “All power to the soviets.” Thus
was born the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the fruit of a truly
bloodless revolution.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What would have happened if Ka Jun had listened to my proposal, carried
it to the KTKS, which would then have reversed the boycott policy to one of
participation – participation for Marcos? Surely it would have created furor
and outrage, frustration and disillusionment among the great masses of the
national democratic movement conditioned to yelling “Marcos Hitler! Diktador!
Tuta!” This was admitted – but for one single reason: that they believed Marcos
was the US boy. If we explained that Cory was the new stooge being groomed in
the whole exercise, that in fact the US had organized the international media
coverage of the event, coupled with the Congressional monitoring team and the
awesome firepower of the US Seventh Fleet, wouldn’t the masses of the
revolutionaries have understood that such a reversal was all for advancing the
struggle against US imperialism?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In the 1930s, when the Chinese Communist Party had not quite grown big
yet, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>convinced it to get absorbed within the Kuomintang Party of Chiang
Kai-Sheik, which the Soviet party actually supported with military training,
arms and logistical and technical support in the resistance against Japanese
aggression. The CCP acquiesced and for a time took its command from the
Kuomintang. And as history would eventually prove it,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that decision was correct. At an appropriate
time, the CCP broke away from the Kuomintang, took over China’s countryside and
from there engaged the Kuomintang in one of the bloodiest civil wars in
history, culminating in the CCP takeover of the entire China mainland, with the
Kuomintang pushed back to the small province of Formosa, now Taiwan.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What would have happened if Ka Jun had listened to my proposal?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The question really no longer mattered at the time. It was too late in
the day. As we say, don’t change horses in midstream. Sun Tzu puts it in his
own way: Don’t engage an enemy while crossing a river. Everything in the US
machination had been set to full throttle and there was no stopping the events
from reaching their destined finale: the walk out by canvassers when the
Comelec count was showing a Marcos win, the Namfrel showing the discrepancy
between the Comelec count and its own which showed Cory winning, the Batasan
proclamation of Marcos as winner, the Cory civil disobedience campaign, outrage
by US Senator Lugar over what he termed as rampant disenfranchisement of up to
40% of the voters, and the pressure from US senators on Reagan to withdraw
support from Marcos.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">When Reagan sent Philip Habib to talk to both Marcos and Cory
ostensibly to find a middle ground in their conflict, it was actually to
ascertain who of the two deserved to be put in place, that is, for US interest.
Cory refused to share power with Marcos, so went the reports. But no intimate
contents of Habib’s meeting with Cory would naturally find print in the press.
Whatever, what was reported was that when Habib stood from the meeting, he told
Cory she will win.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">That was Friday, February 21. The following day, February 22, Defense
Minister Juan Ponce Enrile made big waves of his holing up in Camp Aquinaldo
together with AFP Vice Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos and RAM leader Col.
Gregorio Honasan, announcing his resignation from the Marcos administration – a
resignation that already the day before was carried in two US newspapers. And finally,
with Cardinal Sin issuing the call for support from the populace for Enrile et
al, the crowd poured into EDSA – protecting the very implementers of martial
law which they had despised for a decade and a half.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">All of a sudden the Party and the national democratic movement which it
led found themselves utterly left out in the cold. The boycott policy had left
them floating in limbo. What rode on the Cory takeover were the socdems who,
save for Edgar Jopson and quite a few others, never really got to reconcile
with the revolution.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now, does it still matter to ask if things would have turned out
differently had Marcos decided to fire at the EDSA crowd?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">At the time, I thought Marcos would. He had not been depicted as Hitler
if he wasn’t capable of gassing 6 million Jews. And I’d welcome it if he did.
Marcos firing at the EDSA crowd would have a way of correcting the error of the
boycott policy. It would surely enrage the populace and, as Cory told Habib,
tear the nation in a widespread bloody confrontation.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As the vociferous firebrand Bal Pinguel of Kabataang Makabayan used to
agitate his listeners in the 70s, no nation in history has ever developed
without passing through a bloody revolution, citing the American Civil War, the
Spanish Civil War and the Chinese Civil War, among others.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So even as my comrade Ka Dave and I were squeezing with the crowd some
meters away from the Camp Aquinaldo gate, one being a lookout for the other, we
were cautious about the possibility of a sudden rapid firing of armalites or
bursts from grenade launchers.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A favorite quote from Mao Tse Tung crossed my mind: “A single spark can
start a prairie fire.” This is it, I was urging Marcos to myself, “Strike the
matchstick.”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But that Saturday wore on with no one striking a matchstick save for
cigarette vendors enjoying a heyday, as did others vending sago gulaman, balut,
cheap sandwiches, what have you, selling to the multitudes. It was everything
that, again, Mao Tse Tung wouldn’t want a revolution to be: a picnic. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And so as I watched the news program that Monday evening, I suddenly
found myself melting in the fire of streaming memories: the bravado of strikers
at the Makabayan Publishing Corporation where they barricaded a strike-breaking
truck with their bare bodies; the May Day Massacre in Congress in 1971 that
killed union organizer Liza Balando and maimed countless others; the Caloocan
Massacre that same year which peppered union leader Fred Tibar with bullets so
terribly one slug got embedded in his thumb; the infamous Plaza Miranda bombing
which killed an innocent girl cigarette vendor and two others and seriously
injured the entire LP Senatorial ticket in the 1971 mid-term election – save
for one single lucky guy who just happened not to be there when the blasts took
place, Ninoy Aquino.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In a video I would watch many years after, Cory declares, “As we all
know, Ninoy really wanted to be president. Everything was just planned for
1973.”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But as we all know, too, for the presidency, 1973 never came to Ninoy.
Marcos declared martial law in 1972. Seven years and seven months of military
detention under the martial law regime, three years of sojourn in the United
States for treatment of heart ailment, and come 1983, Ninoy made the greatest
political magic of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against the
advice of Imelda Marcos, Ninoy came home from the United States. A slug fired
by an assassin from a .45 pierced through his skull as he was being led by
Avsecom soldiers down the stairs of the China Airlines that brought him into
the Manila International Airport. He dropped dead on the tarmac.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The whole nation mourned. Millions brought Ninoy to his final resting
place. Above all, Cory got inscrutably ingrained in the consciousness of
multitudes who can’t quite outgrow a yearning for gods and heroes. By 1985, the
iconization of Cory was complete. She was ready to square off with Marcos.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So this was the realization I had upon viewing that news program on
television. Cory was being sworn into office as President of the Republic of
the Philippines. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How then could EDSA have blown up into a civil war when the events that
led up to it had from the very beginning been crafted only to advance one man’s
magnificent obsession with the presidency! With the objective having been
achieved, why push the conflict further? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Of course, Ninoy died not getting to that post. Precisely. He should
know he could no longer get there. Having undergone triple heart bypass
operation, he should be a terminal case. He should have only two choices left,
come home dead or come home a hero. Thus did it happen that what Ninoy failed
to do in more than two decades of political skirmish with Marcos, he did in one
grand act. By getting himself killed, he performed the greatest sleight of hand
that ever took place right under the noses of a sadly gullible nation.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Soon after Cory took over the presidency, among her first acts, aside
from the return of Meralco and ABS-CBN to the Lopezes, was the release from
detention of Jose Maria Sison and Bernabe Buscayno alias Kumander Dante.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Expectedly, Sison began flexing muscles again, so to speak. That is,
continue his movement, this time aiming it against the Cory government. At
which, Cory issued a reprimand for him not to try it on her. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“You know what I mean,” she said.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Could Cory be referring to that day in 1968 when she served coffee to
Ninoy and his guests, a professor from the Universsity of the Philippines and
the leader of a breakaway group from the Hukbalahap, Jose Maria Sison and
Bernabe Buscayno alias Kumander Dante? With the help of Tarlac Governor Apin
Yap, Ninoy had brokered the meeting of the two for a purpose only they knew. At
any rate, subsequent to that meeting came the establishment of the Communist
Party of the Philippines on December 26, 1968, later followed by the founding
of the New People’s Army on March 29, 1969.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Accordingly as the Ninoy-Marcos
rivalry intensified, so did the Sisonite national democratic movement. Before
EDSA, the New People’s Army had grown to a size of 25,000 regulars, all in
company formation. This on top of 500,000 militia spread across the archipelago
plus a large army of armed propaganda units the exact number of which I could
no longer recall. Suffice it to say that by conventional military reckoning of
1:10<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1 rebel to 10 government troops)
as an ideal ratio for engaging the enemy in guerilla warfare, the NPA had come
to a high ground. The Philippine armed forces at the time numbered some
150,000, and this number should require only 15,000<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
NPA to be at par with the ratio. In fact, the national situationer issued by
the Party during the period already spoke of a so-called strategic counter
offensive (SCO) substage at which actions may be launched for achieving
strategic stalemate. This is the stage where there is a clear division of
territories between the protagonists in the war, each respective armed forces
exercising control over them, and people have taken sides in the conflict – the
stage of civil war. Once the strategic stalemate is reached, it becomes
relatively easy for the rebellion to push on – the strategic offensive –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and defeat the enemy.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In 1987, with Cory’s government still a revolutionary one, hence
unstable, I had another casual conversation with Ka Jun in which I suggested
that the strategy of the rebellion should be to prevent the holding of the next
presidential election. The reason I gave was that if the next president would
be elected through a democratic process, it would consolidate the political
power of the Philippine bourgeoisie thereby weakening the armed struggle, if
not rendering it inutile altogether.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“When would be the next presidential election?” Ka Jun asked.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“1992,” I replied.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“We shall have won by then,” Ka Jun said quite confidently.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It exhilarated me no end.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But then came Sison’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>
in 1991. (Kumander Bilog had been captured by the government earlier and
leadership of the Party passed on to Benito Tiamzon, a Sison loyalist
implementing the latter’s directives from the Netherlands. Ka Jun’s leadership
of the New People’s Army was being contested by Buscayno.) In sum, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> subjected the boycott policy to
severe criticism and proposed re-education for all those guilty of the error. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Particular emphasis was placed on what was regarded as military
adventurism of Ka Jun, who was embarking on a strategy opposed to the protracted
struggle program of Sison. Ka Jun’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>program called for a Sandinista type of uprising that had proven
successful in Panama. Groundwork for this strategy had already begun and at the
time of EDSA was set to unfold. As I had been critical of the Sison line from
the very start, seeing it as a shameless copy cat of the Mao Tse Tung strategy
in China in the 1930s,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Jun’s line
appealed to me as the more realistic,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>pragmatic, feasible strategy.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now, in Party parlance, re-education simply means demotion for those
guilty of the offense. Or worse yet, expulsion from the Party. Negative
reaction to the Sison paper was widespread. Faced with the prospect of being
meted punishment, many leading Party elements, including several who were
members of the Party Central Committee and who had been critical of the overall
Sison strategy of protracted struggle, chose to form their own factions, each
faction having its own armed group and pursuing its own line of pushing the
revolution. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm </i>smashed the Party
into splinters. So did it the NPA, which broke up into guerilla units once
again –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as in the beginning.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Though Ninoy did not make it to the presidency, his widow did. It’s all
the same. No need to make use further of the rebellion for which Ninoy had
brokered the first meeting of Sison and Buscayno in 1968. Time to tear that
rebellion apart. How do you do it?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> did the trick.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Post Script:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Popoy Lagman, former Secretary General of the CPP Manila-Rizal Regional
Party Committee who organized the much dreaded Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) and
wrote a number of books criticizing the Sison line of protracted struggle, was
gunned down by two assassins inside the UP campus on February 7, 2001.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Next to fall was Ka Jun, Rolando Kintanar, shot and killed on January
23,2003 by reportedly 4 assassins while having meal at a restaurant in the
Quezon City Circle. Gregorio Rosal, NPA head in Southern Luzon, owned up to the
killing.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Arturo Tabara, Secretary General of the CPP Visayas Commission was
assassinated in Quezon City in 2004. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Civil war anyone?</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XIII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE TUMULT in the
aftermath of the Ninoy killing in 1983 was the background of a third renovation
of the house Ka Mao built in that quiet, idyllic nook of Antipolo on Sumulong
Highway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the time, Betchay just found herself conceiving their fourth child. This, much
to her chagrin. She did not wish to have another one. She was only into her
second semester at the PSBA and having another child would surely frustrate her
intention of finishing a college course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the period, Ka Mao noticed that Betchay
was curiously exerting herself so much:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>clearing bushes-covered patches of ground, hoeing at the earth for
planting sweet potato,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cassava<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and several varieties of vegetable in, and
then fetching pails upon pails of water from the creek for watering those she
planted. She would endlessly hack again at the bushes which she cut into
firewood. Finally, she would invariably end up scrubbing the floor with a
coconut husk while she punched her belly on and on, grit on her face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao caught Betchay doing it even as it was getting dark and so he confronted
her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Stop
it,” he said, holding her still. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bctchay
threw herself on a seat, wiping the heavy perspiration on her face. She was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>catching her breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What’s
getting you anyway?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
nearly cried, saying, “I don’t want to abort this child.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“God,
what you’re doing can get you a miscarriage,” Ka Mao countered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If
I bleed, I won’t be doing it,” Betchay said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Who
will?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Will
God let me bleed if he wished this child to live?” Betchay asked in turn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was tongue-tied. Betchay’s logic awed him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Twenty
nine years after, that child, grown into a man, would take his girlfriend Rhea
down the aisles of the Antipolo Cathedral, insisting in a church wedding by
which to lead his own married life. He would not take after Maoie, who would
content himself with simply living in with his partner, Jen; nor after Paulo,
who would be happy with on-and-off relationships with various girlfriends; nor
less after Keng, who, in his speech during the wedding reception, Ka Mao
referred to as his unica hija but would turn out to be an otro hijo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had just gone through a stroke at the time and as he ambled to the
microphone on a cane to respond to the Emcee’s calling him to deliver “words of
wisdom”, he was thinking back on that Valentine occasion in a Calamba night
club when Ka Mao and Betchay, taking a break from shooting just sat at a table,
watching the merrymaking of lovers on the dance floor. A lady approached the
couple and asked, “Are you husband-and-wife?” And they said, “Yes.” And finally
the lady said, “That’s why you’re not enjoying.” That was why though it had
been three years then since Keng was born, Ka Mao and Betchay thought giving it
one more try to act not just husband-and-wife but two people caring and sharing
as lovers do on that night of love. Ka Mao would have loved to recall that nine
months after that Valentine night, came the stork carrying on its beak wrapped
in linen the baby Ogie. But reminiscences would unavoidably touch on that
period when that baby was a most unwanted child. Surely, that would have turned
his speech into a tearjerker – and thus spoil the fun. Even so, Ka Mao’s voice,
prompted by his private recollection of that moment Betchay wanted to get rid
of Ogie, came out almost squeaking from a deep-set pain. The pain, he tried to
suppress by shifting to the poetry uttered by the Bishop of Canterbury in the
wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Dianne. Ka Mao said how nice for a
father to see his son insisting in going through the “stuff of which fairy
tales are made.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
birth of Ogie appeared to be Ka Mao’s motivation in expanding the family house
further still. Actually, that was the period when the Party began using the
house as its headquarters and Ka Mao felt it was too small for the purpose and
so had to be enlarged.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was enjoying that moment, feeding the infant Ogie with porridge, when he
delighted at the arrival of guests among whom was one he immediately recognized
and rushed to excitedly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Ka
Choleng,” said Ka Mao, gripping the woman’s hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Choleng was the same Deputy OD head of the KASAMA Party Group from whom Ka Mao
had been separated upon the imposition of martial law. Ka Mao was just so happy
to see her again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“How
are you?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“
I’m fine,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Where’s
the unit?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“They
found their own new groups.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“How
is Ka Teng?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
is still around. He is okay.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
is her husband,” Sandra informed Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh!”
exclaimed Ka Mao. “I’m glad to hear that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Choleng let out a coy smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao then acknowledged with a smile the fortyish, fair-skinned, boyish-looking, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>clean-shaven, good-looking guy who was with
the two women.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
is Ka Erning,” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>said Ka Choleng,
introducing the man, who shook hands with Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing was spoken of what position the man held
in the movement, but it must be so high as to make him have that authority to
speak when he told Sandra, “From now on, the IL will no longer use this house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sandra
eyed Ka Erning inquiringly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
house,” Ka Erning said, “shall be the house of the KS.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
what his wont was, Ka Mao did not ask any questions. But “KS” was a term used
by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>party elements even at the lowest
level to refer to the Central Committee of the CPP which in the vernacular was
“Komite Sentral”, hence the abbreviation “KS”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pride,
all right, was part of the emotion Ka Mao felt instantly at what Ka Erning was
making of the house. In bourgeois reckoning, it was a great<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>honor for Ka Mao to have been entrusted with
housing the highest leadership of the Party and of the revolution. But more
than pride, the trust the Party leadership had in him made Ka Mao feel
exceedingly assured that he, at long last, mattered in the revolution. In the
long period that he had been separated from the Party, Ka Mao bore the silent
agony of having been abandoned, like he had been thrown aside for trash. From
that time on, Ka Mao’s consuming obsession was to be restored to the Party. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Ka Erning’s declaration now, Ka Mao felt he had been redeemed. It somehow
became obvious to him that Ka Choleng was there only to attest to what Ka Mao
had been in the Party. And Ka Erning needed somebody who had been in Ka Mao’s
confidence to do their introduction to each other. After that occasion, Ka
Choleng did not show up in the house anymore. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a period of vigorous renovation conducted by
Ka Mao on the house followed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
attic that still consisted of bamboo and nipa was completely torn down to give
way to a full-blown second floor encompassing that area, walled in concrete,
with TNG for flooring and corrugated galvanized iron sheets for roof; the
beams, trusses and furlins were in wood. The windows were grilled and fitted
with plant boxes done in concrete. With corrugated galvanized iron sheet used
as form for containing the fresh cement mix of the plant boxes, they imparted a
finish approximating gothic design. The stairs to the second floor was in wood,
with the landing on the ground floor in concrete. Just one room was made on the
second floor for use of the entire family together. Maripaz and Ogie shared the
bed with Ka Mao and Betchay, while Maoie and Paulo slept on a mat on the floor.
Outside the room was constructed a bathroom. Another comfort room was
constructed on the ground floor, correspondingly below that on the second
floor. This was situated on the corner to the right of the main entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bedroom and the kitchen on the ground
floor were completely torn down also so as to make of that entire floor a
living room and a dining room combine. An extension limited to the ground floor
level toward the creekside now served as the kitchen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Party VIPs coming on their individual cars during meetings, the place must have
parking accommodations for a number of vehicles at a time and on a spot quie proximate
to the house so that those VIPs needed not to walk long after alighting from
their cars. Moreover the car park must be on a level hidden from view from the
highway. Under this requirement, the pergola, on the sunken frontage of house,
which had been serving as the reception and dining area had to go, the area now
to be used for parking the VIPs’s cars. The driveway from the highway down to
the slope where the house had been built was done five inches thick to make it
durable over time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
would be three other times when Ka Erning would visit the house again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First
of these was when he brought to the place Ka Jun, Ka Charlie and Ka Arman
together with Ka Jess, who kept some distance from the three, indicating he was
not in their league as the three talked to Ka Mao.. Later it would be confided
to Ka Mao that the group Ka Erning brought was the NPA General Command or GC.
Ka Jun was Chief, Ka Charlie, Vice Chief, and Ka Arman, N2 (Intelligence) Head,
Ka Jess, Ka Arman’s deputy. Another member of GC who would be brought to the
house later was Ka Ding, N3 (Personnel) Head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second time was when Ka Erning presided in what struck Ka Mao as an emergency
meeting of the GC called <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just before the
EDSA revolt. There was frenzy in their talk and behavior, like some urgent
developments were in the offing. In that meeting, who should startle Ka Mao but
Ka Nap, his colleague in the KASAMA with whom he had some heated discussion
regarding Marcos’ real role in the Plaza Miranda bombing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Ka
Nap!” Ka Mao exclaimed as he intruded into the meeting as soon as he got home
that day and learned from Betchay that Ka Erning and company were huddled in
the extension area.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Nap quickly placed his forefinger over his lips as a gesture for Ka Mao not to
tell on him. In the Party, one’s legal status was supposed to be kept secret.
Anyway, everybody amused at Ka Mao’s excitement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indeed,
it was quite inspiring for Ka Mao to discover that a colleague of his had risen
to the top echelon of the NPA leadership.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
just wanted to say hello,” Ka Mao said, rather apologetically.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Erning nodded ok, smiling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Proceed
with your business,” Ka Mao said and turned away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
third and final time was after the EDSA revolt, when he drove his sedan into
the compound and with a forlorn look in his eyes, stepped out of the car and,
as Ka Mao reached him in a rush to welcome him, handed to him the car key. Ka
Erning spoke no word and in his wonderment, Ka Mao could neither say anything.
Having given the key to Ka Mao, Ka Erning then hurried over to board another
car waiting on the highway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Arman, who later would come to claim the car, would explain to Ka Mao that Ka
Erning was en route to a meeting of the Central Committee elsewhere. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
next time Ka Mao would see Ka Erning was in photographs that morning when all
newspapers carried him on the front pages, sleek like a senator in immaculate
barong, his photo captioned: “Kumander Bilog.” Kumander Bilog, as everybody
knew then, was the Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines. The news
story was about his capture by the government after more than a decade of
leading the revolution.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>XIV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE SIU (for Special
Intelligence Unit) was some kind of an elite group of intelligence operatives created
by the NPA General Command to perform specific special tasks. When Ka Arman
first told Ka Mao that he was being designated to head the group, he had not
quite gotten into his system any notion of a professional revolutionary apart
from those he had fought together with in the working class movement. And so,
when told further that he was to fill in the group with his own people, Ka Mao
immediately thought of comrades whom he had organized under BRASO. It had
pained him much that he had not been able to bring his self-initiative to any
significant level of struggle due to sheer lack of logistics. Now that he was
being given the discretion to form his own unit using his own men, his BRASO
forces would surely savor the feel of being at last part of the people’s army. That’s
why it disheartened Ka Mao exceedingly when told by Ka Arman that none of the BRASO
forces, not even its Secetariat, would qualify for the SIU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Arman would rather pass the BRASO for
training under the N3. That was consolation enough for Ka Mao. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>BRASO was into the mainstream after all, he told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As conceived, the SIU had to be just that, a special
unit. It was to be consisted of people who, like Ka Mao, enjoyed well-placed
social status. Ka Arman recommended a young business entrepreneur from Bulacan,
engaged in a lucrative lending enterprise and in fisheries. He was Ka Jake. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For his part, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao got a long-time colleague in the
journalistic craft who, he would learn later, was a top KKD member during the
First Quarter Storm. He was Ka Dave, who over the years had risen to a highly
respectable placement in the Editorial Staff of a leading newspaper. With their
status in society, all three had easy access to vital facilities, be they
government, non-government or otherwise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There being three finally composing a team, the SIU was
officially created with the swearing in of Ka Mao, Ka Dave and Ka Jake into the
Party by Ka Arman. In due time, the unit would have a sizeable Support Group
composed of Bayani, a poet and a professor at the Polytechnic University of the
Philippines, who had been Ka Mao’s reliable buddy in the organization and
conduct of the KAMAO strike; Liza, a pretty news reporter with assignment in
Malacanang; and Tala, who ran a shop dealing in antique-style furniture crafted
by her husband, Ray, out of scrap but sturdy mahogany railtrack foundation of
the Philippine National Railway. Other support groups contributing in the tasks
of SIU were two male newspaper editors and one lady foreign correspondent named
Cookie, another lady media person named Ruby, and friends and relatives of Ka
Jake. These support groups <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were an
excited lot, enthused by the fact that they were doing something for the NPA. They
performed aspects of SIU tasks that could be entrusted to them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first business of the day was much too loaded for a
start. Dubbed the Magic 8, it consisted of intelligence work for five punitive
actions against two members of the judiciary, three members of the military,
and big operations for the takeover of the Manila International Airport and the
Batasang Pambansa, and assault upon the Clark Airbase. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the eight
targets, priority was placed on the three big operations codenamed San Mig, for
the Batasan, Blue Print for Clark, and Eagle’s Nest for the airport. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao coordinated with an Angeles City-based NPA
intelligence officer in tackling Blue Print. The job mainly consisted of
studying the mannerisms of American soldiers in their moments of pleasures in
the airfield club house. They drank beer by the poolside where soldiers had
raucous dips into the water with bikinied girl partners in-between gulps at
their beverages and torrid smooching. In an instance such as this, Ka Mao would
recall the fun American soldiers were indulging in when Japanese bombers made
their historic devastating surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The NPA was into a similar making of history. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
San Mig, Ka Mao had Betchay and all their kids in tow except Ogie, making it
look like a family look-see as they made the rounds of all nooks of the
legislature, with Ka Mao measuring the dimensions of the floor areas and the
stairways of the vast two-winged structure through his footsteps; the
dimensions of the walls, Ka Mao estimated by using his height as standard. Ka
Dave made his own rounds of the legislature, also mobilizing his support groups
in the endeavor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the same time, Ka Dave and Ka Jake partnered in casing Eagles Nest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
three worked together in crafting a wooden scale model of San Mig, with
emphasis on passageways to the session hall. For this purpose, Ka Mao saw it fit
to do the pyramid-shaped roof of the main hall building collapsible style so all
one needed to do was to remove the four sections of the pyramid in order to get
a good overview of the session hall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of
the three SIU members, only Ka Mao had had a hand at carpentry, which was his
vocational course back in the elementary grades. But they had to make-do with
what little skills they had for the job, for getting it done by somebody else
would cause a leakage of the military action for which the scale model was
being made.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What
will happen in San Mig is a hundredfold bigger than what Lenin did in taking
over Russia,” Ka Mao remarked as he punched with a chisel a square hole on the
baseboard of the scale model. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Dave and Ka Jake were doing their own holes with their own chisels. It was
obvious that the holes they were making were for something to fit into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Thousands
gathered in Petrograd and elsewhere to bring down Czar Nicholas II,” Ka Dave
said with a scholarly tone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
am not talking about the people power revolt of the Soviets. I think we have to
read back on the actual happenings. What brought down Czar Nicholas II was not
a bloody uprising as many would like to think,” Ka Mao said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Jake, a very amiable guy who always spoke with a wide happy grin in his mouth
and a brilliant glint in his eyes, butted in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
am one of those many, Ka Kirk. The massacre on Odessa steps. That was gory and
bloody, wasn’t it?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That
was in 1905. The Romanovs held on to their dynasty despite the revolution. Czar
Nicholas II fell out of power in the revolution of 1917.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Was
not 1917 the handiwork of Lenin?” asked Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That
was a job of the Russian bourgeoisie led by Kerensky. Lenin’s job at the time
was to combat the idea of the Mensheviks to form their own government and instead
insist in participating in the Duma – the parliament – established by the
Kerensky government.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It
was Lenin who arrested the entire Kerensky cabinet,” insisted Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Precisely,”
said Ka Mao. “What he did was arrest just a handful of cabinet men and presto
all Russia was in his hand.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
his characteristic snicker, Ka Jake said, “That easy!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That’s
why I say San Mig is a hundredfold bigger than what Lenin did. We will be
arresting more than two hundred members of the Marcos parliament.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Done
with the holes on the baseboard, the three proceeded to set the scale model
walls already fashioned with pegs at the bottom to fit into the holes meantime
that similar pegs on the sides of one wall were latched to the adjoining wall
through similar holes on its sides.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
team could have worked out the scale model a lot easier had they instead used
Styrofoam for material. But one utility of the scale model was transportability
and the capacity to withstand the rigors of mountain travel. Combatants who
will carry out the San Mig assault were necessarily based in the countryside to
where the scale model would have to be brought for their study. Ka Mao thought
that with its wooden material, the scale model could be dismantled, its pieces
to be put in a thin, flat pack for easy carrying; and the repetitive
dismantling, and then putting back again, of the pieces over and over again
accordingly as the number of combatants who needed to look at it at various
times and in various places would not suffer much in terms of wear and tear.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
film director that he was with a richly creative mind, Ka Mao already
visualized a scenario of the San Mig assault.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“While
the session is in progress, NPA combatants masquerading as San Mig personnel
garbed in polo barong and escorting into the session hall an Imee Marcos
look-alike would quietly disarm parliament security men at the normal entrances
to the session hall. This is necessary in order to avoid violent shootout that
can harm innocent civilians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
entrances secure, the main attack force brandishing awesome firepower<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will barge into the hall through this secret entrance,
actually a collapsible section of the hall wall adjacent to the north end of
the parliament stand. Ordinarily, you don’t notice this side entrance, which is
why Ka Dave’s support group, making their own rounds of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Mig, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>once observed that there is this corridor that
leads to a blank wall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely the sudden
entrance of the main attack force will create panic by the people in the hall,
members of the parliament and the gallery crowd alike. But with the whole
session hall under rebel control, so must be the government rendered helpless
by the rebel hostage-taking of its parliament. Similar hostage-taking of
Americsan servicemen at Clark Field would serve a strong notice to US not to
medle or risk another Vietnam debacle. Strong contingent of rebel forces seize
control of the international airport and vital communications facilities,
including Voice of America in Tarlac. At the same time,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>riding on the bandwagon of rebel victory,
multitudes spill out into the streets, culminating in a siege of Malacanang
Palace. By this time, political work in the Armed Forces of the Philippine should
have achieved enough progress to initiate a breakaway, at least by a portion of
it, and join in the uprising against the Marcos regime. Back in San Mig, the
grand proclamation, as Lenin did after the arrest of the Kerensky cabinet, is
made: ‘All power to the proletariat!’”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“No,
Joma won’t like it that way,” jested Ka Jake. “He’d say, ‘All power to the
natdems.’”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jest grew serious worry in Ka Mao. He
suddenly thought of Noli Collantes, nom de guerre Banero, who, as head of the
National Trade Union Bureau of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was a
most powerful figure in the revolution. But his proletarian stand got him into
trouble with Sison, eventually getting himself sanctioned heavily for it. The
last time Ka Mao saw Banero was that night before the Plaza Miranda bombing in
1971, when he drove Ruben Guevarra to a meeting with Sison in a Pasay City UG
house, there to discuss a certain bombing the Party would carry out in a
political rally on the following night. Banero had confided to Ka Mao that the
NTUB was being subsumed to the Regional Party Committee instead of being at par
with it, being the highest Party organ in the workers sector. He said he would
appeal the matter. Ka Mao had not had any communication again with Banero since
then and so had never gotten to know whether or not the appeal he was talking
about was given due course. The next time he heard about Banero was in 1983
when in a rather austere news story he read about the assassination by
unidentified gunmen while on the way to his classes at the University of Santo
Tomas of one Noli Collantes. So Banero had gotten out of the Party and had
resumed his college studies. As far as Ka Mao knew, that fate was where
Banero’s proletarian stand got him into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
now, Ka Mao concluded to himself that Ka Jake’s was no joke at all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
day was rather humid when Ka Charlie brought a lady to the house for
presentation to her by Ka Mao of the San Mig scale model. And it was too early
in the day for anybody to wish to take a nap. But all throughout the
presentation, the lady paid lukewarm attention and didn’t even bother to stand
and take a look when Ka Mao peeled off the pyramid roofing to show the session
hall features. Toward the end of the presentation, Ka Mao was so slighted to
notice the lady was unabashedly dozing off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
how is it, Julie?” Ka Charlie asked as he tapped the lady on the arm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
lady shook awake, “Oh, yes… Well, okay… Let’s see.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao understood it quite well, the lady’s attitude. She was nicknamed De Lima,
wife of the Party Sovereign rotting in incarceration. It became obvious to Ka
Mao that the San Mig operation being in contravention of Sison’s copy cat
protracted people’s war, any job connected with it would be in the same
category of contravention and hence deserved no scant notice from the
Sovereign’s espouse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Julie’s
visit to Ka Mao’s house that day to view SIU’s masterpiece of an intelligence
work struck Ka Mao as no more than a hypocritical concession to the principle
of democratic centralism, which the Party avowed to observed. She came there
with a mind set to rejecting it. But this was a matter for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> to settle come 1991.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the time being, it was all-systems-go for Operation San Mig. Ka Arman would
confirm much later<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>
succeeded in tearing the Party irreparably, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>throwing the people’s army into rubbles and the
people’s struggle into eternal protraction – that he and Ka Jun had gotten
assurance from Libyan strongman Moammar Kadhaffy of whatever amount of arms
necessary for the operation, had acquired a fleet of sea vessels for carrying
men and material for the purpose. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
then suddenly came that one unexpected single hitch: Marcos agreed to US
pressure of holding the presidential snap polls of 1985. A nation otherwise
steeped in a resolute struggle for a bloody, violent overthrow of Marcos was
now faced with an easy alternative: vote Cory into power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
one got to look at the matter level-headedly, the boycott policy was the
correct revolutionary line. No genuine anti-imperialist revolutionary would
participate in an election that would be rigged in favor of an imperialist
stooge. Had the boycott call by the revolutionary movement caught on the masses
on the premise that the election would be rigged by the Americans in favor of a
brand new American stooge, then it would have pictured Cory right off as the
new US puppet thereby rationalizing the continuation of the revolution despite
the downfall of Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Ka Mao saw as erroneous in the boycott policy was that it neglected to point
out to the masses that Cory was the new US BOY in the making. The Party insisted
that the snap polls were a grand US show aimed at maintaining Marcos in power.
This was not the case. It was a grand US show, all right. But the intention was
to replace Marcos with a brand new US lapdog. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
a meeting by SIU, the boycott policy was part of the agenda and Ka Mao
clarified his stand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
US is not stupid to let us cash in on a Cory win against Marcos. Rather my idea
is –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I had made it known to Ka Jun
and Ka Charlie – for us to strike up an alliance with Marcos.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Marcos
is the enemy,” said Ka Jake, nearly protesting but wearing his ubiquitous
snicker.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“No,
US is. And they want Marcos out now,” insisted Ka Mao.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was drawing lesson from the Viet Minh
experience toward the end of the Second World War. Ho Chi Minh talked to the Japanese
forces who were on the run. “Hey, fellas,” Ka Mao related how the Viet Minh put
it across to the Japanese troops, “you are not winning anyway. Just give us
your arms and we will fight the Americans for you. And the Japanese did and
that’s how the Viet Minh forces got arms for fighting the Americans with – and
eventually winning in the end.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
opportunity in the Philippine situation was ripe for doing a reprise of the
Viet Minh gambit. But who was Ka Mao anyway to figure seriously in formulating
the Party’s strategy and tactics? Surely he realized this. It was just that he
had the naivette to believe principles guided the Party’s actions, and he
thought democratic centralism made it mandatory for Party high commands to
listen to voices from the lowest ranks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Jun was serious enough when he stared at Ka Mao after hearing the idea from
him. But Ka Charlie beamed like he heard a joke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet
when Cory came out the victor in the snap polls, Ka Mao would not find any
reason to have the last laugh. Rather a most acute sense of having been
rendered worthless seized<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>him as he watched
Cory fumbling in her presidential salute of newly-designated Armed Forces of
the Philippines Chief-Of-Staff Fidel V. Ramos during her inaugural at Club
Filipino as the new President of the Republic of the Philippines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Was that all there was to it? he asked himself. Sit back
on the periphery while Cory <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gloated in
the gloss of her spectacular mediocrity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
fact that Marcos fell showed the revolution winning. But the fact that a
representative of the country’s ruling class came into power must prove that
the multitudes of oppressed and exploited lost the fight. And what grimmer
proof of this was there than the Mendiola massacre in January 1987 which Cory
ordered against demonstrating farmers on the approach to Malacanang. Among
those killed in that massacre were farmers from Cory’s very own Hacienda
Luisita. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What gain, then, did the workers, the farmers, and the
millions upon millions of social scums who had pinned their hopes of salvation
from poverty on the success of the revolution?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Not a bit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If SIU had any consolation at all, it was that despite
the debacle brought about by the boycott policy, the unit remained intact and was
instructed to persevere in its assigned tasks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE PERIOD beginning
from the installation of Cory as Philippine president in 1986 all the way to
the democratically-elected presidency of Fidel V. Ramos in 1992 was a most
fruitful one for the SIU. It saw elements otherwise limited to providing
logistical support such as housing, food and funds for combatants now
performing tasks right in the vortex of the armed struggle. In this kind of
work, though they might not be engaged in exchanging firepower with the enemy,
they put not only their lives on the line of fire but also those of the members
of their families.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A case in point was the successful<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>escape worked out back in 1985 by the unit
for Satur Ocampo, then a member of the Politburo who had been captured by the
government. The job of the SIU was to photograph several angles of the venue,
the social hall on the fourth floor of the National Press Club building. These
photographs were then passed on to the SOC of GC who would take Satur away in
the escape.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
plan was for Satur to spring out of imprisonment through the National Press
Club election in May of that year. NPC President Tony Nieva had successfully
gotten Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile to grant his request to let Satur
vote in that election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
by tradition, the election was held in the NPC social hall, the Bulwagang
Plaridel, which was on the topmost floor. In going up to the hall, NPC members
used<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>either the stairway that spiraled
around the elevator shaft or the elevator itself. By practice after voting, the
members took a spiral staircase at the westend of the building in going to the
dining hall on the third floor to dine, drink or have coffee. This staircase
actually went all the way down to the ground, leading to an exit at the back
facing the Pasig River. The military escorts who brought Satur to the occasion
had no reason to suspect anything when after voting, Satur went to that end of
the hall in the pretext of using the comfort room there.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once out of sight of the unsuspecting security escorts, Satur rushed
down the spiral staircase, out through the back exit, and into the waiting
escape vehicle aboard which the SOC operatives spirited him away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As it was taking rather too long for Satur to get back
from the comfort room, the security escorts finally decided to find out why.
Only then did they know there was that secret passageway leading out from the
fourth floor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They did not have to check any further to realize Satur
had escaped.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So all’s well that ends well it seemed for Operation
Satur.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except that not so long after came what in the
revolutionary movement would come to be known as the Project 7 Encounter. The
UG house of the SOC that got Satur out of captivity in the National Press Club
affair had been disclosed to AFP intelligence and was raided by government
soldiers numbering 200. The SOC numbered 3. But the rebels put up with the
state troopers in a terrific battle that ended up with the soldiers sustaining
many casualties and the SOC 3, just 1, its head Villanueva. The other two,
Limjoco and Archie, a new import from Davao, escaped scaling rooftops in the
neighborhood while firing away at the attackers. Among the things they left
behind in their escape were the photographs taken by Ka Dave of the NPC Bulweagang
Plaridel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Learning of the Project 7 encounter, Ka Dave immediately
panicked. He packed a few clothes and got lost aboard his old yellow
Volkswagen. He left instructions to his wife what to tell Ka Mao where to find
him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao saw Ka Dave in Ka Jake’s house in Bulacan and
there learned of Ka Dave;s predicament.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The columns in the social hall were done with mirror
finish. So when you take pictures of the place, you naturally photograph
yourself doing it through your reflection on the mirrors all around.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Dave was sullen faced as he spoke, though he let his
word out with a smile minutely quivering on his lips.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are you sure?” asked Ka Jake, minus his snicker,
obviously deferring to Ka Dave’s state of emotions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s no way to take photos of the NPC social hall
without taking photos of yourself too precisely because of the mirrors. With
those pictures in enemy hands, I know I’m a marked man.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After thoroughly assessing the situation, the SIU decided
that Ka Dave stay in the house of Ka Jake while they felt out the atmosphere in
Ka Dave’s residence as well as in his office for possible enemy movements
there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A month or so passed without Ka Dave getting any of his
feared repercussion from the enemy. Then came an assurance from Ka Arman that
in none of the pictures seized by the soldiers in the Project 7 encounter was
Ka Dave visibly identified at all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The Project 7 boys are sure the enemy won’t be able to
tell who the guy taking the pictures was. As reflected in the mirror, Ka Dave
was in a long shot from his camera. Besides, the camera and his hands holding
it completely covered his face,” Ka Arman said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sure, Ka Dave got back to normal legal life afterward. But
the point here was not that. Rather it was that he was already preparing
himself for the hard life ahead, as was the case of many like him who although
enjoying the good life – a lucrative journalistic career and a movie career,
too, for he was getting to be the house scriptwriter of Joseph Estrada, then
deposed, like Marcos, as Mayor of San Juan but later to emerge in the top five
of the 1987 senatorial polls winners – was willing to give it all up for the
revolution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eventually Satur was among a large group that met in Ka
Mao’s house. Ka Mao gathered that it was a meeting of the CPP Politburo. But he
was intrigued to see a chubby fellow among the group who had been left out
alone downstairs, not participating in what struck Ka Mao as a closed-door
conference in the bedroom upstairs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy, tan and whiskered and with a tummy reminiscent
of Celso Ad Castillo, just sat on the stairs, thinking hard. Ka Mao tried to
strike up a conversation with the lonesome revolutionary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hi,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy nodded, faintly smiling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re not joining in their talk?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy shook his head. There was a clear glint of sorrow
in his eyes. At that, Ka Mao could no longer find anything else to say.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy then flicked off an armalite bullet from a
magazine and casually handed it to Ka Mao, who stared inquiringly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Remembrance from me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How nice of the guy to offer him a souvenir, so Ka Mao
felt. Anything given out of pure heart, Ka Mao took with much endearment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over time, Ka Arman<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>would reveal to Ka Mao that that fellow who gave him a bullet for a
souvenir was Jose “Pepe” Luneta, a long-time member of the CPP Central
Committee and Politburo who was purged from the Party<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for allegedly being responsible for the
infamous Operation Ahos which killed in mass number suspected government agents
in the revolutionary movement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The meeting Satur and the other Politburo members held in
Ka Mao’s house that night Luneta gifted him with the armalite bullet was the
very session called for meting Luneta with the punishment of expulsion from the
Party.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, Ka Mao found himself speculating, SIU<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>helped facilitate that Satur’s escape so he
could expel Luneta. That was one outstanding characteristic of Ka Mao. He
easily felt guilty about the ill effect of his act. It was beyond him to say
whether or not Luneta did commit the mass killing of suspected government
infiltrators in the revolution, or if he did, was it justified to mete him
expulsion from the Party? Ka Mao was certainly thinking back on his own virtual
ewxpulsion from the Party whose entire Party Group under the National Trade
Union Bureau left him to fend for himself in the city while they, following HO
advice, withdrew to the countryside upon the declaration of Martial Law. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao knew then he did not commit any offense
for him to deserve such treatment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If at all, what Ka Mao could be sure of in the Luneta
episode was a most fearsome evil endemic in the structure of the Party
bureaucracy by which those in power can accomplish the very decimation of its
membership. Five years later, Sison would issue his own infamy, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffrim</i> of 1991, which threw Party
members on mass scales pursuing their own lines of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>political work, in effect splintering the
Party and the revolution into inutility.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But the SIU was never privy to the developments that were
taking place leading to this veritable party demise. What Ka Dave and Ka Mao
would deduce on one occasion was a hint, if it was a hint at all, of what
developed in the Party right as soon as Cory took over the presidency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The occasion was the interview the two had with Bernabe
Buscayno, nom de guerre Kumander Dante, soon after his release from prison; the
release of Dante together with Sison was among the first acts of Cory upon
assuming power. It looked odd, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to
prioritize the release of top communists, just as it was indeed odd that while
Marcos had made the top public utilities corporation Manila Electric Company
(MERALCO) publicly-owned, Cory’s top priority was to release the power outfit
back to private ownership by the oligarchs Lopezes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In any case, Dante was a hot item and a number of movie
producers became immediately interested in filming his life story. A common
friend of Ka Mao and Ka Dave, the late film screenwriter and film director
Felix Dalay, sought the intercession of the two in getting the film rights of
the Dante material. In turn, Ka Mao and Ka Dave sought the assistance of Ka
Charlie in getting Dante to sit down with them in an interview for purposes of
writing a screenplay of his life story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The interview in the pavilion of a friendly farm resort
took off on a very cordial note. Ka Mao and Ka Dave reminisced on a escape plan
the SIU devised to get Dante out of Camp Crame. Dante was liberally allowed to
have daily morning exposure to sunshine, which he did by jogging around the
camp compound. This routine would afford him quite many a chance to seek
shelter in a nook, quickly don a respectable attire consisting of dark slacks,
black shiny leather shoes, topped by a barong tagalog to make him look like one
of the many respectable visitors to the camp. Completing the masquerade was a
grey toupee and similar grey moustache ordered by Ka Mao from his favorite
special effects artist so as to camouflage Dante’s identity. Once this put-on
character was done, all Dante needed to do was walk to a waiting vehicle at the
car park, board it, and ride to freedom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The cool-mannered, unassuming guerilla leader, who had
been glorified in the media much beyond his modest, austere physical
attributes, was amused by the idea. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It would have worked,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just SIU’s luck that the EDSA revolt would come about to
frustrate the escape plan thereby snatching from the intelligence unit what
would have been a bigger feather in its cap. Certainly Dante was a grander
figure than Satur, for which reason, in fact it seemed, Dante sought a Senate
seat in the 1987 senatorial polls while Satur, a partylist seat at the House of
the Representatives much later in his day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At one point of the interview, Ka Mao touched on the
question of leadership in the Party and in the Army.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The rule,” Ka Mao recalled, “is that leadership is
automatically relinquished to those that remain free by those that get captured
by the enemy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,” Dante said in a calm voice, though his face looked
perturbed. “We still lead.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao discussed the matter with Ka Jun sometime after
the interview.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>”Dante said that?” Ka Jun asked as though in disbelief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,” I said,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Jun spent a while just staring at Ka Mao, who could
not quite make out that look in his eyes. It was sad, sullen, bewildered and
raging all at once. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Is it true?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“From what I understand, we’re supposed to lead the
revolution now?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Now,” Ka Mao
found himself uttering a very private worry, “that can spell trouble.”</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XVI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE CALM before the Sison storm of 1991 was itself rather
protracted like his people’s war. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was to the credit of party members that they held on
to the Party unity despite the debacle it suffered from the boycott policy. The
natsit (for national situationer) which the Party issued for that period spoke
of undiminished strength of the party organizationally, politically and
ideologically. In brief, it was as though there had not been any change in the
profile of the enemy to effect a substantial tilt in the balance of forces in
its favor in the continuing people’s war. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In fact, it was during that period when the people’s army
began promoting the idea of the strategic counter offensive (SCO) as an advance
sub-stage of the strategic stalemate. What only transpired was that Marcos fell
and Cory sat in his place, but as far as the revolution was concerned nothing
had changed, or at least that was how SIU sensed it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Magic 8 was still on track, with the Operations San
Mig, Blue Print and Eagle’s Nest continuing to be the top priorities. Why would
the SIU be instructed to persevere in these truly big war undertakings if the
revolution was experiencing a slump. This was how the SIU assessed the
revolutionary situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What Ka Arman took up with him that day in August 1987 enthused
Ka Mao exceedingly. It served to confirm SIU’s view of the war footing and that
moreover the revolution was escalating. According to Ka Arman, the top three
priorities in the Magic 8 had been sufficiently cased and were ready for
implementation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s holding us back?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Money,” said Ka Arman. “Or the lack of it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Arman stared at Ka Mao, indicating he had something
really serious to discuss with him. As Ka Arman stayed speechless, Ka Mao
fidgeted slightly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can you help out in this?” Ka Arman said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How much is needed?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thirty m.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao choked on his voice, “My God. Where will SIU get
thirty million?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You will help us produce it,” said Ka Arman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Arman explained the scenario for raising such an
enormous sum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As had been always the
case in all tasks given to him by the Party, Ka Mao never asked questions as to
the whys and wherefores of the operation which he was being tasked to carry
out. It was enough that the task to do was clear to him for him to do it well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao’s task consisted of two aspects. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First,
provide quarters for an elite team of the NPA Special Operations Command (SOC).
Members of the team carried aliases the meanings of which were the opposite of
their physical attributes, hence Pandak (Ka Dak), meaning dwarf, referred to
the team leader, who was tall; Tangkad (Ka Kad), meaning tall, to the team
member who was short; Speed (Ka Speed), to the team member who was a slowfoot;
and Negro (Ka Negs), to the team member who was oriental white. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team had in its custody a precious cargo intended
for transacting with an European national who would be in town shortly. When
they moved into the house that afternoon, they immediately stashed their cargo
in a store room hastily put up by Ka Mao at one end of the extension area, with
the space at the opposite serving as the team’s quarters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second aspect of Ka Mao’s task was to carry out the transaction with the
European national, incognito of course. In making the transaction, Ka Mao
strictly went by instructions prepared by Ka Arman, conveyed to the European
national through the telephone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao’s specific caution from Ka Jun was to spend no
more than two minutes in making telephone talks otherwise, through sheer
triangulation, he would be betraying his location to any unfriendly element who
just might intercept the call, particularly the police some elements of which
had reportedly been tipped off on the million-dollar transaction. So for, say,
a ten-minute talk on the phone, Ka Mao would be hopping from one point to
another in the whole Metro Manila: from Cubao to Alabang then to Makati,
Monumento and Quiapo in Manila.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What took long to settle in the transaction was the final
amount to be paid in exchange for the cargo<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
after a few months, the issue was settled at an amount only Ka Arman knew, that
amount having been conveyed to him direct by the European national, using a classified
ad plaeement for the purpose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One big difficulty arose on how the final exchange would
be carried out. The European was insisting to do it face to face. This was a
no-no for all of Ka Jun, Ka Arman and Ka Mao. That would compromise Ka Mao’s
work in the SIU, let alone his legal placement. So there was no way the
exchange could take place except by Ka Mao insisting that the European deliver
first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How do I know that you won’t run away with my money
after you get it?” asked the European.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You got my word for it,” Ka Mao declared. “My word is
better than a written contract.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Words, like promises, are meant to be broken,” said the
European, laughing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“For invertebrates, yes,” Ka Mao said, then intoned
“You’re talking to a people’s army!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, well…,” said the European. “We know who your
comrades are in Europe anyway.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao laid down the final arrangement. The European to deliver the amount agreed
upon; Ka Mao, the precious cargo days after. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
European agreed. Ka Mao thought the guy was using his mind. A crooked dealer
would promise heaven to get what he wanted. By insisting on a one-week timeline
for him to deliver his part of the bargain, Ka Mao impressed upon the European
that he was a straight guy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Regarding the negotiation for the delivery of the money,
Ka Mao did not have a say at all in terms of policy, mechanics and method. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The few months that the negotiations got stalled had been
particularly dangerous in the sense that part of maintaining the legal
well-placement of the house was a free access to it by anybody who wished to
pay the family a visit. There was not even a sturdy fence around the whole lot
but for minimal amount of barbed wire held by bamboo posts. From time to time,
folks from the surrounding neighborhood would sneak through this light barrier
to gather firewood or fallen fruits, like mango, santol and guava. In any case,
all this added up to the overall innocent look of the area. As for the
movements of people in the house, these were never evident to outsiders, the house
being on a spot away from the highway, and on sloping ground at that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, on New Year Eve 1987, the SOC team
sought release of their boredom by firing their long arms into the air, yelling
“Long live the revolution!” They were not being adventurous though. They just
were sure that no matter how strong, the yell could not get above the din of
celebration at the strike of twelve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nonetheless, on at least three occasions, incidents
happened as though to punctuate the otherwise boring episode with some high
degree of suspense.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One incident happened one early evening. Ka Arman and Ka
Dak were the only ones around in the house to guard the cargo;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the other SOC team members were off on some
sort of a furlough for one week. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After government troops in full battle gear leaped out of
a six-by-six in the neighboring squatters settlement, a solitary soldier in
similar apparel and gear walked into the compound of the driveway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Spotting
the soldier, Ka Arman grabbed his M-16 and took position behind a post, while
Ka Dak walked toward the approaching soldier. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Arman was the most prone to shoot it out, his finger nearly pressing already on
the trigger of his armalite while beads of perspiration trickled down his face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
Ka Dak proved to be the more level-headed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No combatant would go striding into enemy territory like walking under
the moonlight, as indeed the bright moon had risen sufficiently high in the
sky. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
making sure nevertheless, he cocked his .45, tucked it into his front waist and
walked toward the soldier casually.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good
evening,” greeted Ka Dak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Is
this where there is a movie shooting?” asked the soldier. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
shooting,” said Ka Dak, nearly blurting out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
shooting a war movie but I got separated from my group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said the set is in the squatters area on
Sumulong Highway.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak secretly sighed with relief. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This
is no squatters area. The adjacent neighborhood is. There’s where the shooting
is.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak noticed something about the armalite the soldier was carrying. He rather
cautiously reached out a hand to touch it. The soldier was amused. He handed
the long weapon to Ka Dak, who felt it so light.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Props,“
said the guy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak let out a hearty laughter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re
no soldier,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Stuntman
extra.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak laughed louder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where he was ready to shoot, Ka Arman squinted
his eyes, wondering at the sound of laughter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
occasion was on a lazy afternoon. Ka Speed and Ka Kad were as usual engrossed
in a game of chess. Ka Dak is cleaning the parts of his disassembled pistol. Ka
Negs was having a nap in the SOC team’s quarters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
of Ka Mao’s kids were at home, that being a weekend. They were having fun
playing hide-and-seek. Maoie, the tag, had his eyes closed while resting his
face on his arm pressed against the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“When
I start counting ten, find your place of hiding,”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maoie intoned, then began counting, “One…
two… three…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ogie,
a one year and a half tot, was mimicking Maoie’s antic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paulo
and Maripaz made a quick decision to go hiding in the restricted room where the
precious cargo was kept. They gaped upon seeing what was inside the room then
turn to rush back. Ka Negs awakened at this point.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey,”
said Ka Negs, half-shouting. He leaped to his feet and held the kids. “What did
you do inside the room?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
playing hide and seek,” replied Maripaz.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
did you see?” asked Ka Negs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maripaz
was about to tell, but Paulo beat him to it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Nothing.
We did not see anything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are
you sure?” Ka Negs insisted to know.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
that point, Maoie rushed into the spot, startling everyone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Pong
Paulo. Pong Paz,” Maoie blurted out, then hurried to the tag spot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
the while, Ogie kept mimicking Maoie’s moves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paulo
pulled Maripaz in getting away, completely ignoring Ka Negs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay,
come. I’ll be tag,” Paulo said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Negs eyed the two deeply as they went. Then he turned to the room and saw everything
was in place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He
thought it over real hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He told himself,
“Well, they said they didn’t see anything. That’s it. They didn’t see anything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
days on after that, Ka Negs observed Paulo and Maripaz, in moments of leisure,
when the kids go away to school and when they come home from classes. Each time
Ka Negs made it obvious to the two that he was observing them. He hoped that by
doing this, he could make the two feel guilty and admit they saw the precious
cargo. But in none of these moments did neither Maripaz nor Paulo betray any
signs Ka Negs hoped to see in them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
Ka Negs assured himself, “They really didn’t see anything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
just what intelligence Paulo had in this regard would find a repeat long after
the precious cargo<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>episode was over. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the time,
Benny Tiamzon, with whom Ka Mao had had some verbal tussle over the pursuit of
the proletarian cause, had been named the new Chairman of the Communist Party
of the Philippines, replacing the captured Kumander Bilog. Tiamzon was with the
KTKS in the house, meeting to tackle certain urgent agenda, which, as always,
Ka Mao did not find fit to ask about. The group was having a lunch break
downstairs when they were astounded by the deafening sound of a .45 bullet
bursting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
all rushed upstairs and into the room where they had been meeting. They found
nobody in the room. Everything was in place. Ka Jun checked the .45 of Tiamzon
that was in place in its holster under the low center table – apparently
untouched where it had been kept. But Ka Jun smelled the barrel of the gun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s
just been fired,” he said, eyeing the group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
that precise point, what would rather startle the group but the sound of a
young voice coming from just behind them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
was that I heard?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paulo,
stepping out of the bathroom adjacent to the meeting room, asked the question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
group eyed one another, then indicated their amusement at realizing what had
happened: the boy, not quite seven, fired the .45 obviously through the open
window, then put the pistol back in its holster in place under the center
table, rushed inside the bathroom outside of the meeting room, making himself
scant just in time for the group to miss him when they rushed up to check. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
a light, chiding shake of his tilted head, Ka Jun eyed Tiamzon smilingly, like
saying, “Rule number one in war. Never separate your gun from yourself.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
the meeting, Ka Jun had an advice to tell Ka Mao: “Take care of Paulo. He is a
very intelligent child.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back now to the hide-and-seek episode in the
quarters of the SOC team. That night Ka Mao came home from work, Paulo confided
to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay,
we’ve got something in our house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“
What?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s
something in that room.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao was pretty sure Paulo had discovered what was in that room.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Paulo,
be a good boy. Don’t go in where you are not allowed to enter.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
just playing hide-and-seek.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That
room is not for games children play.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao’s voice, though soft, was stern. Paulo quieted down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
all the incidents during the safe-keeping of the precious cargo, Ka Mao and
Betchay were out shooting a movie. Betchay had begun learning the works of an
assistant to a director and so she stuck to him whenever and wherever he
worked. For the present project they were busy in, Betchay had taken the job as
caterer, for Ka Mao was involved only as a scriptwriter. Since it was out of
the question that a house helper be in place in the house to look after the
kids when the couple were at work, the SOC team minded this task, like cooking
their meals and seeing them off on a service vehicle ride to the school. At
nights though, once back home from shooting, Betchay would find time preparing
the things the kids would need for school the following day, like ironing their
clothes and readying what Ka Speed would cook for the kids for breakfast and
for lunch packs to bring to school.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
that afternoon the SOC team were caught unawares by two Assumption nuns was a
different case. Ka Mao was not out shooting but was delivering an urgent
message prepared by Ka Arman for the European national. . He was taking long
discussing on the phone the matter of the final<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>amount the European would deliver, the discussion being chopped into durations
of two minutes only and at quite long intervals, because done <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at various points in Metro Manila far away
from one another </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
nuns just seemed to pop into view through the open door. Ka Speed and Ka Kad
paused in their chess game, not bothering to rise, though they looked surprised
by the nuns’ appearance. It was Ka Dak who was alarmed, for at the time, he was
busy fitting a silencer into the nozzle of his .45. He quickly placed the
weapon and gadgets under the center table he was working at and approached the
nuns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good
afternoon,” greeted Ka Dak. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We wish to talk to Mr. Samonte,” said
one nun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mr. Samonte is
in Laguna shooting,” said Ka Dak for an alibi; he knew Ka Mao was out doing his
task in the operation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about Mrs. Samonte?” asked the
other nun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“She is with Mr. Samonte shooting,”
said Ka Dak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m Mr.
Samonte’s cousin. May I help you? Come in please,” said Ka Dak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No,
we have to hurry up. Your nephew Mauro The Second has had an accident in the
school. We have just brought him to a hospital in the town. But he must be
brought to the Orthopedic hospital in Quezon City for proper treatment. ”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
turned out the boy Maoie, then in grade two in Assumption, was playfully
sliding with other boys down the inclined siding at the entrance of the
multipurpose hall when he got a bad fall to the pavement and broke his arm. Ka
Dak relayed this to Ka Mao through the latter’s beeper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao read the message on his beeper just as he was finishing his phone talk with
the European.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Okay,
my friend. We’re not done yet. You wait. I’ll call later,” Ka Mao said. He
pressed the button of the phone, then dialed a number.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Easy
call, may I help you?” said the operator at the other end of the line.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao dictated to the operator a message for sending to Ka Dak through the
latter’s beeper. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Dak read the message: “Any of you, please attend to Maoie. I’m not done with my
work yet.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak then assigned Ka Speed to accompany Maoie to the Philippine Orthopedic
Hospital.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was nearly sundown when Ka Mao finished his job with the European that
afternoon. But much as he wanted to go to Maoie at the orthopedic hospital
immediately, he could not because he must first attend a meeting Ka Arman
called in the house in the evening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
Ka Jun also in the meeting, Ka Arman now gave Ka Mao the final instructions for
delivery to the European the following day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“One
point five,” said Ka Mao, “is too little. From our discussion this afternoon I
sensed that I could press the European some more for a higher amount, even up
to five m.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Jun was inclined to consider Ka Mao’s idea of negotiating further.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
think you can increase that amount?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Let
me call again,” Ka Mao advised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Arman cut in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No
need for that anymore. It’s settled. His final offer, we call. There is so much
we can do with that amount. Besides, the boys are getting exhausted by all this
waiting.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
so at long last, Ka Mao’s last task in the operation was to instruct the
European national on how to deliver the money. Time was of the essence. Another
combat team was all set to pick-up the money. After giving the instructions to
the European, Ka Mao dialed another number on the phone. The fellow waiting at
the other end of the line picked up the phone – Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hello,”
said Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ka
Dave, Kirk here,” Ka Mao said from his end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,
Ka Kirk,” said Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Go,”
came Ka Mao’s final word and he hanged up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dave enthused to himself exceedingly. That one single word said it all. The
money was on the way for pick up by another combat team. The head of this team
would call him any moment now to get the go signal for their action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Dave monitored
his wrist watch. The seconds seemed to tick away so slowly. Then as the hour
hand reached ten, the phone rang. He excitedly picked it up. The smile on his
lips indicated it was the call he was awaiting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,”
Ka Dave said. “Go.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
with that, Ka Dave made his one single word in the whole operation. But it was
the only word that counted now. It was the word that set into motion the
tracking by the pick-up team of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>sedan carrying the money. Ka Mao had gotten the plate number of that car
from the European, then passed it on to Ka Arman, who finally relayed it to the
pick-up team. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
in a symphony, Ka Mao had done his coda. What transpired next was nothing but
the denouement. As Ka Arman would put it later, picking up the money was as
easy as picking apples.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">JUST RIGHT time, Ka Mao sighed to
himself as he hugged Maoie in order to keep him pressed down in bed. The
orthopedic doctor was doing the operation for putting the boy’s broken arm bone
back in place and the boy was terribly squirming from what terrible pain it was
he was suffering. The doctor was twisting Maoie’s arm to and fro, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mercilessly it seemed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay!
Tatay!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oh,
how so painfully the boy cried. Ka Mao wondered if he himself could have borne
the pain if he were in his son’s place. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And yet… And
yet… If finishing his job in the transaction just past had taken all the way to
this point, he would have still gladly given his full attention to the work.
That was more than twenty four hours after Maoie had the fall in school.
Betchay, who was doing an errand for the film production when the accident
happened, gave Maoie company at the hospital when evening came, there to await
the operation scheduled the next day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What kind of a
father was he, willing and ready to abandon his son even at this his hour of
agony! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That’s
why Ka Mao thanked God, indeed, he found himself thanking God profusely, for
getting the transaction over with, not because it succeeded in getting the
money it had intended to get, but because it made him available to his son just
as when the boy needed him most.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
fingers of his free hand burrowing into Ka Mao’s shoulder for support, the boy
struggled to speak. It looked to Ka Mao that the boy was beginning to gasp for
breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay…
I can’t take it anymore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
terror crossed Ka Mao’s mind. God, could Maoie have gone through it all if he
were not around to give him support. His eyes moistened as he cast a pleading
stare at the doctor, imploring him with that stare to be quick with it, please.
But as most doctors are, the doctor looked disaffected, wearing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a stoic mien in his face as he went about
with his job. One final twist of Maoie’s arm and the boy yelled in pain so
acute it sounded like it were his last. He choked on his crying and appeared to
be catching his breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao cast a terrified stare at the doctor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“He
will be okay,” the doctor assured Ka Mao, continuing to wear that stoic mien in
his face. Like nonchalantly, he then began treating Maoie’s injured arm with
plaster cast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Only
then did Ka Mao feel like giving vent to all his feelings of grief, joy and
relief all at once. He pressed his face on the pillow beside Maoie’s face,
pretending to comfort him. Actually he did it as a way of hiding his tears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER XVII</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RECOVERY was another agony for Maoie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
order to keep his injured arm bone in place while in the period of healing, his
arm had to be kept stretched by a rope tied to his wrist, slung on a pulley
above his bed and held down by a weight load that dangled on the other end. For
this reason, while he was supposed to rest in bed, he was in extreme
discomfort. Since his injured arm had to be held up day in and day out, he
maintained the same position in bed twenty four hours a day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Aside
from feeding the boy with his food, Ka Mao helped him do his toilet chores as
well as gave him his sponge baths.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
boy’s discomfort was bearable in any case. After a month, Maoie’s arm was
finally freed from the weight load, its plaster cast replaced with a
longer-lasting one and his arm held on a sling around his neck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By the advent of
summer, Maoie was ready for release. That day Ka Arman came for a visit at the
hospital together with Ka Ding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Advice by the
GC, you are not to proceed to the house from the hospital,” Ka Arman told him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why, any
problem?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Not exactly,”
said Ka Arman. “It’s standard procedure. After being used for such a hot
operation, we have to ascertain the security of your house. For your own safety
and that of your family, too.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Ding handed
Ka Mao a large brown envelope bulging with something.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Here you are,”
Ka Ding said in his characteristic brevity of words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s this?”
asked Ka Mao as he opened the envelope unsuspectingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You can have a
vacation with the whole family in Baguio,” said Ka Arman..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao gaped
when he got a good view of the what the envelope contained: wads of money
bills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s fifty
thousand,” said Ka Ding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“More than enough
for a month vacation,” said Ka Arman. “By that time, we shall have ascertained
whether or not your house is safe for you and your family to return to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
an added safety precaution, Ka Mao did not join Betchay and the kids in the
trip to Baguio. He traveled a day later, meeting up with them on an appointed
spot in Burnham Park upon arrival in the city in the morning of the next day.
He made sure to shave his beard and moustache before joining the family. The
kids were amazed at his clean-shaven face topped by a neat haircut. So was
Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
her inquiring stare, Ka Mao said, “Ka Arman suggested I needed to put on a new
look,”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay
pogi (How so good-looking father is),” remarked Ogie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
got a good laugh.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">SUMMER was a good respite for folks who
had just overcome one of the most perilous involvements one whole family experienced
in the revolution. By its nature, the transaction with the European national was
fit only in the countryside, the so-called red areas where the rebel forces had
things in control. But in the white areas, which were enemy territories and
which Ka Mao’s house was in, conducting the operation there was unimaginable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet the family went through it all
successfully.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids didn’t realize it, of course, and so
they went about indulging in their little shenanigans all the while that the precious
cargo was being kept in the house. Betchay could sense it but took care not to
ask anything about it. She had been conditioned never to ask questions about Ka
Mao’s activities in the movement. It was Ka Mao alone who bore all the tension
for the family in that long transaction period. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, a real
quality time was transpiring for the family, enjoying happy togetherness as
they savored the characteristic delights of the Summer Capial: boat ride in the
Burnham Park lagoon, horseback riding at the Wainright Park, viewing the
canyons at the Mines View Park, strolling among strawberry plants red with
fruits in La Trinidad Valley. They did have moments like these in the past, but
always, only on weekends and when Ka Mao <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was free from his work. This time, merrymaking
was their daily grind, from break of day till the setting of the sun and well
into the night, when they would dine out in plush eateries, then in their
rented house enjoy sing-along ditties before finally repairing to bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao had an
added pleasure for himself when toward the end of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this vacation, an exposure in an NPA territory
was arranged for him by the local command of the NPA. Lugging his ubiquitous
camera and with a few clothes in a backpack, he was picked up by a guide in the
market area. They took a jeepney which traversed the narrow highway carved out
of a mountainside, at every inch of which one looked down to deep ravines.
Quite a few vehicles had fallen off the cliffs in the past, with none of the
passengers surviving the accidents.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the greater
danger in that travel was that a military officer kept eyeing Ka Mao’s guide,
who is a leader of an NPA combat squad. The military officer was ascertaining
to himself if Ka Mao’s guide was indeed one of those he and his men had had an
encounter once. Ka Mao’s guide knew he was being marked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He secretly instructed Ka Mao who to contact
when he reached the appointed destination, then as the jeepney slowed down at a
narrow bend, Ka Mao’s guide suddenly leaped out of the jeepney.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The military
officer gave chase, warning the guy to stop or he will shoot. He aimed his
rifle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao’s guide drew his pistol,
firing as he rolled over down the slope into the ravine. The military officer
was grazed by a bullet on his side and threw to the ground, firing his
rifle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao’s guide avoided the hail
of bullets and disappeared into the woods down the ravine. Through that
terrain, no lone military officer would dare engage an NPA combatant on a
one-on-one basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A man in
mid-twenties among the passengers prodded the jeepney driver to go on lest they
be caught in the crossfire. The driver obliged and stepped on the gas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was nearly
sundown when the jeepney reached its destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was Sagada, an Ifugao municipality
in Bontoc Province. Ka Mao was tentative as he moved around after getting off
the jeepney.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The guy gave me
a name to contact but didn’t say where to contact,” Ka Mao uttered to himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A young man
walked past him, saying in near-whisper, “Follow me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Making a
double-look, Ka Mao recognized the young man. He was the twentyish fellow who
had prodded the jeepney driver to drive on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao gaped in
amazement when told by the man that he was the back-up guide assigned to ensure
Ka Mao’s safe journey to NPA territory deep in the jungles of the Cordillera mountain
range. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The NPA knows
its business,” Ka Mao told himself with surprised delight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The young man led
him to a house where he was processed, the term used for verification of
information about Ka Mao earlier passed on to the NPA command in the area. His
hosts also made sure that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao had
necessary clothing for his stay in the NPA camp. He got two jackets all right,
a woolen sweatshirt, several t-shirts, a pair of jogging pants, and a number of
thick woolen socks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s too cold
up there,” said the leader of the squad sent to fetch Ka Mao and bring him to
the NPA mountain camp.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, yes?”
remarked Ka Mao. “How cold? Fifteen… Ten… Five degrees centigrade?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’ll see,”
said the squad leader. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
was enough amount of sunlight as Ka Mao began the trek to the mountain camp,
and so he got a clear, good view of the terrain. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Magnificent,”
Ka Mao gasped to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
snaked up a trail upward that cut through terraces, partitioned in patches
which all teemed with green palay plants. Ka Mao thought it was comparable in
grandeur to the famed Banaue Rice Terraces, considered one of the seven wonders
of the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
legend had it that once upon a time, a great flood gobbled up the lowlands,
destroying crops and killing many inhabitants. The natives took it as the Great
Wrath of God Kabunyan for their wrongdoings. When the flood receded, the
natives labored to build a stairway to heaven by which to climb to the sky and
seek Kabunyan’s blessing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Past
the terraces, Ka Mao and his entourage now traversed a thick forest of pine
trees many of which would require three men to encompass with their hands
joined together. A few fallen ones just stayed lying on the ground, with nobody
minding them. In Real and Infanta, Quezon, this would be unthinkable. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dos por lapad</i> folks, the term for men
doing illegal lumbering in the forests of Sierra Madre, would be cutting these
fallen giant pines up into two-by-four-inch slabs in a hurry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao remembered log cabins in western journals and he thought it would be nice
building one for himself in that area, using those fallen pines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can
I build a log cabin here?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Chose
your wild,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Whom
do I ask permission from?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Permission
granted,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They laughed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They were
trekking upward a mountain peak which according to the squad leader is the
third highest in the Philippines. Ka Mao knew Mount Apo in Davao was the
highest, he didn’t know what the second highest was. In any case, even with its
lower height, this peak Ka Mao was climbing was almost a literal depiction of
the Tagalog saying: “Abot-kamay ang langit (Heaven is just within reach).” As
he gazed up the top of the slope they were climbing, it did seem that once he
got there, he could touch the sky.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How much farther
are we going to climb?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“One food for
your thought,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, yes?” said
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“When you walk
up a mountain, never look where you are heading to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’ll get
tired quickly.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Is that so?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Just watch your
steps. Before you realize it, you’re there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao really
had to watch his steps. Before long, it was dark and their journey was lit only
by the moonlight filtering through the trees. And into the final stage of their
travel, they must negotiate a narrow footpath carved out of a mountain side.
One misstep and he would be plunging down the deep ravine to his right. For
this reason, Ka Mao kept inclining to his left as he walked so that just in
case he made that misstep, he would be falling to the ground.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Seeing Ka Mao’s
difficulty, the squad leader took his backpack.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let me carry it
for you,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’re loaded
with your own things,” Ka Mao said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is
nothing,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Free of his load
but for his camera, Ka Mao had a little easier time minding his steps. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then suddenly, a
gunshot rang, echoing through the trees.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
alarmed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The squad leader
got excited, so were his companions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When a short
while after they finally reached the camp, the rebels were excited as they came
upon a crowd gathered around by the bonfire in the middle of the encampment,
butchering a deer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The squad leader
approached the group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought
correctly when I heard that shot. You slew a deer,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It could have
been a firefight,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No gunbattle
takes place with just on shot being fired,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the men
butchering the deer spoke to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s routine
for us here. We chase a deer through the woods just to get it exhausted. When
night falls, the animal would go out of hiding to drink at the river. That’s
when we shoot it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why not while
you’re chasing it?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The squad leader
cuts in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’re not sure
to hit. That would be a lot of wasted bullets otherwise better off used for
killing fascist dogs. While drinking at the river, the deer is a sitting duck.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao smiled. He said, “I think you guys are teaching me lessons early.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
squad leader introduced Ka Mao to his men, who included two amazons from a tribe
distinct for their fair skin,with pretty features on their pinkish faces.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Comrades,
this is Ka Mao. He was sent by the General Command to spend time with us, you
know.Just like the others who had been sent before him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Everybody
shook hands with Ka Mao as they gave him words of welcome. Generally, they
said, “Feel at home.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His
first experience of feeling at home with the group was the veritable feast they
had over the deer meat soup prepared for supper. Ka Mao could almost vomit at
tasting it. It was tart, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fishy, pungent,
or whatever it was, a taste he would not take. The meat was cooked, all right,
but simply boiled in water with no salt or any seasoning whatsoever, neither
with any vegetable additives to improve its tangy taste. But apparently, the
rebels had been so used to such a serving of meat and so took it with gusto. Otherwise
they would be content with simple boiled cabbage for viand. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao forced himself to make like the rest in eating the dish. Actually he took
too much time finishing one slice of the meat so he would not be forced to eat
more. As for the soup, he could not refuse the urging of one guy for him to
drink from the common bowl. He did press the bowl lid into his mouth,
pretending to take it, but kept his teeth pressed, too, to allow only a very
minimal amount of the liquid into his mouth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
the feel of the liquid in his mouth brought him nausea which he could not
control anymore. He begged leave from the group, pretending to piss behind
bushes. There he let it all out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gasping
for air afterward, a thought crossed his mind. In no instance in the whole transaction
with the European national had he experienced taking what he had just eaten..
And yet, here it was staple food for the comrades. Who suffered the more difficulty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
night was terribly cold. He had put on both his jogging pants on, one on top of
the other, donned three layers of t-shirts, topped further by a long-sleeved
polo shirt, then by the thick woolen sweatshirt, over which finally was his
jacket. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao mused to himself. Never in all its operation did the SIU suffer such biting
cold. Who suffered the more difficulty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao proceeded to join the rebels heating themselves <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>up<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by
the flames of the bonfire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Real
cold out here,” Ka Mao remarked to the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
told you. Now you see,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
suppose this is below 5 degrees,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No.
Below<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>zero,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
don’t say.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“See
if it doesn’t rain ice tomorrow.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s
always the case. If it is this cold tonight, ice will fall in the morning.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mid-morning
the following day, a heavy downpour fell. Along with the rather large beads of
raindrops were marble-size, sharp-edged ice peebles which, according to
Newton’s law on free-falling objects, could puncture your head as they did the plastic
roof of the rebels’ tents. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao would learn later that the rebels were getting discouraged by their leaders
from using plastic tents, as they were prone to getting devastated by the frequent
ice rains. Ka Mao amused at the thought of city folks cavorting in the streets
whenever it rained. Here they hurried inside their tents lest they get wounded
by the shrapnels from heaven. Who suffered the more difficulty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
only a short while, Ka Mao had such a good taste of rebel life in the mountain <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that he finally got the full impact of the
view that joining the NPA is the pinnacle of serving the people. The feeling
exhilarates. An exposure guest inevitably ended up not wanting to go back to the
city anymore. Many of those who actually tasted battle with the enemy had opted
to stay in the mountain for good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Although the NPA
had a standing policy of securing the safety of its guests, meaning keep them
away from the line of fire, in the event of an engagement with the enemy, Ka
Mao would have insisted in joining in the fray, be at the front line even. But
much to his regret, the unit in the camp had no military engagements during his
entire stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this respect, he felt no
better than Abraham Lincoln who, though having had war experience against the
Confederates, never tasted combat except, according to one accout, “for
insignificant bouts with mosquitoes.” In his case, Ka Mao had bouts in the
evenings with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">limatiks</i>, tiny leeches
that would creep up inside his pants and go on to suck blood from his very
genitals. The creature is so small nobody notices it creeping up his leg, nor
when it sucks your groin. Only when the spot being sucked begins to itch would
one impulsively scratch it and discover the blood glutton so bloated with his
blood it could no longer move. It would amuse Ka Mao exceedingly to see a fearless
rebel leaping out of the toilet in utter fright from his aborted bowel movement
while gingerly trying to flick off with his hands the tiny devil stuck to his
buttocks. Ka Mao was almost victimized similarly but that the rascal had the
nerve to attack him frontally as he squatted there. So, seeing the attack,
which he, too,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>admitted was so eerie
indeed as to terrify you out of your wits, he grabbed a stick and pummeled the
leech into bits.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And thus did Ka
Mao have a battle to rise above in pronto.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The rebel unit
issued Ka Mao an M-16 for hm to use just in case. But aside from learning how
to disassemble its parts and then putting them back in place, the only use he
had of the weapon was that it made him look like a true blue NPA whenever they
did drills in a clearing in the morning. Jogging around the area, he shouted
along with the other rebels after the squad leader chanting the goodie ole
revolutionary slogans: “Down with imperialism!” “Down with feudalism!” “Down
with bureaucrat capitalism!” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who are we
addressing the chant to anyway, to the trees?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ka Mao found himself asking quietly. If faith can move mountains, so
revolutionary passion might also.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To make up for
lack of action, Ka Mao engaged the unit in study sessions, using a syllabus he
had devised for the SIU’s use. The syllabus consisted of three main parts. Part
One dealt on Philippine history. Philippine social development was presented
according to the principles of dialectical and historical materialism, with
focus on what, based on his research, actually happened in the Revolution of
1896. Part Two was an exhaustive presentation of the theory of surplus value,
the core of capitalist exploitation of wage labor. The text for this study was
improvised by Ka Mao from his study of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Das
Capital</i> by Karl Marx. And Part Three was a simplification of the theories
contained in Lenin’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">State and Revolution</i>
for easy understanding of the concepts of socialism and communism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao could
sense that the rebels, all hailing from the masses, were hungering for deeper
insights into the guiding principles of the revolution. And they found the
syllabus quite delectable. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After going
through the syllabus, Ka Mao discussed the current developments in the people’s
struggle. The Party had by then issued the latest natsit (national situationer)
which elaborated on how the revolution stood at the time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The paper prepared by the Party spoke of the people’s
war already at the stage of the strategic counter-offensive (SCO), described as
an advance substage of the strategic stalemate. A distinct feature of the SCO was
widespread insurrection in the urban centers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was with this
insurrectionary character of the revolution that Ka Victor expressed
displeasure. The comrade was a high-ranking officer of the Cordillera District
Party Committee who visited the camp for an important discussion with Ka Wakad,
the diminutive Ifugao native who was Provincial Commander of the NPA in Bontoc.
Both listened to Ka Mao’s discussion of the natsit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well if that’s
how the Party sees it in the overall...,” Ka Victor commented. “But as far as
we are concerned, that cannot be done here.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
astounded by the comment. Ka Victor’s statement struck Ka Mao as a declaration
of defiance. Were not all party members expected to obey an official Party
policy? It alarmed Ka Mao to realize that one whole district party committee should
express deviation from that policy – or at least, one from the committee did.
Certainly it indicated a serious sectionalism in the Party. How many other district
party committees were of the same opinion as Ka Victor sounded to stand pat on?
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Already then Ka
Mao sensed a foreboding of graver things to come. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER XVIII</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">AS LATE AS the advent of the 90s,
nothing indicated to Ka Mao that his fears felt beginning that sojourn in the
Cordillera NPA camp were justified. Meetings in the house by the KTKS, the
Politburo and the NPA General Command were getting frequent, indicating to Ka
Mao the contrary: the Party and the Army were getting even more and more
vigorous. Nothing was changed of directives earlier given nor of plans earlier
approved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
that went true, too, for the SIU tasks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
fact, the increasing number of uses of the house and of the elements using it
prompted Ka Mao to enlarge it even further. The entire dimensions of the
original extension area were replicated on an upper floor, making for a
complete two-story structure. The whole second floor was now for the exclusive
use of the Party’s and Army’s meetings and quartering, but for the original
room of Maripaz into which now were compressed Ka Mao and his family during
sleep time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Both
guests and hosts shared the ground floor during fellowship hours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
yet, this was not enough. Come 1991, Ka Mao had a discussion with Ka Charlie
about the intensifying revolutionary situation. Cory was not only exposed as an
economic nincompoop, unable to stem the rise of mass poverty, but was also a
political weakling whose only credentials to the presidency was her absolute
tutelage to US interests. She had personally led a scanty crowd of her
loyalists in a rally to pressure the Senate not to abrogate the US-RP Military
Bases Agreement. The Senate refused to be cowed and declared all US military
facilities in the country ended.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According
to Charlie, all of the plans of the people’s army were on track and the time
was ripe for their implementation. But those plans needed to be approved by the
Party congress, which had long been delayed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can
you host the congress?” asked Ka Charlie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mao was speechless for a moment. Did he
hear right?, he asked himself. He thought Ka Charlie was kidding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
not kidding,” said Ka Charlie. “The Party congress can be called anytime now.
All we need is a venue.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Soon
after that discussion, Ka Mao embarked on what in his category could be
considered a grand house expansion. To the north end of the already complete
L-shaped structure was added one whole house in itself, rectangular in shape
such that it completed the overall design less as an L than a Swastika. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This
is so big,” commented one carpenter. “What do you have need for this?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Guest
house,” said Ka Mao curtly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
guest house so-called consisted of a ground floor, an attic and a basement to
make for three floors in all. The ground floor level was a one-room affair.
Half of the area, the section adjoining the dining room, was walled in large
glass panes framed with wood. This half had two swing doors done in glass panes
framed with wood that opened into the terrace overlooking the creek and the
bamboo grove close by. The other half had solid walls done in concrete. The end
of this other half had a solid concrete divider to conceal the staircase that
led down to the basement. The basement was walled with concrete all around and
was fitted at the creekside with escape tunnel that secretly led to the scarcely-fenced
section of the Valdez Farm where the enemy was not expected to make any pursuit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The original living
room was expanded westward to give way for a ground-level dining area with
skylight roofing done in fiber glass. Since people in the house tended to
gravitate in the dining area, what was once a living room became almost just a
foyer from the main entrance at the east side of the structure. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Adjacent to the
dining room was the kitchen with no divider separating it from the dining area
but for a half-octagon-shaped kitchen island. A room was at the back of this
kitchen, with almost the same dimension as it had, intended for storing kitchen
what-nots. The floor of the storage room had an opening for stairs leading to
the basement-level dirty kitchen for wood-fueled cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This storage room had a door that led to the
garage. Also to the garage side of the kitchen was an elevated breakfast area
with a view window done in glass and in the shape of an octagon. To the west
side of the kitchen was the glass sliding door of the guest house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if one went in through the main entrance,
he would step into the foyer and there be faced with three directions. To the
right, the living room leading to the dining room, the kitchen, the breakfast
area and the guest house. Straight ahead, the stairway to the second floor
where he would find Maripaz’s bedroom, the comfort room adjoining it outside,
the corridor leading to it being walled in solid glass, the door on this wall
leading out to the terrace that had been added above the main entrance, the
other end of the corridor leading to the family hall and the adjoining <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>masters bedroom. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Back at the
foyer, he would find to the left, the whole undivided area of the ground floor,
with exits leading to the library to the left and to the stairway to the south
end basement which was joined up by a tunnel to the north end basement (the
basement of the guest house). This way all occupants of the house, upon alarm,
could go rushing through the labyrinth of tunnels and out into the Valdez Farm.
Through the farm where the caretakers were quite friendly to Ka Mao and very
cooperative, any escaping elements from Ka Mao’s house could rush unnoticed by
the enemy as they made way through the wide orchard there and out into the
barangay road behind it. From there their vehicles would rush them to safety.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From his
discussion with Ka Charlie, Ka Mao gathered that the Party had grown into five
commissions. He estimated that at a minimum of ten delegates per commission,
the Party Congress should have at least 50 delegates. The way he had renovated
the house, he apportioned the sections thus: The Vizayas-Mindanao, the Central
Luzon and the Northern Luzon Commisions, to the Guest House; the Southern
Tagalog-Bicol Commission, to the Library and South End Basement; and the
National Capital Region Commission, to the Second Floor Family Hall and Masters
Bedroom. Ka Mao and his family would be happy lumped together in Maripaz’s
bedroom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But where would
the session hall be?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The whole
undivided ground floor<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the initial
expansion area! Ka Mao exclaimed to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So to Ka
Charlie’s question, “Can you host the congress?” came Ka Mao’s answer, “Yes, I
can.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was just passionate about the whole thing. The Party Congress, delayed for
so long, would formalize a number of important and urgent policies,
particularly the SCO. It would give the go signal for the planned takeover of
the legislature and other vital public facilities. It would fill the streets
with militant mass actions. It would bring the people’s army’s firepower from
the countryside to the cities. It would send the flames of revolution exploding
the country over. And then the strategic stalemate. It had been a lesson from
all revolutions that the strategic offensive to follow was virtually just
ceremonial – as it was in China when after Chiang Kai Sheik was driven to
Formosa, the People’s Liberation Army just marched into Shianghai to take
over<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the seat of Kuomintang political
power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Would Ninoy allow that to happen to
his widow?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naah! Naah!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
was it any wonder that Sison acted in his stead? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Evidently out of
desperation, he issued the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm Our
Basic Principles</i>. The ostensible motive was to launch a thorough Party-wide
rectification movement aimed at correcting errors done, not the least of which
being the error of the boycott policy. But motives are proven not by assertive
words but by cause-and-effect doctrine. The result of the Sison-instigated
rectification movement told it all. It splintered the Party into fragments,
tore the otherwise formidable people’s army, and threw the revolution back to
the dark ages.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was a most sentimental moment Ka Mao had when he talked to Ka Jun about the
matter. Ka Jun was playing the piano at the time. Ka Mao had learned that the
NPA Chief was a gifted pianist and so he bought a Weinstein Piano so he could
hear him play it whenever he visited the house. Ka Mao was a piano enthusiast
himself and loved much to listen to classical piano selections. Ka Jun was into
an inspired rendition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Vie En Rose</i>
when Ka Mao opened the topic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You have the army under your command, Why not combat
Sison’s divisive policy?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Jun shook his head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I assure you it will be very bloody,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Jun struck the keys as though he wished to
just play on and on, like providing the counterpoint in the symphony of the crumbling
of the Party and the people’s army.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Northern Luzon, the Party initiatives had increasingly
been taken over by the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
Central Luzon, the Magpantay couple were heading their own faction which
boasted of its own armed group able to shoot it out with that of the Tiamzon
couple.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nilo
de la Cruz and Popoy Lagman banded together in Metro Manila to form a
composite, the Revolutionary People’s Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB).
This combined force soon joined up with that of Arturo Tabara in the Visayas,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">COME the presidential elections of 1992,
Ka Mao gave it all up. No revolution in history won against a democratic
government. According to his perception, once Fidel V. Ramos was elected
president, that was the signal that thenceforth any political reform could only
take place within the system of a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>bourgeois democratic government. At best, then, what the rejectionists
of the Sison <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> manifested with
their defiance were nothing but the last spasms of a dying monster. The irony
in this view was that activists had derisively ascribed this to violent state
fascism. This time, it described the degeneration the Party had gone into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
Ka Mao found himself making a private resolve: to pursue the proletarian cause
in the arena of bourgeois politics; he did not have the presumptuousness to try
to influence any overall Party policy in this regard. Besides, as he rightly
perceived it, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm </i>had been
precisely designed to get rid of all non-Sisonites in the Party, and he, being
a long-time opponent of the Sison copy-cat people’s war strategy, had to go. In
that event, as he was intransigent in pushing the struggle of the working
class, he had to go the way he did in organizing BRASO, with the difference now
that instead of armed struggle, he would pursue it through elections. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He organized the
Kilusang Bagong Barangay (KBB), a political party advocating what he perceived
as pro-worker elements in the Local Government Code. He particularly saw the
power of eminent domain, as contained in the code, as a most potent provision
which he could invoke to enable the great masses of squatters to own the lands
they had built their houses on. This was a major advocacy he carried when he
ran for Mayor of Antipolo in the local elections of 1995. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The political
line caught fire among Antipolo residents of whom sixty percent were
non-land-owning. Volunteers came forward, organizing chapters of KBB and
conducting study sessions among voters which sought to enlighten them on what a
true pro-worker government should be. He even advocated the equalizing of the
salary of the mayor to that of an ordinary factory worker, as did the
communards in the Paris Commune of 1871. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">None of his
candidates for councilors had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bourgeois
traces, all of them being workers. Two were heads of big labor unions; three,
leaders of widely-known mass organizations; two, community organizers; and a
lady, a vociferous former radio announcer who headed a large group of informal
settlers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao’s
campaign was creating much noise. The Red Shirts, as his campaigners were known
because of the red shirts they wore, were in all nooks of the town, including
far-flung mountain communities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It heartened Ka
Mao exceedingly when while he was shaking hands with folks along a narrow alley
of a slums neighborhood, a blind woman groped her way out of a shanty, offering
her hand tentatively, saying, “Samonte… Samonte…” Ka Mao shook the woman’s
hand, saying,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Samonte at your service.” The woman
gripped his hand tight and tenderly, “Ikaw si Samonte (You’re Samonte)!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The woman had
only been told stories about him and now that she was face to face with the
“savior”, she was shouting “Halleluiah!” It was no hyperbole that at that
moment, Ka Mao did feel having the salvation of all oppressed humanity on his
shoulders.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Adding no mean
weight to his campaign was the presence of showbiz personalities. During his
proclamation rally at the Sumulong Park, onstage were, together with Seiko
Films Producer Robbie Tan, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>comediennes
Evelyn Vargas and Beverly Salviejo, leading actress Lovely Rivero, and the
stars of the then recent blockbuster, Machete II, Gardo Versoza and Rossana
Roces. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a surprise
incident, actress Liza Lorena went around the Antipolo market shaking hands wih
folks and distributing leaflets of Ka Mao. That got throngs crowding the entire
marketplace and surroundings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a succeeding
rally, the audience went shrieking at the appearance of Jestoni Alarcon, whose
speaking prowess beguiled Ka Mao. It did look like Jestoni was campaigning for
himself. Indeed, he must be. In subsequent local elections, Jestoni would
emerge No. 1 among the winning councilors, the stepping stone for his being
Vice Governor of Rizal the next elections around. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All of the above
features, on top of the popular band The Blinkers of Joegrad La Torre who were
the mainstay attraction of Ka Mao’s political rallies, which were in the format
of musical concerts. The style was so effective it led one disgruntled follower
of Ka Mao’s political opponent to declare: “We will vote for the band.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During the high
school graduation of Maoie from the Academe School of Antipolo, Ka Mao was
congratulated by former Antipolo Mayor Jose “Peping” Oliveros for his
impressive campaign. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You think it’s
okay?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You had a very
good start. Very impressive,” said Mayor Oliveros.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A very likable
guy who was among the first bigwigs of Antipolo whom Ka Mao had befriended,
Mayor Oliveros made his comment in a most mild and gentlemanly manner.
Otherwise, he would have warned Ka Mao, “Don’t rest on laurels. It’s too
early.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was Robbie’s
characteristic candor which laid it down straight to Ka Mao from the very
start: “How do you expect me to support you when you and your men shout “Down
with capitalism!”?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For Ka Mao,
though making true his resolve to pursue the working class struggle through
bourgeois politics, was consistent in condemning capitalist oppression and
exploitation of workers. It was just like putting a round hole into a square
peg or vice versa. The two wouldn’t fit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In one real
grand rally which Ka Mao timed for the celebration of Labor Day, he borrowed a
ten-wheeler open truck, parked it across MLQ Avenue near the corner of the
Circumferential Road, completely closing it to vehicular traffic. With a number
of organized labor unions in attendance, the whole area all the way to the next
block northward was filled with people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The incumbent mayor, Daniel Garcia, whom Ka Mao was contending against
in the elections, was early on madly ordering the Police Chief to disperse the
rally. But before they could do anything about it, the Blinkers belted out a
Bon Jovie ditty which instantly got the crowd shaking and wiggling and
cheering. The Police Chief nonetheless implored Ka Mao to remove his people out
of the street because they were creating disorder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“See that
crowd?” Ka Mao said. “Remove them, we’re in trouble.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Police Chief
did look and see how impossible it was to disturb the rally without
antagonizing such so huge a mass of humanity. Shaking his head with chagrin,
the police officer walked away with no more words for Ka Mao. The rally
proceeded peacefully all throughout till midnight without any untoward incident
happening – proving the Police Chief’s tolerance to be the wiser move really.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But for winning
votes for Ka Mao, that must be disastrous. Disgruntled pedestrians, commuters,
car and tricycle drivers, and even simple observing bystanders had a common
reaction: “He’s not even mayor yet, but look…” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What did not
immediately occur to Ka Mao was that that rally was a highpoint not of any
design of his but of somebody else’s agenda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Popoy Lagman was
making good his defiance of the Sison <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>
and was making sure the NCR, which included Rizal, remained his turf, while
expanding elsewhere through alliances with other rejectionists the country
over. On the legal front, he organized the Sanlakas, a mass organization of his
followers which served as base of the political party he formed, the Partido
Manggagawa. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now once Ka Mao
was into serious run for the mayorship of Antipolo, as evidenced by his
organization of the KBB which served as his machinery, a Popoy Lagman man
talked to him, suggesting that he run for a lower post. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I cannot be
vice,” declared Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It is not even
vice that comrades want you to run for,” said the man, not realizing that he
had gotten Ka Mao experiencing a bad temper. The idea of lowering himself to
vice mayor candidacy was degrading enough for him, all the more did it rile him
to be told to run even lower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What do they
want?” Ka Mao asked, just to get the discussion going.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Actually, just
councilor,” said the Popoy man, making himself sound apologetic, realizing Ka
Mao was getting piqued.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Look,” Ka Mao
flared up. “We’ve got loads of laws. We haven’t need for more. What we need is
to implement those laws. That’s why I need executive power to implement those
laws correctly.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Next to meet Ka
Mao was a high-profile business entrepreneur from Pasig who operated a
nightclub-casino combine in Antipolo. He hosted a dinner in the club for Ka Mao
and in that dinner were present the son of the incumbent mayor and a lady
doctor whom Ka Mao was expecting to be his running mate. The lady had been very
tentative about Ka Mao’s offer and asked for time to consider it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s hard to
run without a machinery,” said the host. “But if you run for councilor, you can
even be number one.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Mayor or nothing,” said Ka Mao. “Bet your
bottom peso.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The host smiled. It was the kind of smile one
sees in the faces of ganglords smarting from having been challenged by an
inferior opponent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the other
hand, Ka Mao’s was not an empty boast. His political rallies were continuing to
be hits with the crowd. And his campaign song, composed by the same guy who
donated the sound system and other stage gadgets used in those rallies, was
getting hordes and hordes of folks hooked, particularly children who broke into
the tune wherever his campaign entourage pass. (Many years later, exactly the
melody of that song would be the signature advertising song for a popular
college assurance plan. Ka Mao felt grateful that somehow somebody had paid the
composer the kind of money he had not been able to pay.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon Ka Mao got
inspired even more when one whole group claiming to be the provincial Party
committee came forward, offering their services as Ka Mao’s campaign
secretariat. Ka Mao grabbed the offer and then and there quartered the group in
the house as he did many a party bigwig before them. One among them, Carlo,
acted as the campaign manager. Ka Mao had no discussions whatsoever about
compensation for the group’s services. He took the offer as absolute
volunteerism, done on pure principles, not monetary or any material
consideration. Though the group enjoyed, in addition to quartering, free food
in the house, their daily mobilization expenses were funded from their budget
as Party elements.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Before long,
that Party machinery was calling all the shots in the campaign, relegating the
previous volunteers in Ka Mao campaigns to actions in their specific
localities. Ka Mao’s concern was now limited to scheduling rallies and other
campaign sorties.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Into the next
schoolyear within the campaign period, Ka Mao got a modest apartment in Baguio
City where he moved all the kids for their schooling: Maoie, Paulo and Maripaz
at the University of Baguio and Ogie at the St. Louis University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao’s mother-in-law, Mama Sepa, looked
after the kids, with Ka Mao and Betchay visiting them whenever free from the
campaign activities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One big problem
Ka Mao never got to overcome was the problem of getting a running mate. As the
deadline for filing certificates of candidacy was nearing, he got word that the
lady doctor was withdrawing from her intention of running at all in the coming
elections. All the while, the Party machinery had been impressing upon Ka Mao
that the lady was completely subservient to their wishes and she would be his
running mate. Now that she had finally backed out, Ka Mao was just desperate.
Choosing a running mate is not an overnight job; it is worked over time and
needs quite a long period of building goodwill and personal camaraderie with. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Only then did Ka
Mao realize that choosing a running mate is the most expensive item cent for
cent for an aspirant to mayorship. This is because the vice mayoral candidate
must be such that his vote-getting power can carry the mayoral candidate, not
vice versa. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was particularly true
for Ka Mao, who was a complete neophyte in politics, with the following he was
banking on having been only recently and hastily organized and could shatter
instantly at the advances of seasoned politicians. What would a winnable vice
mayoral candidate carry a novato running mate for if not some big material
consideration – big money to be precise?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s one great
shortcoming of Ka Mao. He did not have the money to buy a running mate. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And the lead
time is too little.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who could Ka Mao
turn to in so short a time – and, too, just for the love of serving the people?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao noticed
that none of the secretariat could seem to care less. Carlo, as ever, was into
shooting birds in the orchard with his air rifle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was Ka
Mulong, the president of the Yupangco Textile Mills labor union who came up
with an idea: a well-known lawyer and scion of a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">taal</i>, meaning endemic, Antipolo family, and above all, a recognized
sympathizer of the working class.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao himself
at once saw how attractive would be that chemistry: a famous film director,
whose sexy stars promised that if he got elected as mayor, they would stand at
the lobby of the municipal building to kiss every man that entered; and a
brilliant lawyer sworn to carry out the pro-worker, pro-poor agenda of his
mayor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In his present
dilemma, Ka Mao had the distinct advantage of having a popularity that made him
welcome to any potential running mate. But he had, too, the distinct
disadvantage of impressing upon potential running mates that he was rich and
could afford their price. Ka Mao, by bourgeois political reckoning was poor.
His guts in aspiring for the mayorship of Antipolo really stemmed from a pure
desire to pursue on the legal front what the revolutionary armed struggle could
no longer accomplish. If he succeeded in this endeavor, then that would blaze
the trail for others similarly motivated to pursue in their own turfs, thereby
making the proletarian revolution tread a new path for attaining socialism and
communism the country over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Believing that
Ka Mulong had the moral ascendancy over the lawyer, he paid the prospect a
visit early evening of that day the filing of certificate of candidacy would
lapse, more specifically at midnight. It was a desperation visit in any case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mulong vaguely put the matter to the
lawyer, who entertained them in the living room of the house together with his
wife. Though it might be already late in the day, still it was not too late for
them to hurry to the Comelec office just two blocks away and file the
certificate of candidacy for vice mayor a couple of hours to closing time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao had
expected that after being briefed by Ka Mulong of the purpose of their vistt,
the lawyer would give his reply: yes or no. And pronto, at that, for the hour
was nearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the discussions
meandered into various concerns: labor problems, land problems, squatters and
squalor, sanitation, economics, corruption in government, etc. Once he realized
it, the hour was half-past eleven. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, Ka Mao
credited the lawyer’s wife for her exquisite gift of forbearance, sitting it
out with the group, serving everyone coffee all the while, or otherwise
contributing her piece in the talk. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, one
last glance at the wall clock told Ka Mao it was quarter to 12 midnight.
Swallowing some lump in his throat, Ka Mao stretched his torso, thanked the
lawyer for his insights, the wife for the coffee, and bidding the couple good
night, he rose to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more mention
whatsoever was made of the purpose of the visit which Ka Mulong had briefed the
lawyer about. It was obvious that the lawyer was all the while waiting for Ka
Mao to open up on what was supposed to be standard material considerations in
such arrangements as pairing up for the two topmost posts in local elections.
Logic would say the lawyer was expecting that matter from Ka Mao, otherwise did
he bear sitting out there for three hours for nothing but hospitality in entertaining
guests? But since Ka Mao had not opened up on that aspect to the very last
quarter of the most crucial deadline, that look of frustration on the lawyer’s
face was unavoidable. There was no need to talk about it anymore really. The
walk from the house to the Comelec office would consume what little time was left
and so the office would be just closing by the time they got there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lawyer managed to smile vaguely as he
gave Ka Mao a lame handshake before seeing him out with Ka Mulong through the
door.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Inexperience.
Amateurism. Whatever one might call it, what Ka Mao did could only be stupid.
So that if eventually, Ka Mao lost the elections, he had it coming. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m not blaming
you guys,” Ka Mao told his listeners in a caucus organized by the secretariat
in the aftermath of his defeat. “I’m blaming myself for the stupidity of
listening to you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed he
listened when the secretariat came forward, offering their services in his
campaign. He listened when they brought to him one mass leader after another
who all had huge following among Antipolo’s poor thereby assuring him votes
come election time. He listened when they made him believe the crowds in his
rallies, in neighborhood caucuses, in teach-inss and discussion groups, were
his forces determined to give him victory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He finally
believed he was going to win, what with that massive show of force the
secretariat delivered in that May Day rally on MLQ Avenue, when that entire
stretch was filled with defiant workers, a phenomenon hitherto unknown in the
political history of Antipolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao himself
gaped unbelievingly at the throngs. With clenched fists raised in the air, they
sang, as in the goodie ole days of the strike movement, the stirring strains of
the “Internationale”. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Are these my
people?” Ka Mao asked himself. “Am I that strong? Oh, so very strong.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Sccretariat
must be doing a splendid job. He had not been spending much really by way of
ensuring such attendance in his rallies. One reason was that he believed the
secretariat and the leaders it had organized did their jobs on the basis of
principle, and on the same motivation throngs filled his rallies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another reason,
and this was the overriding one, he really did not have that much money. He
didn’t have posters, leaflets and similar campaign materials. He relied mainly
on word-of-mouth dissemination of his campaign, which was done by his followers
religiously everyday, house-to-house, man-to-man,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the election
time was approaching nearer, he resorted to soliciting help from personal
friends and sympathizers, an effort that generated minimal result.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was in that
period that Ka Mao thought of seeing Popoy Lagman. He had had a good amount of
familiarity with the robust-framed, curly-haired, bully-looking urban guerilla
leader to believe he would merit fraternal reception by him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During one
period, Popoy had used the house for a week-long meet with a group that
included Sonny Rivera, Renato Constantino, his wife Peng and the widow of a
slain NPA head in the Visayas. At another time, he asked Ka Mao to intercede
for him in getting a huddle with Robbie Tan over the labor concern in the
latter’s wallet factory. And through Ka Charlie, he checked on the possibility
of Ka Mao doing a fund-raising job for him as he did in the dollar transaction
episode. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was not
sold much on the idea, simply because it came from Popoy. Ka Mao wasn’t so sure
yet about the validity of his anti-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm
</i>position as contained in his<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>book
titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Counterthesis. </i>Ka Mao saw the
book as nothing more than a menu for savoring liberal dashes of Lenin quotes.
To Ka Mao, the correctness of an analysis of the Philippine revolutionary
situation was best measured not according to theories proven true in some other
past and alien social setting but by its present, precise and pragmatic
perception of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the concrete social
conditions of the country. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was part
of that meeting Popoy presided in in the house wherein he obviously
intended<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to convince what had remained
of the NPA general command to join his ranks in the confrontation with Sison.
He discussed the salient points of his book. But as far as Ka Arman and Ka Ding
were concerned, they wanted out of any belligerent relationship with Sison;
evidently Ka Charlie was already in on the Popoy line. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In any case, Ka
Mao had all reasons to expect Popoy would not fail him in his purpose for
making that visit to the Sanlakas headquarters that day. He was encountering
financial difficulties in his campaign and would Popoy lend him some fifty
thousand pesos which he urgently needed, to be paid as soon as he got his next
film assignment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao’s
surprise, Popoy betrayed that he was keeping abreast with the developments in
his political fight. It finally dawned on Ka Mao that the people who had volunteered
to be his machinery and had since then directed the compass of his political
campaign were all Popoy’s men.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao,” Popoy
said bluntly. “After all you’re not going to win, let’s just sell your
candidacy.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was sad
enough that Popoy declined his request for loan. The sadder part of that visit
was Popoy’s proposal for him to sell his candidacy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The gall,” Ka
Mao cussed to himself as he walked out of the building on Shaw Boulevard in
Pasig which housed the office of Sanlakas. “How dare he to say I won’t win.
Just let him see the crowds at my rallies. And how could he sell a candidacy
that was not his but mine?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then a month or
so before election day, Ka Mao’s campaign seemed to lose all vigor. The usual
large crowds in his rallies abruptly thinned and the daily flow of supporters
to Ka Maa’s house completely stopped. The last to visit the house was a small
guy who used to regularly drop by in the house in the morning, have breakfast
and then go on a chore of house-to-house campaigning for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After finishing
his meager breakfast that last morning, the fellow said, “We cannot go on
eating principle.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Carlo and the
secretariat did continue staying in the house, appearing to perform their jobs.
But a close look would reveal that they were mainly busy doing Party political
tasks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Things indicated
the fight had already been lost. Alarmed by the development, Ka Mao sat down
just with Carlo one evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He asked, “Why
the sudden slump in our campaign?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Your campaign
had only been good for a councilor,” said Carlo in a manner reminiscent of the
blunt advice Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got from Popoy
Lagman that day he told him he will not win. “The most votes you will get is
2,000 or thereabout.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao gaped
unbelievingly, asking himself: Where are those thousands upon thousands that
had made his rallies the most crowded ever in the political history of
Antipolo?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A week before
the election, Ka Mao got the worst insult in the whole exercise: a letter from
the incumbent mayor inviting him to join in the celebration of his victory.
This was the same guy who practically moved hell just to get that May Day rally
on MLQ Avenue dispersed. In the subsequent election, Ka Mao got<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>measly 2000-plus votes – to the last digit,
as Carlo put it a month before. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Long after the
smoke of battle faded out, so speak, Ka Mao ultimately put two and two
together. That MLQ Avenue May Day Rally was really not his. It was to Popoy as
to a salesman the glossing over of his commodity to make it sellable – the
commodity in this case being his expertise at running someone else’s political
campaign. Marcos had another term for it: talk to the party-in-interest. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who was the
party-in-interest in Ka Mao’s political fight with the incumbent mayor in the
election of 1995 was a question reducible to: Who told Ka Mao to sell his
candidacy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, it had
already turned into an institution whereby a group of smooth operators in the
electoral process push a poor man’s candidacy vigorously just to make their
services sellable to the poor candidate’s rich opponent ultimately.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Two
days before the election, Ka Mao managed to salvage a little newsprint for
printing his sample ballots on. The printing of the sample ballots would be
done on credit by Ka Mao’s printier friend, Malou. So Ka Mao was confident, he
would have that last form of hand-out to voters on election day. The morning
after the election, Ka Mao flared up like crazy upon discovering that the
printed sample ballots had remained stacked in a sack that he found dumped
among bushes by the driveway,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
evidence clearly pointed to a sabotage – indeed, a sellout of his candidacy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Again,
who proposed to sell it in the first place? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was a good
lesson though. And Ka Mao thought it not bad all, considering that he really
did not spend much for that campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His political expenditures, as contained in his report to the Comelec,
amounted to less than half a million pesos. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For learning the
dirty tricks of elections, that was a fairly justified price. He would know
better the next time around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed, Ka Mao
would run again for the same post come next election, the general elections of
1998. He intended to correct the many mistakes he had committed in his first
attempt thereby placing himself on a really winning position. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">First of those
mistakes, or so that was how Ka Mao saw it, was his running without a political
party: KBB was not such a party and therefore was not entitled to any rights
under the law, like the right to have election watchers. So he decided to join,
not just a political party, but a political party in power, the LAKAS-NUCD
(National Union of Christian Democrats) Party. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A newspaper
editor who had Party roots and thus was friendly to Ka Mao introduced him to a
petite fellow whose boasts belied his size or vice versa. This was Rolly Francia,
who belonged to the Malacañang press corps. He facilitated Ka Mao’s entry into
LAKAS. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For a start, he
got Ka Mao invited <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the affair at the
Rembrandt Hotel held for proclaiming House Speaker Jose de Venecia as LAKAS
standard bearer. His name was announced as among the distinguished guests on
the occasion. Hearing his name, a lady evidently in the close circle of the
Speaker gaped in surprise and seeing Ka Mao as he acknowledged the
introduction, the lady threw her arms in joyful surprise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao!” exclaimed
the lady as she went over to Ka Mao for a hug.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Didi!”
exclaimed Ka Mao in turn, giving her the hug.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Didi was the
same indefatigable Secretary General of the KASAMA Party Group when Ka Mao
first got into the CPP in 1971. It was under her watch that Ka Mao underwent
the initial<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>process for membership in
the Party, the Basic Party Course. Once Ka Mao got through that course, he was
appointed staff member of the Education Department (ED), which was headed by Didi’s
husband, Rolly. It was after Didi and Rolly were taken out (“fired out” would
be a harsh bourgeois term) of the group as disciplinary action for an offense,
which had never been disclosed, that a revamp in the leadership of the Party
Group took place. Ka Erning, who was Organization Department head, took over as
Gensec, Ka Choleng, a true blue proletarian leader, took his place as OD head,
while Ka Edwin, a scholarly-looking, bespectacled youthful mestizo, moved up
from being ED staff member to ED head, with Ka Mao now joining Ka Openg as ED
staff members. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Didi first
surprised Ka Mao when he read in the news that she was appointed Immigration
Bureau Chief in the cabinet of President Fidel V. Ramos. She occurred to Ka Mao
as typifying those high-profile revolutionaries ending up top-level bureaucrats
in the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bourgeois dispensation. Coming
face to face with her now, Ka Mao wondered if he was not into treading the same
path she had gone into. In any case, it turned out Didi was overall Man Friday
to Speaker De Venecia. That made Ka Mao conclude he was in good hands as far as
getting into the good graces of LAKAS was concerned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the advent of
1997, Ka Mao began undoing what he considered his second big mistake in the
election of 1995: his scrimping on election spending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He feted Speaker De Vencia with a
two-thousand strong gathering attended by top leaders and members of mass
organizations in Antipolo at the plush Jamesville Resort in the town. The
resort was owned by Angelito C. Gatlabayan, the guy who was then yet unknown in
Antipolo politics but who much later in the election period would surface as Ka
Mao’s strongest opponent for the post.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That time being
not yet into the period allowed by law for election campaigns, the gathering
was passed on as the launching of a cooperative-building movement to be spread
by Ka Mao all over Antipolo. On the occasion, Speaker De Venecia was guest of
honor. Since the speaker had to come to the affair direct from an engagement in
Davao, he flew in aboard his private helicopter and Betchay fetched him from
the landing site with the family’s newly-acquired Mitsubishi van, which she
drove.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The event had
all the trimmings fit for a presidential aspirant. Two lovely actresses of Ka
Mao, Rosita Rosal and Sabrina M, lent glamour, which appeared to sit quite well
with the speaker, let alone the crowd all susceptible to showbiz attraction. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There, too, was
the media, led by Loren Banag, who would front-page it in his tabloid, Bagong
Tiktik the following day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao’s
surprise, former Congressman Manny Sanchez suddenly appeared with a few
companions who were aspiring for elective positions in Antipolo’s neighbor town
Angono. Ka Mao just didn’t relish the group’s appearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">True, it was
with Sanchez that Ka Mao had arranged for De Venecia’s attendance as guest of
honor. But nothing had been said about him and his group being themselves
guests as well. So while good manners dictated on Ka Mao not to be rude on the
group and did not object when they sat with the guests onstage, he did not give
them any part in the program.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s more, Ka
Mao sensed that Sanchez seemed to be impressing upon the Speaker that the
affair was his handiwork, so lest the former solon was into some shenanigans,
like asking the speaker for monetary consideration for expenses incurred for
the occasion, Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>saw to it that in
his introductory speech for Speaker De Venecia, he pointed out that “the affair
was a labor of love.” He meant clearly he was not charging the speaker any cent
for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For, indeed, Ka
Mao shouldered all by himself the expenses for the event, which amounted to a
quarter of a million pesos. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao observed
that the statement did not please both Sanchez and Didi. And Speaker De Venecia
appeared surprised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway Speaker
De Venecia proceeded to enthrall the audience with his tale of a pitiable
father who had a family to feed but who could not find a job, and so he came to
him one day, looking frail and hungry, and asked for help in finding one, and
he got the father hired as a construction worker in Saudi Arabia. The speaker
told the crowd that he was the originator of the idea of overseas employment
for jobless Filipinos. That got him a good applause. Then going on with his
tale, the Speaker related that after a time, the man came to him again, no
longer looking hungry but healthy and vigorous, saying he was on vacation to
join his family for the holidays, and he came to thank him for having helped
him find a job, and with that thank you the man presented him a basketful of
cashew and mango - for he was from Antipolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That was the
catch. And that got the crowd swooning, “Oh!”, while breaking in a resounding
applause.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After the
speech, Sanchez took the initiative of calling the photo op, with him and Ka
Mao raising arms with the Speaker, as everybody else on stage did the same with
them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let this be
your baptism of fire,” Sanchez told Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Be careful
about this,” admonished the Speaker. “Let’s not make it appear as a Party
proclamation already.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That pose found
print the following day on a number of tabloids plus a small slot on the Manila
Bulletin, thanks to his kumpare Diego Cagahastian. Ka Mao was quite satisfied.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Proclamation or
no proclamation, serves the same purpose,” Ka Mao told himself. He felt he was
now the LAKAS boy in Antipolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Actually, the
Jamesville Resort affair was a negative one for purposes of getting himself
officially proclaimed as LAKAS mayoralty candidate in the town. The top LAKAS
Man in Antipolo was Vic Sumulong, who was not on good terms with Manny Sanchez,
whom Vic’s uncle, Komong Sumulong, had successfully unseated from Congress for
being an American national.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as
Sanchez was concerned, inviting Vic to the Jamesville Resort affair was out of
the question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having been thus snubbed,
Vic must rage from the slight, a reaction that went true, too, toward Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Without him
realizing it, Ka Mao was getting into ill terms with Vic Sumulong. Until that
time, he remained ignorant of the finer points of politics, neglecting, for
instance, that protocol alone should have prompted him to defer first to Vic,
who was the LAKAS chairman for Rizal. So he should have taken pains to invite
him to the affair at Jamesville Resort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Speaker De
Venecia subtly indicated this fault to Ka Mao one time he dropped by his office
at the Batasang Pambansa.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You should
support Vic so Vic would support you,” said Speaker De Venecia, indicating his
full sympathy for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Following De
Venecia’s advice, Ka Mao saw Vic Sumulong one morning in his residence in his
sprawling farm on the outskirts of the Antipolo town proper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indicating no
animosity whatsoever toward Ka Mao, the declared aspirant for congressman of
the lone district of Antipolo sat with Ka Mao at the sala and had coffee with
him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Actually this
is Sanchez’s fault,” said the soft spoken Vic after Ka Mao had opened the topic
of his LAKAS candidacy. “He is meddling in this matter.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m sorry,” Ka
Mao said, “but honestly, I didn’t know I had to talk to you. It was Didi
Domingto who advised me to arrange that Jamesville affair with Manny Sanchez.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The party has
rules,” Vic explained. “The equity of the incumbent makes the highest incumbent
municipal official from the party as the party chairman. The party municipal
chairman has the prerogative to be official LAKAS candidate for mayor.?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Who is the
party chairman?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Councilor Esting
Gatlabayan.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Is he running
for mayor?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He is sticking
to councilor?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Then there’s no
hindrance for me,” said Ka Mao, betraying a feeling of relief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Vic took a
little while eyeing Ka Mao studiously. Then he answered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Councilor Esting
is the chairman. It’s his say.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao felt
sagging inside. He got the message. Vic just didn’t like him. He was not in his
league.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before that he had one occasion
on which he and Vic got invited together as guests in a political rally
organized by a couple who happened to be Ka Mao’s provincemates. Vic minded
more the star he had brought along, Ramona Rivilla, but hardly him. Then came
that interview he, Danny Tan and Lito Gatlabayan had with a panel of media
reporters on cable television. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sat
between the two, prompting him to comment when asked how he felt contending
against two economic giants on the rise: “I feel like Jesus Christ while he was
nailed on the cross.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Danny, the
better-witted of the other two <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>candidates, immediately got the aside and gave
Ka Mao a friendly punch on the arm, laughing as he volunteered the line:
“Between two thieves! Naughty you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the truly
relevant question was, do they think cheating will be a factor in the coming
elections. Danny and Lito agreed that generally cheating figured in all
elections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao dissented.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Not in
Antipolo,” he firmly declared. “If cheating had been going on in the town’s
elections, how come the Sumulongs keep losing?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The implication
was that the Sumulongs were the ones capable of cheating in elections, but
since they have been losing, then cheating had not been taking place in
Antipolo elections. But the graver implication was simply that the Sumulongs
were cheats, period.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
referring to the losses suffered by Komong Sumulong in his congressional tiff
with Manny Sanchez, Myrna Hallare, a Sumulong, against Daniel Garcia in the
last mayoral elections, and King Sumulong’s failed bid for the Chairmanship of
Barangay de la Paz. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A close aide of
Vic would confide to Ka Mao during a chance meeting much much later that that
pronouncement of Ka Mao really got Vic so mad. It was a matter of course that
when Ka Mao attended the caucus Vic called among LAKAS members after that cable
television interview, he would be getting the flak from Vic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“To those
pretending to be mayor, what right have you?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At any rate, Ka
Mao persevered in his bid. Rolly Francia held on to him, or so it seemed, with
his consistent assurance that he, Ka Mao, was near the kitchen and so was sure of
abundant food. Rolly meant Malacañang. And Ka Mao believed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed, the
group he belonged in, the Malacañang Press Corps, was on an elbow-rubbing
closeness with President Ramos. So while he was increasisngly getting snubbed
by Vic Sumulong, Ka Mao was increasingly as well getting enamored by the
Malacañang press. He felt extremely privileged when the Malacañang press corps
invited him to its Christmas party 1997 in which his presence was announced
second to President Ramos and ahead of Congressman Teves and the other guests
in the event. To that party Ka Mao brought pretty, seductive actress Gem
Castillo whom President Ramos found so irresistible that at her introduction to
him and she moved for the customary beso-beso he unabashedly kissed her, his
lips smack on her cheek like a snail’s tusks. A Philippine Star photographer
captured that precise moment of a presidential passion and was a smash hit when
featured prominently in the center of the newspaper’s front page the following
morning. No mention though was made that that moment was courtesy of Ka Mao,
but a picture of him and President Ramos doing the thumbs-up sign saw print,
too, in another leading newspaper, appropriately captioned as taken in the same
event<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao thought that was a good
splurge in his favor after all. Rarely did an ordinary mayoral candidate get
such a lavish attention from the highest official of the land.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">True enough,
Antipolo politicians were tending to salaam to Ka Mao as a result of the
publicity on the Malacañang affair. Councilors saluted him one Monday he
dropped by the municipal quadrangle to attend the flag ceremony. They knew no
ordinary politicians could get that kind of photo op with President Ramos – or
with any president for that matter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In fact,
President Ramos had agreed to that thumbs-up photo upon intercession by the
President of the Malacañsng Press Corps and Bobby Dacer, a very close friend of
President Ramos. Rolly, typical of a smooth operator, kept to the sidelines
during the entire evening making sure only that Ka Mao fulfilled his promise of
giving Christmas presents to the press people, which Ka Mao did by issuing
five-thousand-peso checks to those concerned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And when Vic
Sumulong organized an event in which President Ramos would proclaim the
hitherto watershed area of Boso-Boso as finally alienable and disposable, Ka
Mao made sure he made his own show by conducting right across the street from
the proclamation event a medical-dental mission, announcing in a large streamer
the occasion as a project of the FVR-MGS (Friends and Volunteers for Maximum
Government Service – a ride-on for “Fidel V. Ramos-Mauro Gia Samonte”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the turn from
the Marcos Highway to Boso-Boso which President Ramos must take in coming to
the Vic Sumulong event, Ka Mao made sure he hung his own welcoming streamer for
the president. And as soon as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>President
Ramos stepped out of the presidential car, Ka Mao walked up to him first and
led him by the shoulders toward the program site while pointing to him the
ongoing medical-dental mission.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s a
project of the FVR-MGS, Sir.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“FVR-MGS?” asked
the President.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Friends
and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Volunteers for Reform and Maximum
Government Service.” Ka Mao answered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">President Ramos
was amused.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Keep it up,” he
told Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Presidential
Security Commander Calimlim, who had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>become familiar with Ka Mao at the Malacañang Christmas party, found no
alarm in Ka Mao’s hugging the president by the shoulders as they walked but he
saw the inappropriateness, if not the disrespect, of it to the president’s
person, and very discreetly he tapped Ka Mao’s arm that was on the president’s
shoulders and gave Ka Mao an eye signal for him to let go of the president’s
shoulder. Ka Mao understood the signal and let go of the president as Vic - who
had only been keeping a distance from the president, evidently deferring to
protocol – finally led him to the stage. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao tarried
on the ground, waiting for anybody to invite him to come up the stage.With no
such invitation coming, Ka Mao stayed with the audience and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from there followed the proceedings in the
program. He knew Vic would never do such invitation, but he had hoped the
president would, and once he did, Ka Mao would have leaped at the opportunity.
But as it became very evident that no such invitation would be forthcoming
anymore, Ka Mao finally realized how stupid he must have been in doing all that
posturing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao stayed at
the sidelines when President Ramos walked down the stage after the ceremonies
and proceeded to the presidential car. He wondered if the president would still
think about him at all. Not a bit, he realized, as the presidential entourage
went off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Into
the official onset of the campaign period for the 1998 elections, the
LAKAS-NUCD was openly carrying the candidacy of Lito Gatlabayan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During
one caucus called by a subdivision dwellers association, Danny Tan was rather
surprised to see Ka Mao still on in the fight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are
you pushing on?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“To
the very end,” Ka Mao declared.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Danny
could not help that trace of derision in his smile, something people
normally<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>regard foolish people with. At
the same time his eyes betrayed amazement at the grit on Ka Mao’s face,
depicting an intense resolve to push the fight on no matter what.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“In
fact,” Ka Mao continued, “for your information, I have taken over the
basketball tournament you had organized but had abandoned in Barangay Sta.
Cruz. Don’t I deserve a thank you for that from you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Danny
laughed and tapped Ka Mao on the shoulder, saying, “Thank you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KA MAO forged on in his campaign trails,
mainly in the alleys of squatters communities and among hills people who had
formed settlements in disparate slopes of Sierra Madre. As to the town proper
and other urbanized sections, he realized it was futile exercise to bother
about them for the time being. As a store owner pointedly told him, “Don’t
waste your time campaigning here. There’s no vote you can get.” Ka Mao envisioned
a scenario whereby having solidified his hold on the poor folks, he would use
the forces so organized to launch a mammoth rally at a critical period before
the election which would create a bandwagon for the throngs of undecided voters
to finally ride on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
inspired Ka Mao no end that groups of his believers would on their own go into
sorties in settlements that could only be reached by foot and would take days
to fully cover. In which case, they would need to bring provisions, like food
and packs of clothing. The mountain folks were a most hospitable lot in any
case and they would gladly share with Ka Mao’s campaigners what little provisions
they had in their abodes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every now and then, Ka Mao would find time to
accompany his volunteers in those sorties, and himself experiencing the
difficulties his supporters suffered, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he
grew even more and more determined to carry the fight through to the end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao undertook two major steps in this period. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One,
seeing finally that the LAKAS accommodation of him was all for show, he <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>joined the Aksyon Demokraticko, the political
party of Senator Raul Rocco, who was running for president under the slogan:
“The most qualified candidate.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sincerely
believed the slogan, but this was not the interesting point in his joining
Aksyon now. Back in 1996, he and senator Roco were squaring off on television
and in print over the senator’s criticism of Ka Mao’s film, “Halimuyak ng
Babae”, which he found to be derogatory to Bicolanas. In the Kris Aquino-hosted
program, “Startalk,” on Channel 7, Ka Mao got back at the senator for his
attack against his movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
problem with the senator is that he sees one black dot on a white wall and he
calls the whole wall black. That <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>element
about a girl being made the prize in a rodeo game was just a small part of the
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that story develops. How the
story develops is what the senator should see in my movie. But no, he calls the
whole movie bad, an insult to Bicolano women. I am a Bicolano myself. Why would
I destroy my own people?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
Kris Aquino’s questioning, Senator Rocco admitted he had not seen the movie and
had only been told about it by his men. That got Ka Mao wondering if this noise
Senator Roco was doing now was not part of a grand publicity stunt to start
projecting a hero image for him. As early as then, talks in the grapevine were
rife that he would be running for president come 1998.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
naughty Kris dangled a bait for Ka Mao after he said, “I thank the senator for
making me in league with senators.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Did
you vote for him?” Kris asked. A positive answer from Ka Mao would have the
effect of shattering his credibility in what was turning out to be a brilliant
stand against the senator.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,”
came Ka Mao’s curt resort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kris
betrayed the feeling of having been personally repulsed. The glint in her eyes
indicated she was quick to find a follow-up bait.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Will
you vote for him now?” asked Kris.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Still
refusing to bite, Ka Mao asked in turn, “For what? For president?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao would have added, “I will vote for him if he made me his running mate.”
That was what television talk shows wanted in Ka Mao, his short, witty
repartees. But that last answer he made already got the audience laughing. Ka
Mao did not find it necessary to add some more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now
Ka Mao amused to himself as he signed the application papers for membership in
the Aksyon Demokratiko Party. That unworded answer would have been prophetic.
Ka Mao was now running mate of Senator Roco – on the municipal level.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
any case, Ka Mao lived up to a Marcos dictum: “In politics, there are no
permanent enemies. There are only temporary allies.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
second major step Ka Mao undertook was his seeking support from the Iglesia ni
Kristo (INC). This, again, was a reversal of a previous stand Ka Mao had taken.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the elections of 1995, Ka Mao
steadfastly held on to his resolve never to ask the INC for support of his
candidacy. He just detested the very idea of churches involving in elections in
order to determine their outcome. He believed churches were meant to attend to
the spiritual concerns of people. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By
involving themselves in politics, were not churches responsible, too, for the
corruption the elected officials would eventually feast on in the government?
Ka Mao had asked this question and found himself answering: “Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the
imperatives of winning was foremost now in Ka Mao’s mind. And as he saw it in
Rizal,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the INC had consistently decided
the question of winnability in election. He was determined to go for it this
time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, during this
period Ka Mao got acquainted with a guy named Cris, a huge fellow who if you
put on him the proper costume would be a perfect image of Santa Claus, albeit
dark skinned. His expertise was to have lands titled, and with the Party
debacle in 1991 crystallizing to Ka Mao the urgent need of having his land
titled at long last, he got the guy’s services. Cris happened to be a member of
INC, an influential one at that. He presented Ka Mao to Ka Art who pronto got
Ka Mao attended to in his desire to get the church’s endorsement of his
candidacy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon Ka Mao was
getting enthused by word going around that he was the INC candidate for mayor
of Antipolo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That Ka Mao had indeed
gotten into the good graces of the church was attested to by various occasions
on which INC members confided to Ka Mao that they had been consulted by their
pastors about Ka Mao’s candidacy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Somebody who had
the surname Samonte told Ka Mao that she admitted to her pastor thus, “True,
Samonte is a relative. But the church has the say.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as what happened in 1995, into the last
two months of the campaign period, Ka Mao’s resources were dwindling. His
former comrades in the KASAMA Party Group did make some effort to raise money
for his campaign with little success. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao got
summoned by the businessman whom Ka Art had assigned to attend to Ka Mao’s
concerns. The businessman, evidently a top man in the INC hierarchy, received
Ka Mao in the garden of his house. He laid it down squarely to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You are not
doing good in our survey.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I realize
that,” said Ka Mao. “Surveys are done in areas where my campaign has been
minimal. I am strong among mountain folks who are not Iglesia.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Anyway, we feel
we had better do something,” said the businessman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes?” said Ka
Mao. “What can we do?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We gather that
you’ve got a land.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, the land.
Yes, What about it?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Are you not
planning to donate part of that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Donate?” asked
Ka Mao. “To whom?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The businessman
kept silent. He just gave a probing stare to Ka Mao, who could not make it out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally,
slightly sighing, the businessman said as he abruptly showed Ka Mao out through
the gate, “We’ll find out.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Find out what? Where?
When? How? Nothing was spoken about anything anymore after that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao ultimately
went through the routine of queuing up for the blessing of INC that day at the
church offices in Tatay, Rizal. But he realized even then that it was a futile
exercise. Nothing concrete had materialized about the land the businessman had
expressed interest on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With the Iglesia
being out of the question now, Ka Mao expected the worst. Aksyon Demokratiko
had not been much help, perhaps as it had not been much help to Senator Roco,
who lost his presidential bid to Joseph Estrada.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When his
watchers started bringing in the results of the counting and clearly indicated
a sure trend toward defeat, Ka Mao did not bother anymore about how he finally
figured in the race. You lose small, you lose big, you lose just the same, he
told himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And so all told,
Ka Mao lost again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But there was
this big difference. In this Ka Mao’s second losing, he realized that all
along, he had been fighting it the wrong way. He fought it wrongly when he
organized the Makabayan Pulblishing workers union and thereafter launched the
KAMAO strike. He fought it wrongly when he immersed himself completely into the
national democratic revolution and contributed whatever he could for what he thought
was the liberation of the working class – from that active participation in the
workers strike movement, to his self-initiative organizing of BRASO after being
abandoned by the KASAMA Party Group, to his re-integration with the Party and
his performance of tasks as intelligence officer of the NPA. He fought it
wrongly when he made his own adjustment of the struggle by engaging in
bourgeois politics for the continued promotion of the liberation of the
proletariat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In all those
fights, Ka Mao realized now, he was not fighting for himself. He was fighting for
the advancement of interests of other people. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A question
stared Ka Mao in the face. Would he have succeeded had all those fights he had
made had been fights for his own selfish interests? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He would not
have organized the KAMAO in the first place, not have joined the revolution,
could have just concentrated on building a future on the fruits of a lucrative
film career when the opportunity came, and if he did want to be mayor of
Antipolo, he would have agreed to the proposal to start running as a councilor
first, which had been the common pattern for all successful mayoralty
aspirants.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But Ka Mao would
not engage in any hypothetical argumentation. What did not happen could never
be proven. For him, the fact was that he fought not for himself but for others
and lost. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And that was
food for thought enough in whatever fights he would still embark on from
hereon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KA JUN played the piano on and on that
afternoon. It was like he was pouring out all his joys as well as all his aches
in it. It looked as though he was playing it for the last time – as indeed it
was the last time he played that piano – and so he must play it on until
eternity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Are
we then just to sit back while Sison tears the Party?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Let’s
hope we can just talk things over,” Ka Jun said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite intriguingly, Ka Jun was not going the
way of his colleagues in the leadership of the revolution. After another period
of incarceration resultting from his capture in 1996, he was released from
prison, enjoying a clean slate from the government. He proceeded to put up a
security agency by way of pursuing legal livelihood. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By
the time Ka Mao was campaigning for the 1998 elections, Ka Jun was sworn into
the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LAKAS Party by House Speaker Jose de
Venecia. Ka Mao welcomed the development. He thought Ka Jun could help in his
candidacy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
Ka Charlie took it otherwise. In a talk with Ka Mao, he expressed his disgust
at Ka Ka Jun’s action.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tell
him, he is a sonnavabitch,” said Ka Charlie of Ka Jun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
deeply saddened Ka Mao. Here were comrades, steeled and virtually welded to
each other in the practical struggle of the proletariat and doubtlessly steeped
in the spirit of serving the people, but now coming at odds with each other all
for differing on a question of tactics. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For all we know, Ka Mao argued to
himself, Ka Jun was accommodating himself into the enemy as dictated by the new
dispensation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sun Tzu said after all, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Let your plans be as dark as the night and
impenetrable, and once you move strike like sudden thunder.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between the NPA and Ka Jun’s security agency,
the only difference was that the former was shouting out loud “Down with
imperialism!” while the latter was keeping quiet about it. But other than this,
both groups were armed, and to Ka Mao this was all that mattered under the concrete
condition of the times. As Ka Mao had opined to Ka Jun back in 1989, the
tactics for the revolution should be for frustrating the bouregeois elections
of 1992, for if it took place that would consolidate the otherwise shaky
bourgeois political power under the Cory government. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm, </i>by shattering the mechanism
already in place for crushing the Cory government, effectively set the stage
for precisely such consolidation of bourgeois political power. Fidel V. Ramos
was elected president in the 1992 elections, and since then the bourgeoisie got
stronger and stronger to continuously lord it over Philippine society.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In inverse
proportion, the revolution plummeted down irretrievably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What particulary horrified Ka Mao was the
fact that revolutionary leaders who were able to maintain armies of their own
fell one after another –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not from
government bullets but from bullets of assassination squads sent out by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> sovereign. Who fell from
Sison’s bullets? Popoy Lagman already did. Rolando Kintanar (Ka Jun) would soon
follow and Arturo Tabara next. These were. leaders who had arms to effectively
combat the government at the right time. Ka Charlie, though himself staunchly
rejecting the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>, was spared
his life. He didn’t have the guns. He died of a liver ailment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So Ka Mao found
himself struck by the terrifying question: “Who, then, in the guise of standing
by the principles of “Marxism, Leninism and Mao Tse Tung Thought”, was Sison
serving?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
the people but their enemies! Ka Mao raged inside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">FOR KA JUN, talking things over with
Sison came about on January 23, 2003. He was having a business lunch with
someone at a Japanese restaurant in the Quezon City Circle when he spotted the
advance of a gunman obviously intending to shoot him in front. He quickly drew
his .45 and could have beaten that assailant to the fire but that another gunman
firing from behind got him first with a slug to his body. He threw at the
bullet impact, releasing his gun to the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even so he struggled to reach for the gun, but this time around the
gunman in front rushed forward and finished him off. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Diego
Cagahastian, who must have had fraternal relations with the NPA chief, was the
very first to lay a wreath beside the coffin of Ka Jun as it was put in place in
a chapel of the Loyola Memorial Homes on Araneta Avenue in Quezon City; the
wreath from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo only came in second.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao
completely forgot about sending a wreath of his own; he didn’t have the habit.
It was a deep sense of loss that Ka Mao found himself being torn apart with
upon being informed by Ka Ding that Ka Jun had been shot dead. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun to Ka Mao
had not been the NPA Chief. Not the revolutionary icon that people would make
of him. Nor any of his heroic attributes which comrades would bask in by way of
sharing in his glory. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao, Ka
Jun was a dear friend. The occasions had not been too many when he needed
support from him, but whenever he needed him most, he was there to lend a hand.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That time, for
instance, when the Weinstein Piano representative came threatening to pull out
the piano due to unpaid bills, he relayed to Ka Jun through Ka Charlie his need
for financial -help, and right away came his instruction to Ka Charlie: Please help.
Another instance was when after Henry Sy killed the movie industry and Ka Mao
was having a hard time earning income, Ka Jun on his own got him appointed as a
TESDA Testing Officer for Overseas Performing Artists; Ka Jun was then
Consultant to TESDA Director General Fr. Ed de la Torre. Still another instance
was when Ka Pete was demanding from Ka Mao payment for a debt and Ka Mao did
not have the money to pay, Ka Jun told Ka Pete: “I guarantee you Ka Mao will
pay.” Ka Pete never bothered Ka Mao about the matter since then – nor did Ka
Mao pay him any money at all. Ka Jun had redeemed Ka Mao from his debt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao
remembered the movie “Schindler’s List”. It was about a German officer during
World War II who was redeeming prisoner Jews with his money until he was left
with no more cash to continue his act of redemption. So he began parting with
his material possessions in order to continue buying the freedom of the Jews.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao likened Ka Jun to that German officer
one time he had an urgent need for financial help and Ka Jun just didn’t have
the money to give. “You can have my guns,” Ka Jun offered, It was not important
that Ka Mao had the heart to decline the offer and sought financing elsewhere.
What was important was that Ka Jun was willing to do a Schindler, as in the
song <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Impossible Dream</i>: “to be willing to give when there’s no more to
give.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the
necrological services for Ka Jun, Ka Mao was asked to speak. But what would he
tell the crowd? The untold anecdotes that proved the rebel to be so human after
all? Like that time the KTKS was meeting in the house and Ka Mao had allowed
Seiko Films to have shooting in the place so it would serve as alibi for the
flow of underground elements into the place. Ka Jun looked out of the window of
the meeting room and gaped upon Cesar Montano and Gabby Conception urinating
against the wall just below. Ka Jun snickered like a tot and told it to the
other KTKS members. Or could Ka Mao have spoken about that moment the sexy bomb
shell Rachelle (Z Boom) Lobangco went up to use the comfort room on the second
floor? Ka Jun sat on the sofa in the family room to gaze much like a smitten
young man as the actress went out of the comfort room. Ka Jun exchanged smiles
with Z Boom, who eyed him teasingly even as she proceeded downstairs. For fear
of compromising the security of the rebel guests, Ka Mao refrained from
introducing the two, though he sensed that Ka Jun would have loved it. He must
be missing his wife, Joy, immensely. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Too many things
about Ka Jun were better left unspoken. But Ka Mao would have told those things
had he opted to talk in the ceremonies. So quite politely, he declined the
invitation of the emcee for him to come forward and speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Arman filled
in the slot of the next speaker. Ka Mao did not follow much what Ka Arman was saying
because what he was following was the flow of his own thoughts of Ka Jun. From
the time Kumander Bilog brought him to the house together with elements of the
NPA General Command, the person of Ka Jun had unfolded to Ka Mao in bits and
pieces, like a painted portrait which you don’t complete in just one sitting
but over time and done in exquisite touches so that you don’t miss out on any
detail of the subject’s features.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun was
human, much so human that he always gave first place to the other fellow in
every respect. One time he and a few comrades met in the house on short notice
to Ka Mao, Betchay had no time cooking much food for lunch. Ka Jun took just a
little of what had been prepared so there would be enough for the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun did not have
the air and flamboyance as are characteristics of persons in authority but
rather the calm and magnanimity of a leader ever condescending to his comrades.
While Ka Charlie rather chidingly reacted to Ka Mao’s idea of striking up an
alliance with Marcos in the crisis of 1986, Ka Jun gave it a serious thought.
And when told by Ka Mao of Kumander Dante’s assertion of leadership of the NPA
upon his release by Cory, Ka Jun did not take it with belligerence but with
cool expression of dissent: “From what I know, we are (the current leaders). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For all his
seeming lack of intellectual braggadocio, Ka Jun was a broadminded guy. One
time he took Ka Mao on a trip to Cubao to see what was supposed to be a big
rally. Ka Mao saw the crowd marching as too neglible: “You cannot even count 5O
of the rallyists.” Ka Jun countered: “Be considerate. Count also those on the
sidewalks.” That made Ka Mao feel like the frog caught in a well in a Chinese
parable which said: “The sky is as big as the mouth of the well.” Ka Jun would
have told the frog: “Look beyond the mouth of the well. That’s one whole grand
immeasurable sky.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As he was that
considerate to comrades, so was Ka Jun to the revolution at large. Though he
might recognize its shortcomings, he had absolute faith that it would overcome.
When in 1989 Ka Mao proposed to him the idea of frustrating the next
presidential election in order to prevent the bourgeoisie from consolidating,
Ka Jun asserted: “We shall have won by then.” And one time he told comrades to
buy land on a 25-years-to-pay basis, for since the revolution would be winning
in a short while, they would then be owning the lots for a pittance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun was a
most gentle guy. One morning, Ka Mao awoke to find his little daughter Maripaz
cuddling up to Ka Jun in sleep in bed. Obviously, the girl had fallen to sleep
while telling stories with him the night before. How it touched Ka Mao to see
Ka Jun hugging Maripaz<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gingerly, much
like a hen sheltering its chick.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun must be
missing his own kids, Ka Mao told himself then. For a period indeed, Ka Jun had
his son Mark stay in Ka Mao’s house so he could steal moments of togetherness
with the boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How could
anybody have the heart to slay such a gentle comrade? Ka Mao ached inside him.
Ka Jun was for maintaining the unity of the Party. If he refused to combat the
Sison maneuver in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>, it
was for the sole purpose of not tearing the Party. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’re not
small,” he told Ka Mao. “We’re big.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He meant he had
the numbers to contend with those of Sison. But as he realized any such
confrontation would be very bloody, as what happened between the Magpantays and
the Tiamzons in Central Luzon, he chose the wise course of consultation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now Ka Mao
thought, just Ka Jun’s luck that Sison chose not to be wise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One afternoon,
Ka Tex, the diminutive Armed City Partisan (ACP) combatant credited with the
assassination of JUSMAG Commander Col. James Rowe, came to the house to give Ka
Mao a warning: “Please tell RK (Ka Jun) that I won’t ever do the job of killing
him.” The implication was that orders were out to get Ka Jun and that Ka Tex,
being the top Party hit man expected to do the job, felt he might be the target
of any preemptive action from Ka Jun.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the
necrological services, Ka Arman was ending his talk when Ka Mao began tracing
in his mind the notes of a melody inspired in him by Ka Jun. Here was a man, Ka
Mao told himself when he began composing the song, not wanting in the comforts
of life, hailing as he did from one of the rich clans of Cebu, yet forsaking wealth
and affluence in order to take up the supreme challenge of serving the people:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 6;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reach for the apex of great proletarian
service<br />
Rise up in arms and ever without fear struggle<br />
The rights and liberties of massive oppressed classes<br />
Foreign oppressors crush with force savage and ruthless<br />
There’s nothing whatsoever that is had by the people<br />
If they’ve got neither you nor me<br />
A dedicated, faithful, steeped in struggle, fighting, serving<br />
New People’s Army<br />
<br />
Imperialism, bring it down<br />
Feudalism, bring it down<br />
Bureaucrat capitalism and all else that impede socialism<br />
Bring them down!<br />
<br />
My life gladly I’d sacrifice<br />
On altar of the people’s war<br />
If victory indeed is prize<br />
Then death to me is Heaven’s wise<br />
<br />
Reach for the optimum of proletarian service<br />
Hold on to arms and with resolve swear to defend<br />
The gains the people won in so dear their struggle<br />
No exploiters shall by their greed take ‘way again<br />
The aim of social growth and final class liberation<br />
Pushed on and on until<br />
Reached is the peak of socialism<br />
Communism<br />
Our most cherished dream</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER XIX</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE YEAR Ka Jun was shot dead was also
the year one Imelda Rivera had made good her obstinate determination to get Ka
Mao and his family out of their property. That was the year she won the
ejectment case which she filed against Ka Mao back in 2001. A very astute woman
with an astounding capacity to weave lies, she caused, through bastardization
of legal processes, the issuance of a title in her name over the property and
then used that title to institute ejectment proceedings against Ka Mao for
forcible entry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao’s house was somewhere around the middle of the more or less 5,000-square-
meter lot. Obviously, Rivera believed that by ejecting Ka Mao from his position
on the lot, she would be ejecting him from the entirety of the land. So she had
the lot subdivided into three, each of the three perpendicular to Sumulong
Highway. It was from the middle lot that she was ejecting Ka Mao. This way, she
expected to take possessession of the two other lots on which there was no house
of Ka Mao, without having to wait for the ejectment case to be resolved. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
Ka Mao had papers in his possession proving his occupation of the entire lot,
not just the middle part of it. And he proceeded to successfully repel all
efforts of Rivera to occupy the other two lots early on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Moreover,
those papers proved Ka Mao had been occupying <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the property in the concept of an owner since
way before the First Quarter Storm and so Rivera’s forcible entry charge
against him would not prosper. As first judge-on-the-case Rosa Samson-Tatad put
it: “The issue is whether or not the plaintiff had the right to eject defendant
for forcible entry.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao’s
misfortune, Judge Samson-Tatad was just a temporary judge on the case and when
she was replaced with a permanent one, the judge who took over, Judge Antonio
Olivete, proved to be a most unscrupulous one who upon Rivera’s machination and
in complete violation of due process unilaterally changed the designation of
the case from “For forcible entry” to “For unlawful detainer”. Under this
changed designation, the judge made it appear that Ka Mao was in occupation of
the property by virtue of Rivera’s tolerance, thus giving her the right to
eject Ka Mao and his family. That’s what the law says.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao appealed the decision and it was assigned to the sala of Judge Francisco Querubin,
who eventually upheld Olivete’s decision, ultimately issuing an order for the
demolition of Ka Mao’s house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao stood pat on his position that there had been no showing at all that
Rivera’s title pertained to his property. And so after a series of judicial
notices for the implementation of the demolition order, he defiantly faced up
to Deputy Sheriff Rolando Leyva.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,
you cannot implement that order in my property,” said Ka Mao to the short,
physically unimpressive fellow whose guts to enforce a legal order seemed to
derive more from his coterie of goons and bullies than from a conviction on the
righteousness of his action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This
is a court order,” said the sheriff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,
and I’m not questioning that,” countered Ka Mao. “What I am questioning is your
wrongful implementation of that order.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“
The order says demolish your house,” insisted the sheriff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
order says,” declared Ka Mao, reading the words in the court document, “demolish
my house on the property of Imelda Rivera. This is not the property of Imelda
Rivera. This is my property. Moreover, the order puts the location of the
alleged property of Imelda Rivera in Sitio Malanim. My property is in Sitio
Upper Lucban. You implement that order on my property, I’ll hail you to court.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
that declaration by Ka Mao, the sheriff withdrew. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
next thing that happened was, the sheriff got an order from the court for the
relocation survey of the plan described in the title of Rivera. The order just
delighted Ka Mao. That precisely was his strategy: to get the court ordering
such survey. By provision of the Manual of Survey in the Philippines, the
authenticity of the Rivera title had to be ascertained first for the survey to
materialize. And Ka Mao had a wealth of research data proving that title to be
spurious: from its Decree No. 4708, which the Land Registration Authority (LRA)
certified as non-existent in its files; to its Record No. 5989, which the
Official Gazette, as certified by the Microfilm Division of the University of
the Philippines Library, had published on May 4, 1910 as having been given to
an application for land registration of a property with technical descriptions
written in English while the purported mother decree issued as a result of that
application had technical descriptions written in Spanish; Presidential Decree
1529, or the Land Registration Act, provides that the Dccree of Registration
must be a faithful reproduction of the original application for land
registration; the LRA had no record of an Original Certificate of Title (OCT)
No. 518, which was entered in the Rivera title as its mother title; and the
survey plan of the title from which the Rivera title was purported to have
derived had the subdivision plan number PSD 8662, which was certified by the
Bureau of Lands as situated in Caloocan City, not Antipolo City.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">These research
data, along with several others, were more than enough to prompt an honest
geodetic engineer to question its veracity and thereby deem himself barred by
law to make a relocation survey of the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Without seeking
authority from his superiors, the geodetic engineer of the Antipolo Community
Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), Daniel de los Santos, arrogated
to himself the authority to implement the court survey order. Then after
sending notice to Ka Mao that a relocation survey would be conducted of the
property, he coursed to Ka Mao through a common friend his desire to have some
night out; De los Santos was sort of addicted to sing-along sessions. This
would entail some big expense but Ka Mao wouldn’t mind, It indicated a show of
friendliness from the geodetic engineer, and Ka Mao thought, “All the better
for my case.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And so that
night at the Classmate, a popular high-class nightclub on Quezon Avenue in
Quezon City, De los Santos had a grand time belting out ditties along with
minus-one accompaniments on the video player, with not one but two
scantily-clad hospitality girls pressing him with their breasts from both
sides. In attendance was their common friend, Adrian, a former CENRO and now a
private practicing geodetic engineer, who with Ka Mao’s kumpare, Diego
Cagahastian, had arranged the affair; the Chief, Surveys Division of the DENR
Region IV-CALABARZON; and Ka Mao’s counsel Atty. Ed Galvez. It turned out, De
los Santos was expecting an offer of a monetary consideration – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lagay</i> in the vernacular, meaning grease
money, or stated pointblank, bribe – in exchange for an action from him
favorable to Ka Mao. But as the night was wearing on and no such offer appeared
forthcoming from Ka Mao very shortly, De los Santos took advantage of one
moment Ka Mao stepped out of the sing-along suite and lay his card on the
table, so to speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao,” said the
guy, whose tipsiness contributed to his character of being virtually a stand-in
for the Joker in “Batman”, “your rival Rivera is very rich. She is offering me
a million.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So there’s
where the rub is,” Ka Mao told himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">De los Santos
immediately sensed that Ka Mao was not biting into his bait. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Anyway, my
needs are modest,” De los Santos somewhat toned down. “A Ford Fiera is what I
need so I don’t have to take so many public rides in going from my home in
Balintawak to my office in Antipolo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a voice that
indicated he didn’t mean to engage in shenanigans, Ka Mao said, “Let’s just do
things according to the law.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Joker-look-alike kept mum, his face betraying deep frustration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And that day De
los Santos and his team came to Ka Mao’s property, he began doing what to him
was according to the law. He made Ka Mao sign on a blank yellow pad sheet,
obviously meant to be the attendance sheet for the activity that immediately
took place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Where’s the
title?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What title?”
asked De los Santos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The title
that’s supposed to be the basis for this relocation survey,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’re not
making any survey yet,” said De los Santos. “We’re only getting reference
points.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had De los Santos admitted that he was doing
the survey as ordered by the court, Ka Mao would have required him to comply
with the rules as mandated in the Manual of Survey in the Philippines – meaning
ascertain first the veracity of the Rivera title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But De los
Santos lied that he was not making such survey yet so Ka Mao had no cause for
pressing the matter of ascertaining the veracity of the Rivera title yet. And
so after a quick look-see of the surroundings using their survey instruments,
De los Santos and his team ended their chore in the place, whatever it was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What astounded
Ka Mao after a time was a notice of a hearing on the Technical Report submitted
by De los Santos to the court. He realized he had been done in. His signature
on the blank yellow pad sheet proved his attendance in what De los Santos
reported to the court as the survey conducted in compliance with its order. He
submitted a Technical Report, allegedly based on that survey, delineating what
was termed as the “metes and bounds” of the property supposed to be covered by
the court demolition order. What De los Santos actually did was a table survey,
which had become a notorious practice of unscrupulous geodetic engineers in
plotting the technical descriptions of a title on the drawing table not on the
site of the property being surveyed. This practice had made it very easy for
landgrabbers to snatch some other people’s lands, for in this manner they were
able to work out the title over the land being grabbed without encountering
physical opposition from settlers on that land.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In any case, Ka
Mao immediately saw wide loopholes in the De los Santos Technical Report. The
purported attendance sheet did not contain any entries other than names of
those who were present on the occasion. It proved those people were there but
did not prove anything as to why or what they were there for. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In another
respect, what De los Santos reported as having been surveyed by him was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a subdivision LRA PSD 371576 which he
attested to as having been furnished him by Rivera – not the subdivision plan
ordered by the court to be surveyed, which was PSI 3715.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Moreover, De los
Santos conducted his supposed survey not upon proper authority by the DENR but
upon his own decision, and Ka Mao saw this as a usurpation of DENR authority.
The order was addressed to the DENR, which could have delegated the function to
anybody it pleased, not just De los Santos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Came the day of
the hearing. Ka Mao and Atty. Galvez arrived early at the court. But they were
told by the Clerk of Court that the counsel for Rivera, one Former Judge Patajo,
had just died and no replacement for him had yet been designated. In that
event, the hearing was expected to be cancelled. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The law mandated that. The parties in a case were
required to inform each other in cases of change of counsels. Ka Mao and his
counsel were made to sign the attendance sheet, with instruction from the clerk
of court that they would be informed, as was the practice, about the schedule
of the next hearing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But in due time,
what Ka Mao received was not a notice of schedule of the next hearing but a
Fourth Notice – described as the final one – on the implementation of the
demolition order. It turned out that after Ka Mao and his counsel left the
court the last time out, believing the hearing scheduled that day would be
reset, Rivera produced an impromptu <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>counsel and in the absence of the defendant
caused a unilateral conduct of the hearing resulting to that final order for
the implementation of the writ of demolition. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The order
specifically instructed the sheriff to strictly abide<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by the guidance of Geodetic Engineer Daniel
de los Santos in its implementation, particularly the demolition of Ka Mao’s
house. But precisely because the purported relocation survey as contained in
his Technical Report was a complete prevarication, De los Santos bungled his
job once he applied it on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The coordinates of the area in which to implement the order were such
that they put practically the whole house of Ka Mao outside of that area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that reason, while De los Santos started
the whole operation of implementing the order on Ka Mao’s property, before long
he was nowhere to be found on the site. Left with no guidance by De Los Santos,
Sheriff Leyva had no other recourse but to suspend the demolition operation
abruptly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sighed
with relief. He thought the house had been spared from destruction completely.
He had reason to believe so. In a talk with Barangay Captain Gabuna, who till
then was quite friendly to him, Ka Mao got the information that implementation
of demolition orders could only be carried out once, not on a rainy day, and
must be complete by four o’clock in the afternoon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So Ka Mao found
himself deducing, since the implementation of the court demolition order had
been begun, it could no longer continue beyond the law-mandated timeline for
its implementation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Up to old age,
that had been Ka Mao’s indulgence: too much optimism to the point of being an
incurable affliction. It stemmed from his character. Because he had pure human
goodwill in his heart, he expected all others had the same. He was not claiming
that he was not capable of doing evil. He knew that was part of his humanism.
But he knew, too, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he was much more good
than evil and he believed all others were also. If, therefore, man by his very
humanness is good, how could the world in any of its aspects be bad at all? In
this sense, Ka Mao could be a most formidable antidote to pessimism. Not once
in his life, even in the face of the harshest adversities, had he ever lost
hope. Nothing bad that ever happened to him remained bad. It always found a way
of turning itself into good. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, on the
question of the demolition of his house, he tended to believe that those put in
charge to carry it out were also men of goodwill and could take refuge under
the legal technicalities pointed out by the Barangay executive in not resuming
the demolition operation any longer, thereby saving the house from destruction
forever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This property
is under the custody of the sheriff,” declared Sheriff Leyva after announcing
the suspension of the demolition operation and then walking out of the compound
together with all the demolition personnel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But aside from
that declaration, Ka Mao noticed no other action at all by Sheriff Leyva
indicating that he meant what he said. And for the whole of October and well
into the following November, the conditions in the property of Ka Mao were back
to normal </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Particularly the
eatery, it went on enjoying its modest success, what with the continued
patronage by the employees of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meralco
Management Learning and Development Center (MMLDC), the Hizon Laboratories, the
Solar Enterprises, and a daily steady flow of walk-in customers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The eatery must
be so good that even the owners of at least two leading Antipolo restaurants
would drop by and partake of its native dishes, like laing, ginataang biya,
sinigang na kandule, inihaw na manok and liempo, and bulalo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But into the
last week of November, Ka Mao, while doing marketing, chanced upon Sheriff
Leyva, who told him that he was soon proceeding with the demolition operation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’re only
waiting for Rivera to release the budget for the operation,” Sheriff Leyva
said. “She does not expect me to spend for this, does she?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What about De
los Santos?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He had been
paid his due. He will do his job. Just you wait,” said Sheriff Leyva and walked
away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All of a sudden,
Ka Mao was desperate. He really had attributed goodwill to Sheriff Leyva and De
los Santos, completely forgetting that part of the humanism of the two was
greed, which Ka Mao had not much of, if at all, and so he tended not to see it
in others. For that reason, he never anticipated that this time would come
when, with their greed sated, the two would come rampaging again as they did in
that aborted demolition operation in September. This time, as Sheriff Leyva put
it, “Only a TRO can stop us.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But no, a Temporary
Restraining Order, which Sheriff Leyva referred to, was out of the question for
Ka Mao. It would be good only for three days after which a Permanent Injunction
must be put in place in order to stop the demolition for a relatively permanent
period, during which the merits of the case would be elevated to the Court of
Appeal and then to the Supreme Court for final resolution. Atty. Galvez
realized Ka Mao did not have the money to sustain such a costly fight and so
was suggesting alternative remedies, like having the Rivera title investigated
by the LRA in the hope that in the event the LRA favorably took up Ka Mao’s
cause, he could use its ruling to stop the court from enforcing its demolition
order.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So that night,
Ka Mao formalized the complaint, addressed to the LRA Administrator. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The following
day, the lady secretary in the office Ka Mao entered in the LRA building recognized
his name immediately when he presented the complaint to her. Her face lit up
and she excitedly guided Ka Mao to the suite of her boss..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You can discuss
this with the Administrator,” she said as she led her through a corridor. “He
is easy to talk to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How nice of the Administrator,
Ka Mao told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sir, this is Director
Mauro Gia Samonte,” the secretary said, introducing Ka Mao to the LRA Official
as she led him into his suite. “He is a very popular film director.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The LRA Official
gladly shook Ka Mao’s hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How are you
director?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Fine, thank
you,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He has a
problem, Sir,” the secretary said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What problem?”
asked the LRA Official..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is his
letter-complaint,” said the secretary as she handed to the official the folder
containing the letter-complaint, already opening it up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The official took
a glance at the letter and then keeping it in his hand, he took Ka Mao by the
shoulder, leading him to a sofa where they sat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The secretary
walked away, glancing back at the official, saying, “He is a very popular director,
Sir.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, I know,”
said the official, beaming at Ka Mao. “How are your movies doing, Director?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, I have not
been doing any movies these past five years. My last movie was in 2000,” said
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I see… But of
course, you must have set aside a fortune<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’re a very popular director.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I did save some
amount but I squandered it all when I ran for mayor of Antipolo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You ran for
mayor!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes. Twice. In
1995 and 1998.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How much did
you spend?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Roughly five
million.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Can you win
with five million?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought I
could. Anyway, that was all I got. And lost it all.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, you lost it
all,” said the LRA official, appearing to lose the enthusiasm he showed when
the secretary introduced Ka Mao to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What are we
going to do with this letter…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s about our
land. It’s our family’s one remaining possession and it is being landgrabbed.
If you could investigate the title of the landgrabber and find it anomalous, then
I could use your finding to stop the court from demolishing our house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The LRA official
cast a rather enigmatic stare at Ka Mao, one that conveyed surprise at what he
heard and at the same time resentment for making him hear it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay, bring
this to the lady who brought you here. She will know what to do.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The official handed
the folder to Ka Mao then walked into his inner office where he picked up the receiver
of the intercom. Ka Mao walked out of the suite, wondering to himself why the
mood of the LRA official suddenly changed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The secretary
was speaking on the intercom when Ka Mao walked into her office.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry, Sir... Really…
I should not have wasted your time. I didn’t know he’s not a blue blood anymore.
He was so popular everybody thought he was rich.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
standing before her when the secretary put the phone down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I was told by your
boss to bring this back to you,” Ka Mao said as he handed the folder to the
secretary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao noticed
that the secretary, too, had completely changed her mood. She was unsmiling and
somewhat wore a sour face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bring that to
the records section and have it received there,” said the secretary and minded
him no more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao stepped
out of the room and walked down the corridor leading to the records section. He
entertained no question whatsoever as to whether what he was doing had any
value at all. He had faith that it had and went on to have copies of his
letter-complaint marked “Received” by the clerk at the receiving window.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the evening,
Ka Mao showed the copies to Atty. Galvez, who after perusing the
letter-complaint, stated, “This is okay. They would be too daring if they
pushed on with the demolition despite having been informed about this
complaint.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Atty. Galvez
firmly believed that the sheriff would not dare demolish. And Ka Mao believed
so, too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But on November
23, Ka Mao <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got a Fifth – and final –
Notice of implementation of the writ of demolition, ordering Ka Mao and his
family to vacate the subject property so-called. He relayed this to Atty.
Galvez, who advised him to get certification from the LRA that a case involving
the subject property in the demolition order was being deliberated at the
agency, and then furnish Sheriff Leyva and the court with copies of that
certification. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Atty. Galvez
still clung to the hope that the sheriff would not dare demolish Ka Mao’s house
with full knowledge of the LRA case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">November 24, Ka
Mao was early at the LRA to get the certification needed. But the LRA
investigator, Joel Bigornia, who had been assigned to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>handle the case was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>out on an errand the whole morning, arriving
only at his office way after lunch. The amiable investigation officer readily
issued the certification Ka Mao requested, but the trip back to Antipolo took
so long that by the time Ka Mao reached the court, it was already closed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How so pathetic
Ka Mao appeared that morning of November 25, 2005. He made sure he was at the
office of the Clerk of Court once it opened so he could have copies of the
certification furnished to Sheriff Rolando Leyva and the court. While waiting
for the Clerk of Court to receive the copies of the certification, Ka Mao
happened to look out of the balcony of the building. He saw Sheriff Leyva on
the street below, aboard his motorcycle, which he had stopped as he gestured a
go-signal to somebody up on the balcony. With the signal having been given,
Sheriff Leyva then sped away.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It somewhat
intrigued Ka Mao. Sheriff Leyva seemed to be moving in a frenzy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What was the
sheriff seemed so frantic about? What was that signal for?” Ka Mao asked
himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rushing home
aboard a tricycle after finishing his business at the court, Ka Mao saw a big
crowd of men brandishing a variety of construction implements, massing at the
corner of Sumulong Highway and the Circumferential Road, right outside the
Pedro Cojuangco farm popularly referred to as Rancho. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What were those
men massing for?” he said to himself. “They seem to be bracing for a fight.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Arriving home
finally, Ka Mao noticed at a distance a group of policemen and men in civilian
attires seeming to be huddling seriously on the highway side. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
appalled to recognize among these men the guy he most feared at the moment:
Sheriff Rolando Leyva.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As he crossed
the highway, he realized the eatery had been closed. Betchay hurried to meet
him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao, they’re
going to demolish our house now,” said Betchay, showing signs of nervous
breakdown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No
trespassing,” a sympathizer suggested.. “Put up a sign, ‘No trespassing’.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Kapit sa
patalim,” so goes a saying in the vernacular which translates to “hang on to a
blade.” Ka Mao appeared much like doing just as a man would grab at even a
blade if only to keep himself from falling off a cliff. He hurried to find a
piece of plywood, a can of white paint and a brush by which he wrote out the
words “No trespassing”, then hung the sign on the gate of the property, facing
the highway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then followed
the longest moment of tension Ka Mao felt in all his life. The tension was none
like any of those he felt in the past: in the skirmishes with the policemen and
security guards of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation in the strike of KAMAO;
in the confrontation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>between government
troopers and workers protesters in the May Day Massacre of 1971; in the
standoff between policemen and activists in the American embassy rally in which
Ka Mao was tasked to explode a grenade, a task he would have accomplished but
for one moment of sanity which prompted him to stand by his sense of
righteousness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In none of those
moments and in many others still did Ka Mao ever feel fear. He was young, not
yet thirty, single and not needing to worry about compromising any loved one in
his actions, Above all, he had full confidence in his human strength. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But now, against
the sheriff and his forces, Ka Mao had one whole family to be concerned about,
and he felt so weak, void of any of the bravado characteristic of his revolting
days. And he felt fear as he had never felt before. And so he prayed, yes,
indeed, he prayed, “Lord, spare us from this destruction.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He prayed on and
on as he and his sons Paulo and Ogie, with the help of a few sympathizing
neighbors, frantically moved furniture, furnishings, fixtures, utensils, what
have you, stocking everything in the undivided ground floor which he had
intended for use for the CPP Congress. From the sketch plan which De los Santos
had submitted to the court to show the area of the demolition, Ka Mao surmised
that this spot on the ground floor would not be affected.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Particularly difficult to move was the Ray Contreras
solid mahogany antique-style dining table which took no less than ten men to carry.
As to the glass panes and panels on the walls and windows of the dining room,
the guest house and the breakfast area, Ka Mao just sadly stared at them, there
being no more time to remove them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, the
forces of Sherrif Leyva marched toward the property: the demolition crew, from
the corner of the Circumferential Road; the contingent of policemen, court
personnel and bullies, from the vicinity of the abandoned Citadel Subdivision
in the north.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Everybody stay
put in the carinderia (eatery),” ordered Ka Mao. Betchay obliged, sticking
close to Gia, barely three months old, crying as she wriggled her legs in a
crib. Paulo and Ogie stuck with friends on the periphery of the demolition area
in case of any eventuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Maripaz was
at work and Maoie in Novaliches where he, his wife and two kids stayed
temporarily with his in-laws.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All by himself,
Ka Mao, armed with a camera, stood at the interior end of the driveway,
directly opposite the gate where he expected the action to begin. Ka Mao could
think of no other way to combat the demolition but with that camera by which to
record in photographs whatever would take place. He intended to use the
pictures so taken as evidences in whatever legal action he would take
eventually.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In order to
determine the exact area of the house that would be demolished, De los Santos
used his bare eyesight to fix a point on the highway and another on the creek
edge behind the house. And then using a straw with one end tied to that point
on the highway, he fastened a stone to the other end and threw the stone above
the house in order to bring that other end of the straw to the creek edge
beyond for tying to the other point that had been determined on that spot. Thus
was the house split into two, with the one to the north to be demolished and
the one to the south to stay intact; similarly the comfort room of the eatery
which was along the highway was diagonally halved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As a consequence
of the demolition, Ka Mao filed a complaint in the office of DENR Secretary
Angelo T. Reyes against Geodetic Engineer Daniel de los Santos for his wrongful
deeds in connection with the demolition. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In photo
attachments to the complaint, Ka Mao described the events that unfolded in
chronological sequence, titling the presentation: “THE DEMOLITION OF NOVEMBER
25, 2005.” The first page of three, he titled “QUIET BEFORE THE STORM”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A photo of the
“No Trespassing” sign he had hung on the gate, he captioned:”A hastily-prepared
crude sign stands as the only defensive weapon against the impending disaster –
at best a travesty of the institution of private property for the powerless.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A full shot of
Sheriff Leyva and his demolition contingent waiting out just outside the iron
fence of Ka Mao’s property, Ka Mao captioned: “Deputy Sheriff Rolando Leyva and
his demolition contingent could not move without Engineer Daniel de los Santos
first determining the scope of demolition to be done.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The next four
photos that followed were described thus: “(Below, bottom left) Engr. De los
Santos, using nothing but bare eyesight and a measuring tape, determines a
point on a mark scratched on the iron fence with a stone; note
highly-collapsible nature of iron fence. (Below left and middle photo) CENRO
man identified only as Jess helps out Engr. De los Santos in the measurements;
arrow mark on the fence was done September 30, 2005 during the first demolition
attempt. (Below right) Claimant Imelda Rivera and Deputy Sheriff Leyva
supervise the demolition.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A final photo on
the page was a full view of exactly the same spot in the second cited photo,
this time showing the iron fence completely fallen and the demolition crew
beginning to move into the driveway of the compound. It was captioned: “
(Bottom right) In a move swifter than camera operation, the demolition crew
tear down the barrier at the driveway.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The second page
of the photo attachments was titled: “THE ONSLAUGHT” It consisted of a close
shot of the demolition crew advancing, captioned: “The crew rush to carry out
the devastation of my house all over.” The next three photos showed the
destruction from various angles, the front, back and the northside. The view
from the back was particularly gruesome because it was on that spot where every
piece of the ravaged materials was dumped, depicting what was once a pretty
domicile turned into rubble. And the final photo of the page showed Rivera
being guided by a man through the debris. It was captioned: “(Bottom right) The
turn over of possession was received by claimant Rivera 3:45 PM but here,
escorted by a court aide, already asserts possessory control of the property as
early as 2:26 PM.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The third page
of the presentation was a collage done by a sympathizing photographer who
happened to pass by at the time of the demolition. He took shots of the
destruction<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that took place and laid
them out together with shots of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>intimate
moments Ka Mao and his family were busy in as the devastation was ongoing,
achieving a composite which prompted Ka Mao to compose a poignant, if pathetic,
caption: “A collage of the pathos that ensued, as documented by a sympathizer.
Having prevailed over so many storms in my life, I seem to be content just
knowing that my three-year-old granddaughter is safe in my arms and my wife
still manages to prepare food at the improvised kitchen. But that infant cry
must sound our unwordable aching for justice.” For at the center of the collage
- surrounded by graphic shots of crushed concrete walls, crumpled corrugated
iron sheets, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>scattered broken pieces of
wooden beams, twisted iron grills, shattered glass walls, and many other
tell-tale signs of a catastrophe – was a lone picture of Baby Gia wailing in
her crib .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The guy who did
the collage gave it the title: “Family seek justice in unlawful house
demolition & land grabbing incident last November 5, 2005”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the height of
the demolition operation, Ellen called Ka Mao on the cellphone. She wanted to
know what had happened. She had worked as a medical tehnologist in the state
hospital of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kuwait for over thirty
years, had remained unmarried and had been Ka Mao’s source of material
assistance in times of need. Ka Mao had sent her an urgent message two days
ago, asking for financial help. He was already thinking of finally going the
TRO way just to have a breathing space; he would worry about the bigger amount
that would be entailed by the permanent injunction to come about after three
days. But though Ellen <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>never failed Ka
Mao in all his pleas for help, she just didn’t have the money to send him at
the moment. And so she called, worrying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What happened,
Manoy Mauro?” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Listen,” said
Ka Mao, and he beamed his cellphone toward the ongoing activity. “Hear that
noise. The iron roof being yanked off, the thuds of sledge hammers on the
concrete walls, and the crash of glass walls, windows and doors. They’re
tearing my house just right now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao said his
words with a put-on delight so that Ellen must have taken them as a sarcasm and
she broke into tears. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But, Manoy
Mauro. There’s nothing I can do now. I just don’t have any money to send, If
only you had given me some lead time,” she cried.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No, Ellen,” Ka
Mao said, seeking to calm her down. “I’m not blaming you. No. I just want to
make things light out of this terrible misery.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Actually a
thought had crossed his mind at that instance, making him feel like crying,
too, so that he must quickly bid Ellen goodbye and hang up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At Ellen’s crying, Ka Mao could not help
remembering that as the teams of demolition personnel began wrecking the house,
he had sent a common message to a number of Party comrades through the cellphone:
“Which part of my house have I built for me and my family alone and so me and
my family alone must defend? And which part have I built for the Party and so
the Party must defend it with me and my family?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nobody cared to
answer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-53643514524203010142015-06-13T16:48:00.000-07:002015-06-13T16:49:25.083-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">BOOK
EIGHT</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">HOUSE
BUILT ON A ROCK</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Chapter
I </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DAYBREAK depicted a
picture of another gloomy day. At five o’clock in the morning when ordinarily
you could already see a touch of brilliance in the sky, the hour that Wednesday
had the surroundings wrapped in a mist of gray. The foliage, consisting of
hardwood and fruit trees which together with bamboo groves made up the
landscape around the house, was virtually just silhouettes, unlike in summer
when even at dawn the house already struck up some nice picture framed by green
scallops etched in blue sky and accented by fire trees whose orange blossoms
served to crown the steeply-inclined house roof. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao was up and about that early, doing his regular chore of sprucing up the surroundings,
cutting grass that had begun to thicken in the lawn with the onset of the rainy
season. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That had been his routine daily on schooldays, since by
eight o’clock he should start attending to Gia, cooking her breakfast, then
ironing her school uniform. Gia would get up from bed at this time, but she
took too much time toying with her stuffed toys in bed. Only about past nine
o’clock would she take breakfast and then start her toilet routine which,
including her bath, would be done with a few minutes past ten. Good thing Assumption
was just a walk away, and she would make it to the school still with plenty of
time to spare before the bell.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A gust of breeze swept by, causing Ka Mao to cringe
slightly. He tightened the faded denim jacket he wore around his body. He was
shivering but was controlling it. He looked up to the sky to see if it was
going to rain, spreading his palm to check any raindrops.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No sign of rain, Ka Mao thought. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
checked his foot for a while. It had grown some swelling. Pressing a finger on
the swollen top, he betrayed pain. He fixed the bandage around the wound, then as
he was about to resume his work, he paused at sight of the house getting
illumined by the increasing sunlight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
otherwise austere triangular roof made of galvanized iron sheets toping the
main section of the house was made prominent by its very flatness in green and
its steep inclination which approximated those of Swiss houses. That roofing
style served similar functions: for the Swiss, to prevent the gathering of snow
on rooftops; Ka Mao’s design, to prevent the gathering of leaves which created
rust on the galvanized iron sheet. At the same time, the roof design gave space
for an attic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Where
the roof inclination ended, it touched the tops of the triangular canopies of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>three-division promontory on the second
floor. From inside, the promontory served as a view room where one could watch
the surroundings through the grilled French windows; both grills and windows were
painted white. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This room, having the
amenities for reading hours and coffee time, served those functions for the
main bedroom which belonged to Ogie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
the right of the promontory rose from the level of the attic a single-section
turret. This section, which served as Gia’s powder room, broke the otherwise
bare look of that extremity of the house on the front elevation. A single
window done in the style of that of Ogie’s reading room served to accent this
section, which Gia loved to call her Castle Room.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opposite the powder room is the attic bathroom,
featuring a bathtub improvised in concrete and done with enamel finish. The
shower valve hung on the rafters of the pyramid-shaped roof, with water from it
dropping at the center of the tub. In-between the powder room and the bathroom
was a lanai-like<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>section roofed with
trellis covered with fiber glass. .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below the turret was a structure which
adjoined the promontory, with its roof being a continuous flow of the main roof
inclination. This section,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a continuity
of the main house on the ground floor, was the guest room. Ka Mao expected to
occupy this room when he got too old to climb to the attic which he now shared
with Gia, because she insisted in sleeping with him. To the left of the
promontory was the music room adjoining the living room and with high-rise
rounded walls done French-window-style, roofed with concrete which at the same
time served as open balcony for the attic living room above it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Below the
promontory were the two large posts holding it up, decorated with pre-cast Gothic
design and, together with the concrete railings done with similar pre-cast
decorations and filling the spaces between the posts and the structures on
either side, serving as frame for the wooden main door with elegant
antique-style carvings. In-between the posts at the center and leading to the
porch by the main door were the four-step stairs from the lawn. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Further
to the left, beyond the rounded music room was a square room with wide windows
done in bronze-colored aluminum and glass. This used to be Ka Mao’s library but
was now Maoie’s bedroom. The top of the this section was a roof of galvanized
iron sheets which, however, was covered from view by the gutter wall all around
it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao envisioned on this spot a deck with wooden railing and trellis on which clang
flowering vines, like yellow bells, cadena de amor and sampaguita. Similarly,
Ka Mao saw the rising of a rounded structure whose roof in the shape of a cone
went even higher than the steep overall roof of the house. But an exquisite
pain, like caused by minute blades slicing through his flesh, cut off this
thought abruptly: crow bars tearing at roof sheets, sledge hammers pounding on
concrete walls, wooden poles shattering glass walks and doors… Ka Mao shook his
head, eyes betraying his seizure by a sudden fury. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did not want to remember.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
smiled to himself consolingly. For all which he thought was his material
failure, he was able to build such a house after all. This was legacy enough to
leave to his family, particularly Gia.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had made use of by far the best knowledge he had gone to in his studies of
civil engineering in building the house. He had learned somewhere in those
studies that the best way to build a house was to put it under one roof. In his
case, however, he found it too tall an order to put under a single roof the
L-shaped floor plan that even had a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">T</i>
on top of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L</i> leg, which made the
whole design look more of a swastika than an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan, spread over a land area of some 300
square meters, would have required an enormous single roof which in turn would
require enormous expenses. For lack of funds, he was constrained to do
construction one section at a time, accordingly as money came in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but
with such section already livable as a home everytime. This way, what finally
came up was a sprawling house comprised of two storeys, and sitting on sloping
ground, made room for basements laid out, as determined by the topography, in
the shape of, too, a swastika. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As to the roofing problem, Ka Mao necessarily solved it
one at a time as well. What came about as a consequence was an interplay of
designs reminiscent of steeply-inclined Alpine roofs, Arabian turrets, Japanese
trellises, Mayan pyramids, Venetian balconies, and French canopies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of himself, Ka Mao was a very austere man. When he first
settled on the Antipolo property, he put up a simple hut made of bamboo and
nipa. That was in the mid-sixties, when he began frequenting the place during
weekends. Even then, he was already feeling the itch to let<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>things out of his mind by writing them, and
the rural atmosphere in the property augured well for this hankering. He loved
to scribble ideas on his notepad while he sat on a boulder with his feet
getting caressed by the gentle current of the creek.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When he got involved in the strike movement, the Antipolo
property served another purpose. While being venue for underground meetings and
martial arts training from time to time, it became a steady source of materials
needed in strikes, like bamboo poles and wooden clubs for combating strike
breakers with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And when, obviously because of his continuous questioning
of the Sisonite conduct of the revolution, he was isolated by comrades upon the
declaration of martial law, his own recourse for countryside retreat was the
Antipolo property; it was dangerous to stay put in the city where you would
never know when your turn was for getting arrested.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This was when his occupation of the property began on a
more permanent basis, subsisting most of the time on rootcrops like cassava and
camote and fruits like banana. When the hankering for rice meal became
unbearable, he would sneak into the city and get a good fill of it in Manay
Consoling’s house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For a long time in the early years of martial law, the
hut remained as it was when Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>built
it. If there were any changes at all, they were mainly repairs or replacements
of bamboo components eaten up by termites.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But perfectly in accord with a popular Mao Tse Tung
dictum, martial law was a bad thing which he, albeit unwittingly, turned into a
good thing. The increasing desire to write and the curtailment of press freedom
became as stimulants for him to pursue creative writing. In this field of
endeavor, he got all the freedom to write unfettered by state repression of the
press.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He had tried writing a screenplay once in the past,
“Tag-Araw” for direction by Jun Gallardo, but it was an assignment given to him
more as a concession to his influence as Entertainment Editor of Makabayan
publications at the time. This time, if he was to make a real go at film
scriptwriting, he must really sharpen his skill at the craft.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the purpose, Ka Mao stayed at the M. Hizon apartment
of Manay Consoling, doing household chores in exchange for his board and
lodging. In the Philippine vernacular, it is termed “alilang kanin”, literally
translating to “servant paid with rice.” That’s a lot lower in rung than that
of an average household servant who is paid, in addition to food and shelter,
regular salary. But Ka Mao would not put himself in the category of “alilang
kanin”. It was with pure goodwill that Manay Consoling took him into her fold,
giving him food and shelter, and he saw no way of putting a price on that act.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
his chores were done the first half of the day, he would walk the distance from
that place to the Thomas Jefferson Library on the corner of Pureza Street and
Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard in Sta. Mesa and there browse all afternoon on every
material he could lay his hands on in learning screenwriting. In the evenings
he worked on manuscripts of screenplays based on what he thought were good
story concepts. He did the manuscripts long-hand on yellow pad, for he had no
typewriter yet at the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had not delved any on the market consideration of filmmaking, so his works
in this learning period were expressions of what he believed were good
concepts, like a child contending with the impossibility of his conception,
hence, the title “Genesis To The Minus Infinity”; or an untitled screenplay
which he had intended to be his contribution to the development of film art,
creating what he conceived to be visual music, a concept whereby without sound
he depicted the musical structure through sheer editing technique intrinsic in
the cinema. About this last concept, he was strictly adhering to the school
that held cinema was pure visual medium and that sound movies,
institutionalized by Hollywood, constituted a bastardization of film art.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao paused in his work, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>smiling to himself. He remembered that when he
finally got the opportunity to go hands-on in film scriptwriting, he did it a
hundred percent the Hollywood way.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chapter
II</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
SUN glared in his eyes as Ka Mao looked up to see what time of the day it must
be; he still had not gotten used to wearing a watch. The sun was at about sixty
degrees upward from the horizon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Must be ten o:clock,” he murmured to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then he turned toward the gate of the subdivision which
he would be entering. The gate security guard hailed him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where to?” asked the guard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Celso Ad Castillo,” Ka Mao answered</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s
far from here,” said the guard. “You should take a taxi going there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s okay. Walking is good for our health.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Not for your shoes,” said the guard, pointing to the
ones Ka Mao was wearing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Indeed, the walk to Celso’s residence would be grueling
enough for Ka Mao’s Swatch. It was evident he was doing his gait in such a way
that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he didn’t drag his feet but were
lifting them so as not to ruin the soles of his shoes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The daily grind in
the two months of Ka Mao’s journeys to the Jefferson Library did not see Ka
Mao’s indefatigable Swatch shoes figuring in. It would have been ravaged by
now, with no prospect of being replaced by a new pair immediately. Suffering
the ravagement in those trips was a pair of cheap rubber sandals. Ka Mao’s
Swatch had remained under the landing of the apartment stairway where Ka Mao
had given it a special shelter, to be taken out only on special occasions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
trip he made that morning was one such special occasion. Ka Mao had decided he
had learned enough film scriptwriting to present his work to Celso.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Celso lived in Moonwalk Subdivision, a middle class housing site in Parañaque
City, where you needed a taxi to get to your destination. Manay Consoling had
given Ka Mao just enough for jeepney fare and no more, and Celso’s house was a
good many blocks away from the gate. His Swatch bore the grunt of the journey
just the same, though it might be special.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao felt very bullish about his meeting with Celso. He
had developed enough camaraderie with the director, having covered his film
shootings frequently in the past and given him and his films more than enough
mileage in the publications he edited. Asking Celso to give him a break in film
scriptwriting should not be a problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, Mao,” greeted Celso as he stepped out into the porch
where a maid had asked Ka Mao to wait after letting him into the compound. He
joined Ka Mao at the white-painted, wrought iron porch set, nearly squeezing
himself between the arms of the iron chair.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Clad in sleep slacks and sando, Celso was evidently fresh
from bed, but he nonetheless struck up the flamboyance characteristic of his
comportment. About the guy was a way of giving himself an air of superiority
over the rest. And as he stroked his protruding belly while he sat, Ka Mao
thought if Celso was not doing a Buddha in the Hindu God’s own heyday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso did look like Buddha in many a physical respect. He
was robust-framed, with bulging tummy, excess flesh here and there on the arms
and torso, and with his five-foot-five height tended to contract into a
veritable ball as he slouched between the arms of the iron chair. Above all,
when he grinned, which made his eyes even more chinky, and his mouth like the
slit of a coconut shell coin bank, he was almost everything Buddha come alive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso had all the reason to be vain. After making
“Nympha”, which boldly, courageously and with exquisite guts cast a nameless
housemaid in the lead role of a nymphomaniac, he gave signal that he was the
film director to beat after the era of Gerry de Leon and Lamberto V. Avellana.
Franklin Cabaluna had put it quite succinctly: “Celso Ad Castillo is the
Lamberto V. Avellana of today.” The reference, of course, was to flair and
conceit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
a time, the showbiz media had been dubbing him the Philippine version of Enfant
Terrible, a distinction attributed to Roman Polanski.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But though he loved the comparison, Celso
preferred to have his own showbiz moniker, The Kid, to embody all that was
young, and new and ingenious about him as the personification of the new breed
of Philippine film directors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How are you, Cels?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso was a man of few words. His flamboyance in most
instances was play-act and in instances where he needed to verbalize his
braggadocio, the words almost always came out as theatrics. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso nodded, smiling “I’m okay” while stroking his
protruding belly with his palms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Coffee, Mao.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao made himself coffee, rather fumbling with the
spoon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso eyed him with his characteristic probing stare. He
had had a period of enough familiarization with Ka Mao’s mannerism to see what
could be wrong with him now. There were tremors in his hands as Ka Mao scooped
powdered coffee from the tin server, creating a thin, tingling sound as the
spoon struck the lid of the porcelain cup.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re trembling,” Celso quipped. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sure, Ka Mao had jitters about how to start the topic
with Celso. But he realized his hands trembling was actually a particularity
about him: he should take rice for breakfast otherwise his nerves got shaky
towards noon. Having had to start early in his travel to Celso, he had no time
taking a heavy rice breakfast. He knew his tremors now, as it had always been,
were an alarm that it was time he took his lunch. He would be very embarrassed
to say this to Celso.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What you get when you have the habit of washing your hands
after much typing,” came Ka Mao’s alibi. “I’d say writer’s syndrome.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’ve had that syndrome once,” Celso said, actually
alluding to the time he was struggling to make a name in the creative field by
writing novels for comics publications.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, yes?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Empty stomach,” said Celso, flashing his enigmatic
smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao felt squeamish, embarrassed after all that Celso
knew he was hungry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso spoke to the maid.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Set the table for lunch.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I want to get busy writing again,” Ka Mao quipped,
side-stepping the idea of hunger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re not editing any magazines now?” Celso asked,
lighting a fresh stick of Marlboro with the one he was smoking before crushing
the butt into the ashtray. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No point fighting press repression with empty words,” Ka
Mao said, betraying inner bitterness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You want to get busy writing,” said Celso.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That’s
why I see you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso waited for Ka Mao to say his next word.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If I write scripts…,” Ka Mao paused, sizing up Celso’s
reaction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso took a puff at his cigarette.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I may not necessarily be subject to press repression,”
Ka Mao finished his words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We have the board of censors,” Celso warned impliedly</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Gimo De Vega is a man of letters.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We’re
both alumni of the MLQ,” Celso informed, in a way echoing the air of many a
renowned writer priding in their alma mater, the Manuel L. Quezon University.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
I heard. And he’s got high respects for your works,” said Ka Mao, remembering a
piece he had read in the past in which Gimo praised Celso for his “Asedillo,” a
true-to-life film on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the fabled rebel
hero of Laguna. Ka Mao had been enthralled by one particular high moment of the
movie wherein Fernando Poe, Jr., as Asedillo, rides into town alone on
horseback and rouses up the folks with his award-winning incantation: “Mga mamamayan
ng San Antonio, kayo ang ilog, ako ang isda. Kung wala kayo, saan ako lalangoy?
Papaano ako mabubuhay? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(People of San
Antonio. You are the river, I am the fish. Without you, where will I swim? How
can I live?)”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao recalled the lines to Celso, then said with a shade of boasting, “That’s
Mao Tse Tung.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
his characteristic ambiguous grin and a touch of mischief in his stare making
his eyes even more chinky, Celso stood, turned inside the house with a quip.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“A
minute Mao.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao trailed Celso’s steps toward the house with a remark, “Many writers in the
forefront of the anti-dictatorship movement are not just Gimo’s contemporaries.
They are also brothers in craft. With Gimo as Chairman of the Board of Censors,
I expect minimal restraint in getting progressive ideas across to an audience.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The maid stepped out and told Ka Mao, “Please get inside,
Sir.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From inside came Celso’s voice. “Come, Mao.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao rose and got himself led by the maid to the dining
table inside the house. Celso was taking the seat at the head of the table; Ka
Mao took the seat at the side next to Celso, who handed him a tiny red book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao gaped in amazement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Red Book by Mao Tse Tung!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the purpose for which he came to Celso that day, the
revelation was particularly elating for Ka Mao. It assured him that, if only in
matters of proletarian revolutionary politics, Celso was in the same wavelength
as he was. So Celso was sympathetic to the revolution. Ka Mao felt early on
that he wouldn’t have much problem inserting revolutionary ideas in the scripts
he would be doing for the director if ever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though he knew he had been abandoned by comrades, Ka Mao
had not even for once<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>forsaken the cause
of the working class. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso began having the meal, gesturing to Ka Mao to do
the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He said, “You were saying…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If I wrote movie scripts, I need not worry so much about
having my ideas reach the masses,” declared Ka Mao. He took his first bite of
pork adobo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
III</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">LONG lean days normally
precede the heyday of one’s career in filmmaking. Particularly for a
screenwriter whose work value is contingent not upon the merit of his job but
on the star value of the cast of a film project, it entails untold hardship even
just to do a take-off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the start of Ka Mao’s screenwriting career, tt was not uncommon to find quite a
number of screenwriters, many of them already boasting of credentials in the
craft, hanging around on the corner of T. Pinpin and Escolta streets in Binondo
where film production companies had their offices. Each of these guys,
invariably clipping in their arms folders of either finished scripts,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sequence treatments or story synopses of film
project proposals,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would be there as early
as eight o’clock in the morning to vend their works, their faces pale from
having missed breakfast and getting paler as the minutes would drag on toward
noon and no prospect of lunch ever coming. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence what rejoicing would the hopefuls break
into once any of them rushed out of a building, brandishing a check in his hand
as he announced it to be the down payment for a script he had just sold. The
lucky guy would rush to the barber shop nearby where a financier was ever
around to encash the check for a rediscounted amount, say less three percent if
the check was dated on the day or ten percent if post-dated for a week; the
longer the post-dating, the bigger the percentage of rediscount. And then the
guy, who himself had felt the pinch of missing meals for eons in the past,
would hail his colleagues to a blowout at the small coffee shop on a side
street where one would have his first taste of food for the day topped by a
possible slot as co-writer of the guy in the film assignment he had just
gotten.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If at all, what the difficulty suffered generally by
screenwriters in the Philippines brought to fore was a pure, sincere concern
one had for the other fellow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Early on in his attempt to make a breakthrough in
screenwriting, Ka Mao found himself associating with Robustiano Lu. Morota and
Jerry O. Tirazona, former colleagues in the movie press and who were staying
together in an apartment in Sta. Cruz, Manila. The two continued to be engaged
in movie journalism, while Tirazona was gaining the prestige of being a real
quick draw in screenwriting: one finished script overnight. Ka Mao had then not
yet gotten over his underground existence and was testing the waters, so to
speak, of resuming legal status. He needed to do this testing in a place apart
from the residence of his family or any of his relatives, and Morota and Jerry
were only too glad to accommodate him in their apartment – for which, as in his
eventual stay in Manay Consoling’s apartment on M. Hizon, he had given nothing
in return but eternal debt of gratitude. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Quite
in contrast to the experience of many a screen writer, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>starting a filmmaking career for Ka Mao had
been most auspicious. It was instantly a heyday. This was mainly because he was
riding on the crest of Celso’s popularity which had made The Kid the most
sought-after director in Philippine cinema in the Seventies. So as loaded as
Celso was with film directorial assignments, Ka Mao was with film script jobs.
After only a short while, Celso would admit to Ka Mao that he had completely
become dependent on Ka Mao’s script. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
of his films which became a grand FAMAS Award winner was under the credit of
two other screenwriters, but Celso had required him to be on the set of the
shooting of the film, making him do the lines which eventually turned out to be
the award-winning moments of the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
Ka Mao was spared the agony of having to peddle his works. Ka Mao had all
script assignments for the taking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His first collaboration with Celso was “Ang Madugong
Daigdig Ni Salvacion,” a sex-spiced drama set in the rustic island of Tulay
Buhangin (Sand Bridge) in Quezon Province. Its cast – Pilar Pilapil, Ricky
Belmonte, Johnee Gamboa, Vic Diaz, Robert Talabis and a newcomer sex nymphette,
Leila Hermosa – were not exactly the kind that would impress one as super duper
in terms of star value. But the chemistry of Celso as the New Messiah of
Philippine movies with media-hyped superb performers, a grandiose seascape for
a setting, and a pretentious theme that purported to be an allegory of the
political tyranny obtaining at the time, succeeded in creating an image of a big
film production.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even
before “Ang Madugong Daigdig Ni Salvacion” was half-way through shooting, two
offers came Celso’s way, one for a Vilma Santos-Christopher de Leon starrer,
and the other for any idea Celso would come up with. To the first offer, Ka Mao
showed Celso a script of a film adaptation of his first-ever published fiction,
“Forests Of The Heart”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which as filmed
Celso titled “Tag-Ulan Sa Tag-Araw”, and to the second offer, Celso responded
with a concept of a young woman forced into striptease act in order to sustain
medication for her ailing father. Celso had a title for the concept, “Burlesk
Queen”, and a germ of the story which Ka Mao would develop through his
screenplay accordingly as the shooting progressed. For the young striptease dancer,
Celso had in mind the then up-and-coming starlet, Lorna Tolentino, who had all
the needed attributes: youth, charm and allure, and a fresh undefiled body. On
top of all these, she had the acting prowess and terpsichorean skill.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
choice of Lorna was perfect, so it looked. And she was willing to do the
part,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>something rather controversial for
her age of sixteen. But her mother insisted on a fee which the producer, Romy
Ching of Ian Films, Inc., was not inclined to give. So the part went to Vilma
Santos finally.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
definitely, not that Vilma Santos was a poor second choice. As it turned out,
she was the best choice for the role, which in the subsequent 1977 Metro Manila
Film Festival won for her the Best Actress Award – along with the Best Actor
Award for Rolly Quizon, Best Supporting Actor Award for Joonee Gamboa, and Best
Supporting Actress Award for Rosemarie Gil. All in all. “Burlesk Queen” won all
but one of twelve awards in that festival, including the Best Picture Award,
the Best Director Award for Celso and the Best Screenplay for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
accepting the award – a huge bronze medallion which award presentor Eddie
Garcia took fancy in taking time hanging on a ribbon around Ka Mao’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>neck – Ka Mao declared: “I did want to say
something with ‘Burlesk Queen’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it
is that art rises or falls accordingly as those in control of political power
allows it to rise or fall.” He ended his acceptance speech by enjoining his
listeners to “transform art from being an instrument for personal gain to being
an instrument for social good.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Uttered
at a time when the martial law rule was about only just beginning its upsurge,
the short speech elicited good reaction. A group, evidently activism-friendly,
clapped their hands hard, stomped their feet on the floor, while letting out a
challenging hoot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If,
indeed, there’s a feeling of being made, this is it, Ka Mao told himself as he
tarried onstage acknowledging the mild audience cheers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reactions
to Ka Mao’s speech continued days after the occasion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Franklin
Cabaluna congratulated him but did not fail to mention negative comments from
some quarters that the speech was rehearsed, memorized. Ka Mao had had enough
doses of grain of salt in the past to be affected. Franklin also told of a
criticism by a film cineaste from Europe that “Burlesk Queen” was in the most
part “nitty gritty”, whatever that meant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Most
serious was the remark from Pete Lacaba, who had just been released from months
of incarceration at Camp Crame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Take
care,” said Pete when they met a period after the event.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Curt
as it was, Pete’s caution spoke of all that must be felt by someone who had had
a good dash of state fascism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Strangely
enough, Ka Mao felt elated by the warning. It meant he was being minded, it
meant he mattered. He knew too well that the saddest thing for a writer – for
any artist at that – is to realize that no one is paying attention to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
it seemed everybody was cuddling up to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
producer, a lady, implored him: “Your ‘The Relationship’, do let it be mine.” A
gay line producer, speaking for his boss, reminded him with virtual plea,
“Remember, your “Kabaret”, you offered it to us first. The two were speaking of
film projects Ka Mao had early on vended to them but elicited hardly no
attention. A fellow scriptwriter, desperate for some monetary commission by
which to spend in the horse racetracks, rummaged through his folders of film
manuscripts and singled out “Pag-ibig… Magkano Ka?”, exclaiming: “Yes! This is
it. The title alone is a sure money-maker. I’ll bring this to Leroy, he is
intending to start a film company.” The guy named Tommy was referring to Leroy
Salvador of the famed show business Salvador clan. Shortly after, Leroy
established Showbiz, Inc., with that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka
Mao’s screenplay as its initial venture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Still
a bachelor at the time, Ka Mao was staying on a monthly basis at Regency Hotel
on Avenida Rizal owned by Mother Lily Monteverde of Regal Films. Such stay, a
very costly one by any standard, was precisely the leverage Ka Mao got for
assurance of film assignments from the outfit: the company had better given him
jobs or he wouldn’t be able to pay his hotel bills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was really not that kind of writer who cranked out scripts overnight. One
time, he observed the late Jerry Tirazona pounding the typewriter all night long
and by dawn wrote 30 to the screenplay he was to deliver to a producer first
hour in the morning. How Ka Mao chuckled at the feat. He cringed to himself, “I
just can’t do it that way.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao took time writing a film script. The gestation alone consumed eternities,
so it would seem to him. How was he then able to cope with the swamp of offers
that came his way after hitting it big with Celso?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
one thing, he had had eternities, too, of doing nothing but read and write
after dropping out of college, during spare times and at nights in that period
of doing household chores in Manay Consoling’s apartment. Anything that came to
his mind and he found worth enough turning into a story, he wrote. And when he
began systematically transforming those stories into the cinematic form by way
of concretizing the self-learning he acquired from his trips to the Thomas
Jefferson Library, he was actually creating a deep pool of screenplays that
would come in handy now that producers were queuing up to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
for the most part, he was in the late thirties, much grown from the twelve
year-old-elementary-graduate who ventured into Manila to search for the
proverbial pot of gold but was immediately confronted with the stench and
squalor of the city and at the same time with sights and sounds of ceaseless
glitter and merrymaking. This irony that to Ka Mao best described Manila
provided a rich source of substance for many a tale which by some irresistible
urge Ka Mao just found himself committing to writing on whatever surface he
could lay his hands on: a vacant page of old used notebooks, on smoothened
crumpled pads and bond paper, on yellow pads whenever he could afford to buy
one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
good thing about that kind of writing, Ka Mao was doing it not for a price and
so produced true mirrors of life. When turned into films, that writing had a
built-in universal appeal, i.e., commercial success. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prior
to the judging for awards in the 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival, Ricky Lee,
who hadn’t quite started on his binge of promoting himself as the country’s top
screenwriter, barged into Ka Mao’s hotel suite, asking to see a copy of the
script of “Burlesk Queen”. What Ka Mao was able to show were scribblings on
yellow pad on a clipboard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Burlesk
Queen” was not written on a typewriter. It was written on the set, with a
ballpen on a yellow pad clipped on a board, conforming to the requirements of
the scenes scheduled for shooting. Celso discusses the sequence with Ka Mao,
then proceeds to block the actors, direct the camera movements, including
lighting effects, then without any warning, turns to Ka Mao: “Mao, dialogue.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
first time Celso did that to Ka Mao in the shooting of “Salvacion”, Ka Mao was
literally dumbfounded: Celso had not discussed with him about lines to speak in
the scene. So very discreetly, Ka Mao sidled up to Celso and whispered, “Cels,
we have not talked about it.” But the actors had been blocked, camera work
directed, and the rehearsals that had been set up inevitably had to proceed,
and Celso was quick to Ka Mao’s rescue. He took Joonee Gamboa’s placement,
“Masakit ito sa kalooban ko. (“This is against my will.)”, then moved over to
Ricky Belmonte’s position, countering, “Kalooban? Kalooban mo rin ba na anakan
ang ina ko – at ako ang maging anak! (“Your will? Was it also your will to
impregnate my mother with a child – and I to be that child!)” Joonee Gamboa was
playing the role of a priest, who only during the shooting of that particular
scene, was revealed to be Ricky Belmonte’s father in the story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Celso, no script was ever final until it was shot – no, not ever final until
the shot scene had been thoroughly edited and the strips of cut film spliced
together to make a final whole – no, not yet, not ever final until the edited
whole had gone through the gamut of dubbing, music and effects lay-in, sound mixing
and, at long last, the negatives had been copied into positive prints – when it
was no longer practical to introduce any further changes in the creative
process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was very enlightening for Ka Mao to observe that Celso had a firm hand on film
creation every step along the way – from gestation, to writing, to production
and post-production – no, not yet, all the way to devising marketing slants
like catchlines in publicity materials. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Much
much later in the progress of Ka Mao’s film career, he had some little verbal
tussle with Alicia Alonso, mother of now current Star Cinema talent, Maja
Salvador, over the direction in the script of “Walang Panginoon,” one of the
more serious films he did for Seiko Films. She must have had motivated herself
into a heavy crying scene so that she felt shortchanged when in executing the
scene, Ka Mao directed her to do her lines with melancholy, all right, but not
with tears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alicia
flashed before Ka Mao’s face the page of the script which directed the actress
to do the scene in stereotype tear-drenched melodrama.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“See?,”
she said complainingly. “The script says I should cry. It’s your script. You
wrote it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“No
need to cry,” Ka Mao insisted. And he ordered, “Take.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
the actress failed to realize was that Ka Mao was doing a Celso. That Ka Mao
did not find it necessary to explain it to her, was another doing of a Celso. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Celso never found time to expound to Ka Mao but which Ka Mao imbibed through
sheer observation of The Kid’s mannerism, style and method, was that a director
has all the prerogative of doing whatever he pleases to do with the film
assigned to him to be done. Ka Mao had come to realize that when a producer
asked him to do a film, implicit in the offer was an assurance from him that
that film would make fair returns on the producer’s investment. Assurance of
such returns were no one else’s obligation but his and so it behooved him and
no one else all sorts of prerogatives in crafting the film, from rewriting the
story, to overhauling the entire script, to getting a firm hand on all aspects
of the film production process, including editing, laying in of music and
effects, introducing in every step along the way any change necessary to ensure
that the film made money when finally shown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
by Ka Mao’s criterion, no right-minded actor must dare get the gall to tell a
director what to do. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mainly for this
reason, Ka Mao was averse to directing superstars who in every case actually
themselves direct their scenes in a movie. In time, he would be known as a
star-builder because he preferred to direct complete unknowns like what Celso
did with the house helper Rizza in “Nympha”. In many a time during the shooting
of the film, Celso himself would act out the way Rizza should do a scene and in
just as many a time, the girl, due to sheer inexperience, would fail to do it
the way Celso wanted. In most of those many times, Celso found himself wanting
to blow his top. But he never did. He coached the young hopeful patiently, devotedly,
in fact, until she struck the right acting he wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from turning out to be a box-office
hit, “Nympha” earned for the sultry Chabacana housemaid the distinction o being
among the BEST FIVE ACTRESSES in the subsequent FAMAS Awards night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Quite
many of Ka Mao’s movies were launching pads for newcomers: Stella Strada in
“Kirot”, his script and subsequently in “Angkinin Mo Ako,” his direction, too;
Rey PJ Abellana and Leni Santos in “Iiyak Ka Rin” together with Julie Vega;
Lani Mercado in “Sa Ngalan ng Anak”; Jestoni Alarcon and Rita Avila in “Huwag
Mong Buhayin Ang Bangkay,” third Best Picture in the 1987 Metro Manila Film
Festival; Maita Soriano in “Gatas”; Ruffa Guttierez in, first, “Huwag Kang
Hahalik Sa Diablo” together with similar neophytes Jean Garcia, Cristina Paner
and Isabel Granada, then “Isang Gabi, Tatlong Babae”; Sunshine Cruz in “First
Time Like A Virgin”; Cristina Gonzales in “Bad Girl”; Klaudia Koronel<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in “Kesong Puti”; Aila Marie in “May Gatas Pa
Sa Labi”; Ramona Rivilla in “Sambahin Ang Puri Ko”; Rosita Rosal in “Hayop Sa
Ganda”; Cesar Montano in “Machete”; Rossana Roces in “Machete II”; Priscilla
Almeda in “Halimuyak ng Babae”; Natasha Ledesma in “Kiliti”; Nini Jacinto in
“Talong”;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brigitte de Joya in “Kangkong”;
oh, the list is long.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
these films were blockbusters, and this pointed to one incontrovertible fact:
stars don’t make movie hits. What, then? Ka Mao would get crystallized on in
due time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the time being, what mattered to Ka Mao was to get across to people that in the
matter of film direction , his authority must be absolute. Not even the producer
was to meddle in his job. The film flops at the box-office, the director gets
the flak, that’s why in ensuring that his films made money, Ka Mao had resolved
that he alone must be responsible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
the time “Burlesk Queen” was underway, Ka Mao had grown accustomed to Celso’s
style and provided the lines, though written on the set, perfectly as demanded
by Celso. As mentioned already, “Burlesk Queen” won all but one of twelve
awards in the 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival, including the Best Screenplay
for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Ricky Lee went barging into Ka Mao’s hotel suite, asking for a copy of the
script of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Burlesk Queen”, what he did
not realize was that Ka Mao was not writing that script according to norms
Ricky Lee must have garnered from the academe but according to principles Ka
Mao himself had firmed up in his self-study of the craft, i.e., that nobody
writes things he hasn’t himself lived. Consequently, any writing in violation
of this principle is unrealistic and achieves only pretentiousness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had no difficulty writing “Burlesk Queen” on the set. He only needed to
think back on that long period of stay with Mamay Oliva in that P. Gomez,
Quiapo apartment to be able to turn out a realistic and poignant piece of
reminiscences: when he scrimped on his measly daily school allowance so that
with the savings he could steal a weekend view of the burlesque show at Inday
Theater just a block away on Aroceros Street. Those reminiscences combined with
social insights Ka Mao gained in his subsequent struggles in the city to be
molded, in Celso’s impeccable grasp of film art, into a great film masterpiece.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celso
did not produce “Burlesk Queen”; Romy Ching of Ian Films did. But when the Best
Picture Award was received by Celso for the company during that awards night,
he was receiving it for himself forever. Up until he died three years ago, he
held on to the Best Picture trophy –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>never letting it go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Kabaret,”
produced by Showbiz, Inc. and directed by Leroy Salvador, was a similar case.
It only took Ka Mao to recall his gallivanting days, or nights, in the cabarets
– actually cheap flesh spots – on Fifth Avenue in Caloocan to come up with a
meaningful movie on the theme of prostitution. In a most subtle way, Ka Mao
actually intended the project to be an allegory of the virtual prostitution the
martial law regime had immersed Philippine society. For obvious reasons, Ka Mao
could only do so much in delivering the message, and that the message was not
grasped at all on a mass scale, Ka Mao thought it was a failure attributable to
the limitations of figure of speech.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
want to agitate the masses into action, do it straightforward. People don’t go
rebelling on the strength of poetry and metaphors. The late Felixberto Olalia,
on the eve of the declaration of martial law when he was heading the May Day
Revolutionary Committee, pointed out that the Russian Revolution broke out not
on any intellectualized, pretentious advocacy as the struggle against
imperialism or the establishment of a national democracy but on the simple,
sincere, literal call for “Bread! Bread!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
call galvanized the Russian masses into the first bloodless People Power revolt
in history to overthrow the centuries-old dynasty of the Romanovs, paving the
way for the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Such
an uprising in the Philippine setting would be a nice material for a movie Ka
Mao would much like to do. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao hardly realized that the circumstances for such a movie were already in the
making.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER IV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CELSO AD CASTILLO AND
ASSOCIATES was suddenly the talk of the town in the film industry. With a grand
blessing of its offices on the top floor of a building in the corner of Avenida
Rizal and Carriedo Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila, the film company which Celso
established in the aftermath of the “Burlesk Queen” windfall served serious
notice that The Kid was living true to claims that he was the Messiah
long-awaited to revive a film industry widely chastised for its affliction with
base commercialism and mediocrity. And Celso had had enough prestige to command
support from the entertainment media in hyping this theme effectively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All of a sudden, Celso was already the producer to reckon
with in Philippine cinema. At first glance, this was a plus factor. But coming
down to brass tasks, he had nothing so far to back up this claim. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
had a title, all right: “Daluyong At Habagat”. Good enough to evoke something
grand and tumultuous, an epic turbulence. The cast was, as in “Salvacion”, a
defiance of the current<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>formula of casting
superstars in lead roles. Actually this defiance was functional in Celso’s
case, i.e., to highlight the one single star of the project, the Director. Its
concession to the star-value system was apparently the topbilling of the cast
by known performers Vic Vargas and Pinky de Leon, plus the inclusion of what
then was being hyped as the newest sex kitten, Alma Moreno, who was introduced
in “Tag-Ulan sa Tag-araw”. To play pivotal roles were, again, Ricky Belmonte
and Joonee Gamboa together with Lito Anzures, Best Supporting Actor awardee for
his brilliant performance in the Miss Universe Gloria Diaz-starrer “Ang
Pinakamagandang Hayop Sa Balat ng Lupa”, which triggered Celso’s soar to fame.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
already had, too, even a catchline already boasting of what a great movie the
first venture of Celso Ad Castillo and Associates would be: A NEW BREED OF
PERFORMERS IN A GIANT OF A MOTION PICTURE!.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Only
question was, what is the story about. That one single lack, Ka Mao evidently
had to fill in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celso
had in mind the great Hollywood movie “The Godfather” when he sat down with Ka
Mao to discuss the concept: a poor guy who through gangsterism rises to be the
kingpin of the underworld. The story was set in the days immediately following
the liberation of the Philippines by American forces from Japanese occupation
in 1945.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
in all cases, Ka Mao just nodded to Celso’s ideas. He had grown used to Celso
agreeing to his own ideas which he would eventually contribute when he finally
got the screenplay written. It would even appear that Celso put out ideas as deliberate
baits for Ka Mao to modify or improve on, knowing that Ka Mao would not agree
to anything wrong by his own standard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
his own standard, a copycat of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The
Godfather” was a no-no for Ka Mao. He was too self-respecting to be caught
copying somebody else’s thoughts. Concept-wise, Celso’s idea was good;
ganglordism is a universal phenomenon and a film may not be accused of
plagiarizing “The Godfather” by tackling the same theme. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao identified the problem: how to do a “The Godfather”-like movie without
being an imitation of it. He did not have to wring his brain so much. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Just
go by your own writing principle, he told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao saw the opportunity of depicting in a movie what until then was dearest to
his heart: the great proletarian revolution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
poor boy rising to the top of gangland, Ka Mao took that hook, line and sinker.
But the whys and the wherefores were entirely his handiwork, which gladly sat
well with Celso. Reporting to the shooting set in famous ruins of San Juan,
Celso proudly boasted to staff, crew and cast: “You people realize what we’re
making? We’re doing a great proletarian movie.” And he flashed to everyone the
poster he was carrying to be integrated with the production design: a large
portrait of Karl Marx.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How
proletarian was “Daluyong At Habagat”? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
finished product speaks for itself. At the start, vignettes of poor folks’ life
in the slums of Intramuros, the Walled City center of Spanish Colonial
Philippines. In the aftermath of America’s ravagement of Manila in the guise of
liberation, Intramuros had been transformed into a despicable, albeit grand,
showcase of post-war squalor. Flesh trade in dingy alleys. Cheap entertainment
in rowdy honky-tonks. Workers slaving in factories. Old and young scavenging in
a scrap yard. A sixtyish man sawing an unexploded bombshell to cut it into
pieces of scrap. The shell explodes, shattering the man into smithereens. Thus
starts the shift of the otherwise straight-living son of the bomb blast victim
into the path of crime to rise in social status. This development is paralleled
by workers threading the path of revolutionary social upheaval to achieve
liberation from poverty. The son rises to the zenith of gangland supremacy, but
being individual, his rise is met with opposition as is characteristic of
gangland rivalry. He ends up getting massacred with his men in an explosive
ambush, while in the streets of Manila erupts a thousands-strong uprising of
workers defiantly rending the air with a stirring mass rendition of the
“Internationale.” As the militant workers leader puts in, “We cannot hope to
rise above poverty without first destroying the rotten system of society.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">University
of the Philippines professor and respected critic, Petronilo Bn. Daroy, in an
article in the Daily Express, had this to say of the movie: “Daluyong at
Habagat” is today what “El Filibusterismo” was during the Spanish colonial
regime.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celso
could not have had a better timing for his initial work as a producer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Martial
Law was into its sixth year at the time and did not appear to be anywhere
ending in the foreseeable future. Though the armed struggle of the so-called
National Democratic Front seemed to be attaining sizeable headway in the
countryside, in the main arena which were the cities, the Marcos dictatorship
had things well under control, so to speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
exchange rate stood at P7.36 to 1$, which, compared to the current rate of more
or less P50 to a dollar, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>indicated a
healthy society on the economic front.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the political front, Ninoy Aquino, though remaining in prison, dared lead the
opposition to Martial Law in contending for the seats in the Interim Batasan
Pambansa. The entire opposition ticket was trashed into oblivion with a dismal
score of O. Besting them was the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) ticket headed by
First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
Ka Mao, what became a barometer for whether or not the revolution would succeed
was the establishment of the SM City North. If, as the Communist Party of the
Philippines predicted, the revolution would succeed in establishing socialism
in the country, was it not stupid of the SM entrepreneurs to start building a
capitalistic empire in what could shortly become<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a hub of socialism and communism?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But SM had been well on track over the
current decade. From a small shoe store beside the old Ideal Theater on Avenida
Rizal, it grew into a full-blown department store, built on the very spot in
Araneta Center which had become the Waterloo of the strike by KAMAO against the
Makabayan Publishing Corporation. In that respect, then, the KAMAO defeat was a
foreboding of a truly gargantuan disaster of the working class struggle in the
Philippines in inverse proportion to the upswing of SM malls the country over.
Today, as SM malls dominate the Philippine retail industry, consequently
transforming Henry Sy into the country’s richest man, the national democratic
revolution and its instrumentalities Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)
and New People’s Army (NPA) had been reduced to where it was before the KAMAO
strike began.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
it was great wonder that SM did not commit any stupidity of building a
capitalistic empire in the midst of what appeared to be widespread socialistic
uprising.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
proved to be stupid was the reverse: building a socialistic armed revolution in
the midst of a burgeoning capitalism. As, they say, you cannot argue against
success – which translates to, you cannot argue against the success of Henry Sy
– so you cannot argue against failure – which translates to, you cannot argue
against the failure of the national democratic revolution. These two givens
just speak for themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
did the failure of the KAMAO strike speak for itself: it was stupid to believe
that one local strike, no matter how courageous and militant, could bring about
the liberation of the proletariat. In many a moment when Ka Mao indulged in
self-searching, he would find himself fancying that had he not been stupid to
launch that inutile strike, he would have remained in the good graces of the
Aranetas and would have had some nice placement in the bureaucracy of the
Aranetas’ own empire, which had become formidable, too, in its own right.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
yet, and yet…When the opportunity to promote proletarian revolutionary politics
in his movies came, he grabbed it like he was gobbling it for the first time. The
heck if Pete had warned him, “Take care.” It was as if he was willing to go
through it all over again: the skirmishes with police and security guards, the
rendezvous with bullets, pill box bombs, Molotov cocktails and grenades, the daring-do
of getting his body threateningly run over by tires of strike-breaking trucks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ah,
the deathless romance of the First Quarter Storm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No,
there was no stupidity in the whole exhilarating exercise. That vested
capitalistic interests might be pulling the strings behind the revolutionary
movement was beside the point. What mattered was that Ka Mao and one whole
generation of idealistic youth were getting baptized into the fire and fury of
proletarian revolution and everyone did his part sincerely and well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the final analysis, albeit without Ka Mao realizing it, when he took “Daluyong
at Habagat” as an opportunity for renewing his espousal of the proletarian
struggle, he was not taking it as an argument against the failure of the
national democratic revolution. He was taking it as an agreement with destiny,
success or failure regardless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was a matter of course that elements from the national democratic movement
began gravitating around him in that period. He was not only slanting his
screenplays toward the workers struggle; he was actually engaging again in
revolutionary organizing, this time in the industry he now belonged in, the movies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Together
with Pete, he took the initiative of forming the Screenwriters Guild of the
Philippines. Ricky Lee, increasingly identifying himself as a screenwriter, was
contributing his own share in the endeavor. During one consultation with Ka
Mao, he suggested that Pete, though a renowned journalist, had not yet done
much screenwriting to be head of the group. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
all due respect though, Pete would turn out a number of screenplays that would
be rated as among the truly significant condemnations of the martial law
regime, to wit, “Jaguar”, “Kapit Sa Patalim”, and “Ora Pronobis.” All films
were directed by Lino Brocka, who endeavored to generate international
attention for these, Pete’s works..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though
Pete was the interim president of the screenwriters guild, the SGP, in the
elections held at the Caloocan residence of Marina Feleo Gonzales, Tony Mortel,
then editor of People’s Journal, was elected president. It was a wide consensus
among guild members that Tony was in the best position to gain benefits for the
screenwriting profession. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At any rate, Ka Mao’s organizing effort was
again catching the Party’s attention. This became evident to him when during a
chance meeting with writer and stage director Behn Cervantes in the house of
actress Rita Gomez, he was asked by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behn
how the union was progressing. Behn was referring to the screenwriters guild.
Behn’s interest betrayed he was in on Ka Mao;s initiative as a Party element;
an information Ka Mao had gotten revealed Behn was a responsible element of the
Party cultural bureau, so Behn asked the question as somebody asserting
superiority over him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was farthest from Ka Mao’s mind, however, of doing union work in the ranks of
artists. As Bayani had cautioned him a number of times, artists are the hardest
sector to organize. This is because, artists are so individualistic that not
one artist will admit he is inferior to the other. Ka Mao observed one time a
fellow director shouting to everyone on the set before taking a scene, “Nobody
makes suggestions.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao’s idea of a screenwriters union is one honed on the principles of the
working class: fearless, dedicated, selfless. Sure, the objective was for an
upping of economic benefits of screenwriters, but the method was political. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
that reason, during one meeting, Ka Mao did the rigors of political economy to
determine the minimum fee for a screenplay, in much the same way he would
compute the minimum wage for a factory worker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He hadn’t quite gotten over Marxist doctrine on capitalistic
exploitation of the proletariat which summed up into the theory of surplus
value. Pete cut him short.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Let’s
be brief about this. How much?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao appeared stupefied for a moment. How could he ever be brief about the
matter? By Marxist reckoning, what a capitalist can be entitled to in the value
created in the commodity are portions of that value corresponding to the amount
of raw materials and machine used for producing the commodity. Such value does
not vary in any phase of the production process and so contributes nothing to
the value created once the raw materials are turned into commodity. The source
of the created value – the surplus value – cannot but be the labor power
infused by the workers in the commodity. Determining surplus value along this
reckoning in the case of filmmaking requires a more complicated process, since
the categories of labor involved in doing a movie are as varied as the elements
comprising the finished product: story, script, music, editing, production
design, sound engineering, special effects, dubbing, direction, acting of the
performers, and, finally, labor of the production and post-production crew.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao just found himself silently asking: How can I be brief about such
multi-faceted complication?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
somebody suggested, “Let’s peg it at fifteen thousand,” it got carried. And
since then, the minimum screenplay fee, at the time running at seven thousand
pesos, was upped to and standardized at P15,000. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao felt it was too low. But he kept his feeling to himself. Realizing early
on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>how difficult, as Bayani had often
advised him, it was to get film artists agree on anything, he decided to
himself that a screenwriter’s fee is a matter of individual artist outlook; he
had his own outlook which he thought he’d get done through his own private
means.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
best way, he resolved to himself, is to direct his movies. That way he could
package the fee for the screenplay with that for direction. Because directors
enjoy a high degree of prerogative in determining who and how much to pay for
those to involve in filming a movie, chances were good that if he could direct
his own movies, he could command a price for his screenplays that he could
consider right: ten times over. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
package price he got for one of the last films Ka Mao had directed, “Bakit
Kailangan ng Ibon and Pakpak?”, was P550,000.00, P400,000.00 for direction –
P150,000.00 for screenplay. As Ka Mao had reckoned early on, ten times over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meantime,
he had to make do with the P15,000.00 that had been agreed in the meeting. Of
course the consensus reached did not bar anyone from charging more than fifteen
thousand pesos for a script; the intention was to set a ceiling below which no
guild member could go. But screenwriting being a highly-competitive field –
worse even, its importance in the industry is much subsumed to that of the
obtaining star system in which the commercial value of movies was ascribed more
to the stars than anything else – you price your work too high, you price
yourself out of competition.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Ka Mao’s particular case, a new imperative served to determine his actions
during the period. He realized he wasn’t getting any younger and he felt he
could no longer contain himself to seeking momentary pleasures with bar girls
and cabaret dancers whenever the urge for sex seized him. He wanted more
permanent happiness, not much really like having a partner with whom to have
personal pleasures but rather more like having own kids to raise and look after
and work a good life for.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
V</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SWEET was how Ka Mao
began to call the girl colleague Felix Dalay brought before him for audition
one afternoon. She was Betchay, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
seventeen-year-old third-high-schooler who fancied herself<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>becoming a movie star and quite excitedly
agreed when Felix, who had met her in a shooting set, offered to introduce her
to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Much, much later in the story, during a session of the
Marriage Encounter movement under the auspices of the Cactholic Light in the
Spirit Seminar, when Ka Mao was asked what attracted him most to the girl, he
said, “Her hips.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was how it was that afternoon Felix brought Betchay
to the hotel suite which until then Ka Mao continued to occupy. It was
physical, all right. What her hips evoked were imageries of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shapely statues of goddesses, of girls
romping around in bikinis on beaches, or of belly dancers doing erotic
performances. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One other thing which the Priest Moderator in the
Marriage Encounter session did not ask about but which sealed Ka Mao’s decision
to take Betchay for a wife was her status in life. He visited her at last in
her home and just found himself melting in pity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
in the yard of a typical hoveler’s shack in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>rubbish-ridden surroundings on the edge of an unattended, abandoned fish
pond, the girl, rather slim for her age, was munching a sugar cane stem like it
was to sate the hunger evident in her face; the cane was freshly cut from a
bunch grown in the yard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Why
are you here?” she asked, almost with a snub, a pout in her mouth but a glint
of ache in her eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it
embarrassed her to be found by Ka Mao in that condition and she had to play act
something for a defense mechanism. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Enthused by the presence of Ka Mao were Betchay’s
youngest siblings, two adolescent girls and a nine-year-old boy. They giggle to
one another, their gestures teasingly insinuating<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sweet, nice relationship between Ka Mao and
Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Won’t you be gone,” growled Betchay at the kids.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Your siblings?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m Maricar,” said the elder of the two girls.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m Eva,” said the younger one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Bobong,” said the boy, cutting in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So you’re four kids in the family?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No, we’re seven,” informed Maricar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where are the others?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Kuya Victor and Kuya Jonathan, roaming around,” said
Bobong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ate Bebe is in school,” said Maricar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about you three, why are you not in school?” queried
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay quickly butted in, not wanting to hear what the
kids were to answer, “Won’t you just be gone. Go, go…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bobong was quick at replying. He said, “We’ve got no
allowance.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ate Betchay, too. She has no allowance so she is absent
today,” continued Bobong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao faced Betchay, “Where are your parernts? Why
didn’t they give you your allowances?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Papa is a jeepney driver but hasn’t had trips the past
days. He had no money to give us when he left to work today,” said Maricar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about your mother?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Mama is a dressmaker,” said Betchay, firmly gritting her
jaws. “She attends to our needs. She had to leave early and did not expect that
Papa wouldn’t be able to give our allowance. This does not happen everyday.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao took a split-second to decide on something. He
fished three hundred-peso bills from his pocket and give one each to the two
girls and the boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s time to catch up with your classes. Go,” said Ka
Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay could only stare at Ka Mao, who took care not to
look at her lest he got her embarrassed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao gladly trailed Betchay’s sisters and brother with
his eyes as they hurried inside the shack to get dressed for school. Then he was
distracted by Betchay’s continuing to stare at him almost defiantly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Anything wrong I did?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay managed a pain-laden, self-consoling smile. She
said, “This is my life. So what’s it to you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Look. Let me take you to school so you may catch up with
your classes. Then afterward, I can treat you to a movie,” Ka Mao was pretty
prudent with the way he said the words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That Betchay welcomed Ka Mao’s offer after all was
betrayed by her words as she turned into the house, “I’ll only be a minute.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That date in Odeon Theater was the beginning. The many
afternoons afterward were the interludes, when she would proceed to Ka Mao’s
hotel suite after school, there to do her homework and then enjoy ubiquitous
chopsuey rice dinner with him before going home. And that evening she could no
longer refuse his urgings and opened herself up to him completely was the
beautiful finale.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With voice aching as she clung to his shoulders, she said,
almost pleading, “Don’t forsake me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay actually had Ka Mao all to herself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had never lain any girl in love for a fling. The greatest myth about him
ever told was that because for a period he had been known as a bold director,
he had had a heyday bedding bold stars. None of it. He had flatly rejected
quite a few offers from sex stars to sleep with him. From as far back as his
youth, his outlook on sexual union outside of prostitution is that it is an act
meant for a lasting relationship. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure
he had had many a lay with other girls before, but all those were for a price
and in Ka Mao’s view, he only got his money’s worth for doing it. No need to
feel any guilt about it nor qualms of any kind. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the case of Lala, Ka Mao did not abandon her; she did him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Ka Mao never told Betchay – for it was a matter of a deep ideological resolve –
was that – no matter, too, the deep naivette inherent in his resolve – in order
to be consistent with his proletarian revolutionary conviction, he must have
for a wife somebody from the despised, wretched sector of society called
squatters. Ka Mao utterly failed to consider that it is not to be a squatter to
qualify as proletarian but rather for anyone, regardless of station in life, to
embrace proletarian class standpoint, viewpoint and method.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was doing it perfectly right when on at least two occasions, he attempted
to strike up amorous relationship with girl comrades in the KASAMA Party Group.
With Ka Openg, from the Propaganda Bureau, the attempt was frustrated when Ka
Erning, another member of the Educational Department, became more aggressive in
winning her, ultimately marrying her in Party ceremonies conducted by no less
than Banero, head of the NTUB.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Ka Didith, from the cultural group Panday Sining, who was a constant visitor in
the KASAMA headquarters, the attempt, punctuated by what Ka Mao thought was a
wrong he did but which he wanted to set right by marrying her, was aborted by
her sudden deployment to the Visayas, there to do her party task. She had been
unheard of by Ka Mao eversince.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Betchay, the paramount revolutionary
criteria for choosing a mate was completely lost to Ka Mao. Here was a girl, no
less proletarian than any of the workers whose liberation from oppression and
exploitation he had vowed to work for. Didn’t she deserve just as much devotion
from him as he had for any of those in the working class?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had resolved to stand by his responsibility to Betchay<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that very same night she gave all of her to
him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
one evening Ka Mao arrived home in the hotel suite and found a forty-year-old
woman waiting, he immediately surmised what was up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
was attending to the woman. She spoke with a mixture of jitters and put-on
lightheartedness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“My
mama,” Betchay introduced the woman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh,
how do you do?” said Ka Mao, not quite knowing how to make himself sound,
whether evasive, apologetic, or apprehensive. He was expecting some harsh response,
as all telenovelas go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
none of it when the woman spoke. With no trace of animosity whatsoever, she
spoke quite calmly, even meekly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
how is this to be now?” she said, clearly trying not to sound offensive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao understood what the woman meant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I will marry her,” he said, eyeing Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay had never been showy of her inner feelings. But
there was a coy smile on her lips, a girlish glint in her eyes.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
VI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ALTHOUGH Ka Mao’s
Antipolo lot had a very wide frontage on Sumulong Highway, he chose the spot at
the back beside the creek on which to build his house. The spot was shaded by a
large century-old mango tree on a side, a grove of bamboo trees on the opposite
side, on a lower level of the slope, and an enormous acacia tree with a wide
spread of large branches on the other side of the creek. In this position,
hardly was there any hour of the day when the house wouldn’t be shaded from the
sun, except in the early morning, when sun rays would shoot through bushes from
the eastern horizon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It pained Ka Mao somehow that he had to destroy a large
patch of yellow ginger in flattening the area on which to build the house. He
always took care that he did not hurt any vegetation in doing any endeavor. But
the area had to be flattened on which to lay out the cement floor, and so the
ginger must go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was a simple square house that Ka Mao put up: average-size
square post each on the four corners, two layers of hollow blocks wall joining
them on the ground, with wooden beams on the tops on which were fastened the
wooden trusses; wooden purlins <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>held the
trusses in place and on which were nailed the bamboo slats for tying the nipa
roofing on. The walls were consisted of webbed bamboo barks which similarly
wall the frames of the window covers; the windows had bamboo slats for grills.
The main door, also made of bamboo slats , was facing the area shaded by a huge
low-lying branch of the century old mango tree. A porch was set up on the side
facing the highway, serving as a side-entrance to the house, through the
kitchen. Adjoining the kitchen is a beddings storage room. All sidings of the
porch, kitchen and beddings storage room, like those of the house proper, were
done in webbed bamboo barks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bert Putol, so-called because of his deformed left hand
which had all four fingers joined together and their tips joined up with the
thumb, was, for all his infirmity, a skilled mason-carpenter but whom Ka Mao
paid a pittance for erecting the house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Someday I’ll have a house just like this,” said Bert
Putol by way of admiring his finished work.</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ah…,” Ka Mao wanted to wax poetry. “House where no sun
can burn with heat nor water stop from flowing like hope that springs eternal.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s true,” said Bert Putol. “Springs in this area
never dry up even in the hottest of summer,”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According to Bert Putol, the creek joined up with bigger
streams of water downhill to form the legendary falls called Hinulugang Taktak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>observed
that the creek ran through the adjacent 11-hectare lot called Valdez Farm at
the time, being owned by Ambassador Carlos Valdez.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ambassador Valdez must be an environmentalist,” Ka Mao
commented. “Water flowing from his property carries no garbage at all as it outs
into mine. That’s why I wanted our house built here. Water is so clean we can use
it for all our water needs.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Except for drinking, of course,” said Bert Putol.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Still no problem,” quickly retorted Ka Mao. “Plenty of
springs.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao walked over to one gush of water on the creekside,
scoops some with his hand and drank it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This has always been my drinking water here,” he said.
“Only problem is, we’ve built on sloping ground. What if the soil erodes?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Never,” said Bert Putol. “Soil erosion happens when the
underside of the ground gives for lack of strong foundation. Earth in this area
is held fast by solid rock foundation. It will never give.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bert Putol had occupied as overseer the lot adjacent to
Ka Mao’s property. He should know whereof he spoke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He explained, pointing to the flowing water at the bottom
of the slope, “That water we call creek is actually a collection of seepages
from different spring sources all around this area. The water<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>streams down the open crevices of one solid
rock foundation. The foundation of your house is a portion of this one solid
rock which is the size of one whole mountain.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao gaped in disbelief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Your house is built on a rock,” declared Bert Putol.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay, all along just listening to the conversation of
the two while busy sprucing up the newly-finished house and starting to put
their belongings in place, was pleased<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>to hear<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the words. It meant a lot
of things to her. A home to last, at long last, she said to herself. No more
going back to the squalor that had been her world during the long first
seventeen years of her life. No matter how modest, the house was good enough a
start, to improve on and keep strong each time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bert Putol grabbed
his paraphernalia. “Be going.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you, friend.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Don’t mention.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao turned toward the house just as Betchay felt a
stirring in her belly. She caressed it with her hand, eyeing him as he
approached..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Anything wrong?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She smiled by way of assuring him that nothing was wrong,
while she spoke, “For many times that you did me nice things, I never bothered
to say thank you. I think maybe I had better say it now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Say what?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you for what?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“For giving me a home to last.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao stares wonderingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No house built on a rock can crash,” Betchay said, like
uttering an oath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay was visibly pregnant and Ka Mao worried that
something might be ailing her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re sure you’re okay?” insisted Ka Mao</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Never
been more okay in my life,” Betchay said as she exerted effort to settle the
bed in a corner. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>quickly stopped Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s too heavy for you. Tell you what, you had better
rested. I can do this chore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay instead minded fixing the linen on the bed as
soon as Ka Mao was done with it and he shifted to the kitchen where he moved
the refrigerator to put it in place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Along with the bed, the refrigerator was the first item
Ka Mao purchased as a way of starting to establish home furnishings. He bought
it when first he and Betchay settled with his folks in Mamay Oliva’s Cavite
Street apartment, then took it along when Betchay wished they would instead join
her folks in Malabon. After having a house built for Bethay’s folks on the edge
of the abandoned fish pond and staying with them for a time, Ka Mao made his
mind up to establish permanent settlement in the Antipolo property. Still, the
bed and the refrigerator stuck with him and Betchay. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A thought crossed Ka Mao’s mind and he smiled while he
continued his business with the ref..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s funny?” asked Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can’t figure why we had to carry this heavy thing all
the way from Malabon when we can’t make use of it here,” Ka Mao said, not quite
sure whether he had done right with the refrigerator placement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s not been a year since you bought it. It’s in good condition,”
said Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I mean,” said Ka Mao, “Friend Bert just told me that the
electricity running on the highway lines is high voltage. No way to have a line
tapped to our house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, dear…,” said Betchay. “Can’t even watch TV. But,
wait a minute. Valdez Farm has got electric lights.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“They’ve got their own transformer.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s what you need to reduce the high voltage of the
main Meralco line to 220 volts allowable for home consumption.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So we put up our own transformer then, like Valdez
Farm.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We need hundred fifty thousand pesos .”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao spoke as coolly as he could.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay gaped as in horror.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao returned Betchay’s horrified gaze with a look that
indicated he was grappling with an agony in his mind: at P15,000 per screenplay,
he would have to write 10 scripts to raise the P150,000 needed to put up his
own electric transformer – and that was granting he and Betchay and their baby
who was shortly to come wouldn’t require any nourishment in the meantime. At
his average of two months writing per screenplay, he would require one year and
eight months to finish the ten screenplays. But that’s a reckoning by sheer
averaging. Actually the most number of scripts he had so far accomplished in a
year was four, which meant, granting he had all four scripts for the asking in
a year, he needed more or less two years to raise a hundred fifty grand and get
a supply of electricity in the newly-built house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At Betchay’s helpless stare, Ka Mao said assuringly,
“We’ll make do.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the evenings thereafter, contending with the chirping
of crickets and the croaking of frogs in the creekside surroundings were the
furious cliticlacks of typewriter keys coming from inside the house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was Ka Mao, all right, furiously pounding at his
second-hand Olivetti, while his face variably grew taut or tender, furious or
pitiful, accordingly as the emotion evoked by the particular scene he was
writing. Eyes getting moist with angry tears, his fingers pummeled the
typewriter keys with the fury that had seized him and with which he wrote out
the dialogue of resistance by the leading character in the scene he was doing:
“Hindi ninyo ako naiintindihan. Si Neneng Magtanggol ay hindi simpleng preso sa
bilangguan. Siya ay isang sagisag. Larawan<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ng isang lumang lipunan na nagbubuntis ng bago. Ang kanyang
pagpupunyaging makalaya mula sa pagkabilanggo <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ay salamin lamang ng marubdob na adhikain ng
uring manggagawa na wasakin ang tanikalang gumagapos sa kanila sa walang habas
na pang-aapi’t pagsasamantala ng uring kapitalista. Ano ang makapagluluwal sa
ipinagbubuntis ni Neneng Magtanggol? Puwersa ang komadrona ng bawat lumang
lipunang nagbubuntis ng bago! (You don’t understand me. Neneng Magtanggol is
not a simple prison inmate. She is a symbol. A picture of an old society
pregnant with a new one. Her struggle to liberate herself from imprisonment
mirrors the intense aspiration of the working class to break their chains of
oppression and exploitation by the capitalist class. What can deliver the child
Neneng Magtanggol is pregnant of? Force is the midwife of every old society
pregnant with a new one!”)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The hour was deep into the night. Betchay was fast asleep
in bed. Ka Mao pounded the typewriter so hard at the end of the line which he
loudly vocalized that it awakened Betchay. The pounding caused the typewriter
cover to get unlatched and nearly flip over. Ka Mao moved in time to catch the
typewriter cover and put it back in place. He did it rather gingerly, for
actually fastened with electrical tape to the top of the cover was a kerosene
lamp improvised from an average-size powdered coffee glass container, the
cotton wick inserted into a rolled strip of thin tin sheet punched into the
middle of the plastic cover of the coffee container.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was the lamp that since the couple moved into the
Antipolo property Ka Mao had been using to light his writing. Of course, in the
day, light was no problem. He would just move the collapsible writing table
under the century-old mango tree and there pound the typewriter till not enough
sunlight could filter any longer through the bamboo grove on the west side.
Still, it was cause enough for big problem, since Ka Mao’s writing voracity was
in the evenings when he would pound his typewriter endlessly until the last
crowing of the cocks at daybreak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Initially, Robbie Tan of Seiko Films had the kindness to
buy him what appeared to be a much better light source, a petromax. It was a
kerosene-powered gadget that operated exactly along the principle of kerosene
burners popularly used for cooking in the fifties all the way to the sixties.
Ka Mao immediately welcomed the brilliance, but early on he realized its
overriding impracticableness as far as writing was concerned: it needed pumping
of air into the fuel chamber every fifteen minutes to maintain its brilliance.
At first, Ka Mao bore with his annoyance over having to pause from writing
every once so often to do the pumping of air, but in due time he got fed up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Manufacturers of petromax don’t realize one idiosyncracy
of writers,” Ka Mao found himself reviling. “You don’t disturb their flow of
thought. Once you do, you throw them back into the agony of endless gestations.
Don’t they know how hard it is to recover a writer’s muse once lost? That’s
what petromax did to him, throw him into agonies, endlessly piling on top of
one another, of having to recoup lost inspirations due to unwanted pauses in
thought flow.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So Ka Mao devised his own method: improvise that lamp
fashioned from used powdered coffee glass container. It worked wonders. The light
stayed constant all night long, his muse stuck to his mind, and his thought
flow remained undisturbed but by the first crowing of cocks at dawn – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which after all was signal for him to stop and
rest. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Who are you fighting?” Betchay asked as she attempted to
rise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No problem. I’m just acting out a line. You sleep.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao minded Betchay no more. He fastened the kerosene
lamp back in place on the typewriter cover, then resumed his writing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay made herself snug under a blanket but stayed awake
for a moment. It pleased her, the way Ka Mao wrote. She had grown so accustomed
to his method and style that she was aware how he would never stop rewriting
his lines until he was himself vocalizing to himself loudly how a line was to
be delivered in the scene: madly, for evocation of anger and violence;
tearfully, for sorrow and pain; tenderly, for love and pity; gleefully for joy
and excitement, and so on and so forth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A…, Betchay sighed to herself, what intricate webbing of
emotions Ka Mao was capable of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
VII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NIÑOS INOCENTES,
or “Innocent Infant Boys” as translated from Spanish, is a Catholic feast day
so-called because it commemorates the day King Herod of Judea ordered infant
boys up to two years old killed. As the Biblical account has it,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>certain wise men came to King Herod asking
for the whereabouts of the new-born Infant Jesus who had been prophesied to be
King of Israel, King Herod became so insecure of his throne that then and there
he ordered all boys up to two years old killed to make sure the infant Jesus
was finished off. According to the story, an angel warned Joseph and Mary of
the danger and instructed them to hie off to Egypt with their new-born child and
there stay until it was safe to return.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over time, the significance of the event had been so
diluted as to connote escape from one’s obligations or responsibilities
committed on the Feast Day of Niños Inocentes, traditionally set on December 28
yearly. So on this day, people go borrowing money at will and then afterward
invoke, in order not to pay the debt, the spirit of escape from obligations as
connoted by the celebration of the feast day of Niños Inocentes. The lender, by
virtue of the tradition, just finds himself condoning the debt. What he gains
is the lesson that you don’t lend money on the feast day of Niños Inocentes or
you will never get paid. On the whole, it has been generally observed among Catholics
that contracts of obligations on the day of Ninos Innocentes are null and void
– of course, all in the spirit of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
December 28, 1979, Ka Mao and Betchay were wed. Along the spirit of Niños
Innocentes, their marriage contract must be null and void. It had been Ka Mao’s
wont to point this out to Betchay each time he felt like kidding her on his
obligation to her. Betchay, however, always had a ready retort: Niños
Innocentes is a tradition of the Catholic church; theirs was a civil marriage,
legal in every aspect, just he try breaking it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
asked by Mayor Nemesio Yabut of Makati, who officiated the very simple wedding
rites in his municipal office, why Ka Mao and Betchay were getting wed only
then when they had been living together for more than a year, Ka Mao answered,
“We had a child only now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">True
to Ka Mao’s resolve, having a wife was not so much for want of a partner in
life as for having kids to raise and build a good life for. Marrying her would
have come earlier had not their first child, which was a girl, had not been
lost to a miscarriage. That sad event happened in a resort in Laguna where
Celso had them billeted during the shooting in Majayjay of “Pagputi ng Uwak,
Pag-itim ng Tagak.” The film was among Celso’s great works and eventually
became a grand FAMAS Award Winner. It was not Ka Mao’s assignment though, but
Celso insisted that Ka Mao be present on the set as script consultant or some
such, translate that to, writer of critical lines. As The Kid would admit,
“You’ve made me too dependent on your scripts.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ir
rook another season of seed planting, with much advice from Manay Consoling for
Betchay not to stand after coitus but to continue lying, her legs propped up.
This was to facilitate the merging of egg and sperm cells.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
July 9, 1979, a healthy baby boy, for whom Ka Mao coined the nickname Maoie,
was delivered by Betchay caesarian section for being a breech. In subsequent
baptismal rites at the Antipolo Cathedral, the boy was named Mauro Gia Samonte
II, with a formidable array of sponsors representing, by Ka Mao’s deliberate
design, the main spectrum of social classes, Pete Lacaba, Diego Cagahastian,
Bayani Abadilla for the proletarian side, Franklin Cabaluna, Tony Mortel, Bella
Salvador, wife of Leroy Salvador, and Gloria Sevilla, wife of Amado Cortes,
for, at least a semblance of, the bourgeoisie. Each of the sponsors, in any
case, stood in the baptismal rites not really consciously representing a social
class but as individuals drawn together on the basis of the more universal and
humane consideration of friendship with Ka Mao. On the occasion, Ka Mao made
sure that Dr. Angel Juliano, the obgynecologist who delivered Maoie, was a
special guest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
Ka Mao’s mind, Maoie’s coming completed the trinity a family ought to be: a
father, a mother and a child. So Ka Mao decided it was high time he made that
family sacred by marrying Betchay at long last. This decision was not without
substantial prodding from Manay Consoling, who saw Betchay could be a good
partner in life for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
the question was, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>why do it on December
28 and run the risk of instantly getting annulled by the tradition of Niños Inocentes?
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
choice of the date was very deliberate and quite practical. December 28
happened to be the birthday of Leroy Salvador, who was to be their wedding
sponsor; one lady sponsor would fail to come. That day, then, being his
birthday, Leroy would surely be having some celebration in his house and Ka Mao
thought he and Betchay could just share in the celebration with Maoie in tow, and
make of the celebration as though it were their own wedding reception. And that
was what happened. Ka Mao and Betchay got wed not only on the day the killing
of innocent infant boys <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was being
erroneously observed but also with a wedding reception that was not their own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let alone the fact that Ka Mao just didn’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have the money to spend even for a simple
get-together with friends and relatives in a cheap restaurant, proletarian
simple living had become his way of life so much so that he wouldn’t be caught
indulging in luxury or ostentation of any sort. What appeared for a time as
avarice in his interlude of residence in a hotel was really a pragmatic
approach to his calling. It made him quite accessible to producers who needed
only to walk a block or two to reach him. In the case of Regal Films, which
owned the hotel, Ka Mao enjoyed assurance of film assignments if only so he
could pay his bills. He could still have opted for continued stay in the hotel
and enjoyed the same assurance when he settled down with Betchay but that this
time around, he not only needed to continue getting assignments but raise a
family, too, in proper surroundings. The Antipolo house perfectly filled in the
latter need.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When Ka Mao came home with Betchay and Maoie that
evening, he seemed to glow with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inner contentment.
Living in the house from then on would be living entirely under the blessing of
the holy matrimony, he oathed to himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Now I feel complete,” Ka Mao told Betchay as he lit the
kerosene lamp fastened on the the cover of the typewriter on the collapsible
table by the bed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
lost no time taking off the dress she wore in the wedding rites and rather
peskily dumped it into the laundry basket by the foot of the bed. She changed into
house clothes and quickly attended to Maoie, who was squirming from his wet
diapers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What do you mean complete?” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder,”
he intoned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s true for church weddings,” she retorted, removing
Maoie’s diapers. She proceeded to give the boy a quick sponge bath, wipe him
dry, powder him around the groins and torso, then dress him with fresh cotton
linen for diapers, which she fastened in place with stainless pins, and then
garb him in fresh sleep attire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao went tongue-tied for a long while, just observing
what Betchay was doing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Done with clothing the boy, Betchay settled him in his crib.
She then mixed the boy’s formula in a bottle and fed it to him as he snuggled
in his pillow. She prepared the bed for sleeping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You don’t mean God is not present in civil marriages, do
you?” he told her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Maybe yes, maybe no. How will we know?” she asked as she
lay in bed, throwing a blanket over her body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao realized Betchay was having a bad temper and he
thought he knew why. He spoke consolingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Of course, I understand that most every girl wants to
walk down the aisles and be given away as a bride to her groom.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay covered herself with the blanket all over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Continuing to observe Betchay’s mannerism, Ka Mao sat on
the bed as he removed his shoes. Betchay inched herself away from touch of his butt.
He went on to undress, throwing into the laundry basket the pieces of garment
he took off. His pants stayed as he patted her thigh; she was lying on her
side, facing the wall, away from him. She tapped his hand away, while inching
closer still to the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s our wedding day,” he said, caressing the blanket
over her thighs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I was so humbled,” she said, her voice indicated she was
weeping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What?” he asked, rather surprised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She thrust her hand from under the blanket, showing the
ring on her finger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s okay with me that this is practically just
imitation gold. It’s what we can afford, what else can we do?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao was amused by the remark.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So that’s what you’re fretting about,” he remarked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,” she growled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Don’t you worry, when I get my next script assignment,
I’ll replace this with a 24-karat gold ring,” he said, taking her hand and
kissing the ring finger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She yanked at her hand and brought it back under the
blanket.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I said, No!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s with you anyway?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The clothes you insisted I wear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It was not I who insisted. It was Godmother Belle. She
wanted you to wear a dress, not the denim jeans and T-shirt you had on.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay now threw the blanket off her face. She was in
tears and she spoke with voice quivering achefully. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
what if I wore faded jeans and T-shirt? It’s me,” she said then leaped off the
bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She
snatched from the laundry basket the dress she had worn in the wedding rites,
and flashed it before Ka Mao’s face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But an old hand-me-down for my wedding dress… I’ve been
so poor all my life, at least I expect something nicer on my wedding day. But
no…” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She madly threw the
dress aside, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh,
how so even poorer everything made me feel. That reception. Ah, you were so
busy rubbing elbows with guests that you never noticed I didn’t eat a bit of
any of the servings in your reception. Your reception!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She
shifted to the kitchen where she grabbed a a tin pot, scrounged with her hand
left-over rice in it which she ate voraciously.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why
did we have to pretend? If left-over food is all we can afford for our wedding
reception meal, so be it. It’s all we have. What’s disgusting is for us to
feast on something that is not ours.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She
swallowed the last lump of rice she had chewed, scooped water from the earthen
jar set up in one corner, and drank.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
the while Ka Mao just stood watching Betchay’s tantrums. He wanted to explain
but wouldn’t. What Betchay was mad about because it humbled her immensely was
to Ka Mao precisely the act of pure goodwill she should partake of in all
humility and pure satisfaction. To reject that goodwill could only be an act of
arrogance, of self-righteousness, which ultimately<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>could amount to pretending what you are not. Ka
Mao saw the matter just the way it was: he and Betchay were the ones in the
position of receivers and the Salvador couple, of givers. Were they to receive
or reject the goodwill being given? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
would be down long, long time when Ka Mao would feel crystallized on the
question. During the recent visit to the country of Pope Francis, he bequeathed
to his multitudes of followers a number of gems of thought. One such gem were
the words spoken to a youthful inventor of electrical gadgets who, albeit
braggingly, recited a litany of assistance given to poor folks of the country
and elsewhere in the world. After commending the youthful scientist for his
enumerated acts of giving, Pope Francis said, “The only thing you lack now is
how to learn to receive.” So though Jesus might have unequivocally declared
that it is better to give than to receive, what Pope Francis implied was that
between giving and receiving, the harder to do is receiving. For while it is
easier, therefore better, an act of self-renunciation to part with, indeed give,
something which you have, it is far more self-destructive to receive what in
your arrogance and conceit you don’t want to accept.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Perforce
triggered by Betchay’s tantrums now, a recollection flashed in Ka Mao’s
mind:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that first visit with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Betchay in her shack by the abandoned fish
pond in Malabon. That air of arrogance she exuded was what singularly struck Ka
Mao then about her. How she seemed to pride even in her desolateness! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
Ka Mao thought, Betchay was never humbled in the wedding event. She was made
consistently proud and arrogant. But did he have the heart to tell this to her
now? He lightly shook his head. He just eyed her as she walked back to the bed,
passing him and then throwing herself there again under the blanket. But just
as soon, her hand with the wedding ring thrust toward Ka Mao and firmly grasped
his hand with the wedding ring, too. She uncovered her face, now grown mellow
with what warm feelings. At Ka Mao’s inquiring glance, she spoke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s
our honeymoon.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
that, Betchay stretched herself to blow out the light of the improvised
kerosene lamp on top of the typewriter on the writing table close by.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
the house was thrown into pitch darkness.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER VIII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">INTO THE <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">80s</b>, the nation was throbbing with
rumblings on the political front. The Mindanao secessionist movement
spearheaded by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was gaining sizeable
headway, mainly due to its backing by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC). Marcos was bragging in the media about how effectively he was
handling the Mindanao situation by talking direct to what he termed “Party in
interest.” That period saw First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos visiting Libya
and using her charm on Libya strongman Moammar Kadhaffy in his desert
headquarters. Out of that visit emerged the Tripoli Agreement which detailed
the terms for ending the MNLF rebellion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meantime, the socdems had begun the Light A Fire Movement.
a terrorist bombing spree conceived to be nationwide in scope but in practice
concentrated in the National Capital Region or Metro Manila and suburbs. It was
big wonder though that what would be apprehended as suspects in the explosions
that took place in the region were Muslims. A confessed participant in the
movement would clarify it much later: indeed they were Muslims, because the
movement had entered into an arrangement with the MNLF whereby in order to
confuse the enemy, meaning Marcos forces, MNLF elements would do the bombings
in Metro Manila and the Light A Fire Movement in Mindanao. In a way, this
clarification was confirmed by Ninoy Aquino when in his so-called memorable
speech in Los Angeles, California in 1981, he admitted having traveled with his
physician to Saudi Arabia to talk with Muslim elements on intensifying the
struggle against the Marcos dictatorship.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ninoy, convicted of what he called trumped-up charges,
had gone on a hunger strike in his prison cell the year before as one more
means to draw popular support for his obsession to topple Marcos. But as Ninoy,
again in his California speech, admitted, “the Filipino people would not
listen.” The hunger strike merited though the intercession, read that coercion,
by the United States which pressured Marcos to let Ninoy go to America, there
to have his heart operation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thus
did Ninoy get himself free from martial law incarceration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thereafter
he went on a binge of lambasting Marcos every chance he got in America – in
speaking engagements and in television interviews. He went as far as offering to
be a part of Jehovah’s Witnesses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paralleling
this Ninoy binge in America was what would amount to a worsening of Marcos-US
relationship. From the time Marcos sat as President in 1965, he had been
imposing rentals on US military installations all over the country,
particularly Clark Airbase in Pampanga, naval bases in Subic Bay in Zambales
and in Poro Point in La Union, Camp John Hay in Baguio, etc. Early on those
rentals amounted to millions of dollars annually, all of which, according to
stories, went direct to Marcos’ pocket, just like the huge overprice on the
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
rentals imposed on US military sites were not a one-time application but
ongoing through the years, worse, subject to renegotiations every five years.
The next expected renegotiation of those rentals was in 1985 or thereabouts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
upping of those rentals was taken as a matter of course. The question really
was, could US swallow some more?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
appeared to be on the periphery of the issue was the increasing ties Marcos was
building up with communist powers Russia and China. Actually those ties could
serve as arm twisters for Marcos in the next rentals negotiation. Certainly as
to whether or not Russia and China would serve that purpose could only be up
for speculation, given the dearth of information anyone might have on the
matter. Nevertheless real developments are determined by laws made manifest in
unmistakable phenomena. These phenomena, once subjected to incisive analysis,
betray developments with amazing accuracy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the revolutionary front, the CPP-NPA was said to have ballooned into 25,000
regulars, all in company formations, on top of a 500,000-strong militia force and
an undetermined number of armed propaganda units. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
that figure, the Communist rebellion had greatly surpassed the ratio of 10:1
for the revolutionary forces viz the enemy, the condition for a successful
guerilla warfare. Government forces at that time were placed at 150,000. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
fact, the national situationer released by the Party for the period placed the
Communist rebellion at heading fast toward the strategic counter offensive
(SCO) in the balance of forces with the enemy. The SCO was said to be the
advanced sub-stage of the strategic stalemate from where to advance to the
strategic offensive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These were, then. the givens in the political situation
obtaining in that period when, after a meeting of the SGP, Pete discreetly
requested, in behalf of a revolutionary study group, the use of Ka Mao’s house.
Before that, Pete had visited the place a couple of times to discuss with him the
mechanics of screenwriting. This time around, Pete made it implicit that the
requested use of the house was for a far more serious and delicate purpose. If
in many instances it needed only for somebody to identify himself as part of
the progressive movement to get into Ka Mao’s good graces, all the easier would
Ka Mao accommodate a revolutionary request coming from Pete.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The group Pete brought to the house a few days after was
introduced by him as IL, which, as the group’s leader Joey, actually a lady,
explained was the “most powerful Party organ next only to the NPA.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IL,
Joey explained, stood for “international liaison”, whatever that meant. Ka Mao,
by practice, never inquired into the meaning of things in the revolutionary
movement not volunteered for him to know. Head of the group’s Educational
Department, of which Pete was a member, was Nimfa. Heading the Organizational
Department was Sandra, with Donna, a school teacher, and Vince, a photo
journalist, as members. No Finance Department element was introduced and Ka Mao
did not bother to ask. At any rate, there were two other girls in the group,
Jett and Tess, whose tasks in the group Ka Mao was not informed about.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With the group was a lean, short, fair-skinned fellow,
who walked on steel crutches. A polio victim, Ka Bryan, as he was called,
immediately reminded Ka Mao of Apolinario Mabini, who had been titled in
history as the Sublime Paralytic, being the famed brains of the Philippine
revolution against Spain and, eventually, against America. When told that the
guy was from the HO (for “higher organ”, meaning an agency directly under the
Central Committee, if not the CC itself), Ka Mao chuckled to himself, “Wow,
paralytics can be great revolutionaries indeed!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From Ka Bryan’s account of himself, Ka Mao gathered a few
things about his person. He happened to be in Paris when the anti-dictatorship
movement intensified in the early seventies and he was recruited into the
movement by a group engaged in generating logistical support on the
international front. Ka Mao could only surmise to himself that the group Ka
Bryan spoke about was the core leadership of the National Democratic Front
(NDF), the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which had
based its international liaison work in Netherlands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Bryan was the political officer assigned by the HO to
handle the political education of the group, To Ka Mao, this was a big plus
factor for the Party, entrusting such a huge task to someone who initially
impressed him as no better than that deformed creature who walked on all fours,
whom Celso had taken pains to search in order to be made the objective
correlative of his message for “Burlesk Queen”. Viewers of the film amused
heartily as Rosemarie Gil, the dethroned star burlesque dancer, after painfully
glancing over the façade of the burlesque theater now ordered closed by the
court, walked away blurting out like crazy her laughter over the irony of it
all. Beside her was the boy who walked on all fours, now on his legs curved
much like bows so that his gaits looked much like steps in a cha-cha, now on
his arms which made him look like doing the cha-cha up-side down in mid-air,
and then would be back to walking on all fours which made it difficult for one
to determine if he was aping a mule or, indeed, an ape. That must have really
drove home Celso’s message in “Burlesk Queen” which clinched for it the Best
Picutre Award in the 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Bryan turned out <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to be Joey’s husband.
It became a great source of inspiration for Ka Mao to observe Ka Bryan doing
his task religiously and Joey attending to his personal needs as the need arose,
including toilet chores and giving him bath at the small pool in the creek
every morning, before start of day-long study sessions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
study course took one whole week. At the end of each day’s session, the group
crammed themselves in spaces allotted to them. The girls took the bed which Ka
Mao and Betchay volunteered for them to use; the boys, shared a common mat on
the cement floor padded with flattened cardboard boxes; Ka Bryan, the aluminum
folding chair Ka Mao used for resting;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ka Mao and Betchay, together with Maoie, what little privacy they could
have from the small room used for keeping beddings in and the clothes closets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If, contrary to Mao Tse Tung’s dictum, revolution were a
picnic, what took place that week in Ka Mao’s house was just it: a picnic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During
breaks in the study, the group took much pleasure from savoring the rustic atmosphere,
harvesting rootcrops like cassava and sweet potato along with other food crops
like banana, and then picking the fruits of the mango, santol, lanka and macopa
trees for desserts in meals which they ate with bare hands in common servings
on one whole banana leaf laid out on the bamboo dining table. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
this, in between absorbing lessons on protracted people’s war.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the end of the week, everybody was satisfied and
insinuated that they would want to repeat the experience in the house on and on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was pleasing to Ka Mao anyway, a tendency built-in in
his character to do anything he could for the revolution. And so, at the
insinuation that the house would be used further for revolutionary purposes
over and over again, Ka Mao already envisioned an enlarged house that could
accommodate in comfort such Party group as the IL that might come his way
anytime.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It did help a lot that in that period, Leroy Salvador had
made some nice score at the tills with “Pag-ibig… Magkano Ka?”, enabling his
outfit to go full blast in producing follow-up films. Ka Mao consequently got
film assignments which gave him the money to embark on expanding his virtually
one-room affair into something a lot bigger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To the eastside was added a section, about five meters
wide and with the same length as that side of the original house. Since the
roof of this extension area would flow from the original inclination of the
initial roof, the extension area would be left with little headroom. So Ka Mao
had the ground in this area dug in order to make the roof comfortably high.
That made the original house rise five steps from the extension and turned the
expanded structure into some kind of a split-level bungalow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
porch facing the highway was maintained but made to step down accordingly to
the extension through an opening which now became the new entrance to the
house, with the extension area now serving as the receiving room. This way, the
original one-room affair became a solo bedroom, with the amenities of a
dressing room, a conversion of the original room for clothes closets and
beddings, a function moved over to the spot originally occupied by the kitchen
which outed to the porch; this spot was now entirely walled, serving only as an
adjunct<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the bedroom. The kitchen, at
the same time, was moved to the west end of the extension, with an opening that
outed toward the creek. The<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mid-section
of the extension opened with a door facing the yard where stood the century-old
mango tree, whose long, low-lying branch flowed down almost to the level of the
wide window of the extension. The original comfort room made adjacent to the house
on the creekside was retained as it was and so now rose, as the original house
did, five steps high from the extension area.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Coming home from the shooting in Baguio of “Ang Dalagang
Pinagtaksilan ng Panahon,” Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was
greeted by the sight of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Betchay needing
only to stretch herself a little to pick a fruit at the tip of the low-hanging
mango tree branch. But he was elated by how the house looked now..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The walls around the extension area were done in concrete
up to the level of the window sill, the rest up to the rafters, in webbed
bamboo barks fastened on wooden frames. The wide windows to either side of the
door at the mid-section were grilled with slim bamboo tips and covered with
steel screen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maoie, now two years old, noticed Ka Mao first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>:”Tatay!” the boy rejoiced and rushed to him. He leaped
to his arms and pressed a kiss to his cheeks. Ka Mao kissed him back and then put
him down. He took out of a plastic bag packs of strawberry and gave them to the
boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Strawberry! Yummy!” said the boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betraying great appetite for the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>green mango she had picked, Betchay indicated
her delight at Ka Mao’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>arrival. She
walked to him. Maoie gave to her one of the packs of strawberry while beginning
to eat some from the pack he had opened.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay brought you a present,” Maoie said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
took the strawberry pack, immediately opened it and munched at the red fruit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Strawberries…
I like,” Betchay said. “Sweet but a little sour. I feel like eating all sour
things.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maoie
rummaged through the other contents of the plastic bag.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Bring
that inside, Son,” said Ka Mao, and the boy did.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then
after a silent exchange of gazes with Betchay, Ka Mao dropped to his knees and
gently hugged her around the hips, pressing his face to her bulging tummy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How’s the shooting?” Betchay asked, delighted by Ka
Mao’s hug.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Done,” said Ka Mao, continuing to savor the feel of
Betchay’s belly on his face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Any prospect of another assignment.?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao appeared surprised by the question. He rose,
silently asking with a gaze why Betchay asked the question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
consulted with Dr. Juliano yesterday,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
said I need to be operated on soon. Possibly no later than middle of next
month.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao stayed silent for a moment, then walked over to the foot of the mango tree
and sat there, staring at the house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
just stood there, anticipating his words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why
operate?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
said that’s the way it should go.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
was hoping you can deliver our next baby normal.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
said once a woman starts delivering on cs, that’s it, it’s caesarian section
for the succeeding babies.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“As
things are, just to get our house finished, I have advanced from Ninong Leroy
my fee for whatever next project he would assign to me. I don’t expect to get
further advance from him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
found no words to say.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
night Ka Mao pounded his typewriter furiously, wanting to crank out a piece
which he could peddle around immediately. The family’s upkeep wasn’t much
problem for him. At certain times when he needed stop-gap means for the
family’s survival, he would just go over to his folks and plead for assistance.
His mother never failed him in this regard, even for Maoie’s medicine whenever
he got sick and Ka Mao didn’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have money
to spend. But cs operation for Betchay was not stop-gap; it was the life of
their next child at stake.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
caesarian section done for the delivery of Maoie cost P17,000.00. Though Ka Mao
did not expect it, it came at the heyday start of his screenwriting career, he
had saved a substantial amount, and the simple living he practiced with Betchay
in the Antipolo home would not use it up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
how could he ever produce P17,000.00 in so short a time?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
question riveted in his mind with each strike of his fingers on the typewriter
keys deep into the night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay,
lying in bed and feeling the stirrings inside her belly, could feel the
desperation seizing Ka Mao as he worked. How she wished she could help, “But how?”
she asked herself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
can a high school senior do to help her husband earn a living? Even high school
graduates were good only for low-paying menial work, like house helper or store
attendant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Maoie turned two years old, Betchay exerted effort to graduate from the
Antipolo National High School through the accreditation program of the
Department of Edication. By that program, high school juniors who had reached the
age of maturity, especially married individuals, were given examination in
order to accredit them for graduation. Ka Mao needed to pawn their television
set to raise money for Betchay’s travel to Laguna where to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>take the exams. With much<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>assistance from Mrs. Elfa, Betchay’s adviser
in the ANHS, Betchay passed the exam and thus, though in third year at the
time, was allowed to graduate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
one gifted with the ability of verbiage, Betchay could not say how she truly
felt that afternoon she received her high school diploma, but she had it in her
heart to turn herself into something risen above her poor beginnings. So it
must really be paining her deeply inside to just watch helplessly while Ka Mao
worked so hard all night long under the bare glimmer of the now ubiquitous
improvised kerosene lamp fastened to the typewriter cover. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was working out a story concept germinated by an incident which happened in
the farm in the intense heat of summer. Betchay was taking time doing her
market chores, Ka Mao was busy washing Maoie’s clothes and diapers in the small
pool in the creek, taking advantage of the hour when the boy Maoie, not yet one
year old, was asleep in bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Suddenly
thick smoke swept into the house and awakened the boy who, evidently getting some
degree of suffocation, squirmed around in bed and ultimately fell off. That was
when Ka Mao was astounded by the loud cry of Maoie. He rushed up the slope and
then barged into the house where he gaped in horror at the empty bed, smoke
swirling around. But Maoie’s cry continued to resonate, and tracing its source,
Ka Mao saw the boy crawling out through the side door just beyond which was a
huge fire eating up the patch of cogon that rounded the house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao snatched the boy off the floor and felt relieved to see no signs of injury
in him. But what instantly gripped him with terror was the fire threateningly
advancing toward the house. He quickly made the boy secure in a crib, which he
placed under the mango tree to insure the boy was safe from the fire just in
case, meantime that he worked to put it out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
grabbed a bamboo pole, one of a few resting upright on the mango tree, by which
he began sweeping the fire off, at least divert it away from the house. Made
mostly from bamboo and nipa, the house already much heated up could catch
flames instantly at touch of a spark.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“God,
no!” he yelled continuously, seeing that his effort was getting futile. A
number of times he looked up, as though there, indeed, was somebody up there to
hear his plea. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
for the immediate surroundings, no neighbor whatsoever was around to help. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wherever
he stood striking at the flames, the fire would be contained. But beyond his
reach, the fire spread on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then
he was horrified to catch in the corner of his eyes a trail of flames heading
toward the bamboo grove at the back of the house. The fire could not reach the
house through the ground because that area was shaded, preventing the growth of
combustible shrubs and grasses. But the danger lay in the bamboo trees, for
whenever swayed by the wind, their tips whip the rooftop of the house. The minute
the dry leaves which were lumped around the foot of the bamboo trees caught
fire, that would set the entire bamboo grove aflame and torch the house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao decided to attend to the bamboo grove first. And in just a while, he was
done securing that area from the spread of fire. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
in the meantime, the flames on the opposite area were ominously heading for the
spot where stood the mango tree under which lay the crib wherein Maoie continuously
cried. Seeing this, Ka Mao rushed back to the main body of the fire, sweeping
the bamboo pole through the flames in seemingly wild abandon – no matter that
he got burned here and there on the body, on his hands, arms and legs. With
each swing of the pole, the cracking of his voice outing his desperate cry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“God!
God! God!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nobody
was around to hear Ka Mao, nor to witness what was happening. It was a very
private communion between him and whoever it was whom in all faith and
submission he called “God”. And at the last cracking of his voice, as he felt
himself too exhausted to contend with the conflagration any further, he wobbled
on his legs then dropped to the ground much like melting jelly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that moment, Ka Mao found himself resolving:
this is it. In the face of adversity, you can only do so much with your human
strength. Ka Mao wondered afterward if he could have minded it ever had the
flames proceeded to eat up his flesh. He felt he would even not have felt pain
at all. He was ready for anything – except that the shrill sound of a baby’s
cry, Maoie’s, stuck to his consciousness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two
years later, that incident would form one of the highlights of Ka Mao’s first
directorial assignment, “Isla Sto. Niño” by Seiko Films. Out of that incident,
Ka Mao had woven a photoplay that drew heavily in content from the historic
Balanggiga Massacre in Samar during the American aggression of the Philippines
in the 1900s. According to historical accounts, the entire troops of an
American contingent were annihilated by Balangiga resistance fighters. In
retaliation for the massacre, the US military commander, Jacob Smith, issued
his infamous exhortation to his men: “I don’t want anything alive. I want you
to kill. The more you kill, the better you will please me!” And with that, as
history had recorded it, the American aggressors embarked on a killing spree, butchering
people and animals, destroying crops and plantations, while torching the whole
town of Balangiga to the ground.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Ka Mao would put it in his story, Fredo, played by Lito Lapid, and his band of
rebels organize a retreat aimed at saving from the American carnage the babies
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sto. Niño, a fictitious island off
Samar. With their ward of some one hundred babies, the rebels are cornered in
an encampment at the foot of the hills which the American soldiers set on fire,
using flaming arrows. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the movie, just as Fredo and his men
are rendered helpless against the flames that are encircling the camp and their
only recourse is to shield the babies with their bodies, divine intervention
takes place: a sudden heavy rain falls from heaven, instantly dousing the fire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Ka Mao’s private battle with the bushfire flames, there was no such artifice.
It was pure human will and sheer grit to overcome the adversity which impelled
him to continue the battle no matter that he had already fallen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Struggling
to get back on his feet, he grabbed the bamboo pole once more with which to
continue combating the fire. His eyes gaped. No more flame was in sight. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao suddenly realized how ardently he had been calling out to God. Had God
listened to him then? How would he know? There was no medium of any sort of
heavenly intervention as the suddenly falling rain that would be dramatized to
douse the fire in “Isla Sto. Niño.” There were only the smoldering embers of
stumps of cogon, of bushes and twigs, embers no longer capable of spreading
flames around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Isla
Sto. Niño”, which put back on track Lito Lapid’s journey to super stardom and
ultimately to the high echelons of the government bureaucracy, would be a
product of Ka Mao’s artistic vent; the bushfire episode, a real fight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
of the two, Ka Mao would eventually realize, the fundamental difference is: films
are made great by men’s artifice, life by man’s mortal strength to triumph over
adversity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Did
Ka Mao conquer the bushfire flames?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No,
he did not. The flames died the minute Ka Mao was left with no more strength to
put it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In any case, that struggle with the bushfire inspired Ka
Mao to embark on writing a photoplay which he initially titled “Green Inferno.”
As early as then, he was contemplating to do a movie that could be released
worldwide. Thus the English title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
evening, Ka Mao pounded his typewriter all night long. He hoped to finish writing
the script as fast as possible and transact it with any producer, even with
Leroy again. With his presentation of a new script, it would not be embarrassing
for him to ask his godfather for another advance payment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
as Ka Mao had never been steeped in finishing scripts overnight, writing the
bushfire-inspired photoplay went his normal pace. So his desperation that night
after he came home from the Baguio shooting would be replicated so many times
that before he realized it, Betchay’s hour was at hand but the money needed for
her cs delivery was not. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was the house that came into play at this crucial period. The IL group came
again in that period for another study session. Ka Mao thought the revolution
must be intensifying such that its cadres had to engage in political work
increasingly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning of the couple’s
predicament, the IL group, particularly Nimfa, worked on an obgyne of the
Philippine General Hospital, Dr. Talens, from the medical sector of the NDF.
The benign medic did the job on Betchay on Valentines Day of 1981. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr.
Talens himself had chosen the Manila Lying-In Clinic on Taft Avenue in which to
perform the operation. It would not be too costly doing it there. On top of
that, his professional fee would be reduced to the minimum and on a
pay-when-able basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“A
boy,” casually announced Dr. Talens to Ka Mao as he walked out of the operation
room after the cs was done.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rather
premature, the boy was placed in an incubator, with Ka Mao viewing him lovingly
through the glass wall of the nursery. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two
nurses came to the spot, one excitedly pulling at the other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Come,”
said the one pulling. “See how pogi (handsome) this Baby Samonte is.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao delighted at the compliment. He talked to the nurses, rather raising his
chin,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’m
his father,” he declared.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
nurses stared at Ka Mao, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>glanced him
over, then stared at him again, nearly gawking, “Huh?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao understood the reaction. It didn’t really look like the baby could be a
child of a dark-skinned, Malayan-looking guy that Ka Mao was. The baby was
fair-skinned, with facial features that, indeed, were handsome, evidently
occidental. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Ka Mao thought this was not time to lecture the nurses on Mendel’s genetics,
which after all, they, being medical people, should know, that is, that
parental traits get manifested by offsprings generations away. In time, the
baby would grow up, manifesting physical characteristics not even either of Ka
Mao’s parents, Tatay Simo and Nanay Puping, but that of Tay Celso, Nanay
Puping’s father, who was tall and handsome, with evident Castillan descent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the time being, Ka Mao reacted to the nurses’ insulting gaze with a wry smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
three were distracted by cheers coming from the street. The nurses knew what
was happening and they hurried to the balcony overlooking the avenue that was brimming
with folks who were cheering, waving their hands at somebody approaching. The
nurses immediately waved their hands, too, at the approaching figure: a frail, old
man garbed in white robe, a white cap on his head, riding in a specially-designed
vehicle with glass walls around so people could see him through from all angles
as he continuously gestured his hand to them in blessing.. The vehicle had been
played up in the media as Pope Mobile, with bullet-proof glass-walled chamber
specially built for the man riding it, Pope Paul II. This was the Pope’s first
visit to the Philippines and that ride in the Pope Mobile was his travel from
his arrival at the Manila International Airport to the Vatican Nunciature,
where he would be homed a few blocks away from the hospital.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao mused to himself, “As the throngs of people who welcome Pope Paul II down
Taft Avenue feel blessed by his passage, so in the same sense must be the birth
of my second son.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moreover,
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who willed it that because Ka Mao was so
hard-pressed with cash that a Party element must seek a doctor to perform cs on
Betchay for a pittance and for that doctor, out of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>brotherly kindness, to chose a hospital in
which to perform that operation just as the Pope was en route to the vicinity
there to spread his blessings?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If,
as Ka Mao had learned in his study of Marxist dialectical materialism, social
phenomena happen not independently of, but rather in their interrelationship
to,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one another, then there must a
relevance of the Pope’s passing the hospital, showering people with spiritual
blessing at the very moment Betchay’s baby was being born. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Somebody
distracted Ka Mao from his thoughts, a nurse who spoke, “Your wife wants you in
her recovery room.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Ka Mao entered the recovery room, a nurse was interviewing Betchay as she lay
in bed. She had barely recovered from the operation she had undergone for the
delivery of the baby.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“They
want to know what the name of our baby will be,” Betchay said to Ka Mao. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao looked to the nurse inquiringly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We
need to enter his name in the birth certificate,” said the nurse then asked as
she prepared to write on the birth certificate form the name Ka Mao would say,
“What will you call your baby, Sir?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao found himself thinking back on the scene just past before his eyes out on
the street: throngs of believers in a great outpouring of affection and
reverence for Pope Paul II. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Almost
dreamily, Ka Mao answered, ”Paulo.”</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER IX</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A DAY AFTER Paulo was
born, Ninoy delivered his much-touted memorable speech before hundreds of
listeners in Wilshire Ebell Theater, Los Angeles, California. He was walking on
steel crutches and to Ka Mao, he did strike up a semblance of Ka Bryan, the HO
Political Officer for the IL Group. But though all throughout the speech Ninoy
appeared in the pink of health, exuding his characteristic flamboyant air, when,
after being introduced by the emcee, he ambled to the microphone in midstage to
begin his speech, he pathetically limped on those steel crutches and by that
got the audience hooked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But Ka Mao could not have failed to notice that after
just a couple of steps, Ninoy was doing it exactly as Julie Vega did in doing a
scene in his movie “Iiyak Ka Rin”, one of the many box office hits he directed
for Seiko Films. The scene required the smart teen superstar to walk on
crutches in entering a hospital. But too much an imp for her age, the girl thought
of testing Ka Mao’s direction by virtually just walking, just acting out a
limp, with the crutches just getting carried by her hands, hardly touching the
ground. Of course, she expected a retake. But Ka Mao, keenly sensing the
deliberate misbehavior, got back by allowing the take to stand as the spoiled
brat did it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Who would suffer from the bad acting? Not him but the
actress, Ka Mao told himself and shouted, “Pack up.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ah…, Ka Mao sighed as he watched on video Ninoy doing his
thing at the very start of his speech. Unmatched by Julie Vega in that
particular situation, Ninoy appeared to be perfecting the artifice, the genius
to evoke mass illusion of his heroism through vivid pictures of injuries
sustained in battle. Ka Mao began seeing that genius in Ninoy as he walked down
the stairs of Hilton Hotel that night of August 21, 1971, when the entire
senatorial ticket of the Liberal Party got blasted by two grenades. A cocked
.45 pistol gripped in his hand, he strode down the stairs ready to do battle.
He got no injuries though, since he was miraculously away from the party
political rally on Plaza Miranda, but his party mates lay onstage all terribly
maimed along with wounded and killed bystanders, and with Ninoy’s courageous
stride with the .45 juxtaposed on these grim images, he certainly etched in
people’s mind <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on a mass scale the figure
of a warrior savior. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In similar grim circumstances, that figure would shine
on: street demonstrations in the increasing Marcos curtailment of civil
liberties, arrest and incarceration of Ninoy and other top opposition leaders
upon the declaration of martial law, his solitary confinement, the hunger strike
embarked on in continued defiance of the Marcos dictatorship, the near-death he
sustained as a consequence which prompted the government to confine him in a
hospital, onward to his veritable furlough in the United States, there to
continue fighting Marcos under atmospheres endemic in the land of the free.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even his failed attempt to get elected to the Interim
Batasang Pambansa, Ka Mao thought now, could not have been conceived to win.
How could a political genius that Ninoy was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>have failed to realize that he could never hope to win in an
election<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>under martial law. The LABAN
ticket he headed was pitted against a slate of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL)
with no less than First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos at the helm. No way Ninoy
and company could win. And they did lose with a dismal score of O. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chances
were that Imelda and her group did win in an honest way. There were no
indications of any irregularities in the conduct of the election. The counting
of votes was open to public view, very transparent, and the final count put KBL
team winning 21 to nothing for Metro Manila. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Could
Ninoy give a damn? Not at all. He ran not to win but to get another trouncing in
the hands of Marcos and thereby get martyred on and on to the point of sanctification,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And what better testimony to this would there be than
Ninoy’s mystery-shrouded homecoming on August 21, 1983. A single bullet, shot
through his skull as he was being led by AVSECOM soldiers down the stairs of
the China Airlines that had taken him to the Manila International Airport, sent
Ninoy dropping to the tarmac.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That picture of Ninoy lying dead face down on the
pavement finally accomplished the sanctification. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And maintaining Ninoy in exactly his same physical
condition in death, i.e., the face made ugly by the bullet wound, and uglier
still by the blood that had been splattered on it, allowed to dry and entirely
unwashed, just like the similar bloodstains on his immaculate clothes, there to
stay all the way to his entombment – what <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>did all this do but make the sanctification
eternal!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From then on, Ninoy would be god. Because of him, Cory
would be president. Because of him, Noynoy would be president. Because of him,
what generations descending from, or claiming rights under, him would take
turns ruling the Philippines after Noynoy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
going back to his February 15, 1981 speech, Ninoy related that as he stepped
out of his car to come to a speaking engagement in Ohio State University, he
must have tripped on the gutter, causing what he said as his Achilles heel
tendon to tear up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just his luck, one might say. But no matter, it gave him
the excuse to come to the Wilshire Ebell Theater Freedom Rally in crutches. All
the better for imparting to an enthralled audience the image of somebody
getting injured in battle but getting back up on his feet and fighting on and
on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was a wonderful speech, deserving of what it had come
to be known: Ninoy’s memorable speech. Interspersing it with his characteristic
humor, he got the hundreds awake through his two-hour long litany of
accusations against Marcos and self-adulations of his virtues.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ninoy had one single message for Marcos: step down and
return democracy to the Filipino people or throw the country in chaos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To the cheers of the throng in attendance, Ninoy intoned,
“Though I have vowed never to enter the political arena again, I will dedicate
the last drop of my blood for the dismantlement of your dictatorship.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And Ninoy did that day he returned to drop dead on the
airport tarmac.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The nation – or, anyway, Metro Manila and select sites in
Luzon, Visayas and Mindano – threw in worrying disturbances: street demos here,
confetti prostest showers there, symposia in campuses, and noise barrages, all
sorts of mass actions condemning Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The economy was suddenly on the downtrend, with the peso
dropping to 22 to 1 dollar. The increasing turbulence, mainly from the middle
class but with strong participation from the workers, was beginning to drive
investors away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But as if in contrast, Ka Mao’s private economy
experienced an upswing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1981 was the year Betchay began conceiving their third
child. Into the next year, Ka Mao again began to worry where to get money for
Betchay’s next cs operation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the way home from a visit with his folks in Manila, Ka Mao was walking across
Araneta Center<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>heading for the terminal
for jeepneys going to Antipolo, Maoie in his arms. Now in getting to the
terminal, they would have to pass Jollibee unavoidably and Maoie would pester
him on and on until he took him into the store for a yumburger and French
fries. In times when he got money, Ka Mao would even delight at Maoie’s
throwing in tantrums before bringing him in the store for a snack. This time,
however, he had no money to spare for that purpose and the Jollibee signage ahead
struck Ka Mao’s eyes like a sudden terror. Ka Mao made a sharp detour into the
Farmers Market. That way they would be skirting Jollibee and cross another street
to get to the jeepney terminal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Maoie had grown used to the surroundings and he knew they were not going the
right way. And he fretted, indicating to Ka Mao where they should go instead –
the Jollibee way. The boy would have gone on squirming in Ka Mao’s arms had he
not been distracted by Ka Mao being greeted by Efren Piñon and Conrad Poe. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
two were close buddies. They had stood as sponsors in Paulo’s baptism. When not
making movies, they engaged in dealing tuna which they got from Cotabato. The
fish variety was abundant in the province and heads of the fish were virtually
cast aside as trash in tuna canning factories. These fish heads were prime
items in beer joints where they were grilled for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pulutan </i>or dish for munching on while drinking brew.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That afternoon, Efren and Conrad were at the market,
transacting with fish vendors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Just right time, Mao,” said Efren. “I got an assignment
from Seiko Films.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao had worked with Efren on “Nang Umapoy ang
Karagatan”, a big project which Efren directed for Showbiz, Inc. A known action
movie director, Efren was offered by Seiko to direct a comics epic, “Boy
Condenado” by Carlo Caparas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are you free?” asked Efren. “You can do the script.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Am I free!” exclaimed Ka Mao. “I am.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Boy Condenado” was significant to Ka Mao in a number of
“firsts”. It was his first movie for Seiko Films. It was his first time working
with Laarni Enriquez, the charming, amiable and adorable Tondo beauty queen who
shortly after would be Ka Mao’s leading lady in his first directorial job,
“Isla Sto. Niño”; six years after, Laarni would be First Lady of the Land in her
own right, being love partner to President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. And it was
the first time Ka Mao had a hand directing a scene in a movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Efren, who years after would betray his spiritual depth
in directing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>video presentations of the
El Shaddai Movement, had the good graces to make Ka Mao direct a highlight of
the movie, with himself confining to handling one of three cameras needed for
the scene. It was a truly big scene involving men and equipment, fire trucks,
police patrol cars, and stunts as crowd panicked in a neighborhood-wide fire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao did his damn best and pulled off the job with, as
the cliché goes, flying colors. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What he did not realize was that Robbie Tan, the
executive producer of Seiko, was around all the while, keenly observing. After
“Boy Condenado,” Seiko’s next project would be “Isla Sto. Niño”, with who else
as the director but Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
X</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE SUCCESS of “Boy
Condenado” at the box office, Ka Mao credited solely to Robbie Tan whose
marketing expertise Ka Mao would rate superb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sure, the movie had a superstar for the leading man, Rudy Fernandez,
playing the title role; a known author of movie hits, Carlo Caparas; and a
reputed action movie director, Efren Piñon. All these and more would form plus
factors which by conventional reckoning ensured fans would go and see the
movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But Robbie, a young <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>graduate of the Asian Institute of Management,
had the daring to defy conventions. For one thing, in the hierarchy of values
he had come up with to determine whether or not a movie would make money, the
cast, meaning star value, fell only on the third rung, with marketing on the
second. At the topmost level was concept.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Concept translates to, what is the movie all about? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
what was “Boy Condenado” all about? Was it about that good-boy-gone-astray
stereotype as harped on in the comics serialization of the material? Robbie
wouldn’t buy that stuff. The only reason he got the comics story was, it was a
novel by Carlo Caparas, who was getting to have a captive audience. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
the shooting of the movie began, Robbie, having much doubt about the project,
even had a meeting with Carlo in which he expressed his preferrence to have
another material from him to shoot, or else he would just return “Boy
Condenado”. This was another way of saying, “return the money already paid for
it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Carlo was evidently offended but kept his cool. Trying
hard to be polite, Carlo spoke, “No, Robbie. That’s yours. I can’t take it
anymore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
the filming of Carlo’s novel went ahead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
due time, the production phase was completely done. While work proceeded to the
post-production phase, Robbie began minding how to sell the movie. That night, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao had a brainstorming with him and his
brother Edward. They needed to have a catchline for marketing purposes, in
newspaper ad placements and in other publicity formats as lobby displays,
posters and billboards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After much exchange of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ideas, Edward nonchalantly spoke the phrase: “The story of a boy from
Malabon.” Ka Mao took it as too commonplace. Edward himself, not pretending to
any literary skill, didn’t attach any deep significance to what he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was Robbie who instantly looked like having hit gold.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At that time, a very hot issue was Ben Tumbling, the
underworld character who had been involved in a number of high crimes. The
legendary criminal was recently gunned down in an encounter with law enforcers,
prompting movie producers to beat one another in getting the film rights for
his story. But the martial law dispensation saw it fit to ban the filming of
the Ben Tumbling story for obvious reasons: nothing against the establishment
was to be allowed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With Robbie, the government restriction offered no
problem. He did not have to film a Ben Tumbling story. He only needed to
impress upon film audiences – indeed, marketing – that “Boy Condenado” was the
real-life story of Ben Tumbling. But precisely because of the government
restriction, he could not pass on, even for marketing purposes, “Boy Condenado”
as a film on Ben Tumbling. The catchline austerely thought of by Edward would
do the trick.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was known to all and sundry that Ben Tumbling was to
Malabon as Asiong Salonga was to Tondo or Narding Putik to Cavite. It only
needed to play up Edward’s idea to make people believe that “Boy Condenado,”
“The story of a boy from Malabon” was the story of Ben Tumbling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And the people believed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All of a sudden, “Boy Condenado” was the talk of the
town, on sidewalks, in barbershops, in many a tete-a-tete in slums
neighborhoods, and even among students in campuses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That “Boy Condenado” would score big at the tills became
a foregone conclusion. That would be the good product of that brain storming in
the Malabon office of Seiko Wallet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The bad thing was for Ka Mao. Because of the sensational
marketing Robbie did, the Board of Censors got so strict about the movie that they
deleted most anything which in their perception had a semblance of Ben
Tumbling’s exploits. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The result was a badly-mutilated photoplay that found Ka
Mao reeling from attacks from all self-righteous critics lambasting him for bad
writing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From that experience, Ka Mao swore never to do a movie
again unless he would direct it himself. This was the only assurance he could
have that his scripts would stay faithful to his intentions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before that, known drama director Armando de Guzman,
recognizing Ka Mao’s talent <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to write,
advised him: “If you want to get your break in directing movies, write a good
script then offer it to a producer on the condition that you will direct.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so it was that as Betchay was infanticipating on
their third child, Ka Mao worked on his initial drafts of the “Green Inferno”.
In a short period, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he finished the
script, this time titling it “Isla Sto. Niño.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When he presented the synopsis to Robbie, his eyes
glistened with dollar signs, evoked by imageries of a hundred babies getting
subjected to every ordeal in the forest: fire, raging rapids, the elements. All
this, while avoiding canon shells from American forces rendered intransigent in
their objective to annihilate everyone, rebel or baby.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was the concept and Robbie nodded, smiling..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The proposal sheet Ka Mao presented already had a
catchline to carry: “God, save the babies!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’ll do it,” Robbie said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao fixed his eyes on Robbie as a take-off for his
next words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I must direct,” Ka Mao said, indicating grit and
resolve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Robbie understood, smiled, then said, “Ok.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
was a day after July 17, 1982, when Dr. Juliano came out from the operation
room of the Tiongson Hospital in Taytay, Rizal, done with the cs operation on
Betchay for the delivery of their third child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Kengkay,”
Dr. Juliano told Ka Mao, gleaming. The term actually alluded to the female
genitalia.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao gleamed, too. He already had two boys and had wished for a girl. His wish
was granted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
the deal clinched on “Isla Sto. Niño,” Ka Mao did not have a hard time
requesting Robbie for down payment from which to draw the amount needed for
Keng’s delivery. Dr. Juliano’s given nickname for the girl as a jest stuck:
“Kengkay.” But in formal baptism, she was named Maripaz, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the first half of which derived from the first
half of Betchay’s full name “Maribeth” and the second half, “Paz”, after the
full name of Ka Mao’s grandmother, Nay <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paz.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE BIRTH of Maripaz
appeared to signal the start of a good life for Ka Mao and his family. Food and
other provisions for day-to-day subsistence were getting increasingly plentiful.
Indulgence in little luxuries became affordable. Weekends saw Ka Mao taking
Betchay and the kids to some form of diversion or the other.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As for the house, Ka Mao now wanted a concrete one. But
without much planning, he leveled down the whole original one-room affair and
exactly on the same spot on which it stood,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>he immediately embarked on constructing a replacement, already
erecting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>columns on two sides, three on
each side. Once done with five columns, three on one side and two on the other,
he realized the ultimate budget for the intended house would be too enormous
for his present capacity. He decided to halve the structure, with two columns
on each of two sides. And that’s how the house turned out, only one half of
what had originally been meant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
problem was that the completed half was the one consisting of the bedroom, the
kitchen and the bathroom. The non-done half was the one meant for the living
room. Once walled around with concrete, the resulting structure looked more
like a series of solitary confinement cells joined together by a hallway at the
entrance and a narrow corridor that was the gap between the bedroom and the
kitchen. The hallway was that gap between the solid cement wall of the front of
the house that rose all the way to the rafters and the solid wall of the
kitchen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
the right end of this hallway was the comfort room and at the left, the landing
of the steps to the sunken extension area on the one hand, and on the other
hand, the stairs to the attic, again made of bamboo. The trusses were fastened
to the top of the walls, both the one above the entrance and the one at the
back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The openings through the trusses
were fitted with iron grills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Clinging
on to his apparent fetish for all things native, Ka Mao still used nipa for the
roof of the new house and made it high so as to accommodate an attic, a feature
which Ka Mao added in order to compensate for the lack of a living room. The
kitchen wall facing that of the main entrance was made to rise such that its
top served as a railing from where one on the attic might look down on the
hallway to, say, check who was getting inside the house. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The floor of the attic consisted of bamboo
slats nailed on the wooden beams with little spaces in between. Ka Mao had this
done deliberately for purposes of ventilation. That might be good for airiness
in the attic atmosphere but on questions of privacy, it was highly inadvisable.
One on the attic got to see the activity on the groundfloor and vice versa. But
this was how the family house was back in his childhood days and Ka Mao just
could not overcome the nostalgia. For that matter, one reason why Ka Mao
prohibited his family from cutting bamboo shoots for viand was because he
wanted the bamboo trees to flourish and provide steady supply of bamboo anytime
he needed it. Had he tolerated Betchay in her own fetish of eating bamboo
shoots, no more bamboo trees in the property would be standing by now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such an eyesore was the unused column that now
stood like a Meralco post gone astray. Tearing down the column would readily
cure the sore, but Ka Mao would have none of it. The column had cost much and
he would not want to waste that money. He cranked his skull and soon hit the
idea. Around the column, he put up four wooden posts, four inches by four
inches in diameter and set in a square formation five meters apart from one
another. The top of the posts which were six feet six inches high, he fitted
with two inches by four inches wooden beams joined end to end. Then rafters two
inches by four inches in diameter were fitted from<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the tip of the concrete column to a
corresponding tip of the wooden posts where the beams were joined up as well as
to corresponding points above the midsections of the beams. These rafters were
then rounded with purlins so that the whole set up had the look of a spider
web. On this setup of rafters and purlins would be fastened nipa roofing to complete
the structure of a pergola. Completed wih bamboo railing that connected the
posts to each other below, with one such section left open to serve as
entrance, the resulting structure was a pretty, quaint architecture that would
serve both as receiving room and dining room for guests. Ka Mao ordered a
rattan six-seater round dining table with matching rattan sala set as
furnishings for the pergola. At the foot of the concrete column were stacked
modest-sized boulders plastered with cement to one another, on top of one side
of which was placed a native earthen jar for holding drinking water to complete
the amenities of native dining. The other top of the boulders was fitted with a
lavatory for washing hands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, Ka Mao
intended the attic to be his library. writing room and conference room all
rolled up into one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
since he wrote all throughout most of the night, it was in the attic that
sleepiness almost <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>always overtook him
and there he would lay out a mat for him to sleep on.. And since the kids
always loved to sleep with him, it was on the attic that they almost always got
themselves overtaken by sleepiness, too, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and there would sleep with him. Besides, it
was on the attic that Ka Mao guided the kids in doing their school assignments,
so that almost always after the study sessions, they would be too sleepy to get
down to the bedroom where Betchay could now be snoring all by her lonesome.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In many such a moment, Ka Mao would pause from his
writing and get amused at the kids doing various funny positions in their sleep.
How nice to be just kids, he would muse. To be worry-free and letting daddies
bother about all the cares in the world. Ka Mao felt he had not much to worry
about at the moment anyway. He was not lacking in film assignments, with Seiko
having vaulted to the top third spot among the leading film producers, the
first two being Viva Films and Regal Films.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The only thing Ka Mao could not seem to give to his
children until now was the luxury of electricity. Light was remediable, because
they could have similar amount of it from petroleum lamps; in his case, from
his goodie ole improvised kerosene lamp fastened with electrical tape to the
top of his typewriter when he wrote. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Electricity
meant a lot more of things: radio, television, cassette recorder and player,
educational and entertainment gadgets, and, yes, the refrigerator that remained
unoperated. Above all things at the moment was their need for clean water. The
creek was getting dirtier and dirtier due to wastes dumped in it by settlements
on the higher planes. There was no more way to distinguish the creek water from
the spring water with which it unavoidably got mixed up. If he could have
electricity, he could dig a deep well and then pump water from it, using the
jack pump Leroy Salvador gifted him with sometime ago.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao could manage now to raise some hundred fifty
thousand pesos to have his own transformer installed in order to lower the
voltage of the high-tension wire that passed his place. But that’s not the only
item he needed to spend money for. The kids’ schooling was top priority, and
when money was put into that priority, what was left was the budget for the
family’s subsistence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Checking with Meralco again for a possible remedy, he was
informed that he could buy stocks of the company and use those shares as
back-up for the transformer that would be put in place for his use. Ka Mao lit
up. The amount of shares he needed to buy was very affordable. Before long, he
was applying for a certificate of electrical inspection with the Municipal
Engineer’s office. Through the help of one Alegre, a very amiable and
accommodating fellow, Ka Mao was issued the certificate plus another one, a
certificate of occupancy, a most fundamental requisite for occupying a house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Alegre came to him that morning announcing as he
brandished the documents in his hand, “Approved without looking.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the same time, Ka Mao put up an entrance post with all
engineering specifications for such a facility, complete with electrical plan
for causing the electric wires<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to pass
underground rather than above, for optimum safety. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So in less than a year after Maripaz was born, the family
got its one remaining single lack: electricity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The family rejoiced. Ka Mao wanted to shout out something
grand. But he could not. It would take more than two decades thence when –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>due to unpaid bills the electric connection
so dearly gained was permanently cut up and Ka Mao’s reapplication for the same
was denied on account of an encumbrance by the Epira Law that applicants for
Meralco electric connection must submit a title to the land on which the
connection was to be made and Ka Mao could not show one, but he argued his case
vehemently nonetheless and Meralco, through the kind intercession of Vice President
for Communications Joe Zaldarriaga, acquiesced in the end – Ka Mao, in a text
message to Joe, finally worded his joy: “’Tis no hypherbole. After eons of
darkness, Meralco is the next best thing to life.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In due time, Robbie would sell to Ka Mao his Toyota Land
Cruiser at a very friendly price. With the vehicle, the family completed the
normal standard for gaining the status of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>well-to-do: a house-and-lot and a car, with children going to good
schools. When she came of school age, Maripaz joined Maoie and Paulo at the
Montessori, and when things got even better, all three transferred to
Assumption. At the time, boys were accepted in the school but only up to Grade
4, so early on Ka Mao wondered if he could afford to send Maoie and Paulo <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to Ateneo. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During a meeting of the Assumption Family Council Ka Mao
voiced out this concern to one parent, who right away remarked, “If you can
afford Assumption, you can afford Ateneo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was how very attentive and meticulous was Ka Mao
about the education of his kids. Poverty had not allowed him to finish his
engineering course and he did not wish to see his children meeting with the
same fate. With his film career progressing all throughout the 80s, it looked
like the education of his children would take on a happy course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meantime
Ka Mao’s bank account was getting fatter everyday. Particularly for Betchay,
this was source of much secure feeling. Though it was not in her name, she kept
the bank book and thereby held power over the purse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
was making sure she got to achieve her own agenda. She wanted to finish college
and pursue a profession of her own. As all the kids were now in school, she
found enough time to mind her own studies. Ka Mao was quite heartened by her
desire for college education and supported her enrollment at the Philippine
School of Business Administration for accounting studies. A new vehicle was
added to the family’s modest motor pool, a Ford Laser, and this became
Betchay’s personal car in going to and from school. She had endeavored to study
driving without Ka Mao knowing it, but he was glad to know she could drive, because
it meant she could be his personal driver. Ka Mao himself knew how to drive,
but he got this habit of conceiving<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>stories while in travel and he rightly deemed it dangerous to be doing
so while driving on his own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
so, at the same time that Betchay got the nice feeling of being admired by the
crowd in the PSBA campus as a car-owning student, she also did the good job of
driving Ka Mao through many journeys into creating stories. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
the side route through Binalonan, Pangasinan during a travel from Baguio, they
passed a large plantatation of eggplants and the sight of that vegetable
variety being grown on a large scale stirred Ka Mao’s mind into creating
“Talong”, the movie that launched Nini Jacinto and Leonardo Litton to stardom
and turned out to be a big moneymaker. Ka Mao observed Ricky Lee and his
same-sex company stepping out of a theater, enthusing at the movie,
particularly that scene where Nini, in giving a drunk Leonardo a sponge bath,
gleefully toyed with his genitals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Kangkong”, which, for all its earthy
celebration of sex, drew a heartening<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>commendation from the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines
and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>made a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>star out of a poor slums denizen, Brigitte de
Joya , was a product of a similar journey. Betchay was driving down a Morong,
Rizal highway which skirted the Laguna de Bay when Ka Mao noticed that the
shores of the famous lake were teeming with ponds growing the favorite
vegetable for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sinigang</i>, an exotic
dish of either fish or meat boiled in tamarind juice with a rich mixture of
spices, serving both as viand and soup in meals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Halimuyak ng Babae”, originally titled by Ka
Mao as “Sa Daigdig ng mga Toro”, was inspired by a sprawling cow ranch in Baao,
Camarines<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sur which on a travel to
Catanduanes struck Ka Mao as a lovely landscape, with Mayon Volcano majestically
pictured in the background. In all instances before that, Ka Mao had been
traveling the same route but on public transport and always at nights. There
was no way he could see the herd of cattle grazing on the meadow. With Betchay
driving this time, the travel was in broad daylight and then and there got him
gestating the story of a girl given away as prize in a rodeo festival; the
movie made more money for Seiko and turned the otherwise unheralded starlet
Abby Viduya into the sex superstar Priscilla Almeda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
journey to Pagsanjan Falls had Ka Mao and Betchay passing Lumban, Quezon, a
town proclaiming as its prime cottage industry the production of cheese from
carabao milk. Ka Mao revisited the town at dawn to witness the production of
such delicacy and there completed his concept of the movie “Kesong Puti,” a
super hit which made Klaudia Koronel a star overnight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
travelling through a deserted highway in Mauban, Quezon, Ka Mao witnessed the
large-scale cutting of coconut trees for turning into coco lumber and it got
him so mad he thought of a story to advocate a stop to such despoliation of
nature, and the result was “Bad Girl,” which picked up a struggling starlet
from the doldrums and catapulted her to superstardom, Cristina Gonzales, who in
1991 would beat them all with a whopping score of fifteen movies in a year, all
casting her in the lead role: “Katawan ni Sofia”, “Maiinit na Puso”, “Akin ang
Asawa Mo”, etc., the rest of the fifteen being works of other directors. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kring-Kring
became the most sought-after star after “Bad Girl”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
brief, during trips, Ka Mao must have complete freedom to let all his thoughts
bloom. Gestating stories and driving at the same time could invite disaster. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
time Ka Mao was driving, Betchay comfortably seated beside him, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and was into his usual indulgence in creative
thinking, when a truck laden with pigs suddenly sped out of the gates of a piggery.
Ka Mao realized he was already face to face with the driver of the truck who
exchanged terrified stares with him. Ka Mao was ready to take a terrible smash-up.
But his foot stepped on the brakes nonetheless while his hands spun the wheel
furiously to the right, causing his Mitsubishi van to spin 180 degrees,
avoiding by an inch the truck which in fright, the driver drove on, quickly
shifting to high gear.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao leaned back on his seat, heaving a sigh. It was a long stretch of empty
highway they were on anyway and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he had
all the time to just sit there and wait till his nerves leveled up. But Betchay
took no time taking over the wheels, turning the car back to its original
direction, resuming the travel.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They
were on the way to Puerto Azul for Ka Mao to do a double-check of a location
for “May Gatas Pa Sa Labi”, an idea of a man and an adolescent girl washed
ashore on a deserted island from a sea mishap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ka Mao had traveled to the place one time during a location hunting and
that area in Cay Labne, Tanza, Cavite had the distinct feature of a forest
adjacent to the sea, with a river flowing down into it. It germinated in Ka
Mao’s mind a Robinson Crusoe type of adventure, and when he offered the idea to
Kara Films which had sought him out for a film project, the good-natured
executive producer, Roger Leonardo, said, “Your call, Direk.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
all systems went for the project, The production staff and crew were organized,
and to play the role of the adolescent sea mishap victim opposite top star
Tonton Gutierez was a Vir Mateo talent whom Ka Mao discovered while she was doing
a tryout for a role in a theater play in the Ninoy Aquino Park and Wildlife. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao did not have to think twice when he came face to face with the girl. She
was thirteen, petite and pretty, her big round eyes, glowing doll-like, mirrored
girlish innocence, but her French mestiza allure already exuded some pleasant
sultriness – Aila Marie, the name she would retain in the billing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Invariably,
that was how Ka Mao judged his stars. The looks came first. Acting, a period of
workshop would solve it. Above all, Aila was new, so very new, completely
malleable so as to be made submissive to his direction. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
invariably as well, the approach worked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Ka Mao was not so sure about the location. His particular requirement was a
stream flowing from falls in a forest so that without having to cut a shot, you
trail the flow of water with a camera pan and capture the stream outing into a
panorama of the ocean, its blue waters reflecting the color of the sky, with a
clouds-rimmed horizon yonder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Much
to his dismay, Ka Mao realized Cay Labne, though having inspired the concept,
did not fit into the shooting requirement. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thus
did<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that near-crash with the pig
delivery truck go for naught.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao would finally find the perfect site in his native town of Calolbon, now San
Andres, Catanduanes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And “May Gatas Pa
Sa Labi” made so much money when shown that not long after, Kara Films,
hitherto relatively unknown, was being reckoned with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s
me you’re getting popular with this, Direk,” said Roger of his venture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, as if by tradition, Aila Mare was
signed up <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for exclusive contract by
Regal Films.That had been Regal’s way of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>keeping bankable talents in the industry completely under its control. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao nearly fell into it, too, that day Mother Lily invited him to her office
where without much ceremony she instructed Ate Luz, the ever loyal and devoted
secretary-cashier of the Regal matriarch, to prepare pronto the advance payment
for making Ka Mao exclusive for the company. In a little while, the lady Man
Friday was done with a thick wad of checks which Mother Lily eagerly signed for
issuing to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
is three hundred thousand, Direk,” said the First Lady of Philippine
movies<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as she signed the checks. “Just
down payment for ten movies. The balance per movie, you get everytime you
shoot.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao found it extremely hard to refuse the offer from somebody whose winsome way
of dealing with people, albeit play-act, was simply irresistible. But Betchay
kept elbowing his side, nearly gnashing her teeth as she counseled him, “Don’t
sign.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Only
when Mother Lily was done signing the checks did Ka Mao get to say, “Sorry,
Mother. No need for this contract. Just you hire me anytime you wish”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao didn’t know why he listened to Betchay. Mother Lily had been so nice to him
that it indeed made him sincerely sorry to have rejected her. The lady eyed
him, looking deeply hurt inside. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
remembered the first time he saw that look in her eyes. That noon at Jade Vine
Restaurant in Greenhills Shopping Mart. She had invited him for lunch along
with Ishmael Bernal for discussions on film projects. But the hours wore on and
it was now nearing two and still Mother Lily was nowhere in sight. Ka Mao was
taking it good-naturedly, having grown used to her habits, tantrums and
everything. But Bernal, the super director that he was, was visibly irked,
though he kept his thoughts to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally,
at ten minutes to two, Mother Lily arrived, beaming even as she was profuse
with apologies to her guests. They must have waited for nearly three hours, for
to a lunch invitation by someone as important as Mother Lily, you are expected
to arrive as early as eleven o’clock. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
minute Mother Lily took a seat at the table, Bernal rose abruptly, and without
looking at her nor saying a word to her, he turned away and got lost. That
clearly was the snub he had deliberately designed to get back at the lady for
having made him, a very important person, suffer the agony of a three-hour-waiting.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mother
Lily was left gaping, appearing like having been hit by a blow. She made no
adverse reaction of any sort, just that look of hurt in her eyes with which she
trailed Bernal’s oh, too proud strides in going away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
at Ka Mao’s rejection of Mother Lily’s offer, he just found himself wondering
if he was not doing a Bernal. And that made him feel guilty. Mother Lily had
been so good to him to deserve his snub. And so unavoidably, as Mother Lily
casually tore the checks intended for him, Ka Mao just found himself suddenly
reminiscing on some nice times he had had with the lady, like that midnight
trip to Pangasinan to which she had wanted him and Betchay around when she paid
homage to the Virgin of Manaoag. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">People
were wont to engage in ill talk on the lady’s frequent tantrums, growling at
employees and throwing things at them, like ash trays and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>telephone sets, whatever she could grab in
her moments of bad temper. What was hardly talked about was her regular visits
to the Virgin of Manaoag in whose miracles she manifested deep faith. At the
entrance of the Valencia Street office of Regal Films, an interesting amalgam
greeted every visitor before entering: the Virgin of Manaoag richly garlanded
with sampaguita side by side with a Buddha figurine surrounded by burning
incense.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao would have some spiritual union with Mother Lily in the Life in the Spirit
Seminar conducted in the Regal office in 1991. Along with a number of Regal
celebrities, Ka Mao underwent the seminar for a week. From that seminar, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao got a copy of the Good News Bible,
which had since then become his ready reference for Gospel guidance; the one
Manay Consoling gifted him with stayed kept in the shelves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why Ka Mao heeded Betchay’s counsel for him
not to sign the exclusive contract, he couldn’t say. Chances were that Mother
Lily had sincerely wished to keep him for keeps. The fact was that even with
his refusal to sign, Ka Mao continued to enjoy the good graces of Mother Lily.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Into the 90s, Ka Mao was getting to be a
topnotch director in number of films made; in 1991 he scored six for the year
alone. Four of those six were for Regal films.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao would realize that goodwill is not sourced from worldly trappings of legal
contracts but from a sincere covenant with God to do good. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER XII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SOCIETY threw in tumult
in the aftermath of the Ninoy Aquino assassination that August 21, 1983. Like
most anybody else, Ka Mao’s impulse was to call it a handiwork of Marcos. But
after a period of putting two and two together, Ka Mao advanced the opinion
that Marcos was no fool to make a hero out of a dead man walking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his admitted sojourns to various places outside of the
United States to strike up formal<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>alliances against Marcos, sticking always to his side was Dr. Solis, the
surgeon who performed triple heart by-pass operation on him in Dallas,
Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The doctor had become so dear a
friend to Ninoy that, as he admitted in an interview with the Philippine Daily
Inquirer, he “would take Ninoy’s secret to his grave.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ninoy was a terminal case, no doubt about that. That was
why he needed Dr. Solis to travel along with him in those numerous trips to meet
up with allies and supporters. But on that particular journey for homecoming in
1981 when he should need medical attention most, Dr. Solis was prominently
missing. Ninoy appeared a pathetic lonesome as he moved from one plane to
another in the circuitous trip back home, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The question, then, is unavoidably asked: When does a
patient no longer need a doctor? The answer is simple: When there’s no more
hope of cure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As a finale to a lengthy essay on Ninoy which Ka Mao
posted in his blog KAMAO in 2010, he cited a passage from a video documentary
entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beyond Conspiracy: 25 Years
After</i>. The presentation was hosted by Tina Munzon Palma, who, as a
clincher, declared: “In the end, Ninoy won his political chess game with Marcos
by doing the unthinkable: he sacrificed the King.” And Ka Mao, after citing the
consequent rise to power of what the media had hyped to be apolitical, Ninoy’s
widow Cory, made his own fearless pronouncement: “That was a good death, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>translation of the Greek word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">euthanasia</i>.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So much given to metaphors in his writing, Ka Mao was
alluding to the medical practice of physicians finally ordering the detachment
of various life supports from a patient to facilitate his passage from life.
Mercy killing, that’s how it is generally known. But the gory manner by which
Ninoy got killed and depicted in the video presentation prompted Ka Mao to
recall a scene in a cowboy movie in which a horse with broken legs, thus with
no more hope of living further, was shot by its very owner, thereby, with that
single bullet through its skull, making its death easy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sure, Ninoy got death good and easy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But for the nation, that drama on the tarmac ushered in
terribly difficult times. Cory, suddenly grown political, led ceaseless
disturbances all riding on the single cry: “Sobra na! Tama na! Alisin na! (Too
much! Enough! Remove!)” Foreign capital held back on its investments, creating
an abrupt drop of the economy, ultimately leading to mass poverty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao was intrigued by the phenomenon. He would wonder
if people were made to be like that, enjoying pleasure from getting hurt.
Despite getting whacks on the head with police sticks, they would brawl with
state troopers even more. So if the turbulence from the assassination of Ninoy
was creating hard times on their livelihood, suits people fine; they had it
coming. It was their mindless accommodation of the Cory call that made them
poorer in the first place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>People’s protests all over the nation provided the crest
for Cory to ride on in a clear intention to get Ninoy’s oath, declared with
resolve in his memorable speech, done once and for all: “I will dedicate the
last drop of my blood for the dismantlement of your dictatorship.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How the people loved to repeat after Cory on and on and
on: “Tama na! Sobra na! Alisin na!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the armed CPP-NPA rebellion, the disturbances just
augured well for pushing the revolution ahead. This was the time the rebel
leadership assessed its so-called people’s war to have attained the strategic
counter offensive (SCO) sub-stage from which to spring to the strategic
offensive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the US, the situation would not be good. American
overriding concern at the time was to get Marcos done with for purposes of
achieving their intentions in the forthcoming renegotiation of the American
bases rentals. If, initially the communist movement helped US interests in its
program of demonizing Marcos as a springboard for his ouster, this time around,
that movement was poised to take over in the event of a rebel overthrow of Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Sisonite strategy of a protracted people’s war sat
quite well with the US. That strategy was only aimed at protracting on and on,
with no timeline for victory. Simply because the strategy was designed not to
win, the imperialist enemy would not lose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But into the 80s, a shift from the conventional strategy
of surrounding the cities from the countryside was becoming evident. Urban
guerilla warfare was intensifying in Metro Manila as witnessed by the
assassination of General Tomas Karingal, Chief of the Police Northern Sector
Command, and Col. James Rowe, JUSMAG Commander. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meantime, policemen became a most scared lot, not knowing
who among them would fall next from assassination by city guerillas in their
ceaseless conduct of agaw armas, a binge of killing policemen for the simple
reason of snatching their service weapons. That was how, invoking the principle
of self-reliance, urban armed city partisans (ACP) were able to arm themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This shift in revolutionary strategy should be cause for
worry for the US. Its experience in its own backyard had shown that armed city
uprisings were the modern-day effective method of toppling tyrants. Fidel Castro
did it in Cuba and the Sadinistas, in Panama.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Jun, or Rolly Kintanar, as NPA Chief was into
perfecting the blueprint for such a Sadinista-approach uprising in the
Philippines, and though it was <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>not
openly advanced, the transpirations obtaining in Metro Manila spoke for
themselves: a city-based insurrection was in the making.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For that reason, a Marcos overthrow through popular
uprising must be nipped in the bad as far as US intentions were concerned. The
communist rebels could sneak into the fray and before anybody knew it, they
were at the helm of the new dispensation that would come about. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rather, a democratic election – or, at least, an election
made to appear to the people as one aimed at restoring democracy – was the best
US option.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So alongside militant rebellion-inspired mass protests,
were sudden cries for democratic elections wherein the Marcos presidency was at
stake. In due time, as from some strings having been pulled behind the scenes,
Marcos agreed to the holding of snap presidential elections where he, in tandem
with Senator Arturo Tolentino, would run against the tandem of Salvador Laurel,
for Vice President – and Cory Aquino for President.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Political pundits viewed this as a Marcos error in
judgment. It was not. If Marcos was cocksure he would win in the snap polls, it
was because he rightly saw the balance of forces between him and Cory. As then
Singapore President Lee Kwan Yu would remark on the matter afterward, “There is
no comparison.” The favor was on Marcos’ side.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If at all, the Cory bandwagon was good only in Metro
Manila, Cebu, select areas in the Visayas, but overall surveys showed Marcos
would win. And as the counting of votes at the Philippine International
Convention Center immediately showed, Marcos was far ahead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But, alas, the team of vote counters, which curiously was
composed of ladies, staged a walkout and before the international media – intriguingly
having been organized perhaps precisely to cover the grandstand act – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>denounced the counting as a hoax.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That denouncement was the alibi Cory held on to in
claiming the presidency through a self-serving victory count conducted by
National Movement for Free Election (NAMFREL). . </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thus, at the same time that Marcos was being proclaimed
winner in the Batasang Pambansa count, Cory was proclaimed victorious by
NAMFREL. And to Marcos’ intransigence in holding on to his post, Cory countered
with a civil disobedience campaign that already threatened to explode into a
bloody situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
desperation, Marcos sent a trusted lieutenant, Labor Secretary Blas Ople to
Washington to get the final say of US on the hostilities. That was when US
President Ronald Reagan, though a good friend of Marcos, sent him the curt
final message: “Cut and cut clean.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shortly
after came the repeat of a cliché: and the rest is history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Into
his retirement years, Ka Mao became so appalled by the Syrian civil war,
particularly the brutalities it was heaping upon innocent children and babies,
that he wrote a piece and got it posted in blog site <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Get Real Post</i>, which had been introduced to him by Twitter friend
Ilda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
article went: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
Syrian Civil War:</b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">MARCOS IN RETROSPECT</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Mauro Gia
Samonte</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #AAAAAA .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<h1 style="border: none; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #AAAAAA .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Given
the turmoil obtaining in Syria at this hour, Marcos could be the kindest
president the Philippines has ever had. What the Philippines was during those
four days, February 22 to 25, in 1986 was what had Syria become first quarter
of 2011. Decades-old regimes had began falling across the Middle East either as
a result of sheer civil unrest, as in Egypt where mass protests on the streets
forced President Hosni Mubarak to resign, or where demos and rallies proved
insufficient to force the perceived dictators to step down, a certain degree of
armed action became necessary as in Libya where it needed a civil war to topple
Muammar Gaddafi and get him killed. Certainly the gravest of all these
downfalls was that of Sadam Hussein which required the costly Iraqi war, both
in terms of destructions to infrastructure and human casualties, to bring about.
</span></h1>
<h1 style="border: none; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #AAAAAA .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">]</span></h1>
<h1 style="border: none; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #AAAAAA .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If, then, Assad were at the helm of
the Philippine nation in those four days of February 1986, the country could
have been reduced to shambles as many parts of Syria have since the civil
unrest early 2011 escalated into a civil war. With Assad’s intransigence in
clinging to power, there is no visible end to the bloodshed and devastation
that are getting worse in Syria every day.</span></h1>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Looking back now, I ask if it was
not to the country’s fortune that Marcos did not have that much intransigence.
The nation saw on television how then Defense Secretary </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(an oversight;
should have read “AFP Chief of Staff”)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Fabian Ver was urging President Marcos to have tanks moving in and disperse the
thousands that had already massed on EDSA<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-- certainly implying firepower. But President Marcos cut him short,
ordering instead to use water hoses or any somesuch method, but never guns.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And thus did the EDSA uprising of
1986 go down in history as a peaceful people power revolt. It would be the
height of political naivette to believe so.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The EDSA rising turned peaceful
because Marcos refused to use guns.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Assad were in his place, he would insist that those in EDSA – granting
they did count a couple of millions – constituted a very slim minority of the
Filipino people who at the time were counting 83 million. Assad would have
insisted that the majority of the people were in the middle, “to be precise,
not against him.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was just that the event was
perfectly hyped in the media so that what was actually a happening in a very
small section of Metro Manila was projected as a nationwide phenomenon. And
Marcos, instead of defying Reagan’s order (how do you put this in diplomatic
terms?) to “Cut. And cut clean,” did not resist when flown to Hawaii by United
States operatives.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Assad’s case, when asked for
reaction to a demand by US President Obama for him to step down because he had
lost legitimacy to rule, he said he will not listen to anybody, never mind if
that anybody is President of the greatest nation on earth, outside of Syria.
Assad, by his assertion, would listen only to the Syrian people, and again he
would insist that the majority of Syrians are in the middle, “not against me.” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During the EDSA crisis, Marcos
definitely had the numbers and add to this the “majority” who, by Assad’s
reckoning, must be in the middle and were not anti-Marcos, he enjoyed enough
public support to stay in power. Unlike Assad, however, Marcos, though not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>really acceding<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the Reagan direction, did not choose to
defy the US wish for him to step down and allowed himself to be “kidnapped” for
bringing to exile.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Had Marcos did an Assad, he would
surely have thrown the nation into a conflagration such as what’s happened to
Syria, decimating the population by tens of thousands and bringing the country
to utter ruins. But by not doing an Assad, had not Marcos exemplified the
height of magnanimity and benevolence, care and concern, and love a leader
should reach for the people he leads?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The EDSA rising propelled the plain
housewife Cory to the pinnacle of political power. She got the whole world
enthralled. In speeches before the United Nations and the US Congress, she
gloated in the glory of the “bloodless revolution”.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And Cory called that bloodlessness
her feat!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What hypocrisy!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Almost just as soon as Cory took
over the presidency, she declared: “Now I know why people would kill for this
position.” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The bloodiest event that ever took
place on Mendiola was the Mendiola Massacre on January 22, 1987 – very early on
in the Cory administration. And the bloodiest massacre that ever took place in
Concepcion, Tarlac was the Hacienda Luisita Massacre on November 16, 2004 –
when Cory could have prevented it but did not.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If the EDSA revolt turned out
bloodless, it was because Marcos just refused to make it bloody.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Years ago, I came across a passage
from a speech by Senator Bongbong Marcos about how to treat his father. He implored
his listeners, “Look beyond the man.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It takes the grim reality of Syria
to view the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos in the correct perspective. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
short article generated scores of comments, many of them evidently coming from
Cory loyalists. The propaganda slant intrinsic in the anti-Marcos comments
prompted Ka Mao to write a follow-up article, also posted in the same blog
site. Those who made comments went by aliases.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Here
was the article: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Mauro Gia Samonte</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Apropos
the stream of comments generated by my article SYRIAN WAR: MARCOS IN
RETROSPECT,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m prompted to think back
on RASHOMON, that movie by Akira Kurosawa which won the Best Picture Award in
the 1950 Berlin Film Festival onward to winning a similar honor in the Cannes
Film Festival.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RASHOMON
tells the story of a murdered samurai viewed from different angles. Each of these
angles claims to be the truth, to be more precise told during the trial by a
number of people claiming to be witnesses to the crime. The testimonies
contradict one another, making for the difficulty of telling which is true and
which is false. This dilemma constituting RASHOMON’S theme is what I believe
stares us in the face in the current discussion.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Which
of the contradictory comments that poured into GRP on account of my article is
true and which is false. Each of the comments is not wanting in historical
proof.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">jcc
goes to such great lengths, thank you, citing someone’s account of the EDSA
event (I promise to read up on this to get me less ill-informed) to show that
orders to shoot the EDSA crowd were given out but that the field commanders
refused to carry out those orders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On
the other hand, Andrew<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reports on a
conversation he heard between General Arturo Enrile and somebody in a London
Times’ correspondent’s bash in 1995 in which the general, said to be leading
the armored column in EDSA, admitted that they were ordered to stop and being
the army, they obeyed.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Twenty
six years after, therefore, the question continues to hang: Did or did not
Marcos order shooting the EDSA crowd? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">jcc,
again, calls it being “ill-informed” to believe the exchange between AFP Chief
Ver and President Marcos was one for real. Johnny Saint agrees, calling it odd
that Ver and Marcos should be talking that way on television. “The whole
event,” Johnny says, “seems contrivcd – a scripted melodrama, and a bad one at
that.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
her part, sendonggirl, whom Amir Al Bahrs alludes to as “lockness monster” and
whom Johnny Derp would rather liken to a “mewling quim” (whatever that means),
points out impropriety in comparing a leader to Assad. “Such a low bar
hehehehe,” she comments, hardly realizing that “such a low bar” in fact was
what people in the 70s – at least Ninoy Aquino and his ilk – were
measuring<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marcos against already:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Marcos! Hitler! Diktador! Tuta!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So okay with sendonggirl<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for Ninoy to go low, low to Hitler but never
low enough to Assad?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for a final
challenge, she prescribes, “compare him to lincoln so we can see.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
okay, sendonggirl. You asked for it..</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
did self-study of law. Marcos reviewed for bar while in prison. Even Stevens.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
passed the bar. Marcos topped the bar. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
lost a number of attempts at winning lower political posts. Marcos never lost
an election. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
went turncoat from Whig Party to Republican Party and won US presidency. Marcos
went turncoat from Liberal Party to Nacionalista Party and won Philippine
presidency. Even Stevens.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
was captain of volunteers during the Black Hawk War but, as one account says,
saw no combat save for “a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes.” Marcos
actually fought in battle as a combat intelligence officer for the allied
forces in the Philippines during World War 2. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Seven states seceded from the United States
during Lincoln’s term. No portion of the nation seceded from the Republic of the
Philippines during Marcos’ term. Marcos up. (P.S. Such secession is being
contemplated by the current PNoy administration for Mindanao through the
Framework of Agreement. History will assign score to PNoy for this.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The American Civil War broke out during
Lincoln’s term. No civil war broke out in Marcos’ term. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus and
arrested suspected Confederates sympathizers without warrant. Marcos suspended
writ of habeas corpus and arrested suspected communists <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>without warrant. Even Stevens.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln said, “Hold your friends close and your
enemies closer.” (Sun Tzu said this first.) Marcos<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>said, “There are no permanent enemies. There
are only temporary allies.” Even Stevens enough.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln said, “A house divided cannot stand.”
Marcos said, “This nation can be great again.” Marcos sounds better, or don’t
you agree?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln served for a little more than four
years. Marcos served 20 years. Marcos far, far ahead. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So now, sendonggirl, see for yourself how
Lincoln and Marcos compare There is only one area in which Lincoln does one
over Marcos. Lincoln was so hated in America that a popular actor assassinated
him on April 14, 1865. Marcos was only exiled. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why is that the case, that is, why exile
Marcos? “Because,” says Hayden Toro, “</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Marcos
was against the bases agreement to be extended. Enrile, Ramos and Honasan were
just front men of the Americans….”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m
inclined to believe Hayden. The US military bases agreement was subject to
review every five years. When Marcos came into power, he began imposing rental
on these installations, the first president ever do so. By 1985, when another
review was in the offing, the US must have had enough. Marcos had to go. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
this regard, Teddy Boy Locsin, reacting on Twitter to this same article,
contributes a very helpful insight. He cites a meeting between Cory and Philip
Habib, special envoy sent by Reagan to intervene in the crisis gripping the
nation as a consequence of the presidential snap election. According to Teddy
Boy, Cory rejected Habib’s proposal for her to share power with Marcos and
declared that if that happened, she would tear the nation. At which, narrates
Teddy Boy, Habib stood and told Cory that she will (apropos<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the comment of Jack, tense is Teddy Boy’s
original) win. And as the cliché goes, the rest is history. With EDSA, Cory
won.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now,
see how we have meandered through a labyrinth of views which we seem to find a
hard time<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>getting out of. In much the
same way,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RASHOMON treats our
consciousness to endless juxtapositions of current and past scenes seemingly
able to achieve only a grand display of incoherence. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the opening sequence of RASHOMON, a priest and a man (later to be identified as
the woodcutter who, by his own testimony, discovers the murdered samurai) are
under the ruined gate of Rashomon outside Kyoto, lamenting something which they
say they cannot understand. An intruder rushes to the scene, taking shelter
from the rain that is pouring hard. He is told of the two’s lament.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Says
the priest, “War, earthquake, winds, fire, famine, the plague. Year after year
it’s been nothing but disasters. And bandits descend upon us every night. I’ve
seen so many men getting killed like insects. But evcn I have never heard such
a story as horrible as this. Yes, so horrible. This time I may finally lose my
faith in the human soul.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s
more horrible than war, earthquake, winds, fire, famine, the plague? The
question prompts you to view the movie on. For all the disasters that had
visited the Philippines, the country hasn’t quite had enough?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the finale, you get the answer: lies.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cries
the woodcutter at the intruder who accuses him of having stolen the precious
pearl-inlaid dagger that went missing from the chest of the slain samurai.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Damn
it! Everyone is selfish and dishonest. Making excuses. The bandit, the woman,
the man and you!” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thus
the film delivers its powerful message: that nothing is true in the world and
that what truth is to people are consequences of things that work to their
favor.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RASHOMON’S
impact precisely lies in its shattering of the hitherto held western belief of
the universality of truth – which obviously is what comments in the GRP stream
without exception smack of. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We,
all of us, always pretend to nobility in our words. But always we betray a
gleam, if a tiny one, by which our listeners can look beyond our façades.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
is mine in this instance? An ache wrought by the babies and children getting
brutalized in the Syrian civil war. It’s a pain a lot more fundamental than
striking up a brave political braggadocio or priding in grammatical perfection.
</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
really just a plain, simple cry: “Please stop the Syrian civil war. Save the
babies and children.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Discussions
in RASHOMON abruptly stop as an infant’s cry rends the air. The discussants
look and discover an abandoned baby, wrapped in an expensive kimono with an
amulet left by the baby’s parents obviously to protect it from harm. The three
proceed to do each respective concern, The greedy intruder snatches the kimono
off the baby then growls at the woodcutter as the latter tries to stop
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You
selfish…” says the woodcutter.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s
wrong with that? Dogs are better off in this world. If you are not selfish, you
can’t survive.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
priest cradles the continuously-crying baby in his arms as the intruder hies
off. The woodcutter asks to have the baby.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
have six kids of my own. Another one wouldn’t make a difference.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
priest hands the baby to the woodcutter, whereupon it stops crying. The rain
has stopped. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Manifesting
a cleansing of spirit inside him, the priest says, “I think I can keep my faith
in man.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And when, clearly smarting from having been rebuked, the
Cory loyalists again posted their angry reaction, this time diverting from the
original issue raised by Ka Mao on Marcos holding back fire in the EDSA crisis.
Instead they focused on some little lapses in Ka Mao’s copyreading of his
article and made mountains out of certain minor shortcomings. Ka Mao realized
that the Cory loyalists were a coterie of cowards who hid in their aliases in
firing away insults at their adversaries. This smacked of neophyte tactics to
which Ka Mao would not stoop down. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so in order to finally settle the issue, Ka Mao wrote
an account on Kirk as a way of telling those detractors that Ka Mao knew
whereof he spoke. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This was Ka Mao’s final say:</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MEMORIES OF A CIVIL WAR</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">By Mauro Gia Samonte</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kirk was already in late-twenties when he got into the mainstream of
the so-called national democratic movement initiated by Jose Maria Sison. From
the ranks of mass activists, he was elevated to candidate membership in the
Communist Party of the Philippines and after a few months in that status became
full-fledged party member. The chaos within the party resulting from the sudden
declaration of martial law on September 22, 1972 saw him getting separated from
his party unit, but he went on organizing among workers on a self-style basis
in which he advocated a review of the Sison strategy of protracted people’s war,
which he saw inappropriate to the concrete Philippine condition. Forced to
surface from his underground revolutionary work, he pursued his writing craft
and became successful at screenwriting, subsequently at film direction.
Beginning 1977 when he won a best screenplay award in the Metro Manila Film
Festival, old acquaintances in the revolutionary movement began gravitating
around him, which would shortly siphon him back into the fight, so to speak. He
found himself sitting with a group that called itself IL (for International
Liaison) which the polio-stricken political officer heading it loved to call
“the most powerful commission in the Party central committee, next to the
military commission”. Eventually a former co-member in a party group in the
workers sector led him to then sitting Chairman of the CPP, Rodolfo Salas alias
Kumander Bilog, also the head of the Military Commission. After a while of
performing tasks under the N2 (Intelligence) of the General Command of the New
People’s Army, he was appointed head of the Special Intelligence Unit
subordinate only to the General Command and directly responsible to it. He was
in that position when the EDSA crisis erupted. The following are his
recollections of those circumstances.</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">***</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The days into February 1986 were a period of chaos among responsible
cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines – to be precise, of the
lower-level cadres. Compartmentalization in the Party made it impossible for a
member of a unit to know what’s going in the other units, much more in the
higher organs. Party directives were disseminated through policy papers and the
Party organ, Ang Bayan. Once these directives were passed down to the mass
level, that’s when matters were discussed on a mass scale. The issue during
that period was: Would the movement participate in the coming snap presidential
election.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Back in December, through much of the initiative of Jaime Cardinal Sin,
the tandem of Corazon Aquino and Salvador P. Laurel was hastily formed to beat
the deadline for filing certificate of candidacy. And the country, mainly in
Metro Manila, was thrown into the frenzy of the political campaigns by both
sides. In many aspects, rallies and demonstrations and teach-ins were
reminiscent of the days immediately preceding the declaration of martial law in
1972. The demonizing of Marcos then had reached its flaming zenith.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But conspicuously absent from the crowd of Cory campaigners were the
natdems (acronym for national democrats), those in the national democratic
movement. Opposed to the natdems were the socdems (for social democrats), now
carrying solo the banner of the Cory cry: “Tama na. Sobra na. Palitan na. Alis
dyan!” Of course, along with the new slogan was the ubiquitous trademark of the
Marcos hate campaign: “Marcos Hitler! Diktador! Tuta!”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Certainly the natdems were side by side with the socdems, but their cry
was different: “Boycott! Boycott! Boycott!”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It had been the position of the Party, as reached in a meeting of the
KTKS (Komiteng Tagapagpagganap ng Komite Sentral), not to participate in the
election, which it deemed another maneuver of the US to further entrench Marcos
in power. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It is impossible to tell for someone outside the KTKS how each member
of the committee voted on the issue. So it was difficult for me to determine
who among them to express my view of the situation. Though the principle of
democratic centralism, by which any member may express his views on any issue,
was preached among party members, still one needed extreme caution in
expressing his ideas lest he be branded anti-party, an offense punishable by
death. But being head of a unit directly responsible to the General Command, I
developed intimacy with GC leading elements, particularly Ka Jun (alias of
Rolando Kintanar, NPA chief of staff). I believed with Ka Jun, I did not stand
to be sanctioned for expressing an honest belief.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The snap election struck me as a grand US show. A US congressional
observer team had been dispatched to the Philippines to monitor the conduct of
the election. This was odd. The election was exclusively the country’s affair
and no other country had business interfering in it. But the US was making sure
it had business to do in the event.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Moreover, a large contingent of international media people had been
mobilized to cover the election, something which to me was overkill. So Marcos
was staking his position ahead of the expiration of his term, was that so big a
deal as to warrant such a huge army of international media men? Either way the
election would go, they could well cover it through the wires. But they chose to
go get the big news, whatever which would come about, first-hand. Again, this
was a US handiwork.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And on top of everything, the US Seventh Fleet was just offshore in
Manila Bay. The fleet had been US’s greatest arm-twisting instrument in the
Asia Pacific. What did it have to do with the Philippine snap presidential
election? There must be a war somehow which the US needed to confront just in
case. Marcos by then had been, in a manner of saying, hobnobbing with Russia
and China, something the US didn’t like. From the time of the American
aggression in the 1900s, the Philippines had always been an exclusive US
enclave, but Marcos, with martial law, had been increasingly veering the
country away from such exclusivity. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So I talked to Ka Jun during a break in his meeting with the General
Staff and mustered enough guts to propose that we strike up an alliance with
Marcos under the current circumstances. I said it was Marcos who the US was
intending to get out of power through the snap election and so it was he who we
should ally with inasmuch as we were anti-US imperialism. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">At my proposal, Ka Jun spoke no words. He fixed a stare at me, a
piercing stare that betrayed a deep inner thing in him, like some kind of soul
searching done to accommodate my idea. Ka Charlie, intelligence head of the
General Command, overheard the talk on striking up alliances in the crisis and
butted in, “That’s a good idea.” </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“He is proposing alliance with Marcos,” cut in Ka Jun, clarifying the
issue.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Impossible,” Ka Charlie snapped.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Marcos is the one the US wants out,” I insisted.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Marcos is still the US boy in this fight,” Ka Charlie insisted in
turn, his voice stern but his lips lined with a grin that indicated he was more
entertained than anything else by my idea.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I had hoped that if I could convince Ka Jun on my idea, then he could
talk the KTKS into reversing the boycott policy to one of participation – of
course, participation in favor of Marcos. I was thinking of the Bolsheviks in
1917.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were together with the
Mensheviks in toppling the czarist regime of Nicholas II. Instead of forming a
government of their own as a result of the Czar’s downfall, Lenin insisted in
joining up with the Kerensky government that had been installed. Once
entrenched in that government, the Bolsheviks arrested the entire Kerensky
cabinet and with that proclaimed the famous: “All power to the soviets.” Thus
was born the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the fruit of a truly
bloodless revolution.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What would have happened if Ka Jun had listened to my proposal, carried
it to the KTKS, which would then have reversed the boycott policy to one of
participation – participation for Marcos? Surely it would have created furor
and outrage, frustration and disillusionment among the great masses of the
national democratic movement conditioned to yelling “Marcos Hitler! Diktador!
Tuta!” This was admitted – but for one single reason: that they believed Marcos
was the US boy. If we explained that Cory was the new stooge being groomed in
the whole exercise, that in fact the US had organized the international media
coverage of the event, coupled with the Congressional monitoring team and the
awesome firepower of the US Seventh Fleet, wouldn’t the masses of the
revolutionaries have understood that such a reversal was all for advancing the
struggle against US imperialism?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In the 1930s, when the Chinese Communist Party had not quite grown big
yet, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>convinced it to get absorbed within the Kuomintang Party of Chiang
Kai-Sheik, which the Soviet party actually supported with military training,
arms and logistical and technical support in the resistance against Japanese
aggression. The CCP acquiesced and for a time took its command from the
Kuomintang. And as history would eventually prove it,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that decision was correct. At an appropriate
time, the CCP broke away from the Kuomintang, took over China’s countryside and
from there engaged the Kuomintang in one of the bloodiest civil wars in
history, culminating in the CCP takeover of the entire China mainland, with the
Kuomintang pushed back to the small province of Formosa, now Taiwan.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What would have happened if Ka Jun had listened to my proposal?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The question really no longer mattered at the time. It was too late in
the day. As we say, don’t change horses in midstream. Sun Tzu puts it in his
own way: Don’t engage an enemy while crossing a river. Everything in the US
machination had been set to full throttle and there was no stopping the events
from reaching their destined finale: the walk out by canvassers when the
Comelec count was showing a Marcos win, the Namfrel showing the discrepancy
between the Comelec count and its own which showed Cory winning, the Batasan
proclamation of Marcos as winner, the Cory civil disobedience campaign, outrage
by US Senator Lugar over what he termed as rampant disenfranchisement of up to
40% of the voters, and the pressure from US senators on Reagan to withdraw
support from Marcos.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">When Reagan sent Philip Habib to talk to both Marcos and Cory
ostensibly to find a middle ground in their conflict, it was actually to
ascertain who of the two deserved to be put in place, that is, for US interest.
Cory refused to share power with Marcos, so went the reports. But no intimate
contents of Habib’s meeting with Cory would naturally find print in the press.
Whatever, what was reported was that when Habib stood from the meeting, he told
Cory she will win.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">That was Friday, February 21. The following day, February 22, Defense
Minister Juan Ponce Enrile made big waves of his holing up in Camp Aquinaldo
together with AFP Vice Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos and RAM leader Col.
Gregorio Honasan, announcing his resignation from the Marcos administration – a
resignation that already the day before was carried in two US newspapers. And finally,
with Cardinal Sin issuing the call for support from the populace for Enrile et
al, the crowd poured into EDSA – protecting the very implementers of martial
law which they had despised for a decade and a half.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">All of a sudden the Party and the national democratic movement which it
led found themselves utterly left out in the cold. The boycott policy had left
them floating in limbo. What rode on the Cory takeover were the socdems who,
save for Edgar Jopson and quite a few others, never really got to reconcile
with the revolution.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now, does it still matter to ask if things would have turned out
differently had Marcos decided to fire at the EDSA crowd?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">At the time, I thought Marcos would. He had not been depicted as Hitler
if he wasn’t capable of gassing 6 million Jews. And I’d welcome it if he did.
Marcos firing at the EDSA crowd would have a way of correcting the error of the
boycott policy. It would surely enrage the populace and, as Cory told Habib,
tear the nation in a widespread bloody confrontation.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As the vociferous firebrand Bal Pinguel of Kabataang Makabayan used to
agitate his listeners in the 70s, no nation in history has ever developed
without passing through a bloody revolution, citing the American Civil War, the
Spanish Civil War and the Chinese Civil War, among others.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So even as my comrade Ka Dave and I were squeezing with the crowd some
meters away from the Camp Aquinaldo gate, one being a lookout for the other, we
were cautious about the possibility of a sudden rapid firing of armalites or
bursts from grenade launchers.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A favorite quote from Mao Tse Tung crossed my mind: “A single spark can
start a prairie fire.” This is it, I was urging Marcos to myself, “Strike the
matchstick.”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But that Saturday wore on with no one striking a matchstick save for
cigarette vendors enjoying a heyday, as did others vending sago gulaman, balut,
cheap sandwiches, what have you, selling to the multitudes. It was everything
that, again, Mao Tse Tung wouldn’t want a revolution to be: a picnic. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And so as I watched the news program that Monday evening, I suddenly
found myself melting in the fire of streaming memories: the bravado of strikers
at the Makabayan Publishing Corporation where they barricaded a strike-breaking
truck with their bare bodies; the May Day Massacre in Congress in 1971 that
killed union organizer Liza Balando and maimed countless others; the Caloocan
Massacre that same year which peppered union leader Fred Tibar with bullets so
terribly one slug got embedded in his thumb; the infamous Plaza Miranda bombing
which killed an innocent girl cigarette vendor and two others and seriously
injured the entire LP Senatorial ticket in the 1971 mid-term election – save
for one single lucky guy who just happened not to be there when the blasts took
place, Ninoy Aquino.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In a video I would watch many years after, Cory declares, “As we all
know, Ninoy really wanted to be president. Everything was just planned for
1973.”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But as we all know, too, for the presidency, 1973 never came to Ninoy.
Marcos declared martial law in 1972. Seven years and seven months of military
detention under the martial law regime, three years of sojourn in the United
States for treatment of heart ailment, and come 1983, Ninoy made the greatest
political magic of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against the
advice of Imelda Marcos, Ninoy came home from the United States. A slug fired
by an assassin from a .45 pierced through his skull as he was being led by
Avsecom soldiers down the stairs of the China Airlines that brought him into
the Manila International Airport. He dropped dead on the tarmac.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The whole nation mourned. Millions brought Ninoy to his final resting
place. Above all, Cory got inscrutably ingrained in the consciousness of
multitudes who can’t quite outgrow a yearning for gods and heroes. By 1985, the
iconization of Cory was complete. She was ready to square off with Marcos.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So this was the realization I had upon viewing that news program on
television. Cory was being sworn into office as President of the Republic of
the Philippines. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How then could EDSA have blown up into a civil war when the events that
led up to it had from the very beginning been crafted only to advance one man’s
magnificent obsession with the presidency! With the objective having been
achieved, why push the conflict further? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Of course, Ninoy died not getting to that post. Precisely. He should
know he could no longer get there. Having undergone triple heart bypass
operation, he should be a terminal case. He should have only two choices left,
come home dead or come home a hero. Thus did it happen that what Ninoy failed
to do in more than two decades of political skirmish with Marcos, he did in one
grand act. By getting himself killed, he performed the greatest sleight of hand
that ever took place right under the noses of a sadly gullible nation.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Soon after Cory took over the presidency, among her first acts, aside
from the return of Meralco and ABS-CBN to the Lopezes, was the release from
detention of Jose Maria Sison and Bernabe Buscayno alias Kumander Dante.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Expectedly, Sison began flexing muscles again, so to speak. That is,
continue his movement, this time aiming it against the Cory government. At
which, Cory issued a reprimand for him not to try it on her. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“You know what I mean,” she said.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Could Cory be referring to that day in 1968 when she served coffee to
Ninoy and his guests, a professor from the Universsity of the Philippines and
the leader of a breakaway group from the Hukbalahap, Jose Maria Sison and
Bernabe Buscayno alias Kumander Dante? With the help of Tarlac Governor Apin
Yap, Ninoy had brokered the meeting of the two for a purpose only they knew. At
any rate, subsequent to that meeting came the establishment of the Communist
Party of the Philippines on December 26, 1968, later followed by the founding
of the New People’s Army on March 29, 1969.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Accordingly as the Ninoy-Marcos
rivalry intensified, so did the Sisonite national democratic movement. Before
EDSA, the New People’s Army had grown to a size of 25,000 regulars, all in
company formation. This on top of 500,000 militia spread across the archipelago
plus a large army of armed propaganda units the exact number of which I could
no longer recall. Suffice it to say that by conventional military reckoning of
1:10<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1 rebel to 10 government troops)
as an ideal ratio for engaging the enemy in guerilla warfare, the NPA had come
to a high ground. The Philippine armed forces at the time numbered some
150,000, and this number should require only 15,000<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
NPA to be at par with the ratio. In fact, the national situationer issued by
the Party during the period already spoke of a so-called strategic counter
offensive (SCO) substage at which actions may be launched for achieving
strategic stalemate. This is the stage where there is a clear division of
territories between the protagonists in the war, each respective armed forces
exercising control over them, and people have taken sides in the conflict – the
stage of civil war. Once the strategic stalemate is reached, it becomes
relatively easy for the rebellion to push on – the strategic offensive –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and defeat the enemy.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In 1987, with Cory’s government still a revolutionary one, hence
unstable, I had another casual conversation with Ka Jun in which I suggested
that the strategy of the rebellion should be to prevent the holding of the next
presidential election. The reason I gave was that if the next president would
be elected through a democratic process, it would consolidate the political
power of the Philippine bourgeoisie thereby weakening the armed struggle, if
not rendering it inutile altogether.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“When would be the next presidential election?” Ka Jun asked.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“1992,” I replied.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“We shall have won by then,” Ka Jun said quite confidently.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It exhilarated me no end.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But then came Sison’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>
in 1991. (Kumander Bilog had been captured by the government earlier and
leadership of the Party passed on to Benito Tiamzon, a Sison loyalist
implementing the latter’s directives from the Netherlands. Ka Jun’s leadership
of the New People’s Army was being contested by Buscayno.) In sum, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> subjected the boycott policy to
severe criticism and proposed re-education for all those guilty of the error. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Particular emphasis was placed on what was regarded as military
adventurism of Ka Jun, who was embarking on a strategy opposed to the protracted
struggle program of Sison. Ka Jun’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>program called for a Sandinista type of uprising that had proven
successful in Panama. Groundwork for this strategy had already begun and at the
time of EDSA was set to unfold. As I had been critical of the Sison line from
the very start, seeing it as a shameless copy cat of the Mao Tse Tung strategy
in China in the 1930s,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Jun’s line
appealed to me as the more realistic,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>pragmatic, feasible strategy.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now, in Party parlance, re-education simply means demotion for those
guilty of the offense. Or worse yet, expulsion from the Party. Negative
reaction to the Sison paper was widespread. Faced with the prospect of being
meted punishment, many leading Party elements, including several who were
members of the Party Central Committee and who had been critical of the overall
Sison strategy of protracted struggle, chose to form their own factions, each
faction having its own armed group and pursuing its own line of pushing the
revolution. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm </i>smashed the Party
into splinters. So did it the NPA, which broke up into guerilla units once
again –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as in the beginning.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Though Ninoy did not make it to the presidency, his widow did. It’s all
the same. No need to make use further of the rebellion for which Ninoy had
brokered the first meeting of Sison and Buscayno in 1968. Time to tear that
rebellion apart. How do you do it?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> did the trick.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Post Script:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Popoy Lagman, former Secretary General of the CPP Manila-Rizal Regional
Party Committee who organized the much dreaded Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) and
wrote a number of books criticizing the Sison line of protracted struggle, was
gunned down by two assassins inside the UP campus on February 7, 2001.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Next to fall was Ka Jun, Rolando Kintanar, shot and killed on January
23,2003 by reportedly 4 assassins while having meal at a restaurant in the
Quezon City Circle. Gregorio Rosal, NPA head in Southern Luzon, owned up to the
killing.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Arturo Tabara, Secretary General of the CPP Visayas Commission was
assassinated in Quezon City in 2004. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Civil war anyone?</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XIII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE TUMULT in the
aftermath of the Ninoy killing in 1983 was the background of a third renovation
of the house Ka Mao built in that quiet, idyllic nook of Antipolo on Sumulong
Highway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the time, Betchay just found herself conceiving their fourth child. This, much
to her chagrin. She did not wish to have another one. She was only into her
second semester at the PSBA and having another child would surely frustrate her
intention of finishing a college course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the period, Ka Mao noticed that Betchay
was curiously exerting herself so much:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>clearing bushes-covered patches of ground, hoeing at the earth for
planting sweet potato,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cassava<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and several varieties of vegetable in, and
then fetching pails upon pails of water from the creek for watering those she
planted. She would endlessly hack again at the bushes which she cut into
firewood. Finally, she would invariably end up scrubbing the floor with a
coconut husk while she punched her belly on and on, grit on her face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao caught Betchay doing it even as it was getting dark and so he confronted
her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Stop
it,” he said, holding her still. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bctchay
threw herself on a seat, wiping the heavy perspiration on her face. She was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>catching her breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What’s
getting you anyway?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
nearly cried, saying, “I don’t want to abort this child.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“God,
what you’re doing can get you a miscarriage,” Ka Mao countered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If
I bleed, I won’t be doing it,” Betchay said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Who
will?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Will
God let me bleed if he wished this child to live?” Betchay asked in turn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was tongue-tied. Betchay’s logic awed him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Twenty
nine years after, that child, grown into a man, would take his girlfriend Rhea
down the aisles of the Antipolo Cathedral, insisting in a church wedding by
which to lead his own married life. He would not take after Maoie, who would
content himself with simply living in with his partner, Jen; nor after Paulo,
who would be happy with on-and-off relationships with various girlfriends; nor
less after Keng, who, in his speech during the wedding reception, Ka Mao
referred to as his unica hija but would turn out to be an otro hijo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had just gone through a stroke at the time and as he ambled to the
microphone on a cane to respond to the Emcee’s calling him to deliver “words of
wisdom”, he was thinking back on that Valentine occasion in a Calamba night
club when Ka Mao and Betchay, taking a break from shooting just sat at a table,
watching the merrymaking of lovers on the dance floor. A lady approached the
couple and asked, “Are you husband-and-wife?” And they said, “Yes.” And finally
the lady said, “That’s why you’re not enjoying.” That was why though it had
been three years then since Keng was born, Ka Mao and Betchay thought giving it
one more try to act not just husband-and-wife but two people caring and sharing
as lovers do on that night of love. Ka Mao would have loved to recall that nine
months after that Valentine night, came the stork carrying on its beak wrapped
in linen the baby Ogie. But reminiscences would unavoidably touch on that
period when that baby was a most unwanted child. Surely, that would have turned
his speech into a tearjerker – and thus spoil the fun. Even so, Ka Mao’s voice,
prompted by his private recollection of that moment Betchay wanted to get rid
of Ogie, came out almost squeaking from a deep-set pain. The pain, he tried to
suppress by shifting to the poetry uttered by the Bishop of Canterbury in the
wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Dianne. Ka Mao said how nice for a
father to see his son insisting in going through the “stuff of which fairy
tales are made.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
birth of Ogie appeared to be Ka Mao’s motivation in expanding the family house
further still. Actually, that was the period when the Party began using the
house as its headquarters and Ka Mao felt it was too small for the purpose and
so had to be enlarged.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was enjoying that moment, feeding the infant Ogie with porridge, when he
delighted at the arrival of guests among whom was one he immediately recognized
and rushed to excitedly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Ka
Choleng,” said Ka Mao, gripping the woman’s hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Choleng was the same Deputy OD head of the KASAMA Party Group from whom Ka Mao
had been separated upon the imposition of martial law. Ka Mao was just so happy
to see her again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“How
are you?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“
I’m fine,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Where’s
the unit?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“They
found their own new groups.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“How
is Ka Teng?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
is still around. He is okay.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
is her husband,” Sandra informed Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh!”
exclaimed Ka Mao. “I’m glad to hear that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Choleng let out a coy smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao then acknowledged with a smile the fortyish, fair-skinned, boyish-looking, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>clean-shaven, good-looking guy who was with
the two women.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
is Ka Erning,” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>said Ka Choleng,
introducing the man, who shook hands with Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing was spoken of what position the man held
in the movement, but it must be so high as to make him have that authority to
speak when he told Sandra, “From now on, the IL will no longer use this house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sandra
eyed Ka Erning inquiringly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
house,” Ka Erning said, “shall be the house of the KS.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
what his wont was, Ka Mao did not ask any questions. But “KS” was a term used
by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>party elements even at the lowest
level to refer to the Central Committee of the CPP which in the vernacular was
“Komite Sentral”, hence the abbreviation “KS”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pride,
all right, was part of the emotion Ka Mao felt instantly at what Ka Erning was
making of the house. In bourgeois reckoning, it was a great<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>honor for Ka Mao to have been entrusted with
housing the highest leadership of the Party and of the revolution. But more
than pride, the trust the Party leadership had in him made Ka Mao feel
exceedingly assured that he, at long last, mattered in the revolution. In the
long period that he had been separated from the Party, Ka Mao bore the silent
agony of having been abandoned, like he had been thrown aside for trash. From
that time on, Ka Mao’s consuming obsession was to be restored to the Party. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Ka Erning’s declaration now, Ka Mao felt he had been redeemed. It somehow
became obvious to him that Ka Choleng was there only to attest to what Ka Mao
had been in the Party. And Ka Erning needed somebody who had been in Ka Mao’s
confidence to do their introduction to each other. After that occasion, Ka
Choleng did not show up in the house anymore. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a period of vigorous renovation conducted by
Ka Mao on the house followed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
attic that still consisted of bamboo and nipa was completely torn down to give
way to a full-blown second floor encompassing that area, walled in concrete,
with TNG for flooring and corrugated galvanized iron sheets for roof; the
beams, trusses and furlins were in wood. The windows were grilled and fitted
with plant boxes done in concrete. With corrugated galvanized iron sheet used
as form for containing the fresh cement mix of the plant boxes, they imparted a
finish approximating gothic design. The stairs to the second floor was in wood,
with the landing on the ground floor in concrete. Just one room was made on the
second floor for use of the entire family together. Maripaz and Ogie shared the
bed with Ka Mao and Betchay, while Maoie and Paulo slept on a mat on the floor.
Outside the room was constructed a bathroom. Another comfort room was
constructed on the ground floor, correspondingly below that on the second
floor. This was situated on the corner to the right of the main entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bedroom and the kitchen on the ground
floor were completely torn down also so as to make of that entire floor a
living room and a dining room combine. An extension limited to the ground floor
level toward the creekside now served as the kitchen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Party VIPs coming on their individual cars during meetings, the place must have
parking accommodations for a number of vehicles at a time and on a spot quie proximate
to the house so that those VIPs needed not to walk long after alighting from
their cars. Moreover the car park must be on a level hidden from view from the
highway. Under this requirement, the pergola, on the sunken frontage of house,
which had been serving as the reception and dining area had to go, the area now
to be used for parking the VIPs’s cars. The driveway from the highway down to
the slope where the house had been built was done five inches thick to make it
durable over time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
would be three other times when Ka Erning would visit the house again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First
of these was when he brought to the place Ka Jun, Ka Charlie and Ka Arman
together with Ka Jess, who kept some distance from the three, indicating he was
not in their league as the three talked to Ka Mao.. Later it would be confided
to Ka Mao that the group Ka Erning brought was the NPA General Command or GC.
Ka Jun was Chief, Ka Charlie, Vice Chief, and Ka Arman, N2 (Intelligence) Head,
Ka Jess, Ka Arman’s deputy. Another member of GC who would be brought to the
house later was Ka Ding, N3 (Personnel) Head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second time was when Ka Erning presided in what struck Ka Mao as an emergency
meeting of the GC called <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just before the
EDSA revolt. There was frenzy in their talk and behavior, like some urgent
developments were in the offing. In that meeting, who should startle Ka Mao but
Ka Nap, his colleague in the KASAMA with whom he had some heated discussion
regarding Marcos’ real role in the Plaza Miranda bombing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Ka
Nap!” Ka Mao exclaimed as he intruded into the meeting as soon as he got home
that day and learned from Betchay that Ka Erning and company were huddled in
the extension area.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Nap quickly placed his forefinger over his lips as a gesture for Ka Mao not to
tell on him. In the Party, one’s legal status was supposed to be kept secret.
Anyway, everybody amused at Ka Mao’s excitement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indeed,
it was quite inspiring for Ka Mao to discover that a colleague of his had risen
to the top echelon of the NPA leadership.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
just wanted to say hello,” Ka Mao said, rather apologetically.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Erning nodded ok, smiling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Proceed
with your business,” Ka Mao said and turned away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
third and final time was after the EDSA revolt, when he drove his sedan into
the compound and with a forlorn look in his eyes, stepped out of the car and,
as Ka Mao reached him in a rush to welcome him, handed to him the car key. Ka
Erning spoke no word and in his wonderment, Ka Mao could neither say anything.
Having given the key to Ka Mao, Ka Erning then hurried over to board another
car waiting on the highway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Arman, who later would come to claim the car, would explain to Ka Mao that Ka
Erning was en route to a meeting of the Central Committee elsewhere. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
next time Ka Mao would see Ka Erning was in photographs that morning when all
newspapers carried him on the front pages, sleek like a senator in immaculate
barong, his photo captioned: “Kumander Bilog.” Kumander Bilog, as everybody
knew then, was the Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines. The news
story was about his capture by the government after more than a decade of
leading the revolution.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>XIV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE SIU (for Special
Intelligence Unit) was some kind of an elite group of intelligence operatives created
by the NPA General Command to perform specific special tasks. When Ka Arman
first told Ka Mao that he was being designated to head the group, he had not
quite gotten into his system any notion of a professional revolutionary apart
from those he had fought together with in the working class movement. And so,
when told further that he was to fill in the group with his own people, Ka Mao
immediately thought of comrades whom he had organized under BRASO. It had
pained him much that he had not been able to bring his self-initiative to any
significant level of struggle due to sheer lack of logistics. Now that he was
being given the discretion to form his own unit using his own men, his BRASO
forces would surely savor the feel of being at last part of the people’s army. That’s
why it disheartened Ka Mao exceedingly when told by Ka Arman that none of the BRASO
forces, not even its Secetariat, would qualify for the SIU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Arman would rather pass the BRASO for
training under the N3. That was consolation enough for Ka Mao. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>BRASO was into the mainstream after all, he told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As conceived, the SIU had to be just that, a special
unit. It was to be consisted of people who, like Ka Mao, enjoyed well-placed
social status. Ka Arman recommended a young business entrepreneur from Bulacan,
engaged in a lucrative lending enterprise and in fisheries. He was Ka Jake. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For his part, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao got a long-time colleague in the
journalistic craft who, he would learn later, was a top KKD member during the
First Quarter Storm. He was Ka Dave, who over the years had risen to a highly
respectable placement in the Editorial Staff of a leading newspaper. With their
status in society, all three had easy access to vital facilities, be they
government, non-government or otherwise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There being three finally composing a team, the SIU was
officially created with the swearing in of Ka Mao, Ka Dave and Ka Jake into the
Party by Ka Arman. In due time, the unit would have a sizeable Support Group
composed of Bayani, a poet and a professor at the Polytechnic University of the
Philippines, who had been Ka Mao’s reliable buddy in the organization and
conduct of the KAMAO strike; Liza, a pretty news reporter with assignment in
Malacanang; and Tala, who ran a shop dealing in antique-style furniture crafted
by her husband, Ray, out of scrap but sturdy mahogany railtrack foundation of
the Philippine National Railway. Other support groups contributing in the tasks
of SIU were two male newspaper editors and one lady foreign correspondent named
Cookie, another lady media person named Ruby, and friends and relatives of Ka
Jake. These support groups <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were an
excited lot, enthused by the fact that they were doing something for the NPA. They
performed aspects of SIU tasks that could be entrusted to them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first business of the day was much too loaded for a
start. Dubbed the Magic 8, it consisted of intelligence work for five punitive
actions against two members of the judiciary, three members of the military,
and big operations for the takeover of the Manila International Airport and the
Batasang Pambansa, and assault upon the Clark Airbase. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the eight
targets, priority was placed on the three big operations codenamed San Mig, for
the Batasan, Blue Print for Clark, and Eagle’s Nest for the airport. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao coordinated with an Angeles City-based NPA
intelligence officer in tackling Blue Print. The job mainly consisted of
studying the mannerisms of American soldiers in their moments of pleasures in
the airfield club house. They drank beer by the poolside where soldiers had
raucous dips into the water with bikinied girl partners in-between gulps at
their beverages and torrid smooching. In an instance such as this, Ka Mao would
recall the fun American soldiers were indulging in when Japanese bombers made
their historic devastating surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The NPA was into a similar making of history. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
San Mig, Ka Mao had Betchay and all their kids in tow except Ogie, making it
look like a family look-see as they made the rounds of all nooks of the
legislature, with Ka Mao measuring the dimensions of the floor areas and the
stairways of the vast two-winged structure through his footsteps; the
dimensions of the walls, Ka Mao estimated by using his height as standard. Ka
Dave made his own rounds of the legislature, also mobilizing his support groups
in the endeavor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the same time, Ka Dave and Ka Jake partnered in casing Eagles Nest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
three worked together in crafting a wooden scale model of San Mig, with
emphasis on passageways to the session hall. For this purpose, Ka Mao saw it fit
to do the pyramid-shaped roof of the main hall building collapsible style so all
one needed to do was to remove the four sections of the pyramid in order to get
a good overview of the session hall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of
the three SIU members, only Ka Mao had had a hand at carpentry, which was his
vocational course back in the elementary grades. But they had to make-do with
what little skills they had for the job, for getting it done by somebody else
would cause a leakage of the military action for which the scale model was
being made.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What
will happen in San Mig is a hundredfold bigger than what Lenin did in taking
over Russia,” Ka Mao remarked as he punched with a chisel a square hole on the
baseboard of the scale model. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Dave and Ka Jake were doing their own holes with their own chisels. It was
obvious that the holes they were making were for something to fit into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Thousands
gathered in Petrograd and elsewhere to bring down Czar Nicholas II,” Ka Dave
said with a scholarly tone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
am not talking about the people power revolt of the Soviets. I think we have to
read back on the actual happenings. What brought down Czar Nicholas II was not
a bloody uprising as many would like to think,” Ka Mao said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Jake, a very amiable guy who always spoke with a wide happy grin in his mouth
and a brilliant glint in his eyes, butted in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
am one of those many, Ka Kirk. The massacre on Odessa steps. That was gory and
bloody, wasn’t it?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That
was in 1905. The Romanovs held on to their dynasty despite the revolution. Czar
Nicholas II fell out of power in the revolution of 1917.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Was
not 1917 the handiwork of Lenin?” asked Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That
was a job of the Russian bourgeoisie led by Kerensky. Lenin’s job at the time
was to combat the idea of the Mensheviks to form their own government and instead
insist in participating in the Duma – the parliament – established by the
Kerensky government.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It
was Lenin who arrested the entire Kerensky cabinet,” insisted Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Precisely,”
said Ka Mao. “What he did was arrest just a handful of cabinet men and presto
all Russia was in his hand.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
his characteristic snicker, Ka Jake said, “That easy!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That’s
why I say San Mig is a hundredfold bigger than what Lenin did. We will be
arresting more than two hundred members of the Marcos parliament.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Done
with the holes on the baseboard, the three proceeded to set the scale model
walls already fashioned with pegs at the bottom to fit into the holes meantime
that similar pegs on the sides of one wall were latched to the adjoining wall
through similar holes on its sides.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
team could have worked out the scale model a lot easier had they instead used
Styrofoam for material. But one utility of the scale model was transportability
and the capacity to withstand the rigors of mountain travel. Combatants who
will carry out the San Mig assault were necessarily based in the countryside to
where the scale model would have to be brought for their study. Ka Mao thought
that with its wooden material, the scale model could be dismantled, its pieces
to be put in a thin, flat pack for easy carrying; and the repetitive
dismantling, and then putting back again, of the pieces over and over again
accordingly as the number of combatants who needed to look at it at various
times and in various places would not suffer much in terms of wear and tear.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
film director that he was with a richly creative mind, Ka Mao already
visualized a scenario of the San Mig assault.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“While
the session is in progress, NPA combatants masquerading as San Mig personnel
garbed in polo barong and escorting into the session hall an Imee Marcos
look-alike would quietly disarm parliament security men at the normal entrances
to the session hall. This is necessary in order to avoid violent shootout that
can harm innocent civilians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
entrances secure, the main attack force brandishing awesome firepower<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will barge into the hall through this secret entrance,
actually a collapsible section of the hall wall adjacent to the north end of
the parliament stand. Ordinarily, you don’t notice this side entrance, which is
why Ka Dave’s support group, making their own rounds of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Mig, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>once observed that there is this corridor that
leads to a blank wall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely the sudden
entrance of the main attack force will create panic by the people in the hall,
members of the parliament and the gallery crowd alike. But with the whole
session hall under rebel control, so must be the government rendered helpless
by the rebel hostage-taking of its parliament. Similar hostage-taking of
Americsan servicemen at Clark Field would serve a strong notice to US not to
medle or risk another Vietnam debacle. Strong contingent of rebel forces seize
control of the international airport and vital communications facilities,
including Voice of America in Tarlac. At the same time,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>riding on the bandwagon of rebel victory,
multitudes spill out into the streets, culminating in a siege of Malacanang
Palace. By this time, political work in the Armed Forces of the Philippine should
have achieved enough progress to initiate a breakaway, at least by a portion of
it, and join in the uprising against the Marcos regime. Back in San Mig, the
grand proclamation, as Lenin did after the arrest of the Kerensky cabinet, is
made: ‘All power to the proletariat!’”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“No,
Joma won’t like it that way,” jested Ka Jake. “He’d say, ‘All power to the
natdems.’”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jest grew serious worry in Ka Mao. He
suddenly thought of Noli Collantes, nom de guerre Banero, who, as head of the
National Trade Union Bureau of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was a
most powerful figure in the revolution. But his proletarian stand got him into
trouble with Sison, eventually getting himself sanctioned heavily for it. The
last time Ka Mao saw Banero was that night before the Plaza Miranda bombing in
1971, when he drove Ruben Guevarra to a meeting with Sison in a Pasay City UG
house, there to discuss a certain bombing the Party would carry out in a
political rally on the following night. Banero had confided to Ka Mao that the
NTUB was being subsumed to the Regional Party Committee instead of being at par
with it, being the highest Party organ in the workers sector. He said he would
appeal the matter. Ka Mao had not had any communication again with Banero since
then and so had never gotten to know whether or not the appeal he was talking
about was given due course. The next time he heard about Banero was in 1983
when in a rather austere news story he read about the assassination by
unidentified gunmen while on the way to his classes at the University of Santo
Tomas of one Noli Collantes. So Banero had gotten out of the Party and had
resumed his college studies. As far as Ka Mao knew, that fate was where
Banero’s proletarian stand got him into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
now, Ka Mao concluded to himself that Ka Jake’s was no joke at all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
day was rather humid when Ka Charlie brought a lady to the house for
presentation to her by Ka Mao of the San Mig scale model. And it was too early
in the day for anybody to wish to take a nap. But all throughout the
presentation, the lady paid lukewarm attention and didn’t even bother to stand
and take a look when Ka Mao peeled off the pyramid roofing to show the session
hall features. Toward the end of the presentation, Ka Mao was so slighted to
notice the lady was unabashedly dozing off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
how is it, Julie?” Ka Charlie asked as he tapped the lady on the arm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
lady shook awake, “Oh, yes… Well, okay… Let’s see.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao understood it quite well, the lady’s attitude. She was nicknamed De Lima,
wife of the Party Sovereign rotting in incarceration. It became obvious to Ka
Mao that the San Mig operation being in contravention of Sison’s copy cat
protracted people’s war, any job connected with it would be in the same
category of contravention and hence deserved no scant notice from the
Sovereign’s espouse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Julie’s
visit to Ka Mao’s house that day to view SIU’s masterpiece of an intelligence
work struck Ka Mao as no more than a hypocritical concession to the principle
of democratic centralism, which the Party avowed to observed. She came there
with a mind set to rejecting it. But this was a matter for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> to settle come 1991.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the time being, it was all-systems-go for Operation San Mig. Ka Arman would
confirm much later<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>
succeeded in tearing the Party irreparably, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>throwing the people’s army into rubbles and the
people’s struggle into eternal protraction – that he and Ka Jun had gotten
assurance from Libyan strongman Moammar Kadhaffy of whatever amount of arms
necessary for the operation, had acquired a fleet of sea vessels for carrying
men and material for the purpose. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
then suddenly came that one unexpected single hitch: Marcos agreed to US
pressure of holding the presidential snap polls of 1985. A nation otherwise
steeped in a resolute struggle for a bloody, violent overthrow of Marcos was
now faced with an easy alternative: vote Cory into power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
one got to look at the matter level-headedly, the boycott policy was the
correct revolutionary line. No genuine anti-imperialist revolutionary would
participate in an election that would be rigged in favor of an imperialist
stooge. Had the boycott call by the revolutionary movement caught on the masses
on the premise that the election would be rigged by the Americans in favor of a
brand new American stooge, then it would have pictured Cory right off as the
new US puppet thereby rationalizing the continuation of the revolution despite
the downfall of Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Ka Mao saw as erroneous in the boycott policy was that it neglected to point
out to the masses that Cory was the new US BOY in the making. The Party insisted
that the snap polls were a grand US show aimed at maintaining Marcos in power.
This was not the case. It was a grand US show, all right. But the intention was
to replace Marcos with a brand new US lapdog. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
a meeting by SIU, the boycott policy was part of the agenda and Ka Mao
clarified his stand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
US is not stupid to let us cash in on a Cory win against Marcos. Rather my idea
is –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I had made it known to Ka Jun
and Ka Charlie – for us to strike up an alliance with Marcos.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Marcos
is the enemy,” said Ka Jake, nearly protesting but wearing his ubiquitous
snicker.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“No,
US is. And they want Marcos out now,” insisted Ka Mao.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was drawing lesson from the Viet Minh
experience toward the end of the Second World War. Ho Chi Minh talked to the Japanese
forces who were on the run. “Hey, fellas,” Ka Mao related how the Viet Minh put
it across to the Japanese troops, “you are not winning anyway. Just give us
your arms and we will fight the Americans for you. And the Japanese did and
that’s how the Viet Minh forces got arms for fighting the Americans with – and
eventually winning in the end.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
opportunity in the Philippine situation was ripe for doing a reprise of the
Viet Minh gambit. But who was Ka Mao anyway to figure seriously in formulating
the Party’s strategy and tactics? Surely he realized this. It was just that he
had the naivette to believe principles guided the Party’s actions, and he
thought democratic centralism made it mandatory for Party high commands to
listen to voices from the lowest ranks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Jun was serious enough when he stared at Ka Mao after hearing the idea from
him. But Ka Charlie beamed like he heard a joke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet
when Cory came out the victor in the snap polls, Ka Mao would not find any
reason to have the last laugh. Rather a most acute sense of having been
rendered worthless seized<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>him as he watched
Cory fumbling in her presidential salute of newly-designated Armed Forces of
the Philippines Chief-Of-Staff Fidel V. Ramos during her inaugural at Club
Filipino as the new President of the Republic of the Philippines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Was that all there was to it? he asked himself. Sit back
on the periphery while Cory <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gloated in
the gloss of her spectacular mediocrity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
fact that Marcos fell showed the revolution winning. But the fact that a
representative of the country’s ruling class came into power must prove that
the multitudes of oppressed and exploited lost the fight. And what grimmer
proof of this was there than the Mendiola massacre in January 1987 which Cory
ordered against demonstrating farmers on the approach to Malacanang. Among
those killed in that massacre were farmers from Cory’s very own Hacienda
Luisita. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What gain, then, did the workers, the farmers, and the
millions upon millions of social scums who had pinned their hopes of salvation
from poverty on the success of the revolution?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Not a bit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If SIU had any consolation at all, it was that despite
the debacle brought about by the boycott policy, the unit remained intact and was
instructed to persevere in its assigned tasks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE PERIOD beginning
from the installation of Cory as Philippine president in 1986 all the way to
the democratically-elected presidency of Fidel V. Ramos in 1992 was a most
fruitful one for the SIU. It saw elements otherwise limited to providing
logistical support such as housing, food and funds for combatants now
performing tasks right in the vortex of the armed struggle. In this kind of
work, though they might not be engaged in exchanging firepower with the enemy,
they put not only their lives on the line of fire but also those of the members
of their families.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A case in point was the successful<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>escape worked out back in 1985 by the unit
for Satur Ocampo, then a member of the Politburo who had been captured by the
government. The job of the SIU was to photograph several angles of the venue,
the social hall on the fourth floor of the National Press Club building. These
photographs were then passed on to the SOC of GC who would take Satur away in
the escape.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
plan was for Satur to spring out of imprisonment through the National Press
Club election in May of that year. NPC President Tony Nieva had successfully
gotten Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile to grant his request to let Satur
vote in that election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
by tradition, the election was held in the NPC social hall, the Bulwagang
Plaridel, which was on the topmost floor. In going up to the hall, NPC members
used<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>either the stairway that spiraled
around the elevator shaft or the elevator itself. By practice after voting, the
members took a spiral staircase at the westend of the building in going to the
dining hall on the third floor to dine, drink or have coffee. This staircase
actually went all the way down to the ground, leading to an exit at the back
facing the Pasig River. The military escorts who brought Satur to the occasion
had no reason to suspect anything when after voting, Satur went to that end of
the hall in the pretext of using the comfort room there.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once out of sight of the unsuspecting security escorts, Satur rushed
down the spiral staircase, out through the back exit, and into the waiting
escape vehicle aboard which the SOC operatives spirited him away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As it was taking rather too long for Satur to get back
from the comfort room, the security escorts finally decided to find out why.
Only then did they know there was that secret passageway leading out from the
fourth floor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They did not have to check any further to realize Satur
had escaped.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So all’s well that ends well it seemed for Operation
Satur.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except that not so long after came what in the
revolutionary movement would come to be known as the Project 7 Encounter. The
UG house of the SOC that got Satur out of captivity in the National Press Club
affair had been disclosed to AFP intelligence and was raided by government
soldiers numbering 200. The SOC numbered 3. But the rebels put up with the
state troopers in a terrific battle that ended up with the soldiers sustaining
many casualties and the SOC 3, just 1, its head Villanueva. The other two,
Limjoco and Archie, a new import from Davao, escaped scaling rooftops in the
neighborhood while firing away at the attackers. Among the things they left
behind in their escape were the photographs taken by Ka Dave of the NPC Bulweagang
Plaridel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Learning of the Project 7 encounter, Ka Dave immediately
panicked. He packed a few clothes and got lost aboard his old yellow
Volkswagen. He left instructions to his wife what to tell Ka Mao where to find
him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao saw Ka Dave in Ka Jake’s house in Bulacan and
there learned of Ka Dave;s predicament.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The columns in the social hall were done with mirror
finish. So when you take pictures of the place, you naturally photograph
yourself doing it through your reflection on the mirrors all around.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Dave was sullen faced as he spoke, though he let his
word out with a smile minutely quivering on his lips.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are you sure?” asked Ka Jake, minus his snicker,
obviously deferring to Ka Dave’s state of emotions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s no way to take photos of the NPC social hall
without taking photos of yourself too precisely because of the mirrors. With
those pictures in enemy hands, I know I’m a marked man.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After thoroughly assessing the situation, the SIU decided
that Ka Dave stay in the house of Ka Jake while they felt out the atmosphere in
Ka Dave’s residence as well as in his office for possible enemy movements
there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A month or so passed without Ka Dave getting any of his
feared repercussion from the enemy. Then came an assurance from Ka Arman that
in none of the pictures seized by the soldiers in the Project 7 encounter was
Ka Dave visibly identified at all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The Project 7 boys are sure the enemy won’t be able to
tell who the guy taking the pictures was. As reflected in the mirror, Ka Dave
was in a long shot from his camera. Besides, the camera and his hands holding
it completely covered his face,” Ka Arman said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sure, Ka Dave got back to normal legal life afterward. But
the point here was not that. Rather it was that he was already preparing
himself for the hard life ahead, as was the case of many like him who although
enjoying the good life – a lucrative journalistic career and a movie career,
too, for he was getting to be the house scriptwriter of Joseph Estrada, then
deposed, like Marcos, as Mayor of San Juan but later to emerge in the top five
of the 1987 senatorial polls winners – was willing to give it all up for the
revolution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eventually Satur was among a large group that met in Ka
Mao’s house. Ka Mao gathered that it was a meeting of the CPP Politburo. But he
was intrigued to see a chubby fellow among the group who had been left out
alone downstairs, not participating in what struck Ka Mao as a closed-door
conference in the bedroom upstairs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy, tan and whiskered and with a tummy reminiscent
of Celso Ad Castillo, just sat on the stairs, thinking hard. Ka Mao tried to
strike up a conversation with the lonesome revolutionary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hi,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy nodded, faintly smiling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re not joining in their talk?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy shook his head. There was a clear glint of sorrow
in his eyes. At that, Ka Mao could no longer find anything else to say.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy then flicked off an armalite bullet from a
magazine and casually handed it to Ka Mao, who stared inquiringly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Remembrance from me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How nice of the guy to offer him a souvenir, so Ka Mao
felt. Anything given out of pure heart, Ka Mao took with much endearment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over time, Ka Arman<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>would reveal to Ka Mao that that fellow who gave him a bullet for a
souvenir was Jose “Pepe” Luneta, a long-time member of the CPP Central
Committee and Politburo who was purged from the Party<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for allegedly being responsible for the
infamous Operation Ahos which killed in mass number suspected government agents
in the revolutionary movement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The meeting Satur and the other Politburo members held in
Ka Mao’s house that night Luneta gifted him with the armalite bullet was the
very session called for meting Luneta with the punishment of expulsion from the
Party.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, Ka Mao found himself speculating, SIU<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>helped facilitate that Satur’s escape so he
could expel Luneta. That was one outstanding characteristic of Ka Mao. He
easily felt guilty about the ill effect of his act. It was beyond him to say
whether or not Luneta did commit the mass killing of suspected government
infiltrators in the revolution, or if he did, was it justified to mete him
expulsion from the Party? Ka Mao was certainly thinking back on his own virtual
ewxpulsion from the Party whose entire Party Group under the National Trade
Union Bureau left him to fend for himself in the city while they, following HO
advice, withdrew to the countryside upon the declaration of Martial Law. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao knew then he did not commit any offense
for him to deserve such treatment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If at all, what Ka Mao could be sure of in the Luneta
episode was a most fearsome evil endemic in the structure of the Party
bureaucracy by which those in power can accomplish the very decimation of its
membership. Five years later, Sison would issue his own infamy, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffrim</i> of 1991, which threw Party
members on mass scales pursuing their own lines of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>political work, in effect splintering the
Party and the revolution into inutility.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But the SIU was never privy to the developments that were
taking place leading to this veritable party demise. What Ka Dave and Ka Mao
would deduce on one occasion was a hint, if it was a hint at all, of what
developed in the Party right as soon as Cory took over the presidency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The occasion was the interview the two had with Bernabe
Buscayno, nom de guerre Kumander Dante, soon after his release from prison; the
release of Dante together with Sison was among the first acts of Cory upon
assuming power. It looked odd, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to
prioritize the release of top communists, just as it was indeed odd that while
Marcos had made the top public utilities corporation Manila Electric Company
(MERALCO) publicly-owned, Cory’s top priority was to release the power outfit
back to private ownership by the oligarchs Lopezes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In any case, Dante was a hot item and a number of movie
producers became immediately interested in filming his life story. A common
friend of Ka Mao and Ka Dave, the late film screenwriter and film director
Felix Dalay, sought the intercession of the two in getting the film rights of
the Dante material. In turn, Ka Mao and Ka Dave sought the assistance of Ka
Charlie in getting Dante to sit down with them in an interview for purposes of
writing a screenplay of his life story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The interview in the pavilion of a friendly farm resort
took off on a very cordial note. Ka Mao and Ka Dave reminisced on a escape plan
the SIU devised to get Dante out of Camp Crame. Dante was liberally allowed to
have daily morning exposure to sunshine, which he did by jogging around the
camp compound. This routine would afford him quite many a chance to seek
shelter in a nook, quickly don a respectable attire consisting of dark slacks,
black shiny leather shoes, topped by a barong tagalog to make him look like one
of the many respectable visitors to the camp. Completing the masquerade was a
grey toupee and similar grey moustache ordered by Ka Mao from his favorite
special effects artist so as to camouflage Dante’s identity. Once this put-on
character was done, all Dante needed to do was walk to a waiting vehicle at the
car park, board it, and ride to freedom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The cool-mannered, unassuming guerilla leader, who had
been glorified in the media much beyond his modest, austere physical
attributes, was amused by the idea. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It would have worked,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just SIU’s luck that the EDSA revolt would come about to
frustrate the escape plan thereby snatching from the intelligence unit what
would have been a bigger feather in its cap. Certainly Dante was a grander
figure than Satur, for which reason, in fact it seemed, Dante sought a Senate
seat in the 1987 senatorial polls while Satur, a partylist seat at the House of
the Representatives much later in his day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At one point of the interview, Ka Mao touched on the
question of leadership in the Party and in the Army.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The rule,” Ka Mao recalled, “is that leadership is
automatically relinquished to those that remain free by those that get captured
by the enemy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,” Dante said in a calm voice, though his face looked
perturbed. “We still lead.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao discussed the matter with Ka Jun sometime after
the interview.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>”Dante said that?” Ka Jun asked as though in disbelief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,” I said,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Jun spent a while just staring at Ka Mao, who could
not quite make out that look in his eyes. It was sad, sullen, bewildered and
raging all at once. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Is it true?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“From what I understand, we’re supposed to lead the
revolution now?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Now,” Ka Mao
found himself uttering a very private worry, “that can spell trouble.”</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XVI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE CALM before the Sison storm of 1991 was itself rather
protracted like his people’s war. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was to the credit of party members that they held on
to the Party unity despite the debacle it suffered from the boycott policy. The
natsit (for national situationer) which the Party issued for that period spoke
of undiminished strength of the party organizationally, politically and
ideologically. In brief, it was as though there had not been any change in the
profile of the enemy to effect a substantial tilt in the balance of forces in
its favor in the continuing people’s war. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In fact, it was during that period when the people’s army
began promoting the idea of the strategic counter offensive (SCO) as an advance
sub-stage of the strategic stalemate. What only transpired was that Marcos fell
and Cory sat in his place, but as far as the revolution was concerned nothing
had changed, or at least that was how SIU sensed it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Magic 8 was still on track, with the Operations San
Mig, Blue Print and Eagle’s Nest continuing to be the top priorities. Why would
the SIU be instructed to persevere in these truly big war undertakings if the
revolution was experiencing a slump. This was how the SIU assessed the
revolutionary situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What Ka Arman took up with him that day in August 1987 enthused
Ka Mao exceedingly. It served to confirm SIU’s view of the war footing and that
moreover the revolution was escalating. According to Ka Arman, the top three
priorities in the Magic 8 had been sufficiently cased and were ready for
implementation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s holding us back?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Money,” said Ka Arman. “Or the lack of it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Arman stared at Ka Mao, indicating he had something
really serious to discuss with him. As Ka Arman stayed speechless, Ka Mao
fidgeted slightly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can you help out in this?” Ka Arman said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How much is needed?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thirty m.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao choked on his voice, “My God. Where will SIU get
thirty million?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You will help us produce it,” said Ka Arman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Arman explained the scenario for raising such an
enormous sum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As had been always the
case in all tasks given to him by the Party, Ka Mao never asked questions as to
the whys and wherefores of the operation which he was being tasked to carry
out. It was enough that the task to do was clear to him for him to do it well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao’s task consisted of two aspects. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First,
provide quarters for an elite team of the NPA Special Operations Command (SOC).
Members of the team carried aliases the meanings of which were the opposite of
their physical attributes, hence Pandak (Ka Dak), meaning dwarf, referred to
the team leader, who was tall; Tangkad (Ka Kad), meaning tall, to the team
member who was short; Speed (Ka Speed), to the team member who was a slowfoot;
and Negro (Ka Negs), to the team member who was oriental white. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team had in its custody a precious cargo intended
for transacting with an European national who would be in town shortly. When
they moved into the house that afternoon, they immediately stashed their cargo
in a store room hastily put up by Ka Mao at one end of the extension area, with
the space at the opposite serving as the team’s quarters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second aspect of Ka Mao’s task was to carry out the transaction with the
European national, incognito of course. In making the transaction, Ka Mao
strictly went by instructions prepared by Ka Arman, conveyed to the European
national through the telephone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao’s specific caution from Ka Jun was to spend no
more than two minutes in making telephone talks otherwise, through sheer
triangulation, he would be betraying his location to any unfriendly element who
just might intercept the call, particularly the police some elements of which
had reportedly been tipped off on the million-dollar transaction. So for, say,
a ten-minute talk on the phone, Ka Mao would be hopping from one point to
another in the whole Metro Manila: from Cubao to Alabang then to Makati,
Monumento and Quiapo in Manila.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What took long to settle in the transaction was the final
amount to be paid in exchange for the cargo<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
after a few months, the issue was settled at an amount only Ka Arman knew, that
amount having been conveyed to him direct by the European national, using a classified
ad plaeement for the purpose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One big difficulty arose on how the final exchange would
be carried out. The European was insisting to do it face to face. This was a
no-no for all of Ka Jun, Ka Arman and Ka Mao. That would compromise Ka Mao’s
work in the SIU, let alone his legal placement. So there was no way the
exchange could take place except by Ka Mao insisting that the European deliver
first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How do I know that you won’t run away with my money
after you get it?” asked the European.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You got my word for it,” Ka Mao declared. “My word is
better than a written contract.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Words, like promises, are meant to be broken,” said the
European, laughing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“For invertebrates, yes,” Ka Mao said, then intoned
“You’re talking to a people’s army!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, well…,” said the European. “We know who your
comrades are in Europe anyway.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao laid down the final arrangement. The European to deliver the amount agreed
upon; Ka Mao, the precious cargo days after. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
European agreed. Ka Mao thought the guy was using his mind. A crooked dealer
would promise heaven to get what he wanted. By insisting on a one-week timeline
for him to deliver his part of the bargain, Ka Mao impressed upon the European
that he was a straight guy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Regarding the negotiation for the delivery of the money,
Ka Mao did not have a say at all in terms of policy, mechanics and method. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The few months that the negotiations got stalled had been
particularly dangerous in the sense that part of maintaining the legal
well-placement of the house was a free access to it by anybody who wished to
pay the family a visit. There was not even a sturdy fence around the whole lot
but for minimal amount of barbed wire held by bamboo posts. From time to time,
folks from the surrounding neighborhood would sneak through this light barrier
to gather firewood or fallen fruits, like mango, santol and guava. In any case,
all this added up to the overall innocent look of the area. As for the
movements of people in the house, these were never evident to outsiders, the house
being on a spot away from the highway, and on sloping ground at that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, on New Year Eve 1987, the SOC team
sought release of their boredom by firing their long arms into the air, yelling
“Long live the revolution!” They were not being adventurous though. They just
were sure that no matter how strong, the yell could not get above the din of
celebration at the strike of twelve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nonetheless, on at least three occasions, incidents
happened as though to punctuate the otherwise boring episode with some high
degree of suspense.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One incident happened one early evening. Ka Arman and Ka
Dak were the only ones around in the house to guard the cargo;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the other SOC team members were off on some
sort of a furlough for one week. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After government troops in full battle gear leaped out of
a six-by-six in the neighboring squatters settlement, a solitary soldier in
similar apparel and gear walked into the compound of the driveway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Spotting
the soldier, Ka Arman grabbed his M-16 and took position behind a post, while
Ka Dak walked toward the approaching soldier. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Arman was the most prone to shoot it out, his finger nearly pressing already on
the trigger of his armalite while beads of perspiration trickled down his face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
Ka Dak proved to be the more level-headed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No combatant would go striding into enemy territory like walking under
the moonlight, as indeed the bright moon had risen sufficiently high in the
sky. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
making sure nevertheless, he cocked his .45, tucked it into his front waist and
walked toward the soldier casually.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good
evening,” greeted Ka Dak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Is
this where there is a movie shooting?” asked the soldier. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
shooting,” said Ka Dak, nearly blurting out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
shooting a war movie but I got separated from my group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said the set is in the squatters area on
Sumulong Highway.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak secretly sighed with relief. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This
is no squatters area. The adjacent neighborhood is. There’s where the shooting
is.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak noticed something about the armalite the soldier was carrying. He rather
cautiously reached out a hand to touch it. The soldier was amused. He handed
the long weapon to Ka Dak, who felt it so light.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Props,“
said the guy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak let out a hearty laughter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re
no soldier,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Stuntman
extra.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak laughed louder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where he was ready to shoot, Ka Arman squinted
his eyes, wondering at the sound of laughter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
occasion was on a lazy afternoon. Ka Speed and Ka Kad were as usual engrossed
in a game of chess. Ka Dak is cleaning the parts of his disassembled pistol. Ka
Negs was having a nap in the SOC team’s quarters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
of Ka Mao’s kids were at home, that being a weekend. They were having fun
playing hide-and-seek. Maoie, the tag, had his eyes closed while resting his
face on his arm pressed against the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“When
I start counting ten, find your place of hiding,”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maoie intoned, then began counting, “One…
two… three…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ogie,
a one year and a half tot, was mimicking Maoie’s antic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paulo
and Maripaz made a quick decision to go hiding in the restricted room where the
precious cargo was kept. They gaped upon seeing what was inside the room then
turn to rush back. Ka Negs awakened at this point.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey,”
said Ka Negs, half-shouting. He leaped to his feet and held the kids. “What did
you do inside the room?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
playing hide and seek,” replied Maripaz.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
did you see?” asked Ka Negs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maripaz
was about to tell, but Paulo beat him to it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Nothing.
We did not see anything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are
you sure?” Ka Negs insisted to know.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
that point, Maoie rushed into the spot, startling everyone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Pong
Paulo. Pong Paz,” Maoie blurted out, then hurried to the tag spot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
the while, Ogie kept mimicking Maoie’s moves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paulo
pulled Maripaz in getting away, completely ignoring Ka Negs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay,
come. I’ll be tag,” Paulo said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Negs eyed the two deeply as they went. Then he turned to the room and saw everything
was in place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He
thought it over real hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He told himself,
“Well, they said they didn’t see anything. That’s it. They didn’t see anything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
days on after that, Ka Negs observed Paulo and Maripaz, in moments of leisure,
when the kids go away to school and when they come home from classes. Each time
Ka Negs made it obvious to the two that he was observing them. He hoped that by
doing this, he could make the two feel guilty and admit they saw the precious
cargo. But in none of these moments did neither Maripaz nor Paulo betray any
signs Ka Negs hoped to see in them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
Ka Negs assured himself, “They really didn’t see anything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
just what intelligence Paulo had in this regard would find a repeat long after
the precious cargo<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>episode was over. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the time,
Benny Tiamzon, with whom Ka Mao had had some verbal tussle over the pursuit of
the proletarian cause, had been named the new Chairman of the Communist Party
of the Philippines, replacing the captured Kumander Bilog. Tiamzon was with the
KTKS in the house, meeting to tackle certain urgent agenda, which, as always,
Ka Mao did not find fit to ask about. The group was having a lunch break
downstairs when they were astounded by the deafening sound of a .45 bullet
bursting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
all rushed upstairs and into the room where they had been meeting. They found
nobody in the room. Everything was in place. Ka Jun checked the .45 of Tiamzon
that was in place in its holster under the low center table – apparently
untouched where it had been kept. But Ka Jun smelled the barrel of the gun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s
just been fired,” he said, eyeing the group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
that precise point, what would rather startle the group but the sound of a
young voice coming from just behind them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
was that I heard?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paulo,
stepping out of the bathroom adjacent to the meeting room, asked the question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
group eyed one another, then indicated their amusement at realizing what had
happened: the boy, not quite seven, fired the .45 obviously through the open
window, then put the pistol back in its holster in place under the center
table, rushed inside the bathroom outside of the meeting room, making himself
scant just in time for the group to miss him when they rushed up to check. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
a light, chiding shake of his tilted head, Ka Jun eyed Tiamzon smilingly, like
saying, “Rule number one in war. Never separate your gun from yourself.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
the meeting, Ka Jun had an advice to tell Ka Mao: “Take care of Paulo. He is a
very intelligent child.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back now to the hide-and-seek episode in the
quarters of the SOC team. That night Ka Mao came home from work, Paulo confided
to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay,
we’ve got something in our house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“
What?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s
something in that room.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao was pretty sure Paulo had discovered what was in that room.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Paulo,
be a good boy. Don’t go in where you are not allowed to enter.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
just playing hide-and-seek.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That
room is not for games children play.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao’s voice, though soft, was stern. Paulo quieted down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
all the incidents during the safe-keeping of the precious cargo, Ka Mao and
Betchay were out shooting a movie. Betchay had begun learning the works of an
assistant to a director and so she stuck to him whenever and wherever he
worked. For the present project they were busy in, Betchay had taken the job as
caterer, for Ka Mao was involved only as a scriptwriter. Since it was out of
the question that a house helper be in place in the house to look after the
kids when the couple were at work, the SOC team minded this task, like cooking
their meals and seeing them off on a service vehicle ride to the school. At
nights though, once back home from shooting, Betchay would find time preparing
the things the kids would need for school the following day, like ironing their
clothes and readying what Ka Speed would cook for the kids for breakfast and
for lunch packs to bring to school.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
that afternoon the SOC team were caught unawares by two Assumption nuns was a
different case. Ka Mao was not out shooting but was delivering an urgent
message prepared by Ka Arman for the European national. . He was taking long
discussing on the phone the matter of the final<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>amount the European would deliver, the discussion being chopped into durations
of two minutes only and at quite long intervals, because done <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at various points in Metro Manila far away
from one another </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
nuns just seemed to pop into view through the open door. Ka Speed and Ka Kad
paused in their chess game, not bothering to rise, though they looked surprised
by the nuns’ appearance. It was Ka Dak who was alarmed, for at the time, he was
busy fitting a silencer into the nozzle of his .45. He quickly placed the
weapon and gadgets under the center table he was working at and approached the
nuns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good
afternoon,” greeted Ka Dak. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We wish to talk to Mr. Samonte,” said
one nun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mr. Samonte is
in Laguna shooting,” said Ka Dak for an alibi; he knew Ka Mao was out doing his
task in the operation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about Mrs. Samonte?” asked the
other nun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“She is with Mr. Samonte shooting,”
said Ka Dak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m Mr.
Samonte’s cousin. May I help you? Come in please,” said Ka Dak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No,
we have to hurry up. Your nephew Mauro The Second has had an accident in the
school. We have just brought him to a hospital in the town. But he must be
brought to the Orthopedic hospital in Quezon City for proper treatment. ”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
turned out the boy Maoie, then in grade two in Assumption, was playfully
sliding with other boys down the inclined siding at the entrance of the
multipurpose hall when he got a bad fall to the pavement and broke his arm. Ka
Dak relayed this to Ka Mao through the latter’s beeper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao read the message on his beeper just as he was finishing his phone talk with
the European.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Okay,
my friend. We’re not done yet. You wait. I’ll call later,” Ka Mao said. He
pressed the button of the phone, then dialed a number.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Easy
call, may I help you?” said the operator at the other end of the line.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao dictated to the operator a message for sending to Ka Dak through the
latter’s beeper. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Dak read the message: “Any of you, please attend to Maoie. I’m not done with my
work yet.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak then assigned Ka Speed to accompany Maoie to the Philippine Orthopedic
Hospital.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was nearly sundown when Ka Mao finished his job with the European that
afternoon. But much as he wanted to go to Maoie at the orthopedic hospital
immediately, he could not because he must first attend a meeting Ka Arman
called in the house in the evening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
Ka Jun also in the meeting, Ka Arman now gave Ka Mao the final instructions for
delivery to the European the following day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“One
point five,” said Ka Mao, “is too little. From our discussion this afternoon I
sensed that I could press the European some more for a higher amount, even up
to five m.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Jun was inclined to consider Ka Mao’s idea of negotiating further.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
think you can increase that amount?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Let
me call again,” Ka Mao advised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Arman cut in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No
need for that anymore. It’s settled. His final offer, we call. There is so much
we can do with that amount. Besides, the boys are getting exhausted by all this
waiting.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
so at long last, Ka Mao’s last task in the operation was to instruct the
European national on how to deliver the money. Time was of the essence. Another
combat team was all set to pick-up the money. After giving the instructions to
the European, Ka Mao dialed another number on the phone. The fellow waiting at
the other end of the line picked up the phone – Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hello,”
said Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ka
Dave, Kirk here,” Ka Mao said from his end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,
Ka Kirk,” said Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Go,”
came Ka Mao’s final word and he hanged up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dave enthused to himself exceedingly. That one single word said it all. The
money was on the way for pick up by another combat team. The head of this team
would call him any moment now to get the go signal for their action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Dave monitored
his wrist watch. The seconds seemed to tick away so slowly. Then as the hour
hand reached ten, the phone rang. He excitedly picked it up. The smile on his
lips indicated it was the call he was awaiting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,”
Ka Dave said. “Go.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
with that, Ka Dave made his one single word in the whole operation. But it was
the only word that counted now. It was the word that set into motion the
tracking by the pick-up team of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>sedan carrying the money. Ka Mao had gotten the plate number of that car
from the European, then passed it on to Ka Arman, who finally relayed it to the
pick-up team. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
in a symphony, Ka Mao had done his coda. What transpired next was nothing but
the denouement. As Ka Arman would put it later, picking up the money was as
easy as picking apples.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">JUST RIGHT time, Ka Mao sighed to
himself as he hugged Maoie in order to keep him pressed down in bed. The
orthopedic doctor was doing the operation for putting the boy’s broken arm bone
back in place and the boy was terribly squirming from what terrible pain it was
he was suffering. The doctor was twisting Maoie’s arm to and fro, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mercilessly it seemed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay!
Tatay!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oh,
how so painfully the boy cried. Ka Mao wondered if he himself could have borne
the pain if he were in his son’s place. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And yet… And
yet… If finishing his job in the transaction just past had taken all the way to
this point, he would have still gladly given his full attention to the work.
That was more than twenty four hours after Maoie had the fall in school.
Betchay, who was doing an errand for the film production when the accident
happened, gave Maoie company at the hospital when evening came, there to await
the operation scheduled the next day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What kind of a
father was he, willing and ready to abandon his son even at this his hour of
agony! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That’s
why Ka Mao thanked God, indeed, he found himself thanking God profusely, for
getting the transaction over with, not because it succeeded in getting the
money it had intended to get, but because it made him available to his son just
as when the boy needed him most.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
fingers of his free hand burrowing into Ka Mao’s shoulder for support, the boy
struggled to speak. It looked to Ka Mao that the boy was beginning to gasp for
breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay…
I can’t take it anymore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
terror crossed Ka Mao’s mind. God, could Maoie have gone through it all if he
were not around to give him support. His eyes moistened as he cast a pleading
stare at the doctor, imploring him with that stare to be quick with it, please.
But as most doctors are, the doctor looked disaffected, wearing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a stoic mien in his face as he went about
with his job. One final twist of Maoie’s arm and the boy yelled in pain so
acute it sounded like it were his last. He choked on his crying and appeared to
be catching his breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao cast a terrified stare at the doctor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“He
will be okay,” the doctor assured Ka Mao, continuing to wear that stoic mien in
his face. Like nonchalantly, he then began treating Maoie’s injured arm with
plaster cast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Only
then did Ka Mao feel like giving vent to all his feelings of grief, joy and
relief all at once. He pressed his face on the pillow beside Maoie’s face,
pretending to comfort him. Actually he did it as a way of hiding his tears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER XVII</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RECOVERY was another agony for Maoie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
order to keep his injured arm bone in place while in the period of healing, his
arm had to be kept stretched by a rope tied to his wrist, slung on a pulley
above his bed and held down by a weight load that dangled on the other end. For
this reason, while he was supposed to rest in bed, he was in extreme
discomfort. Since his injured arm had to be held up day in and day out, he
maintained the same position in bed twenty four hours a day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Aside
from feeding the boy with his food, Ka Mao helped him do his toilet chores as
well as gave him his sponge baths.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
boy’s discomfort was bearable in any case. After a month, Maoie’s arm was
finally freed from the weight load, its plaster cast replaced with a
longer-lasting one and his arm held on a sling around his neck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By the advent of
summer, Maoie was ready for release. That day Ka Arman came for a visit at the
hospital together with Ka Ding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Advice by the
GC, you are not to proceed to the house from the hospital,” Ka Arman told him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why, any
problem?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Not exactly,”
said Ka Arman. “It’s standard procedure. After being used for such a hot
operation, we have to ascertain the security of your house. For your own safety
and that of your family, too.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Ding handed
Ka Mao a large brown envelope bulging with something.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Here you are,”
Ka Ding said in his characteristic brevity of words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s this?”
asked Ka Mao as he opened the envelope unsuspectingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You can have a
vacation with the whole family in Baguio,” said Ka Arman..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao gaped
when he got a good view of the what the envelope contained: wads of money
bills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s fifty
thousand,” said Ka Ding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“More than enough
for a month vacation,” said Ka Arman. “By that time, we shall have ascertained
whether or not your house is safe for you and your family to return to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
an added safety precaution, Ka Mao did not join Betchay and the kids in the
trip to Baguio. He traveled a day later, meeting up with them on an appointed
spot in Burnham Park upon arrival in the city in the morning of the next day.
He made sure to shave his beard and moustache before joining the family. The
kids were amazed at his clean-shaven face topped by a neat haircut. So was
Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
her inquiring stare, Ka Mao said, “Ka Arman suggested I needed to put on a new
look,”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay
pogi (How so good-looking father is),” remarked Ogie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
got a good laugh.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">SUMMER was a good respite for folks who
had just overcome one of the most perilous involvements one whole family experienced
in the revolution. By its nature, the transaction with the European national was
fit only in the countryside, the so-called red areas where the rebel forces had
things in control. But in the white areas, which were enemy territories and
which Ka Mao’s house was in, conducting the operation there was unimaginable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet the family went through it all
successfully.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids didn’t realize it, of course, and so
they went about indulging in their little shenanigans all the while that the precious
cargo was being kept in the house. Betchay could sense it but took care not to
ask anything about it. She had been conditioned never to ask questions about Ka
Mao’s activities in the movement. It was Ka Mao alone who bore all the tension
for the family in that long transaction period. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, a real
quality time was transpiring for the family, enjoying happy togetherness as
they savored the characteristic delights of the Summer Capial: boat ride in the
Burnham Park lagoon, horseback riding at the Wainright Park, viewing the
canyons at the Mines View Park, strolling among strawberry plants red with
fruits in La Trinidad Valley. They did have moments like these in the past, but
always, only on weekends and when Ka Mao <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was free from his work. This time, merrymaking
was their daily grind, from break of day till the setting of the sun and well
into the night, when they would dine out in plush eateries, then in their
rented house enjoy sing-along ditties before finally repairing to bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao had an
added pleasure for himself when toward the end of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this vacation, an exposure in an NPA territory
was arranged for him by the local command of the NPA. Lugging his ubiquitous
camera and with a few clothes in a backpack, he was picked up by a guide in the
market area. They took a jeepney which traversed the narrow highway carved out
of a mountainside, at every inch of which one looked down to deep ravines.
Quite a few vehicles had fallen off the cliffs in the past, with none of the
passengers surviving the accidents.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the greater
danger in that travel was that a military officer kept eyeing Ka Mao’s guide,
who is a leader of an NPA combat squad. The military officer was ascertaining
to himself if Ka Mao’s guide was indeed one of those he and his men had had an
encounter once. Ka Mao’s guide knew he was being marked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He secretly instructed Ka Mao who to contact
when he reached the appointed destination, then as the jeepney slowed down at a
narrow bend, Ka Mao’s guide suddenly leaped out of the jeepney.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The military
officer gave chase, warning the guy to stop or he will shoot. He aimed his
rifle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao’s guide drew his pistol,
firing as he rolled over down the slope into the ravine. The military officer
was grazed by a bullet on his side and threw to the ground, firing his
rifle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao’s guide avoided the hail
of bullets and disappeared into the woods down the ravine. Through that
terrain, no lone military officer would dare engage an NPA combatant on a
one-on-one basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A man in
mid-twenties among the passengers prodded the jeepney driver to go on lest they
be caught in the crossfire. The driver obliged and stepped on the gas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was nearly
sundown when the jeepney reached its destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was Sagada, an Ifugao municipality
in Bontoc Province. Ka Mao was tentative as he moved around after getting off
the jeepney.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The guy gave me
a name to contact but didn’t say where to contact,” Ka Mao uttered to himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A young man
walked past him, saying in near-whisper, “Follow me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Making a
double-look, Ka Mao recognized the young man. He was the twentyish fellow who
had prodded the jeepney driver to drive on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao gaped in
amazement when told by the man that he was the back-up guide assigned to ensure
Ka Mao’s safe journey to NPA territory deep in the jungles of the Cordillera mountain
range. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The NPA knows
its business,” Ka Mao told himself with surprised delight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The young man led
him to a house where he was processed, the term used for verification of
information about Ka Mao earlier passed on to the NPA command in the area. His
hosts also made sure that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao had
necessary clothing for his stay in the NPA camp. He got two jackets all right,
a woolen sweatshirt, several t-shirts, a pair of jogging pants, and a number of
thick woolen socks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s too cold
up there,” said the leader of the squad sent to fetch Ka Mao and bring him to
the NPA mountain camp.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, yes?”
remarked Ka Mao. “How cold? Fifteen… Ten… Five degrees centigrade?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’ll see,”
said the squad leader. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
was enough amount of sunlight as Ka Mao began the trek to the mountain camp,
and so he got a clear, good view of the terrain. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Magnificent,”
Ka Mao gasped to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
snaked up a trail upward that cut through terraces, partitioned in patches
which all teemed with green palay plants. Ka Mao thought it was comparable in
grandeur to the famed Banaue Rice Terraces, considered one of the seven wonders
of the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
legend had it that once upon a time, a great flood gobbled up the lowlands,
destroying crops and killing many inhabitants. The natives took it as the Great
Wrath of God Kabunyan for their wrongdoings. When the flood receded, the
natives labored to build a stairway to heaven by which to climb to the sky and
seek Kabunyan’s blessing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Past
the terraces, Ka Mao and his entourage now traversed a thick forest of pine
trees many of which would require three men to encompass with their hands
joined together. A few fallen ones just stayed lying on the ground, with nobody
minding them. In Real and Infanta, Quezon, this would be unthinkable. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dos por lapad</i> folks, the term for men
doing illegal lumbering in the forests of Sierra Madre, would be cutting these
fallen giant pines up into two-by-four-inch slabs in a hurry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao remembered log cabins in western journals and he thought it would be nice
building one for himself in that area, using those fallen pines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can
I build a log cabin here?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Chose
your wild,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Whom
do I ask permission from?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Permission
granted,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They laughed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They were
trekking upward a mountain peak which according to the squad leader is the
third highest in the Philippines. Ka Mao knew Mount Apo in Davao was the
highest, he didn’t know what the second highest was. In any case, even with its
lower height, this peak Ka Mao was climbing was almost a literal depiction of
the Tagalog saying: “Abot-kamay ang langit (Heaven is just within reach).” As
he gazed up the top of the slope they were climbing, it did seem that once he
got there, he could touch the sky.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How much farther
are we going to climb?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“One food for
your thought,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, yes?” said
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“When you walk
up a mountain, never look where you are heading to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’ll get
tired quickly.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Is that so?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Just watch your
steps. Before you realize it, you’re there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao really
had to watch his steps. Before long, it was dark and their journey was lit only
by the moonlight filtering through the trees. And into the final stage of their
travel, they must negotiate a narrow footpath carved out of a mountain side.
One misstep and he would be plunging down the deep ravine to his right. For
this reason, Ka Mao kept inclining to his left as he walked so that just in
case he made that misstep, he would be falling to the ground.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Seeing Ka Mao’s
difficulty, the squad leader took his backpack.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let me carry it
for you,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’re loaded
with your own things,” Ka Mao said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is
nothing,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Free of his load
but for his camera, Ka Mao had a little easier time minding his steps. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then suddenly, a
gunshot rang, echoing through the trees.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
alarmed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The squad leader
got excited, so were his companions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When a short
while after they finally reached the camp, the rebels were excited as they came
upon a crowd gathered around by the bonfire in the middle of the encampment,
butchering a deer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The squad leader
approached the group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought
correctly when I heard that shot. You slew a deer,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It could have
been a firefight,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No gunbattle
takes place with just on shot being fired,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the men
butchering the deer spoke to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s routine
for us here. We chase a deer through the woods just to get it exhausted. When
night falls, the animal would go out of hiding to drink at the river. That’s
when we shoot it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why not while
you’re chasing it?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The squad leader
cuts in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’re not sure
to hit. That would be a lot of wasted bullets otherwise better off used for
killing fascist dogs. While drinking at the river, the deer is a sitting duck.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao smiled. He said, “I think you guys are teaching me lessons early.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
squad leader introduced Ka Mao to his men, who included two amazons from a tribe
distinct for their fair skin,with pretty features on their pinkish faces.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Comrades,
this is Ka Mao. He was sent by the General Command to spend time with us, you
know.Just like the others who had been sent before him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Everybody
shook hands with Ka Mao as they gave him words of welcome. Generally, they
said, “Feel at home.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His
first experience of feeling at home with the group was the veritable feast they
had over the deer meat soup prepared for supper. Ka Mao could almost vomit at
tasting it. It was tart, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fishy, pungent,
or whatever it was, a taste he would not take. The meat was cooked, all right,
but simply boiled in water with no salt or any seasoning whatsoever, neither
with any vegetable additives to improve its tangy taste. But apparently, the
rebels had been so used to such a serving of meat and so took it with gusto. Otherwise
they would be content with simple boiled cabbage for viand. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao forced himself to make like the rest in eating the dish. Actually he took
too much time finishing one slice of the meat so he would not be forced to eat
more. As for the soup, he could not refuse the urging of one guy for him to
drink from the common bowl. He did press the bowl lid into his mouth,
pretending to take it, but kept his teeth pressed, too, to allow only a very
minimal amount of the liquid into his mouth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
the feel of the liquid in his mouth brought him nausea which he could not
control anymore. He begged leave from the group, pretending to piss behind
bushes. There he let it all out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gasping
for air afterward, a thought crossed his mind. In no instance in the whole transaction
with the European national had he experienced taking what he had just eaten..
And yet, here it was staple food for the comrades. Who suffered the more difficulty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
night was terribly cold. He had put on both his jogging pants on, one on top of
the other, donned three layers of t-shirts, topped further by a long-sleeved
polo shirt, then by the thick woolen sweatshirt, over which finally was his
jacket. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao mused to himself. Never in all its operation did the SIU suffer such biting
cold. Who suffered the more difficulty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao proceeded to join the rebels heating themselves <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>up<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by
the flames of the bonfire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Real
cold out here,” Ka Mao remarked to the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
told you. Now you see,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
suppose this is below 5 degrees,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No.
Below<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>zero,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
don’t say.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“See
if it doesn’t rain ice tomorrow.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s
always the case. If it is this cold tonight, ice will fall in the morning.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mid-morning
the following day, a heavy downpour fell. Along with the rather large beads of
raindrops were marble-size, sharp-edged ice peebles which, according to
Newton’s law on free-falling objects, could puncture your head as they did the plastic
roof of the rebels’ tents. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao would learn later that the rebels were getting discouraged by their leaders
from using plastic tents, as they were prone to getting devastated by the frequent
ice rains. Ka Mao amused at the thought of city folks cavorting in the streets
whenever it rained. Here they hurried inside their tents lest they get wounded
by the shrapnels from heaven. Who suffered the more difficulty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
only a short while, Ka Mao had such a good taste of rebel life in the mountain <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that he finally got the full impact of the
view that joining the NPA is the pinnacle of serving the people. The feeling
exhilarates. An exposure guest inevitably ended up not wanting to go back to the
city anymore. Many of those who actually tasted battle with the enemy had opted
to stay in the mountain for good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Although the NPA
had a standing policy of securing the safety of its guests, meaning keep them
away from the line of fire, in the event of an engagement with the enemy, Ka
Mao would have insisted in joining in the fray, be at the front line even. But
much to his regret, the unit in the camp had no military engagements during his
entire stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this respect, he felt no
better than Abraham Lincoln who, though having had war experience against the
Confederates, never tasted combat except, according to one accout, “for
insignificant bouts with mosquitoes.” In his case, Ka Mao had bouts in the
evenings with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">limatiks</i>, tiny leeches
that would creep up inside his pants and go on to suck blood from his very
genitals. The creature is so small nobody notices it creeping up his leg, nor
when it sucks your groin. Only when the spot being sucked begins to itch would
one impulsively scratch it and discover the blood glutton so bloated with his
blood it could no longer move. It would amuse Ka Mao exceedingly to see a fearless
rebel leaping out of the toilet in utter fright from his aborted bowel movement
while gingerly trying to flick off with his hands the tiny devil stuck to his
buttocks. Ka Mao was almost victimized similarly but that the rascal had the
nerve to attack him frontally as he squatted there. So, seeing the attack,
which he, too,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>admitted was so eerie
indeed as to terrify you out of your wits, he grabbed a stick and pummeled the
leech into bits.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And thus did Ka
Mao have a battle to rise above in pronto.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The rebel unit
issued Ka Mao an M-16 for hm to use just in case. But aside from learning how
to disassemble its parts and then putting them back in place, the only use he
had of the weapon was that it made him look like a true blue NPA whenever they
did drills in a clearing in the morning. Jogging around the area, he shouted
along with the other rebels after the squad leader chanting the goodie ole
revolutionary slogans: “Down with imperialism!” “Down with feudalism!” “Down
with bureaucrat capitalism!” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who are we
addressing the chant to anyway, to the trees?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ka Mao found himself asking quietly. If faith can move mountains, so
revolutionary passion might also.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To make up for
lack of action, Ka Mao engaged the unit in study sessions, using a syllabus he
had devised for the SIU’s use. The syllabus consisted of three main parts. Part
One dealt on Philippine history. Philippine social development was presented
according to the principles of dialectical and historical materialism, with
focus on what, based on his research, actually happened in the Revolution of
1896. Part Two was an exhaustive presentation of the theory of surplus value,
the core of capitalist exploitation of wage labor. The text for this study was
improvised by Ka Mao from his study of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Das
Capital</i> by Karl Marx. And Part Three was a simplification of the theories
contained in Lenin’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">State and Revolution</i>
for easy understanding of the concepts of socialism and communism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao could
sense that the rebels, all hailing from the masses, were hungering for deeper
insights into the guiding principles of the revolution. And they found the
syllabus quite delectable. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After going
through the syllabus, Ka Mao discussed the current developments in the people’s
struggle. The Party had by then issued the latest natsit (national situationer)
which elaborated on how the revolution stood at the time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The paper prepared by the Party spoke of the people’s
war already at the stage of the strategic counter-offensive (SCO), described as
an advance substage of the strategic stalemate. A distinct feature of the SCO was
widespread insurrection in the urban centers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was with this
insurrectionary character of the revolution that Ka Victor expressed
displeasure. The comrade was a high-ranking officer of the Cordillera District
Party Committee who visited the camp for an important discussion with Ka Wakad,
the diminutive Ifugao native who was Provincial Commander of the NPA in Bontoc.
Both listened to Ka Mao’s discussion of the natsit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well if that’s
how the Party sees it in the overall...,” Ka Victor commented. “But as far as
we are concerned, that cannot be done here.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
astounded by the comment. Ka Victor’s statement struck Ka Mao as a declaration
of defiance. Were not all party members expected to obey an official Party
policy? It alarmed Ka Mao to realize that one whole district party committee should
express deviation from that policy – or at least, one from the committee did.
Certainly it indicated a serious sectionalism in the Party. How many other district
party committees were of the same opinion as Ka Victor sounded to stand pat on?
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Already then Ka
Mao sensed a foreboding of graver things to come. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER XVIII</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">AS LATE AS the advent of the 90s,
nothing indicated to Ka Mao that his fears felt beginning that sojourn in the
Cordillera NPA camp were justified. Meetings in the house by the KTKS, the
Politburo and the NPA General Command were getting frequent, indicating to Ka
Mao the contrary: the Party and the Army were getting even more and more
vigorous. Nothing was changed of directives earlier given nor of plans earlier
approved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
that went true, too, for the SIU tasks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
fact, the increasing number of uses of the house and of the elements using it
prompted Ka Mao to enlarge it even further. The entire dimensions of the
original extension area were replicated on an upper floor, making for a
complete two-story structure. The whole second floor was now for the exclusive
use of the Party’s and Army’s meetings and quartering, but for the original
room of Maripaz into which now were compressed Ka Mao and his family during
sleep time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Both
guests and hosts shared the ground floor during fellowship hours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
yet, this was not enough. Come 1991, Ka Mao had a discussion with Ka Charlie
about the intensifying revolutionary situation. Cory was not only exposed as an
economic nincompoop, unable to stem the rise of mass poverty, but was also a
political weakling whose only credentials to the presidency was her absolute
tutelage to US interests. She had personally led a scanty crowd of her
loyalists in a rally to pressure the Senate not to abrogate the US-RP Military
Bases Agreement. The Senate refused to be cowed and declared all US military
facilities in the country ended.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According
to Charlie, all of the plans of the people’s army were on track and the time
was ripe for their implementation. But those plans needed to be approved by the
Party congress, which had long been delayed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can
you host the congress?” asked Ka Charlie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mao was speechless for a moment. Did he
hear right?, he asked himself. He thought Ka Charlie was kidding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
not kidding,” said Ka Charlie. “The Party congress can be called anytime now.
All we need is a venue.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Soon
after that discussion, Ka Mao embarked on what in his category could be
considered a grand house expansion. To the north end of the already complete
L-shaped structure was added one whole house in itself, rectangular in shape
such that it completed the overall design less as an L than a Swastika. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This
is so big,” commented one carpenter. “What do you have need for this?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Guest
house,” said Ka Mao curtly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
guest house so-called consisted of a ground floor, an attic and a basement to
make for three floors in all. The ground floor level was a one-room affair.
Half of the area, the section adjoining the dining room, was walled in large
glass panes framed with wood. This half had two swing doors done in glass panes
framed with wood that opened into the terrace overlooking the creek and the
bamboo grove close by. The other half had solid walls done in concrete. The end
of this other half had a solid concrete divider to conceal the staircase that
led down to the basement. The basement was walled with concrete all around and
was fitted at the creekside with escape tunnel that secretly led to the scarcely-fenced
section of the Valdez Farm where the enemy was not expected to make any pursuit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The original living
room was expanded westward to give way for a ground-level dining area with
skylight roofing done in fiber glass. Since people in the house tended to
gravitate in the dining area, what was once a living room became almost just a
foyer from the main entrance at the east side of the structure. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Adjacent to the
dining room was the kitchen with no divider separating it from the dining area
but for a half-octagon-shaped kitchen island. A room was at the back of this
kitchen, with almost the same dimension as it had, intended for storing kitchen
what-nots. The floor of the storage room had an opening for stairs leading to
the basement-level dirty kitchen for wood-fueled cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This storage room had a door that led to the
garage. Also to the garage side of the kitchen was an elevated breakfast area
with a view window done in glass and in the shape of an octagon. To the west
side of the kitchen was the glass sliding door of the guest house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if one went in through the main entrance,
he would step into the foyer and there be faced with three directions. To the
right, the living room leading to the dining room, the kitchen, the breakfast
area and the guest house. Straight ahead, the stairway to the second floor
where he would find Maripaz’s bedroom, the comfort room adjoining it outside,
the corridor leading to it being walled in solid glass, the door on this wall
leading out to the terrace that had been added above the main entrance, the
other end of the corridor leading to the family hall and the adjoining <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>masters bedroom. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Back at the
foyer, he would find to the left, the whole undivided area of the ground floor,
with exits leading to the library to the left and to the stairway to the south
end basement which was joined up by a tunnel to the north end basement (the
basement of the guest house). This way all occupants of the house, upon alarm,
could go rushing through the labyrinth of tunnels and out into the Valdez Farm.
Through the farm where the caretakers were quite friendly to Ka Mao and very
cooperative, any escaping elements from Ka Mao’s house could rush unnoticed by
the enemy as they made way through the wide orchard there and out into the
barangay road behind it. From there their vehicles would rush them to safety.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From his
discussion with Ka Charlie, Ka Mao gathered that the Party had grown into five
commissions. He estimated that at a minimum of ten delegates per commission,
the Party Congress should have at least 50 delegates. The way he had renovated
the house, he apportioned the sections thus: The Vizayas-Mindanao, the Central
Luzon and the Northern Luzon Commisions, to the Guest House; the Southern
Tagalog-Bicol Commission, to the Library and South End Basement; and the
National Capital Region Commission, to the Second Floor Family Hall and Masters
Bedroom. Ka Mao and his family would be happy lumped together in Maripaz’s
bedroom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But where would
the session hall be?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The whole
undivided ground floor<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the initial
expansion area! Ka Mao exclaimed to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So to Ka
Charlie’s question, “Can you host the congress?” came Ka Mao’s answer, “Yes, I
can.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was just passionate about the whole thing. The Party Congress, delayed for
so long, would formalize a number of important and urgent policies,
particularly the SCO. It would give the go signal for the planned takeover of
the legislature and other vital public facilities. It would fill the streets
with militant mass actions. It would bring the people’s army’s firepower from
the countryside to the cities. It would send the flames of revolution exploding
the country over. And then the strategic stalemate. It had been a lesson from
all revolutions that the strategic offensive to follow was virtually just
ceremonial – as it was in China when after Chiang Kai Sheik was driven to
Formosa, the People’s Liberation Army just marched into Shianghai to take
over<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the seat of Kuomintang political
power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Would Ninoy allow that to happen to
his widow?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naah! Naah!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
was it any wonder that Sison acted in his stead? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Evidently out of
desperation, he issued the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm Our
Basic Principles</i>. The ostensible motive was to launch a thorough Party-wide
rectification movement aimed at correcting errors done, not the least of which
being the error of the boycott policy. But motives are proven not by assertive
words but by cause-and-effect doctrine. The result of the Sison-instigated
rectification movement told it all. It splintered the Party into fragments,
tore the otherwise formidable people’s army, and threw the revolution back to
the dark ages.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was a most sentimental moment Ka Mao had when he talked to Ka Jun about the
matter. Ka Jun was playing the piano at the time. Ka Mao had learned that the
NPA Chief was a gifted pianist and so he bought a Weinstein Piano so he could
hear him play it whenever he visited the house. Ka Mao was a piano enthusiast
himself and loved much to listen to classical piano selections. Ka Jun was into
an inspired rendition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Vie En Rose</i>
when Ka Mao opened the topic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You have the army under your command, Why not combat
Sison’s divisive policy?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Jun shook his head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I assure you it will be very bloody,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Jun struck the keys as though he wished to
just play on and on, like providing the counterpoint in the symphony of the crumbling
of the Party and the people’s army.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Northern Luzon, the Party initiatives had increasingly
been taken over by the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
Central Luzon, the Magpantay couple were heading their own faction which
boasted of its own armed group able to shoot it out with that of the Tiamzon
couple.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nilo
de la Cruz and Popoy Lagman banded together in Metro Manila to form a
composite, the Revolutionary People’s Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB).
This combined force soon joined up with that of Arturo Tabara in the Visayas,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">COME the presidential elections of 1992,
Ka Mao gave it all up. No revolution in history won against a democratic
government. According to his perception, once Fidel V. Ramos was elected
president, that was the signal that thenceforth any political reform could only
take place within the system of a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>bourgeois democratic government. At best, then, what the rejectionists
of the Sison <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> manifested with
their defiance were nothing but the last spasms of a dying monster. The irony
in this view was that activists had derisively ascribed this to violent state
fascism. This time, it described the degeneration the Party had gone into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
Ka Mao found himself making a private resolve: to pursue the proletarian cause
in the arena of bourgeois politics; he did not have the presumptuousness to try
to influence any overall Party policy in this regard. Besides, as he rightly
perceived it, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm </i>had been
precisely designed to get rid of all non-Sisonites in the Party, and he, being
a long-time opponent of the Sison copy-cat people’s war strategy, had to go. In
that event, as he was intransigent in pushing the struggle of the working
class, he had to go the way he did in organizing BRASO, with the difference now
that instead of armed struggle, he would pursue it through elections. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He organized the
Kilusang Bagong Barangay (KBB), a political party advocating what he perceived
as pro-worker elements in the Local Government Code. He particularly saw the
power of eminent domain, as contained in the code, as a most potent provision
which he could invoke to enable the great masses of squatters to own the lands
they had built their houses on. This was a major advocacy he carried when he
ran for Mayor of Antipolo in the local elections of 1995. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The political
line caught fire among Antipolo residents of whom sixty percent were
non-land-owning. Volunteers came forward, organizing chapters of KBB and
conducting study sessions among voters which sought to enlighten them on what a
true pro-worker government should be. He even advocated the equalizing of the
salary of the mayor to that of an ordinary factory worker, as did the
communards in the Paris Commune of 1871. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">None of his
candidates for councilors had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bourgeois
traces, all of them being workers. Two were heads of big labor unions; three,
leaders of widely-known mass organizations; two, community organizers; and a
lady, a vociferous former radio announcer who headed a large group of informal
settlers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao’s
campaign was creating much noise. The Red Shirts, as his campaigners were known
because of the red shirts they wore, were in all nooks of the town, including
far-flung mountain communities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It heartened Ka
Mao exceedingly when while he was shaking hands with folks along a narrow alley
of a slums neighborhood, a blind woman groped her way out of a shanty, offering
her hand tentatively, saying, “Samonte… Samonte…” Ka Mao shook the woman’s
hand, saying,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Samonte at your service.” The woman
gripped his hand tight and tenderly, “Ikaw si Samonte (You’re Samonte)!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The woman had
only been told stories about him and now that she was face to face with the
“savior”, she was shouting “Halleluiah!” It was no hyperbole that at that
moment, Ka Mao did feel having the salvation of all oppressed humanity on his
shoulders.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Adding no mean
weight to his campaign was the presence of showbiz personalities. During his
proclamation rally at the Sumulong Park, onstage were, together with Seiko
Films Producer Robbie Tan, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>comediennes
Evelyn Vargas and Beverly Salviejo, leading actress Lovely Rivero, and the
stars of the then recent blockbuster, Machete II, Gardo Versoza and Rossana
Roces. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a surprise
incident, actress Liza Lorena went around the Antipolo market shaking hands wih
folks and distributing leaflets of Ka Mao. That got throngs crowding the entire
marketplace and surroundings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a succeeding
rally, the audience went shrieking at the appearance of Jestoni Alarcon, whose
speaking prowess beguiled Ka Mao. It did look like Jestoni was campaigning for
himself. Indeed, he must be. In subsequent local elections, Jestoni would
emerge No. 1 among the winning councilors, the stepping stone for his being
Vice Governor of Rizal the next elections around. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All of the above
features, on top of the popular band The Blinkers of Joegrad La Torre who were
the mainstay attraction of Ka Mao’s political rallies, which were in the format
of musical concerts. The style was so effective it led one disgruntled follower
of Ka Mao’s political opponent to declare: “We will vote for the band.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During the high
school graduation of Maoie from the Academe School of Antipolo, Ka Mao was
congratulated by former Antipolo Mayor Jose “Peping” Oliveros for his
impressive campaign. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You think it’s
okay?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You had a very
good start. Very impressive,” said Mayor Oliveros.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A very likable
guy who was among the first bigwigs of Antipolo whom Ka Mao had befriended,
Mayor Oliveros made his comment in a most mild and gentlemanly manner.
Otherwise, he would have warned Ka Mao, “Don’t rest on laurels. It’s too
early.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was Robbie’s
characteristic candor which laid it down straight to Ka Mao from the very
start: “How do you expect me to support you when you and your men shout “Down
with capitalism!”?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For Ka Mao,
though making true his resolve to pursue the working class struggle through
bourgeois politics, was consistent in condemning capitalist oppression and
exploitation of workers. It was just like putting a round hole into a square
peg or vice versa. The two wouldn’t fit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In one real
grand rally which Ka Mao timed for the celebration of Labor Day, he borrowed a
ten-wheeler open truck, parked it across MLQ Avenue near the corner of the
Circumferential Road, completely closing it to vehicular traffic. With a number
of organized labor unions in attendance, the whole area all the way to the next
block northward was filled with people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The incumbent mayor, Daniel Garcia, whom Ka Mao was contending against
in the elections, was early on madly ordering the Police Chief to disperse the
rally. But before they could do anything about it, the Blinkers belted out a
Bon Jovie ditty which instantly got the crowd shaking and wiggling and
cheering. The Police Chief nonetheless implored Ka Mao to remove his people out
of the street because they were creating disorder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“See that
crowd?” Ka Mao said. “Remove them, we’re in trouble.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Police Chief
did look and see how impossible it was to disturb the rally without
antagonizing such so huge a mass of humanity. Shaking his head with chagrin,
the police officer walked away with no more words for Ka Mao. The rally
proceeded peacefully all throughout till midnight without any untoward incident
happening – proving the Police Chief’s tolerance to be the wiser move really.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But for winning
votes for Ka Mao, that must be disastrous. Disgruntled pedestrians, commuters,
car and tricycle drivers, and even simple observing bystanders had a common
reaction: “He’s not even mayor yet, but look…” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What did not
immediately occur to Ka Mao was that that rally was a highpoint not of any
design of his but of somebody else’s agenda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Popoy Lagman was
making good his defiance of the Sison <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>
and was making sure the NCR, which included Rizal, remained his turf, while
expanding elsewhere through alliances with other rejectionists the country
over. On the legal front, he organized the Sanlakas, a mass organization of his
followers which served as base of the political party he formed, the Partido
Manggagawa. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now once Ka Mao
was into serious run for the mayorship of Antipolo, as evidenced by his
organization of the KBB which served as his machinery, a Popoy Lagman man
talked to him, suggesting that he run for a lower post. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I cannot be
vice,” declared Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It is not even
vice that comrades want you to run for,” said the man, not realizing that he
had gotten Ka Mao experiencing a bad temper. The idea of lowering himself to
vice mayor candidacy was degrading enough for him, all the more did it rile him
to be told to run even lower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What do they
want?” Ka Mao asked, just to get the discussion going.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Actually, just
councilor,” said the Popoy man, making himself sound apologetic, realizing Ka
Mao was getting piqued.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Look,” Ka Mao
flared up. “We’ve got loads of laws. We haven’t need for more. What we need is
to implement those laws. That’s why I need executive power to implement those
laws correctly.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Next to meet Ka
Mao was a high-profile business entrepreneur from Pasig who operated a
nightclub-casino combine in Antipolo. He hosted a dinner in the club for Ka Mao
and in that dinner were present the son of the incumbent mayor and a lady
doctor whom Ka Mao was expecting to be his running mate. The lady had been very
tentative about Ka Mao’s offer and asked for time to consider it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s hard to
run without a machinery,” said the host. “But if you run for councilor, you can
even be number one.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Mayor or nothing,” said Ka Mao. “Bet your
bottom peso.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The host smiled. It was the kind of smile one
sees in the faces of ganglords smarting from having been challenged by an
inferior opponent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the other
hand, Ka Mao’s was not an empty boast. His political rallies were continuing to
be hits with the crowd. And his campaign song, composed by the same guy who
donated the sound system and other stage gadgets used in those rallies, was
getting hordes and hordes of folks hooked, particularly children who broke into
the tune wherever his campaign entourage pass. (Many years later, exactly the
melody of that song would be the signature advertising song for a popular
college assurance plan. Ka Mao felt grateful that somehow somebody had paid the
composer the kind of money he had not been able to pay.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon Ka Mao got
inspired even more when one whole group claiming to be the provincial Party
committee came forward, offering their services as Ka Mao’s campaign
secretariat. Ka Mao grabbed the offer and then and there quartered the group in
the house as he did many a party bigwig before them. One among them, Carlo,
acted as the campaign manager. Ka Mao had no discussions whatsoever about
compensation for the group’s services. He took the offer as absolute
volunteerism, done on pure principles, not monetary or any material
consideration. Though the group enjoyed, in addition to quartering, free food
in the house, their daily mobilization expenses were funded from their budget
as Party elements.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Before long,
that Party machinery was calling all the shots in the campaign, relegating the
previous volunteers in Ka Mao campaigns to actions in their specific
localities. Ka Mao’s concern was now limited to scheduling rallies and other
campaign sorties.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Into the next
schoolyear within the campaign period, Ka Mao got a modest apartment in Baguio
City where he moved all the kids for their schooling: Maoie, Paulo and Maripaz
at the University of Baguio and Ogie at the St. Louis University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao’s mother-in-law, Mama Sepa, looked
after the kids, with Ka Mao and Betchay visiting them whenever free from the
campaign activities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One big problem
Ka Mao never got to overcome was the problem of getting a running mate. As the
deadline for filing certificates of candidacy was nearing, he got word that the
lady doctor was withdrawing from her intention of running at all in the coming
elections. All the while, the Party machinery had been impressing upon Ka Mao
that the lady was completely subservient to their wishes and she would be his
running mate. Now that she had finally backed out, Ka Mao was just desperate.
Choosing a running mate is not an overnight job; it is worked over time and
needs quite a long period of building goodwill and personal camaraderie with. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Only then did Ka
Mao realize that choosing a running mate is the most expensive item cent for
cent for an aspirant to mayorship. This is because the vice mayoral candidate
must be such that his vote-getting power can carry the mayoral candidate, not
vice versa. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was particularly true
for Ka Mao, who was a complete neophyte in politics, with the following he was
banking on having been only recently and hastily organized and could shatter
instantly at the advances of seasoned politicians. What would a winnable vice
mayoral candidate carry a novato running mate for if not some big material
consideration – big money to be precise?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s one great
shortcoming of Ka Mao. He did not have the money to buy a running mate. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And the lead
time is too little.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who could Ka Mao
turn to in so short a time – and, too, just for the love of serving the people?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao noticed
that none of the secretariat could seem to care less. Carlo, as ever, was into
shooting birds in the orchard with his air rifle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was Ka
Mulong, the president of the Yupangco Textile Mills labor union who came up
with an idea: a well-known lawyer and scion of a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">taal</i>, meaning endemic, Antipolo family, and above all, a recognized
sympathizer of the working class.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao himself
at once saw how attractive would be that chemistry: a famous film director,
whose sexy stars promised that if he got elected as mayor, they would stand at
the lobby of the municipal building to kiss every man that entered; and a
brilliant lawyer sworn to carry out the pro-worker, pro-poor agenda of his
mayor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In his present
dilemma, Ka Mao had the distinct advantage of having a popularity that made him
welcome to any potential running mate. But he had, too, the distinct
disadvantage of impressing upon potential running mates that he was rich and
could afford their price. Ka Mao, by bourgeois political reckoning was poor.
His guts in aspiring for the mayorship of Antipolo really stemmed from a pure
desire to pursue on the legal front what the revolutionary armed struggle could
no longer accomplish. If he succeeded in this endeavor, then that would blaze
the trail for others similarly motivated to pursue in their own turfs, thereby
making the proletarian revolution tread a new path for attaining socialism and
communism the country over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Believing that
Ka Mulong had the moral ascendancy over the lawyer, he paid the prospect a
visit early evening of that day the filing of certificate of candidacy would
lapse, more specifically at midnight. It was a desperation visit in any case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mulong vaguely put the matter to the
lawyer, who entertained them in the living room of the house together with his
wife. Though it might be already late in the day, still it was not too late for
them to hurry to the Comelec office just two blocks away and file the
certificate of candidacy for vice mayor a couple of hours to closing time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao had
expected that after being briefed by Ka Mulong of the purpose of their vistt,
the lawyer would give his reply: yes or no. And pronto, at that, for the hour
was nearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the discussions
meandered into various concerns: labor problems, land problems, squatters and
squalor, sanitation, economics, corruption in government, etc. Once he realized
it, the hour was half-past eleven. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, Ka Mao
credited the lawyer’s wife for her exquisite gift of forbearance, sitting it
out with the group, serving everyone coffee all the while, or otherwise
contributing her piece in the talk. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, one
last glance at the wall clock told Ka Mao it was quarter to 12 midnight.
Swallowing some lump in his throat, Ka Mao stretched his torso, thanked the
lawyer for his insights, the wife for the coffee, and bidding the couple good
night, he rose to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more mention
whatsoever was made of the purpose of the visit which Ka Mulong had briefed the
lawyer about. It was obvious that the lawyer was all the while waiting for Ka
Mao to open up on what was supposed to be standard material considerations in
such arrangements as pairing up for the two topmost posts in local elections.
Logic would say the lawyer was expecting that matter from Ka Mao, otherwise did
he bear sitting out there for three hours for nothing but hospitality in entertaining
guests? But since Ka Mao had not opened up on that aspect to the very last
quarter of the most crucial deadline, that look of frustration on the lawyer’s
face was unavoidable. There was no need to talk about it anymore really. The
walk from the house to the Comelec office would consume what little time was left
and so the office would be just closing by the time they got there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lawyer managed to smile vaguely as he
gave Ka Mao a lame handshake before seeing him out with Ka Mulong through the
door.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Inexperience.
Amateurism. Whatever one might call it, what Ka Mao did could only be stupid.
So that if eventually, Ka Mao lost the elections, he had it coming. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m not blaming
you guys,” Ka Mao told his listeners in a caucus organized by the secretariat
in the aftermath of his defeat. “I’m blaming myself for the stupidity of
listening to you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed he
listened when the secretariat came forward, offering their services in his
campaign. He listened when they brought to him one mass leader after another
who all had huge following among Antipolo’s poor thereby assuring him votes
come election time. He listened when they made him believe the crowds in his
rallies, in neighborhood caucuses, in teach-inss and discussion groups, were
his forces determined to give him victory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He finally
believed he was going to win, what with that massive show of force the
secretariat delivered in that May Day rally on MLQ Avenue, when that entire
stretch was filled with defiant workers, a phenomenon hitherto unknown in the
political history of Antipolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao himself
gaped unbelievingly at the throngs. With clenched fists raised in the air, they
sang, as in the goodie ole days of the strike movement, the stirring strains of
the “Internationale”. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Are these my
people?” Ka Mao asked himself. “Am I that strong? Oh, so very strong.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Sccretariat
must be doing a splendid job. He had not been spending much really by way of
ensuring such attendance in his rallies. One reason was that he believed the
secretariat and the leaders it had organized did their jobs on the basis of
principle, and on the same motivation throngs filled his rallies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another reason,
and this was the overriding one, he really did not have that much money. He
didn’t have posters, leaflets and similar campaign materials. He relied mainly
on word-of-mouth dissemination of his campaign, which was done by his followers
religiously everyday, house-to-house, man-to-man,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the election
time was approaching nearer, he resorted to soliciting help from personal
friends and sympathizers, an effort that generated minimal result.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was in that
period that Ka Mao thought of seeing Popoy Lagman. He had had a good amount of
familiarity with the robust-framed, curly-haired, bully-looking urban guerilla
leader to believe he would merit fraternal reception by him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During one
period, Popoy had used the house for a week-long meet with a group that
included Sonny Rivera, Renato Constantino, his wife Peng and the widow of a
slain NPA head in the Visayas. At another time, he asked Ka Mao to intercede
for him in getting a huddle with Robbie Tan over the labor concern in the
latter’s wallet factory. And through Ka Charlie, he checked on the possibility
of Ka Mao doing a fund-raising job for him as he did in the dollar transaction
episode. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was not
sold much on the idea, simply because it came from Popoy. Ka Mao wasn’t so sure
yet about the validity of his anti-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm
</i>position as contained in his<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>book
titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Counterthesis. </i>Ka Mao saw the
book as nothing more than a menu for savoring liberal dashes of Lenin quotes.
To Ka Mao, the correctness of an analysis of the Philippine revolutionary
situation was best measured not according to theories proven true in some other
past and alien social setting but by its present, precise and pragmatic
perception of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the concrete social
conditions of the country. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was part
of that meeting Popoy presided in in the house wherein he obviously
intended<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to convince what had remained
of the NPA general command to join his ranks in the confrontation with Sison.
He discussed the salient points of his book. But as far as Ka Arman and Ka Ding
were concerned, they wanted out of any belligerent relationship with Sison;
evidently Ka Charlie was already in on the Popoy line. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In any case, Ka
Mao had all reasons to expect Popoy would not fail him in his purpose for
making that visit to the Sanlakas headquarters that day. He was encountering
financial difficulties in his campaign and would Popoy lend him some fifty
thousand pesos which he urgently needed, to be paid as soon as he got his next
film assignment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao’s
surprise, Popoy betrayed that he was keeping abreast with the developments in
his political fight. It finally dawned on Ka Mao that the people who had volunteered
to be his machinery and had since then directed the compass of his political
campaign were all Popoy’s men.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao,” Popoy
said bluntly. “After all you’re not going to win, let’s just sell your
candidacy.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was sad
enough that Popoy declined his request for loan. The sadder part of that visit
was Popoy’s proposal for him to sell his candidacy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The gall,” Ka
Mao cussed to himself as he walked out of the building on Shaw Boulevard in
Pasig which housed the office of Sanlakas. “How dare he to say I won’t win.
Just let him see the crowds at my rallies. And how could he sell a candidacy
that was not his but mine?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then a month or
so before election day, Ka Mao’s campaign seemed to lose all vigor. The usual
large crowds in his rallies abruptly thinned and the daily flow of supporters
to Ka Maa’s house completely stopped. The last to visit the house was a small
guy who used to regularly drop by in the house in the morning, have breakfast
and then go on a chore of house-to-house campaigning for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After finishing
his meager breakfast that last morning, the fellow said, “We cannot go on
eating principle.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Carlo and the
secretariat did continue staying in the house, appearing to perform their jobs.
But a close look would reveal that they were mainly busy doing Party political
tasks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Things indicated
the fight had already been lost. Alarmed by the development, Ka Mao sat down
just with Carlo one evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He asked, “Why
the sudden slump in our campaign?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Your campaign
had only been good for a councilor,” said Carlo in a manner reminiscent of the
blunt advice Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got from Popoy
Lagman that day he told him he will not win. “The most votes you will get is
2,000 or thereabout.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao gaped
unbelievingly, asking himself: Where are those thousands upon thousands that
had made his rallies the most crowded ever in the political history of
Antipolo?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A week before
the election, Ka Mao got the worst insult in the whole exercise: a letter from
the incumbent mayor inviting him to join in the celebration of his victory.
This was the same guy who practically moved hell just to get that May Day rally
on MLQ Avenue dispersed. In the subsequent election, Ka Mao got<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>measly 2000-plus votes – to the last digit,
as Carlo put it a month before. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Long after the
smoke of battle faded out, so speak, Ka Mao ultimately put two and two
together. That MLQ Avenue May Day Rally was really not his. It was to Popoy as
to a salesman the glossing over of his commodity to make it sellable – the
commodity in this case being his expertise at running someone else’s political
campaign. Marcos had another term for it: talk to the party-in-interest. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who was the
party-in-interest in Ka Mao’s political fight with the incumbent mayor in the
election of 1995 was a question reducible to: Who told Ka Mao to sell his
candidacy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, it had
already turned into an institution whereby a group of smooth operators in the
electoral process push a poor man’s candidacy vigorously just to make their
services sellable to the poor candidate’s rich opponent ultimately.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Two
days before the election, Ka Mao managed to salvage a little newsprint for
printing his sample ballots on. The printing of the sample ballots would be
done on credit by Ka Mao’s printier friend, Malou. So Ka Mao was confident, he
would have that last form of hand-out to voters on election day. The morning
after the election, Ka Mao flared up like crazy upon discovering that the
printed sample ballots had remained stacked in a sack that he found dumped
among bushes by the driveway,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
evidence clearly pointed to a sabotage – indeed, a sellout of his candidacy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Again,
who proposed to sell it in the first place? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was a good
lesson though. And Ka Mao thought it not bad all, considering that he really
did not spend much for that campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His political expenditures, as contained in his report to the Comelec,
amounted to less than half a million pesos. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For learning the
dirty tricks of elections, that was a fairly justified price. He would know
better the next time around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed, Ka Mao
would run again for the same post come next election, the general elections of
1998. He intended to correct the many mistakes he had committed in his first
attempt thereby placing himself on a really winning position. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">First of those
mistakes, or so that was how Ka Mao saw it, was his running without a political
party: KBB was not such a party and therefore was not entitled to any rights
under the law, like the right to have election watchers. So he decided to join,
not just a political party, but a political party in power, the LAKAS-NUCD
(National Union of Christian Democrats) Party. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A newspaper
editor who had Party roots and thus was friendly to Ka Mao introduced him to a
petite fellow whose boasts belied his size or vice versa. This was Rolly Francia,
who belonged to the Malacañang press corps. He facilitated Ka Mao’s entry into
LAKAS. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For a start, he
got Ka Mao invited <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the affair at the
Rembrandt Hotel held for proclaiming House Speaker Jose de Venecia as LAKAS
standard bearer. His name was announced as among the distinguished guests on
the occasion. Hearing his name, a lady evidently in the close circle of the
Speaker gaped in surprise and seeing Ka Mao as he acknowledged the
introduction, the lady threw her arms in joyful surprise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao!” exclaimed
the lady as she went over to Ka Mao for a hug.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Didi!”
exclaimed Ka Mao in turn, giving her the hug.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Didi was the
same indefatigable Secretary General of the KASAMA Party Group when Ka Mao
first got into the CPP in 1971. It was under her watch that Ka Mao underwent
the initial<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>process for membership in
the Party, the Basic Party Course. Once Ka Mao got through that course, he was
appointed staff member of the Education Department (ED), which was headed by Didi’s
husband, Rolly. It was after Didi and Rolly were taken out (“fired out” would
be a harsh bourgeois term) of the group as disciplinary action for an offense,
which had never been disclosed, that a revamp in the leadership of the Party
Group took place. Ka Erning, who was Organization Department head, took over as
Gensec, Ka Choleng, a true blue proletarian leader, took his place as OD head,
while Ka Edwin, a scholarly-looking, bespectacled youthful mestizo, moved up
from being ED staff member to ED head, with Ka Mao now joining Ka Openg as ED
staff members. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Didi first
surprised Ka Mao when he read in the news that she was appointed Immigration
Bureau Chief in the cabinet of President Fidel V. Ramos. She occurred to Ka Mao
as typifying those high-profile revolutionaries ending up top-level bureaucrats
in the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bourgeois dispensation. Coming
face to face with her now, Ka Mao wondered if he was not into treading the same
path she had gone into. In any case, it turned out Didi was overall Man Friday
to Speaker De Venecia. That made Ka Mao conclude he was in good hands as far as
getting into the good graces of LAKAS was concerned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the advent of
1997, Ka Mao began undoing what he considered his second big mistake in the
election of 1995: his scrimping on election spending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He feted Speaker De Vencia with a
two-thousand strong gathering attended by top leaders and members of mass
organizations in Antipolo at the plush Jamesville Resort in the town. The
resort was owned by Angelito C. Gatlabayan, the guy who was then yet unknown in
Antipolo politics but who much later in the election period would surface as Ka
Mao’s strongest opponent for the post.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That time being
not yet into the period allowed by law for election campaigns, the gathering
was passed on as the launching of a cooperative-building movement to be spread
by Ka Mao all over Antipolo. On the occasion, Speaker De Venecia was guest of
honor. Since the speaker had to come to the affair direct from an engagement in
Davao, he flew in aboard his private helicopter and Betchay fetched him from
the landing site with the family’s newly-acquired Mitsubishi van, which she
drove.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The event had
all the trimmings fit for a presidential aspirant. Two lovely actresses of Ka
Mao, Rosita Rosal and Sabrina M, lent glamour, which appeared to sit quite well
with the speaker, let alone the crowd all susceptible to showbiz attraction. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There, too, was
the media, led by Loren Banag, who would front-page it in his tabloid, Bagong
Tiktik the following day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao’s
surprise, former Congressman Manny Sanchez suddenly appeared with a few
companions who were aspiring for elective positions in Antipolo’s neighbor town
Angono. Ka Mao just didn’t relish the group’s appearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">True, it was
with Sanchez that Ka Mao had arranged for De Venecia’s attendance as guest of
honor. But nothing had been said about him and his group being themselves
guests as well. So while good manners dictated on Ka Mao not to be rude on the
group and did not object when they sat with the guests onstage, he did not give
them any part in the program.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s more, Ka
Mao sensed that Sanchez seemed to be impressing upon the Speaker that the
affair was his handiwork, so lest the former solon was into some shenanigans,
like asking the speaker for monetary consideration for expenses incurred for
the occasion, Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>saw to it that in
his introductory speech for Speaker De Venecia, he pointed out that “the affair
was a labor of love.” He meant clearly he was not charging the speaker any cent
for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For, indeed, Ka
Mao shouldered all by himself the expenses for the event, which amounted to a
quarter of a million pesos. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao observed
that the statement did not please both Sanchez and Didi. And Speaker De Venecia
appeared surprised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway Speaker
De Venecia proceeded to enthrall the audience with his tale of a pitiable
father who had a family to feed but who could not find a job, and so he came to
him one day, looking frail and hungry, and asked for help in finding one, and
he got the father hired as a construction worker in Saudi Arabia. The speaker
told the crowd that he was the originator of the idea of overseas employment
for jobless Filipinos. That got him a good applause. Then going on with his
tale, the Speaker related that after a time, the man came to him again, no
longer looking hungry but healthy and vigorous, saying he was on vacation to
join his family for the holidays, and he came to thank him for having helped
him find a job, and with that thank you the man presented him a basketful of
cashew and mango - for he was from Antipolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That was the
catch. And that got the crowd swooning, “Oh!”, while breaking in a resounding
applause.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After the
speech, Sanchez took the initiative of calling the photo op, with him and Ka
Mao raising arms with the Speaker, as everybody else on stage did the same with
them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let this be
your baptism of fire,” Sanchez told Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Be careful
about this,” admonished the Speaker. “Let’s not make it appear as a Party
proclamation already.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That pose found
print the following day on a number of tabloids plus a small slot on the Manila
Bulletin, thanks to his kumpare Diego Cagahastian. Ka Mao was quite satisfied.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Proclamation or
no proclamation, serves the same purpose,” Ka Mao told himself. He felt he was
now the LAKAS boy in Antipolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Actually, the
Jamesville Resort affair was a negative one for purposes of getting himself
officially proclaimed as LAKAS mayoralty candidate in the town. The top LAKAS
Man in Antipolo was Vic Sumulong, who was not on good terms with Manny Sanchez,
whom Vic’s uncle, Komong Sumulong, had successfully unseated from Congress for
being an American national.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as
Sanchez was concerned, inviting Vic to the Jamesville Resort affair was out of
the question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having been thus snubbed,
Vic must rage from the slight, a reaction that went true, too, toward Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Without him
realizing it, Ka Mao was getting into ill terms with Vic Sumulong. Until that
time, he remained ignorant of the finer points of politics, neglecting, for
instance, that protocol alone should have prompted him to defer first to Vic,
who was the LAKAS chairman for Rizal. So he should have taken pains to invite
him to the affair at Jamesville Resort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Speaker De
Venecia subtly indicated this fault to Ka Mao one time he dropped by his office
at the Batasang Pambansa.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You should
support Vic so Vic would support you,” said Speaker De Venecia, indicating his
full sympathy for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Following De
Venecia’s advice, Ka Mao saw Vic Sumulong one morning in his residence in his
sprawling farm on the outskirts of the Antipolo town proper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indicating no
animosity whatsoever toward Ka Mao, the declared aspirant for congressman of
the lone district of Antipolo sat with Ka Mao at the sala and had coffee with
him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Actually this
is Sanchez’s fault,” said the soft spoken Vic after Ka Mao had opened the topic
of his LAKAS candidacy. “He is meddling in this matter.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m sorry,” Ka
Mao said, “but honestly, I didn’t know I had to talk to you. It was Didi
Domingto who advised me to arrange that Jamesville affair with Manny Sanchez.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The party has
rules,” Vic explained. “The equity of the incumbent makes the highest incumbent
municipal official from the party as the party chairman. The party municipal
chairman has the prerogative to be official LAKAS candidate for mayor.?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Who is the
party chairman?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Councilor Esting
Gatlabayan.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Is he running
for mayor?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He is sticking
to councilor?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Then there’s no
hindrance for me,” said Ka Mao, betraying a feeling of relief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Vic took a
little while eyeing Ka Mao studiously. Then he answered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Councilor Esting
is the chairman. It’s his say.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao felt
sagging inside. He got the message. Vic just didn’t like him. He was not in his
league.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before that he had one occasion
on which he and Vic got invited together as guests in a political rally
organized by a couple who happened to be Ka Mao’s provincemates. Vic minded
more the star he had brought along, Ramona Rivilla, but hardly him. Then came
that interview he, Danny Tan and Lito Gatlabayan had with a panel of media
reporters on cable television. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sat
between the two, prompting him to comment when asked how he felt contending
against two economic giants on the rise: “I feel like Jesus Christ while he was
nailed on the cross.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Danny, the
better-witted of the other two <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>candidates, immediately got the aside and gave
Ka Mao a friendly punch on the arm, laughing as he volunteered the line:
“Between two thieves! Naughty you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the truly
relevant question was, do they think cheating will be a factor in the coming
elections. Danny and Lito agreed that generally cheating figured in all
elections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao dissented.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Not in
Antipolo,” he firmly declared. “If cheating had been going on in the town’s
elections, how come the Sumulongs keep losing?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The implication
was that the Sumulongs were the ones capable of cheating in elections, but
since they have been losing, then cheating had not been taking place in
Antipolo elections. But the graver implication was simply that the Sumulongs
were cheats, period.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
referring to the losses suffered by Komong Sumulong in his congressional tiff
with Manny Sanchez, Myrna Hallare, a Sumulong, against Daniel Garcia in the
last mayoral elections, and King Sumulong’s failed bid for the Chairmanship of
Barangay de la Paz. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A close aide of
Vic would confide to Ka Mao during a chance meeting much much later that that
pronouncement of Ka Mao really got Vic so mad. It was a matter of course that
when Ka Mao attended the caucus Vic called among LAKAS members after that cable
television interview, he would be getting the flak from Vic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“To those
pretending to be mayor, what right have you?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At any rate, Ka
Mao persevered in his bid. Rolly Francia held on to him, or so it seemed, with
his consistent assurance that he, Ka Mao, was near the kitchen and so was sure of
abundant food. Rolly meant Malacañang. And Ka Mao believed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed, the
group he belonged in, the Malacañang Press Corps, was on an elbow-rubbing
closeness with President Ramos. So while he was increasisngly getting snubbed
by Vic Sumulong, Ka Mao was increasingly as well getting enamored by the
Malacañang press. He felt extremely privileged when the Malacañang press corps
invited him to its Christmas party 1997 in which his presence was announced
second to President Ramos and ahead of Congressman Teves and the other guests
in the event. To that party Ka Mao brought pretty, seductive actress Gem
Castillo whom President Ramos found so irresistible that at her introduction to
him and she moved for the customary beso-beso he unabashedly kissed her, his
lips smack on her cheek like a snail’s tusks. A Philippine Star photographer
captured that precise moment of a presidential passion and was a smash hit when
featured prominently in the center of the newspaper’s front page the following
morning. No mention though was made that that moment was courtesy of Ka Mao,
but a picture of him and President Ramos doing the thumbs-up sign saw print,
too, in another leading newspaper, appropriately captioned as taken in the same
event<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao thought that was a good
splurge in his favor after all. Rarely did an ordinary mayoral candidate get
such a lavish attention from the highest official of the land.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">True enough,
Antipolo politicians were tending to salaam to Ka Mao as a result of the
publicity on the Malacañang affair. Councilors saluted him one Monday he
dropped by the municipal quadrangle to attend the flag ceremony. They knew no
ordinary politicians could get that kind of photo op with President Ramos – or
with any president for that matter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In fact,
President Ramos had agreed to that thumbs-up photo upon intercession by the
President of the Malacañsng Press Corps and Bobby Dacer, a very close friend of
President Ramos. Rolly, typical of a smooth operator, kept to the sidelines
during the entire evening making sure only that Ka Mao fulfilled his promise of
giving Christmas presents to the press people, which Ka Mao did by issuing
five-thousand-peso checks to those concerned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And when Vic
Sumulong organized an event in which President Ramos would proclaim the
hitherto watershed area of Boso-Boso as finally alienable and disposable, Ka
Mao made sure he made his own show by conducting right across the street from
the proclamation event a medical-dental mission, announcing in a large streamer
the occasion as a project of the FVR-MGS (Friends and Volunteers for Maximum
Government Service – a ride-on for “Fidel V. Ramos-Mauro Gia Samonte”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the turn from
the Marcos Highway to Boso-Boso which President Ramos must take in coming to
the Vic Sumulong event, Ka Mao made sure he hung his own welcoming streamer for
the president. And as soon as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>President
Ramos stepped out of the presidential car, Ka Mao walked up to him first and
led him by the shoulders toward the program site while pointing to him the
ongoing medical-dental mission.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s a
project of the FVR-MGS, Sir.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“FVR-MGS?” asked
the President.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Friends
and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Volunteers for Reform and Maximum
Government Service.” Ka Mao answered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">President Ramos
was amused.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Keep it up,” he
told Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Presidential
Security Commander Calimlim, who had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>become familiar with Ka Mao at the Malacañang Christmas party, found no
alarm in Ka Mao’s hugging the president by the shoulders as they walked but he
saw the inappropriateness, if not the disrespect, of it to the president’s
person, and very discreetly he tapped Ka Mao’s arm that was on the president’s
shoulders and gave Ka Mao an eye signal for him to let go of the president’s
shoulder. Ka Mao understood the signal and let go of the president as Vic - who
had only been keeping a distance from the president, evidently deferring to
protocol – finally led him to the stage. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao tarried
on the ground, waiting for anybody to invite him to come up the stage.With no
such invitation coming, Ka Mao stayed with the audience and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from there followed the proceedings in the
program. He knew Vic would never do such invitation, but he had hoped the
president would, and once he did, Ka Mao would have leaped at the opportunity.
But as it became very evident that no such invitation would be forthcoming
anymore, Ka Mao finally realized how stupid he must have been in doing all that
posturing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao stayed at
the sidelines when President Ramos walked down the stage after the ceremonies
and proceeded to the presidential car. He wondered if the president would still
think about him at all. Not a bit, he realized, as the presidential entourage
went off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Into
the official onset of the campaign period for the 1998 elections, the
LAKAS-NUCD was openly carrying the candidacy of Lito Gatlabayan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During
one caucus called by a subdivision dwellers association, Danny Tan was rather
surprised to see Ka Mao still on in the fight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are
you pushing on?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“To
the very end,” Ka Mao declared.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Danny
could not help that trace of derision in his smile, something people
normally<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>regard foolish people with. At
the same time his eyes betrayed amazement at the grit on Ka Mao’s face,
depicting an intense resolve to push the fight on no matter what.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“In
fact,” Ka Mao continued, “for your information, I have taken over the
basketball tournament you had organized but had abandoned in Barangay Sta.
Cruz. Don’t I deserve a thank you for that from you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Danny
laughed and tapped Ka Mao on the shoulder, saying, “Thank you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KA MAO forged on in his campaign trails,
mainly in the alleys of squatters communities and among hills people who had
formed settlements in disparate slopes of Sierra Madre. As to the town proper
and other urbanized sections, he realized it was futile exercise to bother
about them for the time being. As a store owner pointedly told him, “Don’t
waste your time campaigning here. There’s no vote you can get.” Ka Mao envisioned
a scenario whereby having solidified his hold on the poor folks, he would use
the forces so organized to launch a mammoth rally at a critical period before
the election which would create a bandwagon for the throngs of undecided voters
to finally ride on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
inspired Ka Mao no end that groups of his believers would on their own go into
sorties in settlements that could only be reached by foot and would take days
to fully cover. In which case, they would need to bring provisions, like food
and packs of clothing. The mountain folks were a most hospitable lot in any
case and they would gladly share with Ka Mao’s campaigners what little provisions
they had in their abodes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every now and then, Ka Mao would find time to
accompany his volunteers in those sorties, and himself experiencing the
difficulties his supporters suffered, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he
grew even more and more determined to carry the fight through to the end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao undertook two major steps in this period. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One,
seeing finally that the LAKAS accommodation of him was all for show, he <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>joined the Aksyon Demokraticko, the political
party of Senator Raul Rocco, who was running for president under the slogan:
“The most qualified candidate.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sincerely
believed the slogan, but this was not the interesting point in his joining
Aksyon now. Back in 1996, he and senator Roco were squaring off on television
and in print over the senator’s criticism of Ka Mao’s film, “Halimuyak ng
Babae”, which he found to be derogatory to Bicolanas. In the Kris Aquino-hosted
program, “Startalk,” on Channel 7, Ka Mao got back at the senator for his
attack against his movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
problem with the senator is that he sees one black dot on a white wall and he
calls the whole wall black. That <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>element
about a girl being made the prize in a rodeo game was just a small part of the
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that story develops. How the
story develops is what the senator should see in my movie. But no, he calls the
whole movie bad, an insult to Bicolano women. I am a Bicolano myself. Why would
I destroy my own people?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
Kris Aquino’s questioning, Senator Rocco admitted he had not seen the movie and
had only been told about it by his men. That got Ka Mao wondering if this noise
Senator Roco was doing now was not part of a grand publicity stunt to start
projecting a hero image for him. As early as then, talks in the grapevine were
rife that he would be running for president come 1998.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
naughty Kris dangled a bait for Ka Mao after he said, “I thank the senator for
making me in league with senators.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Did
you vote for him?” Kris asked. A positive answer from Ka Mao would have the
effect of shattering his credibility in what was turning out to be a brilliant
stand against the senator.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,”
came Ka Mao’s curt resort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kris
betrayed the feeling of having been personally repulsed. The glint in her eyes
indicated she was quick to find a follow-up bait.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Will
you vote for him now?” asked Kris.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Still
refusing to bite, Ka Mao asked in turn, “For what? For president?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao would have added, “I will vote for him if he made me his running mate.”
That was what television talk shows wanted in Ka Mao, his short, witty
repartees. But that last answer he made already got the audience laughing. Ka
Mao did not find it necessary to add some more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now
Ka Mao amused to himself as he signed the application papers for membership in
the Aksyon Demokratiko Party. That unworded answer would have been prophetic.
Ka Mao was now running mate of Senator Roco – on the municipal level.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
any case, Ka Mao lived up to a Marcos dictum: “In politics, there are no
permanent enemies. There are only temporary allies.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
second major step Ka Mao undertook was his seeking support from the Iglesia ni
Kristo (INC). This, again, was a reversal of a previous stand Ka Mao had taken.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the elections of 1995, Ka Mao
steadfastly held on to his resolve never to ask the INC for support of his
candidacy. He just detested the very idea of churches involving in elections in
order to determine their outcome. He believed churches were meant to attend to
the spiritual concerns of people. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By
involving themselves in politics, were not churches responsible, too, for the
corruption the elected officials would eventually feast on in the government?
Ka Mao had asked this question and found himself answering: “Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the
imperatives of winning was foremost now in Ka Mao’s mind. And as he saw it in
Rizal,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the INC had consistently decided
the question of winnability in election. He was determined to go for it this
time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, during this
period Ka Mao got acquainted with a guy named Cris, a huge fellow who if you
put on him the proper costume would be a perfect image of Santa Claus, albeit
dark skinned. His expertise was to have lands titled, and with the Party
debacle in 1991 crystallizing to Ka Mao the urgent need of having his land
titled at long last, he got the guy’s services. Cris happened to be a member of
INC, an influential one at that. He presented Ka Mao to Ka Art who pronto got
Ka Mao attended to in his desire to get the church’s endorsement of his
candidacy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon Ka Mao was
getting enthused by word going around that he was the INC candidate for mayor
of Antipolo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That Ka Mao had indeed
gotten into the good graces of the church was attested to by various occasions
on which INC members confided to Ka Mao that they had been consulted by their
pastors about Ka Mao’s candidacy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Somebody who had
the surname Samonte told Ka Mao that she admitted to her pastor thus, “True,
Samonte is a relative. But the church has the say.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as what happened in 1995, into the last
two months of the campaign period, Ka Mao’s resources were dwindling. His
former comrades in the KASAMA Party Group did make some effort to raise money
for his campaign with little success. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao got
summoned by the businessman whom Ka Art had assigned to attend to Ka Mao’s
concerns. The businessman, evidently a top man in the INC hierarchy, received
Ka Mao in the garden of his house. He laid it down squarely to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You are not
doing good in our survey.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I realize
that,” said Ka Mao. “Surveys are done in areas where my campaign has been
minimal. I am strong among mountain folks who are not Iglesia.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Anyway, we feel
we had better do something,” said the businessman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes?” said Ka
Mao. “What can we do?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We gather that
you’ve got a land.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, the land.
Yes, What about it?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Are you not
planning to donate part of that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Donate?” asked
Ka Mao. “To whom?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The businessman
kept silent. He just gave a probing stare to Ka Mao, who could not make it out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally,
slightly sighing, the businessman said as he abruptly showed Ka Mao out through
the gate, “We’ll find out.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Find out what? Where?
When? How? Nothing was spoken about anything anymore after that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao ultimately
went through the routine of queuing up for the blessing of INC that day at the
church offices in Tatay, Rizal. But he realized even then that it was a futile
exercise. Nothing concrete had materialized about the land the businessman had
expressed interest on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With the Iglesia
being out of the question now, Ka Mao expected the worst. Aksyon Demokratiko
had not been much help, perhaps as it had not been much help to Senator Roco,
who lost his presidential bid to Joseph Estrada.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When his
watchers started bringing in the results of the counting and clearly indicated
a sure trend toward defeat, Ka Mao did not bother anymore about how he finally
figured in the race. You lose small, you lose big, you lose just the same, he
told himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And so all told,
Ka Mao lost again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But there was
this big difference. In this Ka Mao’s second losing, he realized that all
along, he had been fighting it the wrong way. He fought it wrongly when he
organized the Makabayan Pulblishing workers union and thereafter launched the
KAMAO strike. He fought it wrongly when he immersed himself completely into the
national democratic revolution and contributed whatever he could for what he thought
was the liberation of the working class – from that active participation in the
workers strike movement, to his self-initiative organizing of BRASO after being
abandoned by the KASAMA Party Group, to his re-integration with the Party and
his performance of tasks as intelligence officer of the NPA. He fought it
wrongly when he made his own adjustment of the struggle by engaging in
bourgeois politics for the continued promotion of the liberation of the
proletariat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In all those
fights, Ka Mao realized now, he was not fighting for himself. He was fighting for
the advancement of interests of other people. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A question
stared Ka Mao in the face. Would he have succeeded had all those fights he had
made had been fights for his own selfish interests? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He would not
have organized the KAMAO in the first place, not have joined the revolution,
could have just concentrated on building a future on the fruits of a lucrative
film career when the opportunity came, and if he did want to be mayor of
Antipolo, he would have agreed to the proposal to start running as a councilor
first, which had been the common pattern for all successful mayoralty
aspirants.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But Ka Mao would
not engage in any hypothetical argumentation. What did not happen could never
be proven. For him, the fact was that he fought not for himself but for others
and lost. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And that was
food for thought enough in whatever fights he would still embark on from
hereon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KA JUN played the piano on and on that
afternoon. It was like he was pouring out all his joys as well as all his aches
in it. It looked as though he was playing it for the last time – as indeed it
was the last time he played that piano – and so he must play it on until
eternity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Are
we then just to sit back while Sison tears the Party?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Let’s
hope we can just talk things over,” Ka Jun said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite intriguingly, Ka Jun was not going the
way of his colleagues in the leadership of the revolution. After another period
of incarceration resultting from his capture in 1996, he was released from
prison, enjoying a clean slate from the government. He proceeded to put up a
security agency by way of pursuing legal livelihood. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By
the time Ka Mao was campaigning for the 1998 elections, Ka Jun was sworn into
the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LAKAS Party by House Speaker Jose de
Venecia. Ka Mao welcomed the development. He thought Ka Jun could help in his
candidacy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
Ka Charlie took it otherwise. In a talk with Ka Mao, he expressed his disgust
at Ka Ka Jun’s action.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tell
him, he is a sonnavabitch,” said Ka Charlie of Ka Jun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
deeply saddened Ka Mao. Here were comrades, steeled and virtually welded to
each other in the practical struggle of the proletariat and doubtlessly steeped
in the spirit of serving the people, but now coming at odds with each other all
for differing on a question of tactics. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For all we know, Ka Mao argued to
himself, Ka Jun was accommodating himself into the enemy as dictated by the new
dispensation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sun Tzu said after all, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Let your plans be as dark as the night and
impenetrable, and once you move strike like sudden thunder.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between the NPA and Ka Jun’s security agency,
the only difference was that the former was shouting out loud “Down with
imperialism!” while the latter was keeping quiet about it. But other than this,
both groups were armed, and to Ka Mao this was all that mattered under the concrete
condition of the times. As Ka Mao had opined to Ka Jun back in 1989, the
tactics for the revolution should be for frustrating the bouregeois elections
of 1992, for if it took place that would consolidate the otherwise shaky
bourgeois political power under the Cory government. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm, </i>by shattering the mechanism
already in place for crushing the Cory government, effectively set the stage
for precisely such consolidation of bourgeois political power. Fidel V. Ramos
was elected president in the 1992 elections, and since then the bourgeoisie got
stronger and stronger to continuously lord it over Philippine society.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In inverse
proportion, the revolution plummeted down irretrievably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What particulary horrified Ka Mao was the
fact that revolutionary leaders who were able to maintain armies of their own
fell one after another –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not from
government bullets but from bullets of assassination squads sent out by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> sovereign. Who fell from
Sison’s bullets? Popoy Lagman already did. Rolando Kintanar (Ka Jun) would soon
follow and Arturo Tabara next. These were. leaders who had arms to effectively
combat the government at the right time. Ka Charlie, though himself staunchly
rejecting the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>, was spared
his life. He didn’t have the guns. He died of a liver ailment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So Ka Mao found
himself struck by the terrifying question: “Who, then, in the guise of standing
by the principles of “Marxism, Leninism and Mao Tse Tung Thought”, was Sison
serving?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
the people but their enemies! Ka Mao raged inside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">FOR KA JUN, talking things over with
Sison came about on January 23, 2003. He was having a business lunch with
someone at a Japanese restaurant in the Quezon City Circle when he spotted the
advance of a gunman obviously intending to shoot him in front. He quickly drew
his .45 and could have beaten that assailant to the fire but that another gunman
firing from behind got him first with a slug to his body. He threw at the
bullet impact, releasing his gun to the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even so he struggled to reach for the gun, but this time around the
gunman in front rushed forward and finished him off. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Diego
Cagahastian, who must have had fraternal relations with the NPA chief, was the
very first to lay a wreath beside the coffin of Ka Jun as it was put in place in
a chapel of the Loyola Memorial Homes on Araneta Avenue in Quezon City; the
wreath from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo only came in second.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao
completely forgot about sending a wreath of his own; he didn’t have the habit.
It was a deep sense of loss that Ka Mao found himself being torn apart with
upon being informed by Ka Ding that Ka Jun had been shot dead. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun to Ka Mao
had not been the NPA Chief. Not the revolutionary icon that people would make
of him. Nor any of his heroic attributes which comrades would bask in by way of
sharing in his glory. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao, Ka
Jun was a dear friend. The occasions had not been too many when he needed
support from him, but whenever he needed him most, he was there to lend a hand.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That time, for
instance, when the Weinstein Piano representative came threatening to pull out
the piano due to unpaid bills, he relayed to Ka Jun through Ka Charlie his need
for financial -help, and right away came his instruction to Ka Charlie: Please help.
Another instance was when after Henry Sy killed the movie industry and Ka Mao
was having a hard time earning income, Ka Jun on his own got him appointed as a
TESDA Testing Officer for Overseas Performing Artists; Ka Jun was then
Consultant to TESDA Director General Fr. Ed de la Torre. Still another instance
was when Ka Pete was demanding from Ka Mao payment for a debt and Ka Mao did
not have the money to pay, Ka Jun told Ka Pete: “I guarantee you Ka Mao will
pay.” Ka Pete never bothered Ka Mao about the matter since then – nor did Ka
Mao pay him any money at all. Ka Jun had redeemed Ka Mao from his debt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao
remembered the movie “Schindler’s List”. It was about a German officer during
World War II who was redeeming prisoner Jews with his money until he was left
with no more cash to continue his act of redemption. So he began parting with
his material possessions in order to continue buying the freedom of the Jews.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao likened Ka Jun to that German officer
one time he had an urgent need for financial help and Ka Jun just didn’t have
the money to give. “You can have my guns,” Ka Jun offered, It was not important
that Ka Mao had the heart to decline the offer and sought financing elsewhere.
What was important was that Ka Jun was willing to do a Schindler, as in the
song <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Impossible Dream</i>: “to be willing to give when there’s no more to
give.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the
necrological services for Ka Jun, Ka Mao was asked to speak. But what would he
tell the crowd? The untold anecdotes that proved the rebel to be so human after
all? Like that time the KTKS was meeting in the house and Ka Mao had allowed
Seiko Films to have shooting in the place so it would serve as alibi for the
flow of underground elements into the place. Ka Jun looked out of the window of
the meeting room and gaped upon Cesar Montano and Gabby Conception urinating
against the wall just below. Ka Jun snickered like a tot and told it to the
other KTKS members. Or could Ka Mao have spoken about that moment the sexy bomb
shell Rachelle (Z Boom) Lobangco went up to use the comfort room on the second
floor? Ka Jun sat on the sofa in the family room to gaze much like a smitten
young man as the actress went out of the comfort room. Ka Jun exchanged smiles
with Z Boom, who eyed him teasingly even as she proceeded downstairs. For fear
of compromising the security of the rebel guests, Ka Mao refrained from
introducing the two, though he sensed that Ka Jun would have loved it. He must
be missing his wife, Joy, immensely. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Too many things
about Ka Jun were better left unspoken. But Ka Mao would have told those things
had he opted to talk in the ceremonies. So quite politely, he declined the
invitation of the emcee for him to come forward and speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Arman filled
in the slot of the next speaker. Ka Mao did not follow much what Ka Arman was saying
because what he was following was the flow of his own thoughts of Ka Jun. From
the time Kumander Bilog brought him to the house together with elements of the
NPA General Command, the person of Ka Jun had unfolded to Ka Mao in bits and
pieces, like a painted portrait which you don’t complete in just one sitting
but over time and done in exquisite touches so that you don’t miss out on any
detail of the subject’s features.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun was
human, much so human that he always gave first place to the other fellow in
every respect. One time he and a few comrades met in the house on short notice
to Ka Mao, Betchay had no time cooking much food for lunch. Ka Jun took just a
little of what had been prepared so there would be enough for the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun did not have
the air and flamboyance as are characteristics of persons in authority but
rather the calm and magnanimity of a leader ever condescending to his comrades.
While Ka Charlie rather chidingly reacted to Ka Mao’s idea of striking up an
alliance with Marcos in the crisis of 1986, Ka Jun gave it a serious thought.
And when told by Ka Mao of Kumander Dante’s assertion of leadership of the NPA
upon his release by Cory, Ka Jun did not take it with belligerence but with
cool expression of dissent: “From what I know, we are (the current leaders). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For all his
seeming lack of intellectual braggadocio, Ka Jun was a broadminded guy. One
time he took Ka Mao on a trip to Cubao to see what was supposed to be a big
rally. Ka Mao saw the crowd marching as too neglible: “You cannot even count 5O
of the rallyists.” Ka Jun countered: “Be considerate. Count also those on the
sidewalks.” That made Ka Mao feel like the frog caught in a well in a Chinese
parable which said: “The sky is as big as the mouth of the well.” Ka Jun would
have told the frog: “Look beyond the mouth of the well. That’s one whole grand
immeasurable sky.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As he was that
considerate to comrades, so was Ka Jun to the revolution at large. Though he
might recognize its shortcomings, he had absolute faith that it would overcome.
When in 1989 Ka Mao proposed to him the idea of frustrating the next
presidential election in order to prevent the bourgeoisie from consolidating,
Ka Jun asserted: “We shall have won by then.” And one time he told comrades to
buy land on a 25-years-to-pay basis, for since the revolution would be winning
in a short while, they would then be owning the lots for a pittance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun was a
most gentle guy. One morning, Ka Mao awoke to find his little daughter Maripaz
cuddling up to Ka Jun in sleep in bed. Obviously, the girl had fallen to sleep
while telling stories with him the night before. How it touched Ka Mao to see
Ka Jun hugging Maripaz<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gingerly, much
like a hen sheltering its chick.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun must be
missing his own kids, Ka Mao told himself then. For a period indeed, Ka Jun had
his son Mark stay in Ka Mao’s house so he could steal moments of togetherness
with the boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How could
anybody have the heart to slay such a gentle comrade? Ka Mao ached inside him.
Ka Jun was for maintaining the unity of the Party. If he refused to combat the
Sison maneuver in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>, it
was for the sole purpose of not tearing the Party. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’re not
small,” he told Ka Mao. “We’re big.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He meant he had
the numbers to contend with those of Sison. But as he realized any such
confrontation would be very bloody, as what happened between the Magpantays and
the Tiamzons in Central Luzon, he chose the wise course of consultation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now Ka Mao
thought, just Ka Jun’s luck that Sison chose not to be wise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One afternoon,
Ka Tex, the diminutive Armed City Partisan (ACP) combatant credited with the
assassination of JUSMAG Commander Col. James Rowe, came to the house to give Ka
Mao a warning: “Please tell RK (Ka Jun) that I won’t ever do the job of killing
him.” The implication was that orders were out to get Ka Jun and that Ka Tex,
being the top Party hit man expected to do the job, felt he might be the target
of any preemptive action from Ka Jun.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the
necrological services, Ka Arman was ending his talk when Ka Mao began tracing
in his mind the notes of a melody inspired in him by Ka Jun. Here was a man, Ka
Mao told himself when he began composing the song, not wanting in the comforts
of life, hailing as he did from one of the rich clans of Cebu, yet forsaking wealth
and affluence in order to take up the supreme challenge of serving the people:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 6;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reach for the apex of great proletarian
service<br />
Rise up in arms and ever without fear struggle<br />
The rights and liberties of massive oppressed classes<br />
Foreign oppressors crush with force savage and ruthless<br />
There’s nothing whatsoever that is had by the people<br />
If they’ve got neither you nor me<br />
A dedicated, faithful, steeped in struggle, fighting, serving<br />
New People’s Army<br />
<br />
Imperialism, bring it down<br />
Feudalism, bring it down<br />
Bureaucrat capitalism and all else that impede socialism<br />
Bring them down!<br />
<br />
My life gladly I’d sacrifice<br />
On altar of the people’s war<br />
If victory indeed is prize<br />
Then death to me is Heaven’s wise<br />
<br />
Reach for the optimum of proletarian service<br />
Hold on to arms and with resolve swear to defend<br />
The gains the people won in so dear their struggle<br />
No exploiters shall by their greed take ‘way again<br />
The aim of social growth and final class liberation<br />
Pushed on and on until<br />
Reached is the peak of socialism<br />
Communism<br />
Our most cherished dream</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER XIX</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE YEAR Ka Jun was shot dead was also
the year one Imelda Rivera had made good her obstinate determination to get Ka
Mao and his family out of their property. That was the year she won the
ejectment case which she filed against Ka Mao back in 2001. A very astute woman
with an astounding capacity to weave lies, she caused, through bastardization
of legal processes, the issuance of a title in her name over the property and
then used that title to institute ejectment proceedings against Ka Mao for
forcible entry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao’s house was somewhere around the middle of the more or less 5,000-square-
meter lot. Obviously, Rivera believed that by ejecting Ka Mao from his position
on the lot, she would be ejecting him from the entirety of the land. So she had
the lot subdivided into three, each of the three perpendicular to Sumulong
Highway. It was from the middle lot that she was ejecting Ka Mao. This way, she
expected to take possessession of the two other lots on which there was no house
of Ka Mao, without having to wait for the ejectment case to be resolved. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
Ka Mao had papers in his possession proving his occupation of the entire lot,
not just the middle part of it. And he proceeded to successfully repel all
efforts of Rivera to occupy the other two lots early on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Moreover,
those papers proved Ka Mao had been occupying <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the property in the concept of an owner since
way before the First Quarter Storm and so Rivera’s forcible entry charge
against him would not prosper. As first judge-on-the-case Rosa Samson-Tatad put
it: “The issue is whether or not the plaintiff had the right to eject defendant
for forcible entry.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao’s
misfortune, Judge Samson-Tatad was just a temporary judge on the case and when
she was replaced with a permanent one, the judge who took over, Judge Antonio
Olivete, proved to be a most unscrupulous one who upon Rivera’s machination and
in complete violation of due process unilaterally changed the designation of
the case from “For forcible entry” to “For unlawful detainer”. Under this
changed designation, the judge made it appear that Ka Mao was in occupation of
the property by virtue of Rivera’s tolerance, thus giving her the right to
eject Ka Mao and his family. That’s what the law says.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao appealed the decision and it was assigned to the sala of Judge Francisco Querubin,
who eventually upheld Olivete’s decision, ultimately issuing an order for the
demolition of Ka Mao’s house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao stood pat on his position that there had been no showing at all that
Rivera’s title pertained to his property. And so after a series of judicial
notices for the implementation of the demolition order, he defiantly faced up
to Deputy Sheriff Rolando Leyva.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,
you cannot implement that order in my property,” said Ka Mao to the short,
physically unimpressive fellow whose guts to enforce a legal order seemed to
derive more from his coterie of goons and bullies than from a conviction on the
righteousness of his action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This
is a court order,” said the sheriff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,
and I’m not questioning that,” countered Ka Mao. “What I am questioning is your
wrongful implementation of that order.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“
The order says demolish your house,” insisted the sheriff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
order says,” declared Ka Mao, reading the words in the court document, “demolish
my house on the property of Imelda Rivera. This is not the property of Imelda
Rivera. This is my property. Moreover, the order puts the location of the
alleged property of Imelda Rivera in Sitio Malanim. My property is in Sitio
Upper Lucban. You implement that order on my property, I’ll hail you to court.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
that declaration by Ka Mao, the sheriff withdrew. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
next thing that happened was, the sheriff got an order from the court for the
relocation survey of the plan described in the title of Rivera. The order just
delighted Ka Mao. That precisely was his strategy: to get the court ordering
such survey. By provision of the Manual of Survey in the Philippines, the
authenticity of the Rivera title had to be ascertained first for the survey to
materialize. And Ka Mao had a wealth of research data proving that title to be
spurious: from its Decree No. 4708, which the Land Registration Authority (LRA)
certified as non-existent in its files; to its Record No. 5989, which the
Official Gazette, as certified by the Microfilm Division of the University of
the Philippines Library, had published on May 4, 1910 as having been given to
an application for land registration of a property with technical descriptions
written in English while the purported mother decree issued as a result of that
application had technical descriptions written in Spanish; Presidential Decree
1529, or the Land Registration Act, provides that the Dccree of Registration
must be a faithful reproduction of the original application for land
registration; the LRA had no record of an Original Certificate of Title (OCT)
No. 518, which was entered in the Rivera title as its mother title; and the
survey plan of the title from which the Rivera title was purported to have
derived had the subdivision plan number PSD 8662, which was certified by the
Bureau of Lands as situated in Caloocan City, not Antipolo City.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">These research
data, along with several others, were more than enough to prompt an honest
geodetic engineer to question its veracity and thereby deem himself barred by
law to make a relocation survey of the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Without seeking
authority from his superiors, the geodetic engineer of the Antipolo Community
Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), Daniel de los Santos, arrogated
to himself the authority to implement the court survey order. Then after
sending notice to Ka Mao that a relocation survey would be conducted of the
property, he coursed to Ka Mao through a common friend his desire to have some
night out; De los Santos was sort of addicted to sing-along sessions. This
would entail some big expense but Ka Mao wouldn’t mind, It indicated a show of
friendliness from the geodetic engineer, and Ka Mao thought, “All the better
for my case.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And so that
night at the Classmate, a popular high-class nightclub on Quezon Avenue in
Quezon City, De los Santos had a grand time belting out ditties along with
minus-one accompaniments on the video player, with not one but two
scantily-clad hospitality girls pressing him with their breasts from both
sides. In attendance was their common friend, Adrian, a former CENRO and now a
private practicing geodetic engineer, who with Ka Mao’s kumpare, Diego
Cagahastian, had arranged the affair; the Chief, Surveys Division of the DENR
Region IV-CALABARZON; and Ka Mao’s counsel Atty. Ed Galvez. It turned out, De
los Santos was expecting an offer of a monetary consideration – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lagay</i> in the vernacular, meaning grease
money, or stated pointblank, bribe – in exchange for an action from him
favorable to Ka Mao. But as the night was wearing on and no such offer appeared
forthcoming from Ka Mao very shortly, De los Santos took advantage of one
moment Ka Mao stepped out of the sing-along suite and lay his card on the
table, so to speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao,” said the
guy, whose tipsiness contributed to his character of being virtually a stand-in
for the Joker in “Batman”, “your rival Rivera is very rich. She is offering me
a million.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So there’s
where the rub is,” Ka Mao told himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">De los Santos
immediately sensed that Ka Mao was not biting into his bait. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Anyway, my
needs are modest,” De los Santos somewhat toned down. “A Ford Fiera is what I
need so I don’t have to take so many public rides in going from my home in
Balintawak to my office in Antipolo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a voice that
indicated he didn’t mean to engage in shenanigans, Ka Mao said, “Let’s just do
things according to the law.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Joker-look-alike kept mum, his face betraying deep frustration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And that day De
los Santos and his team came to Ka Mao’s property, he began doing what to him
was according to the law. He made Ka Mao sign on a blank yellow pad sheet,
obviously meant to be the attendance sheet for the activity that immediately
took place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Where’s the
title?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What title?”
asked De los Santos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The title
that’s supposed to be the basis for this relocation survey,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’re not
making any survey yet,” said De los Santos. “We’re only getting reference
points.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had De los Santos admitted that he was doing
the survey as ordered by the court, Ka Mao would have required him to comply
with the rules as mandated in the Manual of Survey in the Philippines – meaning
ascertain first the veracity of the Rivera title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But De los
Santos lied that he was not making such survey yet so Ka Mao had no cause for
pressing the matter of ascertaining the veracity of the Rivera title yet. And
so after a quick look-see of the surroundings using their survey instruments,
De los Santos and his team ended their chore in the place, whatever it was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What astounded
Ka Mao after a time was a notice of a hearing on the Technical Report submitted
by De los Santos to the court. He realized he had been done in. His signature
on the blank yellow pad sheet proved his attendance in what De los Santos
reported to the court as the survey conducted in compliance with its order. He
submitted a Technical Report, allegedly based on that survey, delineating what
was termed as the “metes and bounds” of the property supposed to be covered by
the court demolition order. What De los Santos actually did was a table survey,
which had become a notorious practice of unscrupulous geodetic engineers in
plotting the technical descriptions of a title on the drawing table not on the
site of the property being surveyed. This practice had made it very easy for
landgrabbers to snatch some other people’s lands, for in this manner they were
able to work out the title over the land being grabbed without encountering
physical opposition from settlers on that land.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In any case, Ka
Mao immediately saw wide loopholes in the De los Santos Technical Report. The
purported attendance sheet did not contain any entries other than names of
those who were present on the occasion. It proved those people were there but
did not prove anything as to why or what they were there for. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In another
respect, what De los Santos reported as having been surveyed by him was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a subdivision LRA PSD 371576 which he
attested to as having been furnished him by Rivera – not the subdivision plan
ordered by the court to be surveyed, which was PSI 3715.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Moreover, De los
Santos conducted his supposed survey not upon proper authority by the DENR but
upon his own decision, and Ka Mao saw this as a usurpation of DENR authority.
The order was addressed to the DENR, which could have delegated the function to
anybody it pleased, not just De los Santos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Came the day of
the hearing. Ka Mao and Atty. Galvez arrived early at the court. But they were
told by the Clerk of Court that the counsel for Rivera, one Former Judge Patajo,
had just died and no replacement for him had yet been designated. In that
event, the hearing was expected to be cancelled. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The law mandated that. The parties in a case were
required to inform each other in cases of change of counsels. Ka Mao and his
counsel were made to sign the attendance sheet, with instruction from the clerk
of court that they would be informed, as was the practice, about the schedule
of the next hearing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But in due time,
what Ka Mao received was not a notice of schedule of the next hearing but a
Fourth Notice – described as the final one – on the implementation of the
demolition order. It turned out that after Ka Mao and his counsel left the
court the last time out, believing the hearing scheduled that day would be
reset, Rivera produced an impromptu <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>counsel and in the absence of the defendant
caused a unilateral conduct of the hearing resulting to that final order for
the implementation of the writ of demolition. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The order
specifically instructed the sheriff to strictly abide<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by the guidance of Geodetic Engineer Daniel
de los Santos in its implementation, particularly the demolition of Ka Mao’s
house. But precisely because the purported relocation survey as contained in
his Technical Report was a complete prevarication, De los Santos bungled his
job once he applied it on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The coordinates of the area in which to implement the order were such
that they put practically the whole house of Ka Mao outside of that area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that reason, while De los Santos started
the whole operation of implementing the order on Ka Mao’s property, before long
he was nowhere to be found on the site. Left with no guidance by De Los Santos,
Sheriff Leyva had no other recourse but to suspend the demolition operation
abruptly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sighed
with relief. He thought the house had been spared from destruction completely.
He had reason to believe so. In a talk with Barangay Captain Gabuna, who till
then was quite friendly to him, Ka Mao got the information that implementation
of demolition orders could only be carried out once, not on a rainy day, and
must be complete by four o’clock in the afternoon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So Ka Mao found
himself deducing, since the implementation of the court demolition order had
been begun, it could no longer continue beyond the law-mandated timeline for
its implementation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Up to old age,
that had been Ka Mao’s indulgence: too much optimism to the point of being an
incurable affliction. It stemmed from his character. Because he had pure human
goodwill in his heart, he expected all others had the same. He was not claiming
that he was not capable of doing evil. He knew that was part of his humanism.
But he knew, too, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he was much more good
than evil and he believed all others were also. If, therefore, man by his very
humanness is good, how could the world in any of its aspects be bad at all? In
this sense, Ka Mao could be a most formidable antidote to pessimism. Not once
in his life, even in the face of the harshest adversities, had he ever lost
hope. Nothing bad that ever happened to him remained bad. It always found a way
of turning itself into good. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, on the
question of the demolition of his house, he tended to believe that those put in
charge to carry it out were also men of goodwill and could take refuge under
the legal technicalities pointed out by the Barangay executive in not resuming
the demolition operation any longer, thereby saving the house from destruction
forever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This property
is under the custody of the sheriff,” declared Sheriff Leyva after announcing
the suspension of the demolition operation and then walking out of the compound
together with all the demolition personnel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But aside from
that declaration, Ka Mao noticed no other action at all by Sheriff Leyva
indicating that he meant what he said. And for the whole of October and well
into the following November, the conditions in the property of Ka Mao were back
to normal </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Particularly the
eatery, it went on enjoying its modest success, what with the continued
patronage by the employees of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meralco
Management Learning and Development Center (MMLDC), the Hizon Laboratories, the
Solar Enterprises, and a daily steady flow of walk-in customers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The eatery must
be so good that even the owners of at least two leading Antipolo restaurants
would drop by and partake of its native dishes, like laing, ginataang biya,
sinigang na kandule, inihaw na manok and liempo, and bulalo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But into the
last week of November, Ka Mao, while doing marketing, chanced upon Sheriff
Leyva, who told him that he was soon proceeding with the demolition operation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’re only
waiting for Rivera to release the budget for the operation,” Sheriff Leyva
said. “She does not expect me to spend for this, does she?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What about De
los Santos?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He had been
paid his due. He will do his job. Just you wait,” said Sheriff Leyva and walked
away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All of a sudden,
Ka Mao was desperate. He really had attributed goodwill to Sheriff Leyva and De
los Santos, completely forgetting that part of the humanism of the two was
greed, which Ka Mao had not much of, if at all, and so he tended not to see it
in others. For that reason, he never anticipated that this time would come
when, with their greed sated, the two would come rampaging again as they did in
that aborted demolition operation in September. This time, as Sheriff Leyva put
it, “Only a TRO can stop us.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But no, a Temporary
Restraining Order, which Sheriff Leyva referred to, was out of the question for
Ka Mao. It would be good only for three days after which a Permanent Injunction
must be put in place in order to stop the demolition for a relatively permanent
period, during which the merits of the case would be elevated to the Court of
Appeal and then to the Supreme Court for final resolution. Atty. Galvez
realized Ka Mao did not have the money to sustain such a costly fight and so
was suggesting alternative remedies, like having the Rivera title investigated
by the LRA in the hope that in the event the LRA favorably took up Ka Mao’s
cause, he could use its ruling to stop the court from enforcing its demolition
order.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So that night,
Ka Mao formalized the complaint, addressed to the LRA Administrator. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The following
day, the lady secretary in the office Ka Mao entered in the LRA building recognized
his name immediately when he presented the complaint to her. Her face lit up
and she excitedly guided Ka Mao to the suite of her boss..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You can discuss
this with the Administrator,” she said as she led her through a corridor. “He
is easy to talk to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How nice of the Administrator,
Ka Mao told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sir, this is Director
Mauro Gia Samonte,” the secretary said, introducing Ka Mao to the LRA Official
as she led him into his suite. “He is a very popular film director.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The LRA Official
gladly shook Ka Mao’s hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How are you
director?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Fine, thank
you,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He has a
problem, Sir,” the secretary said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What problem?”
asked the LRA Official..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is his
letter-complaint,” said the secretary as she handed to the official the folder
containing the letter-complaint, already opening it up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The official took
a glance at the letter and then keeping it in his hand, he took Ka Mao by the
shoulder, leading him to a sofa where they sat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The secretary
walked away, glancing back at the official, saying, “He is a very popular director,
Sir.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, I know,”
said the official, beaming at Ka Mao. “How are your movies doing, Director?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, I have not
been doing any movies these past five years. My last movie was in 2000,” said
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I see… But of
course, you must have set aside a fortune<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’re a very popular director.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I did save some
amount but I squandered it all when I ran for mayor of Antipolo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You ran for
mayor!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes. Twice. In
1995 and 1998.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How much did
you spend?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Roughly five
million.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Can you win
with five million?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought I
could. Anyway, that was all I got. And lost it all.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, you lost it
all,” said the LRA official, appearing to lose the enthusiasm he showed when
the secretary introduced Ka Mao to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What are we
going to do with this letter…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s about our
land. It’s our family’s one remaining possession and it is being landgrabbed.
If you could investigate the title of the landgrabber and find it anomalous, then
I could use your finding to stop the court from demolishing our house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The LRA official
cast a rather enigmatic stare at Ka Mao, one that conveyed surprise at what he
heard and at the same time resentment for making him hear it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay, bring
this to the lady who brought you here. She will know what to do.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The official handed
the folder to Ka Mao then walked into his inner office where he picked up the receiver
of the intercom. Ka Mao walked out of the suite, wondering to himself why the
mood of the LRA official suddenly changed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The secretary
was speaking on the intercom when Ka Mao walked into her office.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry, Sir... Really…
I should not have wasted your time. I didn’t know he’s not a blue blood anymore.
He was so popular everybody thought he was rich.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
standing before her when the secretary put the phone down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I was told by your
boss to bring this back to you,” Ka Mao said as he handed the folder to the
secretary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao noticed
that the secretary, too, had completely changed her mood. She was unsmiling and
somewhat wore a sour face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bring that to
the records section and have it received there,” said the secretary and minded
him no more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao stepped
out of the room and walked down the corridor leading to the records section. He
entertained no question whatsoever as to whether what he was doing had any
value at all. He had faith that it had and went on to have copies of his
letter-complaint marked “Received” by the clerk at the receiving window.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the evening,
Ka Mao showed the copies to Atty. Galvez, who after perusing the
letter-complaint, stated, “This is okay. They would be too daring if they
pushed on with the demolition despite having been informed about this
complaint.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Atty. Galvez
firmly believed that the sheriff would not dare demolish. And Ka Mao believed
so, too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But on November
23, Ka Mao <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got a Fifth – and final –
Notice of implementation of the writ of demolition, ordering Ka Mao and his
family to vacate the subject property so-called. He relayed this to Atty.
Galvez, who advised him to get certification from the LRA that a case involving
the subject property in the demolition order was being deliberated at the
agency, and then furnish Sheriff Leyva and the court with copies of that
certification. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Atty. Galvez
still clung to the hope that the sheriff would not dare demolish Ka Mao’s house
with full knowledge of the LRA case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">November 24, Ka
Mao was early at the LRA to get the certification needed. But the LRA
investigator, Joel Bigornia, who had been assigned to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>handle the case was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>out on an errand the whole morning, arriving
only at his office way after lunch. The amiable investigation officer readily
issued the certification Ka Mao requested, but the trip back to Antipolo took
so long that by the time Ka Mao reached the court, it was already closed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How so pathetic
Ka Mao appeared that morning of November 25, 2005. He made sure he was at the
office of the Clerk of Court once it opened so he could have copies of the
certification furnished to Sheriff Rolando Leyva and the court. While waiting
for the Clerk of Court to receive the copies of the certification, Ka Mao
happened to look out of the balcony of the building. He saw Sheriff Leyva on
the street below, aboard his motorcycle, which he had stopped as he gestured a
go-signal to somebody up on the balcony. With the signal having been given,
Sheriff Leyva then sped away.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It somewhat
intrigued Ka Mao. Sheriff Leyva seemed to be moving in a frenzy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What was the
sheriff seemed so frantic about? What was that signal for?” Ka Mao asked
himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rushing home
aboard a tricycle after finishing his business at the court, Ka Mao saw a big
crowd of men brandishing a variety of construction implements, massing at the
corner of Sumulong Highway and the Circumferential Road, right outside the
Pedro Cojuangco farm popularly referred to as Rancho. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What were those
men massing for?” he said to himself. “They seem to be bracing for a fight.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Arriving home
finally, Ka Mao noticed at a distance a group of policemen and men in civilian
attires seeming to be huddling seriously on the highway side. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
appalled to recognize among these men the guy he most feared at the moment:
Sheriff Rolando Leyva.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As he crossed
the highway, he realized the eatery had been closed. Betchay hurried to meet
him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao, they’re
going to demolish our house now,” said Betchay, showing signs of nervous
breakdown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No
trespassing,” a sympathizer suggested.. “Put up a sign, ‘No trespassing’.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Kapit sa
patalim,” so goes a saying in the vernacular which translates to “hang on to a
blade.” Ka Mao appeared much like doing just as a man would grab at even a
blade if only to keep himself from falling off a cliff. He hurried to find a
piece of plywood, a can of white paint and a brush by which he wrote out the
words “No trespassing”, then hung the sign on the gate of the property, facing
the highway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then followed
the longest moment of tension Ka Mao felt in all his life. The tension was none
like any of those he felt in the past: in the skirmishes with the policemen and
security guards of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation in the strike of KAMAO;
in the confrontation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>between government
troopers and workers protesters in the May Day Massacre of 1971; in the
standoff between policemen and activists in the American embassy rally in which
Ka Mao was tasked to explode a grenade, a task he would have accomplished but
for one moment of sanity which prompted him to stand by his sense of
righteousness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In none of those
moments and in many others still did Ka Mao ever feel fear. He was young, not
yet thirty, single and not needing to worry about compromising any loved one in
his actions, Above all, he had full confidence in his human strength. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But now, against
the sheriff and his forces, Ka Mao had one whole family to be concerned about,
and he felt so weak, void of any of the bravado characteristic of his revolting
days. And he felt fear as he had never felt before. And so he prayed, yes,
indeed, he prayed, “Lord, spare us from this destruction.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He prayed on and
on as he and his sons Paulo and Ogie, with the help of a few sympathizing
neighbors, frantically moved furniture, furnishings, fixtures, utensils, what
have you, stocking everything in the undivided ground floor which he had
intended for use for the CPP Congress. From the sketch plan which De los Santos
had submitted to the court to show the area of the demolition, Ka Mao surmised
that this spot on the ground floor would not be affected.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Particularly difficult to move was the Ray Contreras
solid mahogany antique-style dining table which took no less than ten men to carry.
As to the glass panes and panels on the walls and windows of the dining room,
the guest house and the breakfast area, Ka Mao just sadly stared at them, there
being no more time to remove them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, the
forces of Sherrif Leyva marched toward the property: the demolition crew, from
the corner of the Circumferential Road; the contingent of policemen, court
personnel and bullies, from the vicinity of the abandoned Citadel Subdivision
in the north.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Everybody stay
put in the carinderia (eatery),” ordered Ka Mao. Betchay obliged, sticking
close to Gia, barely three months old, crying as she wriggled her legs in a
crib. Paulo and Ogie stuck with friends on the periphery of the demolition area
in case of any eventuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Maripaz was
at work and Maoie in Novaliches where he, his wife and two kids stayed
temporarily with his in-laws.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All by himself,
Ka Mao, armed with a camera, stood at the interior end of the driveway,
directly opposite the gate where he expected the action to begin. Ka Mao could
think of no other way to combat the demolition but with that camera by which to
record in photographs whatever would take place. He intended to use the
pictures so taken as evidences in whatever legal action he would take
eventually.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In order to
determine the exact area of the house that would be demolished, De los Santos
used his bare eyesight to fix a point on the highway and another on the creek
edge behind the house. And then using a straw with one end tied to that point
on the highway, he fastened a stone to the other end and threw the stone above
the house in order to bring that other end of the straw to the creek edge
beyond for tying to the other point that had been determined on that spot. Thus
was the house split into two, with the one to the north to be demolished and
the one to the south to stay intact; similarly the comfort room of the eatery
which was along the highway was diagonally halved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As a consequence
of the demolition, Ka Mao filed a complaint in the office of DENR Secretary
Angelo T. Reyes against Geodetic Engineer Daniel de los Santos for his wrongful
deeds in connection with the demolition. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In photo
attachments to the complaint, Ka Mao described the events that unfolded in
chronological sequence, titling the presentation: “THE DEMOLITION OF NOVEMBER
25, 2005.” The first page of three, he titled “QUIET BEFORE THE STORM”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A photo of the
“No Trespassing” sign he had hung on the gate, he captioned:”A hastily-prepared
crude sign stands as the only defensive weapon against the impending disaster –
at best a travesty of the institution of private property for the powerless.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A full shot of
Sheriff Leyva and his demolition contingent waiting out just outside the iron
fence of Ka Mao’s property, Ka Mao captioned: “Deputy Sheriff Rolando Leyva and
his demolition contingent could not move without Engineer Daniel de los Santos
first determining the scope of demolition to be done.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The next four
photos that followed were described thus: “(Below, bottom left) Engr. De los
Santos, using nothing but bare eyesight and a measuring tape, determines a
point on a mark scratched on the iron fence with a stone; note
highly-collapsible nature of iron fence. (Below left and middle photo) CENRO
man identified only as Jess helps out Engr. De los Santos in the measurements;
arrow mark on the fence was done September 30, 2005 during the first demolition
attempt. (Below right) Claimant Imelda Rivera and Deputy Sheriff Leyva
supervise the demolition.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A final photo on
the page was a full view of exactly the same spot in the second cited photo,
this time showing the iron fence completely fallen and the demolition crew
beginning to move into the driveway of the compound. It was captioned: “
(Bottom right) In a move swifter than camera operation, the demolition crew
tear down the barrier at the driveway.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The second page
of the photo attachments was titled: “THE ONSLAUGHT” It consisted of a close
shot of the demolition crew advancing, captioned: “The crew rush to carry out
the devastation of my house all over.” The next three photos showed the
destruction from various angles, the front, back and the northside. The view
from the back was particularly gruesome because it was on that spot where every
piece of the ravaged materials was dumped, depicting what was once a pretty
domicile turned into rubble. And the final photo of the page showed Rivera
being guided by a man through the debris. It was captioned: “(Bottom right) The
turn over of possession was received by claimant Rivera 3:45 PM but here,
escorted by a court aide, already asserts possessory control of the property as
early as 2:26 PM.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The third page
of the presentation was a collage done by a sympathizing photographer who
happened to pass by at the time of the demolition. He took shots of the
destruction<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that took place and laid
them out together with shots of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>intimate
moments Ka Mao and his family were busy in as the devastation was ongoing,
achieving a composite which prompted Ka Mao to compose a poignant, if pathetic,
caption: “A collage of the pathos that ensued, as documented by a sympathizer.
Having prevailed over so many storms in my life, I seem to be content just
knowing that my three-year-old granddaughter is safe in my arms and my wife
still manages to prepare food at the improvised kitchen. But that infant cry
must sound our unwordable aching for justice.” For at the center of the collage
- surrounded by graphic shots of crushed concrete walls, crumpled corrugated
iron sheets, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>scattered broken pieces of
wooden beams, twisted iron grills, shattered glass walls, and many other
tell-tale signs of a catastrophe – was a lone picture of Baby Gia wailing in
her crib .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The guy who did
the collage gave it the title: “Family seek justice in unlawful house
demolition & land grabbing incident last November 5, 2005”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the height of
the demolition operation, Ellen called Ka Mao on the cellphone. She wanted to
know what had happened. She had worked as a medical tehnologist in the state
hospital of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kuwait for over thirty
years, had remained unmarried and had been Ka Mao’s source of material
assistance in times of need. Ka Mao had sent her an urgent message two days
ago, asking for financial help. He was already thinking of finally going the
TRO way just to have a breathing space; he would worry about the bigger amount
that would be entailed by the permanent injunction to come about after three
days. But though Ellen <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>never failed Ka
Mao in all his pleas for help, she just didn’t have the money to send him at
the moment. And so she called, worrying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What happened,
Manoy Mauro?” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Listen,” said
Ka Mao, and he beamed his cellphone toward the ongoing activity. “Hear that
noise. The iron roof being yanked off, the thuds of sledge hammers on the
concrete walls, and the crash of glass walls, windows and doors. They’re
tearing my house just right now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao said his
words with a put-on delight so that Ellen must have taken them as a sarcasm and
she broke into tears. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But, Manoy
Mauro. There’s nothing I can do now. I just don’t have any money to send, If
only you had given me some lead time,” she cried.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No, Ellen,” Ka
Mao said, seeking to calm her down. “I’m not blaming you. No. I just want to
make things light out of this terrible misery.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Actually a
thought had crossed his mind at that instance, making him feel like crying,
too, so that he must quickly bid Ellen goodbye and hang up.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At Ellen’s crying, Ka Mao could not help
remembering that as the teams of demolition personnel began wrecking the house,
he had sent a common message to a number of Party comrades through the cellphone:
“Which part of my house have I built for me and my family alone and so me and
my family alone must defend? And which part have I built for the Party and so
the Party must defend it with me and my family?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nobody cared to
answer.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-26425220089859703482015-06-13T16:33:00.002-07:002015-06-13T16:33:44.339-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">BOOK
EIGHT</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">HOUSE
BUILT ON A ROCK</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Chapter
I </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DAYBREAK depicted a
picture of another gloomy day. At five o’clock in the morning when ordinarily
you could already see a touch of brilliance in the sky, the hour that Wednesday
had the surroundings wrapped in a mist of gray. The foliage, consisting of
hardwood and fruit trees which together with bamboo groves made up the
landscape around the house, was virtually just silhouettes, unlike in summer
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scallops etched in blue sky and accented by fire trees whose orange blossoms
served to crown the steeply-inclined house roof. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That had been his routine daily on schooldays, since by
eight o’clock he should start attending to Gia, cooking her breakfast, then
ironing her school uniform. Gia would get up from bed at this time, but she
took too much time toying with her stuffed toys in bed. Only about past nine
o’clock would she take breakfast and then start her toilet routine which,
including her bath, would be done with a few minutes past ten. Good thing Assumption
was just a walk away, and she would make it to the school still with plenty of
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A gust of breeze swept by, causing Ka Mao to cringe
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going to rain, spreading his palm to check any raindrops.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No sign of rain, Ka Mao thought. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
checked his foot for a while. It had grown some swelling. Pressing a finger on
the swollen top, he betrayed pain. He fixed the bandage around the wound, then as
he was about to resume his work, he paused at sight of the house getting
illumined by the increasing sunlight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
otherwise austere triangular roof made of galvanized iron sheets toping the
main section of the house was made prominent by its very flatness in green and
its steep inclination which approximated those of Swiss houses. That roofing
style served similar functions: for the Swiss, to prevent the gathering of snow
on rooftops; Ka Mao’s design, to prevent the gathering of leaves which created
rust on the galvanized iron sheet. At the same time, the roof design gave space
for an attic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Where
the roof inclination ended, it touched the tops of the triangular canopies of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>three-division promontory on the second
floor. From inside, the promontory served as a view room where one could watch
the surroundings through the grilled French windows; both grills and windows were
painted white. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This room, having the
amenities for reading hours and coffee time, served those functions for the
main bedroom which belonged to Ogie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
the right of the promontory rose from the level of the attic a single-section
turret. This section, which served as Gia’s powder room, broke the otherwise
bare look of that extremity of the house on the front elevation. A single
window done in the style of that of Ogie’s reading room served to accent this
section, which Gia loved to call her Castle Room.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opposite the powder room is the attic bathroom,
featuring a bathtub improvised in concrete and done with enamel finish. The
shower valve hung on the rafters of the pyramid-shaped roof, with water from it
dropping at the center of the tub. In-between the powder room and the bathroom
was a lanai-like<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>section roofed with
trellis covered with fiber glass. .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below the turret was a structure which
adjoined the promontory, with its roof being a continuous flow of the main roof
inclination. This section,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a continuity
of the main house on the ground floor, was the guest room. Ka Mao expected to
occupy this room when he got too old to climb to the attic which he now shared
with Gia, because she insisted in sleeping with him. To the left of the
promontory was the music room adjoining the living room and with high-rise
rounded walls done French-window-style, roofed with concrete which at the same
time served as open balcony for the attic living room above it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Below the
promontory were the two large posts holding it up, decorated with pre-cast Gothic
design and, together with the concrete railings done with similar pre-cast
decorations and filling the spaces between the posts and the structures on
either side, serving as frame for the wooden main door with elegant
antique-style carvings. In-between the posts at the center and leading to the
porch by the main door were the four-step stairs from the lawn. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Further
to the left, beyond the rounded music room was a square room with wide windows
done in bronze-colored aluminum and glass. This used to be Ka Mao’s library but
was now Maoie’s bedroom. The top of the this section was a roof of galvanized
iron sheets which, however, was covered from view by the gutter wall all around
it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao envisioned on this spot a deck with wooden railing and trellis on which clang
flowering vines, like yellow bells, cadena de amor and sampaguita. Similarly,
Ka Mao saw the rising of a rounded structure whose roof in the shape of a cone
went even higher than the steep overall roof of the house. But an exquisite
pain, like caused by minute blades slicing through his flesh, cut off this
thought abruptly: crow bars tearing at roof sheets, sledge hammers pounding on
concrete walls, wooden poles shattering glass walks and doors… Ka Mao shook his
head, eyes betraying his seizure by a sudden fury. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did not want to remember.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
smiled to himself consolingly. For all which he thought was his material
failure, he was able to build such a house after all. This was legacy enough to
leave to his family, particularly Gia.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had made use of by far the best knowledge he had gone to in his studies of
civil engineering in building the house. He had learned somewhere in those
studies that the best way to build a house was to put it under one roof. In his
case, however, he found it too tall an order to put under a single roof the
L-shaped floor plan that even had a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">T</i>
on top of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L</i> leg, which made the
whole design look more of a swastika than an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan, spread over a land area of some 300
square meters, would have required an enormous single roof which in turn would
require enormous expenses. For lack of funds, he was constrained to do
construction one section at a time, accordingly as money came in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but
with such section already livable as a home everytime. This way, what finally
came up was a sprawling house comprised of two storeys, and sitting on sloping
ground, made room for basements laid out, as determined by the topography, in
the shape of, too, a swastika. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As to the roofing problem, Ka Mao necessarily solved it
one at a time as well. What came about as a consequence was an interplay of
designs reminiscent of steeply-inclined Alpine roofs, Arabian turrets, Japanese
trellises, Mayan pyramids, Venetian balconies, and French canopies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of himself, Ka Mao was a very austere man. When he first
settled on the Antipolo property, he put up a simple hut made of bamboo and
nipa. That was in the mid-sixties, when he began frequenting the place during
weekends. Even then, he was already feeling the itch to let<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>things out of his mind by writing them, and
the rural atmosphere in the property augured well for this hankering. He loved
to scribble ideas on his notepad while he sat on a boulder with his feet
getting caressed by the gentle current of the creek.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When he got involved in the strike movement, the Antipolo
property served another purpose. While being venue for underground meetings and
martial arts training from time to time, it became a steady source of materials
needed in strikes, like bamboo poles and wooden clubs for combating strike
breakers with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And when, obviously because of his continuous questioning
of the Sisonite conduct of the revolution, he was isolated by comrades upon the
declaration of martial law, his own recourse for countryside retreat was the
Antipolo property; it was dangerous to stay put in the city where you would
never know when your turn was for getting arrested.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This was when his occupation of the property began on a
more permanent basis, subsisting most of the time on rootcrops like cassava and
camote and fruits like banana. When the hankering for rice meal became
unbearable, he would sneak into the city and get a good fill of it in Manay
Consoling’s house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For a long time in the early years of martial law, the
hut remained as it was when Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>built
it. If there were any changes at all, they were mainly repairs or replacements
of bamboo components eaten up by termites.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But perfectly in accord with a popular Mao Tse Tung
dictum, martial law was a bad thing which he, albeit unwittingly, turned into a
good thing. The increasing desire to write and the curtailment of press freedom
became as stimulants for him to pursue creative writing. In this field of
endeavor, he got all the freedom to write unfettered by state repression of the
press.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He had tried writing a screenplay once in the past,
“Tag-Araw” for direction by Jun Gallardo, but it was an assignment given to him
more as a concession to his influence as Entertainment Editor of Makabayan
publications at the time. This time, if he was to make a real go at film
scriptwriting, he must really sharpen his skill at the craft.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the purpose, Ka Mao stayed at the M. Hizon apartment
of Manay Consoling, doing household chores in exchange for his board and
lodging. In the Philippine vernacular, it is termed “alilang kanin”, literally
translating to “servant paid with rice.” That’s a lot lower in rung than that
of an average household servant who is paid, in addition to food and shelter,
regular salary. But Ka Mao would not put himself in the category of “alilang
kanin”. It was with pure goodwill that Manay Consoling took him into her fold,
giving him food and shelter, and he saw no way of putting a price on that act.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
his chores were done the first half of the day, he would walk the distance from
that place to the Thomas Jefferson Library on the corner of Pureza Street and
Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard in Sta. Mesa and there browse all afternoon on every
material he could lay his hands on in learning screenwriting. In the evenings
he worked on manuscripts of screenplays based on what he thought were good
story concepts. He did the manuscripts long-hand on yellow pad, for he had no
typewriter yet at the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had not delved any on the market consideration of filmmaking, so his works
in this learning period were expressions of what he believed were good
concepts, like a child contending with the impossibility of his conception,
hence, the title “Genesis To The Minus Infinity”; or an untitled screenplay
which he had intended to be his contribution to the development of film art,
creating what he conceived to be visual music, a concept whereby without sound
he depicted the musical structure through sheer editing technique intrinsic in
the cinema. About this last concept, he was strictly adhering to the school
that held cinema was pure visual medium and that sound movies,
institutionalized by Hollywood, constituted a bastardization of film art.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao paused in his work, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>smiling to himself. He remembered that when he
finally got the opportunity to go hands-on in film scriptwriting, he did it a
hundred percent the Hollywood way.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chapter
II</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
SUN glared in his eyes as Ka Mao looked up to see what time of the day it must
be; he still had not gotten used to wearing a watch. The sun was at about sixty
degrees upward from the horizon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Must be ten o:clock,” he murmured to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then he turned toward the gate of the subdivision which
he would be entering. The gate security guard hailed him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where to?” asked the guard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Celso Ad Castillo,” Ka Mao answered</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s
far from here,” said the guard. “You should take a taxi going there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s okay. Walking is good for our health.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Not for your shoes,” said the guard, pointing to the
ones Ka Mao was wearing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Indeed, the walk to Celso’s residence would be grueling
enough for Ka Mao’s Swatch. It was evident he was doing his gait in such a way
that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he didn’t drag his feet but were
lifting them so as not to ruin the soles of his shoes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The daily grind in
the two months of Ka Mao’s journeys to the Jefferson Library did not see Ka
Mao’s indefatigable Swatch shoes figuring in. It would have been ravaged by
now, with no prospect of being replaced by a new pair immediately. Suffering
the ravagement in those trips was a pair of cheap rubber sandals. Ka Mao’s
Swatch had remained under the landing of the apartment stairway where Ka Mao
had given it a special shelter, to be taken out only on special occasions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
trip he made that morning was one such special occasion. Ka Mao had decided he
had learned enough film scriptwriting to present his work to Celso.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Celso lived in Moonwalk Subdivision, a middle class housing site in Parañaque
City, where you needed a taxi to get to your destination. Manay Consoling had
given Ka Mao just enough for jeepney fare and no more, and Celso’s house was a
good many blocks away from the gate. His Swatch bore the grunt of the journey
just the same, though it might be special.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao felt very bullish about his meeting with Celso. He
had developed enough camaraderie with the director, having covered his film
shootings frequently in the past and given him and his films more than enough
mileage in the publications he edited. Asking Celso to give him a break in film
scriptwriting should not be a problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, Mao,” greeted Celso as he stepped out into the porch
where a maid had asked Ka Mao to wait after letting him into the compound. He
joined Ka Mao at the white-painted, wrought iron porch set, nearly squeezing
himself between the arms of the iron chair.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Clad in sleep slacks and sando, Celso was evidently fresh
from bed, but he nonetheless struck up the flamboyance characteristic of his
comportment. About the guy was a way of giving himself an air of superiority
over the rest. And as he stroked his protruding belly while he sat, Ka Mao
thought if Celso was not doing a Buddha in the Hindu God’s own heyday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso did look like Buddha in many a physical respect. He
was robust-framed, with bulging tummy, excess flesh here and there on the arms
and torso, and with his five-foot-five height tended to contract into a
veritable ball as he slouched between the arms of the iron chair. Above all,
when he grinned, which made his eyes even more chinky, and his mouth like the
slit of a coconut shell coin bank, he was almost everything Buddha come alive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso had all the reason to be vain. After making
“Nympha”, which boldly, courageously and with exquisite guts cast a nameless
housemaid in the lead role of a nymphomaniac, he gave signal that he was the
film director to beat after the era of Gerry de Leon and Lamberto V. Avellana.
Franklin Cabaluna had put it quite succinctly: “Celso Ad Castillo is the
Lamberto V. Avellana of today.” The reference, of course, was to flair and
conceit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
a time, the showbiz media had been dubbing him the Philippine version of Enfant
Terrible, a distinction attributed to Roman Polanski.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But though he loved the comparison, Celso
preferred to have his own showbiz moniker, The Kid, to embody all that was
young, and new and ingenious about him as the personification of the new breed
of Philippine film directors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How are you, Cels?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso was a man of few words. His flamboyance in most
instances was play-act and in instances where he needed to verbalize his
braggadocio, the words almost always came out as theatrics. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso nodded, smiling “I’m okay” while stroking his
protruding belly with his palms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Coffee, Mao.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao made himself coffee, rather fumbling with the
spoon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso eyed him with his characteristic probing stare. He
had had a period of enough familiarization with Ka Mao’s mannerism to see what
could be wrong with him now. There were tremors in his hands as Ka Mao scooped
powdered coffee from the tin server, creating a thin, tingling sound as the
spoon struck the lid of the porcelain cup.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re trembling,” Celso quipped. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sure, Ka Mao had jitters about how to start the topic
with Celso. But he realized his hands trembling was actually a particularity
about him: he should take rice for breakfast otherwise his nerves got shaky
towards noon. Having had to start early in his travel to Celso, he had no time
taking a heavy rice breakfast. He knew his tremors now, as it had always been,
were an alarm that it was time he took his lunch. He would be very embarrassed
to say this to Celso.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What you get when you have the habit of washing your hands
after much typing,” came Ka Mao’s alibi. “I’d say writer’s syndrome.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’ve had that syndrome once,” Celso said, actually
alluding to the time he was struggling to make a name in the creative field by
writing novels for comics publications.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, yes?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Empty stomach,” said Celso, flashing his enigmatic
smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao felt squeamish, embarrassed after all that Celso
knew he was hungry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso spoke to the maid.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Set the table for lunch.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I want to get busy writing again,” Ka Mao quipped,
side-stepping the idea of hunger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re not editing any magazines now?” Celso asked,
lighting a fresh stick of Marlboro with the one he was smoking before crushing
the butt into the ashtray. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No point fighting press repression with empty words,” Ka
Mao said, betraying inner bitterness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You want to get busy writing,” said Celso.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That’s
why I see you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso waited for Ka Mao to say his next word.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If I write scripts…,” Ka Mao paused, sizing up Celso’s
reaction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso took a puff at his cigarette.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I may not necessarily be subject to press repression,”
Ka Mao finished his words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We have the board of censors,” Celso warned impliedly</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Gimo De Vega is a man of letters.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We’re
both alumni of the MLQ,” Celso informed, in a way echoing the air of many a
renowned writer priding in their alma mater, the Manuel L. Quezon University.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
I heard. And he’s got high respects for your works,” said Ka Mao, remembering a
piece he had read in the past in which Gimo praised Celso for his “Asedillo,” a
true-to-life film on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the fabled rebel
hero of Laguna. Ka Mao had been enthralled by one particular high moment of the
movie wherein Fernando Poe, Jr., as Asedillo, rides into town alone on
horseback and rouses up the folks with his award-winning incantation: “Mga mamamayan
ng San Antonio, kayo ang ilog, ako ang isda. Kung wala kayo, saan ako lalangoy?
Papaano ako mabubuhay? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(People of San
Antonio. You are the river, I am the fish. Without you, where will I swim? How
can I live?)”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao recalled the lines to Celso, then said with a shade of boasting, “That’s
Mao Tse Tung.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
his characteristic ambiguous grin and a touch of mischief in his stare making
his eyes even more chinky, Celso stood, turned inside the house with a quip.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“A
minute Mao.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao trailed Celso’s steps toward the house with a remark, “Many writers in the
forefront of the anti-dictatorship movement are not just Gimo’s contemporaries.
They are also brothers in craft. With Gimo as Chairman of the Board of Censors,
I expect minimal restraint in getting progressive ideas across to an audience.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The maid stepped out and told Ka Mao, “Please get inside,
Sir.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From inside came Celso’s voice. “Come, Mao.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao rose and got himself led by the maid to the dining
table inside the house. Celso was taking the seat at the head of the table; Ka
Mao took the seat at the side next to Celso, who handed him a tiny red book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao gaped in amazement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Red Book by Mao Tse Tung!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the purpose for which he came to Celso that day, the
revelation was particularly elating for Ka Mao. It assured him that, if only in
matters of proletarian revolutionary politics, Celso was in the same wavelength
as he was. So Celso was sympathetic to the revolution. Ka Mao felt early on
that he wouldn’t have much problem inserting revolutionary ideas in the scripts
he would be doing for the director if ever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though he knew he had been abandoned by comrades, Ka Mao
had not even for once<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>forsaken the cause
of the working class. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celso began having the meal, gesturing to Ka Mao to do
the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He said, “You were saying…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If I wrote movie scripts, I need not worry so much about
having my ideas reach the masses,” declared Ka Mao. He took his first bite of
pork adobo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
III</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">LONG lean days normally
precede the heyday of one’s career in filmmaking. Particularly for a
screenwriter whose work value is contingent not upon the merit of his job but
on the star value of the cast of a film project, it entails untold hardship even
just to do a take-off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the start of Ka Mao’s screenwriting career, tt was not uncommon to find quite a
number of screenwriters, many of them already boasting of credentials in the
craft, hanging around on the corner of T. Pinpin and Escolta streets in Binondo
where film production companies had their offices. Each of these guys,
invariably clipping in their arms folders of either finished scripts,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sequence treatments or story synopses of film
project proposals,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would be there as early
as eight o’clock in the morning to vend their works, their faces pale from
having missed breakfast and getting paler as the minutes would drag on toward
noon and no prospect of lunch ever coming. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence what rejoicing would the hopefuls break
into once any of them rushed out of a building, brandishing a check in his hand
as he announced it to be the down payment for a script he had just sold. The
lucky guy would rush to the barber shop nearby where a financier was ever
around to encash the check for a rediscounted amount, say less three percent if
the check was dated on the day or ten percent if post-dated for a week; the
longer the post-dating, the bigger the percentage of rediscount. And then the
guy, who himself had felt the pinch of missing meals for eons in the past,
would hail his colleagues to a blowout at the small coffee shop on a side
street where one would have his first taste of food for the day topped by a
possible slot as co-writer of the guy in the film assignment he had just
gotten.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If at all, what the difficulty suffered generally by
screenwriters in the Philippines brought to fore was a pure, sincere concern
one had for the other fellow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Early on in his attempt to make a breakthrough in
screenwriting, Ka Mao found himself associating with Robustiano Lu. Morota and
Jerry O. Tirazona, former colleagues in the movie press and who were staying
together in an apartment in Sta. Cruz, Manila. The two continued to be engaged
in movie journalism, while Tirazona was gaining the prestige of being a real
quick draw in screenwriting: one finished script overnight. Ka Mao had then not
yet gotten over his underground existence and was testing the waters, so to
speak, of resuming legal status. He needed to do this testing in a place apart
from the residence of his family or any of his relatives, and Morota and Jerry
were only too glad to accommodate him in their apartment – for which, as in his
eventual stay in Manay Consoling’s apartment on M. Hizon, he had given nothing
in return but eternal debt of gratitude. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Quite
in contrast to the experience of many a screen writer, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>starting a filmmaking career for Ka Mao had
been most auspicious. It was instantly a heyday. This was mainly because he was
riding on the crest of Celso’s popularity which had made The Kid the most
sought-after director in Philippine cinema in the Seventies. So as loaded as
Celso was with film directorial assignments, Ka Mao was with film script jobs.
After only a short while, Celso would admit to Ka Mao that he had completely
become dependent on Ka Mao’s script. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
of his films which became a grand FAMAS Award winner was under the credit of
two other screenwriters, but Celso had required him to be on the set of the
shooting of the film, making him do the lines which eventually turned out to be
the award-winning moments of the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
Ka Mao was spared the agony of having to peddle his works. Ka Mao had all
script assignments for the taking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His first collaboration with Celso was “Ang Madugong
Daigdig Ni Salvacion,” a sex-spiced drama set in the rustic island of Tulay
Buhangin (Sand Bridge) in Quezon Province. Its cast – Pilar Pilapil, Ricky
Belmonte, Johnee Gamboa, Vic Diaz, Robert Talabis and a newcomer sex nymphette,
Leila Hermosa – were not exactly the kind that would impress one as super duper
in terms of star value. But the chemistry of Celso as the New Messiah of
Philippine movies with media-hyped superb performers, a grandiose seascape for
a setting, and a pretentious theme that purported to be an allegory of the
political tyranny obtaining at the time, succeeded in creating an image of a big
film production.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even
before “Ang Madugong Daigdig Ni Salvacion” was half-way through shooting, two
offers came Celso’s way, one for a Vilma Santos-Christopher de Leon starrer,
and the other for any idea Celso would come up with. To the first offer, Ka Mao
showed Celso a script of a film adaptation of his first-ever published fiction,
“Forests Of The Heart”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which as filmed
Celso titled “Tag-Ulan Sa Tag-Araw”, and to the second offer, Celso responded
with a concept of a young woman forced into striptease act in order to sustain
medication for her ailing father. Celso had a title for the concept, “Burlesk
Queen”, and a germ of the story which Ka Mao would develop through his
screenplay accordingly as the shooting progressed. For the young striptease dancer,
Celso had in mind the then up-and-coming starlet, Lorna Tolentino, who had all
the needed attributes: youth, charm and allure, and a fresh undefiled body. On
top of all these, she had the acting prowess and terpsichorean skill.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
choice of Lorna was perfect, so it looked. And she was willing to do the
part,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>something rather controversial for
her age of sixteen. But her mother insisted on a fee which the producer, Romy
Ching of Ian Films, Inc., was not inclined to give. So the part went to Vilma
Santos finally.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
definitely, not that Vilma Santos was a poor second choice. As it turned out,
she was the best choice for the role, which in the subsequent 1977 Metro Manila
Film Festival won for her the Best Actress Award – along with the Best Actor
Award for Rolly Quizon, Best Supporting Actor Award for Joonee Gamboa, and Best
Supporting Actress Award for Rosemarie Gil. All in all. “Burlesk Queen” won all
but one of twelve awards in that festival, including the Best Picture Award,
the Best Director Award for Celso and the Best Screenplay for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
accepting the award – a huge bronze medallion which award presentor Eddie
Garcia took fancy in taking time hanging on a ribbon around Ka Mao’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>neck – Ka Mao declared: “I did want to say
something with ‘Burlesk Queen’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it
is that art rises or falls accordingly as those in control of political power
allows it to rise or fall.” He ended his acceptance speech by enjoining his
listeners to “transform art from being an instrument for personal gain to being
an instrument for social good.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Uttered
at a time when the martial law rule was about only just beginning its upsurge,
the short speech elicited good reaction. A group, evidently activism-friendly,
clapped their hands hard, stomped their feet on the floor, while letting out a
challenging hoot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If,
indeed, there’s a feeling of being made, this is it, Ka Mao told himself as he
tarried onstage acknowledging the mild audience cheers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reactions
to Ka Mao’s speech continued days after the occasion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Franklin
Cabaluna congratulated him but did not fail to mention negative comments from
some quarters that the speech was rehearsed, memorized. Ka Mao had had enough
doses of grain of salt in the past to be affected. Franklin also told of a
criticism by a film cineaste from Europe that “Burlesk Queen” was in the most
part “nitty gritty”, whatever that meant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Most
serious was the remark from Pete Lacaba, who had just been released from months
of incarceration at Camp Crame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Take
care,” said Pete when they met a period after the event.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Curt
as it was, Pete’s caution spoke of all that must be felt by someone who had had
a good dash of state fascism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Strangely
enough, Ka Mao felt elated by the warning. It meant he was being minded, it
meant he mattered. He knew too well that the saddest thing for a writer – for
any artist at that – is to realize that no one is paying attention to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
it seemed everybody was cuddling up to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
producer, a lady, implored him: “Your ‘The Relationship’, do let it be mine.” A
gay line producer, speaking for his boss, reminded him with virtual plea,
“Remember, your “Kabaret”, you offered it to us first. The two were speaking of
film projects Ka Mao had early on vended to them but elicited hardly no
attention. A fellow scriptwriter, desperate for some monetary commission by
which to spend in the horse racetracks, rummaged through his folders of film
manuscripts and singled out “Pag-ibig… Magkano Ka?”, exclaiming: “Yes! This is
it. The title alone is a sure money-maker. I’ll bring this to Leroy, he is
intending to start a film company.” The guy named Tommy was referring to Leroy
Salvador of the famed show business Salvador clan. Shortly after, Leroy
established Showbiz, Inc., with that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka
Mao’s screenplay as its initial venture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Still
a bachelor at the time, Ka Mao was staying on a monthly basis at Regency Hotel
on Avenida Rizal owned by Mother Lily Monteverde of Regal Films. Such stay, a
very costly one by any standard, was precisely the leverage Ka Mao got for
assurance of film assignments from the outfit: the company had better given him
jobs or he wouldn’t be able to pay his hotel bills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was really not that kind of writer who cranked out scripts overnight. One
time, he observed the late Jerry Tirazona pounding the typewriter all night long
and by dawn wrote 30 to the screenplay he was to deliver to a producer first
hour in the morning. How Ka Mao chuckled at the feat. He cringed to himself, “I
just can’t do it that way.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao took time writing a film script. The gestation alone consumed eternities,
so it would seem to him. How was he then able to cope with the swamp of offers
that came his way after hitting it big with Celso?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
one thing, he had had eternities, too, of doing nothing but read and write
after dropping out of college, during spare times and at nights in that period
of doing household chores in Manay Consoling’s apartment. Anything that came to
his mind and he found worth enough turning into a story, he wrote. And when he
began systematically transforming those stories into the cinematic form by way
of concretizing the self-learning he acquired from his trips to the Thomas
Jefferson Library, he was actually creating a deep pool of screenplays that
would come in handy now that producers were queuing up to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
for the most part, he was in the late thirties, much grown from the twelve
year-old-elementary-graduate who ventured into Manila to search for the
proverbial pot of gold but was immediately confronted with the stench and
squalor of the city and at the same time with sights and sounds of ceaseless
glitter and merrymaking. This irony that to Ka Mao best described Manila
provided a rich source of substance for many a tale which by some irresistible
urge Ka Mao just found himself committing to writing on whatever surface he
could lay his hands on: a vacant page of old used notebooks, on smoothened
crumpled pads and bond paper, on yellow pads whenever he could afford to buy
one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
good thing about that kind of writing, Ka Mao was doing it not for a price and
so produced true mirrors of life. When turned into films, that writing had a
built-in universal appeal, i.e., commercial success. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prior
to the judging for awards in the 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival, Ricky Lee,
who hadn’t quite started on his binge of promoting himself as the country’s top
screenwriter, barged into Ka Mao’s hotel suite, asking to see a copy of the
script of “Burlesk Queen”. What Ka Mao was able to show were scribblings on
yellow pad on a clipboard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Burlesk
Queen” was not written on a typewriter. It was written on the set, with a
ballpen on a yellow pad clipped on a board, conforming to the requirements of
the scenes scheduled for shooting. Celso discusses the sequence with Ka Mao,
then proceeds to block the actors, direct the camera movements, including
lighting effects, then without any warning, turns to Ka Mao: “Mao, dialogue.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
first time Celso did that to Ka Mao in the shooting of “Salvacion”, Ka Mao was
literally dumbfounded: Celso had not discussed with him about lines to speak in
the scene. So very discreetly, Ka Mao sidled up to Celso and whispered, “Cels,
we have not talked about it.” But the actors had been blocked, camera work
directed, and the rehearsals that had been set up inevitably had to proceed,
and Celso was quick to Ka Mao’s rescue. He took Joonee Gamboa’s placement,
“Masakit ito sa kalooban ko. (“This is against my will.)”, then moved over to
Ricky Belmonte’s position, countering, “Kalooban? Kalooban mo rin ba na anakan
ang ina ko – at ako ang maging anak! (“Your will? Was it also your will to
impregnate my mother with a child – and I to be that child!)” Joonee Gamboa was
playing the role of a priest, who only during the shooting of that particular
scene, was revealed to be Ricky Belmonte’s father in the story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Celso, no script was ever final until it was shot – no, not ever final until
the shot scene had been thoroughly edited and the strips of cut film spliced
together to make a final whole – no, not yet, not ever final until the edited
whole had gone through the gamut of dubbing, music and effects lay-in, sound mixing
and, at long last, the negatives had been copied into positive prints – when it
was no longer practical to introduce any further changes in the creative
process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was very enlightening for Ka Mao to observe that Celso had a firm hand on film
creation every step along the way – from gestation, to writing, to production
and post-production – no, not yet, all the way to devising marketing slants
like catchlines in publicity materials. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Much
much later in the progress of Ka Mao’s film career, he had some little verbal
tussle with Alicia Alonso, mother of now current Star Cinema talent, Maja
Salvador, over the direction in the script of “Walang Panginoon,” one of the
more serious films he did for Seiko Films. She must have had motivated herself
into a heavy crying scene so that she felt shortchanged when in executing the
scene, Ka Mao directed her to do her lines with melancholy, all right, but not
with tears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alicia
flashed before Ka Mao’s face the page of the script which directed the actress
to do the scene in stereotype tear-drenched melodrama.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“See?,”
she said complainingly. “The script says I should cry. It’s your script. You
wrote it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“No
need to cry,” Ka Mao insisted. And he ordered, “Take.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
the actress failed to realize was that Ka Mao was doing a Celso. That Ka Mao
did not find it necessary to explain it to her, was another doing of a Celso. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Celso never found time to expound to Ka Mao but which Ka Mao imbibed through
sheer observation of The Kid’s mannerism, style and method, was that a director
has all the prerogative of doing whatever he pleases to do with the film
assigned to him to be done. Ka Mao had come to realize that when a producer
asked him to do a film, implicit in the offer was an assurance from him that
that film would make fair returns on the producer’s investment. Assurance of
such returns were no one else’s obligation but his and so it behooved him and
no one else all sorts of prerogatives in crafting the film, from rewriting the
story, to overhauling the entire script, to getting a firm hand on all aspects
of the film production process, including editing, laying in of music and
effects, introducing in every step along the way any change necessary to ensure
that the film made money when finally shown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
by Ka Mao’s criterion, no right-minded actor must dare get the gall to tell a
director what to do. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mainly for this
reason, Ka Mao was averse to directing superstars who in every case actually
themselves direct their scenes in a movie. In time, he would be known as a
star-builder because he preferred to direct complete unknowns like what Celso
did with the house helper Rizza in “Nympha”. In many a time during the shooting
of the film, Celso himself would act out the way Rizza should do a scene and in
just as many a time, the girl, due to sheer inexperience, would fail to do it
the way Celso wanted. In most of those many times, Celso found himself wanting
to blow his top. But he never did. He coached the young hopeful patiently, devotedly,
in fact, until she struck the right acting he wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from turning out to be a box-office
hit, “Nympha” earned for the sultry Chabacana housemaid the distinction o being
among the BEST FIVE ACTRESSES in the subsequent FAMAS Awards night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Quite
many of Ka Mao’s movies were launching pads for newcomers: Stella Strada in
“Kirot”, his script and subsequently in “Angkinin Mo Ako,” his direction, too;
Rey PJ Abellana and Leni Santos in “Iiyak Ka Rin” together with Julie Vega;
Lani Mercado in “Sa Ngalan ng Anak”; Jestoni Alarcon and Rita Avila in “Huwag
Mong Buhayin Ang Bangkay,” third Best Picture in the 1987 Metro Manila Film
Festival; Maita Soriano in “Gatas”; Ruffa Guttierez in, first, “Huwag Kang
Hahalik Sa Diablo” together with similar neophytes Jean Garcia, Cristina Paner
and Isabel Granada, then “Isang Gabi, Tatlong Babae”; Sunshine Cruz in “First
Time Like A Virgin”; Cristina Gonzales in “Bad Girl”; Klaudia Koronel<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in “Kesong Puti”; Aila Marie in “May Gatas Pa
Sa Labi”; Ramona Rivilla in “Sambahin Ang Puri Ko”; Rosita Rosal in “Hayop Sa
Ganda”; Cesar Montano in “Machete”; Rossana Roces in “Machete II”; Priscilla
Almeda in “Halimuyak ng Babae”; Natasha Ledesma in “Kiliti”; Nini Jacinto in
“Talong”;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brigitte de Joya in “Kangkong”;
oh, the list is long.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
these films were blockbusters, and this pointed to one incontrovertible fact:
stars don’t make movie hits. What, then? Ka Mao would get crystallized on in
due time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the time being, what mattered to Ka Mao was to get across to people that in the
matter of film direction , his authority must be absolute. Not even the producer
was to meddle in his job. The film flops at the box-office, the director gets
the flak, that’s why in ensuring that his films made money, Ka Mao had resolved
that he alone must be responsible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
the time “Burlesk Queen” was underway, Ka Mao had grown accustomed to Celso’s
style and provided the lines, though written on the set, perfectly as demanded
by Celso. As mentioned already, “Burlesk Queen” won all but one of twelve
awards in the 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival, including the Best Screenplay
for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Ricky Lee went barging into Ka Mao’s hotel suite, asking for a copy of the
script of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Burlesk Queen”, what he did
not realize was that Ka Mao was not writing that script according to norms
Ricky Lee must have garnered from the academe but according to principles Ka
Mao himself had firmed up in his self-study of the craft, i.e., that nobody
writes things he hasn’t himself lived. Consequently, any writing in violation
of this principle is unrealistic and achieves only pretentiousness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had no difficulty writing “Burlesk Queen” on the set. He only needed to
think back on that long period of stay with Mamay Oliva in that P. Gomez,
Quiapo apartment to be able to turn out a realistic and poignant piece of
reminiscences: when he scrimped on his measly daily school allowance so that
with the savings he could steal a weekend view of the burlesque show at Inday
Theater just a block away on Aroceros Street. Those reminiscences combined with
social insights Ka Mao gained in his subsequent struggles in the city to be
molded, in Celso’s impeccable grasp of film art, into a great film masterpiece.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celso
did not produce “Burlesk Queen”; Romy Ching of Ian Films did. But when the Best
Picture Award was received by Celso for the company during that awards night,
he was receiving it for himself forever. Up until he died three years ago, he
held on to the Best Picture trophy –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>never letting it go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Kabaret,”
produced by Showbiz, Inc. and directed by Leroy Salvador, was a similar case.
It only took Ka Mao to recall his gallivanting days, or nights, in the cabarets
– actually cheap flesh spots – on Fifth Avenue in Caloocan to come up with a
meaningful movie on the theme of prostitution. In a most subtle way, Ka Mao
actually intended the project to be an allegory of the virtual prostitution the
martial law regime had immersed Philippine society. For obvious reasons, Ka Mao
could only do so much in delivering the message, and that the message was not
grasped at all on a mass scale, Ka Mao thought it was a failure attributable to
the limitations of figure of speech.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
want to agitate the masses into action, do it straightforward. People don’t go
rebelling on the strength of poetry and metaphors. The late Felixberto Olalia,
on the eve of the declaration of martial law when he was heading the May Day
Revolutionary Committee, pointed out that the Russian Revolution broke out not
on any intellectualized, pretentious advocacy as the struggle against
imperialism or the establishment of a national democracy but on the simple,
sincere, literal call for “Bread! Bread!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
call galvanized the Russian masses into the first bloodless People Power revolt
in history to overthrow the centuries-old dynasty of the Romanovs, paving the
way for the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Such
an uprising in the Philippine setting would be a nice material for a movie Ka
Mao would much like to do. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao hardly realized that the circumstances for such a movie were already in the
making.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER IV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CELSO AD CASTILLO AND
ASSOCIATES was suddenly the talk of the town in the film industry. With a grand
blessing of its offices on the top floor of a building in the corner of Avenida
Rizal and Carriedo Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila, the film company which Celso
established in the aftermath of the “Burlesk Queen” windfall served serious
notice that The Kid was living true to claims that he was the Messiah
long-awaited to revive a film industry widely chastised for its affliction with
base commercialism and mediocrity. And Celso had had enough prestige to command
support from the entertainment media in hyping this theme effectively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All of a sudden, Celso was already the producer to reckon
with in Philippine cinema. At first glance, this was a plus factor. But coming
down to brass tasks, he had nothing so far to back up this claim. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
had a title, all right: “Daluyong At Habagat”. Good enough to evoke something
grand and tumultuous, an epic turbulence. The cast was, as in “Salvacion”, a
defiance of the current<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>formula of casting
superstars in lead roles. Actually this defiance was functional in Celso’s
case, i.e., to highlight the one single star of the project, the Director. Its
concession to the star-value system was apparently the topbilling of the cast
by known performers Vic Vargas and Pinky de Leon, plus the inclusion of what
then was being hyped as the newest sex kitten, Alma Moreno, who was introduced
in “Tag-Ulan sa Tag-araw”. To play pivotal roles were, again, Ricky Belmonte
and Joonee Gamboa together with Lito Anzures, Best Supporting Actor awardee for
his brilliant performance in the Miss Universe Gloria Diaz-starrer “Ang
Pinakamagandang Hayop Sa Balat ng Lupa”, which triggered Celso’s soar to fame.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
already had, too, even a catchline already boasting of what a great movie the
first venture of Celso Ad Castillo and Associates would be: A NEW BREED OF
PERFORMERS IN A GIANT OF A MOTION PICTURE!.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Only
question was, what is the story about. That one single lack, Ka Mao evidently
had to fill in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celso
had in mind the great Hollywood movie “The Godfather” when he sat down with Ka
Mao to discuss the concept: a poor guy who through gangsterism rises to be the
kingpin of the underworld. The story was set in the days immediately following
the liberation of the Philippines by American forces from Japanese occupation
in 1945.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
in all cases, Ka Mao just nodded to Celso’s ideas. He had grown used to Celso
agreeing to his own ideas which he would eventually contribute when he finally
got the screenplay written. It would even appear that Celso put out ideas as deliberate
baits for Ka Mao to modify or improve on, knowing that Ka Mao would not agree
to anything wrong by his own standard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
his own standard, a copycat of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The
Godfather” was a no-no for Ka Mao. He was too self-respecting to be caught
copying somebody else’s thoughts. Concept-wise, Celso’s idea was good;
ganglordism is a universal phenomenon and a film may not be accused of
plagiarizing “The Godfather” by tackling the same theme. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao identified the problem: how to do a “The Godfather”-like movie without
being an imitation of it. He did not have to wring his brain so much. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Just
go by your own writing principle, he told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao saw the opportunity of depicting in a movie what until then was dearest to
his heart: the great proletarian revolution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
poor boy rising to the top of gangland, Ka Mao took that hook, line and sinker.
But the whys and the wherefores were entirely his handiwork, which gladly sat
well with Celso. Reporting to the shooting set in famous ruins of San Juan,
Celso proudly boasted to staff, crew and cast: “You people realize what we’re
making? We’re doing a great proletarian movie.” And he flashed to everyone the
poster he was carrying to be integrated with the production design: a large
portrait of Karl Marx.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How
proletarian was “Daluyong At Habagat”? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
finished product speaks for itself. At the start, vignettes of poor folks’ life
in the slums of Intramuros, the Walled City center of Spanish Colonial
Philippines. In the aftermath of America’s ravagement of Manila in the guise of
liberation, Intramuros had been transformed into a despicable, albeit grand,
showcase of post-war squalor. Flesh trade in dingy alleys. Cheap entertainment
in rowdy honky-tonks. Workers slaving in factories. Old and young scavenging in
a scrap yard. A sixtyish man sawing an unexploded bombshell to cut it into
pieces of scrap. The shell explodes, shattering the man into smithereens. Thus
starts the shift of the otherwise straight-living son of the bomb blast victim
into the path of crime to rise in social status. This development is paralleled
by workers threading the path of revolutionary social upheaval to achieve
liberation from poverty. The son rises to the zenith of gangland supremacy, but
being individual, his rise is met with opposition as is characteristic of
gangland rivalry. He ends up getting massacred with his men in an explosive
ambush, while in the streets of Manila erupts a thousands-strong uprising of
workers defiantly rending the air with a stirring mass rendition of the
“Internationale.” As the militant workers leader puts in, “We cannot hope to
rise above poverty without first destroying the rotten system of society.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">University
of the Philippines professor and respected critic, Petronilo Bn. Daroy, in an
article in the Daily Express, had this to say of the movie: “Daluyong at
Habagat” is today what “El Filibusterismo” was during the Spanish colonial
regime.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celso
could not have had a better timing for his initial work as a producer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Martial
Law was into its sixth year at the time and did not appear to be anywhere
ending in the foreseeable future. Though the armed struggle of the so-called
National Democratic Front seemed to be attaining sizeable headway in the
countryside, in the main arena which were the cities, the Marcos dictatorship
had things well under control, so to speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
exchange rate stood at P7.36 to 1$, which, compared to the current rate of more
or less P50 to a dollar, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>indicated a
healthy society on the economic front.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the political front, Ninoy Aquino, though remaining in prison, dared lead the
opposition to Martial Law in contending for the seats in the Interim Batasan
Pambansa. The entire opposition ticket was trashed into oblivion with a dismal
score of O. Besting them was the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) ticket headed by
First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
Ka Mao, what became a barometer for whether or not the revolution would succeed
was the establishment of the SM City North. If, as the Communist Party of the
Philippines predicted, the revolution would succeed in establishing socialism
in the country, was it not stupid of the SM entrepreneurs to start building a
capitalistic empire in what could shortly become<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a hub of socialism and communism?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But SM had been well on track over the
current decade. From a small shoe store beside the old Ideal Theater on Avenida
Rizal, it grew into a full-blown department store, built on the very spot in
Araneta Center which had become the Waterloo of the strike by KAMAO against the
Makabayan Publishing Corporation. In that respect, then, the KAMAO defeat was a
foreboding of a truly gargantuan disaster of the working class struggle in the
Philippines in inverse proportion to the upswing of SM malls the country over.
Today, as SM malls dominate the Philippine retail industry, consequently
transforming Henry Sy into the country’s richest man, the national democratic
revolution and its instrumentalities Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)
and New People’s Army (NPA) had been reduced to where it was before the KAMAO
strike began.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
it was great wonder that SM did not commit any stupidity of building a
capitalistic empire in the midst of what appeared to be widespread socialistic
uprising.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
proved to be stupid was the reverse: building a socialistic armed revolution in
the midst of a burgeoning capitalism. As, they say, you cannot argue against
success – which translates to, you cannot argue against the success of Henry Sy
– so you cannot argue against failure – which translates to, you cannot argue
against the failure of the national democratic revolution. These two givens
just speak for themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
did the failure of the KAMAO strike speak for itself: it was stupid to believe
that one local strike, no matter how courageous and militant, could bring about
the liberation of the proletariat. In many a moment when Ka Mao indulged in
self-searching, he would find himself fancying that had he not been stupid to
launch that inutile strike, he would have remained in the good graces of the
Aranetas and would have had some nice placement in the bureaucracy of the
Aranetas’ own empire, which had become formidable, too, in its own right.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
yet, and yet…When the opportunity to promote proletarian revolutionary politics
in his movies came, he grabbed it like he was gobbling it for the first time. The
heck if Pete had warned him, “Take care.” It was as if he was willing to go
through it all over again: the skirmishes with police and security guards, the
rendezvous with bullets, pill box bombs, Molotov cocktails and grenades, the daring-do
of getting his body threateningly run over by tires of strike-breaking trucks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ah,
the deathless romance of the First Quarter Storm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No,
there was no stupidity in the whole exhilarating exercise. That vested
capitalistic interests might be pulling the strings behind the revolutionary
movement was beside the point. What mattered was that Ka Mao and one whole
generation of idealistic youth were getting baptized into the fire and fury of
proletarian revolution and everyone did his part sincerely and well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the final analysis, albeit without Ka Mao realizing it, when he took “Daluyong
at Habagat” as an opportunity for renewing his espousal of the proletarian
struggle, he was not taking it as an argument against the failure of the
national democratic revolution. He was taking it as an agreement with destiny,
success or failure regardless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was a matter of course that elements from the national democratic movement
began gravitating around him in that period. He was not only slanting his
screenplays toward the workers struggle; he was actually engaging again in
revolutionary organizing, this time in the industry he now belonged in, the movies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Together
with Pete, he took the initiative of forming the Screenwriters Guild of the
Philippines. Ricky Lee, increasingly identifying himself as a screenwriter, was
contributing his own share in the endeavor. During one consultation with Ka
Mao, he suggested that Pete, though a renowned journalist, had not yet done
much screenwriting to be head of the group. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
all due respect though, Pete would turn out a number of screenplays that would
be rated as among the truly significant condemnations of the martial law
regime, to wit, “Jaguar”, “Kapit Sa Patalim”, and “Ora Pronobis.” All films
were directed by Lino Brocka, who endeavored to generate international
attention for these, Pete’s works..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though
Pete was the interim president of the screenwriters guild, the SGP, in the
elections held at the Caloocan residence of Marina Feleo Gonzales, Tony Mortel,
then editor of People’s Journal, was elected president. It was a wide consensus
among guild members that Tony was in the best position to gain benefits for the
screenwriting profession. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At any rate, Ka Mao’s organizing effort was
again catching the Party’s attention. This became evident to him when during a
chance meeting with writer and stage director Behn Cervantes in the house of
actress Rita Gomez, he was asked by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behn
how the union was progressing. Behn was referring to the screenwriters guild.
Behn’s interest betrayed he was in on Ka Mao;s initiative as a Party element;
an information Ka Mao had gotten revealed Behn was a responsible element of the
Party cultural bureau, so Behn asked the question as somebody asserting
superiority over him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was farthest from Ka Mao’s mind, however, of doing union work in the ranks of
artists. As Bayani had cautioned him a number of times, artists are the hardest
sector to organize. This is because, artists are so individualistic that not
one artist will admit he is inferior to the other. Ka Mao observed one time a
fellow director shouting to everyone on the set before taking a scene, “Nobody
makes suggestions.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao’s idea of a screenwriters union is one honed on the principles of the
working class: fearless, dedicated, selfless. Sure, the objective was for an
upping of economic benefits of screenwriters, but the method was political. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
that reason, during one meeting, Ka Mao did the rigors of political economy to
determine the minimum fee for a screenplay, in much the same way he would
compute the minimum wage for a factory worker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He hadn’t quite gotten over Marxist doctrine on capitalistic
exploitation of the proletariat which summed up into the theory of surplus
value. Pete cut him short.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Let’s
be brief about this. How much?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao appeared stupefied for a moment. How could he ever be brief about the
matter? By Marxist reckoning, what a capitalist can be entitled to in the value
created in the commodity are portions of that value corresponding to the amount
of raw materials and machine used for producing the commodity. Such value does
not vary in any phase of the production process and so contributes nothing to
the value created once the raw materials are turned into commodity. The source
of the created value – the surplus value – cannot but be the labor power
infused by the workers in the commodity. Determining surplus value along this
reckoning in the case of filmmaking requires a more complicated process, since
the categories of labor involved in doing a movie are as varied as the elements
comprising the finished product: story, script, music, editing, production
design, sound engineering, special effects, dubbing, direction, acting of the
performers, and, finally, labor of the production and post-production crew.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao just found himself silently asking: How can I be brief about such
multi-faceted complication?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
somebody suggested, “Let’s peg it at fifteen thousand,” it got carried. And
since then, the minimum screenplay fee, at the time running at seven thousand
pesos, was upped to and standardized at P15,000. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao felt it was too low. But he kept his feeling to himself. Realizing early
on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>how difficult, as Bayani had often
advised him, it was to get film artists agree on anything, he decided to
himself that a screenwriter’s fee is a matter of individual artist outlook; he
had his own outlook which he thought he’d get done through his own private
means.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
best way, he resolved to himself, is to direct his movies. That way he could
package the fee for the screenplay with that for direction. Because directors
enjoy a high degree of prerogative in determining who and how much to pay for
those to involve in filming a movie, chances were good that if he could direct
his own movies, he could command a price for his screenplays that he could
consider right: ten times over. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
package price he got for one of the last films Ka Mao had directed, “Bakit
Kailangan ng Ibon and Pakpak?”, was P550,000.00, P400,000.00 for direction –
P150,000.00 for screenplay. As Ka Mao had reckoned early on, ten times over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meantime,
he had to make do with the P15,000.00 that had been agreed in the meeting. Of
course the consensus reached did not bar anyone from charging more than fifteen
thousand pesos for a script; the intention was to set a ceiling below which no
guild member could go. But screenwriting being a highly-competitive field –
worse even, its importance in the industry is much subsumed to that of the
obtaining star system in which the commercial value of movies was ascribed more
to the stars than anything else – you price your work too high, you price
yourself out of competition.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Ka Mao’s particular case, a new imperative served to determine his actions
during the period. He realized he wasn’t getting any younger and he felt he
could no longer contain himself to seeking momentary pleasures with bar girls
and cabaret dancers whenever the urge for sex seized him. He wanted more
permanent happiness, not much really like having a partner with whom to have
personal pleasures but rather more like having own kids to raise and look after
and work a good life for.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
V</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SWEET was how Ka Mao
began to call the girl colleague Felix Dalay brought before him for audition
one afternoon. She was Betchay, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
seventeen-year-old third-high-schooler who fancied herself<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>becoming a movie star and quite excitedly
agreed when Felix, who had met her in a shooting set, offered to introduce her
to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Much, much later in the story, during a session of the
Marriage Encounter movement under the auspices of the Cactholic Light in the
Spirit Seminar, when Ka Mao was asked what attracted him most to the girl, he
said, “Her hips.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was how it was that afternoon Felix brought Betchay
to the hotel suite which until then Ka Mao continued to occupy. It was
physical, all right. What her hips evoked were imageries of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shapely statues of goddesses, of girls
romping around in bikinis on beaches, or of belly dancers doing erotic
performances. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One other thing which the Priest Moderator in the
Marriage Encounter session did not ask about but which sealed Ka Mao’s decision
to take Betchay for a wife was her status in life. He visited her at last in
her home and just found himself melting in pity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
in the yard of a typical hoveler’s shack in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>rubbish-ridden surroundings on the edge of an unattended, abandoned fish
pond, the girl, rather slim for her age, was munching a sugar cane stem like it
was to sate the hunger evident in her face; the cane was freshly cut from a
bunch grown in the yard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Why
are you here?” she asked, almost with a snub, a pout in her mouth but a glint
of ache in her eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it
embarrassed her to be found by Ka Mao in that condition and she had to play act
something for a defense mechanism. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Enthused by the presence of Ka Mao were Betchay’s
youngest siblings, two adolescent girls and a nine-year-old boy. They giggle to
one another, their gestures teasingly insinuating<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sweet, nice relationship between Ka Mao and
Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Won’t you be gone,” growled Betchay at the kids.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Your siblings?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m Maricar,” said the elder of the two girls.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m Eva,” said the younger one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Bobong,” said the boy, cutting in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So you’re four kids in the family?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No, we’re seven,” informed Maricar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where are the others?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Kuya Victor and Kuya Jonathan, roaming around,” said
Bobong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ate Bebe is in school,” said Maricar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about you three, why are you not in school?” queried
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay quickly butted in, not wanting to hear what the
kids were to answer, “Won’t you just be gone. Go, go…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bobong was quick at replying. He said, “We’ve got no
allowance.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ate Betchay, too. She has no allowance so she is absent
today,” continued Bobong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao faced Betchay, “Where are your parernts? Why
didn’t they give you your allowances?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Papa is a jeepney driver but hasn’t had trips the past
days. He had no money to give us when he left to work today,” said Maricar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about your mother?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Mama is a dressmaker,” said Betchay, firmly gritting her
jaws. “She attends to our needs. She had to leave early and did not expect that
Papa wouldn’t be able to give our allowance. This does not happen everyday.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao took a split-second to decide on something. He
fished three hundred-peso bills from his pocket and give one each to the two
girls and the boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s time to catch up with your classes. Go,” said Ka
Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay could only stare at Ka Mao, who took care not to
look at her lest he got her embarrassed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao gladly trailed Betchay’s sisters and brother with
his eyes as they hurried inside the shack to get dressed for school. Then he was
distracted by Betchay’s continuing to stare at him almost defiantly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Anything wrong I did?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay managed a pain-laden, self-consoling smile. She
said, “This is my life. So what’s it to you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Look. Let me take you to school so you may catch up with
your classes. Then afterward, I can treat you to a movie,” Ka Mao was pretty
prudent with the way he said the words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That Betchay welcomed Ka Mao’s offer after all was
betrayed by her words as she turned into the house, “I’ll only be a minute.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That date in Odeon Theater was the beginning. The many
afternoons afterward were the interludes, when she would proceed to Ka Mao’s
hotel suite after school, there to do her homework and then enjoy ubiquitous
chopsuey rice dinner with him before going home. And that evening she could no
longer refuse his urgings and opened herself up to him completely was the
beautiful finale.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With voice aching as she clung to his shoulders, she said,
almost pleading, “Don’t forsake me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay actually had Ka Mao all to herself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had never lain any girl in love for a fling. The greatest myth about him
ever told was that because for a period he had been known as a bold director,
he had had a heyday bedding bold stars. None of it. He had flatly rejected
quite a few offers from sex stars to sleep with him. From as far back as his
youth, his outlook on sexual union outside of prostitution is that it is an act
meant for a lasting relationship. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure
he had had many a lay with other girls before, but all those were for a price
and in Ka Mao’s view, he only got his money’s worth for doing it. No need to
feel any guilt about it nor qualms of any kind. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the case of Lala, Ka Mao did not abandon her; she did him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Ka Mao never told Betchay – for it was a matter of a deep ideological resolve –
was that – no matter, too, the deep naivette inherent in his resolve – in order
to be consistent with his proletarian revolutionary conviction, he must have
for a wife somebody from the despised, wretched sector of society called
squatters. Ka Mao utterly failed to consider that it is not to be a squatter to
qualify as proletarian but rather for anyone, regardless of station in life, to
embrace proletarian class standpoint, viewpoint and method.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was doing it perfectly right when on at least two occasions, he attempted
to strike up amorous relationship with girl comrades in the KASAMA Party Group.
With Ka Openg, from the Propaganda Bureau, the attempt was frustrated when Ka
Erning, another member of the Educational Department, became more aggressive in
winning her, ultimately marrying her in Party ceremonies conducted by no less
than Banero, head of the NTUB.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Ka Didith, from the cultural group Panday Sining, who was a constant visitor in
the KASAMA headquarters, the attempt, punctuated by what Ka Mao thought was a
wrong he did but which he wanted to set right by marrying her, was aborted by
her sudden deployment to the Visayas, there to do her party task. She had been
unheard of by Ka Mao eversince.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Betchay, the paramount revolutionary
criteria for choosing a mate was completely lost to Ka Mao. Here was a girl, no
less proletarian than any of the workers whose liberation from oppression and
exploitation he had vowed to work for. Didn’t she deserve just as much devotion
from him as he had for any of those in the working class?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had resolved to stand by his responsibility to Betchay<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that very same night she gave all of her to
him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
one evening Ka Mao arrived home in the hotel suite and found a forty-year-old
woman waiting, he immediately surmised what was up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
was attending to the woman. She spoke with a mixture of jitters and put-on
lightheartedness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“My
mama,” Betchay introduced the woman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh,
how do you do?” said Ka Mao, not quite knowing how to make himself sound,
whether evasive, apologetic, or apprehensive. He was expecting some harsh response,
as all telenovelas go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
none of it when the woman spoke. With no trace of animosity whatsoever, she
spoke quite calmly, even meekly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
how is this to be now?” she said, clearly trying not to sound offensive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao understood what the woman meant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I will marry her,” he said, eyeing Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay had never been showy of her inner feelings. But
there was a coy smile on her lips, a girlish glint in her eyes.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
VI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ALTHOUGH Ka Mao’s
Antipolo lot had a very wide frontage on Sumulong Highway, he chose the spot at
the back beside the creek on which to build his house. The spot was shaded by a
large century-old mango tree on a side, a grove of bamboo trees on the opposite
side, on a lower level of the slope, and an enormous acacia tree with a wide
spread of large branches on the other side of the creek. In this position,
hardly was there any hour of the day when the house wouldn’t be shaded from the
sun, except in the early morning, when sun rays would shoot through bushes from
the eastern horizon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It pained Ka Mao somehow that he had to destroy a large
patch of yellow ginger in flattening the area on which to build the house. He
always took care that he did not hurt any vegetation in doing any endeavor. But
the area had to be flattened on which to lay out the cement floor, and so the
ginger must go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was a simple square house that Ka Mao put up: average-size
square post each on the four corners, two layers of hollow blocks wall joining
them on the ground, with wooden beams on the tops on which were fastened the
wooden trusses; wooden purlins <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>held the
trusses in place and on which were nailed the bamboo slats for tying the nipa
roofing on. The walls were consisted of webbed bamboo barks which similarly
wall the frames of the window covers; the windows had bamboo slats for grills.
The main door, also made of bamboo slats , was facing the area shaded by a huge
low-lying branch of the century old mango tree. A porch was set up on the side
facing the highway, serving as a side-entrance to the house, through the
kitchen. Adjoining the kitchen is a beddings storage room. All sidings of the
porch, kitchen and beddings storage room, like those of the house proper, were
done in webbed bamboo barks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bert Putol, so-called because of his deformed left hand
which had all four fingers joined together and their tips joined up with the
thumb, was, for all his infirmity, a skilled mason-carpenter but whom Ka Mao
paid a pittance for erecting the house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Someday I’ll have a house just like this,” said Bert
Putol by way of admiring his finished work.</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ah…,” Ka Mao wanted to wax poetry. “House where no sun
can burn with heat nor water stop from flowing like hope that springs eternal.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s true,” said Bert Putol. “Springs in this area
never dry up even in the hottest of summer,”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According to Bert Putol, the creek joined up with bigger
streams of water downhill to form the legendary falls called Hinulugang Taktak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>observed
that the creek ran through the adjacent 11-hectare lot called Valdez Farm at
the time, being owned by Ambassador Carlos Valdez.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ambassador Valdez must be an environmentalist,” Ka Mao
commented. “Water flowing from his property carries no garbage at all as it outs
into mine. That’s why I wanted our house built here. Water is so clean we can use
it for all our water needs.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Except for drinking, of course,” said Bert Putol.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Still no problem,” quickly retorted Ka Mao. “Plenty of
springs.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao walked over to one gush of water on the creekside,
scoops some with his hand and drank it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This has always been my drinking water here,” he said.
“Only problem is, we’ve built on sloping ground. What if the soil erodes?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Never,” said Bert Putol. “Soil erosion happens when the
underside of the ground gives for lack of strong foundation. Earth in this area
is held fast by solid rock foundation. It will never give.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bert Putol had occupied as overseer the lot adjacent to
Ka Mao’s property. He should know whereof he spoke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He explained, pointing to the flowing water at the bottom
of the slope, “That water we call creek is actually a collection of seepages
from different spring sources all around this area. The water<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>streams down the open crevices of one solid
rock foundation. The foundation of your house is a portion of this one solid
rock which is the size of one whole mountain.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao gaped in disbelief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Your house is built on a rock,” declared Bert Putol.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay, all along just listening to the conversation of
the two while busy sprucing up the newly-finished house and starting to put
their belongings in place, was pleased<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>to hear<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the words. It meant a lot
of things to her. A home to last, at long last, she said to herself. No more
going back to the squalor that had been her world during the long first
seventeen years of her life. No matter how modest, the house was good enough a
start, to improve on and keep strong each time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bert Putol grabbed
his paraphernalia. “Be going.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you, friend.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Don’t mention.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao turned toward the house just as Betchay felt a
stirring in her belly. She caressed it with her hand, eyeing him as he
approached..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Anything wrong?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She smiled by way of assuring him that nothing was wrong,
while she spoke, “For many times that you did me nice things, I never bothered
to say thank you. I think maybe I had better say it now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Say what?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you for what?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“For giving me a home to last.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao stares wonderingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No house built on a rock can crash,” Betchay said, like
uttering an oath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay was visibly pregnant and Ka Mao worried that
something might be ailing her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re sure you’re okay?” insisted Ka Mao</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Never
been more okay in my life,” Betchay said as she exerted effort to settle the
bed in a corner. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>quickly stopped Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s too heavy for you. Tell you what, you had better
rested. I can do this chore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay instead minded fixing the linen on the bed as
soon as Ka Mao was done with it and he shifted to the kitchen where he moved
the refrigerator to put it in place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Along with the bed, the refrigerator was the first item
Ka Mao purchased as a way of starting to establish home furnishings. He bought
it when first he and Betchay settled with his folks in Mamay Oliva’s Cavite
Street apartment, then took it along when Betchay wished they would instead join
her folks in Malabon. After having a house built for Bethay’s folks on the edge
of the abandoned fish pond and staying with them for a time, Ka Mao made his
mind up to establish permanent settlement in the Antipolo property. Still, the
bed and the refrigerator stuck with him and Betchay. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A thought crossed Ka Mao’s mind and he smiled while he
continued his business with the ref..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s funny?” asked Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can’t figure why we had to carry this heavy thing all
the way from Malabon when we can’t make use of it here,” Ka Mao said, not quite
sure whether he had done right with the refrigerator placement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s not been a year since you bought it. It’s in good condition,”
said Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I mean,” said Ka Mao, “Friend Bert just told me that the
electricity running on the highway lines is high voltage. No way to have a line
tapped to our house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, dear…,” said Betchay. “Can’t even watch TV. But,
wait a minute. Valdez Farm has got electric lights.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“They’ve got their own transformer.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s what you need to reduce the high voltage of the
main Meralco line to 220 volts allowable for home consumption.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So we put up our own transformer then, like Valdez
Farm.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We need hundred fifty thousand pesos .”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao spoke as coolly as he could.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay gaped as in horror.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao returned Betchay’s horrified gaze with a look that
indicated he was grappling with an agony in his mind: at P15,000 per screenplay,
he would have to write 10 scripts to raise the P150,000 needed to put up his
own electric transformer – and that was granting he and Betchay and their baby
who was shortly to come wouldn’t require any nourishment in the meantime. At
his average of two months writing per screenplay, he would require one year and
eight months to finish the ten screenplays. But that’s a reckoning by sheer
averaging. Actually the most number of scripts he had so far accomplished in a
year was four, which meant, granting he had all four scripts for the asking in
a year, he needed more or less two years to raise a hundred fifty grand and get
a supply of electricity in the newly-built house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At Betchay’s helpless stare, Ka Mao said assuringly,
“We’ll make do.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the evenings thereafter, contending with the chirping
of crickets and the croaking of frogs in the creekside surroundings were the
furious cliticlacks of typewriter keys coming from inside the house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was Ka Mao, all right, furiously pounding at his
second-hand Olivetti, while his face variably grew taut or tender, furious or
pitiful, accordingly as the emotion evoked by the particular scene he was
writing. Eyes getting moist with angry tears, his fingers pummeled the
typewriter keys with the fury that had seized him and with which he wrote out
the dialogue of resistance by the leading character in the scene he was doing:
“Hindi ninyo ako naiintindihan. Si Neneng Magtanggol ay hindi simpleng preso sa
bilangguan. Siya ay isang sagisag. Larawan<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ng isang lumang lipunan na nagbubuntis ng bago. Ang kanyang
pagpupunyaging makalaya mula sa pagkabilanggo <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ay salamin lamang ng marubdob na adhikain ng
uring manggagawa na wasakin ang tanikalang gumagapos sa kanila sa walang habas
na pang-aapi’t pagsasamantala ng uring kapitalista. Ano ang makapagluluwal sa
ipinagbubuntis ni Neneng Magtanggol? Puwersa ang komadrona ng bawat lumang
lipunang nagbubuntis ng bago! (You don’t understand me. Neneng Magtanggol is
not a simple prison inmate. She is a symbol. A picture of an old society
pregnant with a new one. Her struggle to liberate herself from imprisonment
mirrors the intense aspiration of the working class to break their chains of
oppression and exploitation by the capitalist class. What can deliver the child
Neneng Magtanggol is pregnant of? Force is the midwife of every old society
pregnant with a new one!”)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The hour was deep into the night. Betchay was fast asleep
in bed. Ka Mao pounded the typewriter so hard at the end of the line which he
loudly vocalized that it awakened Betchay. The pounding caused the typewriter
cover to get unlatched and nearly flip over. Ka Mao moved in time to catch the
typewriter cover and put it back in place. He did it rather gingerly, for
actually fastened with electrical tape to the top of the cover was a kerosene
lamp improvised from an average-size powdered coffee glass container, the
cotton wick inserted into a rolled strip of thin tin sheet punched into the
middle of the plastic cover of the coffee container.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was the lamp that since the couple moved into the
Antipolo property Ka Mao had been using to light his writing. Of course, in the
day, light was no problem. He would just move the collapsible writing table
under the century-old mango tree and there pound the typewriter till not enough
sunlight could filter any longer through the bamboo grove on the west side.
Still, it was cause enough for big problem, since Ka Mao’s writing voracity was
in the evenings when he would pound his typewriter endlessly until the last
crowing of the cocks at daybreak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Initially, Robbie Tan of Seiko Films had the kindness to
buy him what appeared to be a much better light source, a petromax. It was a
kerosene-powered gadget that operated exactly along the principle of kerosene
burners popularly used for cooking in the fifties all the way to the sixties.
Ka Mao immediately welcomed the brilliance, but early on he realized its
overriding impracticableness as far as writing was concerned: it needed pumping
of air into the fuel chamber every fifteen minutes to maintain its brilliance.
At first, Ka Mao bore with his annoyance over having to pause from writing
every once so often to do the pumping of air, but in due time he got fed up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Manufacturers of petromax don’t realize one idiosyncracy
of writers,” Ka Mao found himself reviling. “You don’t disturb their flow of
thought. Once you do, you throw them back into the agony of endless gestations.
Don’t they know how hard it is to recover a writer’s muse once lost? That’s
what petromax did to him, throw him into agonies, endlessly piling on top of
one another, of having to recoup lost inspirations due to unwanted pauses in
thought flow.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So Ka Mao devised his own method: improvise that lamp
fashioned from used powdered coffee glass container. It worked wonders. The light
stayed constant all night long, his muse stuck to his mind, and his thought
flow remained undisturbed but by the first crowing of cocks at dawn – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which after all was signal for him to stop and
rest. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Who are you fighting?” Betchay asked as she attempted to
rise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No problem. I’m just acting out a line. You sleep.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao minded Betchay no more. He fastened the kerosene
lamp back in place on the typewriter cover, then resumed his writing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay made herself snug under a blanket but stayed awake
for a moment. It pleased her, the way Ka Mao wrote. She had grown so accustomed
to his method and style that she was aware how he would never stop rewriting
his lines until he was himself vocalizing to himself loudly how a line was to
be delivered in the scene: madly, for evocation of anger and violence;
tearfully, for sorrow and pain; tenderly, for love and pity; gleefully for joy
and excitement, and so on and so forth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A…, Betchay sighed to herself, what intricate webbing of
emotions Ka Mao was capable of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
VII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NIÑOS INOCENTES,
or “Innocent Infant Boys” as translated from Spanish, is a Catholic feast day
so-called because it commemorates the day King Herod of Judea ordered infant
boys up to two years old killed. As the Biblical account has it,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>certain wise men came to King Herod asking
for the whereabouts of the new-born Infant Jesus who had been prophesied to be
King of Israel, King Herod became so insecure of his throne that then and there
he ordered all boys up to two years old killed to make sure the infant Jesus
was finished off. According to the story, an angel warned Joseph and Mary of
the danger and instructed them to hie off to Egypt with their new-born child and
there stay until it was safe to return.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over time, the significance of the event had been so
diluted as to connote escape from one’s obligations or responsibilities
committed on the Feast Day of Niños Inocentes, traditionally set on December 28
yearly. So on this day, people go borrowing money at will and then afterward
invoke, in order not to pay the debt, the spirit of escape from obligations as
connoted by the celebration of the feast day of Niños Inocentes. The lender, by
virtue of the tradition, just finds himself condoning the debt. What he gains
is the lesson that you don’t lend money on the feast day of Niños Inocentes or
you will never get paid. On the whole, it has been generally observed among Catholics
that contracts of obligations on the day of Ninos Innocentes are null and void
– of course, all in the spirit of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
December 28, 1979, Ka Mao and Betchay were wed. Along the spirit of Niños
Innocentes, their marriage contract must be null and void. It had been Ka Mao’s
wont to point this out to Betchay each time he felt like kidding her on his
obligation to her. Betchay, however, always had a ready retort: Niños
Innocentes is a tradition of the Catholic church; theirs was a civil marriage,
legal in every aspect, just he try breaking it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
asked by Mayor Nemesio Yabut of Makati, who officiated the very simple wedding
rites in his municipal office, why Ka Mao and Betchay were getting wed only
then when they had been living together for more than a year, Ka Mao answered,
“We had a child only now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">True
to Ka Mao’s resolve, having a wife was not so much for want of a partner in
life as for having kids to raise and build a good life for. Marrying her would
have come earlier had not their first child, which was a girl, had not been
lost to a miscarriage. That sad event happened in a resort in Laguna where
Celso had them billeted during the shooting in Majayjay of “Pagputi ng Uwak,
Pag-itim ng Tagak.” The film was among Celso’s great works and eventually
became a grand FAMAS Award Winner. It was not Ka Mao’s assignment though, but
Celso insisted that Ka Mao be present on the set as script consultant or some
such, translate that to, writer of critical lines. As The Kid would admit,
“You’ve made me too dependent on your scripts.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ir
rook another season of seed planting, with much advice from Manay Consoling for
Betchay not to stand after coitus but to continue lying, her legs propped up.
This was to facilitate the merging of egg and sperm cells.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
July 9, 1979, a healthy baby boy, for whom Ka Mao coined the nickname Maoie,
was delivered by Betchay caesarian section for being a breech. In subsequent
baptismal rites at the Antipolo Cathedral, the boy was named Mauro Gia Samonte
II, with a formidable array of sponsors representing, by Ka Mao’s deliberate
design, the main spectrum of social classes, Pete Lacaba, Diego Cagahastian,
Bayani Abadilla for the proletarian side, Franklin Cabaluna, Tony Mortel, Bella
Salvador, wife of Leroy Salvador, and Gloria Sevilla, wife of Amado Cortes,
for, at least a semblance of, the bourgeoisie. Each of the sponsors, in any
case, stood in the baptismal rites not really consciously representing a social
class but as individuals drawn together on the basis of the more universal and
humane consideration of friendship with Ka Mao. On the occasion, Ka Mao made
sure that Dr. Angel Juliano, the obgynecologist who delivered Maoie, was a
special guest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
Ka Mao’s mind, Maoie’s coming completed the trinity a family ought to be: a
father, a mother and a child. So Ka Mao decided it was high time he made that
family sacred by marrying Betchay at long last. This decision was not without
substantial prodding from Manay Consoling, who saw Betchay could be a good
partner in life for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
the question was, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>why do it on December
28 and run the risk of instantly getting annulled by the tradition of Niños Inocentes?
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
choice of the date was very deliberate and quite practical. December 28
happened to be the birthday of Leroy Salvador, who was to be their wedding
sponsor; one lady sponsor would fail to come. That day, then, being his
birthday, Leroy would surely be having some celebration in his house and Ka Mao
thought he and Betchay could just share in the celebration with Maoie in tow, and
make of the celebration as though it were their own wedding reception. And that
was what happened. Ka Mao and Betchay got wed not only on the day the killing
of innocent infant boys <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was being
erroneously observed but also with a wedding reception that was not their own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let alone the fact that Ka Mao just didn’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have the money to spend even for a simple
get-together with friends and relatives in a cheap restaurant, proletarian
simple living had become his way of life so much so that he wouldn’t be caught
indulging in luxury or ostentation of any sort. What appeared for a time as
avarice in his interlude of residence in a hotel was really a pragmatic
approach to his calling. It made him quite accessible to producers who needed
only to walk a block or two to reach him. In the case of Regal Films, which
owned the hotel, Ka Mao enjoyed assurance of film assignments if only so he
could pay his bills. He could still have opted for continued stay in the hotel
and enjoyed the same assurance when he settled down with Betchay but that this
time around, he not only needed to continue getting assignments but raise a
family, too, in proper surroundings. The Antipolo house perfectly filled in the
latter need.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When Ka Mao came home with Betchay and Maoie that
evening, he seemed to glow with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inner contentment.
Living in the house from then on would be living entirely under the blessing of
the holy matrimony, he oathed to himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Now I feel complete,” Ka Mao told Betchay as he lit the
kerosene lamp fastened on the the cover of the typewriter on the collapsible
table by the bed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
lost no time taking off the dress she wore in the wedding rites and rather
peskily dumped it into the laundry basket by the foot of the bed. She changed into
house clothes and quickly attended to Maoie, who was squirming from his wet
diapers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What do you mean complete?” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder,”
he intoned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s true for church weddings,” she retorted, removing
Maoie’s diapers. She proceeded to give the boy a quick sponge bath, wipe him
dry, powder him around the groins and torso, then dress him with fresh cotton
linen for diapers, which she fastened in place with stainless pins, and then
garb him in fresh sleep attire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao went tongue-tied for a long while, just observing
what Betchay was doing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Done with clothing the boy, Betchay settled him in his crib.
She then mixed the boy’s formula in a bottle and fed it to him as he snuggled
in his pillow. She prepared the bed for sleeping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You don’t mean God is not present in civil marriages, do
you?” he told her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Maybe yes, maybe no. How will we know?” she asked as she
lay in bed, throwing a blanket over her body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao realized Betchay was having a bad temper and he
thought he knew why. He spoke consolingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Of course, I understand that most every girl wants to
walk down the aisles and be given away as a bride to her groom.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay covered herself with the blanket all over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Continuing to observe Betchay’s mannerism, Ka Mao sat on
the bed as he removed his shoes. Betchay inched herself away from touch of his butt.
He went on to undress, throwing into the laundry basket the pieces of garment
he took off. His pants stayed as he patted her thigh; she was lying on her
side, facing the wall, away from him. She tapped his hand away, while inching
closer still to the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s our wedding day,” he said, caressing the blanket
over her thighs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I was so humbled,” she said, her voice indicated she was
weeping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What?” he asked, rather surprised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She thrust her hand from under the blanket, showing the
ring on her finger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s okay with me that this is practically just
imitation gold. It’s what we can afford, what else can we do?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao was amused by the remark.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So that’s what you’re fretting about,” he remarked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,” she growled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Don’t you worry, when I get my next script assignment,
I’ll replace this with a 24-karat gold ring,” he said, taking her hand and
kissing the ring finger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She yanked at her hand and brought it back under the
blanket.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I said, No!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s with you anyway?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The clothes you insisted I wear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It was not I who insisted. It was Godmother Belle. She
wanted you to wear a dress, not the denim jeans and T-shirt you had on.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betchay now threw the blanket off her face. She was in
tears and she spoke with voice quivering achefully. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
what if I wore faded jeans and T-shirt? It’s me,” she said then leaped off the
bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She
snatched from the laundry basket the dress she had worn in the wedding rites,
and flashed it before Ka Mao’s face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But an old hand-me-down for my wedding dress… I’ve been
so poor all my life, at least I expect something nicer on my wedding day. But
no…” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She madly threw the
dress aside, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh,
how so even poorer everything made me feel. That reception. Ah, you were so
busy rubbing elbows with guests that you never noticed I didn’t eat a bit of
any of the servings in your reception. Your reception!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She
shifted to the kitchen where she grabbed a a tin pot, scrounged with her hand
left-over rice in it which she ate voraciously.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why
did we have to pretend? If left-over food is all we can afford for our wedding
reception meal, so be it. It’s all we have. What’s disgusting is for us to
feast on something that is not ours.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She
swallowed the last lump of rice she had chewed, scooped water from the earthen
jar set up in one corner, and drank.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
the while Ka Mao just stood watching Betchay’s tantrums. He wanted to explain
but wouldn’t. What Betchay was mad about because it humbled her immensely was
to Ka Mao precisely the act of pure goodwill she should partake of in all
humility and pure satisfaction. To reject that goodwill could only be an act of
arrogance, of self-righteousness, which ultimately<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>could amount to pretending what you are not. Ka
Mao saw the matter just the way it was: he and Betchay were the ones in the
position of receivers and the Salvador couple, of givers. Were they to receive
or reject the goodwill being given? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
would be down long, long time when Ka Mao would feel crystallized on the
question. During the recent visit to the country of Pope Francis, he bequeathed
to his multitudes of followers a number of gems of thought. One such gem were
the words spoken to a youthful inventor of electrical gadgets who, albeit
braggingly, recited a litany of assistance given to poor folks of the country
and elsewhere in the world. After commending the youthful scientist for his
enumerated acts of giving, Pope Francis said, “The only thing you lack now is
how to learn to receive.” So though Jesus might have unequivocally declared
that it is better to give than to receive, what Pope Francis implied was that
between giving and receiving, the harder to do is receiving. For while it is
easier, therefore better, an act of self-renunciation to part with, indeed give,
something which you have, it is far more self-destructive to receive what in
your arrogance and conceit you don’t want to accept.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Perforce
triggered by Betchay’s tantrums now, a recollection flashed in Ka Mao’s
mind:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that first visit with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Betchay in her shack by the abandoned fish
pond in Malabon. That air of arrogance she exuded was what singularly struck Ka
Mao then about her. How she seemed to pride even in her desolateness! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
Ka Mao thought, Betchay was never humbled in the wedding event. She was made
consistently proud and arrogant. But did he have the heart to tell this to her
now? He lightly shook his head. He just eyed her as she walked back to the bed,
passing him and then throwing herself there again under the blanket. But just
as soon, her hand with the wedding ring thrust toward Ka Mao and firmly grasped
his hand with the wedding ring, too. She uncovered her face, now grown mellow
with what warm feelings. At Ka Mao’s inquiring glance, she spoke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s
our honeymoon.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
that, Betchay stretched herself to blow out the light of the improvised
kerosene lamp on top of the typewriter on the writing table close by.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
the house was thrown into pitch darkness.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER VIII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">INTO THE <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">80s</b>, the nation was throbbing with
rumblings on the political front. The Mindanao secessionist movement
spearheaded by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was gaining sizeable
headway, mainly due to its backing by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC). Marcos was bragging in the media about how effectively he was
handling the Mindanao situation by talking direct to what he termed “Party in
interest.” That period saw First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos visiting Libya
and using her charm on Libya strongman Moammar Kadhaffy in his desert
headquarters. Out of that visit emerged the Tripoli Agreement which detailed
the terms for ending the MNLF rebellion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meantime, the socdems had begun the Light A Fire Movement.
a terrorist bombing spree conceived to be nationwide in scope but in practice
concentrated in the National Capital Region or Metro Manila and suburbs. It was
big wonder though that what would be apprehended as suspects in the explosions
that took place in the region were Muslims. A confessed participant in the
movement would clarify it much later: indeed they were Muslims, because the
movement had entered into an arrangement with the MNLF whereby in order to
confuse the enemy, meaning Marcos forces, MNLF elements would do the bombings
in Metro Manila and the Light A Fire Movement in Mindanao. In a way, this
clarification was confirmed by Ninoy Aquino when in his so-called memorable
speech in Los Angeles, California in 1981, he admitted having traveled with his
physician to Saudi Arabia to talk with Muslim elements on intensifying the
struggle against the Marcos dictatorship.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ninoy, convicted of what he called trumped-up charges,
had gone on a hunger strike in his prison cell the year before as one more
means to draw popular support for his obsession to topple Marcos. But as Ninoy,
again in his California speech, admitted, “the Filipino people would not
listen.” The hunger strike merited though the intercession, read that coercion,
by the United States which pressured Marcos to let Ninoy go to America, there
to have his heart operation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thus
did Ninoy get himself free from martial law incarceration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thereafter
he went on a binge of lambasting Marcos every chance he got in America – in
speaking engagements and in television interviews. He went as far as offering to
be a part of Jehovah’s Witnesses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paralleling
this Ninoy binge in America was what would amount to a worsening of Marcos-US
relationship. From the time Marcos sat as President in 1965, he had been
imposing rentals on US military installations all over the country,
particularly Clark Airbase in Pampanga, naval bases in Subic Bay in Zambales
and in Poro Point in La Union, Camp John Hay in Baguio, etc. Early on those
rentals amounted to millions of dollars annually, all of which, according to
stories, went direct to Marcos’ pocket, just like the huge overprice on the
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
rentals imposed on US military sites were not a one-time application but
ongoing through the years, worse, subject to renegotiations every five years.
The next expected renegotiation of those rentals was in 1985 or thereabouts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
upping of those rentals was taken as a matter of course. The question really
was, could US swallow some more?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
appeared to be on the periphery of the issue was the increasing ties Marcos was
building up with communist powers Russia and China. Actually those ties could
serve as arm twisters for Marcos in the next rentals negotiation. Certainly as
to whether or not Russia and China would serve that purpose could only be up
for speculation, given the dearth of information anyone might have on the
matter. Nevertheless real developments are determined by laws made manifest in
unmistakable phenomena. These phenomena, once subjected to incisive analysis,
betray developments with amazing accuracy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the revolutionary front, the CPP-NPA was said to have ballooned into 25,000
regulars, all in company formations, on top of a 500,000-strong militia force and
an undetermined number of armed propaganda units. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
that figure, the Communist rebellion had greatly surpassed the ratio of 10:1
for the revolutionary forces viz the enemy, the condition for a successful
guerilla warfare. Government forces at that time were placed at 150,000. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
fact, the national situationer released by the Party for the period placed the
Communist rebellion at heading fast toward the strategic counter offensive
(SCO) in the balance of forces with the enemy. The SCO was said to be the
advanced sub-stage of the strategic stalemate from where to advance to the
strategic offensive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These were, then. the givens in the political situation
obtaining in that period when, after a meeting of the SGP, Pete discreetly
requested, in behalf of a revolutionary study group, the use of Ka Mao’s house.
Before that, Pete had visited the place a couple of times to discuss with him the
mechanics of screenwriting. This time around, Pete made it implicit that the
requested use of the house was for a far more serious and delicate purpose. If
in many instances it needed only for somebody to identify himself as part of
the progressive movement to get into Ka Mao’s good graces, all the easier would
Ka Mao accommodate a revolutionary request coming from Pete.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The group Pete brought to the house a few days after was
introduced by him as IL, which, as the group’s leader Joey, actually a lady,
explained was the “most powerful Party organ next only to the NPA.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IL,
Joey explained, stood for “international liaison”, whatever that meant. Ka Mao,
by practice, never inquired into the meaning of things in the revolutionary
movement not volunteered for him to know. Head of the group’s Educational
Department, of which Pete was a member, was Nimfa. Heading the Organizational
Department was Sandra, with Donna, a school teacher, and Vince, a photo
journalist, as members. No Finance Department element was introduced and Ka Mao
did not bother to ask. At any rate, there were two other girls in the group,
Jett and Tess, whose tasks in the group Ka Mao was not informed about.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With the group was a lean, short, fair-skinned fellow,
who walked on steel crutches. A polio victim, Ka Bryan, as he was called,
immediately reminded Ka Mao of Apolinario Mabini, who had been titled in
history as the Sublime Paralytic, being the famed brains of the Philippine
revolution against Spain and, eventually, against America. When told that the
guy was from the HO (for “higher organ”, meaning an agency directly under the
Central Committee, if not the CC itself), Ka Mao chuckled to himself, “Wow,
paralytics can be great revolutionaries indeed!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From Ka Bryan’s account of himself, Ka Mao gathered a few
things about his person. He happened to be in Paris when the anti-dictatorship
movement intensified in the early seventies and he was recruited into the
movement by a group engaged in generating logistical support on the
international front. Ka Mao could only surmise to himself that the group Ka
Bryan spoke about was the core leadership of the National Democratic Front
(NDF), the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which had
based its international liaison work in Netherlands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Bryan was the political officer assigned by the HO to
handle the political education of the group, To Ka Mao, this was a big plus
factor for the Party, entrusting such a huge task to someone who initially
impressed him as no better than that deformed creature who walked on all fours,
whom Celso had taken pains to search in order to be made the objective
correlative of his message for “Burlesk Queen”. Viewers of the film amused
heartily as Rosemarie Gil, the dethroned star burlesque dancer, after painfully
glancing over the façade of the burlesque theater now ordered closed by the
court, walked away blurting out like crazy her laughter over the irony of it
all. Beside her was the boy who walked on all fours, now on his legs curved
much like bows so that his gaits looked much like steps in a cha-cha, now on
his arms which made him look like doing the cha-cha up-side down in mid-air,
and then would be back to walking on all fours which made it difficult for one
to determine if he was aping a mule or, indeed, an ape. That must have really
drove home Celso’s message in “Burlesk Queen” which clinched for it the Best
Picutre Award in the 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Bryan turned out <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to be Joey’s husband.
It became a great source of inspiration for Ka Mao to observe Ka Bryan doing
his task religiously and Joey attending to his personal needs as the need arose,
including toilet chores and giving him bath at the small pool in the creek
every morning, before start of day-long study sessions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
study course took one whole week. At the end of each day’s session, the group
crammed themselves in spaces allotted to them. The girls took the bed which Ka
Mao and Betchay volunteered for them to use; the boys, shared a common mat on
the cement floor padded with flattened cardboard boxes; Ka Bryan, the aluminum
folding chair Ka Mao used for resting;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ka Mao and Betchay, together with Maoie, what little privacy they could
have from the small room used for keeping beddings in and the clothes closets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If, contrary to Mao Tse Tung’s dictum, revolution were a
picnic, what took place that week in Ka Mao’s house was just it: a picnic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During
breaks in the study, the group took much pleasure from savoring the rustic atmosphere,
harvesting rootcrops like cassava and sweet potato along with other food crops
like banana, and then picking the fruits of the mango, santol, lanka and macopa
trees for desserts in meals which they ate with bare hands in common servings
on one whole banana leaf laid out on the bamboo dining table. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
this, in between absorbing lessons on protracted people’s war.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the end of the week, everybody was satisfied and
insinuated that they would want to repeat the experience in the house on and on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was pleasing to Ka Mao anyway, a tendency built-in in
his character to do anything he could for the revolution. And so, at the
insinuation that the house would be used further for revolutionary purposes
over and over again, Ka Mao already envisioned an enlarged house that could
accommodate in comfort such Party group as the IL that might come his way
anytime.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It did help a lot that in that period, Leroy Salvador had
made some nice score at the tills with “Pag-ibig… Magkano Ka?”, enabling his
outfit to go full blast in producing follow-up films. Ka Mao consequently got
film assignments which gave him the money to embark on expanding his virtually
one-room affair into something a lot bigger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To the eastside was added a section, about five meters
wide and with the same length as that side of the original house. Since the
roof of this extension area would flow from the original inclination of the
initial roof, the extension area would be left with little headroom. So Ka Mao
had the ground in this area dug in order to make the roof comfortably high.
That made the original house rise five steps from the extension and turned the
expanded structure into some kind of a split-level bungalow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
porch facing the highway was maintained but made to step down accordingly to
the extension through an opening which now became the new entrance to the
house, with the extension area now serving as the receiving room. This way, the
original one-room affair became a solo bedroom, with the amenities of a
dressing room, a conversion of the original room for clothes closets and
beddings, a function moved over to the spot originally occupied by the kitchen
which outed to the porch; this spot was now entirely walled, serving only as an
adjunct<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the bedroom. The kitchen, at
the same time, was moved to the west end of the extension, with an opening that
outed toward the creek. The<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mid-section
of the extension opened with a door facing the yard where stood the century-old
mango tree, whose long, low-lying branch flowed down almost to the level of the
wide window of the extension. The original comfort room made adjacent to the house
on the creekside was retained as it was and so now rose, as the original house
did, five steps high from the extension area.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Coming home from the shooting in Baguio of “Ang Dalagang
Pinagtaksilan ng Panahon,” Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was
greeted by the sight of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Betchay needing
only to stretch herself a little to pick a fruit at the tip of the low-hanging
mango tree branch. But he was elated by how the house looked now..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The walls around the extension area were done in concrete
up to the level of the window sill, the rest up to the rafters, in webbed
bamboo barks fastened on wooden frames. The wide windows to either side of the
door at the mid-section were grilled with slim bamboo tips and covered with
steel screen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maoie, now two years old, noticed Ka Mao first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>:”Tatay!” the boy rejoiced and rushed to him. He leaped
to his arms and pressed a kiss to his cheeks. Ka Mao kissed him back and then put
him down. He took out of a plastic bag packs of strawberry and gave them to the
boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Strawberry! Yummy!” said the boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betraying great appetite for the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>green mango she had picked, Betchay indicated
her delight at Ka Mao’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>arrival. She
walked to him. Maoie gave to her one of the packs of strawberry while beginning
to eat some from the pack he had opened.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay brought you a present,” Maoie said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
took the strawberry pack, immediately opened it and munched at the red fruit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Strawberries…
I like,” Betchay said. “Sweet but a little sour. I feel like eating all sour
things.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maoie
rummaged through the other contents of the plastic bag.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Bring
that inside, Son,” said Ka Mao, and the boy did.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then
after a silent exchange of gazes with Betchay, Ka Mao dropped to his knees and
gently hugged her around the hips, pressing his face to her bulging tummy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How’s the shooting?” Betchay asked, delighted by Ka
Mao’s hug.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Done,” said Ka Mao, continuing to savor the feel of
Betchay’s belly on his face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Any prospect of another assignment.?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao appeared surprised by the question. He rose,
silently asking with a gaze why Betchay asked the question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
consulted with Dr. Juliano yesterday,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
said I need to be operated on soon. Possibly no later than middle of next
month.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao stayed silent for a moment, then walked over to the foot of the mango tree
and sat there, staring at the house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
just stood there, anticipating his words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why
operate?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
said that’s the way it should go.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
was hoping you can deliver our next baby normal.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
said once a woman starts delivering on cs, that’s it, it’s caesarian section
for the succeeding babies.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“As
things are, just to get our house finished, I have advanced from Ninong Leroy
my fee for whatever next project he would assign to me. I don’t expect to get
further advance from him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
found no words to say.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
night Ka Mao pounded his typewriter furiously, wanting to crank out a piece
which he could peddle around immediately. The family’s upkeep wasn’t much
problem for him. At certain times when he needed stop-gap means for the
family’s survival, he would just go over to his folks and plead for assistance.
His mother never failed him in this regard, even for Maoie’s medicine whenever
he got sick and Ka Mao didn’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have money
to spend. But cs operation for Betchay was not stop-gap; it was the life of
their next child at stake.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
caesarian section done for the delivery of Maoie cost P17,000.00. Though Ka Mao
did not expect it, it came at the heyday start of his screenwriting career, he
had saved a substantial amount, and the simple living he practiced with Betchay
in the Antipolo home would not use it up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
how could he ever produce P17,000.00 in so short a time?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
question riveted in his mind with each strike of his fingers on the typewriter
keys deep into the night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay,
lying in bed and feeling the stirrings inside her belly, could feel the
desperation seizing Ka Mao as he worked. How she wished she could help, “But how?”
she asked herself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
can a high school senior do to help her husband earn a living? Even high school
graduates were good only for low-paying menial work, like house helper or store
attendant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Maoie turned two years old, Betchay exerted effort to graduate from the
Antipolo National High School through the accreditation program of the
Department of Edication. By that program, high school juniors who had reached the
age of maturity, especially married individuals, were given examination in
order to accredit them for graduation. Ka Mao needed to pawn their television
set to raise money for Betchay’s travel to Laguna where to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>take the exams. With much<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>assistance from Mrs. Elfa, Betchay’s adviser
in the ANHS, Betchay passed the exam and thus, though in third year at the
time, was allowed to graduate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
one gifted with the ability of verbiage, Betchay could not say how she truly
felt that afternoon she received her high school diploma, but she had it in her
heart to turn herself into something risen above her poor beginnings. So it
must really be paining her deeply inside to just watch helplessly while Ka Mao
worked so hard all night long under the bare glimmer of the now ubiquitous
improvised kerosene lamp fastened to the typewriter cover. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was working out a story concept germinated by an incident which happened in
the farm in the intense heat of summer. Betchay was taking time doing her
market chores, Ka Mao was busy washing Maoie’s clothes and diapers in the small
pool in the creek, taking advantage of the hour when the boy Maoie, not yet one
year old, was asleep in bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Suddenly
thick smoke swept into the house and awakened the boy who, evidently getting some
degree of suffocation, squirmed around in bed and ultimately fell off. That was
when Ka Mao was astounded by the loud cry of Maoie. He rushed up the slope and
then barged into the house where he gaped in horror at the empty bed, smoke
swirling around. But Maoie’s cry continued to resonate, and tracing its source,
Ka Mao saw the boy crawling out through the side door just beyond which was a
huge fire eating up the patch of cogon that rounded the house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao snatched the boy off the floor and felt relieved to see no signs of injury
in him. But what instantly gripped him with terror was the fire threateningly
advancing toward the house. He quickly made the boy secure in a crib, which he
placed under the mango tree to insure the boy was safe from the fire just in
case, meantime that he worked to put it out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
grabbed a bamboo pole, one of a few resting upright on the mango tree, by which
he began sweeping the fire off, at least divert it away from the house. Made
mostly from bamboo and nipa, the house already much heated up could catch
flames instantly at touch of a spark.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“God,
no!” he yelled continuously, seeing that his effort was getting futile. A
number of times he looked up, as though there, indeed, was somebody up there to
hear his plea. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
for the immediate surroundings, no neighbor whatsoever was around to help. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wherever
he stood striking at the flames, the fire would be contained. But beyond his
reach, the fire spread on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then
he was horrified to catch in the corner of his eyes a trail of flames heading
toward the bamboo grove at the back of the house. The fire could not reach the
house through the ground because that area was shaded, preventing the growth of
combustible shrubs and grasses. But the danger lay in the bamboo trees, for
whenever swayed by the wind, their tips whip the rooftop of the house. The minute
the dry leaves which were lumped around the foot of the bamboo trees caught
fire, that would set the entire bamboo grove aflame and torch the house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao decided to attend to the bamboo grove first. And in just a while, he was
done securing that area from the spread of fire. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
in the meantime, the flames on the opposite area were ominously heading for the
spot where stood the mango tree under which lay the crib wherein Maoie continuously
cried. Seeing this, Ka Mao rushed back to the main body of the fire, sweeping
the bamboo pole through the flames in seemingly wild abandon – no matter that
he got burned here and there on the body, on his hands, arms and legs. With
each swing of the pole, the cracking of his voice outing his desperate cry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“God!
God! God!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nobody
was around to hear Ka Mao, nor to witness what was happening. It was a very
private communion between him and whoever it was whom in all faith and
submission he called “God”. And at the last cracking of his voice, as he felt
himself too exhausted to contend with the conflagration any further, he wobbled
on his legs then dropped to the ground much like melting jelly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that moment, Ka Mao found himself resolving:
this is it. In the face of adversity, you can only do so much with your human
strength. Ka Mao wondered afterward if he could have minded it ever had the
flames proceeded to eat up his flesh. He felt he would even not have felt pain
at all. He was ready for anything – except that the shrill sound of a baby’s
cry, Maoie’s, stuck to his consciousness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two
years later, that incident would form one of the highlights of Ka Mao’s first
directorial assignment, “Isla Sto. Niño” by Seiko Films. Out of that incident,
Ka Mao had woven a photoplay that drew heavily in content from the historic
Balanggiga Massacre in Samar during the American aggression of the Philippines
in the 1900s. According to historical accounts, the entire troops of an
American contingent were annihilated by Balangiga resistance fighters. In
retaliation for the massacre, the US military commander, Jacob Smith, issued
his infamous exhortation to his men: “I don’t want anything alive. I want you
to kill. The more you kill, the better you will please me!” And with that, as
history had recorded it, the American aggressors embarked on a killing spree, butchering
people and animals, destroying crops and plantations, while torching the whole
town of Balangiga to the ground.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Ka Mao would put it in his story, Fredo, played by Lito Lapid, and his band of
rebels organize a retreat aimed at saving from the American carnage the babies
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sto. Niño, a fictitious island off
Samar. With their ward of some one hundred babies, the rebels are cornered in
an encampment at the foot of the hills which the American soldiers set on fire,
using flaming arrows. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the movie, just as Fredo and his men
are rendered helpless against the flames that are encircling the camp and their
only recourse is to shield the babies with their bodies, divine intervention
takes place: a sudden heavy rain falls from heaven, instantly dousing the fire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Ka Mao’s private battle with the bushfire flames, there was no such artifice.
It was pure human will and sheer grit to overcome the adversity which impelled
him to continue the battle no matter that he had already fallen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Struggling
to get back on his feet, he grabbed the bamboo pole once more with which to
continue combating the fire. His eyes gaped. No more flame was in sight. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao suddenly realized how ardently he had been calling out to God. Had God
listened to him then? How would he know? There was no medium of any sort of
heavenly intervention as the suddenly falling rain that would be dramatized to
douse the fire in “Isla Sto. Niño.” There were only the smoldering embers of
stumps of cogon, of bushes and twigs, embers no longer capable of spreading
flames around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Isla
Sto. Niño”, which put back on track Lito Lapid’s journey to super stardom and
ultimately to the high echelons of the government bureaucracy, would be a
product of Ka Mao’s artistic vent; the bushfire episode, a real fight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
of the two, Ka Mao would eventually realize, the fundamental difference is: films
are made great by men’s artifice, life by man’s mortal strength to triumph over
adversity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Did
Ka Mao conquer the bushfire flames?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No,
he did not. The flames died the minute Ka Mao was left with no more strength to
put it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In any case, that struggle with the bushfire inspired Ka
Mao to embark on writing a photoplay which he initially titled “Green Inferno.”
As early as then, he was contemplating to do a movie that could be released
worldwide. Thus the English title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
evening, Ka Mao pounded his typewriter all night long. He hoped to finish writing
the script as fast as possible and transact it with any producer, even with
Leroy again. With his presentation of a new script, it would not be embarrassing
for him to ask his godfather for another advance payment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
as Ka Mao had never been steeped in finishing scripts overnight, writing the
bushfire-inspired photoplay went his normal pace. So his desperation that night
after he came home from the Baguio shooting would be replicated so many times
that before he realized it, Betchay’s hour was at hand but the money needed for
her cs delivery was not. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was the house that came into play at this crucial period. The IL group came
again in that period for another study session. Ka Mao thought the revolution
must be intensifying such that its cadres had to engage in political work
increasingly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning of the couple’s
predicament, the IL group, particularly Nimfa, worked on an obgyne of the
Philippine General Hospital, Dr. Talens, from the medical sector of the NDF.
The benign medic did the job on Betchay on Valentines Day of 1981. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr.
Talens himself had chosen the Manila Lying-In Clinic on Taft Avenue in which to
perform the operation. It would not be too costly doing it there. On top of
that, his professional fee would be reduced to the minimum and on a
pay-when-able basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“A
boy,” casually announced Dr. Talens to Ka Mao as he walked out of the operation
room after the cs was done.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rather
premature, the boy was placed in an incubator, with Ka Mao viewing him lovingly
through the glass wall of the nursery. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two
nurses came to the spot, one excitedly pulling at the other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Come,”
said the one pulling. “See how pogi (handsome) this Baby Samonte is.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao delighted at the compliment. He talked to the nurses, rather raising his
chin,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’m
his father,” he declared.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
nurses stared at Ka Mao, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>glanced him
over, then stared at him again, nearly gawking, “Huh?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao understood the reaction. It didn’t really look like the baby could be a
child of a dark-skinned, Malayan-looking guy that Ka Mao was. The baby was
fair-skinned, with facial features that, indeed, were handsome, evidently
occidental. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Ka Mao thought this was not time to lecture the nurses on Mendel’s genetics,
which after all, they, being medical people, should know, that is, that
parental traits get manifested by offsprings generations away. In time, the
baby would grow up, manifesting physical characteristics not even either of Ka
Mao’s parents, Tatay Simo and Nanay Puping, but that of Tay Celso, Nanay
Puping’s father, who was tall and handsome, with evident Castillan descent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the time being, Ka Mao reacted to the nurses’ insulting gaze with a wry smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
three were distracted by cheers coming from the street. The nurses knew what
was happening and they hurried to the balcony overlooking the avenue that was brimming
with folks who were cheering, waving their hands at somebody approaching. The
nurses immediately waved their hands, too, at the approaching figure: a frail, old
man garbed in white robe, a white cap on his head, riding in a specially-designed
vehicle with glass walls around so people could see him through from all angles
as he continuously gestured his hand to them in blessing.. The vehicle had been
played up in the media as Pope Mobile, with bullet-proof glass-walled chamber
specially built for the man riding it, Pope Paul II. This was the Pope’s first
visit to the Philippines and that ride in the Pope Mobile was his travel from
his arrival at the Manila International Airport to the Vatican Nunciature,
where he would be homed a few blocks away from the hospital.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao mused to himself, “As the throngs of people who welcome Pope Paul II down
Taft Avenue feel blessed by his passage, so in the same sense must be the birth
of my second son.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moreover,
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who willed it that because Ka Mao was so
hard-pressed with cash that a Party element must seek a doctor to perform cs on
Betchay for a pittance and for that doctor, out of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>brotherly kindness, to chose a hospital in
which to perform that operation just as the Pope was en route to the vicinity
there to spread his blessings?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If,
as Ka Mao had learned in his study of Marxist dialectical materialism, social
phenomena happen not independently of, but rather in their interrelationship
to,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one another, then there must a
relevance of the Pope’s passing the hospital, showering people with spiritual
blessing at the very moment Betchay’s baby was being born. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Somebody
distracted Ka Mao from his thoughts, a nurse who spoke, “Your wife wants you in
her recovery room.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Ka Mao entered the recovery room, a nurse was interviewing Betchay as she lay
in bed. She had barely recovered from the operation she had undergone for the
delivery of the baby.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“They
want to know what the name of our baby will be,” Betchay said to Ka Mao. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao looked to the nurse inquiringly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We
need to enter his name in the birth certificate,” said the nurse then asked as
she prepared to write on the birth certificate form the name Ka Mao would say,
“What will you call your baby, Sir?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao found himself thinking back on the scene just past before his eyes out on
the street: throngs of believers in a great outpouring of affection and
reverence for Pope Paul II. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Almost
dreamily, Ka Mao answered, ”Paulo.”</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER IX</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A DAY AFTER Paulo was
born, Ninoy delivered his much-touted memorable speech before hundreds of
listeners in Wilshire Ebell Theater, Los Angeles, California. He was walking on
steel crutches and to Ka Mao, he did strike up a semblance of Ka Bryan, the HO
Political Officer for the IL Group. But though all throughout the speech Ninoy
appeared in the pink of health, exuding his characteristic flamboyant air, when,
after being introduced by the emcee, he ambled to the microphone in midstage to
begin his speech, he pathetically limped on those steel crutches and by that
got the audience hooked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But Ka Mao could not have failed to notice that after
just a couple of steps, Ninoy was doing it exactly as Julie Vega did in doing a
scene in his movie “Iiyak Ka Rin”, one of the many box office hits he directed
for Seiko Films. The scene required the smart teen superstar to walk on
crutches in entering a hospital. But too much an imp for her age, the girl thought
of testing Ka Mao’s direction by virtually just walking, just acting out a
limp, with the crutches just getting carried by her hands, hardly touching the
ground. Of course, she expected a retake. But Ka Mao, keenly sensing the
deliberate misbehavior, got back by allowing the take to stand as the spoiled
brat did it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Who would suffer from the bad acting? Not him but the
actress, Ka Mao told himself and shouted, “Pack up.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ah…, Ka Mao sighed as he watched on video Ninoy doing his
thing at the very start of his speech. Unmatched by Julie Vega in that
particular situation, Ninoy appeared to be perfecting the artifice, the genius
to evoke mass illusion of his heroism through vivid pictures of injuries
sustained in battle. Ka Mao began seeing that genius in Ninoy as he walked down
the stairs of Hilton Hotel that night of August 21, 1971, when the entire
senatorial ticket of the Liberal Party got blasted by two grenades. A cocked
.45 pistol gripped in his hand, he strode down the stairs ready to do battle.
He got no injuries though, since he was miraculously away from the party
political rally on Plaza Miranda, but his party mates lay onstage all terribly
maimed along with wounded and killed bystanders, and with Ninoy’s courageous
stride with the .45 juxtaposed on these grim images, he certainly etched in
people’s mind <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on a mass scale the figure
of a warrior savior. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In similar grim circumstances, that figure would shine
on: street demonstrations in the increasing Marcos curtailment of civil
liberties, arrest and incarceration of Ninoy and other top opposition leaders
upon the declaration of martial law, his solitary confinement, the hunger strike
embarked on in continued defiance of the Marcos dictatorship, the near-death he
sustained as a consequence which prompted the government to confine him in a
hospital, onward to his veritable furlough in the United States, there to
continue fighting Marcos under atmospheres endemic in the land of the free.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even his failed attempt to get elected to the Interim
Batasang Pambansa, Ka Mao thought now, could not have been conceived to win.
How could a political genius that Ninoy was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>have failed to realize that he could never hope to win in an
election<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>under martial law. The LABAN
ticket he headed was pitted against a slate of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL)
with no less than First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos at the helm. No way Ninoy
and company could win. And they did lose with a dismal score of O. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chances
were that Imelda and her group did win in an honest way. There were no
indications of any irregularities in the conduct of the election. The counting
of votes was open to public view, very transparent, and the final count put KBL
team winning 21 to nothing for Metro Manila. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Could
Ninoy give a damn? Not at all. He ran not to win but to get another trouncing in
the hands of Marcos and thereby get martyred on and on to the point of sanctification,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And what better testimony to this would there be than
Ninoy’s mystery-shrouded homecoming on August 21, 1983. A single bullet, shot
through his skull as he was being led by AVSECOM soldiers down the stairs of
the China Airlines that had taken him to the Manila International Airport, sent
Ninoy dropping to the tarmac.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That picture of Ninoy lying dead face down on the
pavement finally accomplished the sanctification. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And maintaining Ninoy in exactly his same physical
condition in death, i.e., the face made ugly by the bullet wound, and uglier
still by the blood that had been splattered on it, allowed to dry and entirely
unwashed, just like the similar bloodstains on his immaculate clothes, there to
stay all the way to his entombment – what <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>did all this do but make the sanctification
eternal!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From then on, Ninoy would be god. Because of him, Cory
would be president. Because of him, Noynoy would be president. Because of him,
what generations descending from, or claiming rights under, him would take
turns ruling the Philippines after Noynoy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
going back to his February 15, 1981 speech, Ninoy related that as he stepped
out of his car to come to a speaking engagement in Ohio State University, he
must have tripped on the gutter, causing what he said as his Achilles heel
tendon to tear up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just his luck, one might say. But no matter, it gave him
the excuse to come to the Wilshire Ebell Theater Freedom Rally in crutches. All
the better for imparting to an enthralled audience the image of somebody
getting injured in battle but getting back up on his feet and fighting on and
on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was a wonderful speech, deserving of what it had come
to be known: Ninoy’s memorable speech. Interspersing it with his characteristic
humor, he got the hundreds awake through his two-hour long litany of
accusations against Marcos and self-adulations of his virtues.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ninoy had one single message for Marcos: step down and
return democracy to the Filipino people or throw the country in chaos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To the cheers of the throng in attendance, Ninoy intoned,
“Though I have vowed never to enter the political arena again, I will dedicate
the last drop of my blood for the dismantlement of your dictatorship.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And Ninoy did that day he returned to drop dead on the
airport tarmac.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The nation – or, anyway, Metro Manila and select sites in
Luzon, Visayas and Mindano – threw in worrying disturbances: street demos here,
confetti prostest showers there, symposia in campuses, and noise barrages, all
sorts of mass actions condemning Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The economy was suddenly on the downtrend, with the peso
dropping to 22 to 1 dollar. The increasing turbulence, mainly from the middle
class but with strong participation from the workers, was beginning to drive
investors away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But as if in contrast, Ka Mao’s private economy
experienced an upswing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1981 was the year Betchay began conceiving their third
child. Into the next year, Ka Mao again began to worry where to get money for
Betchay’s next cs operation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the way home from a visit with his folks in Manila, Ka Mao was walking across
Araneta Center<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>heading for the terminal
for jeepneys going to Antipolo, Maoie in his arms. Now in getting to the
terminal, they would have to pass Jollibee unavoidably and Maoie would pester
him on and on until he took him into the store for a yumburger and French
fries. In times when he got money, Ka Mao would even delight at Maoie’s
throwing in tantrums before bringing him in the store for a snack. This time,
however, he had no money to spare for that purpose and the Jollibee signage ahead
struck Ka Mao’s eyes like a sudden terror. Ka Mao made a sharp detour into the
Farmers Market. That way they would be skirting Jollibee and cross another street
to get to the jeepney terminal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Maoie had grown used to the surroundings and he knew they were not going the
right way. And he fretted, indicating to Ka Mao where they should go instead –
the Jollibee way. The boy would have gone on squirming in Ka Mao’s arms had he
not been distracted by Ka Mao being greeted by Efren Piñon and Conrad Poe. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
two were close buddies. They had stood as sponsors in Paulo’s baptism. When not
making movies, they engaged in dealing tuna which they got from Cotabato. The
fish variety was abundant in the province and heads of the fish were virtually
cast aside as trash in tuna canning factories. These fish heads were prime
items in beer joints where they were grilled for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pulutan </i>or dish for munching on while drinking brew.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That afternoon, Efren and Conrad were at the market,
transacting with fish vendors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Just right time, Mao,” said Efren. “I got an assignment
from Seiko Films.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao had worked with Efren on “Nang Umapoy ang
Karagatan”, a big project which Efren directed for Showbiz, Inc. A known action
movie director, Efren was offered by Seiko to direct a comics epic, “Boy
Condenado” by Carlo Caparas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are you free?” asked Efren. “You can do the script.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Am I free!” exclaimed Ka Mao. “I am.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Boy Condenado” was significant to Ka Mao in a number of
“firsts”. It was his first movie for Seiko Films. It was his first time working
with Laarni Enriquez, the charming, amiable and adorable Tondo beauty queen who
shortly after would be Ka Mao’s leading lady in his first directorial job,
“Isla Sto. Niño”; six years after, Laarni would be First Lady of the Land in her
own right, being love partner to President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. And it was
the first time Ka Mao had a hand directing a scene in a movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Efren, who years after would betray his spiritual depth
in directing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>video presentations of the
El Shaddai Movement, had the good graces to make Ka Mao direct a highlight of
the movie, with himself confining to handling one of three cameras needed for
the scene. It was a truly big scene involving men and equipment, fire trucks,
police patrol cars, and stunts as crowd panicked in a neighborhood-wide fire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao did his damn best and pulled off the job with, as
the cliché goes, flying colors. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What he did not realize was that Robbie Tan, the
executive producer of Seiko, was around all the while, keenly observing. After
“Boy Condenado,” Seiko’s next project would be “Isla Sto. Niño”, with who else
as the director but Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
X</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE SUCCESS of “Boy
Condenado” at the box office, Ka Mao credited solely to Robbie Tan whose
marketing expertise Ka Mao would rate superb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sure, the movie had a superstar for the leading man, Rudy Fernandez,
playing the title role; a known author of movie hits, Carlo Caparas; and a
reputed action movie director, Efren Piñon. All these and more would form plus
factors which by conventional reckoning ensured fans would go and see the
movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But Robbie, a young <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>graduate of the Asian Institute of Management,
had the daring to defy conventions. For one thing, in the hierarchy of values
he had come up with to determine whether or not a movie would make money, the
cast, meaning star value, fell only on the third rung, with marketing on the
second. At the topmost level was concept.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Concept translates to, what is the movie all about? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
what was “Boy Condenado” all about? Was it about that good-boy-gone-astray
stereotype as harped on in the comics serialization of the material? Robbie
wouldn’t buy that stuff. The only reason he got the comics story was, it was a
novel by Carlo Caparas, who was getting to have a captive audience. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
the shooting of the movie began, Robbie, having much doubt about the project,
even had a meeting with Carlo in which he expressed his preferrence to have
another material from him to shoot, or else he would just return “Boy
Condenado”. This was another way of saying, “return the money already paid for
it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Carlo was evidently offended but kept his cool. Trying
hard to be polite, Carlo spoke, “No, Robbie. That’s yours. I can’t take it
anymore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
the filming of Carlo’s novel went ahead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
due time, the production phase was completely done. While work proceeded to the
post-production phase, Robbie began minding how to sell the movie. That night, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao had a brainstorming with him and his
brother Edward. They needed to have a catchline for marketing purposes, in
newspaper ad placements and in other publicity formats as lobby displays,
posters and billboards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After much exchange of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ideas, Edward nonchalantly spoke the phrase: “The story of a boy from
Malabon.” Ka Mao took it as too commonplace. Edward himself, not pretending to
any literary skill, didn’t attach any deep significance to what he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was Robbie who instantly looked like having hit gold.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At that time, a very hot issue was Ben Tumbling, the
underworld character who had been involved in a number of high crimes. The
legendary criminal was recently gunned down in an encounter with law enforcers,
prompting movie producers to beat one another in getting the film rights for
his story. But the martial law dispensation saw it fit to ban the filming of
the Ben Tumbling story for obvious reasons: nothing against the establishment
was to be allowed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With Robbie, the government restriction offered no
problem. He did not have to film a Ben Tumbling story. He only needed to
impress upon film audiences – indeed, marketing – that “Boy Condenado” was the
real-life story of Ben Tumbling. But precisely because of the government
restriction, he could not pass on, even for marketing purposes, “Boy Condenado”
as a film on Ben Tumbling. The catchline austerely thought of by Edward would
do the trick.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was known to all and sundry that Ben Tumbling was to
Malabon as Asiong Salonga was to Tondo or Narding Putik to Cavite. It only
needed to play up Edward’s idea to make people believe that “Boy Condenado,”
“The story of a boy from Malabon” was the story of Ben Tumbling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And the people believed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All of a sudden, “Boy Condenado” was the talk of the
town, on sidewalks, in barbershops, in many a tete-a-tete in slums
neighborhoods, and even among students in campuses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That “Boy Condenado” would score big at the tills became
a foregone conclusion. That would be the good product of that brain storming in
the Malabon office of Seiko Wallet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The bad thing was for Ka Mao. Because of the sensational
marketing Robbie did, the Board of Censors got so strict about the movie that they
deleted most anything which in their perception had a semblance of Ben
Tumbling’s exploits. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The result was a badly-mutilated photoplay that found Ka
Mao reeling from attacks from all self-righteous critics lambasting him for bad
writing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From that experience, Ka Mao swore never to do a movie
again unless he would direct it himself. This was the only assurance he could
have that his scripts would stay faithful to his intentions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before that, known drama director Armando de Guzman,
recognizing Ka Mao’s talent <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to write,
advised him: “If you want to get your break in directing movies, write a good
script then offer it to a producer on the condition that you will direct.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so it was that as Betchay was infanticipating on
their third child, Ka Mao worked on his initial drafts of the “Green Inferno”.
In a short period, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he finished the
script, this time titling it “Isla Sto. Niño.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When he presented the synopsis to Robbie, his eyes
glistened with dollar signs, evoked by imageries of a hundred babies getting
subjected to every ordeal in the forest: fire, raging rapids, the elements. All
this, while avoiding canon shells from American forces rendered intransigent in
their objective to annihilate everyone, rebel or baby.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was the concept and Robbie nodded, smiling..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The proposal sheet Ka Mao presented already had a
catchline to carry: “God, save the babies!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’ll do it,” Robbie said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao fixed his eyes on Robbie as a take-off for his
next words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I must direct,” Ka Mao said, indicating grit and
resolve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Robbie understood, smiled, then said, “Ok.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
was a day after July 17, 1982, when Dr. Juliano came out from the operation
room of the Tiongson Hospital in Taytay, Rizal, done with the cs operation on
Betchay for the delivery of their third child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Kengkay,”
Dr. Juliano told Ka Mao, gleaming. The term actually alluded to the female
genitalia.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao gleamed, too. He already had two boys and had wished for a girl. His wish
was granted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
the deal clinched on “Isla Sto. Niño,” Ka Mao did not have a hard time
requesting Robbie for down payment from which to draw the amount needed for
Keng’s delivery. Dr. Juliano’s given nickname for the girl as a jest stuck:
“Kengkay.” But in formal baptism, she was named Maripaz, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the first half of which derived from the first
half of Betchay’s full name “Maribeth” and the second half, “Paz”, after the
full name of Ka Mao’s grandmother, Nay <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paz.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE BIRTH of Maripaz
appeared to signal the start of a good life for Ka Mao and his family. Food and
other provisions for day-to-day subsistence were getting increasingly plentiful.
Indulgence in little luxuries became affordable. Weekends saw Ka Mao taking
Betchay and the kids to some form of diversion or the other.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As for the house, Ka Mao now wanted a concrete one. But
without much planning, he leveled down the whole original one-room affair and
exactly on the same spot on which it stood,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>he immediately embarked on constructing a replacement, already
erecting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>columns on two sides, three on
each side. Once done with five columns, three on one side and two on the other,
he realized the ultimate budget for the intended house would be too enormous
for his present capacity. He decided to halve the structure, with two columns
on each of two sides. And that’s how the house turned out, only one half of
what had originally been meant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
problem was that the completed half was the one consisting of the bedroom, the
kitchen and the bathroom. The non-done half was the one meant for the living
room. Once walled around with concrete, the resulting structure looked more
like a series of solitary confinement cells joined together by a hallway at the
entrance and a narrow corridor that was the gap between the bedroom and the
kitchen. The hallway was that gap between the solid cement wall of the front of
the house that rose all the way to the rafters and the solid wall of the
kitchen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
the right end of this hallway was the comfort room and at the left, the landing
of the steps to the sunken extension area on the one hand, and on the other
hand, the stairs to the attic, again made of bamboo. The trusses were fastened
to the top of the walls, both the one above the entrance and the one at the
back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The openings through the trusses
were fitted with iron grills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Clinging
on to his apparent fetish for all things native, Ka Mao still used nipa for the
roof of the new house and made it high so as to accommodate an attic, a feature
which Ka Mao added in order to compensate for the lack of a living room. The
kitchen wall facing that of the main entrance was made to rise such that its
top served as a railing from where one on the attic might look down on the
hallway to, say, check who was getting inside the house. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The floor of the attic consisted of bamboo
slats nailed on the wooden beams with little spaces in between. Ka Mao had this
done deliberately for purposes of ventilation. That might be good for airiness
in the attic atmosphere but on questions of privacy, it was highly inadvisable.
One on the attic got to see the activity on the groundfloor and vice versa. But
this was how the family house was back in his childhood days and Ka Mao just
could not overcome the nostalgia. For that matter, one reason why Ka Mao
prohibited his family from cutting bamboo shoots for viand was because he
wanted the bamboo trees to flourish and provide steady supply of bamboo anytime
he needed it. Had he tolerated Betchay in her own fetish of eating bamboo
shoots, no more bamboo trees in the property would be standing by now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such an eyesore was the unused column that now
stood like a Meralco post gone astray. Tearing down the column would readily
cure the sore, but Ka Mao would have none of it. The column had cost much and
he would not want to waste that money. He cranked his skull and soon hit the
idea. Around the column, he put up four wooden posts, four inches by four
inches in diameter and set in a square formation five meters apart from one
another. The top of the posts which were six feet six inches high, he fitted
with two inches by four inches wooden beams joined end to end. Then rafters two
inches by four inches in diameter were fitted from<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the tip of the concrete column to a
corresponding tip of the wooden posts where the beams were joined up as well as
to corresponding points above the midsections of the beams. These rafters were
then rounded with purlins so that the whole set up had the look of a spider
web. On this setup of rafters and purlins would be fastened nipa roofing to complete
the structure of a pergola. Completed wih bamboo railing that connected the
posts to each other below, with one such section left open to serve as
entrance, the resulting structure was a pretty, quaint architecture that would
serve both as receiving room and dining room for guests. Ka Mao ordered a
rattan six-seater round dining table with matching rattan sala set as
furnishings for the pergola. At the foot of the concrete column were stacked
modest-sized boulders plastered with cement to one another, on top of one side
of which was placed a native earthen jar for holding drinking water to complete
the amenities of native dining. The other top of the boulders was fitted with a
lavatory for washing hands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, Ka Mao
intended the attic to be his library. writing room and conference room all
rolled up into one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
since he wrote all throughout most of the night, it was in the attic that
sleepiness almost <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>always overtook him
and there he would lay out a mat for him to sleep on.. And since the kids
always loved to sleep with him, it was on the attic that they almost always got
themselves overtaken by sleepiness, too, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and there would sleep with him. Besides, it
was on the attic that Ka Mao guided the kids in doing their school assignments,
so that almost always after the study sessions, they would be too sleepy to get
down to the bedroom where Betchay could now be snoring all by her lonesome.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In many such a moment, Ka Mao would pause from his
writing and get amused at the kids doing various funny positions in their sleep.
How nice to be just kids, he would muse. To be worry-free and letting daddies
bother about all the cares in the world. Ka Mao felt he had not much to worry
about at the moment anyway. He was not lacking in film assignments, with Seiko
having vaulted to the top third spot among the leading film producers, the
first two being Viva Films and Regal Films.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The only thing Ka Mao could not seem to give to his
children until now was the luxury of electricity. Light was remediable, because
they could have similar amount of it from petroleum lamps; in his case, from
his goodie ole improvised kerosene lamp fastened with electrical tape to the
top of his typewriter when he wrote. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Electricity
meant a lot more of things: radio, television, cassette recorder and player,
educational and entertainment gadgets, and, yes, the refrigerator that remained
unoperated. Above all things at the moment was their need for clean water. The
creek was getting dirtier and dirtier due to wastes dumped in it by settlements
on the higher planes. There was no more way to distinguish the creek water from
the spring water with which it unavoidably got mixed up. If he could have
electricity, he could dig a deep well and then pump water from it, using the
jack pump Leroy Salvador gifted him with sometime ago.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao could manage now to raise some hundred fifty
thousand pesos to have his own transformer installed in order to lower the
voltage of the high-tension wire that passed his place. But that’s not the only
item he needed to spend money for. The kids’ schooling was top priority, and
when money was put into that priority, what was left was the budget for the
family’s subsistence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Checking with Meralco again for a possible remedy, he was
informed that he could buy stocks of the company and use those shares as
back-up for the transformer that would be put in place for his use. Ka Mao lit
up. The amount of shares he needed to buy was very affordable. Before long, he
was applying for a certificate of electrical inspection with the Municipal
Engineer’s office. Through the help of one Alegre, a very amiable and
accommodating fellow, Ka Mao was issued the certificate plus another one, a
certificate of occupancy, a most fundamental requisite for occupying a house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Alegre came to him that morning announcing as he
brandished the documents in his hand, “Approved without looking.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the same time, Ka Mao put up an entrance post with all
engineering specifications for such a facility, complete with electrical plan
for causing the electric wires<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to pass
underground rather than above, for optimum safety. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So in less than a year after Maripaz was born, the family
got its one remaining single lack: electricity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The family rejoiced. Ka Mao wanted to shout out something
grand. But he could not. It would take more than two decades thence when –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>due to unpaid bills the electric connection
so dearly gained was permanently cut up and Ka Mao’s reapplication for the same
was denied on account of an encumbrance by the Epira Law that applicants for
Meralco electric connection must submit a title to the land on which the
connection was to be made and Ka Mao could not show one, but he argued his case
vehemently nonetheless and Meralco, through the kind intercession of Vice President
for Communications Joe Zaldarriaga, acquiesced in the end – Ka Mao, in a text
message to Joe, finally worded his joy: “’Tis no hypherbole. After eons of
darkness, Meralco is the next best thing to life.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In due time, Robbie would sell to Ka Mao his Toyota Land
Cruiser at a very friendly price. With the vehicle, the family completed the
normal standard for gaining the status of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>well-to-do: a house-and-lot and a car, with children going to good
schools. When she came of school age, Maripaz joined Maoie and Paulo at the
Montessori, and when things got even better, all three transferred to
Assumption. At the time, boys were accepted in the school but only up to Grade
4, so early on Ka Mao wondered if he could afford to send Maoie and Paulo <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to Ateneo. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During a meeting of the Assumption Family Council Ka Mao
voiced out this concern to one parent, who right away remarked, “If you can
afford Assumption, you can afford Ateneo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was how very attentive and meticulous was Ka Mao
about the education of his kids. Poverty had not allowed him to finish his
engineering course and he did not wish to see his children meeting with the
same fate. With his film career progressing all throughout the 80s, it looked
like the education of his children would take on a happy course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meantime
Ka Mao’s bank account was getting fatter everyday. Particularly for Betchay,
this was source of much secure feeling. Though it was not in her name, she kept
the bank book and thereby held power over the purse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
was making sure she got to achieve her own agenda. She wanted to finish college
and pursue a profession of her own. As all the kids were now in school, she
found enough time to mind her own studies. Ka Mao was quite heartened by her
desire for college education and supported her enrollment at the Philippine
School of Business Administration for accounting studies. A new vehicle was
added to the family’s modest motor pool, a Ford Laser, and this became
Betchay’s personal car in going to and from school. She had endeavored to study
driving without Ka Mao knowing it, but he was glad to know she could drive, because
it meant she could be his personal driver. Ka Mao himself knew how to drive,
but he got this habit of conceiving<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>stories while in travel and he rightly deemed it dangerous to be doing
so while driving on his own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
so, at the same time that Betchay got the nice feeling of being admired by the
crowd in the PSBA campus as a car-owning student, she also did the good job of
driving Ka Mao through many journeys into creating stories. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
the side route through Binalonan, Pangasinan during a travel from Baguio, they
passed a large plantatation of eggplants and the sight of that vegetable
variety being grown on a large scale stirred Ka Mao’s mind into creating
“Talong”, the movie that launched Nini Jacinto and Leonardo Litton to stardom
and turned out to be a big moneymaker. Ka Mao observed Ricky Lee and his
same-sex company stepping out of a theater, enthusing at the movie,
particularly that scene where Nini, in giving a drunk Leonardo a sponge bath,
gleefully toyed with his genitals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Kangkong”, which, for all its earthy
celebration of sex, drew a heartening<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>commendation from the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines
and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>made a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>star out of a poor slums denizen, Brigitte de
Joya , was a product of a similar journey. Betchay was driving down a Morong,
Rizal highway which skirted the Laguna de Bay when Ka Mao noticed that the
shores of the famous lake were teeming with ponds growing the favorite
vegetable for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sinigang</i>, an exotic
dish of either fish or meat boiled in tamarind juice with a rich mixture of
spices, serving both as viand and soup in meals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Halimuyak ng Babae”, originally titled by Ka
Mao as “Sa Daigdig ng mga Toro”, was inspired by a sprawling cow ranch in Baao,
Camarines<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sur which on a travel to
Catanduanes struck Ka Mao as a lovely landscape, with Mayon Volcano majestically
pictured in the background. In all instances before that, Ka Mao had been
traveling the same route but on public transport and always at nights. There
was no way he could see the herd of cattle grazing on the meadow. With Betchay
driving this time, the travel was in broad daylight and then and there got him
gestating the story of a girl given away as prize in a rodeo festival; the
movie made more money for Seiko and turned the otherwise unheralded starlet
Abby Viduya into the sex superstar Priscilla Almeda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
journey to Pagsanjan Falls had Ka Mao and Betchay passing Lumban, Quezon, a
town proclaiming as its prime cottage industry the production of cheese from
carabao milk. Ka Mao revisited the town at dawn to witness the production of
such delicacy and there completed his concept of the movie “Kesong Puti,” a
super hit which made Klaudia Koronel a star overnight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
travelling through a deserted highway in Mauban, Quezon, Ka Mao witnessed the
large-scale cutting of coconut trees for turning into coco lumber and it got
him so mad he thought of a story to advocate a stop to such despoliation of
nature, and the result was “Bad Girl,” which picked up a struggling starlet
from the doldrums and catapulted her to superstardom, Cristina Gonzales, who in
1991 would beat them all with a whopping score of fifteen movies in a year, all
casting her in the lead role: “Katawan ni Sofia”, “Maiinit na Puso”, “Akin ang
Asawa Mo”, etc., the rest of the fifteen being works of other directors. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kring-Kring
became the most sought-after star after “Bad Girl”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
brief, during trips, Ka Mao must have complete freedom to let all his thoughts
bloom. Gestating stories and driving at the same time could invite disaster. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
time Ka Mao was driving, Betchay comfortably seated beside him, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and was into his usual indulgence in creative
thinking, when a truck laden with pigs suddenly sped out of the gates of a piggery.
Ka Mao realized he was already face to face with the driver of the truck who
exchanged terrified stares with him. Ka Mao was ready to take a terrible smash-up.
But his foot stepped on the brakes nonetheless while his hands spun the wheel
furiously to the right, causing his Mitsubishi van to spin 180 degrees,
avoiding by an inch the truck which in fright, the driver drove on, quickly
shifting to high gear.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao leaned back on his seat, heaving a sigh. It was a long stretch of empty
highway they were on anyway and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he had
all the time to just sit there and wait till his nerves leveled up. But Betchay
took no time taking over the wheels, turning the car back to its original
direction, resuming the travel.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They
were on the way to Puerto Azul for Ka Mao to do a double-check of a location
for “May Gatas Pa Sa Labi”, an idea of a man and an adolescent girl washed
ashore on a deserted island from a sea mishap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ka Mao had traveled to the place one time during a location hunting and
that area in Cay Labne, Tanza, Cavite had the distinct feature of a forest
adjacent to the sea, with a river flowing down into it. It germinated in Ka
Mao’s mind a Robinson Crusoe type of adventure, and when he offered the idea to
Kara Films which had sought him out for a film project, the good-natured
executive producer, Roger Leonardo, said, “Your call, Direk.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
all systems went for the project, The production staff and crew were organized,
and to play the role of the adolescent sea mishap victim opposite top star
Tonton Gutierez was a Vir Mateo talent whom Ka Mao discovered while she was doing
a tryout for a role in a theater play in the Ninoy Aquino Park and Wildlife. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao did not have to think twice when he came face to face with the girl. She
was thirteen, petite and pretty, her big round eyes, glowing doll-like, mirrored
girlish innocence, but her French mestiza allure already exuded some pleasant
sultriness – Aila Marie, the name she would retain in the billing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Invariably,
that was how Ka Mao judged his stars. The looks came first. Acting, a period of
workshop would solve it. Above all, Aila was new, so very new, completely
malleable so as to be made submissive to his direction. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
invariably as well, the approach worked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
Ka Mao was not so sure about the location. His particular requirement was a
stream flowing from falls in a forest so that without having to cut a shot, you
trail the flow of water with a camera pan and capture the stream outing into a
panorama of the ocean, its blue waters reflecting the color of the sky, with a
clouds-rimmed horizon yonder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Much
to his dismay, Ka Mao realized Cay Labne, though having inspired the concept,
did not fit into the shooting requirement. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thus
did<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that near-crash with the pig
delivery truck go for naught.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao would finally find the perfect site in his native town of Calolbon, now San
Andres, Catanduanes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And “May Gatas Pa
Sa Labi” made so much money when shown that not long after, Kara Films,
hitherto relatively unknown, was being reckoned with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s
me you’re getting popular with this, Direk,” said Roger of his venture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, as if by tradition, Aila Mare was
signed up <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for exclusive contract by
Regal Films.That had been Regal’s way of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>keeping bankable talents in the industry completely under its control. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao nearly fell into it, too, that day Mother Lily invited him to her office
where without much ceremony she instructed Ate Luz, the ever loyal and devoted
secretary-cashier of the Regal matriarch, to prepare pronto the advance payment
for making Ka Mao exclusive for the company. In a little while, the lady Man
Friday was done with a thick wad of checks which Mother Lily eagerly signed for
issuing to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
is three hundred thousand, Direk,” said the First Lady of Philippine
movies<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as she signed the checks. “Just
down payment for ten movies. The balance per movie, you get everytime you
shoot.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao found it extremely hard to refuse the offer from somebody whose winsome way
of dealing with people, albeit play-act, was simply irresistible. But Betchay
kept elbowing his side, nearly gnashing her teeth as she counseled him, “Don’t
sign.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Only
when Mother Lily was done signing the checks did Ka Mao get to say, “Sorry,
Mother. No need for this contract. Just you hire me anytime you wish”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao didn’t know why he listened to Betchay. Mother Lily had been so nice to him
that it indeed made him sincerely sorry to have rejected her. The lady eyed
him, looking deeply hurt inside. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
remembered the first time he saw that look in her eyes. That noon at Jade Vine
Restaurant in Greenhills Shopping Mart. She had invited him for lunch along
with Ishmael Bernal for discussions on film projects. But the hours wore on and
it was now nearing two and still Mother Lily was nowhere in sight. Ka Mao was
taking it good-naturedly, having grown used to her habits, tantrums and
everything. But Bernal, the super director that he was, was visibly irked,
though he kept his thoughts to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally,
at ten minutes to two, Mother Lily arrived, beaming even as she was profuse
with apologies to her guests. They must have waited for nearly three hours, for
to a lunch invitation by someone as important as Mother Lily, you are expected
to arrive as early as eleven o’clock. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
minute Mother Lily took a seat at the table, Bernal rose abruptly, and without
looking at her nor saying a word to her, he turned away and got lost. That
clearly was the snub he had deliberately designed to get back at the lady for
having made him, a very important person, suffer the agony of a three-hour-waiting.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mother
Lily was left gaping, appearing like having been hit by a blow. She made no
adverse reaction of any sort, just that look of hurt in her eyes with which she
trailed Bernal’s oh, too proud strides in going away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
at Ka Mao’s rejection of Mother Lily’s offer, he just found himself wondering
if he was not doing a Bernal. And that made him feel guilty. Mother Lily had
been so good to him to deserve his snub. And so unavoidably, as Mother Lily
casually tore the checks intended for him, Ka Mao just found himself suddenly
reminiscing on some nice times he had had with the lady, like that midnight
trip to Pangasinan to which she had wanted him and Betchay around when she paid
homage to the Virgin of Manaoag. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">People
were wont to engage in ill talk on the lady’s frequent tantrums, growling at
employees and throwing things at them, like ash trays and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>telephone sets, whatever she could grab in
her moments of bad temper. What was hardly talked about was her regular visits
to the Virgin of Manaoag in whose miracles she manifested deep faith. At the
entrance of the Valencia Street office of Regal Films, an interesting amalgam
greeted every visitor before entering: the Virgin of Manaoag richly garlanded
with sampaguita side by side with a Buddha figurine surrounded by burning
incense.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao would have some spiritual union with Mother Lily in the Life in the Spirit
Seminar conducted in the Regal office in 1991. Along with a number of Regal
celebrities, Ka Mao underwent the seminar for a week. From that seminar, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao got a copy of the Good News Bible,
which had since then become his ready reference for Gospel guidance; the one
Manay Consoling gifted him with stayed kept in the shelves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why Ka Mao heeded Betchay’s counsel for him
not to sign the exclusive contract, he couldn’t say. Chances were that Mother
Lily had sincerely wished to keep him for keeps. The fact was that even with
his refusal to sign, Ka Mao continued to enjoy the good graces of Mother Lily.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Into the 90s, Ka Mao was getting to be a
topnotch director in number of films made; in 1991 he scored six for the year
alone. Four of those six were for Regal films.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao would realize that goodwill is not sourced from worldly trappings of legal
contracts but from a sincere covenant with God to do good. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER XII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SOCIETY threw in tumult
in the aftermath of the Ninoy Aquino assassination that August 21, 1983. Like
most anybody else, Ka Mao’s impulse was to call it a handiwork of Marcos. But
after a period of putting two and two together, Ka Mao advanced the opinion
that Marcos was no fool to make a hero out of a dead man walking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his admitted sojourns to various places outside of the
United States to strike up formal<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>alliances against Marcos, sticking always to his side was Dr. Solis, the
surgeon who performed triple heart by-pass operation on him in Dallas,
Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The doctor had become so dear a
friend to Ninoy that, as he admitted in an interview with the Philippine Daily
Inquirer, he “would take Ninoy’s secret to his grave.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ninoy was a terminal case, no doubt about that. That was
why he needed Dr. Solis to travel along with him in those numerous trips to meet
up with allies and supporters. But on that particular journey for homecoming in
1981 when he should need medical attention most, Dr. Solis was prominently
missing. Ninoy appeared a pathetic lonesome as he moved from one plane to
another in the circuitous trip back home, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The question, then, is unavoidably asked: When does a
patient no longer need a doctor? The answer is simple: When there’s no more
hope of cure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As a finale to a lengthy essay on Ninoy which Ka Mao
posted in his blog KAMAO in 2010, he cited a passage from a video documentary
entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beyond Conspiracy: 25 Years
After</i>. The presentation was hosted by Tina Munzon Palma, who, as a
clincher, declared: “In the end, Ninoy won his political chess game with Marcos
by doing the unthinkable: he sacrificed the King.” And Ka Mao, after citing the
consequent rise to power of what the media had hyped to be apolitical, Ninoy’s
widow Cory, made his own fearless pronouncement: “That was a good death, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>translation of the Greek word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">euthanasia</i>.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So much given to metaphors in his writing, Ka Mao was
alluding to the medical practice of physicians finally ordering the detachment
of various life supports from a patient to facilitate his passage from life.
Mercy killing, that’s how it is generally known. But the gory manner by which
Ninoy got killed and depicted in the video presentation prompted Ka Mao to
recall a scene in a cowboy movie in which a horse with broken legs, thus with
no more hope of living further, was shot by its very owner, thereby, with that
single bullet through its skull, making its death easy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sure, Ninoy got death good and easy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But for the nation, that drama on the tarmac ushered in
terribly difficult times. Cory, suddenly grown political, led ceaseless
disturbances all riding on the single cry: “Sobra na! Tama na! Alisin na! (Too
much! Enough! Remove!)” Foreign capital held back on its investments, creating
an abrupt drop of the economy, ultimately leading to mass poverty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao was intrigued by the phenomenon. He would wonder
if people were made to be like that, enjoying pleasure from getting hurt.
Despite getting whacks on the head with police sticks, they would brawl with
state troopers even more. So if the turbulence from the assassination of Ninoy
was creating hard times on their livelihood, suits people fine; they had it
coming. It was their mindless accommodation of the Cory call that made them
poorer in the first place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>People’s protests all over the nation provided the crest
for Cory to ride on in a clear intention to get Ninoy’s oath, declared with
resolve in his memorable speech, done once and for all: “I will dedicate the
last drop of my blood for the dismantlement of your dictatorship.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How the people loved to repeat after Cory on and on and
on: “Tama na! Sobra na! Alisin na!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the armed CPP-NPA rebellion, the disturbances just
augured well for pushing the revolution ahead. This was the time the rebel
leadership assessed its so-called people’s war to have attained the strategic
counter offensive (SCO) sub-stage from which to spring to the strategic
offensive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the US, the situation would not be good. American
overriding concern at the time was to get Marcos done with for purposes of
achieving their intentions in the forthcoming renegotiation of the American
bases rentals. If, initially the communist movement helped US interests in its
program of demonizing Marcos as a springboard for his ouster, this time around,
that movement was poised to take over in the event of a rebel overthrow of Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Sisonite strategy of a protracted people’s war sat
quite well with the US. That strategy was only aimed at protracting on and on,
with no timeline for victory. Simply because the strategy was designed not to
win, the imperialist enemy would not lose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But into the 80s, a shift from the conventional strategy
of surrounding the cities from the countryside was becoming evident. Urban
guerilla warfare was intensifying in Metro Manila as witnessed by the
assassination of General Tomas Karingal, Chief of the Police Northern Sector
Command, and Col. James Rowe, JUSMAG Commander. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meantime, policemen became a most scared lot, not knowing
who among them would fall next from assassination by city guerillas in their
ceaseless conduct of agaw armas, a binge of killing policemen for the simple
reason of snatching their service weapons. That was how, invoking the principle
of self-reliance, urban armed city partisans (ACP) were able to arm themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This shift in revolutionary strategy should be cause for
worry for the US. Its experience in its own backyard had shown that armed city
uprisings were the modern-day effective method of toppling tyrants. Fidel Castro
did it in Cuba and the Sadinistas, in Panama.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Jun, or Rolly Kintanar, as NPA Chief was into
perfecting the blueprint for such a Sadinista-approach uprising in the
Philippines, and though it was <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>not
openly advanced, the transpirations obtaining in Metro Manila spoke for
themselves: a city-based insurrection was in the making.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For that reason, a Marcos overthrow through popular
uprising must be nipped in the bad as far as US intentions were concerned. The
communist rebels could sneak into the fray and before anybody knew it, they
were at the helm of the new dispensation that would come about. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rather, a democratic election – or, at least, an election
made to appear to the people as one aimed at restoring democracy – was the best
US option.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So alongside militant rebellion-inspired mass protests,
were sudden cries for democratic elections wherein the Marcos presidency was at
stake. In due time, as from some strings having been pulled behind the scenes,
Marcos agreed to the holding of snap presidential elections where he, in tandem
with Senator Arturo Tolentino, would run against the tandem of Salvador Laurel,
for Vice President – and Cory Aquino for President.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Political pundits viewed this as a Marcos error in
judgment. It was not. If Marcos was cocksure he would win in the snap polls, it
was because he rightly saw the balance of forces between him and Cory. As then
Singapore President Lee Kwan Yu would remark on the matter afterward, “There is
no comparison.” The favor was on Marcos’ side.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If at all, the Cory bandwagon was good only in Metro
Manila, Cebu, select areas in the Visayas, but overall surveys showed Marcos
would win. And as the counting of votes at the Philippine International
Convention Center immediately showed, Marcos was far ahead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But, alas, the team of vote counters, which curiously was
composed of ladies, staged a walkout and before the international media – intriguingly
having been organized perhaps precisely to cover the grandstand act – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>denounced the counting as a hoax.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That denouncement was the alibi Cory held on to in
claiming the presidency through a self-serving victory count conducted by
National Movement for Free Election (NAMFREL). . </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thus, at the same time that Marcos was being proclaimed
winner in the Batasang Pambansa count, Cory was proclaimed victorious by
NAMFREL. And to Marcos’ intransigence in holding on to his post, Cory countered
with a civil disobedience campaign that already threatened to explode into a
bloody situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
desperation, Marcos sent a trusted lieutenant, Labor Secretary Blas Ople to
Washington to get the final say of US on the hostilities. That was when US
President Ronald Reagan, though a good friend of Marcos, sent him the curt
final message: “Cut and cut clean.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shortly
after came the repeat of a cliché: and the rest is history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Into
his retirement years, Ka Mao became so appalled by the Syrian civil war,
particularly the brutalities it was heaping upon innocent children and babies,
that he wrote a piece and got it posted in blog site <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Get Real Post</i>, which had been introduced to him by Twitter friend
Ilda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
article went: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
Syrian Civil War:</b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">MARCOS IN RETROSPECT</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Mauro Gia
Samonte</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #AAAAAA .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Given
the turmoil obtaining in Syria at this hour, Marcos could be the kindest
president the Philippines has ever had. What the Philippines was during those
four days, February 22 to 25, in 1986 was what had Syria become first quarter
of 2011. Decades-old regimes had began falling across the Middle East either as
a result of sheer civil unrest, as in Egypt where mass protests on the streets
forced President Hosni Mubarak to resign, or where demos and rallies proved
insufficient to force the perceived dictators to step down, a certain degree of
armed action became necessary as in Libya where it needed a civil war to topple
Muammar Gaddafi and get him killed. Certainly the gravest of all these
downfalls was that of Sadam Hussein which required the costly Iraqi war, both
in terms of destructions to infrastructure and human casualties, to bring about.
</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">]</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If, then, Assad were at the helm of
the Philippine nation in those four days of February 1986, the country could
have been reduced to shambles as many parts of Syria have since the civil
unrest early 2011 escalated into a civil war. With Assad’s intransigence in
clinging to power, there is no visible end to the bloodshed and devastation
that are getting worse in Syria every day.</span></h1>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Looking back now, I ask if it was
not to the country’s fortune that Marcos did not have that much intransigence.
The nation saw on television how then Defense Secretary </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(an oversight;
should have read “AFP Chief of Staff”)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Fabian Ver was urging President Marcos to have tanks moving in and disperse the
thousands that had already massed on EDSA<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-- certainly implying firepower. But President Marcos cut him short,
ordering instead to use water hoses or any somesuch method, but never guns.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And thus did the EDSA uprising of
1986 go down in history as a peaceful people power revolt. It would be the
height of political naivette to believe so.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The EDSA rising turned peaceful
because Marcos refused to use guns.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Assad were in his place, he would insist that those in EDSA – granting
they did count a couple of millions – constituted a very slim minority of the
Filipino people who at the time were counting 83 million. Assad would have
insisted that the majority of the people were in the middle, “to be precise,
not against him.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was just that the event was
perfectly hyped in the media so that what was actually a happening in a very
small section of Metro Manila was projected as a nationwide phenomenon. And
Marcos, instead of defying Reagan’s order (how do you put this in diplomatic
terms?) to “Cut. And cut clean,” did not resist when flown to Hawaii by United
States operatives.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Assad’s case, when asked for
reaction to a demand by US President Obama for him to step down because he had
lost legitimacy to rule, he said he will not listen to anybody, never mind if
that anybody is President of the greatest nation on earth, outside of Syria.
Assad, by his assertion, would listen only to the Syrian people, and again he
would insist that the majority of Syrians are in the middle, “not against me.” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During the EDSA crisis, Marcos
definitely had the numbers and add to this the “majority” who, by Assad’s
reckoning, must be in the middle and were not anti-Marcos, he enjoyed enough
public support to stay in power. Unlike Assad, however, Marcos, though not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>really acceding<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the Reagan direction, did not choose to
defy the US wish for him to step down and allowed himself to be “kidnapped” for
bringing to exile.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Had Marcos did an Assad, he would
surely have thrown the nation into a conflagration such as what’s happened to
Syria, decimating the population by tens of thousands and bringing the country
to utter ruins. But by not doing an Assad, had not Marcos exemplified the
height of magnanimity and benevolence, care and concern, and love a leader
should reach for the people he leads?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The EDSA rising propelled the plain
housewife Cory to the pinnacle of political power. She got the whole world
enthralled. In speeches before the United Nations and the US Congress, she
gloated in the glory of the “bloodless revolution”.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And Cory called that bloodlessness
her feat!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What hypocrisy!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Almost just as soon as Cory took
over the presidency, she declared: “Now I know why people would kill for this
position.” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The bloodiest event that ever took
place on Mendiola was the Mendiola Massacre on January 22, 1987 – very early on
in the Cory administration. And the bloodiest massacre that ever took place in
Concepcion, Tarlac was the Hacienda Luisita Massacre on November 16, 2004 –
when Cory could have prevented it but did not.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If the EDSA revolt turned out
bloodless, it was because Marcos just refused to make it bloody.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Years ago, I came across a passage
from a speech by Senator Bongbong Marcos about how to treat his father. He implored
his listeners, “Look beyond the man.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It takes the grim reality of Syria
to view the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos in the correct perspective. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
short article generated scores of comments, many of them evidently coming from
Cory loyalists. The propaganda slant intrinsic in the anti-Marcos comments
prompted Ka Mao to write a follow-up article, also posted in the same blog
site. Those who made comments went by aliases.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Here
was the article: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Mauro Gia Samonte</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Apropos
the stream of comments generated by my article SYRIAN WAR: MARCOS IN
RETROSPECT,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m prompted to think back
on RASHOMON, that movie by Akira Kurosawa which won the Best Picture Award in
the 1950 Berlin Film Festival onward to winning a similar honor in the Cannes
Film Festival.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RASHOMON
tells the story of a murdered samurai viewed from different angles. Each of these
angles claims to be the truth, to be more precise told during the trial by a
number of people claiming to be witnesses to the crime. The testimonies
contradict one another, making for the difficulty of telling which is true and
which is false. This dilemma constituting RASHOMON’S theme is what I believe
stares us in the face in the current discussion.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Which
of the contradictory comments that poured into GRP on account of my article is
true and which is false. Each of the comments is not wanting in historical
proof.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">jcc
goes to such great lengths, thank you, citing someone’s account of the EDSA
event (I promise to read up on this to get me less ill-informed) to show that
orders to shoot the EDSA crowd were given out but that the field commanders
refused to carry out those orders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On
the other hand, Andrew<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reports on a
conversation he heard between General Arturo Enrile and somebody in a London
Times’ correspondent’s bash in 1995 in which the general, said to be leading
the armored column in EDSA, admitted that they were ordered to stop and being
the army, they obeyed.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Twenty
six years after, therefore, the question continues to hang: Did or did not
Marcos order shooting the EDSA crowd? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">jcc,
again, calls it being “ill-informed” to believe the exchange between AFP Chief
Ver and President Marcos was one for real. Johnny Saint agrees, calling it odd
that Ver and Marcos should be talking that way on television. “The whole
event,” Johnny says, “seems contrivcd – a scripted melodrama, and a bad one at
that.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
her part, sendonggirl, whom Amir Al Bahrs alludes to as “lockness monster” and
whom Johnny Derp would rather liken to a “mewling quim” (whatever that means),
points out impropriety in comparing a leader to Assad. “Such a low bar
hehehehe,” she comments, hardly realizing that “such a low bar” in fact was
what people in the 70s – at least Ninoy Aquino and his ilk – were
measuring<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marcos against already:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Marcos! Hitler! Diktador! Tuta!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So okay with sendonggirl<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for Ninoy to go low, low to Hitler but never
low enough to Assad?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for a final
challenge, she prescribes, “compare him to lincoln so we can see.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
okay, sendonggirl. You asked for it..</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
did self-study of law. Marcos reviewed for bar while in prison. Even Stevens.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
passed the bar. Marcos topped the bar. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
lost a number of attempts at winning lower political posts. Marcos never lost
an election. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
went turncoat from Whig Party to Republican Party and won US presidency. Marcos
went turncoat from Liberal Party to Nacionalista Party and won Philippine
presidency. Even Stevens.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln
was captain of volunteers during the Black Hawk War but, as one account says,
saw no combat save for “a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes.” Marcos
actually fought in battle as a combat intelligence officer for the allied
forces in the Philippines during World War 2. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Seven states seceded from the United States
during Lincoln’s term. No portion of the nation seceded from the Republic of the
Philippines during Marcos’ term. Marcos up. (P.S. Such secession is being
contemplated by the current PNoy administration for Mindanao through the
Framework of Agreement. History will assign score to PNoy for this.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The American Civil War broke out during
Lincoln’s term. No civil war broke out in Marcos’ term. Marcos up.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus and
arrested suspected Confederates sympathizers without warrant. Marcos suspended
writ of habeas corpus and arrested suspected communists <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>without warrant. Even Stevens.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln said, “Hold your friends close and your
enemies closer.” (Sun Tzu said this first.) Marcos<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>said, “There are no permanent enemies. There
are only temporary allies.” Even Stevens enough.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln said, “A house divided cannot stand.”
Marcos said, “This nation can be great again.” Marcos sounds better, or don’t
you agree?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lincoln served for a little more than four
years. Marcos served 20 years. Marcos far, far ahead. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So now, sendonggirl, see for yourself how
Lincoln and Marcos compare There is only one area in which Lincoln does one
over Marcos. Lincoln was so hated in America that a popular actor assassinated
him on April 14, 1865. Marcos was only exiled. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #343b40; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why is that the case, that is, why exile
Marcos? “Because,” says Hayden Toro, “</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Marcos
was against the bases agreement to be extended. Enrile, Ramos and Honasan were
just front men of the Americans….”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m
inclined to believe Hayden. The US military bases agreement was subject to
review every five years. When Marcos came into power, he began imposing rental
on these installations, the first president ever do so. By 1985, when another
review was in the offing, the US must have had enough. Marcos had to go. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
this regard, Teddy Boy Locsin, reacting on Twitter to this same article,
contributes a very helpful insight. He cites a meeting between Cory and Philip
Habib, special envoy sent by Reagan to intervene in the crisis gripping the
nation as a consequence of the presidential snap election. According to Teddy
Boy, Cory rejected Habib’s proposal for her to share power with Marcos and
declared that if that happened, she would tear the nation. At which, narrates
Teddy Boy, Habib stood and told Cory that she will (apropos<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the comment of Jack, tense is Teddy Boy’s
original) win. And as the cliché goes, the rest is history. With EDSA, Cory
won.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now,
see how we have meandered through a labyrinth of views which we seem to find a
hard time<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>getting out of. In much the
same way,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RASHOMON treats our
consciousness to endless juxtapositions of current and past scenes seemingly
able to achieve only a grand display of incoherence. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the opening sequence of RASHOMON, a priest and a man (later to be identified as
the woodcutter who, by his own testimony, discovers the murdered samurai) are
under the ruined gate of Rashomon outside Kyoto, lamenting something which they
say they cannot understand. An intruder rushes to the scene, taking shelter
from the rain that is pouring hard. He is told of the two’s lament.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Says
the priest, “War, earthquake, winds, fire, famine, the plague. Year after year
it’s been nothing but disasters. And bandits descend upon us every night. I’ve
seen so many men getting killed like insects. But evcn I have never heard such
a story as horrible as this. Yes, so horrible. This time I may finally lose my
faith in the human soul.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s
more horrible than war, earthquake, winds, fire, famine, the plague? The
question prompts you to view the movie on. For all the disasters that had
visited the Philippines, the country hasn’t quite had enough?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the finale, you get the answer: lies.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cries
the woodcutter at the intruder who accuses him of having stolen the precious
pearl-inlaid dagger that went missing from the chest of the slain samurai.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Damn
it! Everyone is selfish and dishonest. Making excuses. The bandit, the woman,
the man and you!” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thus
the film delivers its powerful message: that nothing is true in the world and
that what truth is to people are consequences of things that work to their
favor.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RASHOMON’S
impact precisely lies in its shattering of the hitherto held western belief of
the universality of truth – which obviously is what comments in the GRP stream
without exception smack of. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We,
all of us, always pretend to nobility in our words. But always we betray a
gleam, if a tiny one, by which our listeners can look beyond our façades.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
is mine in this instance? An ache wrought by the babies and children getting
brutalized in the Syrian civil war. It’s a pain a lot more fundamental than
striking up a brave political braggadocio or priding in grammatical perfection.
</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
really just a plain, simple cry: “Please stop the Syrian civil war. Save the
babies and children.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Discussions
in RASHOMON abruptly stop as an infant’s cry rends the air. The discussants
look and discover an abandoned baby, wrapped in an expensive kimono with an
amulet left by the baby’s parents obviously to protect it from harm. The three
proceed to do each respective concern, The greedy intruder snatches the kimono
off the baby then growls at the woodcutter as the latter tries to stop
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You
selfish…” says the woodcutter.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s
wrong with that? Dogs are better off in this world. If you are not selfish, you
can’t survive.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
priest cradles the continuously-crying baby in his arms as the intruder hies
off. The woodcutter asks to have the baby.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
have six kids of my own. Another one wouldn’t make a difference.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
priest hands the baby to the woodcutter, whereupon it stops crying. The rain
has stopped. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Manifesting
a cleansing of spirit inside him, the priest says, “I think I can keep my faith
in man.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And when, clearly smarting from having been rebuked, the
Cory loyalists again posted their angry reaction, this time diverting from the
original issue raised by Ka Mao on Marcos holding back fire in the EDSA crisis.
Instead they focused on some little lapses in Ka Mao’s copyreading of his
article and made mountains out of certain minor shortcomings. Ka Mao realized
that the Cory loyalists were a coterie of cowards who hid in their aliases in
firing away insults at their adversaries. This smacked of neophyte tactics to
which Ka Mao would not stoop down. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so in order to finally settle the issue, Ka Mao wrote
an account on Kirk as a way of telling those detractors that Ka Mao knew
whereof he spoke. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This was Ka Mao’s final say:</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MEMORIES OF A CIVIL WAR</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">By Mauro Gia Samonte</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kirk was already in late-twenties when he got into the mainstream of
the so-called national democratic movement initiated by Jose Maria Sison. From
the ranks of mass activists, he was elevated to candidate membership in the
Communist Party of the Philippines and after a few months in that status became
full-fledged party member. The chaos within the party resulting from the sudden
declaration of martial law on September 22, 1972 saw him getting separated from
his party unit, but he went on organizing among workers on a self-style basis
in which he advocated a review of the Sison strategy of protracted people’s war,
which he saw inappropriate to the concrete Philippine condition. Forced to
surface from his underground revolutionary work, he pursued his writing craft
and became successful at screenwriting, subsequently at film direction.
Beginning 1977 when he won a best screenplay award in the Metro Manila Film
Festival, old acquaintances in the revolutionary movement began gravitating
around him, which would shortly siphon him back into the fight, so to speak. He
found himself sitting with a group that called itself IL (for International
Liaison) which the polio-stricken political officer heading it loved to call
“the most powerful commission in the Party central committee, next to the
military commission”. Eventually a former co-member in a party group in the
workers sector led him to then sitting Chairman of the CPP, Rodolfo Salas alias
Kumander Bilog, also the head of the Military Commission. After a while of
performing tasks under the N2 (Intelligence) of the General Command of the New
People’s Army, he was appointed head of the Special Intelligence Unit
subordinate only to the General Command and directly responsible to it. He was
in that position when the EDSA crisis erupted. The following are his
recollections of those circumstances.</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">***</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The days into February 1986 were a period of chaos among responsible
cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines – to be precise, of the
lower-level cadres. Compartmentalization in the Party made it impossible for a
member of a unit to know what’s going in the other units, much more in the
higher organs. Party directives were disseminated through policy papers and the
Party organ, Ang Bayan. Once these directives were passed down to the mass
level, that’s when matters were discussed on a mass scale. The issue during
that period was: Would the movement participate in the coming snap presidential
election.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Back in December, through much of the initiative of Jaime Cardinal Sin,
the tandem of Corazon Aquino and Salvador P. Laurel was hastily formed to beat
the deadline for filing certificate of candidacy. And the country, mainly in
Metro Manila, was thrown into the frenzy of the political campaigns by both
sides. In many aspects, rallies and demonstrations and teach-ins were
reminiscent of the days immediately preceding the declaration of martial law in
1972. The demonizing of Marcos then had reached its flaming zenith.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But conspicuously absent from the crowd of Cory campaigners were the
natdems (acronym for national democrats), those in the national democratic
movement. Opposed to the natdems were the socdems (for social democrats), now
carrying solo the banner of the Cory cry: “Tama na. Sobra na. Palitan na. Alis
dyan!” Of course, along with the new slogan was the ubiquitous trademark of the
Marcos hate campaign: “Marcos Hitler! Diktador! Tuta!”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Certainly the natdems were side by side with the socdems, but their cry
was different: “Boycott! Boycott! Boycott!”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It had been the position of the Party, as reached in a meeting of the
KTKS (Komiteng Tagapagpagganap ng Komite Sentral), not to participate in the
election, which it deemed another maneuver of the US to further entrench Marcos
in power. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It is impossible to tell for someone outside the KTKS how each member
of the committee voted on the issue. So it was difficult for me to determine
who among them to express my view of the situation. Though the principle of
democratic centralism, by which any member may express his views on any issue,
was preached among party members, still one needed extreme caution in
expressing his ideas lest he be branded anti-party, an offense punishable by
death. But being head of a unit directly responsible to the General Command, I
developed intimacy with GC leading elements, particularly Ka Jun (alias of
Rolando Kintanar, NPA chief of staff). I believed with Ka Jun, I did not stand
to be sanctioned for expressing an honest belief.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The snap election struck me as a grand US show. A US congressional
observer team had been dispatched to the Philippines to monitor the conduct of
the election. This was odd. The election was exclusively the country’s affair
and no other country had business interfering in it. But the US was making sure
it had business to do in the event.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Moreover, a large contingent of international media people had been
mobilized to cover the election, something which to me was overkill. So Marcos
was staking his position ahead of the expiration of his term, was that so big a
deal as to warrant such a huge army of international media men? Either way the
election would go, they could well cover it through the wires. But they chose to
go get the big news, whatever which would come about, first-hand. Again, this
was a US handiwork.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And on top of everything, the US Seventh Fleet was just offshore in
Manila Bay. The fleet had been US’s greatest arm-twisting instrument in the
Asia Pacific. What did it have to do with the Philippine snap presidential
election? There must be a war somehow which the US needed to confront just in
case. Marcos by then had been, in a manner of saying, hobnobbing with Russia
and China, something the US didn’t like. From the time of the American
aggression in the 1900s, the Philippines had always been an exclusive US
enclave, but Marcos, with martial law, had been increasingly veering the
country away from such exclusivity. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So I talked to Ka Jun during a break in his meeting with the General
Staff and mustered enough guts to propose that we strike up an alliance with
Marcos under the current circumstances. I said it was Marcos who the US was
intending to get out of power through the snap election and so it was he who we
should ally with inasmuch as we were anti-US imperialism. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">At my proposal, Ka Jun spoke no words. He fixed a stare at me, a
piercing stare that betrayed a deep inner thing in him, like some kind of soul
searching done to accommodate my idea. Ka Charlie, intelligence head of the
General Command, overheard the talk on striking up alliances in the crisis and
butted in, “That’s a good idea.” </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“He is proposing alliance with Marcos,” cut in Ka Jun, clarifying the
issue.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Impossible,” Ka Charlie snapped.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Marcos is the one the US wants out,” I insisted.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Marcos is still the US boy in this fight,” Ka Charlie insisted in
turn, his voice stern but his lips lined with a grin that indicated he was more
entertained than anything else by my idea.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I had hoped that if I could convince Ka Jun on my idea, then he could
talk the KTKS into reversing the boycott policy to one of participation – of
course, participation in favor of Marcos. I was thinking of the Bolsheviks in
1917.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were together with the
Mensheviks in toppling the czarist regime of Nicholas II. Instead of forming a
government of their own as a result of the Czar’s downfall, Lenin insisted in
joining up with the Kerensky government that had been installed. Once
entrenched in that government, the Bolsheviks arrested the entire Kerensky
cabinet and with that proclaimed the famous: “All power to the soviets.” Thus
was born the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the fruit of a truly
bloodless revolution.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What would have happened if Ka Jun had listened to my proposal, carried
it to the KTKS, which would then have reversed the boycott policy to one of
participation – participation for Marcos? Surely it would have created furor
and outrage, frustration and disillusionment among the great masses of the
national democratic movement conditioned to yelling “Marcos Hitler! Diktador!
Tuta!” This was admitted – but for one single reason: that they believed Marcos
was the US boy. If we explained that Cory was the new stooge being groomed in
the whole exercise, that in fact the US had organized the international media
coverage of the event, coupled with the Congressional monitoring team and the
awesome firepower of the US Seventh Fleet, wouldn’t the masses of the
revolutionaries have understood that such a reversal was all for advancing the
struggle against US imperialism?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In the 1930s, when the Chinese Communist Party had not quite grown big
yet, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>convinced it to get absorbed within the Kuomintang Party of Chiang
Kai-Sheik, which the Soviet party actually supported with military training,
arms and logistical and technical support in the resistance against Japanese
aggression. The CCP acquiesced and for a time took its command from the
Kuomintang. And as history would eventually prove it,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that decision was correct. At an appropriate
time, the CCP broke away from the Kuomintang, took over China’s countryside and
from there engaged the Kuomintang in one of the bloodiest civil wars in
history, culminating in the CCP takeover of the entire China mainland, with the
Kuomintang pushed back to the small province of Formosa, now Taiwan.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What would have happened if Ka Jun had listened to my proposal?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The question really no longer mattered at the time. It was too late in
the day. As we say, don’t change horses in midstream. Sun Tzu puts it in his
own way: Don’t engage an enemy while crossing a river. Everything in the US
machination had been set to full throttle and there was no stopping the events
from reaching their destined finale: the walk out by canvassers when the
Comelec count was showing a Marcos win, the Namfrel showing the discrepancy
between the Comelec count and its own which showed Cory winning, the Batasan
proclamation of Marcos as winner, the Cory civil disobedience campaign, outrage
by US Senator Lugar over what he termed as rampant disenfranchisement of up to
40% of the voters, and the pressure from US senators on Reagan to withdraw
support from Marcos.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">When Reagan sent Philip Habib to talk to both Marcos and Cory
ostensibly to find a middle ground in their conflict, it was actually to
ascertain who of the two deserved to be put in place, that is, for US interest.
Cory refused to share power with Marcos, so went the reports. But no intimate
contents of Habib’s meeting with Cory would naturally find print in the press.
Whatever, what was reported was that when Habib stood from the meeting, he told
Cory she will win.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">That was Friday, February 21. The following day, February 22, Defense
Minister Juan Ponce Enrile made big waves of his holing up in Camp Aquinaldo
together with AFP Vice Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos and RAM leader Col.
Gregorio Honasan, announcing his resignation from the Marcos administration – a
resignation that already the day before was carried in two US newspapers. And finally,
with Cardinal Sin issuing the call for support from the populace for Enrile et
al, the crowd poured into EDSA – protecting the very implementers of martial
law which they had despised for a decade and a half.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">All of a sudden the Party and the national democratic movement which it
led found themselves utterly left out in the cold. The boycott policy had left
them floating in limbo. What rode on the Cory takeover were the socdems who,
save for Edgar Jopson and quite a few others, never really got to reconcile
with the revolution.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now, does it still matter to ask if things would have turned out
differently had Marcos decided to fire at the EDSA crowd?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">At the time, I thought Marcos would. He had not been depicted as Hitler
if he wasn’t capable of gassing 6 million Jews. And I’d welcome it if he did.
Marcos firing at the EDSA crowd would have a way of correcting the error of the
boycott policy. It would surely enrage the populace and, as Cory told Habib,
tear the nation in a widespread bloody confrontation.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As the vociferous firebrand Bal Pinguel of Kabataang Makabayan used to
agitate his listeners in the 70s, no nation in history has ever developed
without passing through a bloody revolution, citing the American Civil War, the
Spanish Civil War and the Chinese Civil War, among others.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So even as my comrade Ka Dave and I were squeezing with the crowd some
meters away from the Camp Aquinaldo gate, one being a lookout for the other, we
were cautious about the possibility of a sudden rapid firing of armalites or
bursts from grenade launchers.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A favorite quote from Mao Tse Tung crossed my mind: “A single spark can
start a prairie fire.” This is it, I was urging Marcos to myself, “Strike the
matchstick.”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But that Saturday wore on with no one striking a matchstick save for
cigarette vendors enjoying a heyday, as did others vending sago gulaman, balut,
cheap sandwiches, what have you, selling to the multitudes. It was everything
that, again, Mao Tse Tung wouldn’t want a revolution to be: a picnic. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And so as I watched the news program that Monday evening, I suddenly
found myself melting in the fire of streaming memories: the bravado of strikers
at the Makabayan Publishing Corporation where they barricaded a strike-breaking
truck with their bare bodies; the May Day Massacre in Congress in 1971 that
killed union organizer Liza Balando and maimed countless others; the Caloocan
Massacre that same year which peppered union leader Fred Tibar with bullets so
terribly one slug got embedded in his thumb; the infamous Plaza Miranda bombing
which killed an innocent girl cigarette vendor and two others and seriously
injured the entire LP Senatorial ticket in the 1971 mid-term election – save
for one single lucky guy who just happened not to be there when the blasts took
place, Ninoy Aquino.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In a video I would watch many years after, Cory declares, “As we all
know, Ninoy really wanted to be president. Everything was just planned for
1973.”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But as we all know, too, for the presidency, 1973 never came to Ninoy.
Marcos declared martial law in 1972. Seven years and seven months of military
detention under the martial law regime, three years of sojourn in the United
States for treatment of heart ailment, and come 1983, Ninoy made the greatest
political magic of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against the
advice of Imelda Marcos, Ninoy came home from the United States. A slug fired
by an assassin from a .45 pierced through his skull as he was being led by
Avsecom soldiers down the stairs of the China Airlines that brought him into
the Manila International Airport. He dropped dead on the tarmac.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The whole nation mourned. Millions brought Ninoy to his final resting
place. Above all, Cory got inscrutably ingrained in the consciousness of
multitudes who can’t quite outgrow a yearning for gods and heroes. By 1985, the
iconization of Cory was complete. She was ready to square off with Marcos.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So this was the realization I had upon viewing that news program on
television. Cory was being sworn into office as President of the Republic of
the Philippines. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How then could EDSA have blown up into a civil war when the events that
led up to it had from the very beginning been crafted only to advance one man’s
magnificent obsession with the presidency! With the objective having been
achieved, why push the conflict further? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Of course, Ninoy died not getting to that post. Precisely. He should
know he could no longer get there. Having undergone triple heart bypass
operation, he should be a terminal case. He should have only two choices left,
come home dead or come home a hero. Thus did it happen that what Ninoy failed
to do in more than two decades of political skirmish with Marcos, he did in one
grand act. By getting himself killed, he performed the greatest sleight of hand
that ever took place right under the noses of a sadly gullible nation.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Soon after Cory took over the presidency, among her first acts, aside
from the return of Meralco and ABS-CBN to the Lopezes, was the release from
detention of Jose Maria Sison and Bernabe Buscayno alias Kumander Dante.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Expectedly, Sison began flexing muscles again, so to speak. That is,
continue his movement, this time aiming it against the Cory government. At
which, Cory issued a reprimand for him not to try it on her. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“You know what I mean,” she said.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Could Cory be referring to that day in 1968 when she served coffee to
Ninoy and his guests, a professor from the Universsity of the Philippines and
the leader of a breakaway group from the Hukbalahap, Jose Maria Sison and
Bernabe Buscayno alias Kumander Dante? With the help of Tarlac Governor Apin
Yap, Ninoy had brokered the meeting of the two for a purpose only they knew. At
any rate, subsequent to that meeting came the establishment of the Communist
Party of the Philippines on December 26, 1968, later followed by the founding
of the New People’s Army on March 29, 1969.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Accordingly as the Ninoy-Marcos
rivalry intensified, so did the Sisonite national democratic movement. Before
EDSA, the New People’s Army had grown to a size of 25,000 regulars, all in
company formation. This on top of 500,000 militia spread across the archipelago
plus a large army of armed propaganda units the exact number of which I could
no longer recall. Suffice it to say that by conventional military reckoning of
1:10<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1 rebel to 10 government troops)
as an ideal ratio for engaging the enemy in guerilla warfare, the NPA had come
to a high ground. The Philippine armed forces at the time numbered some
150,000, and this number should require only 15,000<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
NPA to be at par with the ratio. In fact, the national situationer issued by
the Party during the period already spoke of a so-called strategic counter
offensive (SCO) substage at which actions may be launched for achieving
strategic stalemate. This is the stage where there is a clear division of
territories between the protagonists in the war, each respective armed forces
exercising control over them, and people have taken sides in the conflict – the
stage of civil war. Once the strategic stalemate is reached, it becomes
relatively easy for the rebellion to push on – the strategic offensive –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and defeat the enemy.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In 1987, with Cory’s government still a revolutionary one, hence
unstable, I had another casual conversation with Ka Jun in which I suggested
that the strategy of the rebellion should be to prevent the holding of the next
presidential election. The reason I gave was that if the next president would
be elected through a democratic process, it would consolidate the political
power of the Philippine bourgeoisie thereby weakening the armed struggle, if
not rendering it inutile altogether.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“When would be the next presidential election?” Ka Jun asked.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“1992,” I replied.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“We shall have won by then,” Ka Jun said quite confidently.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It exhilarated me no end.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But then came Sison’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>
in 1991. (Kumander Bilog had been captured by the government earlier and
leadership of the Party passed on to Benito Tiamzon, a Sison loyalist
implementing the latter’s directives from the Netherlands. Ka Jun’s leadership
of the New People’s Army was being contested by Buscayno.) In sum, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> subjected the boycott policy to
severe criticism and proposed re-education for all those guilty of the error. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Particular emphasis was placed on what was regarded as military
adventurism of Ka Jun, who was embarking on a strategy opposed to the protracted
struggle program of Sison. Ka Jun’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>program called for a Sandinista type of uprising that had proven
successful in Panama. Groundwork for this strategy had already begun and at the
time of EDSA was set to unfold. As I had been critical of the Sison line from
the very start, seeing it as a shameless copy cat of the Mao Tse Tung strategy
in China in the 1930s,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Jun’s line
appealed to me as the more realistic,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>pragmatic, feasible strategy.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now, in Party parlance, re-education simply means demotion for those
guilty of the offense. Or worse yet, expulsion from the Party. Negative
reaction to the Sison paper was widespread. Faced with the prospect of being
meted punishment, many leading Party elements, including several who were
members of the Party Central Committee and who had been critical of the overall
Sison strategy of protracted struggle, chose to form their own factions, each
faction having its own armed group and pursuing its own line of pushing the
revolution. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm </i>smashed the Party
into splinters. So did it the NPA, which broke up into guerilla units once
again –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as in the beginning.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Though Ninoy did not make it to the presidency, his widow did. It’s all
the same. No need to make use further of the rebellion for which Ninoy had
brokered the first meeting of Sison and Buscayno in 1968. Time to tear that
rebellion apart. How do you do it?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> did the trick.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Post Script:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Popoy Lagman, former Secretary General of the CPP Manila-Rizal Regional
Party Committee who organized the much dreaded Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) and
wrote a number of books criticizing the Sison line of protracted struggle, was
gunned down by two assassins inside the UP campus on February 7, 2001.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Next to fall was Ka Jun, Rolando Kintanar, shot and killed on January
23,2003 by reportedly 4 assassins while having meal at a restaurant in the
Quezon City Circle. Gregorio Rosal, NPA head in Southern Luzon, owned up to the
killing.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Arturo Tabara, Secretary General of the CPP Visayas Commission was
assassinated in Quezon City in 2004. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Civil war anyone?</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XIII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE TUMULT in the
aftermath of the Ninoy killing in 1983 was the background of a third renovation
of the house Ka Mao built in that quiet, idyllic nook of Antipolo on Sumulong
Highway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the time, Betchay just found herself conceiving their fourth child. This, much
to her chagrin. She did not wish to have another one. She was only into her
second semester at the PSBA and having another child would surely frustrate her
intention of finishing a college course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the period, Ka Mao noticed that Betchay
was curiously exerting herself so much:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>clearing bushes-covered patches of ground, hoeing at the earth for
planting sweet potato,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cassava<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and several varieties of vegetable in, and
then fetching pails upon pails of water from the creek for watering those she
planted. She would endlessly hack again at the bushes which she cut into
firewood. Finally, she would invariably end up scrubbing the floor with a
coconut husk while she punched her belly on and on, grit on her face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao caught Betchay doing it even as it was getting dark and so he confronted
her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Stop
it,” he said, holding her still. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bctchay
threw herself on a seat, wiping the heavy perspiration on her face. She was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>catching her breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What’s
getting you anyway?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Betchay
nearly cried, saying, “I don’t want to abort this child.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“God,
what you’re doing can get you a miscarriage,” Ka Mao countered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If
I bleed, I won’t be doing it,” Betchay said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Who
will?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Will
God let me bleed if he wished this child to live?” Betchay asked in turn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was tongue-tied. Betchay’s logic awed him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Twenty
nine years after, that child, grown into a man, would take his girlfriend Rhea
down the aisles of the Antipolo Cathedral, insisting in a church wedding by
which to lead his own married life. He would not take after Maoie, who would
content himself with simply living in with his partner, Jen; nor after Paulo,
who would be happy with on-and-off relationships with various girlfriends; nor
less after Keng, who, in his speech during the wedding reception, Ka Mao
referred to as his unica hija but would turn out to be an otro hijo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao had just gone through a stroke at the time and as he ambled to the
microphone on a cane to respond to the Emcee’s calling him to deliver “words of
wisdom”, he was thinking back on that Valentine occasion in a Calamba night
club when Ka Mao and Betchay, taking a break from shooting just sat at a table,
watching the merrymaking of lovers on the dance floor. A lady approached the
couple and asked, “Are you husband-and-wife?” And they said, “Yes.” And finally
the lady said, “That’s why you’re not enjoying.” That was why though it had
been three years then since Keng was born, Ka Mao and Betchay thought giving it
one more try to act not just husband-and-wife but two people caring and sharing
as lovers do on that night of love. Ka Mao would have loved to recall that nine
months after that Valentine night, came the stork carrying on its beak wrapped
in linen the baby Ogie. But reminiscences would unavoidably touch on that
period when that baby was a most unwanted child. Surely, that would have turned
his speech into a tearjerker – and thus spoil the fun. Even so, Ka Mao’s voice,
prompted by his private recollection of that moment Betchay wanted to get rid
of Ogie, came out almost squeaking from a deep-set pain. The pain, he tried to
suppress by shifting to the poetry uttered by the Bishop of Canterbury in the
wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Dianne. Ka Mao said how nice for a
father to see his son insisting in going through the “stuff of which fairy
tales are made.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
birth of Ogie appeared to be Ka Mao’s motivation in expanding the family house
further still. Actually, that was the period when the Party began using the
house as its headquarters and Ka Mao felt it was too small for the purpose and
so had to be enlarged.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was enjoying that moment, feeding the infant Ogie with porridge, when he
delighted at the arrival of guests among whom was one he immediately recognized
and rushed to excitedly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Ka
Choleng,” said Ka Mao, gripping the woman’s hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Choleng was the same Deputy OD head of the KASAMA Party Group from whom Ka Mao
had been separated upon the imposition of martial law. Ka Mao was just so happy
to see her again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“How
are you?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“
I’m fine,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Where’s
the unit?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“They
found their own new groups.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“How
is Ka Teng?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
is still around. He is okay.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“He
is her husband,” Sandra informed Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh!”
exclaimed Ka Mao. “I’m glad to hear that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Choleng let out a coy smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao then acknowledged with a smile the fortyish, fair-skinned, boyish-looking, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>clean-shaven, good-looking guy who was with
the two women.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
is Ka Erning,” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>said Ka Choleng,
introducing the man, who shook hands with Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing was spoken of what position the man held
in the movement, but it must be so high as to make him have that authority to
speak when he told Sandra, “From now on, the IL will no longer use this house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sandra
eyed Ka Erning inquiringly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
house,” Ka Erning said, “shall be the house of the KS.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
what his wont was, Ka Mao did not ask any questions. But “KS” was a term used
by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>party elements even at the lowest
level to refer to the Central Committee of the CPP which in the vernacular was
“Komite Sentral”, hence the abbreviation “KS”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pride,
all right, was part of the emotion Ka Mao felt instantly at what Ka Erning was
making of the house. In bourgeois reckoning, it was a great<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>honor for Ka Mao to have been entrusted with
housing the highest leadership of the Party and of the revolution. But more
than pride, the trust the Party leadership had in him made Ka Mao feel
exceedingly assured that he, at long last, mattered in the revolution. In the
long period that he had been separated from the Party, Ka Mao bore the silent
agony of having been abandoned, like he had been thrown aside for trash. From
that time on, Ka Mao’s consuming obsession was to be restored to the Party. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Ka Erning’s declaration now, Ka Mao felt he had been redeemed. It somehow
became obvious to him that Ka Choleng was there only to attest to what Ka Mao
had been in the Party. And Ka Erning needed somebody who had been in Ka Mao’s
confidence to do their introduction to each other. After that occasion, Ka
Choleng did not show up in the house anymore. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a period of vigorous renovation conducted by
Ka Mao on the house followed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
attic that still consisted of bamboo and nipa was completely torn down to give
way to a full-blown second floor encompassing that area, walled in concrete,
with TNG for flooring and corrugated galvanized iron sheets for roof; the
beams, trusses and furlins were in wood. The windows were grilled and fitted
with plant boxes done in concrete. With corrugated galvanized iron sheet used
as form for containing the fresh cement mix of the plant boxes, they imparted a
finish approximating gothic design. The stairs to the second floor was in wood,
with the landing on the ground floor in concrete. Just one room was made on the
second floor for use of the entire family together. Maripaz and Ogie shared the
bed with Ka Mao and Betchay, while Maoie and Paulo slept on a mat on the floor.
Outside the room was constructed a bathroom. Another comfort room was
constructed on the ground floor, correspondingly below that on the second
floor. This was situated on the corner to the right of the main entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bedroom and the kitchen on the ground
floor were completely torn down also so as to make of that entire floor a
living room and a dining room combine. An extension limited to the ground floor
level toward the creekside now served as the kitchen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Party VIPs coming on their individual cars during meetings, the place must have
parking accommodations for a number of vehicles at a time and on a spot quie proximate
to the house so that those VIPs needed not to walk long after alighting from
their cars. Moreover the car park must be on a level hidden from view from the
highway. Under this requirement, the pergola, on the sunken frontage of house,
which had been serving as the reception and dining area had to go, the area now
to be used for parking the VIPs’s cars. The driveway from the highway down to
the slope where the house had been built was done five inches thick to make it
durable over time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
would be three other times when Ka Erning would visit the house again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First
of these was when he brought to the place Ka Jun, Ka Charlie and Ka Arman
together with Ka Jess, who kept some distance from the three, indicating he was
not in their league as the three talked to Ka Mao.. Later it would be confided
to Ka Mao that the group Ka Erning brought was the NPA General Command or GC.
Ka Jun was Chief, Ka Charlie, Vice Chief, and Ka Arman, N2 (Intelligence) Head,
Ka Jess, Ka Arman’s deputy. Another member of GC who would be brought to the
house later was Ka Ding, N3 (Personnel) Head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second time was when Ka Erning presided in what struck Ka Mao as an emergency
meeting of the GC called <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just before the
EDSA revolt. There was frenzy in their talk and behavior, like some urgent
developments were in the offing. In that meeting, who should startle Ka Mao but
Ka Nap, his colleague in the KASAMA with whom he had some heated discussion
regarding Marcos’ real role in the Plaza Miranda bombing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Ka
Nap!” Ka Mao exclaimed as he intruded into the meeting as soon as he got home
that day and learned from Betchay that Ka Erning and company were huddled in
the extension area.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Nap quickly placed his forefinger over his lips as a gesture for Ka Mao not to
tell on him. In the Party, one’s legal status was supposed to be kept secret.
Anyway, everybody amused at Ka Mao’s excitement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indeed,
it was quite inspiring for Ka Mao to discover that a colleague of his had risen
to the top echelon of the NPA leadership.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
just wanted to say hello,” Ka Mao said, rather apologetically.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Erning nodded ok, smiling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Proceed
with your business,” Ka Mao said and turned away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
third and final time was after the EDSA revolt, when he drove his sedan into
the compound and with a forlorn look in his eyes, stepped out of the car and,
as Ka Mao reached him in a rush to welcome him, handed to him the car key. Ka
Erning spoke no word and in his wonderment, Ka Mao could neither say anything.
Having given the key to Ka Mao, Ka Erning then hurried over to board another
car waiting on the highway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Arman, who later would come to claim the car, would explain to Ka Mao that Ka
Erning was en route to a meeting of the Central Committee elsewhere. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
next time Ka Mao would see Ka Erning was in photographs that morning when all
newspapers carried him on the front pages, sleek like a senator in immaculate
barong, his photo captioned: “Kumander Bilog.” Kumander Bilog, as everybody
knew then, was the Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines. The news
story was about his capture by the government after more than a decade of
leading the revolution.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>XIV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE SIU (for Special
Intelligence Unit) was some kind of an elite group of intelligence operatives created
by the NPA General Command to perform specific special tasks. When Ka Arman
first told Ka Mao that he was being designated to head the group, he had not
quite gotten into his system any notion of a professional revolutionary apart
from those he had fought together with in the working class movement. And so,
when told further that he was to fill in the group with his own people, Ka Mao
immediately thought of comrades whom he had organized under BRASO. It had
pained him much that he had not been able to bring his self-initiative to any
significant level of struggle due to sheer lack of logistics. Now that he was
being given the discretion to form his own unit using his own men, his BRASO
forces would surely savor the feel of being at last part of the people’s army. That’s
why it disheartened Ka Mao exceedingly when told by Ka Arman that none of the BRASO
forces, not even its Secetariat, would qualify for the SIU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Arman would rather pass the BRASO for
training under the N3. That was consolation enough for Ka Mao. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>BRASO was into the mainstream after all, he told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As conceived, the SIU had to be just that, a special
unit. It was to be consisted of people who, like Ka Mao, enjoyed well-placed
social status. Ka Arman recommended a young business entrepreneur from Bulacan,
engaged in a lucrative lending enterprise and in fisheries. He was Ka Jake. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For his part, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao got a long-time colleague in the
journalistic craft who, he would learn later, was a top KKD member during the
First Quarter Storm. He was Ka Dave, who over the years had risen to a highly
respectable placement in the Editorial Staff of a leading newspaper. With their
status in society, all three had easy access to vital facilities, be they
government, non-government or otherwise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There being three finally composing a team, the SIU was
officially created with the swearing in of Ka Mao, Ka Dave and Ka Jake into the
Party by Ka Arman. In due time, the unit would have a sizeable Support Group
composed of Bayani, a poet and a professor at the Polytechnic University of the
Philippines, who had been Ka Mao’s reliable buddy in the organization and
conduct of the KAMAO strike; Liza, a pretty news reporter with assignment in
Malacanang; and Tala, who ran a shop dealing in antique-style furniture crafted
by her husband, Ray, out of scrap but sturdy mahogany railtrack foundation of
the Philippine National Railway. Other support groups contributing in the tasks
of SIU were two male newspaper editors and one lady foreign correspondent named
Cookie, another lady media person named Ruby, and friends and relatives of Ka
Jake. These support groups <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were an
excited lot, enthused by the fact that they were doing something for the NPA. They
performed aspects of SIU tasks that could be entrusted to them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first business of the day was much too loaded for a
start. Dubbed the Magic 8, it consisted of intelligence work for five punitive
actions against two members of the judiciary, three members of the military,
and big operations for the takeover of the Manila International Airport and the
Batasang Pambansa, and assault upon the Clark Airbase. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the eight
targets, priority was placed on the three big operations codenamed San Mig, for
the Batasan, Blue Print for Clark, and Eagle’s Nest for the airport. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao coordinated with an Angeles City-based NPA
intelligence officer in tackling Blue Print. The job mainly consisted of
studying the mannerisms of American soldiers in their moments of pleasures in
the airfield club house. They drank beer by the poolside where soldiers had
raucous dips into the water with bikinied girl partners in-between gulps at
their beverages and torrid smooching. In an instance such as this, Ka Mao would
recall the fun American soldiers were indulging in when Japanese bombers made
their historic devastating surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The NPA was into a similar making of history. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
San Mig, Ka Mao had Betchay and all their kids in tow except Ogie, making it
look like a family look-see as they made the rounds of all nooks of the
legislature, with Ka Mao measuring the dimensions of the floor areas and the
stairways of the vast two-winged structure through his footsteps; the
dimensions of the walls, Ka Mao estimated by using his height as standard. Ka
Dave made his own rounds of the legislature, also mobilizing his support groups
in the endeavor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the same time, Ka Dave and Ka Jake partnered in casing Eagles Nest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
three worked together in crafting a wooden scale model of San Mig, with
emphasis on passageways to the session hall. For this purpose, Ka Mao saw it fit
to do the pyramid-shaped roof of the main hall building collapsible style so all
one needed to do was to remove the four sections of the pyramid in order to get
a good overview of the session hall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of
the three SIU members, only Ka Mao had had a hand at carpentry, which was his
vocational course back in the elementary grades. But they had to make-do with
what little skills they had for the job, for getting it done by somebody else
would cause a leakage of the military action for which the scale model was
being made.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What
will happen in San Mig is a hundredfold bigger than what Lenin did in taking
over Russia,” Ka Mao remarked as he punched with a chisel a square hole on the
baseboard of the scale model. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Dave and Ka Jake were doing their own holes with their own chisels. It was
obvious that the holes they were making were for something to fit into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Thousands
gathered in Petrograd and elsewhere to bring down Czar Nicholas II,” Ka Dave
said with a scholarly tone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
am not talking about the people power revolt of the Soviets. I think we have to
read back on the actual happenings. What brought down Czar Nicholas II was not
a bloody uprising as many would like to think,” Ka Mao said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Jake, a very amiable guy who always spoke with a wide happy grin in his mouth
and a brilliant glint in his eyes, butted in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
am one of those many, Ka Kirk. The massacre on Odessa steps. That was gory and
bloody, wasn’t it?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That
was in 1905. The Romanovs held on to their dynasty despite the revolution. Czar
Nicholas II fell out of power in the revolution of 1917.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Was
not 1917 the handiwork of Lenin?” asked Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That
was a job of the Russian bourgeoisie led by Kerensky. Lenin’s job at the time
was to combat the idea of the Mensheviks to form their own government and instead
insist in participating in the Duma – the parliament – established by the
Kerensky government.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It
was Lenin who arrested the entire Kerensky cabinet,” insisted Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Precisely,”
said Ka Mao. “What he did was arrest just a handful of cabinet men and presto
all Russia was in his hand.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
his characteristic snicker, Ka Jake said, “That easy!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That’s
why I say San Mig is a hundredfold bigger than what Lenin did. We will be
arresting more than two hundred members of the Marcos parliament.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Done
with the holes on the baseboard, the three proceeded to set the scale model
walls already fashioned with pegs at the bottom to fit into the holes meantime
that similar pegs on the sides of one wall were latched to the adjoining wall
through similar holes on its sides.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
team could have worked out the scale model a lot easier had they instead used
Styrofoam for material. But one utility of the scale model was transportability
and the capacity to withstand the rigors of mountain travel. Combatants who
will carry out the San Mig assault were necessarily based in the countryside to
where the scale model would have to be brought for their study. Ka Mao thought
that with its wooden material, the scale model could be dismantled, its pieces
to be put in a thin, flat pack for easy carrying; and the repetitive
dismantling, and then putting back again, of the pieces over and over again
accordingly as the number of combatants who needed to look at it at various
times and in various places would not suffer much in terms of wear and tear.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
film director that he was with a richly creative mind, Ka Mao already
visualized a scenario of the San Mig assault.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“While
the session is in progress, NPA combatants masquerading as San Mig personnel
garbed in polo barong and escorting into the session hall an Imee Marcos
look-alike would quietly disarm parliament security men at the normal entrances
to the session hall. This is necessary in order to avoid violent shootout that
can harm innocent civilians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
entrances secure, the main attack force brandishing awesome firepower<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will barge into the hall through this secret entrance,
actually a collapsible section of the hall wall adjacent to the north end of
the parliament stand. Ordinarily, you don’t notice this side entrance, which is
why Ka Dave’s support group, making their own rounds of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Mig, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>once observed that there is this corridor that
leads to a blank wall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely the sudden
entrance of the main attack force will create panic by the people in the hall,
members of the parliament and the gallery crowd alike. But with the whole
session hall under rebel control, so must be the government rendered helpless
by the rebel hostage-taking of its parliament. Similar hostage-taking of
Americsan servicemen at Clark Field would serve a strong notice to US not to
medle or risk another Vietnam debacle. Strong contingent of rebel forces seize
control of the international airport and vital communications facilities,
including Voice of America in Tarlac. At the same time,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>riding on the bandwagon of rebel victory,
multitudes spill out into the streets, culminating in a siege of Malacanang
Palace. By this time, political work in the Armed Forces of the Philippine should
have achieved enough progress to initiate a breakaway, at least by a portion of
it, and join in the uprising against the Marcos regime. Back in San Mig, the
grand proclamation, as Lenin did after the arrest of the Kerensky cabinet, is
made: ‘All power to the proletariat!’”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“No,
Joma won’t like it that way,” jested Ka Jake. “He’d say, ‘All power to the
natdems.’”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jest grew serious worry in Ka Mao. He
suddenly thought of Noli Collantes, nom de guerre Banero, who, as head of the
National Trade Union Bureau of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was a
most powerful figure in the revolution. But his proletarian stand got him into
trouble with Sison, eventually getting himself sanctioned heavily for it. The
last time Ka Mao saw Banero was that night before the Plaza Miranda bombing in
1971, when he drove Ruben Guevarra to a meeting with Sison in a Pasay City UG
house, there to discuss a certain bombing the Party would carry out in a
political rally on the following night. Banero had confided to Ka Mao that the
NTUB was being subsumed to the Regional Party Committee instead of being at par
with it, being the highest Party organ in the workers sector. He said he would
appeal the matter. Ka Mao had not had any communication again with Banero since
then and so had never gotten to know whether or not the appeal he was talking
about was given due course. The next time he heard about Banero was in 1983
when in a rather austere news story he read about the assassination by
unidentified gunmen while on the way to his classes at the University of Santo
Tomas of one Noli Collantes. So Banero had gotten out of the Party and had
resumed his college studies. As far as Ka Mao knew, that fate was where
Banero’s proletarian stand got him into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
now, Ka Mao concluded to himself that Ka Jake’s was no joke at all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
day was rather humid when Ka Charlie brought a lady to the house for
presentation to her by Ka Mao of the San Mig scale model. And it was too early
in the day for anybody to wish to take a nap. But all throughout the
presentation, the lady paid lukewarm attention and didn’t even bother to stand
and take a look when Ka Mao peeled off the pyramid roofing to show the session
hall features. Toward the end of the presentation, Ka Mao was so slighted to
notice the lady was unabashedly dozing off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“So
how is it, Julie?” Ka Charlie asked as he tapped the lady on the arm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
lady shook awake, “Oh, yes… Well, okay… Let’s see.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao understood it quite well, the lady’s attitude. She was nicknamed De Lima,
wife of the Party Sovereign rotting in incarceration. It became obvious to Ka
Mao that the San Mig operation being in contravention of Sison’s copy cat
protracted people’s war, any job connected with it would be in the same
category of contravention and hence deserved no scant notice from the
Sovereign’s espouse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Julie’s
visit to Ka Mao’s house that day to view SIU’s masterpiece of an intelligence
work struck Ka Mao as no more than a hypocritical concession to the principle
of democratic centralism, which the Party avowed to observed. She came there
with a mind set to rejecting it. But this was a matter for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> to settle come 1991.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the time being, it was all-systems-go for Operation San Mig. Ka Arman would
confirm much later<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>
succeeded in tearing the Party irreparably, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>throwing the people’s army into rubbles and the
people’s struggle into eternal protraction – that he and Ka Jun had gotten
assurance from Libyan strongman Moammar Kadhaffy of whatever amount of arms
necessary for the operation, had acquired a fleet of sea vessels for carrying
men and material for the purpose. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
then suddenly came that one unexpected single hitch: Marcos agreed to US
pressure of holding the presidential snap polls of 1985. A nation otherwise
steeped in a resolute struggle for a bloody, violent overthrow of Marcos was
now faced with an easy alternative: vote Cory into power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
one got to look at the matter level-headedly, the boycott policy was the
correct revolutionary line. No genuine anti-imperialist revolutionary would
participate in an election that would be rigged in favor of an imperialist
stooge. Had the boycott call by the revolutionary movement caught on the masses
on the premise that the election would be rigged by the Americans in favor of a
brand new American stooge, then it would have pictured Cory right off as the
new US puppet thereby rationalizing the continuation of the revolution despite
the downfall of Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Ka Mao saw as erroneous in the boycott policy was that it neglected to point
out to the masses that Cory was the new US BOY in the making. The Party insisted
that the snap polls were a grand US show aimed at maintaining Marcos in power.
This was not the case. It was a grand US show, all right. But the intention was
to replace Marcos with a brand new US lapdog. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
a meeting by SIU, the boycott policy was part of the agenda and Ka Mao
clarified his stand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
US is not stupid to let us cash in on a Cory win against Marcos. Rather my idea
is –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I had made it known to Ka Jun
and Ka Charlie – for us to strike up an alliance with Marcos.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Marcos
is the enemy,” said Ka Jake, nearly protesting but wearing his ubiquitous
snicker.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“No,
US is. And they want Marcos out now,” insisted Ka Mao.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was drawing lesson from the Viet Minh
experience toward the end of the Second World War. Ho Chi Minh talked to the Japanese
forces who were on the run. “Hey, fellas,” Ka Mao related how the Viet Minh put
it across to the Japanese troops, “you are not winning anyway. Just give us
your arms and we will fight the Americans for you. And the Japanese did and
that’s how the Viet Minh forces got arms for fighting the Americans with – and
eventually winning in the end.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
opportunity in the Philippine situation was ripe for doing a reprise of the
Viet Minh gambit. But who was Ka Mao anyway to figure seriously in formulating
the Party’s strategy and tactics? Surely he realized this. It was just that he
had the naivette to believe principles guided the Party’s actions, and he
thought democratic centralism made it mandatory for Party high commands to
listen to voices from the lowest ranks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Jun was serious enough when he stared at Ka Mao after hearing the idea from
him. But Ka Charlie beamed like he heard a joke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet
when Cory came out the victor in the snap polls, Ka Mao would not find any
reason to have the last laugh. Rather a most acute sense of having been
rendered worthless seized<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>him as he watched
Cory fumbling in her presidential salute of newly-designated Armed Forces of
the Philippines Chief-Of-Staff Fidel V. Ramos during her inaugural at Club
Filipino as the new President of the Republic of the Philippines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Was that all there was to it? he asked himself. Sit back
on the periphery while Cory <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gloated in
the gloss of her spectacular mediocrity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
fact that Marcos fell showed the revolution winning. But the fact that a
representative of the country’s ruling class came into power must prove that
the multitudes of oppressed and exploited lost the fight. And what grimmer
proof of this was there than the Mendiola massacre in January 1987 which Cory
ordered against demonstrating farmers on the approach to Malacanang. Among
those killed in that massacre were farmers from Cory’s very own Hacienda
Luisita. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What gain, then, did the workers, the farmers, and the
millions upon millions of social scums who had pinned their hopes of salvation
from poverty on the success of the revolution?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Not a bit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If SIU had any consolation at all, it was that despite
the debacle brought about by the boycott policy, the unit remained intact and was
instructed to persevere in its assigned tasks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE PERIOD beginning
from the installation of Cory as Philippine president in 1986 all the way to
the democratically-elected presidency of Fidel V. Ramos in 1992 was a most
fruitful one for the SIU. It saw elements otherwise limited to providing
logistical support such as housing, food and funds for combatants now
performing tasks right in the vortex of the armed struggle. In this kind of
work, though they might not be engaged in exchanging firepower with the enemy,
they put not only their lives on the line of fire but also those of the members
of their families.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A case in point was the successful<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>escape worked out back in 1985 by the unit
for Satur Ocampo, then a member of the Politburo who had been captured by the
government. The job of the SIU was to photograph several angles of the venue,
the social hall on the fourth floor of the National Press Club building. These
photographs were then passed on to the SOC of GC who would take Satur away in
the escape.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
plan was for Satur to spring out of imprisonment through the National Press
Club election in May of that year. NPC President Tony Nieva had successfully
gotten Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile to grant his request to let Satur
vote in that election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
by tradition, the election was held in the NPC social hall, the Bulwagang
Plaridel, which was on the topmost floor. In going up to the hall, NPC members
used<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>either the stairway that spiraled
around the elevator shaft or the elevator itself. By practice after voting, the
members took a spiral staircase at the westend of the building in going to the
dining hall on the third floor to dine, drink or have coffee. This staircase
actually went all the way down to the ground, leading to an exit at the back
facing the Pasig River. The military escorts who brought Satur to the occasion
had no reason to suspect anything when after voting, Satur went to that end of
the hall in the pretext of using the comfort room there.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once out of sight of the unsuspecting security escorts, Satur rushed
down the spiral staircase, out through the back exit, and into the waiting
escape vehicle aboard which the SOC operatives spirited him away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As it was taking rather too long for Satur to get back
from the comfort room, the security escorts finally decided to find out why.
Only then did they know there was that secret passageway leading out from the
fourth floor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They did not have to check any further to realize Satur
had escaped.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So all’s well that ends well it seemed for Operation
Satur.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except that not so long after came what in the
revolutionary movement would come to be known as the Project 7 Encounter. The
UG house of the SOC that got Satur out of captivity in the National Press Club
affair had been disclosed to AFP intelligence and was raided by government
soldiers numbering 200. The SOC numbered 3. But the rebels put up with the
state troopers in a terrific battle that ended up with the soldiers sustaining
many casualties and the SOC 3, just 1, its head Villanueva. The other two,
Limjoco and Archie, a new import from Davao, escaped scaling rooftops in the
neighborhood while firing away at the attackers. Among the things they left
behind in their escape were the photographs taken by Ka Dave of the NPC Bulweagang
Plaridel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Learning of the Project 7 encounter, Ka Dave immediately
panicked. He packed a few clothes and got lost aboard his old yellow
Volkswagen. He left instructions to his wife what to tell Ka Mao where to find
him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao saw Ka Dave in Ka Jake’s house in Bulacan and
there learned of Ka Dave;s predicament.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The columns in the social hall were done with mirror
finish. So when you take pictures of the place, you naturally photograph
yourself doing it through your reflection on the mirrors all around.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Dave was sullen faced as he spoke, though he let his
word out with a smile minutely quivering on his lips.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are you sure?” asked Ka Jake, minus his snicker,
obviously deferring to Ka Dave’s state of emotions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s no way to take photos of the NPC social hall
without taking photos of yourself too precisely because of the mirrors. With
those pictures in enemy hands, I know I’m a marked man.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After thoroughly assessing the situation, the SIU decided
that Ka Dave stay in the house of Ka Jake while they felt out the atmosphere in
Ka Dave’s residence as well as in his office for possible enemy movements
there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A month or so passed without Ka Dave getting any of his
feared repercussion from the enemy. Then came an assurance from Ka Arman that
in none of the pictures seized by the soldiers in the Project 7 encounter was
Ka Dave visibly identified at all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The Project 7 boys are sure the enemy won’t be able to
tell who the guy taking the pictures was. As reflected in the mirror, Ka Dave
was in a long shot from his camera. Besides, the camera and his hands holding
it completely covered his face,” Ka Arman said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sure, Ka Dave got back to normal legal life afterward. But
the point here was not that. Rather it was that he was already preparing
himself for the hard life ahead, as was the case of many like him who although
enjoying the good life – a lucrative journalistic career and a movie career,
too, for he was getting to be the house scriptwriter of Joseph Estrada, then
deposed, like Marcos, as Mayor of San Juan but later to emerge in the top five
of the 1987 senatorial polls winners – was willing to give it all up for the
revolution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eventually Satur was among a large group that met in Ka
Mao’s house. Ka Mao gathered that it was a meeting of the CPP Politburo. But he
was intrigued to see a chubby fellow among the group who had been left out
alone downstairs, not participating in what struck Ka Mao as a closed-door
conference in the bedroom upstairs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy, tan and whiskered and with a tummy reminiscent
of Celso Ad Castillo, just sat on the stairs, thinking hard. Ka Mao tried to
strike up a conversation with the lonesome revolutionary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hi,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy nodded, faintly smiling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re not joining in their talk?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy shook his head. There was a clear glint of sorrow
in his eyes. At that, Ka Mao could no longer find anything else to say.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guy then flicked off an armalite bullet from a
magazine and casually handed it to Ka Mao, who stared inquiringly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Remembrance from me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How nice of the guy to offer him a souvenir, so Ka Mao
felt. Anything given out of pure heart, Ka Mao took with much endearment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over time, Ka Arman<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>would reveal to Ka Mao that that fellow who gave him a bullet for a
souvenir was Jose “Pepe” Luneta, a long-time member of the CPP Central
Committee and Politburo who was purged from the Party<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for allegedly being responsible for the
infamous Operation Ahos which killed in mass number suspected government agents
in the revolutionary movement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The meeting Satur and the other Politburo members held in
Ka Mao’s house that night Luneta gifted him with the armalite bullet was the
very session called for meting Luneta with the punishment of expulsion from the
Party.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, Ka Mao found himself speculating, SIU<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>helped facilitate that Satur’s escape so he
could expel Luneta. That was one outstanding characteristic of Ka Mao. He
easily felt guilty about the ill effect of his act. It was beyond him to say
whether or not Luneta did commit the mass killing of suspected government
infiltrators in the revolution, or if he did, was it justified to mete him
expulsion from the Party? Ka Mao was certainly thinking back on his own virtual
ewxpulsion from the Party whose entire Party Group under the National Trade
Union Bureau left him to fend for himself in the city while they, following HO
advice, withdrew to the countryside upon the declaration of Martial Law. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao knew then he did not commit any offense
for him to deserve such treatment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If at all, what Ka Mao could be sure of in the Luneta
episode was a most fearsome evil endemic in the structure of the Party
bureaucracy by which those in power can accomplish the very decimation of its
membership. Five years later, Sison would issue his own infamy, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffrim</i> of 1991, which threw Party
members on mass scales pursuing their own lines of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>political work, in effect splintering the
Party and the revolution into inutility.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But the SIU was never privy to the developments that were
taking place leading to this veritable party demise. What Ka Dave and Ka Mao
would deduce on one occasion was a hint, if it was a hint at all, of what
developed in the Party right as soon as Cory took over the presidency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The occasion was the interview the two had with Bernabe
Buscayno, nom de guerre Kumander Dante, soon after his release from prison; the
release of Dante together with Sison was among the first acts of Cory upon
assuming power. It looked odd, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to
prioritize the release of top communists, just as it was indeed odd that while
Marcos had made the top public utilities corporation Manila Electric Company
(MERALCO) publicly-owned, Cory’s top priority was to release the power outfit
back to private ownership by the oligarchs Lopezes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In any case, Dante was a hot item and a number of movie
producers became immediately interested in filming his life story. A common
friend of Ka Mao and Ka Dave, the late film screenwriter and film director
Felix Dalay, sought the intercession of the two in getting the film rights of
the Dante material. In turn, Ka Mao and Ka Dave sought the assistance of Ka
Charlie in getting Dante to sit down with them in an interview for purposes of
writing a screenplay of his life story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The interview in the pavilion of a friendly farm resort
took off on a very cordial note. Ka Mao and Ka Dave reminisced on a escape plan
the SIU devised to get Dante out of Camp Crame. Dante was liberally allowed to
have daily morning exposure to sunshine, which he did by jogging around the
camp compound. This routine would afford him quite many a chance to seek
shelter in a nook, quickly don a respectable attire consisting of dark slacks,
black shiny leather shoes, topped by a barong tagalog to make him look like one
of the many respectable visitors to the camp. Completing the masquerade was a
grey toupee and similar grey moustache ordered by Ka Mao from his favorite
special effects artist so as to camouflage Dante’s identity. Once this put-on
character was done, all Dante needed to do was walk to a waiting vehicle at the
car park, board it, and ride to freedom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The cool-mannered, unassuming guerilla leader, who had
been glorified in the media much beyond his modest, austere physical
attributes, was amused by the idea. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It would have worked,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just SIU’s luck that the EDSA revolt would come about to
frustrate the escape plan thereby snatching from the intelligence unit what
would have been a bigger feather in its cap. Certainly Dante was a grander
figure than Satur, for which reason, in fact it seemed, Dante sought a Senate
seat in the 1987 senatorial polls while Satur, a partylist seat at the House of
the Representatives much later in his day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At one point of the interview, Ka Mao touched on the
question of leadership in the Party and in the Army.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The rule,” Ka Mao recalled, “is that leadership is
automatically relinquished to those that remain free by those that get captured
by the enemy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,” Dante said in a calm voice, though his face looked
perturbed. “We still lead.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao discussed the matter with Ka Jun sometime after
the interview.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>”Dante said that?” Ka Jun asked as though in disbelief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,” I said,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Jun spent a while just staring at Ka Mao, who could
not quite make out that look in his eyes. It was sad, sullen, bewildered and
raging all at once. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Is it true?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“From what I understand, we’re supposed to lead the
revolution now?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Now,” Ka Mao
found himself uttering a very private worry, “that can spell trouble.”</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
XVI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE CALM before the Sison storm of 1991 was itself rather
protracted like his people’s war. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was to the credit of party members that they held on
to the Party unity despite the debacle it suffered from the boycott policy. The
natsit (for national situationer) which the Party issued for that period spoke
of undiminished strength of the party organizationally, politically and
ideologically. In brief, it was as though there had not been any change in the
profile of the enemy to effect a substantial tilt in the balance of forces in
its favor in the continuing people’s war. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In fact, it was during that period when the people’s army
began promoting the idea of the strategic counter offensive (SCO) as an advance
sub-stage of the strategic stalemate. What only transpired was that Marcos fell
and Cory sat in his place, but as far as the revolution was concerned nothing
had changed, or at least that was how SIU sensed it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Magic 8 was still on track, with the Operations San
Mig, Blue Print and Eagle’s Nest continuing to be the top priorities. Why would
the SIU be instructed to persevere in these truly big war undertakings if the
revolution was experiencing a slump. This was how the SIU assessed the
revolutionary situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What Ka Arman took up with him that day in August 1987 enthused
Ka Mao exceedingly. It served to confirm SIU’s view of the war footing and that
moreover the revolution was escalating. According to Ka Arman, the top three
priorities in the Magic 8 had been sufficiently cased and were ready for
implementation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s holding us back?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Money,” said Ka Arman. “Or the lack of it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Arman stared at Ka Mao, indicating he had something
really serious to discuss with him. As Ka Arman stayed speechless, Ka Mao
fidgeted slightly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can you help out in this?” Ka Arman said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How much is needed?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thirty m.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao choked on his voice, “My God. Where will SIU get
thirty million?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You will help us produce it,” said Ka Arman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Arman explained the scenario for raising such an
enormous sum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As had been always the
case in all tasks given to him by the Party, Ka Mao never asked questions as to
the whys and wherefores of the operation which he was being tasked to carry
out. It was enough that the task to do was clear to him for him to do it well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao’s task consisted of two aspects. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First,
provide quarters for an elite team of the NPA Special Operations Command (SOC).
Members of the team carried aliases the meanings of which were the opposite of
their physical attributes, hence Pandak (Ka Dak), meaning dwarf, referred to
the team leader, who was tall; Tangkad (Ka Kad), meaning tall, to the team
member who was short; Speed (Ka Speed), to the team member who was a slowfoot;
and Negro (Ka Negs), to the team member who was oriental white. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team had in its custody a precious cargo intended
for transacting with an European national who would be in town shortly. When
they moved into the house that afternoon, they immediately stashed their cargo
in a store room hastily put up by Ka Mao at one end of the extension area, with
the space at the opposite serving as the team’s quarters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second aspect of Ka Mao’s task was to carry out the transaction with the
European national, incognito of course. In making the transaction, Ka Mao
strictly went by instructions prepared by Ka Arman, conveyed to the European
national through the telephone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao’s specific caution from Ka Jun was to spend no
more than two minutes in making telephone talks otherwise, through sheer
triangulation, he would be betraying his location to any unfriendly element who
just might intercept the call, particularly the police some elements of which
had reportedly been tipped off on the million-dollar transaction. So for, say,
a ten-minute talk on the phone, Ka Mao would be hopping from one point to
another in the whole Metro Manila: from Cubao to Alabang then to Makati,
Monumento and Quiapo in Manila.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What took long to settle in the transaction was the final
amount to be paid in exchange for the cargo<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
after a few months, the issue was settled at an amount only Ka Arman knew, that
amount having been conveyed to him direct by the European national, using a classified
ad plaeement for the purpose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One big difficulty arose on how the final exchange would
be carried out. The European was insisting to do it face to face. This was a
no-no for all of Ka Jun, Ka Arman and Ka Mao. That would compromise Ka Mao’s
work in the SIU, let alone his legal placement. So there was no way the
exchange could take place except by Ka Mao insisting that the European deliver
first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How do I know that you won’t run away with my money
after you get it?” asked the European.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You got my word for it,” Ka Mao declared. “My word is
better than a written contract.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Words, like promises, are meant to be broken,” said the
European, laughing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“For invertebrates, yes,” Ka Mao said, then intoned
“You’re talking to a people’s army!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, well…,” said the European. “We know who your
comrades are in Europe anyway.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao laid down the final arrangement. The European to deliver the amount agreed
upon; Ka Mao, the precious cargo days after. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
European agreed. Ka Mao thought the guy was using his mind. A crooked dealer
would promise heaven to get what he wanted. By insisting on a one-week timeline
for him to deliver his part of the bargain, Ka Mao impressed upon the European
that he was a straight guy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Regarding the negotiation for the delivery of the money,
Ka Mao did not have a say at all in terms of policy, mechanics and method. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The few months that the negotiations got stalled had been
particularly dangerous in the sense that part of maintaining the legal
well-placement of the house was a free access to it by anybody who wished to
pay the family a visit. There was not even a sturdy fence around the whole lot
but for minimal amount of barbed wire held by bamboo posts. From time to time,
folks from the surrounding neighborhood would sneak through this light barrier
to gather firewood or fallen fruits, like mango, santol and guava. In any case,
all this added up to the overall innocent look of the area. As for the
movements of people in the house, these were never evident to outsiders, the house
being on a spot away from the highway, and on sloping ground at that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, on New Year Eve 1987, the SOC team
sought release of their boredom by firing their long arms into the air, yelling
“Long live the revolution!” They were not being adventurous though. They just
were sure that no matter how strong, the yell could not get above the din of
celebration at the strike of twelve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nonetheless, on at least three occasions, incidents
happened as though to punctuate the otherwise boring episode with some high
degree of suspense.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One incident happened one early evening. Ka Arman and Ka
Dak were the only ones around in the house to guard the cargo;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the other SOC team members were off on some
sort of a furlough for one week. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After government troops in full battle gear leaped out of
a six-by-six in the neighboring squatters settlement, a solitary soldier in
similar apparel and gear walked into the compound of the driveway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Spotting
the soldier, Ka Arman grabbed his M-16 and took position behind a post, while
Ka Dak walked toward the approaching soldier. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Arman was the most prone to shoot it out, his finger nearly pressing already on
the trigger of his armalite while beads of perspiration trickled down his face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
Ka Dak proved to be the more level-headed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No combatant would go striding into enemy territory like walking under
the moonlight, as indeed the bright moon had risen sufficiently high in the
sky. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
making sure nevertheless, he cocked his .45, tucked it into his front waist and
walked toward the soldier casually.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good
evening,” greeted Ka Dak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Is
this where there is a movie shooting?” asked the soldier. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
shooting,” said Ka Dak, nearly blurting out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
shooting a war movie but I got separated from my group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said the set is in the squatters area on
Sumulong Highway.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak secretly sighed with relief. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This
is no squatters area. The adjacent neighborhood is. There’s where the shooting
is.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak noticed something about the armalite the soldier was carrying. He rather
cautiously reached out a hand to touch it. The soldier was amused. He handed
the long weapon to Ka Dak, who felt it so light.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Props,“
said the guy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak let out a hearty laughter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re
no soldier,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Stuntman
extra.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak laughed louder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where he was ready to shoot, Ka Arman squinted
his eyes, wondering at the sound of laughter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
occasion was on a lazy afternoon. Ka Speed and Ka Kad were as usual engrossed
in a game of chess. Ka Dak is cleaning the parts of his disassembled pistol. Ka
Negs was having a nap in the SOC team’s quarters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
of Ka Mao’s kids were at home, that being a weekend. They were having fun
playing hide-and-seek. Maoie, the tag, had his eyes closed while resting his
face on his arm pressed against the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“When
I start counting ten, find your place of hiding,”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maoie intoned, then began counting, “One…
two… three…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ogie,
a one year and a half tot, was mimicking Maoie’s antic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paulo
and Maripaz made a quick decision to go hiding in the restricted room where the
precious cargo was kept. They gaped upon seeing what was inside the room then
turn to rush back. Ka Negs awakened at this point.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey,”
said Ka Negs, half-shouting. He leaped to his feet and held the kids. “What did
you do inside the room?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
playing hide and seek,” replied Maripaz.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
did you see?” asked Ka Negs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maripaz
was about to tell, but Paulo beat him to it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Nothing.
We did not see anything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are
you sure?” Ka Negs insisted to know.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
that point, Maoie rushed into the spot, startling everyone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Pong
Paulo. Pong Paz,” Maoie blurted out, then hurried to the tag spot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
the while, Ogie kept mimicking Maoie’s moves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paulo
pulled Maripaz in getting away, completely ignoring Ka Negs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay,
come. I’ll be tag,” Paulo said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Negs eyed the two deeply as they went. Then he turned to the room and saw everything
was in place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He
thought it over real hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He told himself,
“Well, they said they didn’t see anything. That’s it. They didn’t see anything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
days on after that, Ka Negs observed Paulo and Maripaz, in moments of leisure,
when the kids go away to school and when they come home from classes. Each time
Ka Negs made it obvious to the two that he was observing them. He hoped that by
doing this, he could make the two feel guilty and admit they saw the precious
cargo. But in none of these moments did neither Maripaz nor Paulo betray any
signs Ka Negs hoped to see in them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
Ka Negs assured himself, “They really didn’t see anything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
just what intelligence Paulo had in this regard would find a repeat long after
the precious cargo<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>episode was over. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the time,
Benny Tiamzon, with whom Ka Mao had had some verbal tussle over the pursuit of
the proletarian cause, had been named the new Chairman of the Communist Party
of the Philippines, replacing the captured Kumander Bilog. Tiamzon was with the
KTKS in the house, meeting to tackle certain urgent agenda, which, as always,
Ka Mao did not find fit to ask about. The group was having a lunch break
downstairs when they were astounded by the deafening sound of a .45 bullet
bursting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
all rushed upstairs and into the room where they had been meeting. They found
nobody in the room. Everything was in place. Ka Jun checked the .45 of Tiamzon
that was in place in its holster under the low center table – apparently
untouched where it had been kept. But Ka Jun smelled the barrel of the gun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s
just been fired,” he said, eyeing the group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
that precise point, what would rather startle the group but the sound of a
young voice coming from just behind them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
was that I heard?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paulo,
stepping out of the bathroom adjacent to the meeting room, asked the question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
group eyed one another, then indicated their amusement at realizing what had
happened: the boy, not quite seven, fired the .45 obviously through the open
window, then put the pistol back in its holster in place under the center
table, rushed inside the bathroom outside of the meeting room, making himself
scant just in time for the group to miss him when they rushed up to check. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
a light, chiding shake of his tilted head, Ka Jun eyed Tiamzon smilingly, like
saying, “Rule number one in war. Never separate your gun from yourself.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
the meeting, Ka Jun had an advice to tell Ka Mao: “Take care of Paulo. He is a
very intelligent child.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back now to the hide-and-seek episode in the
quarters of the SOC team. That night Ka Mao came home from work, Paulo confided
to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay,
we’ve got something in our house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“
What?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s
something in that room.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao was pretty sure Paulo had discovered what was in that room.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Paulo,
be a good boy. Don’t go in where you are not allowed to enter.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
just playing hide-and-seek.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That
room is not for games children play.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao’s voice, though soft, was stern. Paulo quieted down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
all the incidents during the safe-keeping of the precious cargo, Ka Mao and
Betchay were out shooting a movie. Betchay had begun learning the works of an
assistant to a director and so she stuck to him whenever and wherever he
worked. For the present project they were busy in, Betchay had taken the job as
caterer, for Ka Mao was involved only as a scriptwriter. Since it was out of
the question that a house helper be in place in the house to look after the
kids when the couple were at work, the SOC team minded this task, like cooking
their meals and seeing them off on a service vehicle ride to the school. At
nights though, once back home from shooting, Betchay would find time preparing
the things the kids would need for school the following day, like ironing their
clothes and readying what Ka Speed would cook for the kids for breakfast and
for lunch packs to bring to school.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
that afternoon the SOC team were caught unawares by two Assumption nuns was a
different case. Ka Mao was not out shooting but was delivering an urgent
message prepared by Ka Arman for the European national. . He was taking long
discussing on the phone the matter of the final<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>amount the European would deliver, the discussion being chopped into durations
of two minutes only and at quite long intervals, because done <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at various points in Metro Manila far away
from one another </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
nuns just seemed to pop into view through the open door. Ka Speed and Ka Kad
paused in their chess game, not bothering to rise, though they looked surprised
by the nuns’ appearance. It was Ka Dak who was alarmed, for at the time, he was
busy fitting a silencer into the nozzle of his .45. He quickly placed the
weapon and gadgets under the center table he was working at and approached the
nuns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good
afternoon,” greeted Ka Dak. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We wish to talk to Mr. Samonte,” said
one nun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mr. Samonte is
in Laguna shooting,” said Ka Dak for an alibi; he knew Ka Mao was out doing his
task in the operation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about Mrs. Samonte?” asked the
other nun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“She is with Mr. Samonte shooting,”
said Ka Dak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m Mr.
Samonte’s cousin. May I help you? Come in please,” said Ka Dak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No,
we have to hurry up. Your nephew Mauro The Second has had an accident in the
school. We have just brought him to a hospital in the town. But he must be
brought to the Orthopedic hospital in Quezon City for proper treatment. ”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
turned out the boy Maoie, then in grade two in Assumption, was playfully
sliding with other boys down the inclined siding at the entrance of the
multipurpose hall when he got a bad fall to the pavement and broke his arm. Ka
Dak relayed this to Ka Mao through the latter’s beeper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao read the message on his beeper just as he was finishing his phone talk with
the European.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Okay,
my friend. We’re not done yet. You wait. I’ll call later,” Ka Mao said. He
pressed the button of the phone, then dialed a number.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Easy
call, may I help you?” said the operator at the other end of the line.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao dictated to the operator a message for sending to Ka Dak through the
latter’s beeper. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Dak read the message: “Any of you, please attend to Maoie. I’m not done with my
work yet.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dak then assigned Ka Speed to accompany Maoie to the Philippine Orthopedic
Hospital.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was nearly sundown when Ka Mao finished his job with the European that
afternoon. But much as he wanted to go to Maoie at the orthopedic hospital
immediately, he could not because he must first attend a meeting Ka Arman
called in the house in the evening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
Ka Jun also in the meeting, Ka Arman now gave Ka Mao the final instructions for
delivery to the European the following day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“One
point five,” said Ka Mao, “is too little. From our discussion this afternoon I
sensed that I could press the European some more for a higher amount, even up
to five m.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Jun was inclined to consider Ka Mao’s idea of negotiating further.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
think you can increase that amount?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Let
me call again,” Ka Mao advised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Arman cut in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No
need for that anymore. It’s settled. His final offer, we call. There is so much
we can do with that amount. Besides, the boys are getting exhausted by all this
waiting.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
so at long last, Ka Mao’s last task in the operation was to instruct the
European national on how to deliver the money. Time was of the essence. Another
combat team was all set to pick-up the money. After giving the instructions to
the European, Ka Mao dialed another number on the phone. The fellow waiting at
the other end of the line picked up the phone – Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hello,”
said Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ka
Dave, Kirk here,” Ka Mao said from his end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,
Ka Kirk,” said Ka Dave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Go,”
came Ka Mao’s final word and he hanged up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Dave enthused to himself exceedingly. That one single word said it all. The
money was on the way for pick up by another combat team. The head of this team
would call him any moment now to get the go signal for their action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Dave monitored
his wrist watch. The seconds seemed to tick away so slowly. Then as the hour
hand reached ten, the phone rang. He excitedly picked it up. The smile on his
lips indicated it was the call he was awaiting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,”
Ka Dave said. “Go.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
with that, Ka Dave made his one single word in the whole operation. But it was
the only word that counted now. It was the word that set into motion the
tracking by the pick-up team of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>sedan carrying the money. Ka Mao had gotten the plate number of that car
from the European, then passed it on to Ka Arman, who finally relayed it to the
pick-up team. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
in a symphony, Ka Mao had done his coda. What transpired next was nothing but
the denouement. As Ka Arman would put it later, picking up the money was as
easy as picking apples.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">JUST RIGHT time, Ka Mao sighed to
himself as he hugged Maoie in order to keep him pressed down in bed. The
orthopedic doctor was doing the operation for putting the boy’s broken arm bone
back in place and the boy was terribly squirming from what terrible pain it was
he was suffering. The doctor was twisting Maoie’s arm to and fro, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mercilessly it seemed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay!
Tatay!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oh,
how so painfully the boy cried. Ka Mao wondered if he himself could have borne
the pain if he were in his son’s place. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And yet… And
yet… If finishing his job in the transaction just past had taken all the way to
this point, he would have still gladly given his full attention to the work.
That was more than twenty four hours after Maoie had the fall in school.
Betchay, who was doing an errand for the film production when the accident
happened, gave Maoie company at the hospital when evening came, there to await
the operation scheduled the next day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What kind of a
father was he, willing and ready to abandon his son even at this his hour of
agony! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That’s
why Ka Mao thanked God, indeed, he found himself thanking God profusely, for
getting the transaction over with, not because it succeeded in getting the
money it had intended to get, but because it made him available to his son just
as when the boy needed him most.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
fingers of his free hand burrowing into Ka Mao’s shoulder for support, the boy
struggled to speak. It looked to Ka Mao that the boy was beginning to gasp for
breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay…
I can’t take it anymore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
terror crossed Ka Mao’s mind. God, could Maoie have gone through it all if he
were not around to give him support. His eyes moistened as he cast a pleading
stare at the doctor, imploring him with that stare to be quick with it, please.
But as most doctors are, the doctor looked disaffected, wearing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a stoic mien in his face as he went about
with his job. One final twist of Maoie’s arm and the boy yelled in pain so
acute it sounded like it were his last. He choked on his crying and appeared to
be catching his breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao cast a terrified stare at the doctor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“He
will be okay,” the doctor assured Ka Mao, continuing to wear that stoic mien in
his face. Like nonchalantly, he then began treating Maoie’s injured arm with
plaster cast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Only
then did Ka Mao feel like giving vent to all his feelings of grief, joy and
relief all at once. He pressed his face on the pillow beside Maoie’s face,
pretending to comfort him. Actually he did it as a way of hiding his tears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER XVII</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RECOVERY was another agony for Maoie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
order to keep his injured arm bone in place while in the period of healing, his
arm had to be kept stretched by a rope tied to his wrist, slung on a pulley
above his bed and held down by a weight load that dangled on the other end. For
this reason, while he was supposed to rest in bed, he was in extreme
discomfort. Since his injured arm had to be held up day in and day out, he
maintained the same position in bed twenty four hours a day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Aside
from feeding the boy with his food, Ka Mao helped him do his toilet chores as
well as gave him his sponge baths.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
boy’s discomfort was bearable in any case. After a month, Maoie’s arm was
finally freed from the weight load, its plaster cast replaced with a
longer-lasting one and his arm held on a sling around his neck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By the advent of
summer, Maoie was ready for release. That day Ka Arman came for a visit at the
hospital together with Ka Ding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Advice by the
GC, you are not to proceed to the house from the hospital,” Ka Arman told him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why, any
problem?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Not exactly,”
said Ka Arman. “It’s standard procedure. After being used for such a hot
operation, we have to ascertain the security of your house. For your own safety
and that of your family, too.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Ding handed
Ka Mao a large brown envelope bulging with something.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Here you are,”
Ka Ding said in his characteristic brevity of words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s this?”
asked Ka Mao as he opened the envelope unsuspectingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You can have a
vacation with the whole family in Baguio,” said Ka Arman..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao gaped
when he got a good view of the what the envelope contained: wads of money
bills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s fifty
thousand,” said Ka Ding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“More than enough
for a month vacation,” said Ka Arman. “By that time, we shall have ascertained
whether or not your house is safe for you and your family to return to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
an added safety precaution, Ka Mao did not join Betchay and the kids in the
trip to Baguio. He traveled a day later, meeting up with them on an appointed
spot in Burnham Park upon arrival in the city in the morning of the next day.
He made sure to shave his beard and moustache before joining the family. The
kids were amazed at his clean-shaven face topped by a neat haircut. So was
Betchay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
her inquiring stare, Ka Mao said, “Ka Arman suggested I needed to put on a new
look,”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tatay
pogi (How so good-looking father is),” remarked Ogie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
got a good laugh.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">SUMMER was a good respite for folks who
had just overcome one of the most perilous involvements one whole family experienced
in the revolution. By its nature, the transaction with the European national was
fit only in the countryside, the so-called red areas where the rebel forces had
things in control. But in the white areas, which were enemy territories and
which Ka Mao’s house was in, conducting the operation there was unimaginable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet the family went through it all
successfully.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids didn’t realize it, of course, and so
they went about indulging in their little shenanigans all the while that the precious
cargo was being kept in the house. Betchay could sense it but took care not to
ask anything about it. She had been conditioned never to ask questions about Ka
Mao’s activities in the movement. It was Ka Mao alone who bore all the tension
for the family in that long transaction period. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, a real
quality time was transpiring for the family, enjoying happy togetherness as
they savored the characteristic delights of the Summer Capial: boat ride in the
Burnham Park lagoon, horseback riding at the Wainright Park, viewing the
canyons at the Mines View Park, strolling among strawberry plants red with
fruits in La Trinidad Valley. They did have moments like these in the past, but
always, only on weekends and when Ka Mao <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was free from his work. This time, merrymaking
was their daily grind, from break of day till the setting of the sun and well
into the night, when they would dine out in plush eateries, then in their
rented house enjoy sing-along ditties before finally repairing to bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao had an
added pleasure for himself when toward the end of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this vacation, an exposure in an NPA territory
was arranged for him by the local command of the NPA. Lugging his ubiquitous
camera and with a few clothes in a backpack, he was picked up by a guide in the
market area. They took a jeepney which traversed the narrow highway carved out
of a mountainside, at every inch of which one looked down to deep ravines.
Quite a few vehicles had fallen off the cliffs in the past, with none of the
passengers surviving the accidents.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the greater
danger in that travel was that a military officer kept eyeing Ka Mao’s guide,
who is a leader of an NPA combat squad. The military officer was ascertaining
to himself if Ka Mao’s guide was indeed one of those he and his men had had an
encounter once. Ka Mao’s guide knew he was being marked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He secretly instructed Ka Mao who to contact
when he reached the appointed destination, then as the jeepney slowed down at a
narrow bend, Ka Mao’s guide suddenly leaped out of the jeepney.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The military
officer gave chase, warning the guy to stop or he will shoot. He aimed his
rifle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao’s guide drew his pistol,
firing as he rolled over down the slope into the ravine. The military officer
was grazed by a bullet on his side and threw to the ground, firing his
rifle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao’s guide avoided the hail
of bullets and disappeared into the woods down the ravine. Through that
terrain, no lone military officer would dare engage an NPA combatant on a
one-on-one basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A man in
mid-twenties among the passengers prodded the jeepney driver to go on lest they
be caught in the crossfire. The driver obliged and stepped on the gas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was nearly
sundown when the jeepney reached its destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was Sagada, an Ifugao municipality
in Bontoc Province. Ka Mao was tentative as he moved around after getting off
the jeepney.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The guy gave me
a name to contact but didn’t say where to contact,” Ka Mao uttered to himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A young man
walked past him, saying in near-whisper, “Follow me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Making a
double-look, Ka Mao recognized the young man. He was the twentyish fellow who
had prodded the jeepney driver to drive on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao gaped in
amazement when told by the man that he was the back-up guide assigned to ensure
Ka Mao’s safe journey to NPA territory deep in the jungles of the Cordillera mountain
range. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The NPA knows
its business,” Ka Mao told himself with surprised delight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The young man led
him to a house where he was processed, the term used for verification of
information about Ka Mao earlier passed on to the NPA command in the area. His
hosts also made sure that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao had
necessary clothing for his stay in the NPA camp. He got two jackets all right,
a woolen sweatshirt, several t-shirts, a pair of jogging pants, and a number of
thick woolen socks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s too cold
up there,” said the leader of the squad sent to fetch Ka Mao and bring him to
the NPA mountain camp.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, yes?”
remarked Ka Mao. “How cold? Fifteen… Ten… Five degrees centigrade?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’ll see,”
said the squad leader. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
was enough amount of sunlight as Ka Mao began the trek to the mountain camp,
and so he got a clear, good view of the terrain. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Magnificent,”
Ka Mao gasped to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
snaked up a trail upward that cut through terraces, partitioned in patches
which all teemed with green palay plants. Ka Mao thought it was comparable in
grandeur to the famed Banaue Rice Terraces, considered one of the seven wonders
of the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
legend had it that once upon a time, a great flood gobbled up the lowlands,
destroying crops and killing many inhabitants. The natives took it as the Great
Wrath of God Kabunyan for their wrongdoings. When the flood receded, the
natives labored to build a stairway to heaven by which to climb to the sky and
seek Kabunyan’s blessing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Past
the terraces, Ka Mao and his entourage now traversed a thick forest of pine
trees many of which would require three men to encompass with their hands
joined together. A few fallen ones just stayed lying on the ground, with nobody
minding them. In Real and Infanta, Quezon, this would be unthinkable. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dos por lapad</i> folks, the term for men
doing illegal lumbering in the forests of Sierra Madre, would be cutting these
fallen giant pines up into two-by-four-inch slabs in a hurry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao remembered log cabins in western journals and he thought it would be nice
building one for himself in that area, using those fallen pines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can
I build a log cabin here?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Chose
your wild,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Whom
do I ask permission from?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Permission
granted,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They laughed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They were
trekking upward a mountain peak which according to the squad leader is the
third highest in the Philippines. Ka Mao knew Mount Apo in Davao was the
highest, he didn’t know what the second highest was. In any case, even with its
lower height, this peak Ka Mao was climbing was almost a literal depiction of
the Tagalog saying: “Abot-kamay ang langit (Heaven is just within reach).” As
he gazed up the top of the slope they were climbing, it did seem that once he
got there, he could touch the sky.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How much farther
are we going to climb?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“One food for
your thought,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, yes?” said
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“When you walk
up a mountain, never look where you are heading to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’ll get
tired quickly.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Is that so?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Just watch your
steps. Before you realize it, you’re there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao really
had to watch his steps. Before long, it was dark and their journey was lit only
by the moonlight filtering through the trees. And into the final stage of their
travel, they must negotiate a narrow footpath carved out of a mountain side.
One misstep and he would be plunging down the deep ravine to his right. For
this reason, Ka Mao kept inclining to his left as he walked so that just in
case he made that misstep, he would be falling to the ground.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Seeing Ka Mao’s
difficulty, the squad leader took his backpack.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let me carry it
for you,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’re loaded
with your own things,” Ka Mao said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is
nothing,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Free of his load
but for his camera, Ka Mao had a little easier time minding his steps. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then suddenly, a
gunshot rang, echoing through the trees.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
alarmed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The squad leader
got excited, so were his companions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When a short
while after they finally reached the camp, the rebels were excited as they came
upon a crowd gathered around by the bonfire in the middle of the encampment,
butchering a deer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The squad leader
approached the group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought
correctly when I heard that shot. You slew a deer,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It could have
been a firefight,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No gunbattle
takes place with just on shot being fired,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the men
butchering the deer spoke to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s routine
for us here. We chase a deer through the woods just to get it exhausted. When
night falls, the animal would go out of hiding to drink at the river. That’s
when we shoot it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why not while
you’re chasing it?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The squad leader
cuts in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You’re not sure
to hit. That would be a lot of wasted bullets otherwise better off used for
killing fascist dogs. While drinking at the river, the deer is a sitting duck.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao smiled. He said, “I think you guys are teaching me lessons early.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
squad leader introduced Ka Mao to his men, who included two amazons from a tribe
distinct for their fair skin,with pretty features on their pinkish faces.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Comrades,
this is Ka Mao. He was sent by the General Command to spend time with us, you
know.Just like the others who had been sent before him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Everybody
shook hands with Ka Mao as they gave him words of welcome. Generally, they
said, “Feel at home.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His
first experience of feeling at home with the group was the veritable feast they
had over the deer meat soup prepared for supper. Ka Mao could almost vomit at
tasting it. It was tart, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fishy, pungent,
or whatever it was, a taste he would not take. The meat was cooked, all right,
but simply boiled in water with no salt or any seasoning whatsoever, neither
with any vegetable additives to improve its tangy taste. But apparently, the
rebels had been so used to such a serving of meat and so took it with gusto. Otherwise
they would be content with simple boiled cabbage for viand. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao forced himself to make like the rest in eating the dish. Actually he took
too much time finishing one slice of the meat so he would not be forced to eat
more. As for the soup, he could not refuse the urging of one guy for him to
drink from the common bowl. He did press the bowl lid into his mouth,
pretending to take it, but kept his teeth pressed, too, to allow only a very
minimal amount of the liquid into his mouth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
the feel of the liquid in his mouth brought him nausea which he could not
control anymore. He begged leave from the group, pretending to piss behind
bushes. There he let it all out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gasping
for air afterward, a thought crossed his mind. In no instance in the whole transaction
with the European national had he experienced taking what he had just eaten..
And yet, here it was staple food for the comrades. Who suffered the more difficulty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
night was terribly cold. He had put on both his jogging pants on, one on top of
the other, donned three layers of t-shirts, topped further by a long-sleeved
polo shirt, then by the thick woolen sweatshirt, over which finally was his
jacket. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao mused to himself. Never in all its operation did the SIU suffer such biting
cold. Who suffered the more difficulty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao proceeded to join the rebels heating themselves <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>up<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by
the flames of the bonfire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Real
cold out here,” Ka Mao remarked to the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
told you. Now you see,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
suppose this is below 5 degrees,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No.
Below<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>zero,” said the squad leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
don’t say.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“See
if it doesn’t rain ice tomorrow.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s
always the case. If it is this cold tonight, ice will fall in the morning.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mid-morning
the following day, a heavy downpour fell. Along with the rather large beads of
raindrops were marble-size, sharp-edged ice peebles which, according to
Newton’s law on free-falling objects, could puncture your head as they did the plastic
roof of the rebels’ tents. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao would learn later that the rebels were getting discouraged by their leaders
from using plastic tents, as they were prone to getting devastated by the frequent
ice rains. Ka Mao amused at the thought of city folks cavorting in the streets
whenever it rained. Here they hurried inside their tents lest they get wounded
by the shrapnels from heaven. Who suffered the more difficulty?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
only a short while, Ka Mao had such a good taste of rebel life in the mountain <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that he finally got the full impact of the
view that joining the NPA is the pinnacle of serving the people. The feeling
exhilarates. An exposure guest inevitably ended up not wanting to go back to the
city anymore. Many of those who actually tasted battle with the enemy had opted
to stay in the mountain for good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Although the NPA
had a standing policy of securing the safety of its guests, meaning keep them
away from the line of fire, in the event of an engagement with the enemy, Ka
Mao would have insisted in joining in the fray, be at the front line even. But
much to his regret, the unit in the camp had no military engagements during his
entire stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this respect, he felt no
better than Abraham Lincoln who, though having had war experience against the
Confederates, never tasted combat except, according to one accout, “for
insignificant bouts with mosquitoes.” In his case, Ka Mao had bouts in the
evenings with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">limatiks</i>, tiny leeches
that would creep up inside his pants and go on to suck blood from his very
genitals. The creature is so small nobody notices it creeping up his leg, nor
when it sucks your groin. Only when the spot being sucked begins to itch would
one impulsively scratch it and discover the blood glutton so bloated with his
blood it could no longer move. It would amuse Ka Mao exceedingly to see a fearless
rebel leaping out of the toilet in utter fright from his aborted bowel movement
while gingerly trying to flick off with his hands the tiny devil stuck to his
buttocks. Ka Mao was almost victimized similarly but that the rascal had the
nerve to attack him frontally as he squatted there. So, seeing the attack,
which he, too,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>admitted was so eerie
indeed as to terrify you out of your wits, he grabbed a stick and pummeled the
leech into bits.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And thus did Ka
Mao have a battle to rise above in pronto.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The rebel unit
issued Ka Mao an M-16 for hm to use just in case. But aside from learning how
to disassemble its parts and then putting them back in place, the only use he
had of the weapon was that it made him look like a true blue NPA whenever they
did drills in a clearing in the morning. Jogging around the area, he shouted
along with the other rebels after the squad leader chanting the goodie ole
revolutionary slogans: “Down with imperialism!” “Down with feudalism!” “Down
with bureaucrat capitalism!” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who are we
addressing the chant to anyway, to the trees?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ka Mao found himself asking quietly. If faith can move mountains, so
revolutionary passion might also.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To make up for
lack of action, Ka Mao engaged the unit in study sessions, using a syllabus he
had devised for the SIU’s use. The syllabus consisted of three main parts. Part
One dealt on Philippine history. Philippine social development was presented
according to the principles of dialectical and historical materialism, with
focus on what, based on his research, actually happened in the Revolution of
1896. Part Two was an exhaustive presentation of the theory of surplus value,
the core of capitalist exploitation of wage labor. The text for this study was
improvised by Ka Mao from his study of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Das
Capital</i> by Karl Marx. And Part Three was a simplification of the theories
contained in Lenin’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">State and Revolution</i>
for easy understanding of the concepts of socialism and communism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao could
sense that the rebels, all hailing from the masses, were hungering for deeper
insights into the guiding principles of the revolution. And they found the
syllabus quite delectable. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After going
through the syllabus, Ka Mao discussed the current developments in the people’s
struggle. The Party had by then issued the latest natsit (national situationer)
which elaborated on how the revolution stood at the time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The paper prepared by the Party spoke of the people’s
war already at the stage of the strategic counter-offensive (SCO), described as
an advance substage of the strategic stalemate. A distinct feature of the SCO was
widespread insurrection in the urban centers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was with this
insurrectionary character of the revolution that Ka Victor expressed
displeasure. The comrade was a high-ranking officer of the Cordillera District
Party Committee who visited the camp for an important discussion with Ka Wakad,
the diminutive Ifugao native who was Provincial Commander of the NPA in Bontoc.
Both listened to Ka Mao’s discussion of the natsit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well if that’s
how the Party sees it in the overall...,” Ka Victor commented. “But as far as
we are concerned, that cannot be done here.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
astounded by the comment. Ka Victor’s statement struck Ka Mao as a declaration
of defiance. Were not all party members expected to obey an official Party
policy? It alarmed Ka Mao to realize that one whole district party committee should
express deviation from that policy – or at least, one from the committee did.
Certainly it indicated a serious sectionalism in the Party. How many other district
party committees were of the same opinion as Ka Victor sounded to stand pat on?
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Already then Ka
Mao sensed a foreboding of graver things to come. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER XVIII</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">AS LATE AS the advent of the 90s,
nothing indicated to Ka Mao that his fears felt beginning that sojourn in the
Cordillera NPA camp were justified. Meetings in the house by the KTKS, the
Politburo and the NPA General Command were getting frequent, indicating to Ka
Mao the contrary: the Party and the Army were getting even more and more
vigorous. Nothing was changed of directives earlier given nor of plans earlier
approved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
that went true, too, for the SIU tasks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
fact, the increasing number of uses of the house and of the elements using it
prompted Ka Mao to enlarge it even further. The entire dimensions of the
original extension area were replicated on an upper floor, making for a
complete two-story structure. The whole second floor was now for the exclusive
use of the Party’s and Army’s meetings and quartering, but for the original
room of Maripaz into which now were compressed Ka Mao and his family during
sleep time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Both
guests and hosts shared the ground floor during fellowship hours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
yet, this was not enough. Come 1991, Ka Mao had a discussion with Ka Charlie
about the intensifying revolutionary situation. Cory was not only exposed as an
economic nincompoop, unable to stem the rise of mass poverty, but was also a
political weakling whose only credentials to the presidency was her absolute
tutelage to US interests. She had personally led a scanty crowd of her
loyalists in a rally to pressure the Senate not to abrogate the US-RP Military
Bases Agreement. The Senate refused to be cowed and declared all US military
facilities in the country ended.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According
to Charlie, all of the plans of the people’s army were on track and the time
was ripe for their implementation. But those plans needed to be approved by the
Party congress, which had long been delayed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can
you host the congress?” asked Ka Charlie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mao was speechless for a moment. Did he
hear right?, he asked himself. He thought Ka Charlie was kidding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
not kidding,” said Ka Charlie. “The Party congress can be called anytime now.
All we need is a venue.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Soon
after that discussion, Ka Mao embarked on what in his category could be
considered a grand house expansion. To the north end of the already complete
L-shaped structure was added one whole house in itself, rectangular in shape
such that it completed the overall design less as an L than a Swastika. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This
is so big,” commented one carpenter. “What do you have need for this?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Guest
house,” said Ka Mao curtly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
guest house so-called consisted of a ground floor, an attic and a basement to
make for three floors in all. The ground floor level was a one-room affair.
Half of the area, the section adjoining the dining room, was walled in large
glass panes framed with wood. This half had two swing doors done in glass panes
framed with wood that opened into the terrace overlooking the creek and the
bamboo grove close by. The other half had solid walls done in concrete. The end
of this other half had a solid concrete divider to conceal the staircase that
led down to the basement. The basement was walled with concrete all around and
was fitted at the creekside with escape tunnel that secretly led to the scarcely-fenced
section of the Valdez Farm where the enemy was not expected to make any pursuit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The original living
room was expanded westward to give way for a ground-level dining area with
skylight roofing done in fiber glass. Since people in the house tended to
gravitate in the dining area, what was once a living room became almost just a
foyer from the main entrance at the east side of the structure. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Adjacent to the
dining room was the kitchen with no divider separating it from the dining area
but for a half-octagon-shaped kitchen island. A room was at the back of this
kitchen, with almost the same dimension as it had, intended for storing kitchen
what-nots. The floor of the storage room had an opening for stairs leading to
the basement-level dirty kitchen for wood-fueled cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This storage room had a door that led to the
garage. Also to the garage side of the kitchen was an elevated breakfast area
with a view window done in glass and in the shape of an octagon. To the west
side of the kitchen was the glass sliding door of the guest house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if one went in through the main entrance,
he would step into the foyer and there be faced with three directions. To the
right, the living room leading to the dining room, the kitchen, the breakfast
area and the guest house. Straight ahead, the stairway to the second floor
where he would find Maripaz’s bedroom, the comfort room adjoining it outside,
the corridor leading to it being walled in solid glass, the door on this wall
leading out to the terrace that had been added above the main entrance, the
other end of the corridor leading to the family hall and the adjoining <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>masters bedroom. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Back at the
foyer, he would find to the left, the whole undivided area of the ground floor,
with exits leading to the library to the left and to the stairway to the south
end basement which was joined up by a tunnel to the north end basement (the
basement of the guest house). This way all occupants of the house, upon alarm,
could go rushing through the labyrinth of tunnels and out into the Valdez Farm.
Through the farm where the caretakers were quite friendly to Ka Mao and very
cooperative, any escaping elements from Ka Mao’s house could rush unnoticed by
the enemy as they made way through the wide orchard there and out into the
barangay road behind it. From there their vehicles would rush them to safety.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From his
discussion with Ka Charlie, Ka Mao gathered that the Party had grown into five
commissions. He estimated that at a minimum of ten delegates per commission,
the Party Congress should have at least 50 delegates. The way he had renovated
the house, he apportioned the sections thus: The Vizayas-Mindanao, the Central
Luzon and the Northern Luzon Commisions, to the Guest House; the Southern
Tagalog-Bicol Commission, to the Library and South End Basement; and the
National Capital Region Commission, to the Second Floor Family Hall and Masters
Bedroom. Ka Mao and his family would be happy lumped together in Maripaz’s
bedroom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But where would
the session hall be?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The whole
undivided ground floor<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the initial
expansion area! Ka Mao exclaimed to himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So to Ka
Charlie’s question, “Can you host the congress?” came Ka Mao’s answer, “Yes, I
can.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ka
Mao was just passionate about the whole thing. The Party Congress, delayed for
so long, would formalize a number of important and urgent policies,
particularly the SCO. It would give the go signal for the planned takeover of
the legislature and other vital public facilities. It would fill the streets
with militant mass actions. It would bring the people’s army’s firepower from
the countryside to the cities. It would send the flames of revolution exploding
the country over. And then the strategic stalemate. It had been a lesson from
all revolutions that the strategic offensive to follow was virtually just
ceremonial – as it was in China when after Chiang Kai Sheik was driven to
Formosa, the People’s Liberation Army just marched into Shianghai to take
over<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the seat of Kuomintang political
power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Would Ninoy allow that to happen to
his widow?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naah! Naah!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
was it any wonder that Sison acted in his stead? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Evidently out of
desperation, he issued the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm Our
Basic Principles</i>. The ostensible motive was to launch a thorough Party-wide
rectification movement aimed at correcting errors done, not the least of which
being the error of the boycott policy. But motives are proven not by assertive
words but by cause-and-effect doctrine. The result of the Sison-instigated
rectification movement told it all. It splintered the Party into fragments,
tore the otherwise formidable people’s army, and threw the revolution back to
the dark ages.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was a most sentimental moment Ka Mao had when he talked to Ka Jun about the
matter. Ka Jun was playing the piano at the time. Ka Mao had learned that the
NPA Chief was a gifted pianist and so he bought a Weinstein Piano so he could
hear him play it whenever he visited the house. Ka Mao was a piano enthusiast
himself and loved much to listen to classical piano selections. Ka Jun was into
an inspired rendition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Vie En Rose</i>
when Ka Mao opened the topic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You have the army under your command, Why not combat
Sison’s divisive policy?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Jun shook his head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I assure you it will be very bloody,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Jun struck the keys as though he wished to
just play on and on, like providing the counterpoint in the symphony of the crumbling
of the Party and the people’s army.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Northern Luzon, the Party initiatives had increasingly
been taken over by the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
Central Luzon, the Magpantay couple were heading their own faction which
boasted of its own armed group able to shoot it out with that of the Tiamzon
couple.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nilo
de la Cruz and Popoy Lagman banded together in Metro Manila to form a
composite, the Revolutionary People’s Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB).
This combined force soon joined up with that of Arturo Tabara in the Visayas,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">COME the presidential elections of 1992,
Ka Mao gave it all up. No revolution in history won against a democratic
government. According to his perception, once Fidel V. Ramos was elected
president, that was the signal that thenceforth any political reform could only
take place within the system of a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>bourgeois democratic government. At best, then, what the rejectionists
of the Sison <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> manifested with
their defiance were nothing but the last spasms of a dying monster. The irony
in this view was that activists had derisively ascribed this to violent state
fascism. This time, it described the degeneration the Party had gone into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
Ka Mao found himself making a private resolve: to pursue the proletarian cause
in the arena of bourgeois politics; he did not have the presumptuousness to try
to influence any overall Party policy in this regard. Besides, as he rightly
perceived it, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm </i>had been
precisely designed to get rid of all non-Sisonites in the Party, and he, being
a long-time opponent of the Sison copy-cat people’s war strategy, had to go. In
that event, as he was intransigent in pushing the struggle of the working
class, he had to go the way he did in organizing BRASO, with the difference now
that instead of armed struggle, he would pursue it through elections. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He organized the
Kilusang Bagong Barangay (KBB), a political party advocating what he perceived
as pro-worker elements in the Local Government Code. He particularly saw the
power of eminent domain, as contained in the code, as a most potent provision
which he could invoke to enable the great masses of squatters to own the lands
they had built their houses on. This was a major advocacy he carried when he
ran for Mayor of Antipolo in the local elections of 1995. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The political
line caught fire among Antipolo residents of whom sixty percent were
non-land-owning. Volunteers came forward, organizing chapters of KBB and
conducting study sessions among voters which sought to enlighten them on what a
true pro-worker government should be. He even advocated the equalizing of the
salary of the mayor to that of an ordinary factory worker, as did the
communards in the Paris Commune of 1871. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">None of his
candidates for councilors had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bourgeois
traces, all of them being workers. Two were heads of big labor unions; three,
leaders of widely-known mass organizations; two, community organizers; and a
lady, a vociferous former radio announcer who headed a large group of informal
settlers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao’s
campaign was creating much noise. The Red Shirts, as his campaigners were known
because of the red shirts they wore, were in all nooks of the town, including
far-flung mountain communities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It heartened Ka
Mao exceedingly when while he was shaking hands with folks along a narrow alley
of a slums neighborhood, a blind woman groped her way out of a shanty, offering
her hand tentatively, saying, “Samonte… Samonte…” Ka Mao shook the woman’s
hand, saying,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Samonte at your service.” The woman
gripped his hand tight and tenderly, “Ikaw si Samonte (You’re Samonte)!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The woman had
only been told stories about him and now that she was face to face with the
“savior”, she was shouting “Halleluiah!” It was no hyperbole that at that
moment, Ka Mao did feel having the salvation of all oppressed humanity on his
shoulders.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Adding no mean
weight to his campaign was the presence of showbiz personalities. During his
proclamation rally at the Sumulong Park, onstage were, together with Seiko
Films Producer Robbie Tan, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>comediennes
Evelyn Vargas and Beverly Salviejo, leading actress Lovely Rivero, and the
stars of the then recent blockbuster, Machete II, Gardo Versoza and Rossana
Roces. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a surprise
incident, actress Liza Lorena went around the Antipolo market shaking hands wih
folks and distributing leaflets of Ka Mao. That got throngs crowding the entire
marketplace and surroundings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a succeeding
rally, the audience went shrieking at the appearance of Jestoni Alarcon, whose
speaking prowess beguiled Ka Mao. It did look like Jestoni was campaigning for
himself. Indeed, he must be. In subsequent local elections, Jestoni would
emerge No. 1 among the winning councilors, the stepping stone for his being
Vice Governor of Rizal the next elections around. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All of the above
features, on top of the popular band The Blinkers of Joegrad La Torre who were
the mainstay attraction of Ka Mao’s political rallies, which were in the format
of musical concerts. The style was so effective it led one disgruntled follower
of Ka Mao’s political opponent to declare: “We will vote for the band.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During the high
school graduation of Maoie from the Academe School of Antipolo, Ka Mao was
congratulated by former Antipolo Mayor Jose “Peping” Oliveros for his
impressive campaign. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You think it’s
okay?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You had a very
good start. Very impressive,” said Mayor Oliveros.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A very likable
guy who was among the first bigwigs of Antipolo whom Ka Mao had befriended,
Mayor Oliveros made his comment in a most mild and gentlemanly manner.
Otherwise, he would have warned Ka Mao, “Don’t rest on laurels. It’s too
early.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was Robbie’s
characteristic candor which laid it down straight to Ka Mao from the very
start: “How do you expect me to support you when you and your men shout “Down
with capitalism!”?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For Ka Mao,
though making true his resolve to pursue the working class struggle through
bourgeois politics, was consistent in condemning capitalist oppression and
exploitation of workers. It was just like putting a round hole into a square
peg or vice versa. The two wouldn’t fit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In one real
grand rally which Ka Mao timed for the celebration of Labor Day, he borrowed a
ten-wheeler open truck, parked it across MLQ Avenue near the corner of the
Circumferential Road, completely closing it to vehicular traffic. With a number
of organized labor unions in attendance, the whole area all the way to the next
block northward was filled with people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The incumbent mayor, Daniel Garcia, whom Ka Mao was contending against
in the elections, was early on madly ordering the Police Chief to disperse the
rally. But before they could do anything about it, the Blinkers belted out a
Bon Jovie ditty which instantly got the crowd shaking and wiggling and
cheering. The Police Chief nonetheless implored Ka Mao to remove his people out
of the street because they were creating disorder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“See that
crowd?” Ka Mao said. “Remove them, we’re in trouble.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Police Chief
did look and see how impossible it was to disturb the rally without
antagonizing such so huge a mass of humanity. Shaking his head with chagrin,
the police officer walked away with no more words for Ka Mao. The rally
proceeded peacefully all throughout till midnight without any untoward incident
happening – proving the Police Chief’s tolerance to be the wiser move really.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But for winning
votes for Ka Mao, that must be disastrous. Disgruntled pedestrians, commuters,
car and tricycle drivers, and even simple observing bystanders had a common
reaction: “He’s not even mayor yet, but look…” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What did not
immediately occur to Ka Mao was that that rally was a highpoint not of any
design of his but of somebody else’s agenda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Popoy Lagman was
making good his defiance of the Sison <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>
and was making sure the NCR, which included Rizal, remained his turf, while
expanding elsewhere through alliances with other rejectionists the country
over. On the legal front, he organized the Sanlakas, a mass organization of his
followers which served as base of the political party he formed, the Partido
Manggagawa. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now once Ka Mao
was into serious run for the mayorship of Antipolo, as evidenced by his
organization of the KBB which served as his machinery, a Popoy Lagman man
talked to him, suggesting that he run for a lower post. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I cannot be
vice,” declared Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It is not even
vice that comrades want you to run for,” said the man, not realizing that he
had gotten Ka Mao experiencing a bad temper. The idea of lowering himself to
vice mayor candidacy was degrading enough for him, all the more did it rile him
to be told to run even lower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What do they
want?” Ka Mao asked, just to get the discussion going.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Actually, just
councilor,” said the Popoy man, making himself sound apologetic, realizing Ka
Mao was getting piqued.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Look,” Ka Mao
flared up. “We’ve got loads of laws. We haven’t need for more. What we need is
to implement those laws. That’s why I need executive power to implement those
laws correctly.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Next to meet Ka
Mao was a high-profile business entrepreneur from Pasig who operated a
nightclub-casino combine in Antipolo. He hosted a dinner in the club for Ka Mao
and in that dinner were present the son of the incumbent mayor and a lady
doctor whom Ka Mao was expecting to be his running mate. The lady had been very
tentative about Ka Mao’s offer and asked for time to consider it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s hard to
run without a machinery,” said the host. “But if you run for councilor, you can
even be number one.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Mayor or nothing,” said Ka Mao. “Bet your
bottom peso.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The host smiled. It was the kind of smile one
sees in the faces of ganglords smarting from having been challenged by an
inferior opponent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the other
hand, Ka Mao’s was not an empty boast. His political rallies were continuing to
be hits with the crowd. And his campaign song, composed by the same guy who
donated the sound system and other stage gadgets used in those rallies, was
getting hordes and hordes of folks hooked, particularly children who broke into
the tune wherever his campaign entourage pass. (Many years later, exactly the
melody of that song would be the signature advertising song for a popular
college assurance plan. Ka Mao felt grateful that somehow somebody had paid the
composer the kind of money he had not been able to pay.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon Ka Mao got
inspired even more when one whole group claiming to be the provincial Party
committee came forward, offering their services as Ka Mao’s campaign
secretariat. Ka Mao grabbed the offer and then and there quartered the group in
the house as he did many a party bigwig before them. One among them, Carlo,
acted as the campaign manager. Ka Mao had no discussions whatsoever about
compensation for the group’s services. He took the offer as absolute
volunteerism, done on pure principles, not monetary or any material
consideration. Though the group enjoyed, in addition to quartering, free food
in the house, their daily mobilization expenses were funded from their budget
as Party elements.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Before long,
that Party machinery was calling all the shots in the campaign, relegating the
previous volunteers in Ka Mao campaigns to actions in their specific
localities. Ka Mao’s concern was now limited to scheduling rallies and other
campaign sorties.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Into the next
schoolyear within the campaign period, Ka Mao got a modest apartment in Baguio
City where he moved all the kids for their schooling: Maoie, Paulo and Maripaz
at the University of Baguio and Ogie at the St. Louis University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao’s mother-in-law, Mama Sepa, looked
after the kids, with Ka Mao and Betchay visiting them whenever free from the
campaign activities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One big problem
Ka Mao never got to overcome was the problem of getting a running mate. As the
deadline for filing certificates of candidacy was nearing, he got word that the
lady doctor was withdrawing from her intention of running at all in the coming
elections. All the while, the Party machinery had been impressing upon Ka Mao
that the lady was completely subservient to their wishes and she would be his
running mate. Now that she had finally backed out, Ka Mao was just desperate.
Choosing a running mate is not an overnight job; it is worked over time and
needs quite a long period of building goodwill and personal camaraderie with. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Only then did Ka
Mao realize that choosing a running mate is the most expensive item cent for
cent for an aspirant to mayorship. This is because the vice mayoral candidate
must be such that his vote-getting power can carry the mayoral candidate, not
vice versa. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was particularly true
for Ka Mao, who was a complete neophyte in politics, with the following he was
banking on having been only recently and hastily organized and could shatter
instantly at the advances of seasoned politicians. What would a winnable vice
mayoral candidate carry a novato running mate for if not some big material
consideration – big money to be precise?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s one great
shortcoming of Ka Mao. He did not have the money to buy a running mate. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And the lead
time is too little.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who could Ka Mao
turn to in so short a time – and, too, just for the love of serving the people?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao noticed
that none of the secretariat could seem to care less. Carlo, as ever, was into
shooting birds in the orchard with his air rifle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was Ka
Mulong, the president of the Yupangco Textile Mills labor union who came up
with an idea: a well-known lawyer and scion of a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">taal</i>, meaning endemic, Antipolo family, and above all, a recognized
sympathizer of the working class.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao himself
at once saw how attractive would be that chemistry: a famous film director,
whose sexy stars promised that if he got elected as mayor, they would stand at
the lobby of the municipal building to kiss every man that entered; and a
brilliant lawyer sworn to carry out the pro-worker, pro-poor agenda of his
mayor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In his present
dilemma, Ka Mao had the distinct advantage of having a popularity that made him
welcome to any potential running mate. But he had, too, the distinct
disadvantage of impressing upon potential running mates that he was rich and
could afford their price. Ka Mao, by bourgeois political reckoning was poor.
His guts in aspiring for the mayorship of Antipolo really stemmed from a pure
desire to pursue on the legal front what the revolutionary armed struggle could
no longer accomplish. If he succeeded in this endeavor, then that would blaze
the trail for others similarly motivated to pursue in their own turfs, thereby
making the proletarian revolution tread a new path for attaining socialism and
communism the country over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Believing that
Ka Mulong had the moral ascendancy over the lawyer, he paid the prospect a
visit early evening of that day the filing of certificate of candidacy would
lapse, more specifically at midnight. It was a desperation visit in any case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mulong vaguely put the matter to the
lawyer, who entertained them in the living room of the house together with his
wife. Though it might be already late in the day, still it was not too late for
them to hurry to the Comelec office just two blocks away and file the
certificate of candidacy for vice mayor a couple of hours to closing time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao had
expected that after being briefed by Ka Mulong of the purpose of their vistt,
the lawyer would give his reply: yes or no. And pronto, at that, for the hour
was nearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the discussions
meandered into various concerns: labor problems, land problems, squatters and
squalor, sanitation, economics, corruption in government, etc. Once he realized
it, the hour was half-past eleven. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, Ka Mao
credited the lawyer’s wife for her exquisite gift of forbearance, sitting it
out with the group, serving everyone coffee all the while, or otherwise
contributing her piece in the talk. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, one
last glance at the wall clock told Ka Mao it was quarter to 12 midnight.
Swallowing some lump in his throat, Ka Mao stretched his torso, thanked the
lawyer for his insights, the wife for the coffee, and bidding the couple good
night, he rose to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more mention
whatsoever was made of the purpose of the visit which Ka Mulong had briefed the
lawyer about. It was obvious that the lawyer was all the while waiting for Ka
Mao to open up on what was supposed to be standard material considerations in
such arrangements as pairing up for the two topmost posts in local elections.
Logic would say the lawyer was expecting that matter from Ka Mao, otherwise did
he bear sitting out there for three hours for nothing but hospitality in entertaining
guests? But since Ka Mao had not opened up on that aspect to the very last
quarter of the most crucial deadline, that look of frustration on the lawyer’s
face was unavoidable. There was no need to talk about it anymore really. The
walk from the house to the Comelec office would consume what little time was left
and so the office would be just closing by the time they got there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lawyer managed to smile vaguely as he
gave Ka Mao a lame handshake before seeing him out with Ka Mulong through the
door.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Inexperience.
Amateurism. Whatever one might call it, what Ka Mao did could only be stupid.
So that if eventually, Ka Mao lost the elections, he had it coming. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m not blaming
you guys,” Ka Mao told his listeners in a caucus organized by the secretariat
in the aftermath of his defeat. “I’m blaming myself for the stupidity of
listening to you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed he
listened when the secretariat came forward, offering their services in his
campaign. He listened when they brought to him one mass leader after another
who all had huge following among Antipolo’s poor thereby assuring him votes
come election time. He listened when they made him believe the crowds in his
rallies, in neighborhood caucuses, in teach-inss and discussion groups, were
his forces determined to give him victory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He finally
believed he was going to win, what with that massive show of force the
secretariat delivered in that May Day rally on MLQ Avenue, when that entire
stretch was filled with defiant workers, a phenomenon hitherto unknown in the
political history of Antipolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao himself
gaped unbelievingly at the throngs. With clenched fists raised in the air, they
sang, as in the goodie ole days of the strike movement, the stirring strains of
the “Internationale”. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Are these my
people?” Ka Mao asked himself. “Am I that strong? Oh, so very strong.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Sccretariat
must be doing a splendid job. He had not been spending much really by way of
ensuring such attendance in his rallies. One reason was that he believed the
secretariat and the leaders it had organized did their jobs on the basis of
principle, and on the same motivation throngs filled his rallies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another reason,
and this was the overriding one, he really did not have that much money. He
didn’t have posters, leaflets and similar campaign materials. He relied mainly
on word-of-mouth dissemination of his campaign, which was done by his followers
religiously everyday, house-to-house, man-to-man,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the election
time was approaching nearer, he resorted to soliciting help from personal
friends and sympathizers, an effort that generated minimal result.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was in that
period that Ka Mao thought of seeing Popoy Lagman. He had had a good amount of
familiarity with the robust-framed, curly-haired, bully-looking urban guerilla
leader to believe he would merit fraternal reception by him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During one
period, Popoy had used the house for a week-long meet with a group that
included Sonny Rivera, Renato Constantino, his wife Peng and the widow of a
slain NPA head in the Visayas. At another time, he asked Ka Mao to intercede
for him in getting a huddle with Robbie Tan over the labor concern in the
latter’s wallet factory. And through Ka Charlie, he checked on the possibility
of Ka Mao doing a fund-raising job for him as he did in the dollar transaction
episode. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was not
sold much on the idea, simply because it came from Popoy. Ka Mao wasn’t so sure
yet about the validity of his anti-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm
</i>position as contained in his<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>book
titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Counterthesis. </i>Ka Mao saw the
book as nothing more than a menu for savoring liberal dashes of Lenin quotes.
To Ka Mao, the correctness of an analysis of the Philippine revolutionary
situation was best measured not according to theories proven true in some other
past and alien social setting but by its present, precise and pragmatic
perception of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the concrete social
conditions of the country. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was part
of that meeting Popoy presided in in the house wherein he obviously
intended<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to convince what had remained
of the NPA general command to join his ranks in the confrontation with Sison.
He discussed the salient points of his book. But as far as Ka Arman and Ka Ding
were concerned, they wanted out of any belligerent relationship with Sison;
evidently Ka Charlie was already in on the Popoy line. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In any case, Ka
Mao had all reasons to expect Popoy would not fail him in his purpose for
making that visit to the Sanlakas headquarters that day. He was encountering
financial difficulties in his campaign and would Popoy lend him some fifty
thousand pesos which he urgently needed, to be paid as soon as he got his next
film assignment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao’s
surprise, Popoy betrayed that he was keeping abreast with the developments in
his political fight. It finally dawned on Ka Mao that the people who had volunteered
to be his machinery and had since then directed the compass of his political
campaign were all Popoy’s men.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao,” Popoy
said bluntly. “After all you’re not going to win, let’s just sell your
candidacy.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was sad
enough that Popoy declined his request for loan. The sadder part of that visit
was Popoy’s proposal for him to sell his candidacy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The gall,” Ka
Mao cussed to himself as he walked out of the building on Shaw Boulevard in
Pasig which housed the office of Sanlakas. “How dare he to say I won’t win.
Just let him see the crowds at my rallies. And how could he sell a candidacy
that was not his but mine?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then a month or
so before election day, Ka Mao’s campaign seemed to lose all vigor. The usual
large crowds in his rallies abruptly thinned and the daily flow of supporters
to Ka Maa’s house completely stopped. The last to visit the house was a small
guy who used to regularly drop by in the house in the morning, have breakfast
and then go on a chore of house-to-house campaigning for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After finishing
his meager breakfast that last morning, the fellow said, “We cannot go on
eating principle.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Carlo and the
secretariat did continue staying in the house, appearing to perform their jobs.
But a close look would reveal that they were mainly busy doing Party political
tasks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Things indicated
the fight had already been lost. Alarmed by the development, Ka Mao sat down
just with Carlo one evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He asked, “Why
the sudden slump in our campaign?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Your campaign
had only been good for a councilor,” said Carlo in a manner reminiscent of the
blunt advice Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got from Popoy
Lagman that day he told him he will not win. “The most votes you will get is
2,000 or thereabout.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao gaped
unbelievingly, asking himself: Where are those thousands upon thousands that
had made his rallies the most crowded ever in the political history of
Antipolo?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A week before
the election, Ka Mao got the worst insult in the whole exercise: a letter from
the incumbent mayor inviting him to join in the celebration of his victory.
This was the same guy who practically moved hell just to get that May Day rally
on MLQ Avenue dispersed. In the subsequent election, Ka Mao got<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>measly 2000-plus votes – to the last digit,
as Carlo put it a month before. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Long after the
smoke of battle faded out, so speak, Ka Mao ultimately put two and two
together. That MLQ Avenue May Day Rally was really not his. It was to Popoy as
to a salesman the glossing over of his commodity to make it sellable – the
commodity in this case being his expertise at running someone else’s political
campaign. Marcos had another term for it: talk to the party-in-interest. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who was the
party-in-interest in Ka Mao’s political fight with the incumbent mayor in the
election of 1995 was a question reducible to: Who told Ka Mao to sell his
candidacy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, it had
already turned into an institution whereby a group of smooth operators in the
electoral process push a poor man’s candidacy vigorously just to make their
services sellable to the poor candidate’s rich opponent ultimately.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Two
days before the election, Ka Mao managed to salvage a little newsprint for
printing his sample ballots on. The printing of the sample ballots would be
done on credit by Ka Mao’s printier friend, Malou. So Ka Mao was confident, he
would have that last form of hand-out to voters on election day. The morning
after the election, Ka Mao flared up like crazy upon discovering that the
printed sample ballots had remained stacked in a sack that he found dumped
among bushes by the driveway,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
evidence clearly pointed to a sabotage – indeed, a sellout of his candidacy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Again,
who proposed to sell it in the first place? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was a good
lesson though. And Ka Mao thought it not bad all, considering that he really
did not spend much for that campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His political expenditures, as contained in his report to the Comelec,
amounted to less than half a million pesos. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For learning the
dirty tricks of elections, that was a fairly justified price. He would know
better the next time around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed, Ka Mao
would run again for the same post come next election, the general elections of
1998. He intended to correct the many mistakes he had committed in his first
attempt thereby placing himself on a really winning position. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">First of those
mistakes, or so that was how Ka Mao saw it, was his running without a political
party: KBB was not such a party and therefore was not entitled to any rights
under the law, like the right to have election watchers. So he decided to join,
not just a political party, but a political party in power, the LAKAS-NUCD
(National Union of Christian Democrats) Party. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A newspaper
editor who had Party roots and thus was friendly to Ka Mao introduced him to a
petite fellow whose boasts belied his size or vice versa. This was Rolly Francia,
who belonged to the Malacañang press corps. He facilitated Ka Mao’s entry into
LAKAS. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For a start, he
got Ka Mao invited <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the affair at the
Rembrandt Hotel held for proclaiming House Speaker Jose de Venecia as LAKAS
standard bearer. His name was announced as among the distinguished guests on
the occasion. Hearing his name, a lady evidently in the close circle of the
Speaker gaped in surprise and seeing Ka Mao as he acknowledged the
introduction, the lady threw her arms in joyful surprise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao!” exclaimed
the lady as she went over to Ka Mao for a hug.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Didi!”
exclaimed Ka Mao in turn, giving her the hug.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Didi was the
same indefatigable Secretary General of the KASAMA Party Group when Ka Mao
first got into the CPP in 1971. It was under her watch that Ka Mao underwent
the initial<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>process for membership in
the Party, the Basic Party Course. Once Ka Mao got through that course, he was
appointed staff member of the Education Department (ED), which was headed by Didi’s
husband, Rolly. It was after Didi and Rolly were taken out (“fired out” would
be a harsh bourgeois term) of the group as disciplinary action for an offense,
which had never been disclosed, that a revamp in the leadership of the Party
Group took place. Ka Erning, who was Organization Department head, took over as
Gensec, Ka Choleng, a true blue proletarian leader, took his place as OD head,
while Ka Edwin, a scholarly-looking, bespectacled youthful mestizo, moved up
from being ED staff member to ED head, with Ka Mao now joining Ka Openg as ED
staff members. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Didi first
surprised Ka Mao when he read in the news that she was appointed Immigration
Bureau Chief in the cabinet of President Fidel V. Ramos. She occurred to Ka Mao
as typifying those high-profile revolutionaries ending up top-level bureaucrats
in the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bourgeois dispensation. Coming
face to face with her now, Ka Mao wondered if he was not into treading the same
path she had gone into. In any case, it turned out Didi was overall Man Friday
to Speaker De Venecia. That made Ka Mao conclude he was in good hands as far as
getting into the good graces of LAKAS was concerned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the advent of
1997, Ka Mao began undoing what he considered his second big mistake in the
election of 1995: his scrimping on election spending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He feted Speaker De Vencia with a
two-thousand strong gathering attended by top leaders and members of mass
organizations in Antipolo at the plush Jamesville Resort in the town. The
resort was owned by Angelito C. Gatlabayan, the guy who was then yet unknown in
Antipolo politics but who much later in the election period would surface as Ka
Mao’s strongest opponent for the post.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That time being
not yet into the period allowed by law for election campaigns, the gathering
was passed on as the launching of a cooperative-building movement to be spread
by Ka Mao all over Antipolo. On the occasion, Speaker De Venecia was guest of
honor. Since the speaker had to come to the affair direct from an engagement in
Davao, he flew in aboard his private helicopter and Betchay fetched him from
the landing site with the family’s newly-acquired Mitsubishi van, which she
drove.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The event had
all the trimmings fit for a presidential aspirant. Two lovely actresses of Ka
Mao, Rosita Rosal and Sabrina M, lent glamour, which appeared to sit quite well
with the speaker, let alone the crowd all susceptible to showbiz attraction. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There, too, was
the media, led by Loren Banag, who would front-page it in his tabloid, Bagong
Tiktik the following day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao’s
surprise, former Congressman Manny Sanchez suddenly appeared with a few
companions who were aspiring for elective positions in Antipolo’s neighbor town
Angono. Ka Mao just didn’t relish the group’s appearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">True, it was
with Sanchez that Ka Mao had arranged for De Venecia’s attendance as guest of
honor. But nothing had been said about him and his group being themselves
guests as well. So while good manners dictated on Ka Mao not to be rude on the
group and did not object when they sat with the guests onstage, he did not give
them any part in the program.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s more, Ka
Mao sensed that Sanchez seemed to be impressing upon the Speaker that the
affair was his handiwork, so lest the former solon was into some shenanigans,
like asking the speaker for monetary consideration for expenses incurred for
the occasion, Ka Mao<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>saw to it that in
his introductory speech for Speaker De Venecia, he pointed out that “the affair
was a labor of love.” He meant clearly he was not charging the speaker any cent
for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For, indeed, Ka
Mao shouldered all by himself the expenses for the event, which amounted to a
quarter of a million pesos. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao observed
that the statement did not please both Sanchez and Didi. And Speaker De Venecia
appeared surprised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway Speaker
De Venecia proceeded to enthrall the audience with his tale of a pitiable
father who had a family to feed but who could not find a job, and so he came to
him one day, looking frail and hungry, and asked for help in finding one, and
he got the father hired as a construction worker in Saudi Arabia. The speaker
told the crowd that he was the originator of the idea of overseas employment
for jobless Filipinos. That got him a good applause. Then going on with his
tale, the Speaker related that after a time, the man came to him again, no
longer looking hungry but healthy and vigorous, saying he was on vacation to
join his family for the holidays, and he came to thank him for having helped
him find a job, and with that thank you the man presented him a basketful of
cashew and mango - for he was from Antipolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That was the
catch. And that got the crowd swooning, “Oh!”, while breaking in a resounding
applause.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After the
speech, Sanchez took the initiative of calling the photo op, with him and Ka
Mao raising arms with the Speaker, as everybody else on stage did the same with
them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let this be
your baptism of fire,” Sanchez told Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Be careful
about this,” admonished the Speaker. “Let’s not make it appear as a Party
proclamation already.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That pose found
print the following day on a number of tabloids plus a small slot on the Manila
Bulletin, thanks to his kumpare Diego Cagahastian. Ka Mao was quite satisfied.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Proclamation or
no proclamation, serves the same purpose,” Ka Mao told himself. He felt he was
now the LAKAS boy in Antipolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Actually, the
Jamesville Resort affair was a negative one for purposes of getting himself
officially proclaimed as LAKAS mayoralty candidate in the town. The top LAKAS
Man in Antipolo was Vic Sumulong, who was not on good terms with Manny Sanchez,
whom Vic’s uncle, Komong Sumulong, had successfully unseated from Congress for
being an American national.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as
Sanchez was concerned, inviting Vic to the Jamesville Resort affair was out of
the question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having been thus snubbed,
Vic must rage from the slight, a reaction that went true, too, toward Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Without him
realizing it, Ka Mao was getting into ill terms with Vic Sumulong. Until that
time, he remained ignorant of the finer points of politics, neglecting, for
instance, that protocol alone should have prompted him to defer first to Vic,
who was the LAKAS chairman for Rizal. So he should have taken pains to invite
him to the affair at Jamesville Resort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Speaker De
Venecia subtly indicated this fault to Ka Mao one time he dropped by his office
at the Batasang Pambansa.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You should
support Vic so Vic would support you,” said Speaker De Venecia, indicating his
full sympathy for Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Following De
Venecia’s advice, Ka Mao saw Vic Sumulong one morning in his residence in his
sprawling farm on the outskirts of the Antipolo town proper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indicating no
animosity whatsoever toward Ka Mao, the declared aspirant for congressman of
the lone district of Antipolo sat with Ka Mao at the sala and had coffee with
him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Actually this
is Sanchez’s fault,” said the soft spoken Vic after Ka Mao had opened the topic
of his LAKAS candidacy. “He is meddling in this matter.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m sorry,” Ka
Mao said, “but honestly, I didn’t know I had to talk to you. It was Didi
Domingto who advised me to arrange that Jamesville affair with Manny Sanchez.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The party has
rules,” Vic explained. “The equity of the incumbent makes the highest incumbent
municipal official from the party as the party chairman. The party municipal
chairman has the prerogative to be official LAKAS candidate for mayor.?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Who is the
party chairman?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Councilor Esting
Gatlabayan.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Is he running
for mayor?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He is sticking
to councilor?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Then there’s no
hindrance for me,” said Ka Mao, betraying a feeling of relief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Vic took a
little while eyeing Ka Mao studiously. Then he answered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Councilor Esting
is the chairman. It’s his say.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao felt
sagging inside. He got the message. Vic just didn’t like him. He was not in his
league.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before that he had one occasion
on which he and Vic got invited together as guests in a political rally
organized by a couple who happened to be Ka Mao’s provincemates. Vic minded
more the star he had brought along, Ramona Rivilla, but hardly him. Then came
that interview he, Danny Tan and Lito Gatlabayan had with a panel of media
reporters on cable television. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sat
between the two, prompting him to comment when asked how he felt contending
against two economic giants on the rise: “I feel like Jesus Christ while he was
nailed on the cross.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Danny, the
better-witted of the other two <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>candidates, immediately got the aside and gave
Ka Mao a friendly punch on the arm, laughing as he volunteered the line:
“Between two thieves! Naughty you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the truly
relevant question was, do they think cheating will be a factor in the coming
elections. Danny and Lito agreed that generally cheating figured in all
elections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao dissented.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Not in
Antipolo,” he firmly declared. “If cheating had been going on in the town’s
elections, how come the Sumulongs keep losing?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The implication
was that the Sumulongs were the ones capable of cheating in elections, but
since they have been losing, then cheating had not been taking place in
Antipolo elections. But the graver implication was simply that the Sumulongs
were cheats, period.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
referring to the losses suffered by Komong Sumulong in his congressional tiff
with Manny Sanchez, Myrna Hallare, a Sumulong, against Daniel Garcia in the
last mayoral elections, and King Sumulong’s failed bid for the Chairmanship of
Barangay de la Paz. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A close aide of
Vic would confide to Ka Mao during a chance meeting much much later that that
pronouncement of Ka Mao really got Vic so mad. It was a matter of course that
when Ka Mao attended the caucus Vic called among LAKAS members after that cable
television interview, he would be getting the flak from Vic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“To those
pretending to be mayor, what right have you?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At any rate, Ka
Mao persevered in his bid. Rolly Francia held on to him, or so it seemed, with
his consistent assurance that he, Ka Mao, was near the kitchen and so was sure of
abundant food. Rolly meant Malacañang. And Ka Mao believed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed, the
group he belonged in, the Malacañang Press Corps, was on an elbow-rubbing
closeness with President Ramos. So while he was increasisngly getting snubbed
by Vic Sumulong, Ka Mao was increasingly as well getting enamored by the
Malacañang press. He felt extremely privileged when the Malacañang press corps
invited him to its Christmas party 1997 in which his presence was announced
second to President Ramos and ahead of Congressman Teves and the other guests
in the event. To that party Ka Mao brought pretty, seductive actress Gem
Castillo whom President Ramos found so irresistible that at her introduction to
him and she moved for the customary beso-beso he unabashedly kissed her, his
lips smack on her cheek like a snail’s tusks. A Philippine Star photographer
captured that precise moment of a presidential passion and was a smash hit when
featured prominently in the center of the newspaper’s front page the following
morning. No mention though was made that that moment was courtesy of Ka Mao,
but a picture of him and President Ramos doing the thumbs-up sign saw print,
too, in another leading newspaper, appropriately captioned as taken in the same
event<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao thought that was a good
splurge in his favor after all. Rarely did an ordinary mayoral candidate get
such a lavish attention from the highest official of the land.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">True enough,
Antipolo politicians were tending to salaam to Ka Mao as a result of the
publicity on the Malacañang affair. Councilors saluted him one Monday he
dropped by the municipal quadrangle to attend the flag ceremony. They knew no
ordinary politicians could get that kind of photo op with President Ramos – or
with any president for that matter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In fact,
President Ramos had agreed to that thumbs-up photo upon intercession by the
President of the Malacañsng Press Corps and Bobby Dacer, a very close friend of
President Ramos. Rolly, typical of a smooth operator, kept to the sidelines
during the entire evening making sure only that Ka Mao fulfilled his promise of
giving Christmas presents to the press people, which Ka Mao did by issuing
five-thousand-peso checks to those concerned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And when Vic
Sumulong organized an event in which President Ramos would proclaim the
hitherto watershed area of Boso-Boso as finally alienable and disposable, Ka
Mao made sure he made his own show by conducting right across the street from
the proclamation event a medical-dental mission, announcing in a large streamer
the occasion as a project of the FVR-MGS (Friends and Volunteers for Maximum
Government Service – a ride-on for “Fidel V. Ramos-Mauro Gia Samonte”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the turn from
the Marcos Highway to Boso-Boso which President Ramos must take in coming to
the Vic Sumulong event, Ka Mao made sure he hung his own welcoming streamer for
the president. And as soon as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>President
Ramos stepped out of the presidential car, Ka Mao walked up to him first and
led him by the shoulders toward the program site while pointing to him the
ongoing medical-dental mission.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s a
project of the FVR-MGS, Sir.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“FVR-MGS?” asked
the President.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Friends
and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Volunteers for Reform and Maximum
Government Service.” Ka Mao answered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">President Ramos
was amused.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Keep it up,” he
told Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Presidential
Security Commander Calimlim, who had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>become familiar with Ka Mao at the Malacañang Christmas party, found no
alarm in Ka Mao’s hugging the president by the shoulders as they walked but he
saw the inappropriateness, if not the disrespect, of it to the president’s
person, and very discreetly he tapped Ka Mao’s arm that was on the president’s
shoulders and gave Ka Mao an eye signal for him to let go of the president’s
shoulder. Ka Mao understood the signal and let go of the president as Vic - who
had only been keeping a distance from the president, evidently deferring to
protocol – finally led him to the stage. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao tarried
on the ground, waiting for anybody to invite him to come up the stage.With no
such invitation coming, Ka Mao stayed with the audience and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from there followed the proceedings in the
program. He knew Vic would never do such invitation, but he had hoped the
president would, and once he did, Ka Mao would have leaped at the opportunity.
But as it became very evident that no such invitation would be forthcoming
anymore, Ka Mao finally realized how stupid he must have been in doing all that
posturing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao stayed at
the sidelines when President Ramos walked down the stage after the ceremonies
and proceeded to the presidential car. He wondered if the president would still
think about him at all. Not a bit, he realized, as the presidential entourage
went off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Into
the official onset of the campaign period for the 1998 elections, the
LAKAS-NUCD was openly carrying the candidacy of Lito Gatlabayan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During
one caucus called by a subdivision dwellers association, Danny Tan was rather
surprised to see Ka Mao still on in the fight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are
you pushing on?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“To
the very end,” Ka Mao declared.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Danny
could not help that trace of derision in his smile, something people
normally<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>regard foolish people with. At
the same time his eyes betrayed amazement at the grit on Ka Mao’s face,
depicting an intense resolve to push the fight on no matter what.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“In
fact,” Ka Mao continued, “for your information, I have taken over the
basketball tournament you had organized but had abandoned in Barangay Sta.
Cruz. Don’t I deserve a thank you for that from you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Danny
laughed and tapped Ka Mao on the shoulder, saying, “Thank you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KA MAO forged on in his campaign trails,
mainly in the alleys of squatters communities and among hills people who had
formed settlements in disparate slopes of Sierra Madre. As to the town proper
and other urbanized sections, he realized it was futile exercise to bother
about them for the time being. As a store owner pointedly told him, “Don’t
waste your time campaigning here. There’s no vote you can get.” Ka Mao envisioned
a scenario whereby having solidified his hold on the poor folks, he would use
the forces so organized to launch a mammoth rally at a critical period before
the election which would create a bandwagon for the throngs of undecided voters
to finally ride on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
inspired Ka Mao no end that groups of his believers would on their own go into
sorties in settlements that could only be reached by foot and would take days
to fully cover. In which case, they would need to bring provisions, like food
and packs of clothing. The mountain folks were a most hospitable lot in any
case and they would gladly share with Ka Mao’s campaigners what little provisions
they had in their abodes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every now and then, Ka Mao would find time to
accompany his volunteers in those sorties, and himself experiencing the
difficulties his supporters suffered, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he
grew even more and more determined to carry the fight through to the end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao undertook two major steps in this period. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One,
seeing finally that the LAKAS accommodation of him was all for show, he <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>joined the Aksyon Demokraticko, the political
party of Senator Raul Rocco, who was running for president under the slogan:
“The most qualified candidate.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sincerely
believed the slogan, but this was not the interesting point in his joining
Aksyon now. Back in 1996, he and senator Roco were squaring off on television
and in print over the senator’s criticism of Ka Mao’s film, “Halimuyak ng
Babae”, which he found to be derogatory to Bicolanas. In the Kris Aquino-hosted
program, “Startalk,” on Channel 7, Ka Mao got back at the senator for his
attack against his movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
problem with the senator is that he sees one black dot on a white wall and he
calls the whole wall black. That <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>element
about a girl being made the prize in a rodeo game was just a small part of the
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that story develops. How the
story develops is what the senator should see in my movie. But no, he calls the
whole movie bad, an insult to Bicolano women. I am a Bicolano myself. Why would
I destroy my own people?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
Kris Aquino’s questioning, Senator Rocco admitted he had not seen the movie and
had only been told about it by his men. That got Ka Mao wondering if this noise
Senator Roco was doing now was not part of a grand publicity stunt to start
projecting a hero image for him. As early as then, talks in the grapevine were
rife that he would be running for president come 1998.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
naughty Kris dangled a bait for Ka Mao after he said, “I thank the senator for
making me in league with senators.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Did
you vote for him?” Kris asked. A positive answer from Ka Mao would have the
effect of shattering his credibility in what was turning out to be a brilliant
stand against the senator.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,”
came Ka Mao’s curt resort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kris
betrayed the feeling of having been personally repulsed. The glint in her eyes
indicated she was quick to find a follow-up bait.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Will
you vote for him now?” asked Kris.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Still
refusing to bite, Ka Mao asked in turn, “For what? For president?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao would have added, “I will vote for him if he made me his running mate.”
That was what television talk shows wanted in Ka Mao, his short, witty
repartees. But that last answer he made already got the audience laughing. Ka
Mao did not find it necessary to add some more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now
Ka Mao amused to himself as he signed the application papers for membership in
the Aksyon Demokratiko Party. That unworded answer would have been prophetic.
Ka Mao was now running mate of Senator Roco – on the municipal level.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
any case, Ka Mao lived up to a Marcos dictum: “In politics, there are no
permanent enemies. There are only temporary allies.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
second major step Ka Mao undertook was his seeking support from the Iglesia ni
Kristo (INC). This, again, was a reversal of a previous stand Ka Mao had taken.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the elections of 1995, Ka Mao
steadfastly held on to his resolve never to ask the INC for support of his
candidacy. He just detested the very idea of churches involving in elections in
order to determine their outcome. He believed churches were meant to attend to
the spiritual concerns of people. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By
involving themselves in politics, were not churches responsible, too, for the
corruption the elected officials would eventually feast on in the government?
Ka Mao had asked this question and found himself answering: “Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the
imperatives of winning was foremost now in Ka Mao’s mind. And as he saw it in
Rizal,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the INC had consistently decided
the question of winnability in election. He was determined to go for it this
time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, during this
period Ka Mao got acquainted with a guy named Cris, a huge fellow who if you
put on him the proper costume would be a perfect image of Santa Claus, albeit
dark skinned. His expertise was to have lands titled, and with the Party
debacle in 1991 crystallizing to Ka Mao the urgent need of having his land
titled at long last, he got the guy’s services. Cris happened to be a member of
INC, an influential one at that. He presented Ka Mao to Ka Art who pronto got
Ka Mao attended to in his desire to get the church’s endorsement of his
candidacy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon Ka Mao was
getting enthused by word going around that he was the INC candidate for mayor
of Antipolo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That Ka Mao had indeed
gotten into the good graces of the church was attested to by various occasions
on which INC members confided to Ka Mao that they had been consulted by their
pastors about Ka Mao’s candidacy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Somebody who had
the surname Samonte told Ka Mao that she admitted to her pastor thus, “True,
Samonte is a relative. But the church has the say.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as what happened in 1995, into the last
two months of the campaign period, Ka Mao’s resources were dwindling. His
former comrades in the KASAMA Party Group did make some effort to raise money
for his campaign with little success. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao got
summoned by the businessman whom Ka Art had assigned to attend to Ka Mao’s
concerns. The businessman, evidently a top man in the INC hierarchy, received
Ka Mao in the garden of his house. He laid it down squarely to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You are not
doing good in our survey.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I realize
that,” said Ka Mao. “Surveys are done in areas where my campaign has been
minimal. I am strong among mountain folks who are not Iglesia.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Anyway, we feel
we had better do something,” said the businessman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes?” said Ka
Mao. “What can we do?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We gather that
you’ve got a land.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, the land.
Yes, What about it?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Are you not
planning to donate part of that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Donate?” asked
Ka Mao. “To whom?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The businessman
kept silent. He just gave a probing stare to Ka Mao, who could not make it out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally,
slightly sighing, the businessman said as he abruptly showed Ka Mao out through
the gate, “We’ll find out.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Find out what? Where?
When? How? Nothing was spoken about anything anymore after that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao ultimately
went through the routine of queuing up for the blessing of INC that day at the
church offices in Tatay, Rizal. But he realized even then that it was a futile
exercise. Nothing concrete had materialized about the land the businessman had
expressed interest on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With the Iglesia
being out of the question now, Ka Mao expected the worst. Aksyon Demokratiko
had not been much help, perhaps as it had not been much help to Senator Roco,
who lost his presidential bid to Joseph Estrada.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When his
watchers started bringing in the results of the counting and clearly indicated
a sure trend toward defeat, Ka Mao did not bother anymore about how he finally
figured in the race. You lose small, you lose big, you lose just the same, he
told himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And so all told,
Ka Mao lost again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But there was
this big difference. In this Ka Mao’s second losing, he realized that all
along, he had been fighting it the wrong way. He fought it wrongly when he
organized the Makabayan Pulblishing workers union and thereafter launched the
KAMAO strike. He fought it wrongly when he immersed himself completely into the
national democratic revolution and contributed whatever he could for what he thought
was the liberation of the working class – from that active participation in the
workers strike movement, to his self-initiative organizing of BRASO after being
abandoned by the KASAMA Party Group, to his re-integration with the Party and
his performance of tasks as intelligence officer of the NPA. He fought it
wrongly when he made his own adjustment of the struggle by engaging in
bourgeois politics for the continued promotion of the liberation of the
proletariat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In all those
fights, Ka Mao realized now, he was not fighting for himself. He was fighting for
the advancement of interests of other people. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A question
stared Ka Mao in the face. Would he have succeeded had all those fights he had
made had been fights for his own selfish interests? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He would not
have organized the KAMAO in the first place, not have joined the revolution,
could have just concentrated on building a future on the fruits of a lucrative
film career when the opportunity came, and if he did want to be mayor of
Antipolo, he would have agreed to the proposal to start running as a councilor
first, which had been the common pattern for all successful mayoralty
aspirants.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But Ka Mao would
not engage in any hypothetical argumentation. What did not happen could never
be proven. For him, the fact was that he fought not for himself but for others
and lost. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And that was
food for thought enough in whatever fights he would still embark on from
hereon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KA JUN played the piano on and on that
afternoon. It was like he was pouring out all his joys as well as all his aches
in it. It looked as though he was playing it for the last time – as indeed it
was the last time he played that piano – and so he must play it on until
eternity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Are
we then just to sit back while Sison tears the Party?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Let’s
hope we can just talk things over,” Ka Jun said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite intriguingly, Ka Jun was not going the
way of his colleagues in the leadership of the revolution. After another period
of incarceration resultting from his capture in 1996, he was released from
prison, enjoying a clean slate from the government. He proceeded to put up a
security agency by way of pursuing legal livelihood. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By
the time Ka Mao was campaigning for the 1998 elections, Ka Jun was sworn into
the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LAKAS Party by House Speaker Jose de
Venecia. Ka Mao welcomed the development. He thought Ka Jun could help in his
candidacy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
Ka Charlie took it otherwise. In a talk with Ka Mao, he expressed his disgust
at Ka Ka Jun’s action.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tell
him, he is a sonnavabitch,” said Ka Charlie of Ka Jun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
deeply saddened Ka Mao. Here were comrades, steeled and virtually welded to
each other in the practical struggle of the proletariat and doubtlessly steeped
in the spirit of serving the people, but now coming at odds with each other all
for differing on a question of tactics. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For all we know, Ka Mao argued to
himself, Ka Jun was accommodating himself into the enemy as dictated by the new
dispensation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sun Tzu said after all, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Let your plans be as dark as the night and
impenetrable, and once you move strike like sudden thunder.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between the NPA and Ka Jun’s security agency,
the only difference was that the former was shouting out loud “Down with
imperialism!” while the latter was keeping quiet about it. But other than this,
both groups were armed, and to Ka Mao this was all that mattered under the concrete
condition of the times. As Ka Mao had opined to Ka Jun back in 1989, the
tactics for the revolution should be for frustrating the bouregeois elections
of 1992, for if it took place that would consolidate the otherwise shaky
bourgeois political power under the Cory government. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm, </i>by shattering the mechanism
already in place for crushing the Cory government, effectively set the stage
for precisely such consolidation of bourgeois political power. Fidel V. Ramos
was elected president in the 1992 elections, and since then the bourgeoisie got
stronger and stronger to continuously lord it over Philippine society.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In inverse
proportion, the revolution plummeted down irretrievably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What particulary horrified Ka Mao was the
fact that revolutionary leaders who were able to maintain armies of their own
fell one after another –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not from
government bullets but from bullets of assassination squads sent out by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i> sovereign. Who fell from
Sison’s bullets? Popoy Lagman already did. Rolando Kintanar (Ka Jun) would soon
follow and Arturo Tabara next. These were. leaders who had arms to effectively
combat the government at the right time. Ka Charlie, though himself staunchly
rejecting the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>, was spared
his life. He didn’t have the guns. He died of a liver ailment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So Ka Mao found
himself struck by the terrifying question: “Who, then, in the guise of standing
by the principles of “Marxism, Leninism and Mao Tse Tung Thought”, was Sison
serving?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
the people but their enemies! Ka Mao raged inside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">FOR KA JUN, talking things over with
Sison came about on January 23, 2003. He was having a business lunch with
someone at a Japanese restaurant in the Quezon City Circle when he spotted the
advance of a gunman obviously intending to shoot him in front. He quickly drew
his .45 and could have beaten that assailant to the fire but that another gunman
firing from behind got him first with a slug to his body. He threw at the
bullet impact, releasing his gun to the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even so he struggled to reach for the gun, but this time around the
gunman in front rushed forward and finished him off. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Diego
Cagahastian, who must have had fraternal relations with the NPA chief, was the
very first to lay a wreath beside the coffin of Ka Jun as it was put in place in
a chapel of the Loyola Memorial Homes on Araneta Avenue in Quezon City; the
wreath from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo only came in second.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao
completely forgot about sending a wreath of his own; he didn’t have the habit.
It was a deep sense of loss that Ka Mao found himself being torn apart with
upon being informed by Ka Ding that Ka Jun had been shot dead. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun to Ka Mao
had not been the NPA Chief. Not the revolutionary icon that people would make
of him. Nor any of his heroic attributes which comrades would bask in by way of
sharing in his glory. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao, Ka
Jun was a dear friend. The occasions had not been too many when he needed
support from him, but whenever he needed him most, he was there to lend a hand.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That time, for
instance, when the Weinstein Piano representative came threatening to pull out
the piano due to unpaid bills, he relayed to Ka Jun through Ka Charlie his need
for financial -help, and right away came his instruction to Ka Charlie: Please help.
Another instance was when after Henry Sy killed the movie industry and Ka Mao
was having a hard time earning income, Ka Jun on his own got him appointed as a
TESDA Testing Officer for Overseas Performing Artists; Ka Jun was then
Consultant to TESDA Director General Fr. Ed de la Torre. Still another instance
was when Ka Pete was demanding from Ka Mao payment for a debt and Ka Mao did
not have the money to pay, Ka Jun told Ka Pete: “I guarantee you Ka Mao will
pay.” Ka Pete never bothered Ka Mao about the matter since then – nor did Ka
Mao pay him any money at all. Ka Jun had redeemed Ka Mao from his debt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao
remembered the movie “Schindler’s List”. It was about a German officer during
World War II who was redeeming prisoner Jews with his money until he was left
with no more cash to continue his act of redemption. So he began parting with
his material possessions in order to continue buying the freedom of the Jews.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao likened Ka Jun to that German officer
one time he had an urgent need for financial help and Ka Jun just didn’t have
the money to give. “You can have my guns,” Ka Jun offered, It was not important
that Ka Mao had the heart to decline the offer and sought financing elsewhere.
What was important was that Ka Jun was willing to do a Schindler, as in the
song <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Impossible Dream</i>: “to be willing to give when there’s no more to
give.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the
necrological services for Ka Jun, Ka Mao was asked to speak. But what would he
tell the crowd? The untold anecdotes that proved the rebel to be so human after
all? Like that time the KTKS was meeting in the house and Ka Mao had allowed
Seiko Films to have shooting in the place so it would serve as alibi for the
flow of underground elements into the place. Ka Jun looked out of the window of
the meeting room and gaped upon Cesar Montano and Gabby Conception urinating
against the wall just below. Ka Jun snickered like a tot and told it to the
other KTKS members. Or could Ka Mao have spoken about that moment the sexy bomb
shell Rachelle (Z Boom) Lobangco went up to use the comfort room on the second
floor? Ka Jun sat on the sofa in the family room to gaze much like a smitten
young man as the actress went out of the comfort room. Ka Jun exchanged smiles
with Z Boom, who eyed him teasingly even as she proceeded downstairs. For fear
of compromising the security of the rebel guests, Ka Mao refrained from
introducing the two, though he sensed that Ka Jun would have loved it. He must
be missing his wife, Joy, immensely. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Too many things
about Ka Jun were better left unspoken. But Ka Mao would have told those things
had he opted to talk in the ceremonies. So quite politely, he declined the
invitation of the emcee for him to come forward and speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Arman filled
in the slot of the next speaker. Ka Mao did not follow much what Ka Arman was saying
because what he was following was the flow of his own thoughts of Ka Jun. From
the time Kumander Bilog brought him to the house together with elements of the
NPA General Command, the person of Ka Jun had unfolded to Ka Mao in bits and
pieces, like a painted portrait which you don’t complete in just one sitting
but over time and done in exquisite touches so that you don’t miss out on any
detail of the subject’s features.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun was
human, much so human that he always gave first place to the other fellow in
every respect. One time he and a few comrades met in the house on short notice
to Ka Mao, Betchay had no time cooking much food for lunch. Ka Jun took just a
little of what had been prepared so there would be enough for the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun did not have
the air and flamboyance as are characteristics of persons in authority but
rather the calm and magnanimity of a leader ever condescending to his comrades.
While Ka Charlie rather chidingly reacted to Ka Mao’s idea of striking up an
alliance with Marcos in the crisis of 1986, Ka Jun gave it a serious thought.
And when told by Ka Mao of Kumander Dante’s assertion of leadership of the NPA
upon his release by Cory, Ka Jun did not take it with belligerence but with
cool expression of dissent: “From what I know, we are (the current leaders). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For all his
seeming lack of intellectual braggadocio, Ka Jun was a broadminded guy. One
time he took Ka Mao on a trip to Cubao to see what was supposed to be a big
rally. Ka Mao saw the crowd marching as too neglible: “You cannot even count 5O
of the rallyists.” Ka Jun countered: “Be considerate. Count also those on the
sidewalks.” That made Ka Mao feel like the frog caught in a well in a Chinese
parable which said: “The sky is as big as the mouth of the well.” Ka Jun would
have told the frog: “Look beyond the mouth of the well. That’s one whole grand
immeasurable sky.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As he was that
considerate to comrades, so was Ka Jun to the revolution at large. Though he
might recognize its shortcomings, he had absolute faith that it would overcome.
When in 1989 Ka Mao proposed to him the idea of frustrating the next
presidential election in order to prevent the bourgeoisie from consolidating,
Ka Jun asserted: “We shall have won by then.” And one time he told comrades to
buy land on a 25-years-to-pay basis, for since the revolution would be winning
in a short while, they would then be owning the lots for a pittance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun was a
most gentle guy. One morning, Ka Mao awoke to find his little daughter Maripaz
cuddling up to Ka Jun in sleep in bed. Obviously, the girl had fallen to sleep
while telling stories with him the night before. How it touched Ka Mao to see
Ka Jun hugging Maripaz<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gingerly, much
like a hen sheltering its chick.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Jun must be
missing his own kids, Ka Mao told himself then. For a period indeed, Ka Jun had
his son Mark stay in Ka Mao’s house so he could steal moments of togetherness
with the boy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How could
anybody have the heart to slay such a gentle comrade? Ka Mao ached inside him.
Ka Jun was for maintaining the unity of the Party. If he refused to combat the
Sison maneuver in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reaffirm</i>, it
was for the sole purpose of not tearing the Party. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’re not
small,” he told Ka Mao. “We’re big.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He meant he had
the numbers to contend with those of Sison. But as he realized any such
confrontation would be very bloody, as what happened between the Magpantays and
the Tiamzons in Central Luzon, he chose the wise course of consultation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now Ka Mao
thought, just Ka Jun’s luck that Sison chose not to be wise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One afternoon,
Ka Tex, the diminutive Armed City Partisan (ACP) combatant credited with the
assassination of JUSMAG Commander Col. James Rowe, came to the house to give Ka
Mao a warning: “Please tell RK (Ka Jun) that I won’t ever do the job of killing
him.” The implication was that orders were out to get Ka Jun and that Ka Tex,
being the top Party hit man expected to do the job, felt he might be the target
of any preemptive action from Ka Jun.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the
necrological services, Ka Arman was ending his talk when Ka Mao began tracing
in his mind the notes of a melody inspired in him by Ka Jun. Here was a man, Ka
Mao told himself when he began composing the song, not wanting in the comforts
of life, hailing as he did from one of the rich clans of Cebu, yet forsaking wealth
and affluence in order to take up the supreme challenge of serving the people:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 6;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reach for the apex of great proletarian
service<br />
Rise up in arms and ever without fear struggle<br />
The rights and liberties of massive oppressed classes<br />
Foreign oppressors crush with force savage and ruthless<br />
There’s nothing whatsoever that is had by the people<br />
If they’ve got neither you nor me<br />
A dedicated, faithful, steeped in struggle, fighting, serving<br />
New People’s Army<br />
<br />
Imperialism, bring it down<br />
Feudalism, bring it down<br />
Bureaucrat capitalism and all else that impede socialism<br />
Bring them down!<br />
<br />
My life gladly I’d sacrifice<br />
On altar of the people’s war<br />
If victory indeed is prize<br />
Then death to me is Heaven’s wise<br />
<br />
Reach for the optimum of proletarian service<br />
Hold on to arms and with resolve swear to defend<br />
The gains the people won in so dear their struggle<br />
No exploiters shall by their greed take ‘way again<br />
The aim of social growth and final class liberation<br />
Pushed on and on until<br />
Reached is the peak of socialism<br />
Communism<br />
Our most cherished dream</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER XIX</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE YEAR Ka Jun was shot dead was also
the year one Imelda Rivera had made good her obstinate determination to get Ka
Mao and his family out of their property. That was the year she won the
ejectment case which she filed against Ka Mao back in 2001. A very astute woman
with an astounding capacity to weave lies, she caused, through bastardization
of legal processes, the issuance of a title in her name over the property and
then used that title to institute ejectment proceedings against Ka Mao for
forcible entry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao’s house was somewhere around the middle of the more or less 5,000-square-
meter lot. Obviously, Rivera believed that by ejecting Ka Mao from his position
on the lot, she would be ejecting him from the entirety of the land. So she had
the lot subdivided into three, each of the three perpendicular to Sumulong
Highway. It was from the middle lot that she was ejecting Ka Mao. This way, she
expected to take possessession of the two other lots on which there was no house
of Ka Mao, without having to wait for the ejectment case to be resolved. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
Ka Mao had papers in his possession proving his occupation of the entire lot,
not just the middle part of it. And he proceeded to successfully repel all
efforts of Rivera to occupy the other two lots early on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Moreover,
those papers proved Ka Mao had been occupying <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the property in the concept of an owner since
way before the First Quarter Storm and so Rivera’s forcible entry charge
against him would not prosper. As first judge-on-the-case Rosa Samson-Tatad put
it: “The issue is whether or not the plaintiff had the right to eject defendant
for forcible entry.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Ka Mao’s
misfortune, Judge Samson-Tatad was just a temporary judge on the case and when
she was replaced with a permanent one, the judge who took over, Judge Antonio
Olivete, proved to be a most unscrupulous one who upon Rivera’s machination and
in complete violation of due process unilaterally changed the designation of
the case from “For forcible entry” to “For unlawful detainer”. Under this
changed designation, the judge made it appear that Ka Mao was in occupation of
the property by virtue of Rivera’s tolerance, thus giving her the right to
eject Ka Mao and his family. That’s what the law says.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao appealed the decision and it was assigned to the sala of Judge Francisco Querubin,
who eventually upheld Olivete’s decision, ultimately issuing an order for the
demolition of Ka Mao’s house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao stood pat on his position that there had been no showing at all that
Rivera’s title pertained to his property. And so after a series of judicial
notices for the implementation of the demolition order, he defiantly faced up
to Deputy Sheriff Rolando Leyva.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,
you cannot implement that order in my property,” said Ka Mao to the short,
physically unimpressive fellow whose guts to enforce a legal order seemed to
derive more from his coterie of goons and bullies than from a conviction on the
righteousness of his action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This
is a court order,” said the sheriff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,
and I’m not questioning that,” countered Ka Mao. “What I am questioning is your
wrongful implementation of that order.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“
The order says demolish your house,” insisted the sheriff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
order says,” declared Ka Mao, reading the words in the court document, “demolish
my house on the property of Imelda Rivera. This is not the property of Imelda
Rivera. This is my property. Moreover, the order puts the location of the
alleged property of Imelda Rivera in Sitio Malanim. My property is in Sitio
Upper Lucban. You implement that order on my property, I’ll hail you to court.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
that declaration by Ka Mao, the sheriff withdrew. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
next thing that happened was, the sheriff got an order from the court for the
relocation survey of the plan described in the title of Rivera. The order just
delighted Ka Mao. That precisely was his strategy: to get the court ordering
such survey. By provision of the Manual of Survey in the Philippines, the
authenticity of the Rivera title had to be ascertained first for the survey to
materialize. And Ka Mao had a wealth of research data proving that title to be
spurious: from its Decree No. 4708, which the Land Registration Authority (LRA)
certified as non-existent in its files; to its Record No. 5989, which the
Official Gazette, as certified by the Microfilm Division of the University of
the Philippines Library, had published on May 4, 1910 as having been given to
an application for land registration of a property with technical descriptions
written in English while the purported mother decree issued as a result of that
application had technical descriptions written in Spanish; Presidential Decree
1529, or the Land Registration Act, provides that the Dccree of Registration
must be a faithful reproduction of the original application for land
registration; the LRA had no record of an Original Certificate of Title (OCT)
No. 518, which was entered in the Rivera title as its mother title; and the
survey plan of the title from which the Rivera title was purported to have
derived had the subdivision plan number PSD 8662, which was certified by the
Bureau of Lands as situated in Caloocan City, not Antipolo City.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">These research
data, along with several others, were more than enough to prompt an honest
geodetic engineer to question its veracity and thereby deem himself barred by
law to make a relocation survey of the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Without seeking
authority from his superiors, the geodetic engineer of the Antipolo Community
Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), Daniel de los Santos, arrogated
to himself the authority to implement the court survey order. Then after
sending notice to Ka Mao that a relocation survey would be conducted of the
property, he coursed to Ka Mao through a common friend his desire to have some
night out; De los Santos was sort of addicted to sing-along sessions. This
would entail some big expense but Ka Mao wouldn’t mind, It indicated a show of
friendliness from the geodetic engineer, and Ka Mao thought, “All the better
for my case.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And so that
night at the Classmate, a popular high-class nightclub on Quezon Avenue in
Quezon City, De los Santos had a grand time belting out ditties along with
minus-one accompaniments on the video player, with not one but two
scantily-clad hospitality girls pressing him with their breasts from both
sides. In attendance was their common friend, Adrian, a former CENRO and now a
private practicing geodetic engineer, who with Ka Mao’s kumpare, Diego
Cagahastian, had arranged the affair; the Chief, Surveys Division of the DENR
Region IV-CALABARZON; and Ka Mao’s counsel Atty. Ed Galvez. It turned out, De
los Santos was expecting an offer of a monetary consideration – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lagay</i> in the vernacular, meaning grease
money, or stated pointblank, bribe – in exchange for an action from him
favorable to Ka Mao. But as the night was wearing on and no such offer appeared
forthcoming from Ka Mao very shortly, De los Santos took advantage of one
moment Ka Mao stepped out of the sing-along suite and lay his card on the
table, so to speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao,” said the
guy, whose tipsiness contributed to his character of being virtually a stand-in
for the Joker in “Batman”, “your rival Rivera is very rich. She is offering me
a million.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So there’s
where the rub is,” Ka Mao told himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">De los Santos
immediately sensed that Ka Mao was not biting into his bait. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Anyway, my
needs are modest,” De los Santos somewhat toned down. “A Ford Fiera is what I
need so I don’t have to take so many public rides in going from my home in
Balintawak to my office in Antipolo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a voice that
indicated he didn’t mean to engage in shenanigans, Ka Mao said, “Let’s just do
things according to the law.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Joker-look-alike kept mum, his face betraying deep frustration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And that day De
los Santos and his team came to Ka Mao’s property, he began doing what to him
was according to the law. He made Ka Mao sign on a blank yellow pad sheet,
obviously meant to be the attendance sheet for the activity that immediately
took place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Where’s the
title?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What title?”
asked De los Santos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The title
that’s supposed to be the basis for this relocation survey,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’re not
making any survey yet,” said De los Santos. “We’re only getting reference
points.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had De los Santos admitted that he was doing
the survey as ordered by the court, Ka Mao would have required him to comply
with the rules as mandated in the Manual of Survey in the Philippines – meaning
ascertain first the veracity of the Rivera title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But De los
Santos lied that he was not making such survey yet so Ka Mao had no cause for
pressing the matter of ascertaining the veracity of the Rivera title yet. And
so after a quick look-see of the surroundings using their survey instruments,
De los Santos and his team ended their chore in the place, whatever it was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What astounded
Ka Mao after a time was a notice of a hearing on the Technical Report submitted
by De los Santos to the court. He realized he had been done in. His signature
on the blank yellow pad sheet proved his attendance in what De los Santos
reported to the court as the survey conducted in compliance with its order. He
submitted a Technical Report, allegedly based on that survey, delineating what
was termed as the “metes and bounds” of the property supposed to be covered by
the court demolition order. What De los Santos actually did was a table survey,
which had become a notorious practice of unscrupulous geodetic engineers in
plotting the technical descriptions of a title on the drawing table not on the
site of the property being surveyed. This practice had made it very easy for
landgrabbers to snatch some other people’s lands, for in this manner they were
able to work out the title over the land being grabbed without encountering
physical opposition from settlers on that land.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In any case, Ka
Mao immediately saw wide loopholes in the De los Santos Technical Report. The
purported attendance sheet did not contain any entries other than names of
those who were present on the occasion. It proved those people were there but
did not prove anything as to why or what they were there for. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In another
respect, what De los Santos reported as having been surveyed by him was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a subdivision LRA PSD 371576 which he
attested to as having been furnished him by Rivera – not the subdivision plan
ordered by the court to be surveyed, which was PSI 3715.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Moreover, De los
Santos conducted his supposed survey not upon proper authority by the DENR but
upon his own decision, and Ka Mao saw this as a usurpation of DENR authority.
The order was addressed to the DENR, which could have delegated the function to
anybody it pleased, not just De los Santos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Came the day of
the hearing. Ka Mao and Atty. Galvez arrived early at the court. But they were
told by the Clerk of Court that the counsel for Rivera, one Former Judge Patajo,
had just died and no replacement for him had yet been designated. In that
event, the hearing was expected to be cancelled. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The law mandated that. The parties in a case were
required to inform each other in cases of change of counsels. Ka Mao and his
counsel were made to sign the attendance sheet, with instruction from the clerk
of court that they would be informed, as was the practice, about the schedule
of the next hearing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But in due time,
what Ka Mao received was not a notice of schedule of the next hearing but a
Fourth Notice – described as the final one – on the implementation of the
demolition order. It turned out that after Ka Mao and his counsel left the
court the last time out, believing the hearing scheduled that day would be
reset, Rivera produced an impromptu <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>counsel and in the absence of the defendant
caused a unilateral conduct of the hearing resulting to that final order for
the implementation of the writ of demolition. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The order
specifically instructed the sheriff to strictly abide<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by the guidance of Geodetic Engineer Daniel
de los Santos in its implementation, particularly the demolition of Ka Mao’s
house. But precisely because the purported relocation survey as contained in
his Technical Report was a complete prevarication, De los Santos bungled his
job once he applied it on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The coordinates of the area in which to implement the order were such
that they put practically the whole house of Ka Mao outside of that area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that reason, while De los Santos started
the whole operation of implementing the order on Ka Mao’s property, before long
he was nowhere to be found on the site. Left with no guidance by De Los Santos,
Sheriff Leyva had no other recourse but to suspend the demolition operation
abruptly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sighed
with relief. He thought the house had been spared from destruction completely.
He had reason to believe so. In a talk with Barangay Captain Gabuna, who till
then was quite friendly to him, Ka Mao got the information that implementation
of demolition orders could only be carried out once, not on a rainy day, and
must be complete by four o’clock in the afternoon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So Ka Mao found
himself deducing, since the implementation of the court demolition order had
been begun, it could no longer continue beyond the law-mandated timeline for
its implementation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Up to old age,
that had been Ka Mao’s indulgence: too much optimism to the point of being an
incurable affliction. It stemmed from his character. Because he had pure human
goodwill in his heart, he expected all others had the same. He was not claiming
that he was not capable of doing evil. He knew that was part of his humanism.
But he knew, too, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he was much more good
than evil and he believed all others were also. If, therefore, man by his very
humanness is good, how could the world in any of its aspects be bad at all? In
this sense, Ka Mao could be a most formidable antidote to pessimism. Not once
in his life, even in the face of the harshest adversities, had he ever lost
hope. Nothing bad that ever happened to him remained bad. It always found a way
of turning itself into good. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, on the
question of the demolition of his house, he tended to believe that those put in
charge to carry it out were also men of goodwill and could take refuge under
the legal technicalities pointed out by the Barangay executive in not resuming
the demolition operation any longer, thereby saving the house from destruction
forever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This property
is under the custody of the sheriff,” declared Sheriff Leyva after announcing
the suspension of the demolition operation and then walking out of the compound
together with all the demolition personnel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But aside from
that declaration, Ka Mao noticed no other action at all by Sheriff Leyva
indicating that he meant what he said. And for the whole of October and well
into the following November, the conditions in the property of Ka Mao were back
to normal </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Particularly the
eatery, it went on enjoying its modest success, what with the continued
patronage by the employees of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meralco
Management Learning and Development Center (MMLDC), the Hizon Laboratories, the
Solar Enterprises, and a daily steady flow of walk-in customers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The eatery must
be so good that even the owners of at least two leading Antipolo restaurants
would drop by and partake of its native dishes, like laing, ginataang biya,
sinigang na kandule, inihaw na manok and liempo, and bulalo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But into the
last week of November, Ka Mao, while doing marketing, chanced upon Sheriff
Leyva, who told him that he was soon proceeding with the demolition operation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’re only
waiting for Rivera to release the budget for the operation,” Sheriff Leyva
said. “She does not expect me to spend for this, does she?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What about De
los Santos?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He had been
paid his due. He will do his job. Just you wait,” said Sheriff Leyva and walked
away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All of a sudden,
Ka Mao was desperate. He really had attributed goodwill to Sheriff Leyva and De
los Santos, completely forgetting that part of the humanism of the two was
greed, which Ka Mao had not much of, if at all, and so he tended not to see it
in others. For that reason, he never anticipated that this time would come
when, with their greed sated, the two would come rampaging again as they did in
that aborted demolition operation in September. This time, as Sheriff Leyva put
it, “Only a TRO can stop us.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But no, a Temporary
Restraining Order, which Sheriff Leyva referred to, was out of the question for
Ka Mao. It would be good only for three days after which a Permanent Injunction
must be put in place in order to stop the demolition for a relatively permanent
period, during which the merits of the case would be elevated to the Court of
Appeal and then to the Supreme Court for final resolution. Atty. Galvez
realized Ka Mao did not have the money to sustain such a costly fight and so
was suggesting alternative remedies, like having the Rivera title investigated
by the LRA in the hope that in the event the LRA favorably took up Ka Mao’s
cause, he could use its ruling to stop the court from enforcing its demolition
order.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So that night,
Ka Mao formalized the complaint, addressed to the LRA Administrator. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The following
day, the lady secretary in the office Ka Mao entered in the LRA building recognized
his name immediately when he presented the complaint to her. Her face lit up
and she excitedly guided Ka Mao to the suite of her boss..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You can discuss
this with the Administrator,” she said as she led her through a corridor. “He
is easy to talk to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How nice of the Administrator,
Ka Mao told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sir, this is Director
Mauro Gia Samonte,” the secretary said, introducing Ka Mao to the LRA Official
as she led him into his suite. “He is a very popular film director.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The LRA Official
gladly shook Ka Mao’s hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How are you
director?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Fine, thank
you,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He has a
problem, Sir,” the secretary said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What problem?”
asked the LRA Official..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is his
letter-complaint,” said the secretary as she handed to the official the folder
containing the letter-complaint, already opening it up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The official took
a glance at the letter and then keeping it in his hand, he took Ka Mao by the
shoulder, leading him to a sofa where they sat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The secretary
walked away, glancing back at the official, saying, “He is a very popular director,
Sir.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, I know,”
said the official, beaming at Ka Mao. “How are your movies doing, Director?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, I have not
been doing any movies these past five years. My last movie was in 2000,” said
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I see… But of
course, you must have set aside a fortune<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’re a very popular director.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I did save some
amount but I squandered it all when I ran for mayor of Antipolo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You ran for
mayor!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes. Twice. In
1995 and 1998.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How much did
you spend?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Roughly five
million.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Can you win
with five million?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought I
could. Anyway, that was all I got. And lost it all.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, you lost it
all,” said the LRA official, appearing to lose the enthusiasm he showed when
the secretary introduced Ka Mao to him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What are we
going to do with this letter…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s about our
land. It’s our family’s one remaining possession and it is being landgrabbed.
If you could investigate the title of the landgrabber and find it anomalous, then
I could use your finding to stop the court from demolishing our house.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The LRA official
cast a rather enigmatic stare at Ka Mao, one that conveyed surprise at what he
heard and at the same time resentment for making him hear it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay, bring
this to the lady who brought you here. She will know what to do.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The official handed
the folder to Ka Mao then walked into his inner office where he picked up the receiver
of the intercom. Ka Mao walked out of the suite, wondering to himself why the
mood of the LRA official suddenly changed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The secretary
was speaking on the intercom when Ka Mao walked into her office.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry, Sir... Really…
I should not have wasted your time. I didn’t know he’s not a blue blood anymore.
He was so popular everybody thought he was rich.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
standing before her when the secretary put the phone down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I was told by your
boss to bring this back to you,” Ka Mao said as he handed the folder to the
secretary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao noticed
that the secretary, too, had completely changed her mood. She was unsmiling and
somewhat wore a sour face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bring that to
the records section and have it received there,” said the secretary and minded
him no more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao stepped
out of the room and walked down the corridor leading to the records section. He
entertained no question whatsoever as to whether what he was doing had any
value at all. He had faith that it had and went on to have copies of his
letter-complaint marked “Received” by the clerk at the receiving window.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the evening,
Ka Mao showed the copies to Atty. Galvez, who after perusing the
letter-complaint, stated, “This is okay. They would be too daring if they
pushed on with the demolition despite having been informed about this
complaint.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Atty. Galvez
firmly believed that the sheriff would not dare demolish. And Ka Mao believed
so, too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But on November
23, Ka Mao <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got a Fifth – and final –
Notice of implementation of the writ of demolition, ordering Ka Mao and his
family to vacate the subject property so-called. He relayed this to Atty.
Galvez, who advised him to get certification from the LRA that a case involving
the subject property in the demolition order was being deliberated at the
agency, and then furnish Sheriff Leyva and the court with copies of that
certification. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Atty. Galvez
still clung to the hope that the sheriff would not dare demolish Ka Mao’s house
with full knowledge of the LRA case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">November 24, Ka
Mao was early at the LRA to get the certification needed. But the LRA
investigator, Joel Bigornia, who had been assigned to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>handle the case was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>out on an errand the whole morning, arriving
only at his office way after lunch. The amiable investigation officer readily
issued the certification Ka Mao requested, but the trip back to Antipolo took
so long that by the time Ka Mao reached the court, it was already closed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How so pathetic
Ka Mao appeared that morning of November 25, 2005. He made sure he was at the
office of the Clerk of Court once it opened so he could have copies of the
certification furnished to Sheriff Rolando Leyva and the court. While waiting
for the Clerk of Court to receive the copies of the certification, Ka Mao
happened to look out of the balcony of the building. He saw Sheriff Leyva on
the street below, aboard his motorcycle, which he had stopped as he gestured a
go-signal to somebody up on the balcony. With the signal having been given,
Sheriff Leyva then sped away.. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It somewhat
intrigued Ka Mao. Sheriff Leyva seemed to be moving in a frenzy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What was the
sheriff seemed so frantic about? What was that signal for?” Ka Mao asked
himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rushing home
aboard a tricycle after finishing his business at the court, Ka Mao saw a big
crowd of men brandishing a variety of construction implements, massing at the
corner of Sumulong Highway and the Circumferential Road, right outside the
Pedro Cojuangco farm popularly referred to as Rancho. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What were those
men massing for?” he said to himself. “They seem to be bracing for a fight.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Arriving home
finally, Ka Mao noticed at a distance a group of policemen and men in civilian
attires seeming to be huddling seriously on the highway side. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
appalled to recognize among these men the guy he most feared at the moment:
Sheriff Rolando Leyva.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As he crossed
the highway, he realized the eatery had been closed. Betchay hurried to meet
him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mao, they’re
going to demolish our house now,” said Betchay, showing signs of nervous
breakdown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No
trespassing,” a sympathizer suggested.. “Put up a sign, ‘No trespassing’.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Kapit sa
patalim,” so goes a saying in the vernacular which translates to “hang on to a
blade.” Ka Mao appeared much like doing just as a man would grab at even a
blade if only to keep himself from falling off a cliff. He hurried to find a
piece of plywood, a can of white paint and a brush by which he wrote out the
words “No trespassing”, then hung the sign on the gate of the property, facing
the highway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then followed
the longest moment of tension Ka Mao felt in all his life. The tension was none
like any of those he felt in the past: in the skirmishes with the policemen and
security guards of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation in the strike of KAMAO;
in the confrontation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>between government
troopers and workers protesters in the May Day Massacre of 1971; in the
standoff between policemen and activists in the American embassy rally in which
Ka Mao was tasked to explode a grenade, a task he would have accomplished but
for one moment of sanity which prompted him to stand by his sense of
righteousness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In none of those
moments and in many others still did Ka Mao ever feel fear. He was young, not
yet thirty, single and not needing to worry about compromising any loved one in
his actions, Above all, he had full confidence in his human strength. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But now, against
the sheriff and his forces, Ka Mao had one whole family to be concerned about,
and he felt so weak, void of any of the bravado characteristic of his revolting
days. And he felt fear as he had never felt before. And so he prayed, yes,
indeed, he prayed, “Lord, spare us from this destruction.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He prayed on and
on as he and his sons Paulo and Ogie, with the help of a few sympathizing
neighbors, frantically moved furniture, furnishings, fixtures, utensils, what
have you, stocking everything in the undivided ground floor which he had
intended for use for the CPP Congress. From the sketch plan which De los Santos
had submitted to the court to show the area of the demolition, Ka Mao surmised
that this spot on the ground floor would not be affected.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Particularly difficult to move was the Ray Contreras
solid mahogany antique-style dining table which took no less than ten men to carry.
As to the glass panes and panels on the walls and windows of the dining room,
the guest house and the breakfast area, Ka Mao just sadly stared at them, there
being no more time to remove them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, the
forces of Sherrif Leyva marched toward the property: the demolition crew, from
the corner of the Circumferential Road; the contingent of policemen, court
personnel and bullies, from the vicinity of the abandoned Citadel Subdivision
in the north.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Everybody stay
put in the carinderia (eatery),” ordered Ka Mao. Betchay obliged, sticking
close to Gia, barely three months old, crying as she wriggled her legs in a
crib. Paulo and Ogie stuck with friends on the periphery of the demolition area
in case of any eventuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Maripaz was
at work and Maoie in Novaliches where he, his wife and two kids stayed
temporarily with his in-laws.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All by himself,
Ka Mao, armed with a camera, stood at the interior end of the driveway,
directly opposite the gate where he expected the action to begin. Ka Mao could
think of no other way to combat the demolition but with that camera by which to
record in photographs whatever would take place. He intended to use the
pictures so taken as evidences in whatever legal action he would take
eventually.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In order to
determine the exact area of the house that would be demolished, De los Santos
used his bare eyesight to fix a point on the highway and another on the creek
edge behind the house. And then using a straw with one end tied to that point
on the highway, he fastened a stone to the other end and threw the stone above
the house in order to bring that other end of the straw to the creek edge
beyond for tying to the other point that had been determined on that spot. Thus
was the house split into two, with the one to the north to be demolished and
the one to the south to stay intact; similarly the comfort room of the eatery
which was along the highway was diagonally halved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As a consequence
of the demolition, Ka Mao filed a complaint in the office of DENR Secretary
Angelo T. Reyes against Geodetic Engineer Daniel de los Santos for his wrongful
deeds in connection with the demolition. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In photo
attachments to the complaint, Ka Mao described the events that unfolded in
chronological sequence, titling the presentation: “THE DEMOLITION OF NOVEMBER
25, 2005.” The first page of three, he titled “QUIET BEFORE THE STORM”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A photo of the
“No Trespassing” sign he had hung on the gate, he captioned:”A hastily-prepared
crude sign stands as the only defensive weapon against the impending disaster –
at best a travesty of the institution of private property for the powerless.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A full shot of
Sheriff Leyva and his demolition contingent waiting out just outside the iron
fence of Ka Mao’s property, Ka Mao captioned: “Deputy Sheriff Rolando Leyva and
his demolition contingent could not move without Engineer Daniel de los Santos
first determining the scope of demolition to be done.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The next four
photos that followed were described thus: “(Below, bottom left) Engr. De los
Santos, using nothing but bare eyesight and a measuring tape, determines a
point on a mark scratched on the iron fence with a stone; note
highly-collapsible nature of iron fence. (Below left and middle photo) CENRO
man identified only as Jess helps out Engr. De los Santos in the measurements;
arrow mark on the fence was done September 30, 2005 during the first demolition
attempt. (Below right) Claimant Imelda Rivera and Deputy Sheriff Leyva
supervise the demolition.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A final photo on
the page was a full view of exactly the same spot in the second cited photo,
this time showing the iron fence completely fallen and the demolition crew
beginning to move into the driveway of the compound. It was captioned: “
(Bottom right) In a move swifter than camera operation, the demolition crew
tear down the barrier at the driveway.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The second page
of the photo attachments was titled: “THE ONSLAUGHT” It consisted of a close
shot of the demolition crew advancing, captioned: “The crew rush to carry out
the devastation of my house all over.” The next three photos showed the
destruction from various angles, the front, back and the northside. The view
from the back was particularly gruesome because it was on that spot where every
piece of the ravaged materials was dumped, depicting what was once a pretty
domicile turned into rubble. And the final photo of the page showed Rivera
being guided by a man through the debris. It was captioned: “(Bottom right) The
turn over of possession was received by claimant Rivera 3:45 PM but here,
escorted by a court aide, already asserts possessory control of the property as
early as 2:26 PM.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The third page
of the presentation was a collage done by a sympathizing photographer who
happened to pass by at the time of the demolition. He took shots of the
destruction<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that took place and laid
them out together with shots of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>intimate
moments Ka Mao and his family were busy in as the devastation was ongoing,
achieving a composite which prompted Ka Mao to compose a poignant, if pathetic,
caption: “A collage of the pathos that ensued, as documented by a sympathizer.
Having prevailed over so many storms in my life, I seem to be content just
knowing that my three-year-old granddaughter is safe in my arms and my wife
still manages to prepare food at the improvised kitchen. But that infant cry
must sound our unwordable aching for justice.” For at the center of the collage
- surrounded by graphic shots of crushed concrete walls, crumpled corrugated
iron sheets, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>scattered broken pieces of
wooden beams, twisted iron grills, shattered glass walls, and many other
tell-tale signs of a catastrophe – was a lone picture of Baby Gia wailing in
her crib .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The guy who did
the collage gave it the title: “Family seek justice in unlawful house
demolition & land grabbing incident last November 5, 2005”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the height of
the demolition operation, Ellen called Ka Mao on the cellphone. She wanted to
know what had happened. She had worked as a medical tehnologist in the state
hospital of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kuwait for over thirty
years, had remained unmarried and had been Ka Mao’s source of material
assistance in times of need. Ka Mao had sent her an urgent message two days
ago, asking for financial help. He was already thinking of finally going the
TRO way just to have a breathing space; he would worry about the bigger amount
that would be entailed by the permanent injunction to come about after three
days. But though Ellen <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>never failed Ka
Mao in all his pleas for help, she just didn’t have the money to send him at
the moment. And so she called, worrying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What happened,
Manoy Mauro?” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Listen,” said
Ka Mao, and he beamed his cellphone toward the ongoing activity. “Hear that
noise. The iron roof being yanked off, the thuds of sledge hammers on the
concrete walls, and the crash of glass walls, windows and doors. They’re
tearing my house just right now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao said his
words with a put-on delight so that Ellen must have taken them as a sarcasm and
she broke into tears. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But, Manoy
Mauro. There’s nothing I can do now. I just don’t have any money to send, If
only you had given me some lead time,” she cried.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No, Ellen,” Ka
Mao said, seeking to calm her down. “I’m not blaming you. No. I just want to
make things light out of this terrible misery.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Actually a
thought had crossed his mind at that instance, making him feel like crying,
too, so that he must quickly bid Ellen goodbye and hang up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At Ellen’s crying, Ka Mao could not help
remembering that as the teams of demolition personnel began wrecking the house,
he had sent a common message to a number of Party comrades through the cellphone:
“Which part of my house have I built for me and my family alone and so me and
my family alone must defend? And which part have I built for the Party and so
the Party must defend it with me and my family?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nobody cared to
answer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-18005069334189787822014-02-18T01:33:00.000-08:002014-02-18T01:33:34.559-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">BOOK SEVEN</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">IN THE EYE OF THE STORM</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER I</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">LEADERS of various labor unions were
cramped on wooden benches inside one room of the second floor of the apartment housing
the headquarters of KASAMA. The apartment was one of three attached two-floor sections
of an edifice in the heart of Sampaloc, Manila, typical of second-rate housing
that characterized the city. Even in the commercial districts like Quiapo, Sta.
Cruz and Ermita, this kind of housing abounded in streets behind the main
avenues such that tenants had easy time moving from one residence to another
accordingly as certain advantages took place, like proximity to workplace or
school, lower rent, or peace and order. This last consideration could not have
been the reason why KASAMA decided to establish its headquarters in the area. Rather,
for a radical federation of workers’ unions, KASAMA felt it was in good hands
in the community.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sampaloc had
become the breeding ground of activists in Manila, as Pampanga and Tarlac were
in Central Luzon. The district was a cradle for among the best institutions for
higher education outside of the University of the Philippines, which was in
Diliman, Quezon City. The so-called University Belt ran that whole stretch of
Recto Avenue beginning Quezon Boulevard all the way to Mendiola, smack into the
very gates of Malacanang: to the left facing east, Far Eastern University,
University of the East, Philippine College of Commerce (falling short by some
degree of being dubbed the Philippine College of Marxism, Leninism and Mao Tse
Tung Thought), then veering on Legarda Street to the left, the University of
Manila, with the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest university of the
country, a good many blocks to the north, at the corner of Espana and Governor
Forbes; and then further up Legarda across to the right are the Sta. Rita
College and the largely populous Arellano University; back to Recto, to the
right, the San Sebastian College, after which across the small but extremely
historic Mendiola Bridge, the Centro Escolar University and the all-girl
Catholic school La Consolacion College both to the right, and finally to the left,
the all-boy Catholic school San Beda College and the exclusive, all-girl Catholic
school, College of the Holy Spirit after which, finally, across Jose P. Laurel
Avenue, Gate 4 of Malacanang which in the January 30 Battle of Mendiola of 1970
Kumander Freddie, earning his diploma as a Red Fighter for the NPA, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>crashed with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a fire truck, setting it aflame. That was when
Metrocom soldiers unleashed their violence against the student protesters,
terribly beating those they caught and chasing those they didn’t, all over the
district, through side streets and dingy alleys where residents just threw
their doors open for escaping protesters and then locking them back shut so
they would be spared from having their share of state fascism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The KASAMA
headquarters must have been one of those residences in the January 30 Battle of
Mendiola that gave shelter to activists, now openly proclaiming itself as the
hub of workers revolution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Speaking to the
gathering was a man in late twenties whose mannerism including that in his speech
obviously indicated his proletarian breeding. He was Ka Erning, secretary
general of the KASAMA secretariat. He spoke with a visible wiggle of his torso
as he gestured with his hands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And now,
Comrades,” he said, amiably smiling, “here is Ka Mao to discuss the next
topic…” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With a chalk, Ka
Erning wrote out the words across the blackboard in front of the gathering:
“political economy.” He underlined what he wrote.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unlike Ka Erning
who kept beaming even as he yielded the floor, Ka Mao wore a serious face. It
was some kind of a defense posture, a way of not betraying to the audience the
good degree of jitters he was having inside. Though he had been into sales and
had had a good amount of speaking experience, it had all been selling insurance
or encyclopedia. This time around, he was supposed to sell revolution. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How was he to do
that? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The task of
teaching the subject of political economy to his listeners now had been given
to him on a very short notice. KASAMA was into a continuing educational program
aimed at fast-tracking the political, read that revolutionary, consciousness of
workers. The KASAMA secretariat had been monitoring the development of Ka Mao,
and taking cue from the way he had handled KAMAO and from his fiery speeches in
the KAMAO strike and in the public rallies he had participated in, Ka Erning
was confident Ka Mao could tackle the subject matter and insisted that Ka Mao
do it. Besides, inasmuch as Ka Mao had signified his intention to go full time
with the federation, he had to be given tasks in order to continuously hone him
up on the workers revolutionary struggle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was Ka Mao
who was yet unsure of himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Political
economy!” he gushed to himself. How could he ever tackle that job when prior to
this, what he had been writing about were the avarice and ostentation and
vanities of show business personalities. He was actually nervous as he took the
floor, and he felt the best way not to show it was to not say a word by way of
acknowledging Ka Erning’s introduction. That’s why he looked stern and serious,
and this mien was what sort of intimidated those in the gathering. Otherwise
fidgeting due to the humidity in the room, fanning themselves with a variety of
means, like a folded tabloid, a handkerchief, foldable fan, or a face towel,
they sat in attention as soon as Ka Mao took the chalk Ka Erning had left on
the table. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao proceeded
to write out across the blackboard his own words: “Theory of Surplus Value”,
similarly underlining it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There was a kind
of a mix of glow and wonderment on the faces of the audience. It appeared like
it was the first time they ever got to know there was such a subject, or that
the subject, written out in English, instilled in them a feeling of being
capable of learning, and this made them feel important. And so it was that when
Ka Mao began his lecture, he had earned the complete concentration of his
listeners. They believed he was a master on the subject.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was none
such of course. Everything was impression on the part of the audience and he
was acting out perfectly it seemed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The theory of
surplus value is the theory of the terrible oppression and exploitation the
working class has been suffering in the hands of capitalists. It is also the
theory of why and how the workers should overthrow the capitalist class and
install themselves as the new rulers of society.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The audience
applauded spontaneously. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That’s it,” Ka Mao sighed to himself with
relief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao, once
told that he would speak on the subject in today’s seminar, had gone on a quick
reading of Das Kapital at the National Library, focusing precisely on that
subject of surplus value. Although KASAMA had a designated Educational
Department in its Secretariat popularly referred to as ED, it had not come up
with formal modules by which to conduct seminars like the one today. Lecturers
worried about forming those modules.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In doing his
task, Ka Mao tackled the subject of political economy by reducing it to the
question: How are the workers exploited?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After posing the
question, Ka Mao drew an elliptical figure on the blackboard, labeling it
“commodity”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Commodity is
that thing which we, workers, produce with our labor. It’s the wine and liquor
which (pointing to a section of the audience) you produce in La Tondena, the
meat you (to another section of the audience) make at Vitas Slaughter House,
the driving that you (pointing to a section wearing T-shirts with the sign:
“Pambansang Samahan ng mga Tsuper (PSMT [National Association of Drivers])
render your passengers, and the magazines we make at the Makabayan Publishing
Corporation, etcetera, etcetera. In the view of Karl Marx, commodity is the
smallest particle, like the atom to matter, of society. It was through the
study of this element called commodity that Marx was able to dissect the
capitalist set-up, traced its historical origins<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>leading to the conclusion that the liberation
of the working class can be achieved only through a violent crushing of the
capitalist system. Only upon the rubble of capitalism can socialism, and
ultimately communism, be established. It is essential therefore that we study
how capitalism works, how it oppresses and exploits the workers. How?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao drew a
vertical line across within the ellipsis he drew, splitting it into halves. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How do
commodities change hands?” Ka Mao asked, posing the question to his audience.
None indicated a willingness to answer. He addressed somebody from the PSMT
group. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How do you get
your meat, for instance?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I buy it,” said
the PSMT man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Where do you
get the money by which to buy meat?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“From the
passengers that ride on my jeepney,” replied the PSMT man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Among whom
might be a worker in the slaughter house, right?” asked Ka Mao, indicating
those in the section occupied by the slaughter house union. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Right,” said
the PSMT man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And where do
you get the money for paying your transportation fare?” asked Ka Mao of the
slaughter house workers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“From our
salary,” said the slaughterhouse folks almost in unison.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And where do you
get your salaries?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“From the
slaughter house owner,” answered a slaughter house worker, adding, “That
sonnavabitch!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So now we ask
the sonnavabitch where he gets the money for paying his workers’ salary,” said
Ka Mao. “What do you suppose will he answer?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A woman among
the slaughter house workers coyly answered, “From people who buy the meat.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Right!” blurted
out Ka Mao. “And among them I suppose is our driver from the PSMT, right?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Right!”
chorused the PSMT folks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everybody
applauded in delight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Right,” Ka Mao
agreed with pleasure. “So now we see our comrades from the slaughter house make
meat for getting salary by which to pay for their transportation fare which our
comrades from the PSMT use in turn to buy that meat.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The audience
seemed to delight at Ka Mao’s words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Now, let me ask
you,” said Ka Mao. “What change hands in this, should we say, transaction
between the jeepney driver and the meat maker?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Money,”
answered aloud almost the whole audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao amused to
himself, glad that the discussion is going perfectly as needed, as he had
intended.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He brought out a
hundred-peso-bill.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I got here one
hundred pesos. Who has got one hundred pesos among you?” he asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A few raised
their hands. Ka Mao stepped near one of them, and then said to him, handing
over his one-hundred-peso bill, “I give you my one hundred, you give me your
one hundred,” taking the other fellow’s money.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The audience
laughed without really bothering to know what Ka Mao did that for.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Was there an
exchange of money between us?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes,” said the
audience almost to a man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No,” said a
dissenter. “You get exactly the same thing that you gave, you call that
exchange. You give one kilo of rice to get one kilo of rice, where’s the
exchange? The exchange is when for the one kilo of rice you gave you got one
kilo of fish in return.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A few applauded
the dissenter. Ka Mao clapped hands with them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That brings us
to the first point of our study. That every commodity is made up of (labeling
one half of the drawn ellipsis as “exchange value”) exchange value and
(labeling the other half as “use value”) use value. Exchange value, because it
is capable of being exchanged with another commodity, and use value because it
has use for the owner of the other commodity. I am a farmer and I have rice but
have no viand for meals, and you are a fisherman and have fish to spare but
have no rice to cook. So you give me your fish which I need in exchange for my
rice which you need. Here we see that the exchange value of the commodity is
determined by its use value. Only when people have use for one another’s
commodities will they exchange their respective commodities for the other. I
hope this is clear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But that’s true
only during the period of barter trade,” commented someone. “That’s been long
past. Today, all you need is money to have the things you want.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m afraid
that’s not quite true,” Ka Mao countered snappily. “What you seem to see is
what appears on the surface. But like I said, Marx really dug it up and saw correctly
that (brandishing his one-hundred-peso bill) money in itself has no value. This
is just plain paper really and the paper used for printing this, I would not
buy for even a centavo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The fact is
that your one hundred can buy at least four kilos of rice,” somebody snapped
likewise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s the fact
that we are going to find out just now,” said Ka Mao, turning to the
blackboard. He erased the words earlier written there and began writing. To the
left of the blackboard, he drew a polo shirt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Here we have an
example of a commodity, a polo shirt,” Ka Mao began outlining the demonstration
he had planned out for this session. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let’s enumerate
the different materials used in making the polo shirt. First we have…”. Ka Mao
paused to get the answer from the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Textile,” said
the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s right,”
said Ka Mao, drawing a piece of textile under the drawing of the polo shirt.
Again he addressed the audience. “What else?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Buttons,” said
a number of the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Buttons,
of course,” said Ka Mao as he drew five tiny circles under the drawing of the
piece of textile. “What else?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nobody
from the audience could make an immediate answer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
else?” Ka Mao said in a tone meant to encourage anybody from his listeners to
speak up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
woman, as though hitting an idea, said aloud, “Thread!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao looked amused. He said as he drew a roll of string under the drawing of the
buttons. “Yes, thread.” Done with the drawing, he asked again, “Anything else?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao scanned the faces of the audience to see if anybody was ready with an
answer. Seeing none, Ka Mao decided to volunteer the answer by drawing a tiny
chip of something under the drawing of the thread. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
depreciation in the value of the machine used in sewing the polo shirt, which
we represent with a tiny chip of metal… I hope you are following closely.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
audience signified their affirmative answer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Very
well,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He
began labeling the items he drew with corresponding amounts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How
much is the average cloth for making polo shirts?” he asked as he drew a
horizontal line corresponding to the drawing of a piece of textile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No
immediate answer came from the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes?”
he prodded.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
woman in the audience quoted a price, “On the average, sixty pesos per yard.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
man butted in, “Depends on the kind of cloth. There are more expensive ones.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay,”
said Ka Mao, “we take the average. At sixty per yard times one and a half
yards, the cost of the textile is ninety pesos.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao wrote “P90.00” corresponding to the drawing of the textile. Afterward he
faced the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How
about the buttons?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Put
it at two pesos apiece, times five,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ten pesos,”
another woman volunteered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay,
ten pesos,” said Ka Mao, labeling the drawing of buttons “P10.00”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Knowing
what was to come next, somebody volunteered, “For the thread, one small spool
is enough. Put there twenty pesos.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao amused at the lady who volunteered the information. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Twenty
pesos,” said Ka Mao as he labeled that amount to the drawing of the thread.
Hardly was he done with the labeling when he spoke, “Finally, the depreciation
of the machine.” He proceeded to draw a line corresponding to the drawing of a
chip of metal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It
is safe to assign ten centavos for this,” he said, labeling the drawing with
the figures “P0.10.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao faced the audience to gage their reaction. He thought they were
anticipating his next words, and the way he saw it they were anxious for
something nice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“As
you can notice,” he said, “it is easy to count the cost of one polo shirt. Just
add the amounts corresponding to the materials that make up this clothing.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
Ka Mao added the amounts he had written on the blackboard and wrote down the
total “P120.10”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ninety
plus ten plus twenty plus ten centavos… One hundred twenty pesos and ten
centavos. That’s the cost of this polo shirt.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Very
cheap. This one I’m wearing costs two fifty,” a man commented.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So
this costs two hundred fifty pesos,” Ka Mao said as he labeled the drawing of
the polo shirt “P250.00”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
woman snapped, “No… No…The latest I bought for my mister (husband) cost three
hundred.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So
does mine,” said another man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So…
what price do we put for the polo shirt?” asked Ka Mao. He was enthused by all
the reaction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Put
there three hundred. That’s the average price in the market,” the woman
insisted. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
got Ka Mao delighting inside him, and as though lest somebody asked to lower it
again, he quickly erased the first amount he wrote and in its place put the
label “P300.00”. He wanted to place this amount at as high as possible: the
higher, the better to prove the point he was driving at. It had been
commonplace in the movement to talk about oppression and exploitation of
workers but always in vague, general terms that achieved only the effect of
sloganeering. In the prepared readings of KASAMA, mostly in manifestoes,
oppression and exploitation of workers were mainly expressed in terms of low
wages making for the miserable living of workers and their families. But why,
on the plane of parity, low wages were oppressive and exploitative was never
sufficiently explained, if at all. From his reading of Das Kapital, Ka Mao
thought he saw the underpinnings of such oppression and exploitation and
formulated the lecture he was undertaking now. He resolved to himself that it
was this kind of presentation that would crystallize the issue to the workers
and thus mobilize them into a militant, revolutionary action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Continuing
his lecture, Ka Mao asked, “If I sold this (indicating what he referred to)
piece of textile, these buttons, this thread and this representation of the
machine at costs higher that what are indicated, would you buy them?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No
answer came from the audience, who just wondered what Ka Mao was talking about.
As though desperate to keep his intended impact from slipping away, he said,
“In other words, would you buy the textile at higher than ninety pesos.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,”
said the woman who had given the cost quote of three hundred pesos. “I’d go for
the right price. That’s why some sellers lose customers. They price themselves
out of the market.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How
about the buttons?” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Same
thing,” said the woman. “ So with the thread and the… what’s that.” The woman
pointed to the bottommost drawing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Depreciation
on the sewing machine,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“All
those I won’t buy for more than their market price,” the woman firmly declared.
“Why would I let myself be cheated?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao beamed delightedly, at the same time sighing with relief for having
succeeded in leading the lecture to what he had intended it to go. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Indeed,
why would you?” said Ka Mao. “Or for that matter, why would I? Now, notice that
once these different materials are sewn together to make the commodity polo
shirt, their prices suddenly shoots up to more than double. To be precise, at a
markup of one hundred seventy nine pesos and ninety centavos.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao wrote the figure on the blackboard: “P179.90.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then underlining
the figure, he said “Where has this markup come from?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One man
interjected, “Of course, there has got to be profit?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What determines
the profit?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
capitalist.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Capitalist?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The shirt
manufacturer.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao did not
find it necessary to add anything more to the man’s comment. Rather he saw that
it was time he shifted to a flow of the lecture necessary to lead it to his
intended conclusion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Consider,
comrades an exchange between, say, a sofa and a sack of rice. Do you think the
exchange is possible?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The man who had
interjected earlier took up the discussion again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Surely. Why
not?” he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How may the
exchange be carried out?” asked Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I give you my
sofa, you give me your sack of rice.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“As simple as
that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How else?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What if I say,
my rice is dearer than your sofa?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ah… Of course,
your rice should be of the same value as my sofa.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, certainly.
Now, how do we determine that my rice is of the same value as your sofa?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The man gaped at
Ka Mao’s question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How?” asked Ka
Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well, if
they’re both worth a thousand pesos, then we exchange,” said the man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But that’s
precisely what we’re trying to find out. How to determine that our commodities
are both worth a thousand pesos,” Ka Mao pointed out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You can tell
from the craftsmanship of my sofa …”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You mean, its
quality.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>course.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But your sofa
is wood, my rice is cereal. No way to measure anything that is equal <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>between our commodities so that one could be
exchanged for the other.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“My sofa is big,
should be worth exchanging with your sack of rice.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“ My rice is
composed of countless grains, your sofa is just a single piece of furniture.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But if I sell
my sofa for one thousand pesos, I can buy your sack of rice.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And I can buy
your sofa using that amount you pay me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Right! Great.
As if<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we have just exchanged my sofa
with your rice.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So there must
be something in your sofa which when measured is worth one thousand pesos…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And something
in your rice that is also measurable to be worth one thousand pesos?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Precisely.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s that
goddamn thing?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let’s get back
to our drawings,” said Ka Mao, indicating the drawings on the blackboard. He
circled with the chalk the illustrations and labels of the materials for the
polo shirt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What is not in
these materials which is in this polo shirt?” he asked. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">No one answered.
Everybody stayed quiet for a moment. They seemed to realize that Ka Mao is up
to something and they appeared to be bracing themselves for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What is not in
these materials which is in this polo shirt?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Somebody thought
he noticed something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, “The polo
shirt is a finished product. The materials are just what they are, materials.
They have not been worked yet.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Exactly,” Ka
Mao almost exclaimed. “These materials are simply just what they are, materials
for making the polo shirt. While the polo shirt is no longer just the materials
but have been sewn together. Mark that, sewn together so as to comprise the
polo shirt. In short, as far as making polo shirt is concerned, the materials
do not contain labor power, while the polo shirt does. And the labor power
expended for making the polo shirt is precisely what can be measured in order
to determine its value.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The audience
stared in pleasant surprise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That polo shirt
you are wearing has no other value than the labor power put in it by the worker
who made it. All commodities have no value other than the value created by the
workers who made them.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The audience
applauded. Ka Mao inwardly enthused at it, his voice beginning to ring with
militancy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And yet, who
claims that value as his own. The workers?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No!” chorused
the audience, getting carried now by Ka Mao’s agitation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Who!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
capitalists!” cried the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao was
convinced the discussion was going the way he wanted it to go, but he refrained
from making any conclusions yet. Get them fired up more, he told himself. Like
steel thrust into a blacksmith’s furnace for easy pounding into a desired
shape. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Consider this.
A sewer makes an average of five polo shirts in an eight-hour working day.
Multiplying the created value of the polo shirt by five, we get a total of… One
hundred seventy nine pesos and ninety centavos times five, equals eight hundred
ninety nine pesos and fifty centavos. But how much is a sewer paid for working
eight hours? One hundred twenty pesos. Subtract this amount from eight hundred
ninety nine fifty, how much? Seven hundred seventy nine pesos and fifty
centavos.’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao wrote the
amount in figures “P779.50”, then at once proceeded to draw a horizontal line,
labeling its top as “eight hours”. He then divided its entire length into five
equal segments, each segment he labeled thus: “I polo shirt”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“As you can see
from our example,” Ka Mao explained, “during the first hour and a half, the
sewer produces a value worth one hundred seventy nine pesos and fifty centavos,
but his daily wage is only one hundred twenty pesos...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Wait a minute,”
a man cut in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes,” said Ka
Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Are you saying
that after roughly just an hour working, the sewer already earns his pay for
the day?” said the man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Precisely,”
said Ka Mao, delighted in himself that he did not have to make that conclusion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But he
continues working all the way to the eighth hour,” said the man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Or a total of seven hours more. This seven
hours, Marx calls surplus labor time. Why surplus? Because it is time no longer
necessary for the sewer to work. The first hour is the only necessary labor
time. The sewer needs that time to work in order to earn his pay for the day.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why does he
continue working for the next seven hours?” asked the man who had cut in
earlier.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao got an
idea of attack. Rather than answering the question, he threw it back to the
man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why do you
continue working at the distillery all throughout those next seven hours.?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s the
rule. We work for eight hours.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Just fine with
you?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I don’t follow
the rule, I get fired.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Somebody
quipped, rather jestingly, “No choice.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao fixed a
piercing stare at that somebody, who just found himself fidgeting. He slightly
shrugged his shoulders, letting out a lame, indecisive smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao took a
subtle deep breath. He turned to the blackboard and indicated the drawings
there as he spoke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“When we work in
factories, we are exactly like commodities being exchanged with other
commodities, in this case the capitalists expressed in the form of the salaries
they gives us, money. Capitalists exchange their money with the labor power of
the workers. (He drew a sketch of a worker, labeling it “labor power”, and that
of a capitalist, labeling it “money”.) Now, what did we find out earlier? ( He
drew two circles, labeling one “A” and the other “B.”) That for two commodities
to be exchanged with each other, they must be of the same value. Right?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The audience
indicated their response either with a nod of the head or a pressed smile,
while a few voiced out their answers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Right.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Very well,”
said Ka Mao. “So, in the exchange of the workers’ labor power with the
capitalists’ money, the same rule must apply.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Of course,”
chorused a few among the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What we give
(drawing an arrow from the sketch of the worker to that of the capitalist) is
what we get (drawing an arrow from the sketch of the capitalist to that of the
worker). Even Stevens. Fair enough?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No!” protested
somebody abruptly as he rose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao held back
his delight. To be sure, that was exactly the tenor he wanted everybody to
have. But he had not quite driven his point yet, it was only getting near. He
felt that he needed to fire up his entire audience before delivering the impact
he had intended to do. So he just let the man who rose to go on with what
looked like a tirade.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You call it
Even Stevens because that’s the way you have drawn it,” said the guy as he
wiped sweat off his face and neck with a small towel that then he would hang
around his nape, now take it again to wipe his face once more. “But look at
what you drew earlier.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Which one?”
asked Ka Mao, looking at the blackboard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That one where
you illustrated the working hours,” said the man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao smiled,
already confident that he got the man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What about this
illustration?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s
clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not Even Stevens. After
working for only one hour, the sewer makes a value equivalent to his salary. If
we are talking about making the workers equal with the capitalists, then after
the first hour, the sewer should stop working, since he has already given back
to the capitalist the amount that he gave you for your salary. But no, the
sewer is made to work from the second hour up to the eighth hour, That means
for seven hours the sewer is made to work without pay. You call that Even
Stevens?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another man
rose, asking, “What are you driving at anyway?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“After the first
hour, stop,” snapped the first man. “That’s what’s Even Stevens.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No, that
wouldn’t be fair.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why not?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What about the
factory owner? He is entitled to returns on his capital.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The fuck!” said
the first man, walking over to Ka Mao and then grabbing the chalk from his
hand. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao wouldn’t
yet know what the man was up to nor would the audience, who were rather stunned
by the man’s sudden flare up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The man drew a
hard big “x” across the sketches of the materials for making polo shirt,
gnashing his teeth as he spoke, “Didn’t we say, these fucking materials don’t
have any value in the polo shirt? So why the fuck give him fucking returns.
He’s just a damn fucking capitalist. He created no nothing in this dear, dear
shirt. Capitalists don’t deserve no damn fucking shit! Not in the first hour
(indicating the illustration of working hours on the blackboard). Not in the
second hour. Not in all of these eight hours where only us workers work. Only
us workers create. Only us workers must own the products we create.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The audience got
carried away by the flare-up of the man and applauded.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes! Long live
the working class!” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It elicited a
smile of satisfaction from Ka Mao. He withdrew to a side, quietly yielding the
floor. He felt he had driven his point clearly and was content being just a
listener for the moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But the factory
owner needs to live also. His children. His family…,” cut in still another man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let him work!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He wont’t.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why won’t he?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He owns the
factory.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We take the
factory!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Poor
sonnovabitch.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“At least you
speak pity of him. How about him? Does he even say to us: “Poor fucked up,
suckered scums.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Down with
capitalism!” shouted somebody in the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The man speaking
for the factory owner made a mock surrender gesture with his hands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay, get it
on,” he said and turned to Ka Mao. “How do you suppose will we take the factory?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The question
gave Ka Mao the final assurance that he had succeeded in placing the audience
on a plane where once he cried his final message, they would follow. He got the
chalk from the first man who had interjected into his lecture and wrote on the
blackboard in big, bold letters: “Economic power begets political power,
political power serves economic power”. He underscored what he wrote.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Who owns the
factory gets elected in government and uses the government to enrich himself
even more! On and on and on, in a never-ending cycle of feeding the
capitalist’s greed for wealth and power. For long we thought the fight is in
the factory. But we’ve been wrong. Oh, how hard we at the Makabayan Publishing
Corporation have fought. Offered our lives even. Did we get anything? No,
nothing. Not a bit of fucked up damn stinking shit. We don’t take the factory. The
fight is not there. We take the monster that feeds capitalism. We seize
political power!” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All of a sudden
everybody seemed to melt in a trance, just savoring what sounded to be a
beautiful resonance of Ka Mao’s voice: “Have no fear! Fight!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER II</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE
STRIKE MOVEMENT </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">was
the theater Ka Mao found himself thrown into after that first stint as a
lecturer on workers revolutionary politics. The strike at the Makabayan
Publishing Corporation was a fight in the periphery of that movement; this time
around, Ka Mao was in its midst, in fact having much hand in directing it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Workers strikes
were the first order of the day in the national democratic movement, which continued
to be led mainly by young activists coming from the students sector. Of course,
it was an open secret that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founded
by Jose Maria Sison in 1968 was behind all the upheavals and the party had been
proclaiming itself as the “advance detachment of the working class”. But though
the party did have quite a few truly proletarian elements in the central
leadership (i.e., Ruben Guevarra and Arthur Garcia had been union leaders at
the US Tobacco Corporation), quite a number likewise were of petty bourgeois
origins like party Chairman Jose Maria Sison, who was a professor at the
University of the Philippines. The strike movement must be seen by the
revolutionary leadership as the necessary process by which to bolshevize the
party down to the lowest level of the party organization, the Party Group, and
by that give the entire movement a proletarian mass character. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
strike movement did serve a practical utilitarian revolutionary purpose. It
made<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>individual workers with combat
capabilities surface and get steeled in revolutionary struggle. The movement,
therefore, served as a half-way house for testing recruits into the New
People’s Army for the real fight in the countryside. Though Ka Mao never
realized that he was getting led toward this end, the process he was undergoing
indicated he was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
KAMAO strike must have been the first step. Next was what he did eventually,
lecturing on Marxist trade unionism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then
some shake-up came about in the KASAMA secretariat. Ka Erning was to take his
turn now joining the people’s army. Ka Edwin, the present head of the Education
Department (ED), was elevated to the post of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Secretary General, instead of Ka Choleng, who, as head of the
Organizational Department (OD), should get the post, as per party tradition.
But Ka Choleng, a steadfast proletarian who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with
Ruben Guevarra and Arthur Garcia in the union strike at the US Tobacco Corporation,
was meek enough to recognize the intellectual superiority of Ka Edwin, an SDK member
honed in student protests. The arrangement resulted to Ka Mao, a member of the
Education Department (ED) staff, getting elevated to the post of ED head. There
was a little discrepancy in such elevation, because Ka Mao was not a party
member. But it didn’t offer much problem. After undergoing the basic party
course for membership in the party, Ka Mao was formally sworn in as Candidate
Member (CM) of the Communist Party of the Philippines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was nothing short of euphoria which Ka Mao felt as he repeated after Ka Edwin
the solemn oath of holding high ever the party’s supreme principle of serving
the people. Ka Mao had gone thirty years at the time and got honed on living up
to the words he said. In that oath-taking, he was not just going through a
formality. When he swore to serve the people, he was expressing his own,
personal resolve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
resolve would prove to be the real trouble Ka Mao had to contend with in the
course of performing his duties. As ED head, he worried about educating every
core group organized in a workplace around which to form a union. Forming core
groups was a task of the OD, but once formed, the core groups and the actual
unions that would be organized around them were a responsibility of the ED,
hence of Ka Mao. Only after the unions had undergone the thorough education
process devised by Ka Mao would he turn them over to the Legal Department
headed by Ka Ernie, a lawyer, for necessary legal processing in close
coordination with the OD for legal and administrative work.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was in the kind of education Ka
Mao was doing for the workers where he immediately encountered a problem. A
good number of local party leaders in the workers sector were vehemently
questioning his presentation of the theory of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>surplus value. These leaders, though heading
local party organizations, were not workers but from the studentry, and it was
their view that Ka Mao was omitting entrepreneurship in his presentation of the
elements in a commodity. But Ka Mao, invoking Marx, insisted that that was just
what it was, capitalists didn’t have a part in the value of commodities, which
value is to be wholly credited to the workers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Allan, a young
man with mixed Japanese and Malay looks, was a scion of a rich landed family in
Bicol and a student leader from the Ateneo University. He headed the Quezon
City-Marikina Area Coordinating Committee of KASAMA. During one seminar, he had
strongly protested, “Commodities don’t exist in themselves. They become
commodities only when they enter the market for exchanging with other goods.
Who enter commodities into the market? The commodities themselves. No! The
entrepreneurs do it. It is entrepreneurship that gives life to commodities.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Entrepreneurship!”
argued Ka Mao just as strongly. “That’s what capitalism is. And are we not
crushing capitalism?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No!”
said Allan, like roaring. “We are crushing imperialism, feudalism and
bureaucrat capitalism in order to establish national democracy. Read PSR!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
had gotten Ka Mao tongue-tied. All of a sudden, he realized a mistake he must
have been making from the very start: to believe that the movement was for
overthrowing capitalism and in its place, installing the workers as the new
ruling class – the dictatorship of the proletariat. As Allan declared clearly
now, the fight was for establishing national democracy, whatever that was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao was prudent enough to have chosen not to argue any further. National
democracy was a subject completely alien to him. Though that topic actually
comprised mainly the basic party course he had undergone leading to his oath-taking
as Candidate Party Member, he took national democracy as another title for the
dictatorship of the proletariat, and it was this mindset that carried him
through that brief period of the primary party course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“National
democracy,” he told himself, recalling Shakespeare. “But what’s in a name? A
rose called by any other name would smell as sweet. Socialism called national
democracy would be just as proletarian as dictatorship of the proletariat.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
now that the Atenista <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shook him to it,
going deeper into the subject took<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>much
of Ka Mao’s time after that. As ED head, he had in his custody a stockpile of
five volumes of Mao Tse Tung’s thoughts. He reviewed one thoroughly, Class
Analysis of Chinese Society. To his astonishment, he discovcred that the text
of the book had been lifted almost verbatim to make for the text of Philippine
Society and Revolution by Amado Guerrero, believed to be the nom de guerre of
Jose Maria Sison. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
basic proposition of the Mao Tse Tung book was that because China was a
semi-feudal, semi-colonial society, it could not proceed to socialism directly
but must pass through the stage of national democracy first. Mao Tse Tung
believed national democracy embodied the ideals of the Chinese nation, which
was comprised of peasants and workers, petty bourgeoisie and the national
bourgeoisie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
Ka Mao all these Mao Tse Tung thoughts sounded good, except one: that on the
so-called national bourgeoisie. Ka Mao believed capitalists have no nations,
they only have one universal interest, and that interest thrives on oppression
and exploitation of the working class. This was precisely why while Pepito
suggested to him to link up with Ninoy early on in the organization of KAMAO,
Ka Mao never did; he thought Ninoy was a capitalist and could not be trusted
upon for help in forming a union aimed at destroying his class. This belief was
strengthened even more by Johnny Litton when he told Ka Mao that he was on the
side of the management in the KAMAO strike and so why would he help the union?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
begin with, didn’t Marx declare in the Communist Manifesto in unequivocal
terms: <span style="color: black;">“Of all the classes that stand face to face
with the bourgeoisie today, the proletariat alone is a genuinely revolutionary
class. The other classes decay and finally disappear in the face of Modern
Industry; the proletariat is its special and essential product.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
so in reading Mao Tse Tung’s class analysis, Ka Mao tripped badly on the
question of national bourgeoisie: no such thing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
applied now to the Philippine condition, Ka Mao’s tripping slammed him flat
face to the ground. What could be so semi-feudal about the Philippines already
priding in industries in steel, textile, garments, and even car manufacture? It
was true that large tracts of lands were used for agriculture, as sugar and
rice plantations, but agriculture is an indispensable component of capitalism,
and in fact, the owners of the industries are the same owners of the
plantations, all the more denying the semi-feudal setup of Philippine society.
The thoroughgoing vigorous money economy obtaining in the Philippines was the
best proof that the country was a capitalist society.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Without
reservations, Ka Mao would contend that the establishment of the Philippine
1946 republic signaled the final installation in political power of the
Philippine bourgeoisie. What else would that bourgeoisie rule in but an
economic system corresponding to its political power – capitalism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
the other hand, that the Philippines was harboring a number of US military
installations did not make the country any less independent than say Japan and
Spain, which were also hosting similar US military bases. These bases were
cited in Sison’s PSR as a most telling proof that the Philippine government was
a stooge of America, thereby making the character of the Philippine revolution
one of anti-US imperialism, and hence a struggle for achieving “genuine
independence – national democracy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Considering
all the foregoing, Ka Mao began essaying Sison’s thesis with suspicion. Why
would he reject a straightforward anti-capitalist line? If this line would lead
direct to socialism instead of a half-way house called national democracy, so
much the better for the workers. But no, Sison, as propounded by his loyalists
in the movement, advanced it even with passion and such obstinacy as to have no
qualms whatsoever in driving a wedge through the ranks of the workers sector
which Ka Mao insisted in continuously honing up on a struggle for achieving
socialism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Early
in his work as trade union educator in the movement, he tried in various
instances to link the workers’ struggle to the anti-US imperialism line. In
each instance, he got a stinging rebuke from his audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
the seminar of the La Tondena Incorporada, one worker shouted from the back
rows quite candidly, “Enough of your isms. Do what you can, we will do what we
can.” A thorough learner, Ka Mao drew lessons from all these instances, and the
lessons saw him increasingly getting crystallized on what proletarian
revolutionary struggle should be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
far as educating the workers was concerned, Ka Mao persisted in the line he had
devised, which the workers understood anyway and indicated resolute willingness
to practice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Reaction
to this was severe. One evening, an ED staffer to whom Ka Mao had delegated
coordination work in the Quezon City-Marikina area reported that he was being
denied access to that area. The next morning, he went out of his way to seek
Allan and demand from him the reason why the ED staffer was prevented from
accessing workers in his area.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
in charge here,” said Allan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,
that’s given,” said Ka Mao. “But I’m in charge of education overall. Anybody I
send over does it for me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
Ka Mao’s obvious irritation, Allan chose to be non-belligerent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Look,
Ka Mao. This is not really between you and I. It’s a party matter.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
party matter?” asked Ka Mao. He saw Allan was not quite ready to pick a fight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
regional party committee is overall in the NCR. This was the directive from Ka
Glo.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Suddenly
it began to dawn on Ka Mao. He knew Ka Glo, a short, plump lady who looked an
ordinary market character and moved about not with any air of a revolutionary. Many
times a visitor in the KASAMA headquarters, she impressed Ka Mao as somebody in
the higher echelon of the Party leadership. Ka Mao got this impression from the
way those who had been in the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>KASAMA
staff ahead of him were deferring to her. As Ka Mao had consciously made it a
personal policy not to ask for information about anybody in the party, he
didn’t get to know who Ka Glo was until the information surfaced voluntarily in
a discussion with KASAMA co-workers. Ka Glo was the NCR Regional Party
Committee head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao now thought that for Ka Glo to be asserting her assumed territorial
authority over the National Capital Region (NCR), some serious thing must be
happening in the party. As far as he knew, overall authority on the entire
workers sector in the movement was exercised by the National Trade Union Bureau
(NTUB) of the Executive Committee of rhe Central Committee of the Party.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
evening Ka Mao made sure he saw Ka Banero, a mild mannered, fair complexioned
gentle guy in his late twenties, whom comrades fondly called Bane. Otherwise
minding a college masteral course perhaps, Bane was now bruited about as the
new Secretary General of the CPP for which post his credentials were his being
head of the NTUB, considered a very powerful bureau under the Central Committee.
With the creation of the party regional committees, there arose a conflict
between them and the national sectoral bureaus over questions of
administration. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For the other
national bureaus like women’s and youth and students’, the conflict was more of
theoretical in nature and offered no problem on questions of policy. Everybody
toed the Sison line. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For the NTUB,
the problem was one of policy and hence a serious one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bane admitted
that there was that serious problem. But beyond such curt admission, the
soft-spoken revolutionary would not speak anything anymore. Ka Mao was way down
in the CPP ranks to be made privy to sensitive internal higher party matters,
though Ka Mao strongly felt it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Next time Ka Mao
needed to coordinate work in the Quezon City-Markinia area, he didn’t think of
delegating it to his subordinate but thought of doing it himself. Thus he came
into a collision with Allan who insisted he had the mandate from the Regional
Party Committee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao banged
the table in irritation, declaring, “Fix this mess, damn you!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of
course, he was referring to the conflict among higher Party organs. This
conflict was the agenda of the next meeting Ka Mao had with Allan, who saw it
fit to bring<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Benny Tiamzon into the
discussion. Benny, head of the workers’ bureau under the Regional Party
Committee of NCR explained that according to the party organizational
discipline, the lower organ is subordinate to the higher organ, all organs are
subordinate to the Central Committee. The regional party committee, Benny said,
is a reflection of the Central Committee within a specific region and exercises
authority over all sectoral works in that region. Finally,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Benny stressed, the workers sector bureau in
the region is subordinate to the regional party committee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“All
party members are expected to follow party organizational discipline,” Benny
said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
a moment, Ka Mao stayed just staring at Benny. So young, Ka Mao thought, so
lean, so frail, practically no different from ill-fed vagabonds who roamed the
streets in nearly tattered blue denim pants and white T-shirt yellowed by time,
yet had the cool, callous authoritative mien of a seasoned red political
officer able to put across the subtle threat in his words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“NTUB
or RTUB (Regional Trade Union Bureau)?” was how Benny would have said it
tactlessly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
very impulsive guy, Ka Mao immediately riled at it. “Fuck, the hell! Here we
are fighting for workers liberation and there you are bothering about making
proletarian fighters submit to your selfish thirst for political power.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Benny
kept his cool, the mien of a superior confident about his moral high ground. In
contrast, Ka Mao let loose all his temper. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
strike movement had not quite taken off the ground,” he continued. “Worrying
about who should be authority over which territory only betray a most
despicable pettiness in the conduct of the proletarian revolution. Worry about
overthrowing the bourgeoisie first, then decide on who ruled over whom and
where.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thenceforth,
Ka Mao just busied himself conducting education among workers elsewhere in the
metropolis. Among the KASAMA ACC heads only Allan defied him anyway. In the
other areas, local leaders did their jobs in the spirit of proletarian
selflessness and petty issues like who exercised authority already did not come
into play.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the current phase of the strike movement, the urgent task is to promote it
nationwide. Workers had to be made aware that liberating the country from
oppression and exploitation could not be undertaken by any class other than
themselves. This was the core principle of the workers strike movement. Workers
provide the lifeblood of capitalism; remove the lifeblood, capitalism dies. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thus
while the Sison strategy of protracted people’s war had the agrarian revolution
as its main form, the strike movement – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with its assertion of having a mass character
and of the workers’ placement in the most advanced stage of social production making
them wield the most potent weapon, the strike, by which to deal capitalism the
final death blow – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inclined to put
stress on the working class struggle as the decisive form of the revolution. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Fierce
adherents of the Sison line would take issue on how “decisive form” differed
from “main form” in placing the context of the revolution. Could something be
“decisive” without being truly the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“main” form? If not, then the strike movement, by being the “decisive
form” of the revolution, becomes truly its “main form”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
so it was that controversy on the issue got intense in that period when Ka Mao
was undergoing the intermediate Party course for his elevation to full-fledged
membership in the CPP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Edwin
conducted the study, contained in a pamphlet titled “Gabay sa Pagsasanay ng mga
Kadre (Guide in Training of Cadres). It was popularly referred to by party
elements as IPO (for Ideological, Political and Organizational), guideposts for
summing up the experiences of the Communist Party of the Philippines from the
time of its founding by Crisanto Evangelista in 1930, then known as the Partido
Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP), to its merger with the Partido Sosyalista ng
Pilipinas (PSP) headed by Pedro Abad Santos, all the way to its
re-establishment as the new Communist Party of the Philippines in 1968<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Jose Maria Sison.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According
to the presentation of the study course, the foundation of the PKP committed a
dogmatist error by limiting its membership to workers to the neglect of the
peasantry. Moreover, the PKP was established as an open legal party and on a
mass scale for its membership, neglecting in turn the fascist nature of the
state, particularly the obtaining American aggressive colonization of the
country. And above all, the establishment of the PKP was under the heavy
influence of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) through the
Communist Party of the United States America (CPUSA), this in line with the
directive from the First International which mandated that communist parties in
the colonies were directly under the administration of the communist parties in
the colonizing countries. During the Japanese Occupation, the PKP did right by
merging with the peasants-based PSP and forming a resistance army called Hukbo
ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (People’s Army Against Japan) [HUKBALAHAP], resulting
to the liberation of the entire Central Luzon, a gain squandered by the Vicente
Lava leadership which, in the face of massive Japanese attack, embarked on a
strategy of “retreat for defense”. That loss was redeemed subsequently by the
guerilla leadership of HUK Supremo Luis Taruc but was squandered anew when the
Huk leadership welcomed the returning Americans, who had abandoned the
Philippines for most part of Second World War, and decided to participate in
the elections for the newly-installed Republic of the Philippines. The Huks,
running under the legal party called Democratic Alliance, won 6 seats in the
Philippine Congress but were refused to sit, prompting them to return to the
hills and carry on the armed struggle until 1950 when Ninoy Aquino brokered the
surrender of Luis Taruc, and thus of the revolution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
conclusion, the study presentation had the PKP committing Left and Right
errors, i.e., either dogmatism or empiricism in ideology, opportunism and
military adventurism in politics, close-doorism and ultra-democracy in
organization. The correct line, according to the conclusion, was what the
re-established CPP had embarked on after its founding on December 26, 1968:
Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse Tung Thought (MLMTT) in ideology, protracted people’s war
in politics; democratic centralism in organization.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Mao made his own summing-up of the study.
He noticed one unifying thread which ran through the history of the communist
party. From its founding in 1930 up to the period<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the
founding of the re-established CPP, the guiding hand of the Soviet Union shaped
its course. With its open, resolute avowal of adherence to MLMTT – the
ideological line of China – the CPP now appeared to be supplanting the Soviet
influence in the Philippine revolution with that of China.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Quite
curiously for Ka Mao, 1968 was the year Soviet Premier Brezhnev declared the
International Dictatorship of the Proletariat. By that declaration, he was
putting all socialist regimes the world over under Soviet tutelage, if not administration
and control. China rejected the idea and together with Rumania split from
Soviet Russia – driving a wedge through the world communist movement. Intrigued
by the anti-Soviet passion that seized Ka Edwin in conducting the intermediate
party course, Ka Mao began wondering whether or not the Sison-led revolution
was in fact a perfect parallel of the world-scale communist split. In that
event, the revolution was not for pushing Philippine workers’ struggle but for
advancing the position of China in its world confrontation with Russia. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
intermediate party course itself brought out the fact that even after the
re-establishment of the CPP, the left-leaning Philippine labor movement
inclined to Soviet influence. This was betrayed by the way the national
democratic movement was fiercely condemning the “Lava-Taruc gangster clique” for
promoting what they termed “Soviet social imperialism”. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Much
to his horror, Ka Mao realized that he was not really just in the eye of a
Philippine revolutionary storm but also the international storm called the Cold
War. And the horror turned into sorrow, and the sorrow into a rage that needed
venting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
did not enter the movement to fight for China,” Ka Mao riled to himself, even
as he repeated after Ka Edwin the words of the Party oath which he was swearing
to as full-fledged Party member, having passed the intermediate course. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thus it was a labyrinth of not
just<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nuances but actual realities of
world politics which Ka Mao found himself contending with in pushing his part
in the workers strike movement. It occurred to him that the deeper you get
inside the Party, the more confused you become and more difficulty to overcome
in wanting to get out of your one-track mindedness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
Ka Mao was a supremely one-mind man. He bet in the races, he stuck to one horse
runner instead of several ones as average bettors do to ensure winning. “Only
one horse will win, so why bet on many?” he’d tell himself. “What if you lose?”
a companion would ask him. “Blame it on your stupidity of not correctly
analyzing which horse will win.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
that reason, Ka Mao could not hold back on his criticism of Sison’s analysis of
the classes in Philippine society. Being a plagiarizing of Mao Tse Tung’s
analysis of the classes in Chinese society, he saw it utterly baseless in the
concrete Philippine conditions. Moreover, the analysis was made by Mao Tse Tung
in the 1930s, when China was a splintered nation, with its regions ruled by
warring landlords, which was why while there was an existing central government
in Shianghai, the reaches of that government could not go much far. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There
was no way Sison’s strategy of surrounding the cities through the countryside,
and in a protracted struggle at that, could win,” Ka Mao began expounding to
the KASAMA secretariat in casual conversations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
every instance that Ka Mao took up the topic, he elicited from the KASAMA
staffers a kind of collective horror, as from worshippers hearing a great
blasphemy. And as always, he would expound on his view that the Philippines was
a capitalist society and that the character of the revolution was proletarian –
for the liberation of the working class.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s
Troskyite,. Ka Mao,” a girl ED staffer would remind him. “Revisionist. Gilit ka
dyan (You’d get your throat sliced)” The girl sliced the point of her thumb
across her throat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Again
the one-track-mind, Ka Mao would dismiss the reminder, “Let it be. That’s how I
see it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
the whole, therefore, what Ka Mao realized in his promotion of the strike
movement was not only that his entry into the national democratic movement was as
a stupid bet on a horse he had not quite analyzed for its propriety at winning.
But then he argued to himself time and again: “I am not betting for national
democracy. I am betting for the dictatorship of the proletariat. As it is
stupid to change horses in midstream, so it is to change horses in the middle
of the race.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
thing to do,” Ka Mao had resolved to himself, “is to divest the purely
proletarian revolutionary character of the workers’ struggle of its
contamination by a misguiding, inappropriate if not deliberately distractive
line of national democracy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Promoting
the workers’ strike movement was one big way of doing it,” confided Ka Mao one
time to members of the KASAMA ED staff, who inwardly cowered, keeping their
thoughts to themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao had thoroughly gone over the NTUB guiding document for the workers’
strike<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>movement. While acknowledging the
workers’ revolutionary struggle as a component of the national democratic
struggle, the document laid stress on the decisive role of the workers in
dealing the enemy the final death blow. This was fine enough a formulation for
Ka Mao. He was not promoting the strike movement as a mere adjunct of the
national democratic movement but as a decisive component tasked with bringing
about the downfall of the enemy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It only behooved
me,” so Ka Mao resolved to himself, “to crystallize in the workers that the
enemy they would have to crush was capitalism.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Or that was what
Ka Mao thought. In reality, he would realize that it was easier thought than
done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the founding congress for UPM (Ugnayan ng
mga Progresibong Manggagawa [Progressive Workers League]), a grand alliance of
workers federation organized by KASAMA, Ka Mao realized crushing capitalism
cannot be a multi-sectoral undertaking. The affair was only just beginning when
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a boy not yet quite a man, student also
of the Ateneo, rose to challenge the slogan spread across the wall behind the
presidential table: “WORKERS MUST LEAD IN ALL REVOLUTIONARY WORK”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Speaking like a
true blue pedagogue complete with pomp and braggadocio, the boy declared,
“While it is true that workers are the leading class, such leadership is not to
be meant as <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>physical leadership by the
workers but rather leadership by workers’ class consciousness. And where do
workers get their class consciousness, from themselves? No! Proletarian class
consciousness is brought into the factories from elements without, from the
advance detachment of the proletariat, from the Party of the Proletariat.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao felt like
punching the boy on the nose. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He rose,
propounding a stirring rebuttal, “Marx said it quite clearly: ‘Social
consciousness is determined by social being.’ What your goddamn existence is in
society is what your goddamn thinking is. Nobody is exempt from this social
truism. Surely there had been exceptional individuals like Marx and Lenin who
had transcended their class boundaries and joined up with the class struggle of
the proletariat, but their case was not to say proletarian consciousness
emanating from without but rather bourgeois individuals turning traitors to
their class in order to embrace the class standpoint of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the proletariat. Having thus turned traitor to
their bourgeois class, is it correct to say Marx and Lenin were outside of the
working class? They had embraced proletarian class consciousness, had attained
the glorious social being of proletarians, and when they proclaimed “Workers
Must Lead In All Revolutionary Work”, they were proclaiming it, not from
without, but from within the workers’ social being.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao would
have riled on and on but that he was sane enough to observe basic good manners
and right conduct. He would have been just as guilty of violating norms of
decorum and civility, no less contemptuous than that boy smarting in his
Atenean price tag. You are invited in all graciousness to a feast, you find the
servings unpalatable to your tongue, the least you can do is beat it quick,
albeit gracefully, as expected of your Areneo breeding. But no, you rant at
your host, rattling to all and sundry your displeasure at the meal which, after
all, everybody else was enjoying with gusto. So everybody else was a haute
cuisine ignoramus; only he had a taste for elegance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then Ka Mao
recognized the boy. He was the one who cringed shrieking in horror at sight of
a cockroach creeping beside his foot during that night of discussions at the
KAMAO strike. The rascal had gotten over the creeps, so Ka Mao thought as he
essayed the kid rather derisively. But a moment after, Ka Mao concluded that
the petty bourgeois was into the spasm of a beast pushed against the wall and
must growl in a vain attempt to repel its eminent extinction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For long before
that occasion, Ka Mao had begun feeling it, a sly attack on his person by
certain leading elements in the national democratic movement. One such
detractor had the guts to say it to him in the face, “You are not a worker
yourself. You are a writer. In fact, you belonged to the supervisory ranks at
the Makabayan Publishing Corporation.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao would
have retorted, “Tell that to Marx.” But he had gone through much a gamut of
human relations so that he would realize right off whether one was speaking out
of principles or was motivated by empty conceit. That detractor belonged to the
latter category; there was no use arguing with a nit head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Petibugoy</i>,” was how workers had begun to
describe detractors such as were cited in the foregoing. That was a corruption
of the French “petit bourgeois”, referring to the middle class. At the outbreak
of the upheavals last year, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">petibugoy
</i>were at the helm of the movement,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>but they were in the main just a noisy, if sincere and brave, mass of
mostly students whose only revolutionary credentials were experiences in campus
protests on top of lectures and readings on Marxist literatures and histories
of revolutions elsewhere in the world. In the lead up to the First Quarter
Storm the year before and for most part of the year subsequent to the storm, the
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">petibugoy</i> hogged the limelight in
confrontations with the police and the military. But beginning 1971, energetic,
fired-up activists made a conscious, determined crash through the walls of
factories, organizing unions where there were none or swaying into the
mainstream of the national democratic movement unions that were already
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Into the next half of the year,
unions were sprouting all over like mushrooms wherever there was if but a
semblance of a capitalist enterprise: a modest-size convenience store or a
restaurant or a bakery here, a small garments shop or a tannery or a surplus
yard there. While KASAMA began with unions in strategic industries like
cigarette manufacture (US Tobacco Corporation), beverage (San Miguel Brewery),
and transportation (JD Transit), in the frenzy of 1971 hardly was there any
distinction made among enterprises in which to organize unions. The only
criterion union organizers were instructed to observe was that those
enterprises had at least ten employees, that being the minimum required by law
for an employer-employee relationship to be deemed to exist in an enterprise
for it to be qualified for organizing a union in. Thus did that period of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1971 offer<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a tragic-comic profile of workers’ strike featuring pickets in a small
gas station, a petty haberdashery shop, or<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a very obscure <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">taho</i>, or mongo
bean curd, factory. Invariably these unions ended up going on strike, because
that was what they were organized for anyway. Ka Mao would remember that at the
start of the KAMAO strike, Jojo reminded him about being wary of activists, as
they were not out to win strikes but to just get them exploding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
the last cited strike of curd workers had Ka Mao gone toward lunch break that
day. He had been into making a film documentary on the strike movement, intending
it to be the highlight of a theater play, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Isulong
ang Kilusang Welga</i>, which he was organizing together with an activist
theater group, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Panday Sining. </i>For the
documentary, he still needed a few footages and for that purpose, he visualized
the pathos of poor curd makers having for lunch reject products smuggled out to
them by houseboys sympathetic to the strike. But it had been raining hard early
on in the day. When he reached the strike area, not a single picketer was in
sight in front of the factory gate covered by dilapidated, rusty steel doors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao took shelter from the rain under the awning of a small store across the
street from the factory building. The pesky store owner spoke to him at once.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey,
move over to the side. You are covering my merchandise,” said the plump,
middle-aged woman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao got peeved inwardly. He addressed the woman, “Got cigarette?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
cigarette?” asked the woman in turn .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Marlboro,”
said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How
many?” asked the woman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“One
pack,” answered Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman smiled as she turned to get the cigarette from a shelf.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Make
it three,” said Ka Mao, noticing the men crowding themselves inside a makeshift
tent on the sidewalk further from the factory gates.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman froze and looked back to Ka Mao, staring inquisitively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Three
packs?” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Three
packs,” said Ka Mao, already placing on the counter top <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a number of peso bills and some loose change
for payment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman beamed wide. She grabbed the money then took three packs of Marlboro from
a shelf and gave them to Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao took a little time just standing under the awning, essaying the factory
building, while he smoked a stick of Marlboro. The structure almost looked like
ruins. He had gone inside that building many times during the period of
organizing the union there. Each time he got nausea. So terrible were the
working conditions, men bare from waist up, their sweat mixing with the curd
from mongo beans which they worked in vats fired in crude wood-fueled ovens. Ka
Efren, president of the striking union, a frail middle-aged man, with ribs
clearly outlined in his chest, coughed endlessly as he did his chore, with
cockroaches swirling all over the floor together with earthworms and an onrush
of rats every now and then. One cockroach would find its way up Ka Efren’s
trousers and onto his chest where he would slam it with the palm of his hand,
crushing its brittle body and getting its fluid innards thrown out, and who
knows if they did not make it to the vat where the curd being worked was just
as whitish. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In normal
circumstances, Ka Mao would have reported these conditions to the health
authorities, but if he did and the factory got closed, what about the workers?
They’d lose their jobs, all of them being casual employees and enjoyed not any
form of legal protection whatsoever; it was precisely because of this that the
mongo curd workers formed the union.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Workers were
into a war, so Ka Mao honestly believed, and in war he thought people should
not bother about fineries of living. That’s the least of their worries. What
was most important was for them to get organized in one big, mighty wave by
which to sweep the capitalist class off their political rule over society. And
Ka Mao had been devoting his whole time and energy organizing workers’ unions
and promoting the workers’ strike movement in various facets of the media in
order to help bring about that mighty upheaval. He enthused each time he
assessed his activities and realized that the movement was achieving
substantial headway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The one single
hindrance, Ka Mao thought, was the strong aversion to workers taking the
initiative in pushing the revolution. The petibugoy hardly bothered about
hiding this aversion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Early that
morning, Ka Mao had been summoned by Bane to the latter’s UG (underground)
house for consultation on something. Ka Mao nearly missed Bane, who was in a
hurry to leave when he reached the place. It was seven o’clock.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There is an
urgent matter I have to attend to,” said Bane even as he got inside the back
seat of his sedan, with a hare-lip guy behind the wheel. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Our appointment
was at eight,” Ka Mao said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Emergency,”
said Bane, and then continued, “I got feedbacks on how you have been giving
education to workers.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,”
said Kamao, sensing it wasn’t quite nice, what Bane was going to tell him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’ll
see you later,” said Bane, and the sedan drove away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
would only be after nearly two decades later when Ka Mao would learn that Bane
would be picking up Ruben Guevarra for bringing to Jose Maria Sison in an
apartment in Malibay, Pasay City. There Ruben Guevarra would be introduced to
two youth, Danny Cordero and Cecilio Apostol, who would be bombing a political
rally in the evening. The reason for the introduction was that Ruben Guevarra
would be tasked with bringing the two youth to the interior of the Isabela
jungles after the completion of their mission, thereafter to be integrated full
time with the New People’s Army. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
was August 21, 1971. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the rain
subsided, Ka Mao hurried to the tent where the mongo curd strikers were crammed
in while having shots of gin.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
Ka Mao,” greeted everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
skinny union president poured a shot of the liquor in a glass and offered it to
Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Join
us Ka Mao. For a little warmer. It’s cold,” said the man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao took the glass and gobbled up the gin quick, then handed the glass back to
the union president.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Just
that one, Pres. We’d better hurry up and get this done before it rains again.?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao gave the extra two packs of Marlboro he had bought to the strikers, who
eagerly took them and lit sticks to smoke.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
are we going to get done with?” asked the man as he lit his own stick,
immediately coughing as he took a puff at the cigarette.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
making a movie,” said Ka Mao. He brought out a handy 8 mm camera from the bag
he was carrying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
a movie!” exclaimed the man, again coughing hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We
are going to act!” exclaimed another.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,”
said Ka Mao, prompting everybody to step out. “Come on, everybody out.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
my, we’re movie actors now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ok,
Comrades. Pick up your placards. Picket the gate and shout: ‘Have no fear!
Fight!’”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
union president walked up to the gate, already chanting, even as he continued
to cough, “Have no fear! Fight!... Have no fear! Fight!... Hey, Ka Mao, you
want me to put on my shirt? To make me look better.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
no. Don’t,” said one striker. “You’d look like a clothes hanger.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Be
just what you are,” said Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“A
palatable grilled spare ribs,” kidded another man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
union president did an act with the chant, “Have no fear! Fight!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay,
everybody,” prompted Ka Mao. “Have no fear, fight!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Everybody
else took after Ka Mao with the chant and joined the union president in
picketing the front of the gate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao kept prompting the group with his chant as he made a close coverage of the
picket. Then on Ka Mao’s drawing real close to him, the union president threw
in spasmodic coughing…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THAT WAS AUGUST 21, 1971.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Done with his
chores in the curd factory strike, Ka Mao proceeded immediately to a
well-appointed bungalow in a second-rate suburban community. It was the house
of Sonny, from whom he had borrowed the 8 mm camera and who maintained a
developing laboratory for exposed films in one room. Sonny was a mild-mannered,
soft-spoken officer of the workers union at the Philippine Appliance
Corporation (Philacor) and the OD head of the Party Group (PG) in that union.
Ka Mao intended to finish his work on the film because that was August 21, the
eve of his birth anniversary. He had long before set aside August 22 as some
kind of a break from his revolutionary work in order to have a furlough with
his family. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sonny and the
rest of the Philacor PG were enjoying themselves viewing the television
coverage of the big Liberal Party miting de avance (grand rally) at Plaza
Miranda in Quiapo; the country was into the heat of the so-called mid-year
elections for local and senatorial posts. Onstage were all the Manila local
candidates of the LP as well as its entire senatorial ticket.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao wished to
join the group in the living room. But the present speaker in the rally, a
minor local candidate, wasn’t interesting to him and he would rather attend to
his business of editing his shots of the curd factory strike. In the improvised
darkroom that had been provided him by Sonny, Ka Mao viewed the shots through
the light of the fluorescent bulb on the ceiling, cut the tiny strip of film
with an ordinary elementary-grader pair of scissors, and then spliced the
strips together using a nail polish brush for applying the celluloid cement on
the joints.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He gingerly
joined the ends of two strips of film and kept them jointed permanently by
pressing them in the splicer. Then he viewed the strips of film made through
the light from the fluorescent bulb on the ceiling. This way, he scrolled
through the series of shots ending in the spasmodic coughing by the curd
factory union president. He squinted inwardly, anticipating what the scene was
leading to: the skinny guy coughing blood profusely.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At this precise
instance, a loud bang startled Ka Mao.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Susmaryosep [a
religious gasp, contraction of “Hesus, Maria y Hosep (Jesus, Mary and Joseph)]!”
came the loud, shrill gush of a girl’s terror from among the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>television viewers; the others were shocked to
speechlessness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao rushed out into the sala where the group was viewing the television
coverage of the LP rally. Another blast was taking place in the rally, from a
grenade <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>exploding right in front of the
stage but below it. People were panicking while the television announcers
excitedly made impulsive comments.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There
goes another one,” Nap, secretary general of the Philacor Party group, said
with bated breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The LP rally is being bombed, Ka Mao,” Sonny
spoke excitedly, seeing Ka Mao rushing out of the dark room. “That’s the second
grenade blast. The first one landed on the stage. Everyone was hit.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“God,
this is terrible, terrible,” came the impassioned commentary by the television
announcer, who was cowering against a wall while people shrieking in terror
stampeded past him, some tripping and falling and then getting up again and
rushing on. “It’s a massacre. Everybody onstage is down and bleeding and
unmoving. Mayor Bagatsing. Senator Salonga, Senator Osmena. All the senatorial
candidates of the Liberal Party look like they’re dead. God. What satanic act
this is!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can
Ninoy be dead?” asked a girl among the group, nearly in tears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We
don’t see anybody on the stage who’s up on his feet. Ninoy must have gotten it
in that first blast alone. He should be the first target.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While the others
in the living room focused on the continuing television coverage, Ka Mao all of
a sudden melted in recollections of events past, now like pieces of a puzzle
falling into place. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The third
quarter of 1971 did present a picture of waves upon waves of workers’ strike
sweeping over the metropolis in what Ka Mao would like to think as that one
mighty crescendo toward toppling capitalism in the Philippines. Along with the
workers’ strikes, students protests on the streets and in campuses were a daily
fare. And appearing as an exclamatory punctuation mark to all these protests
was the intriguing intensification of the political battle between President
Ferdinand Marcos and Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., with the latter exposing an
alleged plot by the former to stay in power beyond his constitutionally-allowed
two-term tenure. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was a gift or
something which Ka Mao had of being able to read through a social phenomenon
and at least postulate on its actual impact. In this particular case, Ka Mao
strongly noticed a unifying thread, though not quite clear as to what such
thread exactly was, among the students’ protests, the growing participation in
demonstrations and rallies of those sectors in the middle class like teachers,
medical professionals as doctors and nurses, and a sprinkling of so-called
nationalist businessmen. In every convergence of vari-colored protests, Ka Mao
would single out the workers as bannering the slogan “Down with capitalism!”,
with the other sectors sharing the common cries of “Down with US imperialism!”,
“Down with feudalism!”, “Down with bureaucrat capitalism!”, “Down with Soviet
social imperialism!”, and “Marcos Hitler, Diktador, Tuta! (Marcos Hitler,
Dictator, Puppet!)” And Ka Mao would notice that marshals of the demonstrations
would reprimand those carrying the KASAMA anti-capitalist streamer and coerce
them into holding the streamer down. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In every such
big rally, Ka Mao would stress his observations if only to himself. The workers
sector were not one with the others in the line of anti-US imperialism,
ant-feudalism and anti-bureaucrat capitalism. Raising the slogan of “Down with
Soviet social imperialism” indicated that the movement was anti-Soviet, and in
the context of the heightening cold war, what was most anti-Soviet but the US,
and yet in the context of the national democratic movement, US imperialism was
being depicted as the main enemy. So it struck Ka Mao as a possibility in such
rally that as far as the “Soviet social imperialism” issue was concerned, the
movement was working to US favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
China was also at odds with Russia on the question of the dictatorship of the
proletariat, so the national democratic movement must also be pro-China, which
in fact it avowed it was. But then again, getting the optimum flak in these
protests was Marcos, and whom would such turning Marcos into smithereens profit
the most but Ninoy Aquino whose obstinate obsession was to become president in
1973!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Going by basic
syllogism, Ka Mao figured out that by demonizing US imperialism and depicting
Marcos as a US stooge, the national democratic movement was advancing the
political ambition of Ninoy Aquino. So Ninoy was anti-US?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao would
think back on the 17-year-old <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manila
Times</i> cub reporter who gained fame covering the Korean war. Ninoy
eventually ingratiated himself to then Secretary of National Defense Ramon
Magsaysay and brokered for the would-be president peace negotiations with the
Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (peacetime offspring of the HUKBALAHAP). Magsaysay
would soon be elected president and Ninoy would sit as his adviser on peasant
affairs and eventually broker the surrender of Huk Supremo Luis Taruc, hence of
the 50,000 militarily strong rebellion he headed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now in reading
through Ninoy, Ka Mao had observed, you read him through Magsaysay, and in
reading through Magsaysay, you read him through then US Air Force Lieutenant
Col. Edward Lansdale, whom Magsaysay had befriended back in 1950 when, as a
congressman then, he visited the United States to seek help in modernizing the
Armed Forces of the Philippines. When Magsaysay became president, Lansdale was
already Chief of the Joint United States Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG). In
that capacity, Lansdale was one of two main players in crushing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Huk rebellion; the other one, Ninoy
Aquino.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How then, Ka Mao
thought now, could Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. be anti-US when from way back he
had been one with US in crushing the proletarian struggle in the
Philippines?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet it was very apparent
that as the year was into its second half, Ninoy’s attack against Marcos
matched in intensity the national democratic salvo against US imperialism, as
if one was mutually contingent upon and serving the other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ninoy’s
incessant demonizing of Marcos and the revolutionary movement in turn
increasingly striking at US imperialism were phenomena always paralleling each
other such that it prompted Ka Mao now to wonder if the anti-US imperialist
line had not indeed been crafted so as to ensure the downfall of Marcos and the
installation of Ninoy at the presidency of the land. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What would
happen to the anti-US struggle?” Ka Mao would even end up scolding himself for
arriving at the logic of it all, “With Ninoy in place, what need was still
there for a revolution?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But there was
the reality of the Constitutional Convention of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>1971 which would amend the constitution in order to extend the Marcos
term beyond 1973. This would frustrate for good Ninoy’s personal scheme for the
presidency, hence all other designs attendant to the scheme, US or otherwise.
If putting a front against “US imperialism” would do the trick, why not? In the
first place, US imperialists had had a history of damaging their own people
just to get popular American resentment for an enemy they wished to war against.
They blew up their own battleship <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maine </i>just
off the coast of Havana, Cuba, killing thousands of US navy men aboard,
whereupon the enraged American people gave their approval and support to the US
imperialists war against Spain, then colonizing Cuba. It was an imperative for
US imperialism to defeat the Spaniards in Cuba as a bargaining chip for Spain’s
cession of the Philippines to America. Just this kind of imperative was what
the US faced into the second term of Marcos. The Philippine President had begun
charging the US exorbitant rentals for its several military installations in
the country, foremost among them being Clark Field in Pampanga and Subic naval
station in Zambales, the largest US military bases outside of America. And the
rentals had been increasing accordingly as there were a number of reviews of
the rental agreement, which reviews taking place every five years. Likewise,
getting Marcos to support the US war adventure in Vietnam was costly: billions
of dollars for the 2,000-strong troops support dubbed “Philippine Civic Action
Group (PHILCAG)”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Moreover, with
Marcos inclining more and more toward developing friendly relations with the
Soviet Union and China, he was increasingly turning out to be not the docile US
boy American imperialists had programmed him to be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao saw that
Ninoy’s urgency – hence that of US – was to get the country exploding in chaos
and violence so as to prevent the approval of the eminent 1971 Constitution. This
had been worrying Ka Mao exceedingly. In the first place, he didn’t join the
revolution to help push the Ninoy ambition to be president. And in the second
place, he was not fighting US imperialism for the life of him. He was aspiring
to help in the overthrow of capitalism. No amount of demagoguery would convince
him that the main enemy in the current struggle of the Filipino workers was US
imperialism. He believed that every Filipino worker had for his adversary a
specific capitalist and that capitalist could be overthrown by overthrowing the
political power that served him. Did Castro openly fight US imperialism? Ka Mao
would always argue: No, he didn’t; he fought Batista and won. So it was always
possible to overthrow capitalism in one nation; consolidate the gains in that
nation for the time being; and worry about overthrowing capitalism in other
nations later. Of course, US would do its mighty best to prevent this from
taking place, as it should be doing now in the Philippines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Seeing
the mayhem at Plaza Miranda, Ka Mao wondered to himself if this was not the
beginning of the US damn best way of frustrating the revolutionary struggle of
the Filipino working class. By ordinary logic, the bombing would damn Marcos as
he had not been damned yet before, and this could lead to a popular rising that
would bring about the downfall of what had for long already been depicted as a
would-be dictator. Quickly soon after, with the 1971 constitution frustrated,
the political processes, after a brief period of revolutionary situation, would
go their normal courses under the 1935 Philippine constitution, presidential
election would be held in 1972 which Ninoy would win, and in 1973 he would
start serving as President.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
according to plan, which Cory Aquino, his wife, would admit during her
presidency, thus: “As we all know, Ninoy really wanted to be president.
Everything was just planned for 1973.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>However,
as political pundits would observe, Marcos was always a good five years at
least ahead of Ninoy. For instance, in the lead up to the declaration of
martial law, it would be said that Marcos would individually confide to his
circle of generals varying versions of his plans. None of such plans might be
the real one on his mind. It was just his way of finding out who among his
generals would be telling his plans to Ninoy. That was how the alleged plan for
the declaration of martial law, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oplan
Sagittarius, came into the knowledge of Ninoy. Because Marcos had confided that
Oplan Sagittarius to only one of his confidante generals, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>once Ninoy began ventilating the issue to the
public<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it became easy to identify who
leaked the info to him and so must be sacked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now,
this night of August 21, 1971, Ka Mao’s paramount concern was, who ordered the
bombing of Plaza Miranda? Since he was of the conviction that Marcos could not
have given that order, then it must be somebody else who did it, and where else
would that somebody come from but the anti-Marcos camp who would benefit most
from Marcos’ thorough damnation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
know Marcos is evil,” said Nap. “But the fuck, this one’s driving me crazy. It
can only be the act of a monstrously mad man.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Isn’t
Marcos that mad<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a monster?” said Tats,
the ED head of the Party Group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
was one thing Ka Mao disliked about the tendency of most people involved in the
national democratic movement: to equate Marcos to anything bad that happened in
the country. Government corrupt, blame it on Marcos. Middle East crude oil
prices rising, blame it on Marcos. Criminality rampant, blame it on Marcos.
Prices of goods in the market skyrocketing, blame it on Marcos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Has
any of us ever paused to think?” Ka Mao said, expressing his displeasure over
the comment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
about, Ka Mao?” asked <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sonny.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That
by calling Marcos monster, we are in fact calling the Filipino people idiots!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Marcos
is a monster but I’m no idiot,” snapped Tats.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If
Marcos were a monster, then all the more should his monstrosity attest to his
exceedingly high intelligence,” Ka Mao elaborated. “Imagine how cleverly he had
camouflaged his beastliness to the extent of hoodwinking the entire nation into
voting him president of the Republic of the Philippines.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Indeed,
he fooled us all,” said Tats.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Have
sixty million Filipinos been such a condemnable bunch of idiots?” countered Ka
Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tats
could not find a word to say. He stared at Ka Mao, like asking, “Et tu,
Brutus?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
voted for Marcos in 1964, mesmerized by his brilliance.” declared Ka Mao.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
voted for his re-election in 1969?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,”
snapped Ka Mao. “And I did it not as an idiot.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You baffle me,
Ka Mao. Are you saying Marcos is good?” Tats said almost chidingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I have no
quarrel with Marcos…” said Ka Mao, but he was cut short by Tats.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He is our
enemy!” snapped Tats, scolding Ka Mao now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“People don’t
become enemies of Marcos all because Marcos is an enemy of Ninoy.” Ka Mao
declared with resolve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Who is your
enemy, Ka Mao?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“My enemy is
capitalism.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Isn’t Marcos a
capitalist?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Indeed, yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So why don’t
you have quarrel with him!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I can’t have
quarrel with Marcos for Ninoy!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tats found no
immediate retort. Ka Mao went on speaking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We are into
this Plaza Miranda bombing. I’m saying Marcos is such an intelligent man that
it should be an elementary matter for him to refrain from doing anything – much
less a monstrous act! – that would be popularly blamed on him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everybody in the
living room gaped, realizing the impact of Ka Mao’s words.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Who would order
the bombing?” asked Sonny.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At that
instance, the television coverage of the bombing incident focused on Senator
Benigno Aquino, Jr. briskly walking down the stairs of the Manila Hilton Hotel,
flanked by belligerent-looking aides and gripping a cocked .45 in his right
hand, eyes rolling from side to side, grit on his face, evincing the daring and
bravado of a Rambo out to engage an opponent in a shootout.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hey, there’s
Ninoy,” said Nap, almost exclaiming.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The girl in the
group exclaimed, “Thank God! He’s alive!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">An announcer was
delivering an annotation: “It was plain luck that at the time of the bombing at
Plaza Miranda, the secretary general of the Liberal Party and the perennial
star of the party extravaganzas, Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., was at the Manila
Hilton attending a wedding reception in which he was the principal sponsor. But
now, as we can see, he is rushing to the bombing scene ready to do battle.
Fellow countrymen, let’s all pray this does not degenerate into something
worse, something terrible. Already two have been confirmed dead, more than a
hundred injured, and it is still uncertain what exactly were the injuries the
LP senatorial candidates sustained, though it’s been ascertained Senators
Salonga and Osmena along with Manila Mayor Ramon Bagatsing have been hurt real
bad.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao stayed
staring at the scene. The announcer’s annotation repeated continuously in his
mind: “Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr…. secretary general of the Liberal Party…
perennial star of the party extravaganzas… plain luck that at the time of the
bombing… was at the Manila Hilton attending a wedding reception… plain luck…
plain luck…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao kept his
horror to himself: the brilliant political superstar, executing a magnificent
fighting stance, while grieving people moved in desperation to carry the scores
of injured to the hospital, as well as the apparently already dead, still
hoping to get them revived somewhere, somehow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the horror
would haunt Ka Mao through the years: oh, the long years of much-anticipated
but never-came-about rampant and widespread Marcos repression of people’s
liberties in, first, the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus that Marcos
announced within hours of the Plaza Miranda bombing, and subsequently the
Marcos declaration of Martial Law a year after that, and finally, the fourteen
years of Marcos dictatorial rule that although was characterized by, indeed,
repression of civil liberties, such repression was carried out on a highly prudent
and selective manner so as to clearly distinguish between Marcos’ rabid
political enemies and the people at large who were spared from fascist terror.
Ka Mao keenly observed that while the New People’s army grew by, in a manner of
speaking, leaps and bounds and accounted for military confrontations between it
and government forces, battles had been limited between armed combatants of
either side and did not harm civilians in any marked, mass-scale manner. In
fact, during the first decade of martial law, the Philippines registered
significant economic growth such as it had never done in the past; a trace-back
of statistics would bear this out. The country’s economy began experiencing
rapid decline with the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino upon returning
from his self-imposed exile in the United States in 1983.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER
III</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THAT, AGAIN, WAS AUGUST 21, the date when
Plaza Miranda was bombed – when the entire Liberal Party senatorial ticket were
critically injured but for one, Ka Mao’s unending source of horror, Senator
Benigno Aquino, Jr. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just
as Ka Mao refused to believe the popular notion that Marcos ordered the bombing
of Plaza Miranda, so did he that Marcos ordered the assassination of Ninoy
Aquino. Again, he would reason out that Marcos was of such high intelligence
that he would never commit the stupidity of killing a man who, politically,
would be better off alive than dead. Why would Marco get Ninoy killed when
doing so would only make Ninoy a hero? If Marcos would never order the
assassination of Ninoy, then that Ninoy got assassinated anyway became Ka Mao’s
cause of greater horror. Ka Mao increasingly saw the logic of Ninoy’s death and
accordingly cringed from the horror of it all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
2010, at the approach of the Presidential elections where Ninoy’s son, Benigno
Aquino III, was the leading contender, Ka Mao finally decided to commit his
supreme horror to writing. Without any publication outlet in mind, he wrote:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KNOWING NINOY AQUINO</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By Mauro Gia Samonte</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part 1</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Celebrated Speech</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People
who claim to know you before Martial Law say that if you were elected president
you would have acted exactly (like) if not worse than Marcos. Will you comment
on this impression? Has seven years of solitary confinement changed your
political attitude, character and credibility?</i>” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The question was one of several
posed to Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. during the open forum following his
celebrated speech at the Freedom Rally organized by the Movement for Free
Philippines<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at the Wilshire Ebell
Theater in Los Angeles, California on February 15,1981. While Ninoy had done
away with other questions with characteristic rhetorical pomp, this particular
reaction from the audience appeared to dumbfound him for a moment, and he
visibly had to resort to a standard recourse in a debate whereby for want of a
ready retort one grabs at the first diversionary ploy: ignore the topic. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ninoy grabbed the question sheet from the moderator
and in a move betraying that his mental reflexes were at work, he fashioned his
rebuttal from a deep glance at the question. He said, “I would like to begin
with the first line of the sentence ‘People who claim to know you before
Martial Law say if you were elected president you would (have) act(ed) exactly
(like) if not worse than Marcos.’ The defect is in the first line, ‘People who
claim to know you…’” And with that came his curt, final answer: “They don’t
know me.” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For the rally participants, it had been a nice afternoon
listening to the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>legendary Marcos
antagonist dishing out diatribes they all wanted to hear, and now that he
delivered yet another splendid punch line, the packed capacity audience rippled
their amusement all over the huge landmark auditorium. They were all
anti-Marcos elements (save of course for those who came incognito Marcos
supporters) and here was a man who since recuperating from triple heart bypass
operation a year ago had gone<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on a
speaking spree all over the United States, denouncing what he called Marcos
tyranny. A common desire with the man to see Marcos ousted seemed all it took
for them to believe they knew him.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But how many of the hundreds who paid their way to
the rally really knew Ninoy; how many privy to what had been going on in his
mind all his past forty eight years, more specifically the period when he began
nursing his ambition for the presidency of the Philippines? How sure were they
that they were not among those Ninoy alluded to as not knowing him.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To be sure, even as they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>amused at his remark, Ninoy’s facial
expression did not at all indicate that he intended to entertain. He stared at
the audience like seeing there the guy who sent in the question and with a
cocksure, not-so-subtle intimidating grin signaled to him the message: “You
don’t play smart on Ninoy, man.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Knowing Begins</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Knowing Ninoy is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>no mean job. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It requires, first, gaining access to information
that ordinarily are limited only to the immediate circle of his family. But any
disclosures in this regard will necessarily undergo a thorough sanitizing in
order to preserve the hero-image that for the great majority of the Filipino
people has already been institutionalized for the man. It’s worth citing here
that a wealth of information about Dr. Jose Rizal and the propagandists in
Spain in the late 1800s was provided by personal letters he wrote to her
sisters. These letters have been compiled in a book titled “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">100 Letters of Rizal</i>”. Might we ask in
this light if any of Ninoy’s children, Kris, Noynoy, etc., would be willing to
share with the public the letters Ninoy wrote to each of them immediately prior
to his coming back to the Philippines in 1983. Despite the visibly relentless
and meticulous efforts made in projecting the supposed heroism of Ninoy, none
of these letters which could lead to a better understanding of the
circumstances that compelled Ninoy to come home had ever been made known to the
public. Those letters, for one, could best depict the real state of mind and
health Ninoy was in at the time, making it possible to solve the paradox of a
man knowingly walking into his death. Quite unlike Rizal who was fleeing the
Spanish authorities when captured to be subsequently tried and executed at
Bagumbayan, Ninoy had been advised by the very authorities of the country not
to return to the Philippines for fear for his life, yet he insisted in coming
home to face death exactly as he would describe it. The letters Ninoy wrote to
his children might just help unravel the mystery of Ninoy’s death.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The necrological services for Cory at the Manila
Cathedral was one golden opportunity for Kris to have touched on those letters
to dramatize with even greater<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pathos
the passing of her mother in the same perceived<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>and promoted heroic fashion as did her father. Certainly Kris touched on
little anecdotes with Cory which effectively mesmerized her listeners. Couldn’t
Kris have made a greater performance had she quoted, too, from the last words
her father sent her?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So far, Noynoy, too, has not come forward to reveal
what Daddy wrote just before he walked right into his death.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The day Ninoy left America in his return journey to
the Philippines, Ninoy telephoned Steve Psinakis, head of the Movement for Free
Philippines in the United States, to bid him goodbye. It is to our fortune that
Psinakis had seen it fit to record the talk that transpired between him and
Ninoy on the phone. Twenty five years after Ninoy’s death, the recorded phone
talk was aired publicly for the first time in Ricky Carandang’s show on ANC.
The talk gave much hint on what<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had gone
on in Ninoy’s mind when he decided to come back to the Philippines. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Final
Revelations</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here is an excerpt from the phone conversation: </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY: Now, this
is the latest, Steve, that I can give you.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yeah</i>…</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY: My source
is Cardinal Sin.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE: Yes…</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY: Number
One. Marcos checked in at the Kidney Center.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE: Yes…</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY: The
experts went, saw him, they did a test. He flunked all tests and the <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>conclusion was if they operate on him it
would be fatal.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE: Uhuh…</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY: So he
went back to the palace. He is no longer responding to medication and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he will have to be hooked up to
the dialysis machine now more often. How he </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will last with that machine on, I
don’t know. If they apparently… they are now <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>moving to put Imelda in effective control
and they are going to revamp the <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cabinet with Ongpin (Jaime) most probably
emerging as prime minister and <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>finance minister, Danding Cojuangco or Ver,
defense minister, O.D. Corpuz, <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>possibly foreign minister, and maybe Ayala,
I mean Enrique, maybe </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>agriculture minister, I don’t
know.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE: Uhum…</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY: But
there’s a major shakeup. Marcos met with his generals and apparently </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>said goodbye to them last Friday.
He was on television in Manila 24 hours ago <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>commenting on the boxing fight of Navarette
and Talbot to show the people he <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is okay. But it’s a matter of time, so he
wanted three weeks to collect his <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>thoughts, write his memoirs, complete his
book and most probably </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>craft the final stages of his
administration. He is a man now, terminal. He </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>knows he is going and that’s the
background that I am coming in.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
Well the… I heard some of this yesterday. After I came on TV, I got some <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>reports that, not of course as authoritative as yours but
pretty much the same</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>that
something was wrong and they could not operate and so forth. At any </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rate the thought that comes to
mind is that this is good and bad – good in that </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he is<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>going and he knows it. He might show some compassion for the
country </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and treat your return with
pragmatic… I don’t know what they are thinking. I <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>hope…
and that’s the good part.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Yes…</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
The bad part maybe<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that the hardliners
like Ver who are bulldogs without </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>any political savvy, who may
think that they are next in line. Obviously such </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>people would look at your return
very oh…</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Well there are two reports I received along that line.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
There’s not so much time and see…That’s what I’m afraid about.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Well, if they pinpoint the plane I’m coming in. The rumor in Manila is that </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m taking the private jet of
Enrique from Hongkong. But that all places are </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>being guarded and they may close
the airport by Sunday or turn back the plane</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if they would be able to pinpoint which one
I’m coming in.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(muffled reaction)</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
The third one and this is the real iffy. They have two guys stationed to knock </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me out at the airport. They will
try them for murder, they will convict them, </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but they have assurances.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
Ah… let’s not think about that.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Yeah, that’s the… these are the things that I”ve been alerted. So, I don’t </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>know what options they will do
now. But I’m meeting with ASEAN leaders </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>beginning Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday. Indonesia, Suharto might </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>receive me.Malaysia is already
firm, and Thailand is just about firm. Now, </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Japan has sent me word that if
Imelda is in place, Nakasone is willing to use </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his economic clout.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
Ah, really, huh?</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Yeah… To tell Imelda that if you treat Aquino nicely, we can dialogue.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
Oh, that’s good news, alright.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Yeah, that’s the best news I got from Japan.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
That is darn good news.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Nakasone is willing to send a private envoy, a secret private envoy with a <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>personal letter making a plea for me. If I’m still alive
and in prison, that if </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they will treat me gently and
come up with some kind of an understanding, </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Japanese economic assistance will
continue. Because they are very uptight </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>that if the woman takes over and there will be chaos, you know, it would
be </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bad. Now the ASEAN leaders on the
other hand, feel this way. ASEAN today </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is already one region. And any
instability in one part of the ASEAN will scare </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>investors in the entire region.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
(reaction)</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
That’s why they are very very uptight about the possibility of chaos and <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>instability in the
Philippines with Imelda. And that is the background of my <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>conversation with them.
That I am not going to upset the apple cart but that </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we can harmonize our movement. </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
(reaction)</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Now to what externt they will be able to mitigate the hardliners, I don’t know.
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That’s a chance we’ll have to take. If I survive Sunday
and I get to prison, </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I’m there in a week’s time, I
can get the works going.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
(reaction)</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
I’m picking up a letter from Nur Misuari telling them that if the government <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>will trust me as a
negotiator, then they can start talks again. But they will not <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>talk to anybody else.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
It sounds to me that you have an awful lot of plusses on your side.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Right. Those are the trump cards I’m bringing home. Which of course can be <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>negated
if one character gets to throw me out.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
(reaction)</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
If I get into prison, there is no doubt, like a 100%, I will be brought
directly to <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>prison.
I may not even get a chance to talk to anybody. There on the ground. </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s okay. As long as I’m
alive and in prison, I can start using my trump </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cards. I will try to hold out for
a meeting with Marcos. Now that he is about to </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>meet his Maker, I’m almost
confident that I can talk to him and sell him </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>something. Although the Cardinal tells me that “If you think you can
sell </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marcos a bill of goods like return
to democracy and electoral processes, forget </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it. You’re dreaming. He’s no
longer in that stage.” This is the Cardinal’s idea. </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t buy it. Because I don’t
think that a man who is about to die will be, you </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>know, too hard-headed.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
Well, just an input for an opinion here. I hope you are right, but as far as
I’m <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>concerned I think the Cardinal is right. I think Marcos
not only because he <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>doesn’t
to… that’s academic at this point in time. But I think he has just… </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he’s so deep and he has no choice
but to stay where he is and leave things as </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they are. And certainly, we hope
that that’s wrong because we don’t want that.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Okay, oh, goodbye Steve.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
One last question.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
Yes?</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
Any whatsoever… Any indication from US side that there might be somewhat <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>help on the cooperative
or absolutely nothing?</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
No. No indication. Except that they are watching me.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STEVE:
Of course.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NINOY:
They are following all my steps. But I’m still hopeful that sanity will prevail
<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>and they
will know that eventually, they’ll have to come to talk. Because I </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>don’t think they’re very happy
with the woman running the show.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Psinakis document reveals,
among other things, the following elements: Firstly, that Marcos was rumored to
be dying in three weeks time and that there was a scramble for taking over
power among the First Lady Imelda Marcos and Armed Forces Chief of Staff
General Fabian Ver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, that Ninoy
was moving in desperation to prevent the power grab most probably by Imelda and
that Ninoy intended to fill in himself the power hiatus in the event Marcos
died, a fact borne by Ninoy’s revelation to Psinakis his having already made
arrangements with ASEAN leaders like he were already the Philippine head of
state and government. Thirdly, that Cardinal Sin was in on Ninoy’s plans,
whatever they were. Fourthly, that the US had not distanced itself from Marcos
until that time but was keeping track of Ninoy’s every move. And fifthly – and
this is what intrigues – Psinakis is afraid about time running out on
something.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Recall the line by Psinakis:
“There’s not so much time and see… That’s what I’m afraid about.” What is time
in this dialogue running out on? They are talking about an imminent power grab
by either Imelda or Ver in the event of Marcos’ death. What seems to be so
pressing that Ninoy should return to the Philippines now in order to prevent
the Imelda or Ver power grab or else never be able to do it anymore at a later
time? So what if Imelda or Ver succeeded Marcos in three weeks time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ninoy was having a grand time delivering
speeches in the US lambasting Marcos. He could shift his attacks to whoever
would take Marcos’ place and stay on track in his campaign against the
dictatorship meanwhile that, as he complained in his LA speech, “the Filipino
people loved their slavery, if the Filipino people have lost their voice<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and would not say no to a tyrant.” But no, he
must return to the Philippines that August 21 of 1983<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- like a journalist rushing to meet a
deadline. What deadline did Ninoy have at that stage of his life which prompted
him<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to return to the country that day or
else forever fail in his resolve to dismantle the Marcos dictatorship?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 0in 81.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Records of Ninoy’s Secrets</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From the way Psinakis and Ninoy
punctuated their phone conversation with an exchange of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pleasantries, Psinakis sounded one who shared
intimate things with Ninoy. But would Psinakis be willing to share further with
the public the secrets he shared with Ninoy?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: .5in 81.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any truly
objective inquiry into the person of Ninoy, accessing intimate family records
and those of close associates who must also protect his hero-image is, if not
eliminated outright, given the least priority.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For instance,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Rolando M. Solis, the doctor who operated
on Ninoy in Dallas, Texas for a triple heart bypass, admitted in an interview
with the Philippine Daily Inquirer his being made privy to many of Ninoy’s
confidential undertakings to such an extent that he wondered why Ninoy was that
so trusting to him. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well,” recalled the doctor of
Ninoy’s answer, “if I could trust you with my life, I can trust you with
anything.” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But would
Dr. Solis reveal anything?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I will
carry his secrets to my grave,” declared the doctor.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the other hand, certainly nothing bars one from
sourcing information from public records, particularly newspaper stories and
various other media accounts. But in the specific period of the Marcos-Ninoy
conflict, media reportage almost always suffered from having to take sides in
the struggle, and in this respect, Ninoy enjoyed a great deal of advantage all the
way. In his testimony in the joint Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and Committee
on Justice and Human Rights investigation in October 1989 on the Plaza Miranda
bombing, Communist Party of the Philippines central committee member Ruben
Guevara described the media character at the time quite succinctly, if aptly:
“…ang buong mass media ay kritikal sa administrasyon (the entire mass media was
critical of the administration).”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The demonizing Marcos was subjected to reverberated
not just in the tri-media but also in such underground fora as discussion
groups (DGs), teach-ins, rallies and demonstrations, ODs or operation dikit
(posting of slogans) or OPs or operation <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pintura</i>
(writing out graffiti with paint brush) all over city walls, and in every forum
shrieked the singular slogan: “Marcos! Hitler! Diktador! Tuta!” And that was
just the First Quarter Storm at the advent of the 70s, a long way off to
Martial Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It would be dangerous to rely purely on the media
for data in drawing a truthful picture of Ninoy, not only because on the scale
of parity it would be unfair to Marcos but, more importantly,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>also because the need for objectivity would
be the ultimate loser. What could result from such an endeavor would be, at the
very best,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a rehash of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pieces already written, many of which may
even have by now been<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>archived in
libraries and in cyberspace, or at the very worst a futile attempt to
straighten out what have been crooked depictions of the character of Ninoy. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Far from being a dry chronology of events, history
is a living thing. It does not stagnate, must not be allowed to stagnate. It is
to the misfortune of the Filipino people that in that very crucial period – the
end of Spanish colonialism –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when
Philippine history needed to be presented in its utter reality, what dominated
the undertaking were works that accommodated the desires of the new colonizers,
the Americans. In that accommodation, gaping blanks in the story of the
Philippine nation were created. Only at the advent of a few exceptional historians
who dared unshackle from American-sponsored<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>strictures did writing of history take on a determination to fill in
those blanks<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– setting the records
straight, saying what had not been said before, and more importantly, undoing
what had been wrongly done.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Such, too, is the task facing anybody desiring to
put Ninoy now in the correct perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No such a writer would be sufficed by the clichés and concoctions that
though in time of tumult effectively sucked multitudes into the grand spectacle
of deifying Ninoy, this time around those multitudes urge a redoing of history
in the face of the realization that from the time of his “martyrdom” 28 years
ago, things have not gotten any better.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Acquisition of Hacienda Luisita</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor
is no more dramatically demonstrated than in the continuing struggle of the
Hacienda Luisita farmers to regain the land taken away from them by Cory’s
branch of the Cojuangcos by virtue of a government deal facilitated with
President Ramon Magsaysay by, yes, Ninoy in 1957.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As special emissary of President Ramon
Magsaysay, Ninoy successfully brokered in 1954 the surrender of Huk Supremo
Luis Taruc and the entire Huk rebellion.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">According to the arrangement that emerged out of
Ninoy’s effort, ownership of the 6 thousand-plus hectares of the Hacienda
Luisita together with the sugar mill, Azucarera Central de Tarlac,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was acquired by Jose Cojuangco, Sr., Cory’s
father, through dollar loans from the Manufacturer’s Trust of New York as well
as from the GSIS amounting to P16 million on guarantee by the Philippine
Central Bank. The condition for the CB guarantee was that within 10 years, the
hacienda would be distributed to the farmer tenants.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
history would have it, Ninoy eventually became the manager of the hacienda.
Under his watch, the largest sugar land in entire Asia was converted into a
commercial corporation in which the farmers’ claim were converted into shares
of stocks. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Though it looked good in one respect, for that
seemingly placed the farmers on equal footing with the Cojuangcos in owning the
hacienda, it nonetheless brought about the effacement of the tenancy
relationship between the Cojuangcos and the hacienda peasant toilers: no
tenancy, no land, no farmers. Thus did the 10-year period lapse but no
distribution ever take place of even a square inch of the land.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In December 1985 the legal battle waged by the
farmers had resulted in a favorable court ruling ordering the enforcement of
the original condition of the Central Bank-guaranteed loans used for the
Cojuangco acquisition of Hacienda Luisita. But that was the period of upheavals
resulting from Cory’s contesting Marcos’ win in the 1986 snap presidential
elections. With Cory’s installation in power by virtue of the EDSA people power
revolt just two months after the promulgation of the court order, nothing had
been heard of the ruling ever again.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The next time the Hacienda Luisita farmers figured
again in the news was in the infamous Mendiola Massacre on January 22, 1987. Led
by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, farmers marched to Malacanang, where
now sat Cory as president, to press for genuine agrarian reform, the
distribution of the Hacienda Luisita to its farmers being among the demands.
Courageously breaching the police and military containing forces, the
protesters were fired at mercilessly, a carnage that, along with the scores
wounded, resulted in the killing of thirteen – Hacienda Luisita farmers
included.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One familiar with the events of the First Quarter
Storm in 1970 cringes with horror at recalling that at no instance on Mendiola
at the time did Marcos ever unleash such monstrosity. Of course what this
comparison with Marcos should reckon with is Ninoy; the one sitting at
Malacanang at the time of the Mendiola Massacre was not Ninoy, it was his wife.
But then, as their marriage vow in 1955 went, “for better or for worse”, and
Ninoy having borne all the “worse”, Cory now enjoyed all the “better”.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cory was no longer president on November 16, 2004
and having rid herself of national worries –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>except perhaps persistent threats to touch her 1987 Constitution – she
could have made more focus on the domestic concerns of Hacienda Luisita. On
that day, 3,000 sugar mill workers and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>hacienda farmers went on strike demanding better wages and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>improved working conditions as well as the
implementation of the Central Bank and GSIS loans condition to distribute the
hacienda to the tillers and farm workers. The strike was broken up with Simba
tanks from which came the heavy fire that wounded over a hundred and killed 14
strikers. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That carnage had gone down in history as the
Hacienda Luisita Massacre, doing a lot better than the Mendiola Massacre, but
at any rate, as far as Cory was concerned, doing herself one better in terms of
protesters killed and, well, a lot better, too, in terms of wounded. Until that
time, no other personally-motivated killings in the people’s memory could match
the Hacienda Luisita incident, so that for Cory it should be a pity that the
Manguindanao Massacre took place which with the murdered numbering 57 bettered
her record fourfold – nay, counting the Mendiola Massacre victims, just
two-fold. But nothing to worry about, her son is aspiring for exactly the same
post Ninoy had lain his life for, which she got anyway, and with the hacienda
farmers’ struggle going unceasing and Noynoy’s victory at the 2010 polls
anchored on the demise of her parents, the number of dead Hacienda Luisita
farmers could go up… and counting. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One trembles with horror at Cory’s remark made
sometime after taking over Malacanang: “Now I know why people would kill for
this position.”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Plan for the Presidency</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It would appear that Ninoy’s political career was
one grand plan for his ascension to the presidency. At 23, he became mayor of
Concepcion, Tarlac. At 27, he was the youngest to become a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>vice-governor of a province; he took over the
governor’s post of Tarlac in 1961 from the incumbent who resigned. In the
succeeding gubernatorial elections, he won in all 17 municipalities of Tarlac,
scoring the biggest majority win by a gubernatorial candidate. And in the
senatorial elections of 1967, he became the youngest ever – at 35 – to be
elected senator of the land. That was two years into the first presidency of
Ferdinand E. Marcos. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In 1969, Marcos won his second term as president,
something Ninoy could have effectively contested due to his already immense
popularity at the time. In his 700 Club television program interview in
1981,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ninoy already called the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>heights he had reached in Philippine politics
as “the pinnacle of political power”. The only problem was that under the 1935
Constitution, the age requirement for the president is at least 40 years old,
which he would exactly be in 1973. So as Cory confirmed, for Ninoy everything was
just planned for the 1973 elections. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Early on, therefore, the stage was set for the
classic confrontation between Ninoy and Marcos – a strife that would drag on
for the next two decades, with each side digging into his treasure chest of
tricks, dirty or otherwise, to gain the upper hand.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here’s how a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>voiceover on a video presentation on Youtube makes a comparison between
the two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Bago nag-martial law, si Ninoy
ay isang tradisyunal na pulitiko. Isang<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>henyo sa larangan ng pulitika, pero tradisyunal pa rin. Tulad ni Marcos,
eksperto siya sa paggamit ng mga tradisyunal na instrumento ng eleksyon sa
Pilipinas: guns, goons and gold. Tulad ni Marcos, isa siyang balimbing. Umalis
siya sa Partido Nacionalista at lumipat sa Partido Liberal noong nasa kapangyarihan
ang Partido Liberal. (Before Martial Law, Ninoy was a traditional politician.
He was a genius in the field of politics, but just the same, traditional. Like
Marcos, he<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was an expert at the use of
the traditional instruments in Philippine elections: guns, goons and gold. Like
Marcos, he was a turncoat. He bolted the Nacionalista Party and joined the
Liberal Party when the Liberal Party was in power.)</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Curiously enough this narration would have perfectly
answered the question posed at the start of this piece: Would Ninoy have acted
exactly like or even worse than Marcos if he were elected president?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In his speech proper in the Los Angeles MFP
gathering, he admitted early on his use of the “gold” element in his electoral
campaigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, “For the past 25
years I have been a politician, we used to pay people to hear us.” The
statement is self-explanatory; Ninoy was used to paying money to electorates.
But of course, that was a prelude to a jest, which he uttered thus: “This is
the first time people paid to hear me.” And the gallery cheered. But whether
jest or not, the admission was a statement of fact.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As to “goons and guns”, Ninoy admitted in his speech
that he had had at least<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>liaison
with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>groups advocating the use of arms
for the attainment of political ends. He narrated an incident when a group of
young men and women “from the better families in the country” and “from the
better schools” took him to their training camp outside the United States and
showed him their stockpile of weapons and ammunition and told him “they were
ready” and they wanted him to lead them.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ninoy admitted telling this revelation to Marcos,
who, however, reacted by declaring that Ninoy should have been operated on not
in his heart but in his head, the implication being that Ninoy was insane. Soon
after, as Ninoy related, bombs exploded in Manila. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Says Tina Monzon Palma in her narration<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for a video presentation titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beyond Conspiracy: 25 Years After</i> by the
Worldwide Foundation for People Power: “But if one were to confront him with
guns, he (Ninoy) would not hesitate to meet violence with legitimate force.
Some theorize that pushed to the wall, Ninoy could be just as ruthless as
Marcos.”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part 2</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Plaza Miranda Bombing</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The most shocking event that rocked the nation in 1971
was the Plaza Miranda Massacre. Here are pure facts of the incident. It was
the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>proclamation rally of the Liberal
Party for its senatorial and Manila local candidates in the mid-year elections
that year. Present were all the Liberal Party local candidates and the
party’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>entire senatorial ticket. Absent
was the LP secretary general and star of the show, Ninoy Aquino.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ninoy’s absence strikes one as quite odd. As Senator
Jovito Salonga says about Ninoy, “Siya ang aming star. Dahil pagka siya ay
nakita ng tao na nasa stage na, naghihiyawan ang tao ng bomba. Gusto namin ay
bomba. (He was our star. Because once the people spotted him onstage, the
people shouted <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bomba </i>(bomb). We want <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bomba </i>(bomb).)”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That August 21, 1971, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bomba</i> did explode in Plaza Miranda.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two powerful
grenades rocked the rally. One missed the stage, blasting people on the spot,
killing 8, among them a 10-year-old girl vendor, and seriously injuring 120.
The other grenade landed onstage, seriously injuring all senatorial candidates,
the most critical being Senator Jovito Salonga and Senator John Osmena.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By this time, the conflict between Marcos and Ninoy
had intensified so that their respective positions on the incident became the
focus of the people’s attention. Who had the more credible story and who told
that story in the more convincing way? </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On other occasions before the Plaza Miranda bombing,
Ninoy had enthralled as much as thrilled throngs of listeners with
theatrics<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on the ostentations of Imelda
–<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>her jewelry, her shoes and hand bags
and parasols; had enraged audiences with statistics on corruption in the Marcos
conduct of government; and had particularly appalled the nation with his expose
of the Jabidah Massacre, which killed all but one of 60 Muslim youth allegedly
recruited and trained for an invasion of Sabah to regain the territory for the
Philippines. These exposes provided the backdrop for Ninoy’s revelations that
the Plaza Miranda bombing was a step toward the full-blown implementation of
Oplan Saggitarius, the plan Ninoy alleged as the scenario for the institution
of military rule in the country.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Subsequent events appeared to bear
Ninoy out in the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>propaganda war. [Within
hours of] the Plaza Miranda carnage, Marcos suspended the writ of habeas
corpus, and indeed by virtue of it proceeded immediately to arrest<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a number of activists without the customary
warrants. And Ninoy had a heyday condemning the writ suspension as a prelude to
martial law.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the other hand, Marcos accused
the Communist Party of the Philippines as the perpetrators of the massacre.
According to Marcos, the CPP carried<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>out
the bombing in order to advance its design of toppling the government and
taking over political control of the country. Since Marcos had on various
occasions accused Ninoy of coddling the communists, if not being a communist
himself, he, too, had a leg to stand on in his battle with Ninoy for
credibility in the eyes of the nation. By equating Ninoy with the communists
and then accusing the communists as the perpetrators of the Plaza Miranda
bombing, Marcos cleverly impressed upon the nation that it was, in the end,
Ninoy who masterminded the dastardly gruesome act.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In point of logic, Marcos’ slant was
quite sound. If it hadn’t been Ninoy who planned it all, why was he safely away
when the bombing took place? Normally, as Secretary General of the party
conducting the rally and as the perennial star of LP public meetings, Ninoy was
expected to be at the Plaza Miranda occasion even much earlier than the others.
True, there was this wedding celebration he was attending at the precise time
of the bombing, still he could have easily prioritized the Plaza Miranda LP
rally, it being expectedly for him the most urgent concern that evening. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In point of truth, Marcos’ equating
Ninoy with the communists did have, too, a substantial measure of it. But not
after nearly two decades would proofs surface that such Marcos equation of
Ninoy with the communists were substantially valid.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Testimonies
of CPP Top Brass</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Beginning July 1989 or thereabouts,
the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Committee on Justice and Human Rights
chaired by Senator Wigberto Tanada conducted a joint hearing aimed at ferreting
out the truth in the Plaza Miranda bombing. Invited to the hearings were former
stalwarts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Ruben Guevarra, Ariel
Almendral and Pablo Araneta.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As a backgrounder, it must be cited
that in 1972 the Communist Party of the Philippines sent a delegation to China
to work out a shipment of arms to the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>left insurgency in the country. But the arms shipment aboard the old
fishing vessel named MV Karagatan was botched and much of it fell into the
hands of the Philippine military. The arms shipment fiasco formed part of the
immediate reasons why Marcos declared martial<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>law in September 1972.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The bungling of the MV Karagatan
operations was traced by the CPP to an alleged mutiny led by one Danny Cordero
which prevented many operatives from carrying out their mission of transporting
the arms from the vessel to the interior of Isabela jungles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a consequence, government forces
discovered the operations.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eventually Cordero was tried for the
alleged offense of mutiny. Guevarra and Almendral<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were members of the military tribunal
constituted to conduct the trial; Guevarra was the tribunal chairman. Araneta
was one of three accused of the munity offense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cordero was found guilty and sentenced to die;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the other two co-accused were meted lighter
punishment. In a desperate attempt to avoid the death sentence, Cordero
declared that he had done a great mission<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>for the party so that he did not deserve to be executed. When questioned
what mission he was talking about, Cordero said he was one of three party
operatives who bombed Plaza Miranda. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Following are excerpts from the
minutes of the joint hearings conducted between July and November 1989 by the
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and Committee on Justice and Human Rights.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">XXXXXXXXXXX</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EXCERPT FROM MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 25
HEARING:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THE CHAIRMAN: Ngayon, babalik tayo kay Danny
Cordero. Kilala mo ba yan, si <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Danny Cordero, at kailan mo nakilala ?</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Now, we go back to </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Danny
Cordero. Do you know him, Danny Cordero, and when did </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>know him?) <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">MR. GUEVARRA: Si
Danny Cordero po, hindi ko po… una ko po siyang nakita pero <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Danny Cordero, Sir, I don’t… I first saw him
but)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Kayo lang dalawa? </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Only the two of
you?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">MR. GUEVARRA:
Nuong bago po ---- hindi po, kasi nuong nag-usap kami, tatlo </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kami, si Jose
Maria Sison, ako at iyong isang Ka Erning na kasama </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>namin. Pero po sa
bahay na ‘yon, ang nanduruon mga kasapi ng </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Komite Sentral, nanduruon din si
Herminigildo Garcia IV at saka si </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Manuel Collantes.
Si Manuel Collantes po ang sumundo sa aking <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kinalalagyang UG house nuon, inihatid naman
ako doon sa <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kinalalagyan nila Sison at ang sumalubong sa
amin sa ibaba sa <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>apartment ay si Herminigildo
Garcia.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(At the start
---- I mean, no, </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">you See, Sir, when we were talking, there were three
us, Jose </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maria Sison, me and
one Ka Erning who was with us. But in that </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>house, members of
the Central Committee were there, </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Herminigildo
Garcia IV was also there and also Manuel Collantes. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Manuel Collantes fetched
me from my UG house then, he then </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>brought me to the
UG house of Sison and company and the guy </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who welcomed us
downstairs was Herminigildo Garcia.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kaya po nuong dumating ako, sinenyasan
ako ni Herminigildo </i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garcia na “hintay
ka sandali may kausap si Ka Alex sa itaas.” </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ginagamit po iyang
alyas nuon sa amin Alex, ibig sabihin si Amado </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guerrero.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(That’s why when I arrived, Herminigildo Garcia
signaled </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">to me “wait a minute Ka Alex is talking to somebody
upstairs.” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the alias used
then as Alex, meaning Amado Guerrero.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, naghintay<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>po ako, wala pang ilang sandali sumenyas na
si Ka <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Erning sa akin, sabi umakyat
ka na. Nuong pag-akyat ko po, </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inabutan
ko si Sison kausap iyong ilang kabataan lalaki nuon.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (So, I </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>waited,
Sir, and then a few moments after Ka Erning signaled to </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me, saying
go up now. As I went up, I came upon Sison talking to a </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>few
male youth.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Kausap sino? </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Talking to
whom?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
GUEVARRA: Mayroon pong ilang kabataang lalaki na kausap siya sa loob ng <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kuarto at patapos na po
nuong dumating ako. Iyon nga po, duon ko <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unang nakita ito si –
natatandaan ko, nakita ko duon si Danny <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cordero,
si Ka Daniel, nakalimutan ko na ring pangalan, at si <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cecilio Apostol. </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(He was talking to a few male youth inside the </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Room and
the talk was ending when I reached upstairs. So there, </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that
was when I first saw this – I remember, I saw there Danny </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cordero, Ka Daniel, I have
forgotten his name, and Cecilio </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apostol.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Pinakilala ba sayo?</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
(Were they introduced to you?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
GUEVARRA: Hindi. Sa Partido po kasi --- sa Partido po kasi, merong <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>compartmentalization
na policy ang Party na kung hindi -- kung </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wala <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kang direktang kinaalaman sa isang gawain,
hindi mo na </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dapat malaman ito, kung
hindi sinabi sa ‘yo, huwag ka nang </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>magtanong.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(No. You see, in the Party, Sir – in the Party, Sir,
there </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is a
policy of compartmentalization whereby if you are not – if you </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have
no direct involvement in an activity, you are not supposed to </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>know
this, if you are not told about it, don’t ask about it.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Papaano mo nalaman na iyon na ngang mga tayong iyon ay si <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Danny Cordero, si Ka
Daniel at Cecilio Apostol.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(How did you </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>know that those three were Danny
Cordero, Ka Daniel and </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ceceilio Apostol?) </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
GUEVARRA: Nuong nasa Isabela na po sila. Kasi po, kaagad silang ipinadala sa <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>amin sa Isabela </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(When they were eventually in Isabela. You see, </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sir, they
were immediately sent to us in Isabela.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
CHAIRMAN: So, nakita mo lang itong mga taong ito kausap ni Jose Maria Sison <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nuong kahaponan na ‘yon? </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(So, you only saw these people talking </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To Jose
Maria Sison that afternoon?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
GUEVARRA: Opo, kasi po, nuong araw na ‘yon, bago nangyari po iyong <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pambobom… paghahagis ng granada nuon,
may pinag-usapan </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kami ni
Sison na ano ba ang dapat gawin talaga sa mga hinihiling </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ng mga
pulitiko. Nabanggit ko nga po sa kanya nuon “ano kaya, </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kung
may humiling kaya sa amin na likidahin namin o tambangan </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>namin ‘yong kalaban ni ganitong partido,
ano kaya magagawa kaya </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>natin.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Yes,
you see, Sir, that day, before the bomb… the throwing </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>grenades then, I discussed with Sison about
what to do about </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>certain requests by politicians. I mentioned
to him, “what if </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>somebody asked us to liquidate or ambush an
enemy of certain </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>party, could we do it?”)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ang
natatandaan ko pong sabi ni Sison sa akin nuon, “Hindi </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>naman
tayo mga ano, eh, mga bayaran eh. Hindi naman tayo </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nagpapaupa para pumatay. Sa
katotohanan…”sabi n’ya, “may --- </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>magsasagawa
tayo ng pambobomba ngayong gabi sa isang meeting. </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hindi
sa dahilang humingi tayo ng kabayaran, kundi dahil gusto </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nating
umiral and gusto nating mangyari.”</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
(What I remember </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sison
telling me then, “We are not that, eh, mercenaries, eh. We </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are not hired killers. In fact…
“he said, “there will be --- we will </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be bombing
a meeting tonight. Not for reason that we are asking </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>payment,
but because we want our plans to materialize.” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Sinabi sa iyo ‘yan mismo ni Jose Maria Sison?</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (That was told to </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Jose Maria Sison himself?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
GUEVARRA: Magkaharap ko kami sinabi n’ya.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
(We were face to face when he </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>told me that.)<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Kailan sinabi sa iyo ‘yan?</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
(When did he tell you that?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
GUEVARRA: Nuon pong gabi na – na nakita ko sina Danny Codero sa bahay na <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘yon.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (That night when – when I saw Danny Cordero in that
</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>house.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: At sinong kaharap nuong sinabi sa iyo ‘yan?</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (And who was </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around
when he told you that?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
GUEVARRA: Tatlo po kaming magkakaharap, iyong isang Ka Erning. </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pagkatapos
po…. </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(There were
three of us in a huddle, there was </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka
Erning. And then, Sir…)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Ka Erning. </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Ka Erning.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
GUEVARRA: Opo.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Yes, Sir.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Hindi mo alam ang kanyang tunay na pangalan?</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (You don’t </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>know
his real name?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
GUEVARRA: Kilala ko po ‘yong kanyang tunay na pangalan pero hindi ko po<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>masasabi kung anong legal n’yang
pangalan.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tapos po, nuong <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>matapos masabi ni Jose Maria Sison
‘yon, sabi niya . <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“alis na ako”.
Nagmamadali po siyang umalis.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
(I know his real </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>name but I can’t tell what his legal
name is. Afterward, when Jose </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maria
Sison was finished with the statement, he said “I will be </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>going”.
He left hurriedly.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ngayon ang sabi n’ya kay Ka Erning,
“ipaliwanag mo sa kanya ang <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>isang mahalagang bagay”</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Now he told Ka Erning, “explain to </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>him an
important thing”)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Di, umalis na po si Sison, kami naman ni
Ka Erning naiwan sa <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kuwarto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dito ko po nalaman iyong tiyak na plano.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(So Sison left, </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka Erning
and I were left in the room. Here I learned the specific </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>plan.)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 129.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ang sabi ni Ka
Erning, “Bobombahin natin ngayon ang miting nga <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(sic) Liberal party. Pinababatid ko sa ‘yo
ang bagay na ito, dahilan <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ang mga taong magsasagawa nito o iyong
mga kasamang <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>magsasakatuparan ng misyon ay ipadadala
sa Isabelo (sic). Kung <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>matutuloy ang misyon…” sabi n’ya “sa
loob ng ilang araw o sa loob<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ng
isang linggo ay ipadadala sa Isabela itong mga taong ito at dapat<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>na ito’y kaagad na maipasok
sa loob ng forest region, huwag nang <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>magtatagal sa mga bahay-bagsakan, at
subaybayan ninyong mabuti<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sa ideologia
at pulitika”.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Ka Erning said,
“We will bomb today the meeting of [translation of “ng” instead of “nga”,
obviously a typographical error] Liberal Party. I am letting you know this
thing, because the people who will do it or those comrades who will perform the
mission will be sent to Isabela [instead of “Isabelo”]. Once the mission is
accomplished…” he said “within days or within a week these comrades will be
sent to Isabela and must be kept inside the forest region, must not be made to
tarry long in the safehouses, and you should closely guide them in ideology and
politics.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nuong ko lang po natiyak iyong gam….
pero hindi ko po alam na <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘yong mismong miting na ‘yon ang
hahagisan ng Granada. Kaya </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>po, nagpahatid
na rin ako sa kila Collantes nuon at kay Magtanggol <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roque, inihatid ako sa isag
(sic) UG House naming dito sa Pasay. <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nuong umaga ko na lang po nalaman na
nabasa ko --<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nadinig ko </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>na sa
radio at nakabasa na ako ng diyaryo na iyon na ang nangyari.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 135.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Only then was I became sure about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gam</i>… but I did not know that that very
meeting was the object ot the bombing.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, naghanda na po akong bumalik ng
Isabela nuon, nuong </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dumating
sa akin iyong miyembro ng National Liaisons Commission </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>naming, dalawa sila ang
naghatid sa kinalalagyan ko si Magtanggol </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roque,
may iniabot na maliit na sulat uli sa akin, galing kay Ka </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Erning.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(So I was preparing for my trip back to Isabela when
two </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>members
of our<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>National Liaisons Commission came
to see me, </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Magtanggol
Roque handed me a letter from Ka Erning.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 132.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ang nakasulat po
ganito: “Alam mo na ang nangyari kagabi, ilan <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lamang ang nakakaalam nito at ito’y hindi
na dapat pang malaman<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ng ibang
pinuno maging ibang kagawad ng Komite Sentral. Ang <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inumang
maglabas ng impormasyon na ito, ay may pinakamatapat <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… ay may pinakamabigat na kaparusahan.”
Ganoon po ang <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nilalaman ng sulat.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (The letter stated:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“You already know what happened last night, only a few know about this
and it should not be known to any other leaders including members of the Central
Committee. Who ever discloses this information, will have a most faithful… the
heaviest punishment.” That was what the letter contained.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>EXCERPT
FROM MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 18 HEARING</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
ALMENDRAL: ... Kinaumagahan ay isang maghapon na naman iyong </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pa(g)lilitis
pa<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rin.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(The following <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>morning, it was another day-long </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>trial.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE
CHAIRMAN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anong oras nag-umpisa nang
kinaumagahan? </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(What time did
it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">start
that morning.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR. ALMENDRAL:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pagkakain lang ho ng agahan.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Right after breakfast.)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Mga anong oras iyon?</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
(Around what time was that?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">MR. ALMENDRAL: Siguro po mga alas otso,
alas nuebe nag-umpisa na ulit. </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 2.0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pagkatapos ay pagdating ng hapon,
kalagitnaan ng hapon, ay <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ubos na ang
lahat Ng pali-paliwanag ay hiningian na lang si Ka Cris ng huling salita niya
kung ano ang kanyang magiging paliwanag. At nagsalita iyong tao. Ang sinabi
niya, “Kailan man ay hindi ako magtra-traidor sa partido. Sa katunayan, bilang
patunay sa aking katapatan sa partido, ay mayroong isang napakaselan na gawain
na itinalaga sa akin ng mga namumunong kasama na hindi ko mababanggit kung ano
iyong gawain na iyon.” </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(I think around
eight o’clock, nine o’clok the trial went on. Then in the afternoon,
mid-afternoon, exchange of arguments was done and Ka Cris was asked to make his
statement. And the guy spoke up. He said, “Never have I turned traitor to the
party. In fact, as proof of my loyalty to the party, there is this very
sensitive task that leading comrades had asked me to perform which I cannot
divulge.”)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE CHAIRMAN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At pagkatapos niyang masabi iyan,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ano ang naging reaction </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nuong mga
nandoon sa hukuman? </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(And after he
said that, what </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was the
reaction of those who were in the court?)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>MR. ALMENDRAL: Noong masabi niya iyan, iyong isang naka-upo doon sa </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 2.0in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">bandang harapan
na may hawak na carbine, si Ka Ambo, ay nagsalita siya. Ang sabi niyang ganyan,
“Niloloko mo yata kami, e. Ano iyong sinasabimong misyon-misyon, e, hindi mo
mapapatunayan iyan” </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(After he made
that statement, someone who was seated somewhere in the front row who was
holding a carbine, Ka Ambo, spoke up. He said, “You’re fooling us all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You talk about a mission which you cannot
prove.”)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ngayon, bilang presiding, si Ka Peters
naman binigyan niya ng <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>instruksyon si Ka Cris na, “Sige,
ipaliwanag mo kung ano iyong <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>misyon na ‘yon.” </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Now, as presiding officer, Ka Peters for his </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>part
instructed Ka Cris, “Go ahead, explain what that mission </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was.”)
</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 63.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nag-isip
ng kaunti si Ka Cris, pagkatapos sinabi niya, “Ako ang <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>naghagis ng… ako ang isa sa naghagis
ng granada sa Plaza <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miranda.”</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Ka Cris thought for a while, then he said, “I was
the </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 63.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One who threw… I was one of those who
threw the grenades in </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 63.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Plaza Miranda.”)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Di, dahil ako wala akong kaalaman tungkol doon
at buo nga iyong <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kaalaman ko, paniwala ko noon na si
Marcos ang may kinalaman </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sa pagbomba
ng Plaza Miranda, nagulat ako noon, at palagay ko <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ganoon din ang
naging epekto sa napakarami doon sa kagrupohan<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walang nagsalita. Kahit si Ka Peters
sa pagka-ala-ala ko hindi pa <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>siya unang kumibo, at sinundan pa ni Ka
Cris ‘yong kanyang </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>salita.
Sabi niya: “Sa katunayan”, sabi n’ya “nandito sa </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kapulungang
ito ang isa pa sa kasama ko doon<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sa
Plaza Miranda. </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hindi ko babanggitin
ang pangalan n’ya, kung gusto niyang tumayo </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>para patotohanan
ang aking sinasabi, bibigyan ko siya ng ilang </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>minuto.”
</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(So, since I had no knowledge
about the matter and I </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fully
</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>believed
that Marcos had a hand in the bombing of Plaza </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miranda,
I was shocked then, and I presumed most everyone in </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
gathering was also shocked. Nobody spoke anything. I </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>remember
Ka Peters was not even the one who spoke first after </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that, and Ka
Cris went on with </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.75in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his
revelation. He said: “In fact,” he said, “another one of those </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.75in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who were
with me is here with us in this meeting. I won’t </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.75in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mention his
name, if he wants to stand up in order to prove my </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.75in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>words, I’ll
give <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>him a few minutes.”)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Di tahimik na tahimik na ganyan, wala
ring tumayo. Hindi </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>naglaon,nagsalita
na ulit si Ka Peters at sinabi niya na na “ayon </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sa….” Una sinabi n’ya,
tawagin na lang nating PMB, Plaza </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miranda
Bombing”.</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (So it was all
quiet, nobody stood up. Soon Ka </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peters
spoke again and he said that “according to…” To begin </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with,
he said, let’s call it PMB, Plaza Miranda Bombing”.)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span></i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>THE
CHAIRMAN: Sinong nagsabi n’yan? Sino?” </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Who
said that? Who?)</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MR.
ALMENDRAL: Si Ka Peters po. “Tawagin na lang nating PMB”, dahil nga sa </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>laki
ng – aywan ko kung anong dahilan nila, pero tinawag nilang </span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PMB
at tinawag na nga naming PMB ‘yon noon, dahil sabi n’ya, </span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Itong PMB ay
tinukoy ng partido na kagagawan ni Marcos. Kung <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tinutukoy mo na kagagawan ng partido ‘yan ay
isang panibagong <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>usapin iyan”. </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Ka Peters, Sir. “Let’s call it PMB,” precisely<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because
of the gravity of – I don’t know their reason, but they </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>called
it PMB and we called it PMB then, because he said so. </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“This
PMB had been referred to by the party as the handiwork </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of
Marcos. If you refer to it now as an undertaking by the party, </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that’s
another issue.”) </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doon sa bagay na ‘yon, hindi na dinagdagan ni
Ka Cris ‘yong <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kanyang pananalita
tungkol sa Plaza Miranda at doon na rin <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>natapos, humigit kumulang ‘yong
usapin ng pagtatanggol n’ya sa <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sarili n’ya. </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(On that point, Ka Cris didn’t add anything to his </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>words
on Plaza Miranda and that’s where more or less he ended </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>defense of himself.)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">XXXXXXXXXX</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Questions
from Jose Maria Sison</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the senate hearings, Jose Maria
Sison was given the right to shoot questions which were amply accomplished by
his counsel, Atty. Romeo Capulong. But the questions needed to be submitted
first to the joint committees for asking, consonant to senate rules, by the
Chairman himself.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the October 25 hearing, Almendral
reiterated his stand on the Plaza Miranda Bombing and to a question by Jose
Maria Sison he made a stirring repartee.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay,” said the Chairman, “The next
question. You denounced the CPP/NPA and its leaders particularly Jose Maria
Sison in your statement of February 17, 1984. Would it be correct to say, since
this date you have declared war against this revolutionary movement and its
leaders and vowed to do the best you can to crush this movement. Are you now
working or cooperating with the Philippine military, any public official or any
other person or group, local or foreign, whose duty, interest or political
objective is to crush the Philippine insurgency?”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Although he betrayed hurt
sensitivities and a long-lurking exquisite pain within him that needed to be expressed,
Almendral nonetheless answered in high-breed fashion, succeeding in
boomeranging the intended damage of the question while clearly demonstrating
the man’s sincerity and purity of intentions.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He said, “If somebody from the right
wing did Plaza Miranda, and I knew about it, sir, I will speak against it, sir,
and I will lay down my life to testify on that question, sir. It so happened
that this Joma Sison is affiliated, sir, with the CPP and presents an idea that
he is a communist, sir, but it is not as an anti-communist that I stand before
this body nor is it as an anti-communist that I present that statement of
denouncing Jose Maria Sison and the bombers of Plaza Miranda, sir. It is the
act and the crime of Plaza Miranda that is the thing that I’m questioning, sir.
And, you know, sir, they had a favorite saying that Marcos was the best
recruiter of the NPA, sir. I think in the Philippines, the best agent of the
CIA is Joma Sison, sir, because what he has done is, he has created a
polarization of Philippine society especially through the Plaza Miranda
bombing, and he should be answerable for that crime, sir.”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Interview
with Dante Buscayno</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During the period of the Plaza
Miranda bombing, it would have been completely impossible for us to discern
even a semblance of truth in Marcos’ equating Ninoy with the communists and,
hence, with the carnage. Activists at the time were steadfast on the side of
Ninoy and we just didn’t have any basis to believe otherwise. Only after 16
years would we have the opportunity to talk to Bernabe Buscayno, aka Kumander
Dante, and got straight out of his mouth Ninoy’s real connection with the
Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army. We had occasion
earlier to interview Luis Taruc for a movie contemplated to be made in the
eighties by the late Fernando Poe, Jr. in which the intimations by the Huk
Supremo regarding the formation of the CPP served to corroborate the
disclosures by Kumander Dante in the latter interview.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But the swell of indignation
manifested in mass protests following the Plaza Miranda bombing indicated that
Ninoy was gaining the upper hand in the propaganda war. To us who by then had
embraced the ideals of the proletarian aspect of the national democratic
movement, these revelations by Dante corroborated by Taruc were particularly
shocking. All of a sudden we realized that we entered not a war for the
liberation of the working class but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
personal battle for the advancement of one man’s magnificent obsession.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KAMAO</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We are a modest, self-made writer
who after several stints in various second-rate entertainment publications
landed the editorships of the Movie Confidential and Entertainment Section of
the Weekly Nation, the latter being one of three leading magazines in the
country until 1971; the other<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two were
the Weekly Graphic and the Philippine Free Press. Movie Confidential and Weekly
Nation together with the vernacular magazine Tagumpay were publications of the
Makabayan Publishing Corporation, owned by Amado Araneta, grandfather of now
vice presidential aspirant Mar Roxas. The corporation used to have its offices
and plant on the site now occupied by the first-ever SM Mall established, at the
Araneta Center.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The ideals of the First Quarter
Storm had presented to us the romance which proved irresistible to any youth at
the time: the golden opportunity to participate in the people’s struggle and
partake of its promised<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>everlasting
fruits: socialism and communism.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Summer of 1971, even as we had been
elevated to the management committee of the corporation, we could not recoil
from the challenge posed to us by the rank-and-file employees to lead them in
organizing a workers’ union, something unheard of in the Araneta empire. We
sought out our friend Pete Lacaba and asked for an advice on how to go about
it, considering that they had successfully done it at the Free Press. Pete
advised us to seek Ninoy’s help. Why the advice, we did not bother to ask nor
to be concerned with deeply. Our general sense was that organizing a workers’
union was an anti-capitalist undertaking and had no business dealing with
somebody whose social status cannot but be pro-capitalist. Our only concern
with Pete was to get an insight into the mechanics of organizing a union –
which he provided anyway by joining us in our organizational meeting on the
banks deep in the recesses of the Montalban River. We had come across a passage
in Teodoro Agoncillo’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Revolt of the
Masses</i> which narrates how Andres Bonifacio and other Katipunan organizers
would take a boat from Manila, paddle through the Wawa Napindan (now called
Napindan Channel), then paddle on upstream in the Marikina River, and finally
settle to discuss on the Montalban riverbanks. How vivifying to tread the path
of history. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thus was born the Katipunan ng mga
Makabayang Obrero (KAMAO) ng Makabayan Publishing Corporation. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In what had the trappings of a
conspiratorial move, we intimated to National Labor Relations Commission
Commissioner Gat Amado Inciong the need to register the union in as discreet a
manner as possible, and with dispatch as well. And betraying his heavy leanings
toward trade unionism, the commissioner acquiesced. And we got our registration<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>certificate pronto.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Upon presentation of the union’s
labor demands, we got the expected – a termination letter, which again, as
expected, immediately led to a union vote to strike. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The strike began in April, signaling
our integration into the mainstream of the so-called national democratic
movement. It was very heartening that even as we were met with the stark might
(at the time it was conventional to term it “fascism”) of the Araneta security
force of 300,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>droves upon droves of
youthful activists poured in to give us support. KMs (Kabataang Makabayan) and
SDKs (Samahang Demokratikong Kabataan),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>elements both of the studentry and faculty of the University of the
Philippines, workers of other unions and students from other schools, you name
it, they were there. But that was precisely the reason why before long, we were
no longer just battling<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Araneta
security<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>guards but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>QC police as well. We were no longer a local
union fighting for standard workers’ benefits; we were fighting for something
else. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jojo
Binay as Counsel</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jojo Binay, now Makati Mayor and
vice presidential candidate, who was one of some three lawyers of the LUMABAN
(Lupon ng mga Manananngol ng Bansa) assigned to us by President<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Nemesio Prudente of the Philippine College
of Commerce (PCC), now Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would advise us to be wary of the activists,
as, he said, they were trained to agitate workers to go on strikes, not to win
them.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By August 1971, the strike had been
decimated, that’s as far as the picket line was concerned, which was taken over
by the Araneta security guards. How the services of Jojo to us came to an end,
we could no longer recall. What we remember as our last session with him was
the conciliation meeting in which we proposed a return-to-work by the strikers
as a tactical maneuver in the negotiations but which Jojo vehemently objected
to, albeit in a hush: “Wag kang banat nang banat. (Will you just shut up!)” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The next time we saw Jojo after that
was in 1978 when we visited a businessman from Catanduanes, Teofisto Verceles,
intending to sell him the idea of film producing. We were surprised to find
Jojo and Verceles conferring rather seriously in the latter’s home in Pasig. We
had the prudence not to inquire on what business Jojo was there for, what
connections Jojo had with Verceles, etc. Rather, after a brief exchange of
greetings with Jojo, we had our agenda with Verceles gotten over with quickly,
begged leave, and the two went on with their conference. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then a decade after that, we were
amazed at two incidents. First was Jojo figuring in the retaking of the ABS-CBN
network facilities, brandishing an M-16 at that. Second was the brother of
Teofisto Verceles, Leandro, winning in the 1987 congressional polls in
Catanduanes and Jojo winning as mayor of Makati. These developments motivated
us to do some figuring out. Between Jojo and Leandro Verceles appears the
common factor of Cory. But since Jojo’s connection with a Verceles throws us
back to as far as 1978, the common factor could be Ninoy, who at the time was
still in jail. Now, Leandro Verceles was, over a long period, a UN diplomat
based in New York. So we tend to draw a vague picture of US hand figuring in
whatever scenario these interconnections indicate. To be sure Jojo and Verceles
emerged beneficiaries of the Cory rise to power, which we dare ascribe to
strong perennial US intervention in the Philippines. .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But back to the labor union Jojo
served once upon a time gratis et amore. Years after, we would eventually win the
union legal battle, under the counsel of our lawyer brother, but the Araneta
corporation called Makabayan would dissolve even before Marcos could declare
martial law, and there was no entity left that could be served the ruling that
the corporation was guilty of unfair labor practices.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Proletarian
Revolutionary Line</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now, pursuing the original story, we
just found ourselves flowing with the current of the national democratic
movement, but always strictly along<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>proletarian revolutionary line, i.e. line that advances workers’
interest. Within this parameter, we found it revolting to call native
capitalists revolutionary class, particularly when viewed in the context of
Marx’s declaration in the Communist Manifesto: “Of all the classes that stand
face to face with the bourgeoisie today, <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">the proletariat alone is a really revolutionary class. The
other classes decay and finally disappear in the face of Modern Industry; the
proletariat is its special and essential product.”</span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But otherwise we were a good soldier
in the movement, organizing unions, doing education work, conducting propaganda
and cultural presentations, and ever participating in mass actions. All
that,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we did<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>always in a sincere effort to do a share in
the “liberation of the working class”. We certainly did not realize that we
were always under close observation, checked on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>all our moves. In intelligence parlance, being cased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until, perchance, sure of the sincerity of
our intentions, those responsible for developing cadres in the movement entrusted
us with the secretaryship of the nationwide federation of labor unions, the
KASAMA (Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng mga Manggawa) under the umbrella of the
national democratic movement, while in a parallel aspect began grooming us for
the real fight – the armed struggle in the countryside.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The baptism of fire would come to
pass on a rainy afternoon at the junction of T.M. Kalaw and Roxas Boulevard, a
hundred meters or so from the US Embassy, the object of the protest rally we
were conducting at the time. Under the command of Manila Police<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chief Robert Barbers, the police had blocked
our advance at the intersection and our march toward the embassy was at a
standstill. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While the lead agitators were
taunting the police and mouthing anti-US imperialist tirades, Ka Estrel sidled
up to us and in a stealthy manner slung on our shoulder a soft,
innocent-looking bag made of cloth (backpacks were not yet in vogue at the
time), then whispered: “Ganyan ang ginamit sa Plaza Miranda. Pagbunot ng pin,
ibato mo agad. Four seconds sasabog yan. (That’s the same kind used in Plaza
Miranda. After pulling out the pin, throw it at once. In four seconds it will
explode.)” And with that, Ka Estrel made herself scant. Shortly after, those at
the front line succeeded in intimidating the policemen, who started charging.
Those assigned with pillboxes exploded their weapons at the police onrush.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was supposed to be our cue to
explode our own fireworks. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We thought we passed our test in
terms of quick-decision making. At the last minute we decided not to throw the
grenade but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kept it in the bag, lugging
it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as we rushed along with the
retreating rallyists. Realizing that the pursuing policemen were gaining in on
us unavoidably, we dived into the foot of the Rizal Monument in which, it
turned out, police pursuit was taboo. At the eye-signal from one of the Marines
soldiers guarding the monument for us to stay put there,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we crouched even lower behind the concrete
railing as the policemen rushed by.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Col. Barbers and the policemen who
got hit only with the non-fatal pillbox shrapnels should<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>owe us a debt of gratitude for not having
been blasted by the explosive we had in our bag. And to the Marines guards,
thank you whoever you are and wherever you are for not telling us to the
pursuing policemen. Had they done so, we would have exploded the grenade just
the same then and there and thereby<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gone
down in history as the guy who blasted Rizal the second time around. But since
we had made it a habit not to carry any identifying papers in the performance
of our tasks, nobody would have found any identifying mark among the shattered
pieces of our flesh and nobody would<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ever have known whodunit.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thus did we flunk the baptism of
fire.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, nearly four decades after that incident,
we still feel goose pimples creeping all over our body every time we think
of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what would have happened had we
thrown that grenade. We would imagine the mangled bodies of those in Plaza
Miranda that evening of August 21, 1971 and we would ask ourselves endlessly if
we could have lived by the memory of it afterward. And the answer<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would be: No, never mind if we failed the
test, failed to have risen to that supreme rank of a red fighter to which every
activist at the time was aspiring. Serving the people does not mean blind
obedience to an order done in a manner no different from the military dictum
that we used to see inscribed at the gates of Camp Aguinaldo: “Ours is not to
reason why/Ours is but to do or die.” For if this, too, were our doctrine, how distinguish
us then from the fascism that we were supposed to fight in Marcos?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art of War<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Sun Tzu speaks of
three ways in which “a sovereign can bring misfortune upon his army.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One such way is, Sun Tzu says, “By commanding
an army to advance or retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey…”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Antagonism<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>within CPP</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Martial Law was declared, throwing
our unit in disarray, rocked further by an endemic<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>antagonism in the party structure whereby
regional leadership clashed with that of the national workers’ sector, with the
former tightly toeing the Jose Maria Sison “mass line” of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>establishing a broad alliance with all
“progressive” sectors that included capitalists, the bottom line being opposition
to the Marcos dictatorship; and the latter closely adhering to the proletarian
revolutionary line which it argued to be the correct “party line”. Our
individual criticism of the Sison strategy as well as of his Mao Tse Tung
copy-cat analysis of Philippine society must have reached all the way to the
“sovereign” so that when the directive for the unit to retreat to the
countryside was made it was not meant to include us.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Years later – after we successfully
sneaked back into mainstream entertainment writing onward to writing and
directing films – we would hear of Ka Estrel getting killed in Cebu in an
encounter with government forces. This, along with stories about other elements
from our unit meeting with the same fate in Central Luzon, in Bicol and in the
Cordilleras, fate that would most likely have befallen us as well had we passed
the test Ka Estrel, in all good faith, led us to. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And now, looking back at how the
movement got splintered, with the people’s army reduced to guerilla unit
formations in contrast to the exhilarating size of 25,000 regulars in company
formations on the eve of EDSA 1, we can’t help raising the question: Have those
deaths of comrades been worth it? Have those in fact in the Plaza Miranda
Massacre, in the Mendiola Massacre, in the Hacienda Luisita Massacre, and those,
oh, God,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who would have met with their
own gruesome demise had we, in one moment of insanity, thrown our own assigned
grenade?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For a time, we kept the grenade in a
relative’s apartment together with a stockpile of the five volumes of Mao Tse
Tung’s writings, which were in our custody as ED (Education Department) head of
the national party group in the workers’ trade union sector. After a time, we
surrendered it to the HO (higher organ): we wouldn’t be good grenade exploders.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Only then were we told, as a matter
of side talk, that the grenade came from Ninoy.</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part 3</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Dante Cookie</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friend and kumpadre Diego
Cagahastian,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>News Editor of the Manila
Bulletin, came to see us shortly after the EDSA 1 to break the news that our
common friend, Felix Dalay, had won the contract with Cine Suerte to film the
life story of Bernabe Buscayno aka Kumander Dante. Diego suggested that we
co-write the screenplay for the film project, a very welcome idea as far as we
were concerned. Film assignments had been long in the coming during those days
and the opportunity offered some relief from what was virtually a long drought
in earnings. More importantly, however,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>was the fact that it would truly be a great honor to do the film on the
legendary hero who had been in our high esteem since as far back as the late
sixties.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was 1969. The Age of the
Aquarius hadn’t quite begun, and if the Philippines were a volcano, society was
just manifesting the early tremors of a full-blown eruption that would take
place at the advent of the 70s.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>
</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All of a sudden Kumander Dante was
the hero of the hour, landing the pages of newspapers and magazines, and radio
and television programs, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
readings thus far on Philippine history had already discredited Rizal as a hero
and had as a consequence entrenched in our consciousness the image of Bonifacio
as the real hero in the upheavals of 1896. Dante’s bursting into the media had
the effect of reinforcing our regard for Bonifacio, for, indeed, Dante was
being projected as the Bonifacio of the modern times. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the time, we were editing our
second magazine and we took much pride from carrying, too, in our publication
an editorial on the young Supremo of the just-organized New People’s Army,
together with a photo which we lifted from other publications – the one single
photograph of the man that was being published anytime, anywhere during that
period. We didn’t know why, but shortly after that issue came out, we found
waiting at our office a rather coy pretty lady whom our publisher introduced to
us as Juliet Delima. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We didn’t know Juliet from Adam and
she didn’t give us any opportunity to find out anything about her except her
name, for a couple of minutes or so after the introduction, she begged leave
and went. Only this year, when the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>current Commissioner on Human Rights Leila Delima was revealed as a
relative of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the wife of CPP founder Jose
Maria Sison, have we realized that that coy pretty lady introduced to us at our
editorial office in 1969 as Juliet Delima could be the same woman referred to
now as wife of the topmost communist in the country.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Why Juliet went to see us then, we
don’t know. And why she rather mysteriously chose to leave after being
introduced to us, was the greater mystery, but one which we would no longer
bother about. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But the EDSA revolt in
February 1986 had resulted in the installation of Cory as president of the
nation and among her first acts upon assuming power was the release of top
communist leaders Jose Maria Sison and, our hero, Bernabe Buscayno aka Kumander
<br />
Dante. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Pursuing the opportunity to write
Dante’s story on film, Diego and us got an interview with the former NPA chief
during which Juliet all of a sudden must come to our mind again. The NPA was an
infant armed group in 1969 and it could use all support it could gather. Our
play up of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dante in our editorial must
have impressed upon the wife of the communist party founder that we were a
potential sympathizer. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The interview took place in a
well-appointed farm which was placed at our complete<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>disposal by a friend, who never bothered to
ask what the occasion was. That’s one good thing about being a filmmaker. You
get to do things which otherwise are sensitive but which are passed off by
observers as routine matters.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over a simple native lunch, our talk
began on a cordial note. We particularly reminisced on an idea hatched up among
friends to get him out of detention during one of his morning walks at Camp
Crame; the gambit was to make him masquerade as somebody else, complete with a
wig, moustache and barong attire. Even before EDSA 1, we were already
contemplating to do a movie on Dante’s life, and if the getaway succeeded, it
would be a good marketing strategy for the project. Dante was amused by the
scenario but thought it was workable.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, the meeting turned out to be just
exploratory talks. Dante did signal his consent to the movie project we were
proposing but didn’t quite make any commitment that he would give such consent
to us. It turned out, as early as then, the so-called rift between the RA
(reaffirm) and the RJ (rejection), semantics on the ideological differences
between the Sison faction and that of those opposing his line in the
revolutionary movement, was already underway and our sponsor to Dante happened
to be in the anti-Sison camp. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Diego and us were left out in the
cold for the screenplay job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when
finally the film project was shown, we had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>good reason to sigh with relief. The Ricky Lee-written photoplay was a
monumental flop. Was it a foreboding of the debacle Dante would meet with in
his subsequent run for the senate in 1987? He suffered a monumental<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>defeat. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But then, as an old Chinese sot
goes, “Nuns sing different tunes in different mountains.” Diego and us would
definitely not have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>done a Ricky Lee.
For us, that interview with Dante had been most enlightening and we would have
endeavored to share our enlightenment with the broad masses of the people.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dante admitted that he and Sison had
not been acquainted with each other prior to a meeting held to join up their
efforts at launching a revolution. Their meeting was facilitated by Tarlac
Governor Apin Yap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that meeting, it
was agreed upon<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to re-establish a
breakaway communist party from the old merger party, the Partido Komunista ng
Pilipinas-Partido Sosyalista ng Pilipinas, and a new armed group, the New
People’s Army (NPA), composed of breakaway guerilla troops from the Hukbalahap.
It was as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>direct results of this meeting
that the Communist Party of the Philippines was established on December 26,
1968 and the New People’s Army (NPA), March 29, 1969, The meeting was held at
Hacienda Luisita. Presiding over the meeting was the main broker in the
Sison-Dante tandem – Ninoy Aquino.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These are the true essentials which
in our hands would have turned the Dante material into a vehicle for shattering
myths in Philippine revolution thereby freeing the minds of the people
continuously being fettered by false gods and fake heroes. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part 4</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Sacrifice A King</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>fortune of us all, there has been a wealth of speeches and revealing
utterances by Ninoy that has been preserved on video. With Ninoy gone and with
the volumes of literature and journalistic records about him rendered not
absolutely reliable due to the nature and circumstances of their publications,
there can be no better proof of what he really was than the words he spoke, how
he spoke those words and in what context he spoke them. Perhaps the producers
of these video presentations had never intended it, but their works now
constitute a most precious legacy by which the discerning may attain a true
unadulterated<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>understanding of Ninoy –
forever. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A case in point, a video clip taken of him prior to
boarding the China Airlines jet that took him to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Manila International Airport that fateful
noon of August 21, 1983. Ninoy explains to those in front of him (presumably
journalists, not in camera) the features of the bullet-proof vest he would be
wearing when he disembarks from the plane, after which he enjoins his
listeners: “You have to be very ready with your hand camera, because this could
become very fast. It could be all over in a matter of three, four minutes, you
know… (laughs) And I may not be able to talk to you again after this.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From the video clip, three astounding elements stare
us in the face. Firstly, that Ninoy knew he was going to be shot, hence the
protective bullet-proof vest. Secondly, that he knew he was going to be shot
not on a spot elsewhere in the airport but right as soon as he steps down from
the China Airlines plane, hence his injunction: “It could be all over in a
matter of three, four minutes...” Thirdly, that he knew he would be picked up
by whoever not on any other plane but the China Airlines jet.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the first element, while he took the precaution
to protect his body from gunshot with the vest, he admitted that he was
defenseless if he would be shot on the head. In any case, he was sure death was
coming, not elsewhere, not later, but here and now, and yet he went on with the
journey back home and walked right into his death.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In another video clip, a text precedes the
presentation proper: “What do you call a man who knowingly walks into his
death? Where I come from, we call that a… MORON!!!” </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">No, that’s foul. Ninoy was an intelligent man, oh,
too intelligent to be fathomed by ordinary mortals. That despite knowing he
would be walking into his death yet went walking right into it only
demonstrates the exceedingly high level of intelligence Ninoy possessed. It was
a superhuman kind of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>intelligence, one
that gave him a full grasp of the wondrous workings of dialectics which enabled
him to be strong at his weakest, to turn failure into success, and execute<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that divine magic of springing back to life
from death. Because magic, none of us non-supermen ever noticed it, but it was
there that midday of August 21, 1983, the greatest political sleight of hand
transpiring right under our very eyes.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From Boston, Ninoy flies to Los Angeles, then to
Singapore, then to Johore, then to Hongkong, and finally<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to Taipei for the final flight to Manila. The
idea is to lose anybody monitoring his moves and thereby assure his successful
return to Manila. In the Tina Monzon Palma AVP, Ken Kashiwara, Lupita Aquino’s
husband who accompanied Ninoy in the trip, quotes Ninoy’s words to the effect
that just for him to be able to land in Manila would be victory enough. That
sufficiently explains the vest – to protect him from getting killed before
reaching Manila. As soon as the China Airlines jet stops on the tarmac,
uniformed Avsecom soldiers together with security personnel clad in barong
tagalog board the plane, search down the aisle until they pinpoint Ninoy whom
they accost and lead out of the plane, not through the customary tube that
leads to the arrival lounge but down the stairs, with the exit door being
closed and secured by the men in barong tagalog to prevent anybody else from
following. And then, presto! A shot rings out, followed immediately by
successive bursts of gunfire. The next thing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>people realize is that Ninoy is sprawled on the tarmac, visibly dead,
close by the dead body of the “man in blue,” who days later will be identified
as Rolando Galman, the supposed assassin of Ninoy.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Going back to the Ninoy interview, we shudder at
realizing that everything perfectly fell into place as Ninoy had cautioned: the
soldiers’ precise zeroing in on the plane (“…this could be very fast…”); the
swiftness (“It could be all over in three, four minutes…); the shot in the head</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(which
Ninoy admitted having no defense from at all.) </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was like a brilliantly-scripted
movie finale, where each and everyone of the partakers did their parts
precisely according to the instructions of the director. There was no way
Ninoy,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the soldiers and the barong-clad
security personnel could have reacted to one another if they were not acting
from the instructions of a single, common director.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Several planes were landing that
day. Why didn’t the soldiers board any other planes? Ninoy could have been
aboard any of these. Bear in mind that Ninoy was travelling under an assumed
name: Marcial Bonifacio. This meant the soldiers could not determine which
plane Ninoy would be taking based on passengers’ manifest. The normal move
would be for the soldiers to search every plane that came in and check the
identity of every passenger aboard </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But we must admit that surely good intelligence work
could easily identify early on in Taipeh<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>which plane<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he would be on, then
convey the information in advance to operatives at the Manila International
Airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prudent thing to do, once
the plane was pinpointed, would be for the soldiers to take him, as they did,
rush him to the waiting Avsecom van, whisk him away, and if they must finish
Ninoy, finish him in some isolated nook, away from the eyes of witnesses. But
no, they shot him in midday, under the prying eyes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
throng of witnesses and the glare of cameras, and in the presence of thousands
of Ninoy’s supporters who could easily turn the event into a violent
rampage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the most disturbing thing about it really was
that Ninoy knew it would be “very fast” and would be “all over in three, four
minutes”, which discounted every possibility of him getting shot elsewhere.
Ninoy knew to the littlest detail that things would turn out the way they did. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And Ninoy could not have gained such exquisite
prescience<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unless, first, he was God,
which he was not, or second, he was, indeed as in a movie shoot, the director
of the show. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The video
presentation, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beyond Conspiracy: 25
Years After</i>” by the Worldwide Foundation for People Power, gives us an
astonishing hint on the issue. Hosting the AVP,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tina Monzon Palma likens the Marcos-Ninoy conflict to a chess match.
After an engrossing series of valuable documentation and testimonials by
respectable personalities in Philippine business and politics, which depicts
what are described as the brilliant moves the two traded in the political chess
game, Tina makes the staggering conclusion: “In the end, Ninoy won his
political chess game with Marcos by doing the unthinkable – in a manner of speaking,
he<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sacrificed the King.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, in chess, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sacrifice
</i>is a maneuver in which a higher-value piece, say, a knight or a bishop, is
exchanged for a lesser-value one, i.e. a pawn, for the purpose of gaining a
positional advantage leading to victory. Along this concept, the highest
sacrifice that could be made is that of the Queen, the point of triumph being
the survival of the King.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But that’s in chess, where you play with inanimate
objects – and the king never gets sick or operated on for heart ailment and so
remains capable of ruling, cannot be sacrificed until captured. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In political
struggles where the stakes are high and alive – economic fortunes, like the
biggest sugar land in Asia; political power, the awesome Philippine
presidency;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the social
respectability that goes with the two, like the heroism of Ninoy and the
sainthood of Cory – and more so when the attainment of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>high and living stakes must be made in a
frenzied race against time, battles are won through unorthodox – truly indeed,
unthinkable – methods. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In one of his speeches in the United States, Ninoy
had declared: “The Filipino is worth dying for.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The sentimentalism endemic in the phraseology and
the imagery that as though in a sudden burst of brilliance was crystallized in
Ninoy’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>photo as he laid lifeless on the
MIA tarmac instantly turned the quote into the battle cry in surges upon surges
of indignant masses in protest rallies and demonstrations, in prayer meetings,
and in other sorts of mass protest actions, each one of which contributed to
the final pressure upon Marcos to call for a presidential snap election. Marcos
won the count but Cory cried “Cheat”, and continuously armed with the battle
cry, Cory went on to mobilize millions in her civil disobedience campaign,
culminating in EDSA 1. And as the cliché goes, the rest is history.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cory became president.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As to Ninoy, he had the privilege of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>executing an act of supreme arrogance. In
that celebrated speech in Los Angeles February of 1981, Ninoy declared, voice
quivering with grim confidence: “But while I have vowed never to enter the
political arena again, I shall dedicate the last drop of my blood to the
restoration of freedom and the dismantlement of your (Marcos) martial law.”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For whom did Ninoy sacrifice his King? For the
Filipino worth dying for? Or for the Filipino coward? Either way, the words
amount to nothing but salt to injury. The hard fact is, whether courageous or
coward, Filipinos continued to wallow in misery. But Cory proceeded to bask in
the power and the glory of the presidency. That’s the harder fact.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao stretched
his back against the backrest of his chair, pausing as he thought of words by
which to put his closing sentences. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ninoy’s death
had been good after all,” he told himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took more than three months for Ka Mao to
finish the essay, but now that he was ready to write finish, he could<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not get himself to sigh with relief, as all
writers do whenever they type out with emphasis the number “30” at the end of
their manuscripts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One question was
bothering him. If he typed out the words now teetering at his fingertips, would
he be doing right? One thing sure, he would be putting at stake his whole
reputation as a writer. Surely it was not much of a reputation, but nonetheless
it was something he and his family at least would love to treasure. A wrong
conclusion for the piece could ruin his writing career.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Good death,
good death.,” he repeated the phrase in his mind.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ahh..” Ka Mao
wrung his head. What’s good about a death that had succeeded only in bringing
the oligarchs back to power? It restored democracy, was the popular notion
about the EDSA rising. Not just by the Philippine ruling elite but by the
massess at large as well, ever gullible at the propaganda by the rich. But was democracy
restored? Of what use is democracy if it is not for the poor! Hardly did he
realize it was Marcos who actually wrote those words in the past.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then
suddenly he lit up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Good death,
good death,” Ka Mao now murmured to himself as he prepared to type on the
computer keyboard. Why, that’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">euthanasia</i>
in Greek!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Euthanasia is
something the law allows to be administered by doctors to a dying patient so as
not to prolong his agony anymore. Ninoy was a terminal case, having undergone
triple heart bypass operation, though this had been a secret that his physician
had sworn to carry to his grave. But then, as Psinakis feared about in his
phone conversation with Ninoy, time was running out as far as concerned Ninoy’s
obsession to dismantle the Marcos dictatorship. Only way to bring this about
was to get himself killed and thereby spark the chaos that led to EDSA 1986.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao felt very
strongly that he saw a clear unifying thread between the assassination of Ninoy
and the downfall of Marcos. In fact, he saw that unifying thread going through
a labyrinth of events not happening as independent phenomena but appearing to
be masterly crafted in tight interrelation with one another in order to
accomplish a singular intention.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From the
brokering by Ninoy of the meeting between Jose Maria Sison and Kumander Dante,
which meeting resulting to the re-establishment of the Communist Party of the
Philippines and the New People’s Army; to the spread of the conflagration that
was the National Democratic Movement; the failure of Ninoy and his cohorts to
prevent the declaration of Martial Law; the continued defiance by Ninoy of the
Marcos dictatorship, albeit in incarceration; the intervention by US on the
triple heart bypass operation of Ninoy in America, the subsequent frenzied
campaign by Ninoy in America for the dismantlement of the Marcos dictatorship;
and finally the return of Ninoy that fateful August 21, 1983 when Ninoy
foretold to the littlest detail his assassination at the MIA tarmac. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao saw that from
that day on until the so-called EDSA People Power Revolt the dismantling of the
Marcos dictatorship had been a done deal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So now as Ka Mao
readied his fingers to write 30 to his essay, he gritted his jaws, indicating
his firm resolve to stand pat on his conclusion. His fingers struck the keys of
his computer keyboard<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">: Ninoy sacrificed the King and by so doing
caused the ascension of the Queen to the throne.</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER IV</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">WITHIN
HOJRS</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
from the bombing of Plaza Miranda, Marcos went on television issuing the proclamation
suspending the writ of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">habeas corpus.</i>Already,
this foreboded of the greater Marcosian act which Ninoy had wanted to prevent:
the declaration of martial law. Was it a mere coincidence that while the strike
movement intensified to pestering if not fearsome proportion in the period
after the Plaza Miranda bombing, the natdem movement convulsed with greater
fury, now clearly involving not just the middle class but a good section of the
oligarchy too. Toward the end of 1971, the Movement of Concerned Citizens for
Civil Liberties (MCCCL) took the frontlines of marches and rallies lambasting
Marcos, exposing his design for the institution of martial rule in the country
and calling for mass uprising to stop it. The personages in these mass protest
actions included elites in Philippine politics like Senators Lorenzo Tanada,
Jose W. Diokno, Eva Estrada Kalaw and prominent publisher Don Joaquin “Chino”
Roces.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was during this period that Ka Mao presented his film on the strike movement to
a cheering throng at the St. Scholastica auditorium, climaxed by an
exhilarating mass singing of the NPA theme, “Bandilang Pula (Red Flag)”:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tangan
ko sa kamay ang badilang pula</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Held
up high in my hand the red banner of war)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tungo
sa tagumpay</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Onward
to victory)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Anumang
hirap ay tinitiis</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Whatever
difficulties I will bear)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>May
sugat man sa dibdib</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(No
matter the wound on my chest}</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Iwagayway
and bandilang pula</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Bravely
wave the banner red)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rebolusyon
ating isulong</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Revolution
we push on and on)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>May
maso’t karet, may gintong kasaysayan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(It’s
hammer and sickle, pride in golden history)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Di
kita iwawalay sa hirap at kamatayan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Never
shall I forsake in dire sufferings nor in death)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kahit
masawi niyaring buhay, buong ngiting iaalay</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(If
my life be the single prize,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gladly I
offer as prize)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ang
hiling bago pumanaw ay isang halik sa bandilang pula</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(My
only wish before I die is one single kiss to my dear banner red)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
at advent of 1972, the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MCCCL rallies
were<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>clearly taking the initiative in
the struggle against the impending Marcos one-man rule. And Ka Mao was simply
perplexed when he was summoned by Banero and instructed to be done with the
strike movement. He was told to focus rather on the campaign against “US
imperialism and its hireling the Marcos puppet regime.” The good soldier that
he was, he shifted to publishing articles combating the oil price hike, a hot
issue which was easily linked to US control of the Philippine economy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao didn’t relish the job. His conviction had always been that US imperialism
was not the enemy of the working class. He believed the anti-US imperialist
line was a handiwork of so-called nationalist bourgeoisie desiring to oust US
capitalists from control of the nation’s economy and put themselves in that
position. Lying low on the strike movement could only strike Ka Mao as a
maneuver to subordinate the working class struggle to the struggle of native
capitalists. This fear was confirmed when Banero informed Ka Mao that the party
Central Committe had ruled that party elements under the National Trade Union
Bureau would henceforth be subordinate to the Regional Party Committee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Is
that ruling final,” Ka Mao asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
were riding a car crossing the Guadalupe Bridge on Epifanio de los Santos
Avenue when the incident happen. Banero appeared weakening inside as he trained
his eyes ahead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We
will appeal,” he said lamely.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Banero
had picked up Ka Mao from the KASAMA headquarters for a discussion of plans for
holding a big workers rally in commemoration of Labor Day. Banero informed Ka
Mao that Marcos was about ready to declare martial law. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
labor day rally must be a showcase of the workers determination to combat
martial law in the event Marcos declares it,” Banero said. Ka Mao thought he
heard Banero saying, “Let’s show them we don’t deserve the treatment the Party
is doing to us.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
a subsequent meeting among leaders of various progressive secrors <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>held at the executive office of the Philippine
College of Commerce, a May Day Revolutionary Committee was formed. Designated
Chairman of the committee was Felixberto Olalia, grand leader of MASAKA, a
giant organization of peasants in Central Luzon. Ka Mao was named Secretary
General. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
designation surprised Ka Mao. He didn’t work for it; too much self-respect kept
him away from making any initiatives at getting named to any post of leadership
in the revolutionary movement. To be designated now as Gensec of a
revolutionary committee indicated to him that somebody or people in the higher
echelon of leadership in the revolutionary movement was or were acting as his
patron/patrons for top posts in the movement. In any case, Ka Mao never cared
finding out who these patrons were. He kept to his own criterion for conduct in
the revolutionary movement: perform whatever tasks given him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His
failure to throw the grenade in the US Embassy rally was a very rare exception.
He was on the verge of doing it and would have escaped in the ensuing melee,
but what he felt as a kind of revolutionary prudence prevailed on him at the last
minute. What good would throwing that grenade do? At best it could kill a
number of policemen, but if it did, would killing cops sent there to keep peace
and order advance the cause of liberating workers from oppression and
exploitation? If he were assured that it would, then he would not have
exercised the prudence he found himself following, but because it did not give
him such assurance even in the remotest measure, he held himself back from
throwing the grenade.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Surprisingly,
Ka Mao was not reprimanded for his failure to throw that grenade. Now he felt
he was even being rewarded with his designation as Secretary General of the May
Day Revolutionary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
time, however, something really big was expected of him at the job. As May 1
drew near, he increasingly felt the burden. Whatever that big thing was, how it
would take place and where he would figure in the scheme, Ka Mao wouldn’t know.
Neither would he ask nor did any of those he was getting directives from would
tell. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Actions
in the movement were being directed by people working behind the scenes. The
legal mass organizations did the actions as apparently directed by the open
leaders of these mass organizations. In the case of the May Day Revolutionary
Committee, it did not actually did the nitty gritty of mobilizing forces for
the planned May Day celebration. Activists of the participating mass
organizations did the job according to directives by the Communist Party of the
Philippines through its sectoral organs, i.e., for Kabataang Makabayan and
Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan through the Youth and Students Bureau,
MAKIBAKA through the Women’s Bureau, and for KASAMA through the National Trade
Union Bureau or NTUB, which Banero headed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
the eve of May Day, the details of the planned mass action were discussed by
the KASAMA party group, with Banero, assisted by Ka Willy, leading the
discussion. Though Banero conducted the meeting in his characteristic soft,
amiable manner, his instructions sounded ominous to Ka Mao. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
watch Ka Mao’s back all the time,” Banero told Ka Leo, Ka Mao’s deputy in the
Education Department of the KASAMA Party Group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So
I stand to be stabbed from behind,” Ka Mao quipped kiddingly, eliciting a cold,
stern reprimanding stare from Banero.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Safety
precaution,” said Ka Willy with that ubiquituous wide smile bringing out his
deep dimples that somehow softened the chiding glare in his eyes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Actually
what horrified Ka Mao was the fact that Ka Leo was a lean follow, taller than
him to be sure but had a frame so frail that Ka Mao doubted if he would be able
to repel any assailant from behind. Anyway, Banero’s instructions foreboded to
Ka Mao some violent chaos the likes of May Day Massacre of 1971 or the Battle
of Mediola in 1970.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Inwardly,
Ka Mao already cringed with horror.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">MAY DAY 1972 saw Mendiola being filled
to the seams by marchers and rallyists that had converged on the historic
street from various sections of the metropolis. Leaders of the Revolutionary
Committee were at the head of the march. Ka Bert Olalia under the streamer of
MASAKA, Dr. Dante Simbulan, the Committee’s Vice Chair, among student
activists, and Ka Mao and Ka Peter San Pedro, KASAMA’s president, at the head
of various workers’ groups carrying their respective streamers, banners and
slogans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tension
hung in the air as the marchers swerved from different directions, clogging the
narrow entrance to Mendiola. This entrance, the narrow, short Chino Roces
Bridge, had the semblance of an octopus with it as the head, its tentacles
branching out forward (Recto Avenue), to the left (Ayala Avenue), and to the
right (Legarda St.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In ordinary times,
this interplay of intersections caused the area to be prone to heavy traffic.
All the more now must the area be clogged by both pedestrian and vehicular
traffic as the ten thousand-strong rally executed a veritable occupation of the
entire stretch of Mendiola, from the bridge and up to the very gates of
Malacanang Palace. The marchers only stopped as a phalanx of Metrocom soldiers
blocked their path. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In front of the
soldiers’ formation were three layers of troops armed merely with shields and
truncheons. Maximum tolerance had become a popular term alluding to the minimum
use of force by state troopers against mass expression of the freedom of speech
and assembly. But that maximum tolerance had only been a hypocritical glossing
over of state fascism had always been borne by the fact that behind the
frontlines of apparently minimally-armed soldiers were troopers in full battle
gear. This was the case that afternoon. Behind the apparently less fearsome
troopers in the frontlines were formidable arrays of soldiers wielding M-16
rifles, sticking close to the Malacanang gates, ready to fire away at whoever
would dare crash through the presidential palace.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
was why it was not the usual kind of tension that pervaded. Ordinarily people
would expect such a confrontation to break out into physical skirmish that in
the end would send the rallyists scampering to safety. And then it would be
over, turning into a mere segment of the cliché which the so-called
anti-fascist demonstrations had actually become.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This time,
however, the tension was not for observers of the event to feel but felt
particularly by either side in the confrontation. As though having been briefed
that the rally was planned to make a crash attempt through the gates of
Malacanang, the Metrocom soldiers manifested frayed nerves, as indicated by the
nervous beating of their sticks on their palms, as bullies would to intimidate
guys who get the guts to face up to them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the other
hand, there was a kind of nervous tameness in the manner the main speakers
delivered their speeches. They did not sound as militant and daring as the
speakers in the past May Day rally in Congress who after a few incendiary call
to arms sent activists lobbing pillboxes at the Metrocom soldiers guarding the
entrance of the legislature. Ka Mao saw that this was the expectation of
members of the Armed City Partisans (ACPs) whom he recognized among the crowd
just a breath away from the front columns of Metrocom soldiers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The ACPs were an
elite combat group trained specifically for guerilla warfare in the city. These
combatants operated under the direction of Banero for the CPP military
commission, but since Banero headed the National Trade Union Bureau, too, the
ACPs were quartered in the UG house of the NTUB where Ka Mao had become
acquainted with them, though he had been familiar with them already in the open
mass movement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And so as Ka
Peter San Pedro was obviously heading for the conclusion of his speech and none
of the crowd was responding in a manner indicating they were about to burst in
violent confrontation with the state troopers, the ACPs were making frantic eye
signals for Ka Mao to take the mike and make the call for battle. Ka Babette
Esrada, the youngish lady who was the open leader of the mass organization
Movement for a Democratic Philippines (MDP), sidled up to Ka Mao and with
similar panicky manner urged Ka Mao to grab the microphone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some sections of
the crowd directly in confrontation with the state troopers in the front lines
began bracing themselves for trouble. In response, some troopers made harder
beating of their sticks on their palms while other began pressing close to one
another, holding their shields in front of them so as form a veritable wall of
defense.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the great
multitude of rallyists didn’t appear fired up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Babette egged
Ka Mao, “Come on, Ka Mao, take the mike.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I have not been
scheduled to speak,” Ka Mao said. “Ka Peter had been introduced as the last
speaker.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The people are
not getting inflamed,” said Ka Babette.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Obviously Ka
Babette had grown accustomed, too, to Ka Mao’s capacity of agitating workers in
strike areas. The workers were wont to ask for pill box bombs at the end of his
speeches, ready to do battle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Hector, a
dark, robust fellow stared hard at Ka Mao as he dug his hand into a cloth bag
in which he was actually clutching a hand grenade.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Come on, Ka
Mao. Come on,” prodded Ka Babette.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao took a
second just exchanging stares with Ka Hector and then another second staring at
Ka Babette as he finally gritted his jaws, finally determined to do as he was
asked. But meantime Ka Peter had ended his speech and as the crowd reacted
weakly, the emcee took the mike and announced the end of the program.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And with those
words from the brave president of KASAMA, we end this our militant
commemoration of May Day, the day the world proletariat signaled their
determination to take destiny into their own hands. Down with US imperialism.
Down with feudalism. Down with bureaucrat capitalism. Long live the working
class of the world.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Most
of the crowd responded in stereotype manner and then began turning away even as
a small section surrounding the stage improvised on top of a passenger jeepney
broke into the closing singing of the Internationale, led also by the emcee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Bangon
sa pagkakabusbos, bangon alipin ng gutom</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Arise
from your wretched existence, slaves of hunger break loose from your chains)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao, Ka Babette, and Ka Hector exchanged weak stares and then feeling defeated
joined in the singing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER V</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">WHAT EXACTLY the May Day Revolutionary Committee
had been planned to accomplish, Ka Mao had not bothered to know; nor did anyone
from the higher Party organs care to explain. But judging from the actual
outcome, May Day 1972 was the most peaceful May Day celebration in the country
in recent memory. And what effect this peaceful outcome had on the overall
revolutionary movement may be gleaned from the fact that afterward, the workers
strike movement appeared to loosen up on taking initiatives in the revolution.
At the forefront of subsequent big rallies and demonstrations was the MCCCL,
indicating the growing influence of the country’s elite class through the pettybourgeoisie
over the Philippine revolutionary movement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
should come as no surprise therefore that when Martial Law was proclaimed on
September 22, 1972, among the first to be arrested and incarcerated were the
leading personalities in the MCCCL led by Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. These
leaders appeared to be lumped together with smuggling lord Lino Bocalan and
drug lord Lim Seng, who was executed by firing squad.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Quite
surprisingly, none of the leaders of the May Day Revolutionary Committee or the
big names in the open workers strike movement was a victim of arrest and
detention. This indicated clearly that Marcos played selective enforcement of
martial rule, separating, in a manner of speaking, the chaff from the grain,
distinguishing between the real parties-in-interest in the revolutionary
movement and the innocent partakers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao was among those not touched by Martial Law. This did not intrigue him at
all. He thought he was conducting himself so prudently in the circumstances,
giving the enemy no reason at all to suspect him. One time he needed to come to
Ka Nap and the Philacor group, he suddenly realized state troopers were
patrolling the area in Mandaluyong where the group met. As had been his habit,
he was lugging in his hands folders and envelopes containing incriminating
revolutionary documents. Making a quick decision, Ka Mao thought it not wise to
change direction and avoid the troopers; that would arouse their suspicion.
Instead he approached the soldiers and inquired from them on where to find an
address he said he was looking for. One soldier directed him where to go. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
two significant developments early on in the martial law era crystallized in Ka
Mao the real reason why he had been spared from arrest and detention. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In 1973, Banero
was said to have deserted the CPP, and while back to resuming his college
course at the University of Santo Tomas, was gunned down by unidentified
assailants in a manner reminiscent of CPP operatives assassinating erring
elements. Banero had been accused within the Party of being a deep penetration
agent of the government and was believed to have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>been rubbed out because of that. If Banero
were a government agent, then he must have relayed to his superiors in the
Philippine military that Ka Mao was a mere fingerling and did not deserve
attention as did the big fish in the revolutionary movement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
Babette, the lady who had been privy somehow to Ka Mao’s activities in the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>movement, was uncovered to be a Staff
Sergeant in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. She was the same lady who kept
prodding Ka Mao to agitate the crowd in the May Day 1972 rally, which Ka Mao
did not. So what report could Babbette have made to her own superiors in the
Philippine military about Ka Mao but his being a weakling who could not be
responsible for any serious offense by the movement? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao had a hard time figuring out how these developments could have anything to
do with his suddenly getting ex-communicated by the Party at the time. The
Party Group in the KASAMA was in dire need of leadership. Ka Edwin, the PG
gensec, had fallen into enemy hands. According to Party rules, in the event of
incapacity by the gensec, the OD head should take over, but the rules also
provided that the gensec must be a full-time Party member, and the OD head, Ka
Teng, conitnued until then to be working in the NMI, hence non-full-time Party
member. So the way was open, also according to the rules, for Ka Mao to take
over as gensec of the Party. This he did, and for his first action in the face
of Ka Edwin’s arrest by the military, he hastily moved the group from its
Malibay underground house to a rented room in a Paco. Manila apartment. As a
precaution against detection by government deep penetration agents in the
movement, he pursued a policy of isolating the group from any other party
groups pending contact with the higher Party echelons. He hoped that leading
Party elements could make clear what policy of conduct needed to be pursued in
the martial law situation, particularly on matters of security.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Teng reacted belligerently to the policy of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>isolating the KASAMA Party Group. When he met
up with Ka Mao at a cheap eatery that afternoon, he was none any of the
amiable, ever-smiling fellow that he had been known for. He was ready to pick a
physical fight had Ka Mao only bit at his provocation. But Ka Mao kept his
cool. There was nothing personal in his differences with Ka Teng. All he wanted
was to keep the KASAMA Party Group safe. How Ka Edwin fell into enemy hands
hadn’t been cleared up yet. Previous to this, Ka Felix, Ka Rowena’s deputy at
the Finance Department, had reportedly been arrested and detained for a time.
The party unit had quickly moved to another UG house as a result of this. Then
suddenly at the new UG house, Ka Felix appeared, inwardly astounding the unit
members. Ka Felix explained the circumstances of his arrest and detention and
then eventual release by the military. The party unit didn’t appear convinced
by the explanation. In a secret huddle, the rest of the unit decided to change
UG houses, and that’s why they came to move into the Malibay UG house,
completely isolating themselves from Ka Felix. In that same token, Ka Mao
decided to have the party unit distanced from Ka Teng.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Teng had consistently refused to resign from his post as mechanic at the
Northern Motors, Incorporated until he was assured of leadership in the KASAMA
Party Group. He had confided this attitude to Ka Mao during one discussion on
just what serving the people really meant. So Ka Teng was putting a personal
price for serving in the revolution. And it came to be the yardstick for Ka
Mao’s evaluation of Ka Teng. When Ka Edwin fell into enemy hands, Ka Mao had
much worry about placing the KASAMA Party Group under the command of Ka Teng.
For this reason, Ka Mao stood steadfast in keeping the party unit isolated
pending clearance from party higher-ups.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
table where Ka Mao and Ka Teng discussed was bare but for a bottle of Coca Cola
each on which they drank as they talked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Let’s
not quarrel over this, Ka Teng,” Ka Mao told the robust, short fellow whose
white, Chinesey complexion was red from rage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
you are doing is splitism,” growled Ka Teng, his clenched left fist pressed
hard on the table while his right hand gripped the Coca Cola tighly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
Ka Mao it looked as though Ka Teng was contemplating on slamming the bottle
into his face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
trying hard to establish contact with the Party. What splitism are you talking
about?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re
splitting the unit from me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
not denying you contact with me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re
denying me contact with my unit.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
don’t think you have a complete claim to the unit as your own. Not as yet, at
least.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
am OD head. I assert my right to succeed to the post vacated by Ka Edwin due to
his arrest.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
cannot succeed to the post. You are not a full-time party member.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Suddenly
Ka Teng found occasion to let out his amiably impish smile. He declared, “I had
resigned from NMI.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
information rather staggered Ka Mao, “Oh… Since when?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
resigned this morning. I am a full-time party member now,” declared Ka Teng
triumphantly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
got Ka Mao tongued-tied. Staring hard at Ka Teng, he gulped what remained of
the Coca Cola from the bottle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER VI</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Smarting
to himself, Ka Mao trudged the sidewalk, his gait as though attuned to the
strains of the Martial Law theme blared out by a public address system
somewhere in the vicinity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He
signaled for a passing passenger jeepney to stop. It wouldn’t. Two Metrocom
soldiers courteously approached him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Please
take your ride at the jeepney stop.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao eyed the soldiers inquisitively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Disiplina
po tayo,” said one soldier. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao caught sight of the sign done in big bold letters painted on a wall: “Sa
ikauunlad ng bayan disiplina ang kailangan (For the country to progress, let us
have discipline.)”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao glanced around to notice order in the surroundings. Unlike before when
people would spill out right into the street in walking in the city, this time
they were walking orderly on the sidewalks. Instead of crossing the streets
indiscriminaely, this time they used the pedestrian lanes. And instead of
elbowing one another in getting inside transportation vehicles, passengers
queued at the bus and jeepney stops.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao couldn’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>help betraying a feeling of
satisfaction at the sights.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Joining
the queue at the jeepney stop, Ka Mao observed that what was transpiring was a
complete reverse of the chaotic city streets particularly in the period
immediately preceding the declaration of Martial Law. Then people were
unregulated in moving around in the city, even more so when dominated by the
so-called street parliamentarians advocating social order but ironically using
methods of disorder. For one so used to city chaos, in fact one who directly
participated in creating that chaos, the obtaining peace and order should be
most welcome. Ka Mao delighted at the smooth way people were loading themselves
into the public transportation vehicles, quite in contrast to the jostling one
needed to do in the past in order to get a ride.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao sat comfortably inside the jeepney which he took. He contented himself just
listening to the talk of folks expressing delight at the obtaining orderliness
around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Have
you seen our streets as clean as this in the past?” asked one woman, then
answered her question, “Naaah! The whole city stank from rubbish thrown
indiscriminately all around.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Look
at our sidewalks and walls,” said another woman. “All spruced up. Street
sweepers diligently making sure they are neat and clean all the time.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An
elderly man who spoke with an air of authority remarked, “It’s really high time
an iron-fist rule obtain in our land. You know, we Filipinos are a disparate
nation, with different breeding and conflicting cultures. There is no other way
to harmonize these differences but through a strong arm method.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
youth, obviously a student as could be told from the things he carried,
interjected, “That’s just like saying Marcos Martial Law is good.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Indeed,
it’s good!” exclaimed the elderly man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“He
jailed our leaders. All of the opposition, he arrested without warrants. You
call that good?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Marcos
arrested no one who was not after personal selfish political ambition. He did
not jail anyone for being a true leader of the people,” declared the elderly
man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
young man spoke in protest, “Ninoy, Diokno, Tanada…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Suits
them fine!” yelled the elderly man, silencing the young man who stared, keeping
his disgust to himself.“They all desired to put the oligarchs in political
supremacy. How else do you expect Marcos to react but get rid of them?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“They
are true leaders of the people,” insisted the young man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
elderly man, sighing subtly, patted the young man on the knee. He said, “Son,
you don’t become a true leader of the people for pursuing your seflish
political ambition. Just make good your studies. You’ve got a lot to learn.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
his state of mind at the time, Ka Mao just found himself raging inside. He
could only sympathize silently with the young man who felt so humbled he didn’t
say a word anymore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was the jeepney driver who cut in, breaking the momentary quiet. He said, “But
where have all the NPAs gone. I thought they would be swooping down on Manila
once Marcos declared martial law. As we can see, it’s all quiet in the city.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, indeed!” Ka Mao exclaimed to
himself. “Everybody was saying chaos would rock society the moment Marcos
instituted martial law. But none such chaos took place. Instead, what’s
happening now is the exact opposite. Peace and order, cleanliness, discipline
all around. Indeed, where has all the revolution gone?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“WHERE HAVE THEY GONE?” asked Ka Mao of
the landlady as he found the rented room of the KASAMA Party Group deserted.
Tell-tale signs of hasty pack-up litter the room.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Search
me,” grumbled the chubby woman whose age was betrayed by wrinkles on the face
and the loosened flesh on the underside of her arm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lightning
bolts and deafening cracks of thunder startled Ka Mao as he threw open the
apartment door, stepping out. From atop the stairs, the landlady’s angry voice
chases him out. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You people don’t even have the decency
of bidding your landlady goodbye. Ah, had I known that you would be leaving the
room that soon… I could have rented it out to others with good manners and
right conduct. ”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao couldn’t care less though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He walks
on out into the street, not minding that he is getting drenched in the starting
rain. That’s how he always had been. No downpour, no matter how heavy, could
sway him away from whatever his mind wanted to reach. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His
shoes splashed through the nascent flood on the gutter as he trudged on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER VII</b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
fall of raindrops on Ka Mao’s face was heavy. But it was never enough to erase
the grit that even grew more intense with every step he made. These steps would
take him on a journey that in one fell swoop he seemed to be crashing through
events yet to come.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
a cheap snack shop, he meets up with Bong, who reveals, “Ka Totoy had told on
us to Ka Glo, who in turn ordered Ka Teng to assert leadership over the whole
Party Group. You must understand Ka Mao that we’re all soldiers that must obey
orders from commanders.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
a workers’ union headquarters, he lectures on seriously listening unionists,
“Lenin said, never forget class conflict. Even in a revolutionary movement,
this tenet determines the action you make. You act according to which side you
take in the struggle between workers and capitalists.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
a rural setting backdropped by a wide expanse of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rice fields, he speaks militantly, “It is not
right to say that because farmers largely outnumber factory workers in the
Philippines, the mode of production is feudal. The minute the native Philippine
bourgeoisie was installed in political power in 1946, capitalism was entrenched
in the country as the dominant economic system. Besides, who are the owners of
factories, like the Aranetas who own the Makabayan Publishing Corporation, but
the same people who own the haciendas. And in these haciendas, like the Yulo
estate in Laguna, the working men are no longer peasants but farm workers,
earning wages not tenant shares. Like what you are now, you have dropped into
that formidable multitude called proletariat. In your hands you hold the
destiny of the Filipino people.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
couple of farmers come forward, carrying a sack of rice, one declaring. “This,
to help tide you over in your undertakings.” Another one speaks with resolve,
“We’re with you. Give us arms.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka
Mao cringes inside him. Where will I get arms? he aches to himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They come
flashing in his mind, the days following the discovery by the Spanish
colonialists of the existence of the Katipunan. The katipuneros must revolt now
in the open, but they had not yet had the arms promised by Dr. Jose Rizal
according to the arrangement in the La Liga Filipina back in 1892.. So Andres
Bonifacio sends an emissary, Dr, Pio Valenzuela, to Dapitan to ask Rizal, there
in exile since 1892, to give the go signal for turning over those arms which
had already arrived in the country aboard a Japanese ship. Rizal demands that
Antonio Luna lead the armed uprising. Bonifacio rages at the demand, refusing
to surrender leadership in the revolt. So the promised arms are not given to
the Katipuneros, which is why when the revolt breaks with the Cry of Balintawak
in August 1896, the Katipuneros are armed with nothing but bolos and bamboo
spears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao is
inwardly raging at feeling the pathos of the Katipunan rising as he and Ka Leo <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>smuggle sacks of firecrackers out of a fish
pond bodega. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“These are powerful firecrackers, all right.
Fishermen use them in improvising dynamites for bombing fish. But how much will
they amount to in pushing a revolution?” Ka Leo says, even as he helps out Ka
Mao in the undertaking,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“A single spark
can start a prairie fire,” retorts Ka Mao, loading the last of the firecrackers
into a canoe and then paddling it across the river toward the other side. “We
can make enough number of pill boxes and explode them in different parts of the
city, creating the conditions for citywide mass insurrection.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Together with
Louie, Ka Mao explodes a number of pillboxes at the Manila City Hall, hiding in
the dark. Then they hurry to take a passing JD Transit Liner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On Espana Extension,
they hurl pill boxes right from inside the speeding bus, blasting them in a car
dealer shop.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a residential
area, they blast pill boxes at the house of a known class enemy, then rush away,
taking a taxi.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the morning,
the two scan several newspapers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Nothing said in
any of the papers,” says Louie rather amusedly, then adds a sarcasm. “Our
revolution is a picnic.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao rages, “Tell
that to those farmers having complete faith in what we bring to them as the
true revolutionary line. They are willing to go our way. How do we admit that we
really don’t have arms? That we are nothing but a handful of scalawags. Determined
dissenters maybe, Devoted to serving the people, yes. But utterly powerless to
provide them the guns they ask to make our revolution real?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tears from his
eyes struggled to get distinguished from raindrops splashing on his face as Ka
Mao trudged on down the street.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His shoes
splashed through the increasing flood waters in the gutter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-25320970470355317402012-12-21T18:59:00.007-08:002012-12-24T16:59:06.405-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>BOOK SIX<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>ROMANCING THE STORM<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Chapter I<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>PCC</b>, as the
Philippine College of Commerce was popularly known, looked less a school than
activists’ camp that night chants of “Welga! Welga! Welga!” (“Strike! Strike!
Strike!) reverberated from one of the classrooms adjoining the corridor that
rounded the quadrangle. To one side of the quadrangle, artist activists have
partitioned among themselves portions to work on for a large mural depicting workers led by one
flailing a sledge hammer; farmers with the leader thrusting a sickle; peasant
women armed with bolos along with two guerilla-attired young men, one pumping
an M-16 to the sky, another waving a red
flag with the acronym “NPA” done in yellow; a group of physicians and
nurses led by someone holding high a
book with the acronym “<i>PSR</i>” on the
cover, with the spelled out title hardly readable: “<i>Philippine Society</i> <i>and Revolution</i>”
together with the by-line: “Amado Guerrero”. All these depicted movements are
directed at caricatures of a fallen Uncle Sam being helped up by a landlord and
a bureaucrat capitalist. Splashed across this composition was the large
caption: “ISULONG ANG DIGMAANG BAYAN”. On the quadrangle stage, a drama group,
identified by a streamer in its background as “GINTONG SILAHIS”, was rehearsing
a skit with one group doing an adagio depicting the poem “<i>Lumuha Ka Aking Bayan (Cry My Dear Country)</i>” being recited in
unison by another group. To the opposite end of the guadrangle, activists
garbed as government soldiers on one side and NPA guerillas on the other
perform a choreography of battle to the tune of “<i>Makibaka, Huwag Matakot</i>,” a Tagalog adaptation of a Chinese
revolutionary song. Here and there on the corridors are DGs (discussion groups)
and in rooms or spacious nooks, teach-ins.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Across the
quadrangle, a guy, short by normal reckoning but dapper in a polo barong,
briskly walked, lugging his brief case. He headed for the room from where came
the continuing call for strike.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welga!
Welga! Welga!” went on the chant by members of KAMAO huddled in the room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Kasama… Mga
kasama…” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao,
standing in front of the group, was urging them to quiet down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welga!
Welga! Welga!” continued the crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed,
standing on the sideline, appeared satisfied. Danny, seated among the crowd,
was anticipating eagerly what Ka Mao would say.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Won’t we
quiet down?” Danny told the crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now entered
the short fellow in polo barong with the brief case. His entrance prompted the
crowd to quiet down as Ed approached him and shook his hand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“O, Jo,”
greeted Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The guy
acknowledged the greeting then faced Ka Mao as he neared.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ka Mao,
this is attorney,” Ed said, introducing the two. “Attorney, si Ka Mao.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“O, Ka
Mao,” said the guy as he took Ka Mao’s handshake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good thing
you’re here. We need you to explain this whole thing.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed beat Ka
Mao to introducing the guest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Kasama,
this is Attorney Jejomar Binay, from the Lupon ng mga Manananggol ng Bansa (Board of Lawyers of the Nation) or
LUMABAN (literally, FIGHT).. He is the lawyer given to us by Dr. Prudente to handle our case.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The crowd applauded
spontaneously, prompting Ka Mao to join them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Just call me Jojo,” said the guy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The crowd
loved the words and clapped their hands once more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well… What
have we got?” asked Jojo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao and
Ed moved at the same time to make the reply so that neither of them could speak
first. Danny rather annoyedly made the response.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“President
Ka Mao presented our union demands yesterday. And this morning the management
gave him his termination papers.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Outright,
unfair labor practice.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Precisely,
Jo. Enough reason to strike,” said Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It
depends,” said Jojo. “Do the members want to strike?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welga!
Welga! Welga!” went the calls one after another across the gathering.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Attorney…,”
said Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Jojo,”
said Jojo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes,
Jojo.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m just
one man slapped with that offense of unfair labor practice. Nothing done to the
rest of the union members.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Those are
always their tactics. They fire one. They fire two. They fire three…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“ Frankly,
Attorney… Jojo… I don’t want the union to go striking all because of me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s not
quite right. The union, if ever, will not be going on strike because of you. It
is because of the whole of you. All of you comprising the union. And it is
wrong to think that it is only you whose employment management is terminating.
It is their standard tactics. They fire one. Two. Three. Before you know it,
they’ve fired everybody.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s why
we need to strike. Now,” cut in Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ed, we’re
discussing,” snapped Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tell us
what to do, Attorney.” Danny said, butting in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“My name is
Jojo.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sorry…
Jojo,” said Danny. “What do we do?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well…
First off, I was sent here by Dr.Prudente to help you with your legal needs.
These needs will most likely come up as a consequence of the strike you are
discussing now. The police beats you up, I’m there to help you file charges
against your assailants. Or you assail the security guards, I’m there to defend
you against any action they make against you. It is not important whether you
are the aggressor or the aggrieved. For either way, I’m there to help you
assert your rights under the law. But as to whether you will go on strike or
not, I’m not here to tell you what to do. The strike is your judgment call.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of a
sudden the crowd burst in a powerful call: “Welga! Welga! Welga!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It enthused
Jojo exceedingly inside. He conveyed the feeling to Ka Mao as he gestured him to
the chanting crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Their
call,” said Jojo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Our call,”
said Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Chapter II<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>RAYS OF THE RISING SUN
</b>appeared to fade in on the faces of
the KAMAO members who with bated breaths and taut nerves were completing
their blitzkrieg into that corner of the Araneta Center where in a large
compound was housed the Makabayan Publishing Corporation. Placard-bearing
strikers lined the concrete wall all the way from that corner to the mesh wire
fence that separated the publishing house compound from the equally large
acreage in which were housed the Araneta cock farm and the Araneta residence
called White House, which immediately adjourned Highway 54. Sparsely spaced,
the picketers were able to cover the entire frontage of the publishing house. A
number of strikers minded the streamer carrying the name of KAMAO, which, held
by a pole on either end, they spread across the gates. At this, the two
security guards assigned there were aroused from their stolen naps, and
realizing what was happening, they quickly locked the gates shut. One of the
guards frantically called on his mobile radio.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Danny
talked to the other guard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No need to
worry. We’re not after you. We’re fighting the management,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same
time, Ka Mao and Ed took command at positioning the strikers to cover the
entire frontage of the Makabayan compound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Follow
what we have discussed,” instructed Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Group A,
at the gate,” Ed directed those concerned, who massed themselves across the
gates, sealing them instantly. “Group B, here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed
indicated the frontage from the gates to the corner eastward, which the
concerned picketers filled up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Group C,
Group C,” Ka Mao shouted. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A big number of strikers presented
themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Take this
area, from here to there, all the way to the White House fence,” said Ka Mao, indicating
the stretch from the gates to where the Makabayan compound adjoined the
compound of the White House.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Group D,
Ka Mao. Group D,” a small section of the strikers announced themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“To the
back, to the back. We’ve discussed that,” said Ka Mao, showing impatience.
“Comrades from the squatters community there have been instructed to help you
out. They could already be there. Move.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The group
went rushing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ben,”
called Ka Mao to one of them. “You take
command there.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The guy
signaled A-OK.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ed, you’re
in command there,” indicating the area to the east of the gate, already taken
by him and Group B.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed smiled
like he got candy. He addressed the group.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ok,
Kasama. Let’s heat it up. Have no fear! Fight! Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
strikers took up the militant chant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Danny,
mind the gates. This is the most important area, the critical area,” said Ka
Mao, a kind of heaviness lining his voice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Danny felt
it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We’ll be
okay here,” he said. “Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Have no
fear! Fight!” Ka Mao shouted as he joined the group that had occupied the
frontage from the gates onward to the White House compound. “This is where the
enemy would be entering the strike area. We should be the first to mix it up
with them.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the
gates of the White House compound suddenly surged out a contingent of security
guards, about thirty of them, many still doing their belts and holsters and
caps. Obviously it was in the residential compound that the security guards
headquarters were. The guards headed for the picket line. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As by
instinct, all the strikers were suddenly silence with shock. Everyone gaped
with horror at the onrush of security guards. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps the
first to have gotten over the shock, Ed came rushing to Ka Mao’s ranks,
shouting: “Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
confronted Ed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Dammit,
Ed. Get back. Mind your command.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay…,”
said Ed, seeing no need to argue. He turned back, doing the chant “Have no
fear! Fight!” all by his lonesome.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
essayed the advancing security guards. Their outflow through the White House
gates seemed endless. It horrified him surely, as he saw it horrified everyone
else. He even thought that Ed’s continuing chant, at the moment solitary, was
actually a manifestation of his own horror.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Security guards rushed on and on out of the
Araneta residential compound and from there take their own position on the
opposite side of the street in confrontation with the strikers. Soon the
strikers stood pitted one-on-one with the security guards. The security guards
began intimidating the strikers with menacing stares while striking their
sticks on the palms of their hands, with
those guards armed with shotguns, standing behind them in another column, cocking
their weapons one after another in seemingly rhythmic succession. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is it,
Ka Mao told himself. It had been all so good then, when the workers were only
just organizing the union, to speak of
such things as dying for the liberation of the proletariat. Now that it was
here, Ka Mao admitted to himself that he was terrified. He had never gone through
such a situation. The worst he went
through before was the mauling he got one evening from a group of
thrill-seeking juvenile delinquents who ganged up on him as he was walking home
down a dark deserted section of the street. He deliberately put up no
resistance, knowing he was no match to the ferocity of his attackers; not
fighting, it occurred to him, was his best defense. And so he just took the
blows, reeling and crouching, even as he vainly tried to shield himself with
his arms. Until one blow sent him reeling to the ground, where the boys turned
to kicking him all over, mercilessly. Still he saw no need to fight back. Back
in college, he had come across a passage
in Rizal’s <i>El Filibusterismo: </i>“To stoop
when the bullet passes by is not cowardice. What is foolish is to face it, only
to fall, never to rise again.” But then, as his assailants went unrelenting in
pummeling him with fist blows and kicks, he thought if he was not being foolish
for continuing to stoop so low as to literally kiss the ground. And then it
came, the gleam of that blade flashed by one of the boys. They would kill him
anyway, so fight to the finish. And he leapt to his feet, ready to tackle his
attackers. It just so happened that by then, folks from the slums at the
distance, having overheard the commotion. were rushing to check. The boys
hurried into their car and beat it quick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, the
staccato of the sounds of cocking of the shotguns by the security guards were
as that flashing of the blade in the dark in that mauling incident. And it
kindled in him an anger not born out of sheer guts or bravado but just that
kind of rage that even now was already propelling him to go, fight it out to
the finish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so he
cried, to the very top of his voice, yet so measured as to sound it were an
unending echo: “Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that
cry, replicated in that mighty indescribable unison of workers’ voices,
thundered all over the Araneta Center, like a rumble of a thousand drums in a symphony
reaching its climax.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Have no
fear! Fight! Have no fear! Fight! Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Separating
the opposing columns was that narrow stretch of the road already avoided by
vehicles, save for the few passenger jeepneys whose drivers wanted to show
their sympathy to the strike. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“For the
revolution,” said the jeepney driver as he put a seizable portion of his earnings
into the collection box being passed around by a striker.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mabuhay,
Kasama,” said the striker; that’s for wishing the donor: “Long live, Comrade.”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The jeepney
passengers put in their own donations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mabuhay,
all of you. Thank you,” came the acknowledgement from the striker.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then the head of the security guards began prompting the
jeepney drivers to clear the area.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Beat it!”
said the mean-looking officer. “You don’t want to get hit, do you?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same
time, the officer shouted to the guards at the bend where vehicles were
entering the strike area.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No entry
there. All vehicles. Stop entry.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Promptly,
the guards set up road blocks in the area. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In a moment, the space separating
the guards from the strikers was as a horrible chasm ready to gobble up anybody
who dared step forward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The officer looked to his men.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Two minutes!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The guards tightened their grips on
their sticks, those with shotguns, on their weapons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The officer looked to Ka Mao, who
was trooping the picketers in their formations back and forth, yelling to the
top of his voice, prodding them to go on with their chant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The guard officer addressed Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“You have no permit. Your strike is
illegal. You have two minutes to clear the area.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ed and Danny looked to Ka Mao, who,
not bothering to mind their reaction, threw into a fit like a maddened beast,
now confronting the guards, now agitating
his men to chant on and on, then confronting the guards again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
To his men: “Have no fear! Fight!
Have no fear! Fight! To the guards: ”Okay, bastards! Come on! Get it on!” Back
to this men: “Have no fear! Fight!” Suddenly turning to the guards again: “Fight!
Bastards! Dammit! Come on! Come on! Get it on!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All the while, the strikers shouted
on and on with Ka Mao: “Have no fear!
Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And then the guard officer began moving
forward. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All shouting stopped. The strikers
held their breaths for a long moment. Their eyes gaped in anticipation of what
the guards would do next. To writers like Ka Mao, the silence was ominous. It
had become a cliché but that was how it had always gone: the lull before the
storm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Inch by inch, the guard officer
moved forward, his men moving
accordingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao took a firm stand on the
path of the advancing guard officer. He appeared composed, just aiming to
strike his placard once he needed to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Come on…,” he murmured to himself.
His eyes were unblinking, like those of a batter aiming to hit a pitched baseball. The tip of the placard had a large
nail embedded in it such that a seizable part of its point protruded with a
terrifying effect. “Come on…,” Ka Mao murmured on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
At signal of the officer, the guards
at the White House end of their column began closing in on the strikers, like a
net folding up on fish; guards at the other end of the column did the same.
These movements were in turn signal for the officer to give it a go at Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao swang his placard. The nail
at the tip of the placard handle went burying into the officer’s arm. The
officer pulled back, yelling in pain. Ka Mao confronted other charging guards,
who held themselves back at sight of the blood dripping from the nail at the
tip of Ka Mao’s placard handle. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Other strikers tackled with their
respective opponents, their placards against the guards’ sticks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Two guards charging at lady strikers
were repelled with tear gas from their perfume sprayers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Several guards charging at male
strikers threw back at the firing of darts from slingshots by the strikers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
One dart hit the wrist of a guard,
causing him to lose hold of his stick, which a lady striker picked up and with
it hit the same guard on the head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Another dart hit a guard on the thigh,
causing him to rush away together with his companions who got hit by darts
on their butts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A large group of guards closed
ranks and charged like a mighty phalanx.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Two strikers repelled them with
blasts from their pillbox bombs, sending them scampering away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Another group forming another
phalanx charged and is met with a Molotov cocktail blast, its explosive
contraption of gasoline condensed with chips of bathsoap clinging inscrutably
to the guards’ attires and skin – on the arms, on the hands as they tried to
brush it off, and on their cheeks, in the case of some.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
At which the guards wielding
shotguns rushed to the frontlines, blasting warning shots into the air, then
cocking their weapons and pointed them to the strikers menacingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers appeared terrified and
drew back until they were pressing to the wall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Emboldened, the guard officer moved
forward even as he gripped his bleeding injured arm. The guards moved
accordingly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But abruptly they stopped.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
From behind the apparently
retreating strikers, men wielding improvised shotguns called <i>sumpak </i>took the frontlines, aiming them for
the kill as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Long, tense quiet ensued, the
guards betraying frayed nerves, the strikers resolved to fight it out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao and the guard officer
exchanged defiant stares.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Trying hard to conceal the
nervousness he shared with his men, the guard officer spoke to Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Those sumpak of yours are good
only for one shot each. Say you kill some of us, but we finish all of you. Two
minutes!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And the seconds went beating it
seemed, like the pounding of pulse beats matched by hushed harsh bated breaths.
Ka Mao scanned the uniform grit on the face of every striker and he knew he
shared that grit. He realized this was just that moment in any man’s life when
it no longer matters whether he dies, what is important is to fight. And he
could not help but bask in quiet pride to see in the faces of the guards not
the grit that seized his comrades but a kind of fragility of spirit that could
send them scurrying away at the slightest excuse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And then it came, a sound that
began creeping in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bangon sa pagkakabusabos (Arise
from your wretched existence)…” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers lit up, surprise in
their eyes, their lips quivering with a sudden feeling of relief.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
On the guards’ side, common seizure
of wonderment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bangon, alipin ng gutom (Slaves of
hunger break loose from your chains)”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And the sound, a singing by
thousands of voices, became louder and louder, now bringing joy and excitement
to the workers, horror to the guards,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Katarunga’y bulkang sasabog, sa
huling paghuhukom (Justice is volcano erupting, on the day of last judgment)” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
From one end of the road, the area manned
by Ed, activists in their hundreds began appearing in a march at the head of
which is a large streamer that proclaimed: “MABUHAY ANG URING MANGGAGAWA (LONG
LIVE THE WORKING CLASS)”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“Gapos ng kahapo’y lagutin, tayong
api ay magbalikwas (Oppressors tremble now in fright, we who are oppressed rise
and fight)…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ed wanted to shout out his great
feeling of relief and a desire to boast, but couldn’t quite do so yet. Nor
could Ka Mao, Danny and the rest of the strikers. Everybody appeared ravished,
as in euphoria in which one though suddenly thrown in bliss is thrown at the
same time into a state of utter wordlessness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“Tayo ngayo’s inaalipin, subalit
atin ang bukas (To shake off our chains of enslavement, and tomorrow become free
men)”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Activism had attained such a height
by that time that the mere sight of hundreds of activists marching instill
inspiration or terror, depending on where one stood in the class struggle. And
this time, the singing did not just come from Ed’s area of the battlefield but
from all over, from each entry into the Araneta center such that having been completely terrified,
the guards found their retreat blocked by still hundreds of activists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Now the strikers join in the
singing, while the guards sought to make a final dash to the White House
compound. But from that area, the last hundreds of activists appeared and as
they marched forward effected a compressing by the guards of themselves in the
picket line. There they could only cringe together in submission, ready to drop
to their knees if told to do so. Leading this last wave of marchers, the
biggest, was Bayani, proud, confident, combative. He was exhilarated at sight
of the full force of the marchers as well as of the strikers punching the air
with their tightly-clenched fists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“Ito’y huling paglalaban, magkaisa
nang masaklaw (This is the final class conflict, unite that we at long last win
)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ng manggagawa ang buong daigdigan (The good fight
of comrades the world has not yet seen)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ito’y huling paglalaban, magkaisa
nang masaklaw (This is the final class conflict, unite</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
that we may put in place)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ng manggagawa ang buong daigdigan
(The working class as ruler over all the Earth)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Wala tayong maaasahan, bathala o
manunubos (Neither is there God nor Redeemer to grant our dream of salvation)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Kaya ang ating kaligtasa’y nasa
ating pagkilos (And so it is our prayer ever to push our dear revolution)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Manggagawa bawiin ang yaman (The
wealth you make proclaim as your own)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ang uri ay palayain (Embark on
class liberation)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ang maso’t karet ay hawakan (Hold
on fast to hammer and sickle)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Kinabukasa’y pandayin (Pound your
future fine like steel)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ito’y huling paglalaban, tunay na
kalayaan (This is the final class conflict, struggle for genuine liberty)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ng manggagawa sa buong daigdigan
(Of all workers over the whole of the Earth)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ito’y huling paglalaban, magkaisa nang
masaklaw (This is the ultimate conflict, the great fight for final conquest)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ng Internasyonal ang buong daigdigan
(By Internationale of the whole human race)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In contrast to his calm, cool
comportment during the voting on the strike the night before, Bayani was a
firebrand as the singing ended, when at once he threw into a speech.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live the struggling workers
of KAMAO!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live!” came the thunderous
response.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Down with US imperialism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!” cried the horde of
thousands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Down with feudalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Down with bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The entire crowd burst in
thunderous applause, while a couple of women strikers hit the guard officer
with their knuckles on his head; other guards got surreptitious elbow strikes
on the side and none dared show any trace of their belligerence just a while
ago. But one unthinking guard got
himself carried away by impulse and at the hard elbow butt on his side, he
moved to retaliate with a strike of his stick, at which a striker quickly aimed
to shoot a dart to his face at point blank.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao intervened in time to
prevent any further commotion. He addressed the guards.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Friend security guards, you are
not our enemies. You are also employees of the monster that is the Araneta
empire. As we always say, pain on the small toe is ache of the whole body. Our
pain is your pain, our fight, your fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Quite a number of the guards
appeared stunned, others convinced, but most of them took those words as
propaganda. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“That’s right,” butted in Bayani,
having heard Ka Mao’s words. “This is a golden opportunity for you to ride the
crest of the workers’ triumphant historical march to full exercise of their
liberating political power.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Comrades, mark this!” cried Bayani,
turning to the throng once more. Ka Mao minded the job of prompting the guards
to get away, while speaking to the strikers and activists who were blocking
their way, “Paraanin, mga kasama.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers relented, and the
guards seized the opportunity to rush away, heading for the White House
compound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Today,” continued the agitation by
Bayani, “is the day of a great consolidation of youth and students militancy
with the revolutionary role of the proletariat in leading the struggle for the
establishment on the face of the earth a truly just and humane society. That
society which we all so dearly dream of can never come about except through the
one single road of the dictatorship of the proletariat. We, mass organizations
of different sectors in the national democratic movement, youth and students,
workers, peasants, women, professionals and nationalist businessmen, pronounce
our wholehearted support to the struggle of
KAMAO even as we, too, take support from that struggle for the
advancement of the people’s war against US imperialism, feudalism and
bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Somebody from the crowd yelled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Imperialism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!” responded Bayani
together with the throng, raising their clenched fists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Feudalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Bayani cried, “Long live the New
People’s Army!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The crowd under the streamer
carrying the artist group’s name “SINING KAYUMANGGI” flailed in the air their prop
M16s as they lead in the response: “Long Live!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live the protracted people’s
war!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Chapter III<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>ARANETA COMMUNE </b>was
the romance seizing the minds of young people who came in droves well into the
night that first day of the KAMAO strike.
The UP Commune, which had taken place from February 1 to 9, 1971, had
impacted on the youth so much that with the First Quarter Storm, of which the
commune was the highlight, having lulled into the second quarter of the year,
they hungered to replicate it wherever it was possible. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The KAMAO strike was an opportunity for doing just that, giving
release to the fire and fury from those days in February when the students had
seized control of the vast campus of the University of the Philippines, the
country’s premier learning institution, proclaiming its liberation from what
they called the Marcos fascist rule and its tutelage to US imperialism,
feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism. Wielding improvised weapons like pillbox
bombs and Molotov cocktail, the students had exercised political power over the
entire campus, and though it lasted for just over a week, the phenomenon did
advance the propaganda of the national democratic movement for the establishment
of what it called national democracy in
the Philippines. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Moreover the KAMAO strike was a
real school – as all workers’ strike were regarded – for youth activists to get
honed on the practice of proletarian revolutionary principles. It had become a
fad to call it mass integration whereby youth otherwise reared in affluence and
comfort stayed with workers in their homes and neighborhoods and shared with
them the difficulties of earning a living and fighting oppression and
exploitation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers had pitched camps all
around the Makabayan compound – on sidewalks, on the surrounding vacant lots,
and right on the street which had been completely cordoned to close it to
traffic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All over the strike area and
beyond, the KAMAO members had been sort of apportioned in groups for discussing
with youth activists. Many of the young people had copies of Mao Tse Tung’s Red
Book, a collection of Mao Tse Tung thoughts that all of a sudden at the advent
of the seventies proliferated among youth and students who took its contents as
Gospel truth on the proletarian revolutionary line. The discussions centered on
quotes read from the book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In an area in the midst of the
discussion groups, artist activists were singing a melancholic proletarian song
around a bonfire, as though serving as a sentimental background for the ongoing
discussions. Similar bonfires lit a number of the other groups, with the rest
making-do with candles or flashlights, otherwise with the illumination from the
streetlights of the Araneta Center.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In the main, the discussions were
actually veritable lectures from the activists, who read and then elaborated on
quotes from the Red Book, with the strikers limited to just listening.</div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“The people, and the people alone, are the
motive force in the making of world history.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“The wealth of society is created by the workers, peasants
and working intellectuals. If they take their destiny into their own hands,
follow a Marxist-Leninist line and take an active attitude in solving problems
instead of evading them, there will be no difficulty in the world which they
cannot overcome.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Be resolute, fear no sacrifice and surmount every difficulty
to win victory.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">In the cacophony of pronouncements, Ka Mao could not seem to
place himself. Just as he was focusing on a particular statement, came another
statement that would distract him.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“The revolutionary war is a
war of the masses…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“The masses are the real heroes…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“The masses have boundless creative power…”<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“People of the world, unite and defeat the
U.S. aggressors and all their running dogs! People of the world, be courageous,
and dare to fight, defy difficulties and advance wave upon wave. Then the whole
world will belong to the people. Monsters of all kinds shall be destroyed,” Ed
finished reading the quote as Ka Mao passed by. Barely acknowledging Ka Mao, Ed
proceeded to make his elaboration on the MTT quote. “The main enemy of the
Filipino people is US imperialism, which is why our struggle is
intertwined with the struggles of the
Chinese people and all people of the world struggling to overthrow American
imperialists worldwide.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao twitched inwardly as he passed by the
next group in his path in which the young moderator was intoning from a reading
of the Red Book, “The Communist Party of China, having made a clear-headed
appraisal of the international and domestic situation on the basis of the
science of Marxism-Leninism, recognized that all attacks by the reactionaries
at home and abroad had to be defeated and could be defeated. When dark clouds
appeared in the sky, we pointed out that they were only temporary, that the
darkness would soon pass and the sun break through.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
That reading, Ka Mao thought, just didn’t fit
into the situation. He walked on, slightly shaking his head. He was distracted
by the words from another group.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Comrade Bethune's spirit, his utter devotion
to others without any thought of self, was shown in his boundless sense of
responsibility in his work and his boundless warm-heartedness towards all
comrades and the people….”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Who was Comrade Bethune?” asked a striker.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“He was a Canadian doctor who devoted his
entire self in serving the Chinese people’s army during the bloody civil war in
China,” answered the young activist conducting the discussion. “As Mao Tse Tung
says,” and the activist read from the Red Book again, “we must all learn the
spirit of absolute selflessness from him.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao liked what he heard. He walked on,
liking also the words coming from all around. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Wherever
there is struggle there is sacrifice, and death is a common occurrence. But we
have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at
heart, and when we die for the people it is a worthy death.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
He pondered the words seriously as he walked
on; he was looking for somebody. He checked one group just as when the boy
activist leading in the discussion was speaking with an air of a battle-scarred
veteran: “All men must die, but death can vary in its significance. The ancient
Chinese writer Szuma Chien said, ‘Though death befalls all men alike, it may be
weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.’ To die for the people is
weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the fascists and die for the
exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather. In Tagalog, ang mamatay na
naglilingkod sa mga mamamayan ay kasing bigat ng Bundok Sierra Madre, subalit
ang mamatay na naglilingkod sa mga pasista ay kasing gaan ng balahibo ng
manok.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
While Ka Mao essayed the youthful looks of
the activist, a cockroach crept by the boy’s leg, prompting him to throw back
in fright. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Hey, kill that thing! Kill it!” cried the
boy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
As the other activists would just avoid the
creeper, Danny, who was among the strikers in the group, slammed it with his
slipper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Here’s for you, damn fascist!” Danny said,
eyeing the activist with mischief. He flicked the smashed cockroach aside,
causing the boy to throw back again because it passed in front of him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao amused to himself as he resumed his
steps. Finally he found Bayani leading the discussions in a rather large group.
Ka Mao joined the group in the midst of Bayani’s reading from the Red Book.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“There is an ancient Chinese fable called ‘The
Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains’. It tells of an old man who lived in
northern China long, long ago and was known as the Foolish Old Man of North
Mountain. His house faced south and beyond his doorway stood the two great
peaks, Taihang and Wangwu, obstructing the way. With great determination, he
led his sons in digging up these mountains hoe in hand. Another graybeard,
known as the Wise Old Man, saw them and said derisively, ‘How silly of you to
do this! It is quite impossible for you few to dig up these two huge mountains.’
The Foolish Old Man replied, ‘When I die, my sons will carry on; when they die,
there will be my grandsons, and then their sons and grandsons, and so on to
infinity. High as they are, the mountains cannot grow any higher and with every
bit we dig, they will be that much lower. Why can't we clear them away?’ Having
refuted the Wise Old Man's wrong view, he went on digging every day, unshaken
in his conviction. This moved God, and he sent down two angels, who carried the
mountains away on their backs. Today, two big mountains lie like a dead weight
on the Chinese people. One is imperialism and the other is feudalism. The
Chinese Communist Party has long made up its mind to dig them up. We must
persevere and work unceasingly, and we, too, will touch God's heart. Our God is
none other than the masses of the Chinese people. If they stand up and dig
together with us, why can't these two mountains be cleared away?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ending his reading, Bayani began elaborating.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Ka Mao was all by himself when he thought of
organizing KAMAO. And then there were two of us discussing the idea. And then
there were Ka Danny, Ka Ed. Before long, God, the masses in Makabayan,
listened, and now we are into this strike which as you can see already has the
makings of victory. With all of us joining hands, why can’t we clear away the
mountains of oppression and exploitation being suffered by the workers at
Makabayan Publishing Corporation?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The group cheered. Bayani enthused at it. He
turned to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Share us your thoughts, Ka Mao.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Oh,
yes,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
The crowd
thought of applauding, but at the first clapping of hands, Ka Mao gestured no
need for applause.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“I have
been thinking… Actually in command at Makabayan is not Jorvina but a bully of a
guy, Enrique, who is Don Amado’s Man Friday for all the Araneta enterprises in
the center. I had hoped that with the
official management, there was a big chance of striking up a settlement. After
all, I had been part of it at one time. But it is this bully that calls the
shots in the company, and when I presented the union demands to Jorvina and
Jorvina endorsed it to this bully, the guy punched his palm, saying
threateningly: “It’s like you hitting your head against a concrete wall.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Oh, yes?”
butted in an activist. He slapped the side of his head, “He’d bang his head
against that wall if he chose to collide with us.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“He’s been
readying himself for that,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
eyed Ka Mao, throwing the question wordlessly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“He got a
former member of the notorious Military Intelligence Security Group, a certain
Colonel Doromal, to replace the commander of the Araneta security forces.
That, by way of really gearing up for
battle.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
No remark
came from Ka Mao’s listeners. Bayani anticipated his words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao
continued, eyeing Bayani, “There was a little incident at the mess area just a
while ago.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Yes?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“The Cubao
police detachment commander entered the area surreptitiously, looking for me.
Comrades mistook his intentions and would have ganged up on him, and so he
grabbed me from behind, making me his shield. Turned out, the police officer
was sympathetic with the strike and came to warn me of an impending strike-bust
in the morning. He informed me that Doromal had gone all the way to the Central
Police District Command to press for the implementation of the no-permit,
no-strike policy.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
could visualize what Ka Mao was narrating. Now he speaks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“The
strike is an exercise of our right to peaceably assemble for redress of
grievances. Guaranteed by the constitution. No need for permits.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Tell that
to the Quezon City Police GHQ Chief.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
eyed Ka Mao inquisitively.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“He was a
batchmate of Doromal at the Philippine Military Academy.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
went tongue-tied.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<b>Chapter
IV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>EARLY SUN
RAYS </b>were
filtered through columns of smoke rising above tree tops hovering on what
served as the mess hall in the strike area. The grounds were that large open
section adjoining the east wall of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation.
Kitchen personnel were busy preparing the poor man’s fish <i>galunggong</i> for cooking in vinegar flavored with garlic, onion and
ginger and black pepper, while two women were already shoveling their cooking
spoons into the rice being fried in a large vat, which sat on a stove
improvised on the ground with little
rocks. Another stove, already burning with fire, was being fed by a man, the
cook, with more wood fuel. The cook addressed those preparing the fish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Hurry up,
ladies. We will be wasting fuel.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
The man
got a large vat and settled it on top of the stove. He emptied a large can of
vinegar into the vat, poured into it the collection of spices, and after mixing
the ingredients, savored the aroma of the rising steam. Then from a sack, he
scooped salt with his hand, dropped it into the vat, doing it thrice. He
stirred the ingredients so as to dissolve the salt, then made several scoops
once more with his hands of salt from the sack with which he treated the fish
collected in a basin. All that done, the man finally poured all the fish into
the cooking vat. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Again he
savored the aroma of the steam from the vat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Hmm… Makes me hungrier.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao
walked into the area, a cup in his hand, which he dipped into a large cauldron on
another stove with burning fuel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Smells
good,” said Ka Mao to the cook as he scooped coffee from the cauldron with his
cup.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“This will
be ready soon,” said the cook, then turned to the women frying rice. “Hey,
you’re taking too long there.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“You try
frying this much rice,” said one woman. “See if you don’t get your palms
calloused too.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao
amused at the little banter, beginning to sip his coffee. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Coming out
into the street, he scanned the surroundings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
The
strikers were in place in the quiet picket. Most of them were down on their
seats, leaning relaxed against the wall. Many were on their feet, also leaning
on the wall as they exchanged stories. A number lay on the pavement, obviously
asleep, as one may tell from the way they had their arms covered on their
faces, or their bodies folded up on their sides. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao took the other side of the road fronting the gates
and half-leaped into the air to get a glimpse of what could be taking place
inside the compound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
At the gates were large concentration of picketers, among
them Danny and Bayani, who were discussing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Been
thinking about that story Ka Mao told us,” said Danny. “That the police officer
warned him about the plan to break the strike this morning.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Good cop,
bad cop,” said Bayani. “That’s all there is to it.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“If it
were not true, why take the trouble of warning us.?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“To read
what’s on our minds.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Danny
appeared still perplexed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
addressed Ka Mao, “See anything?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Can’t see
much,” said Ka Mao, then walked toward the end of the picket line, now and then
leaping to see any movements inside the compound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Danny
resumed his talk with Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“They
didn’t have to read our minds. It’s obvious, what we’re doing. We’ll fight to
the finish.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Still
they need to check how determined we are. SOP in military science and tactics.
Know yourself, know your enemies, a thousand battles, a thousand victories.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
A loud clank created by the unlatching of the
lockset of the Makabayan gates stirred Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“This is it!” he said aloud, alarming
everyone as he leaped to his feet, at once grabbing a two-by-two-inch wooden
club.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Everybody
to the gates!” shouted Danny.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“To the gates!” cried Ed to those
under his command.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao prompted his assigned
strikers to do the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
` “Beat it, quick!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Those in the kitchen area all rushed
to respond. The cook minding the fish couldn’t quite make his mind up whether
to rush along with the rest or continue looking after the fish he was cooking.
Finally he decided to wave the fish away with his hands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the cook, clinging to his large
ladle, came squeezing himself into the mass of strikers clogging the gates as
they were swung open by the security guards. A large number of security guards massed
inside the compound, indicating their readiness to force a large delivery truck
out through the gates, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
For a moment, Bayani essayed the
meanness in the eyes of the guy giving commands to the guards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao spoke with tense hush.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Doromal.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“I can see that,” said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Doromal, catching Bayani staring at
him, flashed a faint impish, mocking
grin. Then he gave the signal for the truck to ram through the gates. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Block the fucking truck!” cried
Danny.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The strikers pressed close together
to seal the gates.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“No, no!” said Bayani. “Keep moving,
keep moving. You stand still, you’re blocking. That’s illegal. On the move,
you’re not blocking. So keep moving. Movc, move.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the strikers formed a circular
moving picket which although effecting a block of the gates could not
technically be called blocking because the circular picket moved continuously.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
At the same time, a large contingent
of the Quezon City Police arrived aboard patrol cars and immediately charged
toward the commotion at the gates. Ka Mao confronted them, waving them away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“No,” he told them. “You don’t go this
far. You’re only up to fifty meters away from the strike area. Back off…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The policemen wouldn’t budge. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Back off!” yelled Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The policemen hurried back to a
distance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao stirred at the sudden singing
by the picketers at the gate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KAMAO will never
ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> KAMAO will never ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Just like a sturdy tree<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In middle of the sea<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Never crumble down <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
It was a singing prompted by a need
for anything that could buoy up the
spirit of the strikers. The moving picket continued, all according to
the requirement of the law to keep it moving or be declared illegal. At the
same time, the Makabayan management also had the legal right to pass through
the gate without violating the strikers’ right
to picket. And so the situation presented two contending forces, each
exercising their respective rights under the law, rights that legally are
placed on equal level but on the practical level a lopsided balance. For
although the truck was not ramming through the picket, by simply moving inch by
inch, it caused the picket to draw back little by little even as it maintained
its circular motion. And by now, the hood of the truck had substantially gone through
the gates; before long, the whole vehicle could well be out into the street – successfully
breaking the strike. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao and Bayani finally resorted
to pushing on the truck hood now to keep the vehicle from moving forward any
further. They were not important anymore, the invectives they yelled to the top
of their voices. Words no longer mattered, nor did the song. Now sung with
discordant notes, the song succeeded only in imparting the rage and desperation
of the strikers thrown into utter helplessness in this most unfair and inhuman
pitting of warm bodies against the monstrosity of machine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Quite a number of sympathizing
activists shifted to singing the <i>Internationale</i>
in an effort to fire up the strikers. That amounted to a pathetic anti-climax of
a drama apparently already ended: the truck hood was now half-way through the
gates. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani and Ka Mao threw horrified
stares at each other.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Many of the strikers just found
themselvcs crying out their helplessness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Haven’t you even got pity left in
your hearts? Damn bastards! Fuck you!” cried the cook, banging the truck hood
with his ladle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
One hard stare at each other, and Ka
Mao and Bayani indicated their sharing of a realization: that the only way left
to be done was to throw themselves into a supreme sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Almost as one man, Ka Mao and Bayani
threw to the ground, hugging it crosswise to the path of the truck tires. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Doromal was completely taken aback.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The security guards signified their
horror at what they were doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The truck driver shifted the gear to
neutral, casting a horrified stare at Doromal, who was speechless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao and Bayani stared hard at
each other, then as though on cue punched the air at the same time, shouting
their supreme challenge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Come on! Damn you! Get it on!”
yelled Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Bangon sa pagkakabusabos! Mabuhay
ang uring manggagawa! (Rise from slavery! Long live the working class!)” yelled
Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The singing of the <i>Internationale </i>now took on its inherent
militant cadence, outing through the mouths of strikers and activists with
grit, in each one’s eyes, tears of rage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
For at Doromal’s signal, the truck
driver shifted to forward gear.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the truck tires were inch by
inch gaining on the bodies of Ka Mao and Bayani, now completely under the
bumper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And then tires and bodies touched.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
At that, the driver promptly stepped
on the brakes, instantly shifting to neutral gear. He threw a stare to Doromal,
who staring chidingly signaled him to go on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The truck driver grimaced to
himself. But gritting his jaws, he shifted to front gear and then moved his
foot from the brakes to the gas. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The women strikers cried as the men stared at one another,
urgently asking what to do?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the tires were pressing harder
and harder on the sides of Ka Mao and Bayani, until the rubber wheels were now
poised to climb up into their backs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Danny took the lead. He threw
himself on top of Ka Mao. The rest followed, throwing themselves alongside Ka
Mao and Bayani, piling one on top of the other such that what blocked the
vehicle now was a barricade made up of precious humans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
From under the pile, a ladle thrust
upward and hooked at the bumper of the truck. Tightly clinging to the ladle, the
cook grunted furiously. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
At the same time, activists and
strikers took positions to battle the
security guards with their pillbox bombs, Molotov cocktail, darts, homemade
shotguns, and other crude combat implements. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
From the bend in the kitchen area, slums folks rushed in,
wielding their own crude homemade weapons. They joined the strikers, all ready
to mix it up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Okay, roll it over!” shouted one
striker to the driver of the truck.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Blast, bastards!” yelled another to
the guards inside the compound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“You kill us, we kill you, we all
get killed!” cried an activist.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the driver did shift the gear
and moved as though to drive the truck forward. The combatants on the strikers’
side aimed their weapons. The driver made his mind up. His foot stepped on the
gas, revving up the engine. Under the truck hood, Bayani and Kamao stared in
horror then closed their eyes hard. The driver pulled the shift handle
backward.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The truck went full throttle back
into the compound and the guards promptly locked the gates back shut.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The strikers and sympathizers and
mass support threw in euphoria, prancing around, bursting into the song once
again, among them the particularly overjoyed cook flailing the air with his
ladle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KAMAO will never
ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> KAMAO will never ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Just like a sturdy tree<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In middle of the sea<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Never crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One among the policemen who had
withdrawn to the distance asked the team leader as they walked away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Why hadn’t we moved in?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Our orders were to maintain peace
and order. Has there been violence?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The policeman who asked the question
shook his head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The strikers who had formed
themselves into a barricade began picking themselves up from the pile. Ka Mao
had to push Danny off his torso.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It’s your weight I could have been
crushed with, you know that?” Ka Mao
joked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I was cushioning you from the truck
tires just in case they went over, you know that?” said Danny in turn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> They got a nice laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka Mao sat on the pavement, breathing
hard. Bayani did the same, beside him. They stared at each other, sharing each
other’s feeling of relief – and then exchanged high fives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER V<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">ALL DAY LONG, Ka Mao went around
soliciting logistical support. The
strike had been forced on the employees without giving them time to prepare,
and just into the first week of the picket, the union treasurer was already
expressing fears about funds running out after two or three days more.
Contributions from people who came by in the area, like pedestrians on the
sidewalks and passengers of vehicles, amount to so much inspiring sympathy, but
hardly in terms of hard logistics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Accompanied
by two of the strikers who had been acting as his close-in aides, he made the
rounds of friends and acquaintances, explaining the union cause. He purposely
garbed himself in a manner as to make him look true proletarian: faded maong
pants, plain drab shirt with folded long sleeves, and on his head a straw hat
characteristic of peasants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
three appeared queer as they strode into the hall of the National Press Club
that noon, quite contrasting the others walking in garbed either in barong
tagalog, business suites, executive shirt and tie, and other such respectable
attires as are fit in a formal affair. Nevertheless, the amiable movie actor
heading the reception committee welcomed the three and showed them into the
luncheon gathering by a business group at the plush NPC restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao realized that they had walked into where they did not belong. But he
decided that inasmuch as they had been welcomed, he might as well make good use
of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Pardon
us, ladies and gentlemen. We do not wish to intrude into your gathering. We
actually came to see Sol Villa, the NPC President. We are here to plead our
cause. We are members of the Katipunan ng mga Makabayang Obrero, KAMAO, in the
Makabayan Publishing Corporation. We are on strike because of unfair labor
practices by the company. We are soliciting your support.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Those
in the gathering cast inquisitive stares at one another. After a subtle shrug
of a shoulder here, a smile of indifference there, and a few sympathetic
responses of a hundred-peso-bill each, everybody minded their lunch. Ka Mao
felt like a pauper as he accepted the few contributions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
NPC prexy who was seated with guests at a table excused himself from the group
and saw fit to invite Ka Mao and his aides to his office. There they were asked
to wait while being served with Coca-Cola. Minutes later, Sol Villa joined them
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
have talked about your situation,” he began.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Yes?”
said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Certainly
we sympathize with your strike.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Oh,
yes. Thank you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “But
we cannot consider it as an attack on press freedom on which issue we can be
justified to intervene.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Is
it not a case that my freedom to express has been curtailed by the unjust
termination of my services?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “They
see it as a union matter…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Who
are they?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “My
colleagues at the NPC board.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Oh…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “But
we are supporting you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao gave out a lame, ambiguous smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NEXT Ka Mao and his aides found
themselves going office-to-office solicitation of support. These were foreign
films distribution outfits which at one time or another received help from Ka
Mao in publicizing their movies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> From
his suite, Johnny Litton, whom Ka Mao would later realize as the most rabid
defender of Hollywood movies in the Philippines, came out already wearing a
sarcastic smile. His publicist led him to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “This
is Mauro Gia Samonte,” said the publicist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Yes,
of course, Mauro,” said Litton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
have gone on strike at Makabayan Publishing,” said Ka Mao. “We wish to solicit
your support.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
would that be? I am a capitalist.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Litton
wore a taunting smile as he said those words. Ka Mao inwardly squinted. He
found himself putting on a smile of his
own, as defense mechanism or an alibi not to speak, because the Litton
statement amounted to a challenge, and in that moment which he suddenly
realized was one of begging, he was just powerless to answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Anyway,
Frankie here will take care of you,” Litton said, tapping the publicist on the
shoulder, then headed back to his suite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao trailed Litton with a deep stare. That guy Litton had a way of slighting
you but not letting the slighting show because he did it with a smile. But Ka
Mao’s sense of irony now was that what Litton said was true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> How,
indeed, can a capitalist support an action aimed at killing his class?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
greater irony for Ka Mao was that when the publicist Frankie fished two hundred
pesos from his wallet and handed it to him, he accepted. That was payment for
the right by Litton to insult him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao gulped that damaging of self-respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “All
in for KAMAO!” he shouted to himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> That
consoled him enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THAT EVENING the strikers had two
visitors, both purveyors of goodwill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> National
Press Club President Sol Villa brought two sacks of rice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
will try to provide more,” he said, then drove away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
next arrival created some stir because he was Atty. Jojo Binay from whom
everybody wanted to get assurance that on the legal front, the strike was going
fine. But the strikers found reason for more excitement when they learned that
aboard Jojo’s car was Crispin Aranda, the period’s matinee idol as far as
activists were concerned. Aranda was pictured in the media as a symbol of
students’ rebellion and exerted vivifying effect across the sectors in the
national democratic movement. It was obviously for this reason that Jojo sought
to announce Aranda’s presence to the strikers, although the fellow was trying
to make himself inconspicuous inside Jojo’s car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Mga
kasama, naririto si Cris Aranda.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
strikers spontaneously gathered around the car, veritable fans swooning at a
movie idol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
are you, Ka Cris,” greeted Ka Mao as he stretched his neck through the window
of the backseat where Aranda sat, not indicating he was stepping out. Ka Mao
turned to the crowd, speaking by way of prompting them to acknowledge the star
visitor. “Mga kasama, si Ka Cris.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Mabuhay
Ka Cris,” went the greetings from the strikers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Aranda
straightened up somewhat to get himself visible through the car window. Ka Mao
held out a hand to Aranda for a handshake, but in just that instance Aranda
waved a hand to excited strikers and didn’t take the handshake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Cris
got into trouble at the Island Cement strike. I had to get him out of jail,”
said Jojo to Ka Mao, distracting him at once from what seemed to be Aranda’s
snobbery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
appreciate your dropping by,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “To
remind you about our hearing tomorrow,” said Jojo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hearing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Management
filed a petition for permanent injunction.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What’s
permanent injunction, Attorney?” asked Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
guys never learn. Jojo is my name.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Yes,
sir, Attorney…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Jojo
stared hard at Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Jojo,”
added Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Be
at the Quezon City RTC 8:30 am tomorrow,” said Jojo to Ka Mao, then drove away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE COURT – a room on the second floor
of a wood-and-concrete building standing on the edge of a narrow creek cutting
under Highway 54 – was jampacked with a crowd overflowing into the corridor at the
creekside balcony. Into the first two rows of the benches in the gallery were
squeezed lawyers of the litigants, majority of whom common folks as indicated
by their lowly garments, with a spattering of men and women with snobbish mien
complemented by their well-pressed street-smart attires. Prominent on the front
benches were men in orange prison convicts’ uniforms, joined to one another
with handcuffs on the wrists and flanked by a policeman on either end of the
line. Ka Mao essayed this group with sympathetic eyes even as he inwardly
admired the oral arguments being delivered by Jojo before the judge on the
stand. Seated beside Ka Mao was Danny, listening intently to Jojo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Your
Honor, please. This honorable court should be well-informed that what is
involved in this case is a labor dispute. An exercise by workers of their
freedom to organize into a union and seek redress of grievances. Being such,
this honorable court is denied jurisdiction over this case as provided under
Republic Act 875, otherwise known as the Industrial Peace Act. This law
provides that labor disputes are to be tried by, and I quote, Letter a of
Section 2: ‘Court’ means the Court of Industrial Relations established by
Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred and three as amended…’ With all due
respect, this honorable court is not such court so defined under R.A. 875.
Moreover, Letter b, Section 9 of the Industrial Peace Act provides, and I
quote. ‘No court of the Philippines shall have jurisdiction to issue a
restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction upon the ground that any
of the persons participating or interested in a labor dispute constitute or are
engaged in an unlawful combination or conspiracy because of the doing in
concert of the acts enumerated in paragraph (a).’ Acts which may be summed up
thus: ‘Assembling peaceably to act or to organize to act in promotion of their
interests in a labor dispute.’ The law is clear and unequivocal. These acts are
never to be restrained nor be subject to temporary or permanent injunction.
Surely we all must abhor violence. But if ever there was violence in the strike
of the KAMAO, that violence was committed upon the peaceably assembling union
picketers by the brute naked force of the Security guards and other personnel
of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation. And at any rate such violence must be
a subject of criminal investigation and not serve as excuse for management to
stifle the rights and freedoms of workers guaranteed by our Constitution and
our laws. To reiterate your Honor, the issue is: Does this honorable court have
jurisdiction over this case which inherently is a labor dispute. Our humble
submission is: No, this court has not. That jurisdiction exclusively belongs to
the Court of Industrial Relations.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Even
as Jojo was still making the final plea for dismissal of the injunction suit,
Ka Mao was feeling confident the union will win the case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon he and Jojo
were walking out of the courtroom together with two other lawyers, who were
members of Ka Mao’s legal panel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Let’s
see they taste a certiorari if they side with the management,” boasted the
tallest lawyer among the three; Jojo was the shortest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What’s
a certiorari?” asked Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It’s
the remedy for grave abuse of discrethion by the court,” said Jojo. “As you
heard in my oral argument, the court has no jurisdiction over the case. Court
rules in favor of management, we raise the matter to the Sujpreme Court.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> All
the while, Danny just listened as he tagged along the group. Some thoughts were
seizing his mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">FINGERS plucking on the guitar chords
the tune of a popular melody provided the musical background for a poem
rendered by picketers who were huddled around a bonfire near the gates of the
publishing company. Other picketers were here and there busy with their own
huddles around their own bonfires, otherwise taking naps as they leaned on the
walls while seated on the ground or lay on carboard mats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Lumuha
ka aking bayan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Shed
your tear country dear)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Buong
lungkot mong iluha<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (With
all your sorrow cry)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ang
kawawang kapalaran<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (The great misfortune suffered)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ng
bayan mong kawawa…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (By
your people so aggrieved)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The poem was
barely audible in the mess hall area where Ka Mao, Danny, Ed and Bayani
huddled while taking coffee in a corner, seated on the ground. Light from the
stove being readied by the cook flickered on their faces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That certiori
thing sounded nice,” said Ed. “But been thinking about it all day. It’s no
use.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let Jojo worry
about that,” said Bayani. “Our concern is the picket line.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Precisely, Ka
Bay,” snapped Danny. “Once the court issues any injunction, we can’t fight with
force anymore. Meaning when management breaks our strike, we just sit by and
watch.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Naah! We fight
them to the last drop of our blood!” cut in Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And get our
strike declared illegal?” snapped Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s not the
law that will make us win. It’s our strength and determination to fight it out,”
declared Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The cook had set
a big cauldron on the stove with the necessary amount of water for cooking
rice. Now he emptied into the vessel what little rice was left in a sack, then
opened another sack from which he put additional rice into the cauldron. He
spoke to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Nothing more
after this sack, Ka Mao,” said the cook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sol Villa
promised to bring another sack tonight,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Very well then.
We are assured of food for the next two days,” said the cook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For a moment, Ka
Mao appeared stunned by the implication of those words. “After two days, what?”
he asked himself. Cross the bridge when we get there. That’s how he had always approached the
question, and luckily enough there always was something that cropped up and
solved the problem. This time however a kind of heaviness bore upon him. That
commitment from the National Press Club president was the last and no other
pledges were in place from elsewhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“My concern is
the strike,” he said as he resumed the discussion with the group. “Our members
did not join the union in order to push the movement. They joined to get what
the law says they must have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I think, Ka
Mao,” said Ed, “we had better start teaching the union members the need for
protracted struggle.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The members are
not ready for that,” said Danny<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s why I
say, teach them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What a time to
teach. Just as when everybody has begun complaining about difficulties in their
living.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There is no
other way to face up to those difficulties. Hard struggle.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Our members
appear to have prepared only for a short fight. Quite a few have already begun
looking for jobs elsewhere. Give this a month more and we’d be lucky to have
half of our number still picketing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So are we
blaming them? Blame it on our own economism.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s what the
union was perceived to be from the very beginning. To gain economic benefits
for the members.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Precisely why I
kept reminding you when you were making the union demands. Make them political.
Lenin said economic struggle is the ideological enslavement of the working
class.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There you go
again, Ed,” cut in Danny. “Stop dragging Lenin into the union fight.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Lenin is a
source of wisdom in the conduct of our strike.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Only you know
Lenin. All the rest are interested only in economic benefits.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay,
comrades.” Bayani finally cut in. “Debate won’t get us anywhere. (to Ed) We
face Lenin at the proper time and place, okay? Right now, let’s face the
concrete problem. We’re running out of food provisions. How do we solve that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Learn to struggle
the hard way. The only way,” said Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Cut the
rhetoric. I ask you, after our last sack of rice is gone, where do you get the next?”
said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’ve got the
committee system. We have the finance committee to worry about that.” Ed was
wiggling out of entrapment in the discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao cut in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Truth of the
matter is, Ed, the finance committee had been up to collecting alms from
passersby and car passengers only. Bulk of our logistics came from my tapping
of personal contacts. By now I have just about exhausted their goodwill.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So you’re the
hero. Well taken…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao found
himself not saying anything at the sarcasm. He set his jaws subtly while fixing
a hard stare at Ed. Bayani took up the discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ed, we are
finding solution to a problem. I don’t think your talk is proper.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ed, recognizing
his mistake, flashed to Ka Mao his characteristic put-on smile and gave him a
tap on the leg as he said, “Sorry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“All in for the
workers,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s on your
mind?” asked Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’d swallow
everything just to preserve the union.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All three
stared, anticipating Ka Mao’s next words. But Ka Mao did not pursue the topic
anymore. He rose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You mind the
picket. I don’t see any trouble coming. I’ll check my folks at home,” Ka Mao
said as he started for the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Won’t you have
dinner first?” said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s early
enough. I’ll catch some food in the house.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao walked
away. Bayani faced Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Lie low with
your tongue, eh, Ed. You come on too strong.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ed flashed his
apologetic smile, raising both hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry. I said,
I’m sorry, didn’t I?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">BEFORE THE CRUCIFIX on an improvised
altar in a corner of the mezzanine floor, Nanay Puping was in deep prayer with her rosary when she
was distracted by Violeta’s voice from below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ay,
si Manoy Mauro!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao was arriving at the apartment. He took the hand of Tatay Simo, who was
minding the store, and paid him his respect, touching the hand to his forehead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Tatay
Simo was his usual, quiet self, keeping his thoughts to himself. What relief he
felt in seeing his son well and safe, he didn’t speak but conveyed it with a
loving stare, a faint smile and a gentle grip on Ka Mao’s hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
are you, Tatay?” Ka Mao asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’m
okay,” said Tatay Simo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “And
everyone?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We’re
all okay. They missed you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Tatay
Simo went inside quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Violeta,
mind the store.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Violeta
quickly finished doing the dishes at the kitchen sink then went over to the
store, with jolly mien circling her palm in the air as she passed Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hello!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hi,
how are you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Okay!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Nice
to hear that.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What’s
not okay is that this store is not selling much. I really doubt if it can raise enough for my
and Ellen’s tuition come June.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “There
is still time I suppose.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
time flies so fast. Before we know it, it’s enrollment time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’ll
keep that in mind. Where’s Nanay?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Upstairs
praying. She’ll go down in a minute.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Mamay
Oliva not home yet?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Normally
it takes her just before midnight to arrive home. She’d be coming from
Malolos.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Meantime,
Tatay Simo hurried to prepare supper for Ka Mao. He called to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Come,
Maurito, sit here, eat. I can see you’ve lost weight. You must not be eating
enough at the strike.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ellen cleared a
space on the table for Tatay Simo to set the food in. She was doing in small
packs of colored Japanese paper a delicacy of sweet called pulvorun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hi,
Ellen,” said Ka Mao as he sat before the food Tatay Simo was setting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hi, how are you
Manoy Mauro?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s that you’re
doing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Pulvorun. For
selling to friends and acquaintances. Must help earning for my studies.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Worst case
scenario, you pass off the coming semester.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ay,” came
Ellen’s curt response. All of a sudden her mouth quivered as she pressed her
lips; a tear threatened in her eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao felt
Ellen’s pain. He spoke through a lump in his throat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Just a thought
really. I’ll make means of course. Don’t you worry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Already made
inquiries at UST.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, University
of the Santo Tomas. The oldest in the country. Good school.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“ Got enrollment
forms too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What do you
intend to take up by the way.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Medical
Technology. The cheapest medical course. We can’t afford medicine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Medtech is a
good course.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There is a big
demand for it abroad.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tatay Simo
finished setting for Ka Mao a simple dinner course consisting of rice, monggo
soup and fish boiled in vinegar and spices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay, son. Eat
a lot.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao laughed
lightly. He began eating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hmm… This is
good. You really cook nice, Tatay.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I had a feeling
you’d come, so I thought of cooking your favorite.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Every viand you
cook is my favorite.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now came Nanay
Puping rushing down the stairs. Always sentimental, she was already breaking in
tears as she hurried to hug Ka Mao even as he rose and made besa to her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ay, ginaha aqui
(beloved child),” Nanay Puping cried. “Dios mabalos (thank god). My heart
breaks just thinking what harm could be happening to you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No harm could
happen to me. My men are good. They even assign bodyguards to protect me when I
have to go out on appointments.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bodyguards! My
God. So people want to harm you. What do you need bodyguards for? You tell me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Puping, your
son is hungry. Let him eat,” cut in Tatay Simo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sat and
resumed eating. Nanay Puping sat beside him, doing her habit of putting food
into Ka Mao’s plate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No big deal
really, Nanay,” Ka Mao said assuringly. “Just little precaution. Nothing to
worry about.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tatay Simo stood
by, replenishing food in the plates, as Ka Mao was eating quite voraciously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“From what I
know, strikes take long. Months, years,” said Tatay Simo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How about
yours, how long?” Nanay Puping asked of Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I could end it
tomorrow.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao said the
words very matter-of-factly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But everybody
appeared stunned, including Violeta who rushed from the store, beaming with
surprised delight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Did I hear
right?” she asked loudly, unbelievingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Our lawyer had
agreed to a conciliation meeting with management,” Ka Mao said. “And it would
be tomorrow. In that meeting, I intend to make a return-to-work offer.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Return to
work!” exclaimed Violeta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s return
to work?” Nanay Puping asked Tatay Simo, nearly whispering, as though afraid
that anyone else might hear the question. He gestured to her to just listen to
Ka Mao’s explanation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought of a
face-saving way of ending the strike. We lift our picket with honor. The
company is saved from the disgrace of being anti-labor. Return to work will do
the trick.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Return to you
getting pay at every middle and end of the month?” asked Violeta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao nodded,
saying, “Right.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Return to me
and Ellen getting our daily school allowance?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“With bonus for
good grades, too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Violeta grabbed
Ka Mao’s arm and raised it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mabuhay si Ka
Mao!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everybody got a
good laugh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With Ellen the
laughter came with tears of joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao nodded to
her assuringly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A CLEAR DAY lay ahead as indicated by
the gleam reflected by the red KAMAO flag fluttering in the air, against the
bright blue of the sky and the brilliant white of the clouds. The picket along
the wide frontage of the Makabayan compound was being conducted with
characteristic militancy, but nothing in the atmosphere boded any grave
occurrence, such as the violence that inevitably erupted following past rises
in tension between strikers and strike-breakers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> But
as Ka Mao walked past the Araneta Coliseum on the way to the conciliation
meeting with the management, the Big Dome appeared to be like a gigantic weight
from under which he could not extricate himself. Walking beside him was Ed,
almost madly trying to talk him out of what he was intending to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What
you are thinking, Ka Mao, is not only a detestable act of class collaboration.
It is treachery to the union. It’s bad. It’s mad. It’s stupid!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ed,”
cut in Bayani, “we are comrades. No foul language please.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Bay,
this is not a question of language. It’s about ideology. Ka Mao is selling out
the struggle of the Makabayan workers.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao gritted his jaws, keeping himself from responding, which could be terrible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
had a board caucus, eh, Ed?” said Danny, wanting to avoid the ill talk. “The board
gave go signal to negotiate return to work. Why fret now?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Nobody
in the caucus had the guts to say no to Ka Mao. We were all no better than stooges, going whichever way he pulled us by
nose.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao stopped walking and faced up to Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’d
take that, Ed. Pour it on. I’ve bent backward enough, I’ll bend a lot more
backward still. But get this. As long as I’m president of KAMAO, I’ll do things
for the union the way I see best.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Your
best is no better than that of yellow labor leaders.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
cut in, but trying hard to sound cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ed,
careful with your words. We’re comrades.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “No
comrade sells workers to capitalists.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Say
it again, Ed,” Ka Mao dared, voice trembling in rage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Danny
butted in, “It’d still be all up for negotiations. No need to argue now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ed
insisted, “The very idea of returning to work and abandoning the strike is a
betrayal of the workers! A sellout!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Now,
Ka Mao let loose his own temper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
all know that that’s the last thing I could ever do to the union. You know
because you all know what I was before the strike. You know what I had. And all
that I was going to make. And all that I put at stake. If there has been any betrayal in this fight,
it is my having turned traitor to all the lot more that I stood to have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ah,
yes. Always the hero. Never mind that all that you want to do now are a desecration
of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse Tung Thought!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Almost
as one, Bayani and Danny blurted out together with Ka Mao a reprimand for Ed:
“Dammit, Ed!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But realizing
it, the two found themselves giving way for Ka Mao to complete what he was saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’m
not fighting for Marxism! I’m not fighting for Leninism. I’m not fighting for
Mao Tse Tung Thought! I’m fighting for the liberation of the working class!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> That
got Ed tongue-tied. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What Ed didn’t realize,
he actually scored a point. As eventually proven by the result of the
conciliation meeting, the idea of return-to-work was futile from the very
start. KAMAO had proclaimed its antagonism toward Makabayan and there wouldn’t
be anymore chance whatsoever that the strikers could be back in the company’s
good graces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Steeped
in legalese, the Makabayan management wouldn’t fall into a trap by rejecting Ka
Mao when he declared at the meeting: “We are offering to return to work.” It
was in effect Jojo who did it for them when he stretched aside to Ka Mao and
nudged him on the side of the body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Huwag
kang banat nang banat (Don’t go throwing wild punches),” Jojo said in a hushed,
irritated tone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Quickly
after, Jojo addressed the management group, saying, “Our position is that while
we are open to an amicable settlement, unless and until such a settlement is
reached, the issues raised before the court stand.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THAT MORNING, the surroundings in the
strike area appeared gloomy. Mist was in the air, the sun hardly shining
through the dark clouds that mostly covered the sky. The strikers, though
holding their ground, generally appeared in a lazy mood. They either pressed
close to one another or cringed inside themselves, feeling the cold air. A very
slight drizzle was dropping but was no cause for the picketers to seek shelter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In
the kitchen, the cook engaged in some braggadocio as he prepared viand for
breakfast consisting of tomato omelet matched with friend tuyo (dried fish).
With his large machete, he chopped wood for fueling the stove. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “When
our SSS payment is finally put in order, I’d take out a loan and use the money
to put up a bulalo eatery. You know the one in Sto. Tomas, Batangas began with
just three hundred sixty five pesos capital. Now it’s the biggest in that
region and the owner is now a millionaire.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “And
you plan to be a millionaire also?” cut in the cook’s female assistant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Certainly,”
said the cook as he began cooking the omelet. “I cook better bulalo than that
guy in Batangas.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Amusing
at the talk while sipping at his coffee, Ka Mao is distracted by the sudden
rushing in of Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Come,
take a look,” Danny said to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao trailed Danny in hurrying out of the kitchen and into the street where the
strikers in the picket lines were up on their feet, alarmed at the massing of
the Makabayan security force in their usual gathering place near the gates of
the While House. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “They’re
up to some mischief again,” said Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Nobody
moves,” went Ka Mao’s announcement. He instructed Danny, “Keep the men ready.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Danny
stayed among the picketers as Ka Mao walked to a spot from which he hoped to
make a study of the movements of the security guards. Doromal was at the head
of their formation but indicated no movement whatsoever. He just fixed a
belligerent stare at Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao was distracted from his eye confrontation with Doromal by Bayani who
hurried to his side, indicating the arrival of two police mobile patrol cars.
The vehicles were approaching from the street which curved to the area where
Doromal and his men were gathered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
formation of the security guards split at the middle to give way for the police
cars, which headed straight to the strike area. Ka Mao positioned himself in the middle of the
road, in the path of the approaching police cars. Doromal and his men began
moving forward, trailing the police vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao shouted as the police cars neared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Police!
Fifty meters away!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
police team leader chose to be polite. He stepped out of the lead vehicle, clutching
a document in his hand. His team of seven trailed him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
was emboldened and signaled his men to follow. This irked the police team
leader. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Stay
back. This is our job,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
grudgingly obliged and signaled to his men to stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
police team leader approached Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
are here to serve this order by the court,” he said and handed to Ka Mao the
document he was carrying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Staring
inquisitively, Ka Mao took the document and read it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Preliminary
injunction?” Ka Mao nearly blurted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “As
you can see,” said the police officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “This
order recognizes our strike as under the jurisdiction of the National Labor
Relations Commission,” Ka Mao pointed out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “But
you are ordered not to commit acts of violence. And you must not hinder the
company in its conduct of business.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
can picket.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “That
is your right. But you cannot put up these things. These tents. These banners.
These streamers. These shelters. The court orders you to dismantle all these
structures.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It
is an exercise of our constitutional rights,” Bayani cut in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
starts moving toward a tent, his men following. The police officer pushes him
aside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I
said this is our job,” growled the police officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
are inside a private property. It is our job!” Doromal growled back<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Court
order to the police, not you. You are obstructing justice!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
other policemen signified their readiness to confront Doromal and his men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
police officer faced Ka Mao. “You don’t remove these things, we will.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
strikers braced themselves for trouble. Ka Mao urged inside him to come up with
a quick decision. He trained his eyes
around. Danny eyed him back as though to say, “Your call, my call.” Bayani’s
stare was ambivalent. But Ed urged for a clash, indicating this with a firm
grip of his hand on the pillbox bomb inside a pocket of his pants. Quite a
number of young activists did the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> From
the kitchen, the cook rushed out and seeing what was happening, rushed back in
and when he emerged into the street again, he was brandishing his large
machete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But then that
was the moment Ka Mao finally shouted to the strikers as he started to
dismantle a tent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
follow the court order!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ed
grudgingly eyed Ka Mao, staying put where he stood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Though
similarly grudging, Bayani turned to another tent and began dismantling it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Okay,
Comrades. Get it on,” he told the others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Danny
took the cue and began dismantling another tent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> And
all the strikers turned to bringing down the tents that surrounded the
Makabayan compound, together with the large streamers and banners and every
little bit of strike paraphernalia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook madly swang his machete, which split in two the trunk of a banana plant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
moved around arrogantly now even as he beamed with triumph. He shouted to the
strikers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “The
Araneta Center is private property. You cannot put up anything around here. Bring
all your things out of Araneta Center.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook threw in a display of raging irony, cutting with his machete the ropes and
other supports that held the kitchen tent in place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Oh,
yes! Damn us, proletariat! What business do we have anyway squatting on an
oligarch’s property. Suits us fine that we’re wretched. That’s what we’re only
good for anyway. To be forever poor. Forever powerless. Forever suckered.
Forever fucked. We’ve got nothing to lose but our chains? Fuck! Fuck us all!
How can we even lose our chains when we’ve already lost our balls!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Finally
yanking at the center post of the kitchen tent, the cook sent the whole
structure collapsing over him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao hurried to the rescue, followed by a number of strikers. Some lifted the
collapsed tent so Ka Mao could pull the cook out from under it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It’s
okay, Comrade. It.s okay. We’ll be okay,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook brushed Ka Mao aside. He spoke with angry teary eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
got the gall to lead a strike. Get the balls to win it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao appeared stunned. It completely humbled him to hear those words which to
him sounded: “Who are you to pretend to lead us in a fight which you don’t know
how to win?” And he didn’t know what to answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Just
that moment, lightning bolts ripped the sky. A deafening thunder roared as
though to announce the sudden falling of the rain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook and his kitchen staff hurriedly gathered their cooking paraphernalia and
brought them to the slums area at the back of the Makabayan compound. Those
manning the picket sought cover under the few trees in the area, in a couple of
old shacks put up by construction workers in the past, or otherwise under the
torn streamers and banners which they spread over their heads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao saw that not one of the strikers had stayed in the picket. He picked up a
placard, hurried to the area fronting the gates of the company compound and
there did what appeared to be a one-man picket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> From
one of the shacks, Danny called out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Take
shelter, Ka Mao. You can get sick.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao just threw a stare at Danny, continuing with his picket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Under
a streamer together with Bayani and a number of activists, Ed waxed sarcasm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ah,
Ka Mao… Always the hero.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
did not relish Ed’s words. He grabbed a
placard and walked over to join Ka Mao. He stared probingly at him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao said, “Our cook was right. Inasmuch as we have taken the guts to unionize
the workers, we should see to it that we win this fight. So long as somebody
moves in the picket, management cannot say we have abandoned the strike. They
cannot have excuse to take over the picket line.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
kept his stare at Ka Mao, who felt squeamish at it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What?”
said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
sat on a boulder by the wall and stared at the distance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Suddenly
came a succession of lightning bolts causing Ka Mao to instinctively cringe
inside him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Can there be a
storm?” Ka Mao asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The proletariat
can no longer liberate itself without at the same time liberating the whole of
society,” said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I said, is
there a storm?” Ka Mao insisted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER VI<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE WIND blew hard, and a sea of
streamers, banners and placards carrying various slogans that had been a
hallmark of the national democratic movement swayed across the large frontage
of the Philippine Congress building. There was an overcast sky but no sign of
rain coming. It was just some kind of a foreboding of the onset of an early wet
season. Though the rainy season normally starts in June, soon after the early
April showers, stretches of heavy downpour begin taking place in May. Yet even
if it were to rain now, the enthusiasm seizing everyone in the area would
surely stand the downpour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was the First
of May, always a hallowed date in the history of the workers’ struggle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The area was
already teeming with demonstrators as a long column of marchers arrives,
half-running and chanting: “Down with US imperialism! Down with feudalism! Down
with bureaucrat capitalism!” At the head of the column is a huge streamer
hoisted on wooden poles and carried the signage: “KASAMA”. Actually an acronym
for “Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng mga Manggagawa (Federation of Workers’
Associations)”, the word is the Pilipino translation of “comrade”. Second only
to this streamer is a smaller one but large enough to be noticed, and it read:
“KAMAO”. Also hoisted on wooden poles, the streamer seemed to be blazing the
trail for the KAMAO members into the midst of the gathering. Leading the KAMAO
group was Ka Mao, Danny and Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ed, with much
aid from Bayani, had the day before won an argument with Ka Mao over whether
the union should participate in this commemoration of Labor Day. And so Ka Mao
had to go on a quick run-through of
several materials to get himself familiar with why the first of May is a
sacred day for the workers’ struggle. He should be able to tell it to the union
members in order to convince them to join today’s rally – which apparently he
did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Awed by the
mammoth gathering, Ka Mao wondered to himself whether what KAMAO was entering
into right now was any different from that May 1 of 1886 when 35,000 workers of
Chicago demonstrated demanding the reduction to eight hours the highly
oppressive ten-hour working day obtaining at the time. His crash course on the
history of Labor Day had made Ka Mao realized that were it not for the sacrifices
of those Chicago workers, the present generation of workers would not be
enjoying the benefits of the eight-hour working day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> On the edge of the elevated patio,
which was actually the top of a rising driveway that leveled up in front of the
wide main entrance of the building, the firebrand speaker, addressing the crowd
through a public address system, greeted the new arrivals with a yell: “Long
live the working class!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The gathering
cheered, “Long live the workers!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This arrival of
an awesomely large force of comrades from the workers’ sector clearly
demonstrates the readiness now of the Filipino proletariat to live up to its
historically-mandated task of being the leading class in the Filipino nation’s
resolute struggle to overthrow the US-Marcos dictatorship that has been ramming
down the throats of the Filipino people the tyrannical designs of US
imperialism in cahoots with local feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism!” cried
the speaker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A cheerleader
broke out into a call, “Marcos! Hitler! Diktador! Tuta! (Marcos! Hitler!
Dictator! Puppet!)”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And the call
turned into a continuing chant once the throng picked it up. To the KAMAO
members, it sounded like a fanfare heralding their entry into the gathering.
Some were thrilled. Others experienced that exhilarating feeling of being part
of something big, something noble and worth fighting for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And they joined
in the chant as they went deeper into the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even as he, too,
voiced it, the chant evoked in Ka Mao recollections of what he read about the
first May Day event in Chicago. That remembering strangely gave him the chills.
The Chicago police had fired at the protesters, resulting to calls for revenge
from the workers. Thereafter the workers went around the city urging other
workers to strike. When the police charged at a large gathering, bomb exploded
in their midst, instantly killing one officer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Instantly, Ka
Mao stirred from his recollections as a bomb – as though in response to that
precise moment’s agitation by the speaker for the overthrow of the “US-Marcos
dictatorship” – exploded on a spot at the Congress entrance where Metrocom
soldiers were standing on guard. A
second after, rapid ratatats rent the air. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The ratatats,
sounding more like a pounding on a sheet of iron, were not stunning, unlike
those from a rapidly-fired .45 pistol which astound. But to activists familiar
with shots from an M-16, the ratatats that threw everybody in panic were more
horrific. Armalite slugs, long and slender, don’t strike through their tips but
hit you sideways and thus have a more shattering effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The crowd
dispersed, scampering in all directions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Combatant
activists also rushed along with the throng but countering the ratatats with
explosions from their pillbox bombs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">An old couple
had a hard time clambering up the barbed-wire fence of the Sunken Garden, that
vast expanse of green grass separating the Congress area from the walls of
Intramuros. Others chose to crawl under. A young woman in this group got her
dress caught on the barbed wire and had her bottom exposed as she violently
ripped her garment to free herself and run on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rushing away
together with his ever loyal close-in buddies, Ka Mao wanted to help the old
couple, but just now he could almost feel the whizzing of something past his
ears and a split-second after, something impacted upon the shoulder of a youth
clad in military jacket and who, at some distance from Ka Mao, was aiming to
release a pillbox bomb from his hand. The youth threw to the ground,
unconscious, his shoulder shattered. The pillbox bombed he was attempting to
throw dropped on soft grass and did not explode.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the ratatats
would not stop and people dropped here and there after getting hit, Ka Mao’s
companions leaped at him, throwing themselves into the grass. Just a few meters
ahead, a woman, aiming to throw her own pillbox bomb, got hit smack on the chest,
right above the heart, and dropped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While many went
on rushing away, Ka Mao and his companions stayed hugging the ground. If M-16
slugs happened to strike where they lay, then just their luck. Still that was
better than having to stay clear on the snipers’ sights by running away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then the
ratatats were no more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao spent a
moment making sure if it was okay to get up. After that, he cautiously rose to
his feet. He cast a look around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The whole
frontage of the Congress building had been deserted and all over were strewn
torn placards, abandoned banners and streamers, along with plastic bags,
personal belongings, including ladies shoes and slippers, which mixed with
rubbish to make for the debris resulting from the mayhem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the sunken
garden, scores of people were still running in different directions, seeking
safer spots, while others minded the number of injured. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao wondered
to himself if this May Day violence was any different from the first one in
Chicago. Or if this was in fact a reprise of the first May 1 carnage, then
nearly a century since that time had not been enough for the workers to end violent
suppression of their legitimate right to protest and seek redress of
grievances? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He cringed at
sight of the youth whose shoulder had been shattered by an Armalite slug. Was
he alive? Ka Mao asked himself. The youth remained unconscious as companions
carried him for loading into a jeepney already jampacked with protesters. Many
of those aboard had sustained their own injuries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao trained
his eyes on the surroundings, wanting to see who had fired the shots. But there
was no police or military personnel in sight. Not even the soldiers who were
seen earlier guarding the entrance to the legislature. It would seem that they
had been instructed to hide from view once the guns began firing. In subsequent
accounts of the massacre, the press theorized that Metrocom soldiers fired the
shots from the rafters of the Congress building. For this reason, nobody was
seen firing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao could
just set his jaws in silent grief. He recalled what he had read about the first
May Day. None of the police was ever punished for shooting the workers. But
eight leaders of the protest were jailed for trumped-up charges and four of
them eventually hanged, with one committing suicide. In the case of the
Congress May Day, the police did not bother to make any arrests. The better to
execute the protesters then and there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the grimmest
sight for Ka Mao was the woman felled by an M16 slug which slammed her chest
above the heart and rendered that portion of her body to smithereens. She was a
bloody mess. A companion of Ka Mao vainly tried to pull the woman by the arm apparently
in an effort to help her get back up. The body would not budge. It was as limp
as the arm. She was dead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A news
photographer took a shot of that scene and it would fill the front pages of
newspapers the next day – the signature photograph of what would go down in the
contemporary history of the Filipino workers’ struggle as the Congress May Day
Massacre. Already, statements from the national democratic movement hailed the
fallen woman as a heroine of the workers’ struggle – Liza Balando, a union
organizer at the Rossini’s Knitwear Factory in Caloocan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao would not
recall if he had known Liza before that carnage, but in the run up to the
Congress massacre, when various caucuses and teach-ins had organized workers
coming together at one time or another, he knew he must have crossed path with
Liza. But Ka Mao would no longer bother about this. Instead, here to him was a
woman who had a family to support but did not hesitate to sacrifice her life if
only to be able to show how really should it be to fight capitalism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao got it
from Liza at close range. He needed not the news play up the next day to decide
that trade unionism was not the way to redeem the working class from capitalist
oppression and exploitation. Liza’s sacrifice was the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The following
day, Ka Mao called a meeting of KAMAO in the family’s store-residence. In the
meeting, he explained that while the union was not abandoning the legal aspect
of the strike, it had no more choice now but to lift the picket for good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You don’t fight
guns with placards, slingshot darts and pillbox bombs. You fight capitalism
with revolution,” he declared to the stunned KAMAO unionists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-64839987754330240532012-12-21T18:59:00.005-08:002012-12-21T18:59:37.163-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>BOOK SIX<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>ROMANCING THE STORM<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Chapter I<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>PCC</b>, as the
Philippine College of Commerce was popularly known, looked less a school than
activists’ camp that night chants of “Welga! Welga! Welga!” (“Strike! Strike!
Strike!) reverberated from one of the classrooms adjoining the corridor that
rounded the quadrangle. To one side of the quadrangle, artist activists have
partitioned among themselves portions to work on for a large mural depicting workers led by one
flailing a sledge hammer; farmers with the leader thrusting a sickle; peasant
women armed with bolos along with two guerilla-attired young men, one pumping
an M-16 to the sky, another waving a red
flag with the acronym “NPA” done in yellow; a group of physicians and
nurses led by someone holding high a
book with the acronym “<i>PSR</i>” on the
cover, with the spelled out title hardly readable: “<i>Philippine Society</i> <i>and Revolution</i>”
together with the by-line: “Amado Guerrero”. All these depicted movements are
directed at caricatures of a fallen Uncle Sam being helped up by a landlord and
a bureaucrat capitalist. Splashed across this composition was the large
caption: “ISULONG ANG DIGMAANG BAYAN”. On the quadrangle stage, a drama group,
identified by a streamer in its background as “GINTONG SILAHIS”, was rehearsing
a skit with one group doing an adagio depicting the poem “<i>Lumuha Ka Aking Bayan (Cry My Dear Country)</i>” being recited in
unison by another group. To the opposite end of the guadrangle, activists
garbed as government soldiers on one side and NPA guerillas on the other
perform a choreography of battle to the tune of “<i>Makibaka, Huwag Matakot</i>,” a Tagalog adaptation of a Chinese
revolutionary song. Here and there on the corridors are DGs (discussion groups)
and in rooms or spacious nooks, teach-ins.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Across the
quadrangle, a guy, short by normal reckoning but dapper in a polo barong,
briskly walked, lugging his brief case. He headed for the room from where came
the continuing call for strike.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welga!
Welga! Welga!” went on the chant by members of KAMAO huddled in the room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Kasama… Mga
kasama…” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao,
standing in front of the group, was urging them to quiet down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welga!
Welga! Welga!” continued the crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed,
standing on the sideline, appeared satisfied. Danny, seated among the crowd,
was anticipating eagerly what Ka Mao would say.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Won’t we
quiet down?” Danny told the crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now entered
the short fellow in polo barong with the brief case. His entrance prompted the
crowd to quiet down as Ed approached him and shook his hand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“O, Jo,”
greeted Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The guy
acknowledged the greeting then faced Ka Mao as he neared.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ka Mao,
this is attorney,” Ed said, introducing the two. “Attorney, si Ka Mao.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“O, Ka
Mao,” said the guy as he took Ka Mao’s handshake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good thing
you’re here. We need you to explain this whole thing.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed beat Ka
Mao to introducing the guest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Kasama,
this is Attorney Jejomar Binay, from the Lupon ng mga Manananggol ng Bansa or
LUMABAN. He is the lawyer given to us by Dr. Prudente to handle our case.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The crowd applauded
spontaneously, prompting Ka Mao to join them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Just call me Jojo,” said the guy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The crowd
loved the words and clapped their hands once more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well… What
have we got?” asked Jojo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao and
Ed moved at the same time to make the reply so that neither of them could speak
first. Danny rather annoyedly made the response.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“President
Ka Mao presented our union demands yesterday. And this morning the management
gave him his termination papers.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Outright,
unfair labor practice.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Precisely,
Jo. Enough reason to strike,” said Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It
depends,” said Jojo. “Do the members want to strike?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welga!
Welga! Welga!” went the calls one after another across the gathering.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Attorney…,”
said Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Jojo,”
said Jojo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes,
Jojo.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m just
one man slapped with that offense of unfair labor practice. Nothing done to the
rest of the union members.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Those are
always their tactics. They fire one. They fire two. They fire three…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“ Frankly,
Attorney… Jojo… I don’t want the union to go striking all because of me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s not
quite right. The union, if ever, will not be going on strike because of you. It
is because of the whole of you. All of you comprising the union. And it is
wrong to think that it is only you whose employment management is terminating.
It is their standard tactics. They fire one. Two. Three. Before you know it,
they’ve fired everybody.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s why
we need to strike. Now,” cut in Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ed, we’re
discussing,” snapped Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tell us
what to do, Attorney.” Danny said, butting in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“My name is
Jojo.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sorry…
Jojo,” said Danny. “What do we do?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well…
First off, I was sent here by Dr.Prudente to help you with your legal needs.
These needs will most likely come up as a consequence of the strike you are
discussing now. The police beats you up, I’m there to help you file charges
against your assailants. Or you assail the security guards, I’m there to defend
you against any action they make against you. It is not important whether you
are the aggressor or the aggrieved. For either way, I’m there to help you
assert your rights under the law. But as to whether you will go on strike or
not, I’m not here to tell you what to do. The strike is your judgment call.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of a
sudden the crowd burst in a powerful call: “Welga! Welga! Welga!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It enthused
Jojo exceedingly inside. He conveys the feeling to Ka Mao as he gestured him to
the chanting crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Their
call,” said Jojo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Our call,”
said Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Chapter II<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>RAYS OF THE RISING SUN
</b>appeared to fade in on the faces of
the KAMAO members who with bated breaths and taut nerves were completing
their blitzkrieg into that corner of the Araneta Center where in a large
compound was housed the Makabayan Publishing Corporation. Placard-bearing
strikers lined the concrete wall all the way from that corner to the mesh wire
fence that separated the publishing house compound from the equally large
acreage in which were housed the Araneta cock farm and the Araneta residence
called White House, which immediately adjourned Highway 54. Sparsely spaced,
the picketers were able to cover the entire frontage of the publishing house. A
number of strikers minded the streamer carrying the name of KAMAO, which, held
by a pole on either end, they spread across the gates. At this, the two
security guards assigned there were aroused from their stolen naps, and
realizing what was happening, they quickly locked the gates shut. One of the
guards frantically called on his mobile radio.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Danny
talked to the other guard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No need to
worry. We’re not after you. We’re fighting the management,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same
time, Ka Mao and Ed took command at positioning the strikers to cover the
entire frontage of the Makabayan compound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Follow
what we have discussed,” instructed Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Group A,
at the gate,” Ed directed those concerned, who massed themselves across the
gates, sealing them instantly. “Group B, here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed
indicated the frontage from the gates to the corner eastward, which the
concerned picketers filled up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Group C,
Group C,” Ka Mao shouted. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A big number of strikers presented
themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Take this
area, from here to there, all the way to the White House fence,” said Ka Mao, indicating
the stretch from the gates to where the Makabayan compound adjoined the
compound of the White House.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Group D,
Ka Mao. Group D,” a small section of the strikers announced themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“To the
back, to the back. We’ve discussed that,” said Ka Mao, showing impatience.
“Comrades from the squatters community there have been instructed to help you
out. They could already be there. Move.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The group
went rushing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ben,”
called Ka Mao to one of them. “You take
command there.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The guy
signaled A-OK.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ed, you’re
in command there,” indicating the area to the east of the gate, already taken
by him and Group B.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed smiled
like he got candy. He addressed the group.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ok,
Kasama. Let’s heat it up. Have no fear! Fight! Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
strikers took up the militant chant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Danny,
mind the gates. This is the most important area, the critical area,” said Ka
Mao, a kind of heaviness lining his voice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Danny felt
it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We’ll be
okay here,” he said. “Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Have no
fear! Fight!” Ka Mao shouted as he joined the group that had occupied the
frontage from the gates onward to the White House compound. “This is where the
enemy would be entering the strike area. We should be the first to mix it up
with them.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the
gates of the White House compound suddenly surged out a contingent of security
guards, about thirty of them, many still doing their belts and holsters and
caps. Obviously it was in the residential compound that the security guards
headquarters were. The guards headed for the picket line. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As by
instinct, all the strikers were suddenly silence with shock. Everyone gaped
with horror at the onrush of security guards. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps the
first to have gotten over the shock, Ed came rushing to Ka Mao’s ranks,
shouting: “Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
confronted Ed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Dammit,
Ed. Get back. Mind your command.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay…,”
said Ed, seeing no need to argue. He turned back, doing the chant “Have no
fear! Fight!” all by his lonesome.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
essayed the advancing security guards. Their outflow through the White House
gates seemed endless. It horrified him surely, as he saw it horrified everyone
else. He even thought that Ed’s continuing chant, at the moment solitary, was
actually a manifestation of his own horror.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Security guards rushed on and on out of the
Araneta residential compound and from there take their own position on the
opposite side of the street in confrontation with the strikers. Soon the
strikers stood pitted one-on-one with the security guards. The security guards
began intimidating the strikers with menacing stares while striking their
sticks on the palms of their hands, with
those guards armed with shotguns, standing behind them in another column, cocking
their weapons one after another in seemingly rhythmic succession. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is it,
Ka Mao told himself. It had been all so good then, when the workers were only
just organizing the union, to speak of
such things as dying for the liberation of the proletariat. Now that it was
here, Ka Mao admitted to himself that he was terrified. He had never gone through
such a situation. The worst he went
through before was the mauling he got one evening from a group of
thrill-seeking juvenile delinquents who ganged up on him as he was walking home
down a dark deserted section of the street. He deliberately put up no
resistance, knowing he was no match to the ferocity of his attackers; not
fighting, it occurred to him, was his best defense. And so he just took the
blows, reeling and crouching, even as he vainly tried to shield himself with
his arms. Until one blow sent him reeling to the ground, where the boys turned
to kicking him all over, mercilessly. Still he saw no need to fight back. Back
in college, he had come across a passage
in Rizal’s <i>El Filibusterismo: </i>“To stoop
when the bullet passes by is not cowardice. What is foolish is to face it, only
to fall, never to rise again.” But then, as his assailants went unrelenting in
pummeling him with fist blows and kicks, he thought if he was not being foolish
for continuing to stoop so low as to literally kiss the ground. And then it
came, the gleam of that blade flashed by one of the boys. They would kill him
anyway, so fight to the finish. And he leapt to his feet, ready to tackle his
attackers. It just so happened that by then, folks from the slums at the
distance, having overheard the commotion. were rushing to check. The boys
hurried into their car and beat it quick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, the
staccato of the sounds of cocking of the shotguns by the security guards were
as that flashing of the blade in the dark in that mauling incident. And it
kindled in him an anger not born out of sheer guts or bravado but just that
kind of rage that even now was already propelling him to go, fight it out to
the finish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so he
cried, to the very top of his voice, yet so measured as to sound it were an
unending echo: “Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that
cry, replicated in that mighty indescribable unison of workers’ voices,
thundered all over the Araneta Center, like a rumble of a thousand drums in a symphony
reaching its climax.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Have no
fear! Fight! Have no fear! Fight! Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Separating
the opposing columns was that narrow stretch of the road already avoided by
vehicles, save for the few passenger jeepneys whose drivers wanted to show
their sympathy to the strike. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“For the
revolution,” said the jeepney driver as he put a seizable portion of his earnings
into the collection box being passed around by a striker.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mabuhay,
Kasama,” said the striker; that’s for wishing the donor: “Long live, Comrade.”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The jeepney
passengers put in their own donations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mabuhay,
all of you. Thank you,” came the acknowledgement from the striker.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then the head of the security guards began prompting the
jeepney drivers to clear the area.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Beat it!”
said the mean-looking officer. “You don’t want to get hit, do you?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same
time, the officer shouted to the guards at the bend where vehicles were
entering the strike area.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No entry
there. All vehicles. Stop entry.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Promptly,
the guards set up road blocks in the area. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In a moment, the space separating
the guards from the strikers was as a horrible chasm ready to gobble up anybody
who dared step forward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The officer looked to his men.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Two minutes!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The guards tightened their grips on
their sticks, those with shotguns, on their weapons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The officer looked to Ka Mao, who
was trooping the picketers in their formations back and forth, yelling to the
top of his voice, prodding them to go on with their chant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The guard officer addressed Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“You have no permit. Your strike is
illegal. You have two minutes to clear the area.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ed and Danny looked to Ka Mao, who,
not bothering to mind their reaction, threw into a fit like a maddened beast,
now confronting the guards, now agitating
his men to chant on and on, then confronting the guards again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
To his men: “Have no fear! Fight!
Have no fear! Fight! To the guards: ”Okay, bastards! Come on! Get it on!” Back
to this men: “Have no fear! Fight!” Suddenly turning to the guards again: “Fight!
Bastards! Dammit! Come on! Come on! Get it on!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All the while, the strikers shouted
on and on with Ka Mao: “Have no fear!
Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And then the guard officer began moving
forward. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All shouting stopped. The strikers
held their breaths for a long moment. Their eyes gaped in anticipation of what
the guards would do next. To writers like Ka Mao, the silence was ominous. It
had become a cliché but that was how it had always gone: the lull before the
storm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Inch by inch, the guard officer
moved forward, his men moving
accordingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao took a firm stand on the
path of the advancing guard officer. He appeared composed, just aiming to
strike his placard once he needed to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Come on…,” he murmured to himself.
His eyes were unblinking, like those of a batter aiming to hit a pitched baseball. The tip of the placard had a large
nail embedded in it such that a seizable part of its point protruded with a
terrifying effect. “Come on…,” Ka Mao murmured on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
At signal of the officer, the guards
at the White House end of their column began closing in on the strikers, like a
net folding up on fish; guards at the other end of the column did the same.
These movements were in turn signal for the officer to give it a go at Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao swang his placard. The nail
at the tip of the placard handle went burying into the officer’s arm. The
officer pulled back, yelling in pain. Ka Mao confronted other charging guards,
who held themselves back at sight of the blood dripping from the nail at the
tip of Ka Mao’s placard handle. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Other strikers tackled with their
respective opponents, their placards against the guards’ sticks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Two guards charging at lady strikers
were repelled with tear gas from their perfume sprayers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Several guards charging at male
strikers threw back at the firing of darts from slingshots by the strikers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
One dart hit the wrist of a guard,
causing him to lose hold of his stick, which a lady striker picked up and with
it hit the same guard on the head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Another dart hit a guard on the thigh,
causing him to rush away together with his companions who got hit by darts
on their butts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A large group of guards closed
ranks and charged like a mighty phalanx.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Two strikers repelled them with
blasts from their pillbox bombs, sending them scampering away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Another group forming another
phalanx charged and is met with a Molotov cocktail blast, its explosive
contraption of gasoline condensed with chips of bathsoap clinging inscrutably
to the guards’ attires and skin – on the arms, on the hands as they tried to
brush it off, and on their cheeks, in the case of some.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
At which the guards wielding
shotguns rushed to the frontlines, blasting warning shots into the air, then
cocking their weapons and pointed them to the strikers menacingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers appeared terrified and
drew back until they were pressing to the wall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Emboldened, the guard officer moved
forward even as he gripped his bleeding injured arm. The guards moved
accordingly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But abruptly they stopped.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
From behind the apparently
retreating strikers, men wielding improvised shotguns called <i>sumpak </i>took the frontlines, aiming them for
the kill as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Long, tense quiet ensued, the
guards betraying frayed nerves, the strikers resolved to fight it out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao and the guard officer
exchanged defiant stares.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Trying hard to conceal the
nervousness he shared with his men, the guard officer spoke to Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Those sumpak of yours are good
only for one shot each. Say you kill some of us, but we finish all of you. Two
minutes!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And the seconds went beating it
seemed, like the pounding of pulse beats matched by hushed harsh bated breaths.
Ka Mao scanned the uniform grit on the face of every striker and he knew he
shared that grit. He realized this was just that moment in any man’s life when
it no longer matters whether he dies, what is important is to fight. And he
could not help but bask in quiet pride to see in the faces of the guards not
the grit that seized his comrades but a kind of fragility of spirit that could
send them scurrying away at the slightest excuse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And then it came, a sound that
began creeping in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bangon sa pagkakabusabos (Arise
from your wretched existence)…” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers lit up, surprise in
their eyes, their lips quivering with a sudden feeling of relief.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
On the guards’ side, common seizure
of wonderment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bangon, alipin ng gutom (Slaves of
hunger break loose from your chains)”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And the sound, a singing by
thousands of voices, became louder and louder, now bringing joy and excitement
to the workers, horror to the guards,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Katarunga’y bulkang sasabog, sa
huling paghuhukom (Justice is volcano erupting, on the day of last judgment)” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
From one end of the road, the area manned
by Ed, activists in their hundreds began appearing in a march at the head of
which is a large streamer that proclaimed: “MABUHAY ANG URING MANGGAGAWA (LONG
LIVE THE WORKING CLASS)”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“Gapos ng kahapo’y lagutin, tayong
api ay magbalikwas (Oppressors tremble now in fright, we who are oppressed rise
and fight)…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ed wanted to shout out his great
feeling of relief and a desire to boast, but couldn’t quite do so yet. Nor
could Ka Mao, Danny and the rest of the strikers. Everybody appeared ravished,
as in euphoria in which one though suddenly thrown in bliss is thrown at the
same time into a state of utter wordlessness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“Tayo ngayo’s inaalipin, subalit
atin ang bukas (To shake off our chains of enslavement, and tomorrow become free
men)”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Activism had attained such a height
by that time that the mere sight of hundreds of activists marching instill
inspiration or terror, depending on where one stood in the class struggle. And
this time, the singing did not just come from Ed’s area of the battlefield but
from all over, from each entry into the Araneta center such that having been completely terrified,
the guards found their retreat blocked by still hundreds of activists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Now the strikers join in the
singing, while the guards sought to make a final dash to the White House
compound. But from that area, the last hundreds of activists appeared and as
they marched forward effected a compressing by the guards of themselves in the
picket line. There they could only cringe together in submission, ready to drop
to their knees if told to do so. Leading this last wave of marchers, the
biggest, was Bayani, proud, confident, combative. He was exhilarated at sight
of the full force of the marchers as well as of the strikers punching the air
with their tightly-clenched fists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“Ito’y huling paglalaban, magkaisa
nang masaklaw (This is the final class conflict, unite that we at long last win
)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ng manggagawa ang buong daigdigan (The good fight
of comrades the world has not yet seen)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ito’y huling paglalaban, magkaisa
nang masaklaw (This is the final class conflict, unite</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
that we may put in place)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ng manggagawa ang buong daigdigan
(The working class as ruler over all the Earth)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Wala tayong maaasahan, bathala o
manunubos (Neither is there God nor Redeemer to grant our dream of salvation)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Kaya ang ating kaligtasa’y nasa
ating pagkilos (And so it is our prayer ever to push our dear revolution)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Manggagawa bawiin ang yaman (The
wealth you make proclaim as your own)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ang uri ay palayain (Embark on
class liberation)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ang maso’t karet ay hawakan (Hold
on fast to hammer and sickle)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Kinabukasa’y pandayin (Pound your
future fine like steel)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ito’y huling paglalaban, tunay na
kalayaan (This is the final class conflict, struggle for genuine liberty)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ng manggagawa sa buong daigdigan
(Of all workers over the whole of the Earth)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ito’y huling paglalaban, magkaisa nang
masaklaw (This is the ultimate conflict, the great fight for final conquest)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ng Internasyonal ang buong daigdigan
(By Internationale of the whole human race)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In contrast to his calm, cool
comportment during the voting on the strike the night before, Bayani was a
firebrand as the singing ended, when at once he threw into a speech.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live the struggling workers
of KAMAO!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live!” came the thunderous
response.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Down with US imperialism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!” cried the horde of
thousands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Down with feudalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Down with bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The entire crowd burst in
thunderous applause, while a couple of women strikers hit the guard officer
with their knuckles on his head; other guards got surreptitious elbow strikes
on the side and none dared show any trace of their belligerence just a while
ago. But one unthinking guard got
himself carried away by impulse and at the hard elbow butt on his side, he
moved to retaliate with a strike of his stick, at which a striker quickly aimed
to shoot a dart to his face at point blank.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao intervened in time to
prevent any further commotion. He addressed the guards.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Friend security guards, you are
not our enemies. You are also employees of the monster that is the Araneta
empire. As we always say, pain on the small toe is ache of the whole body. Our
pain is your pain, our fight, your fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Quite a number of the guards
appeared stunned, others convinced, but most of them took those words as
propaganda. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“That’s right,” butted in Bayani,
having heard Ka Mao’s words. “This is a golden opportunity for you to ride the
crest of the workers’ triumphant historical march to full exercise of their
liberating political power.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Comrades, mark this!” cried Bayani,
turning to the throng once more. Ka Mao minded the job of prompting the guards
to get away, while speaking to the strikers and activists who were blocking
their way, “Paraanin, mga kasama.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers relented, and the
guards seized the opportunity to rush away, heading for the White House
compound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Today,” continued the agitation by
Bayani, “is the day of a great consolidation of youth and students militancy
with the revolutionary role of the proletariat in leading the struggle for the
establishment on the face of the earth a truly just and humane society. That
society which we all so dearly dream of can never come about except through the
one single road of the dictatorship of the proletariat. We, mass organizations
of different sectors in the national democratic movement, youth and students,
workers, peasants, women, professionals and nationalist businessmen, pronounce
our wholehearted support to the struggle of
KAMAO even as we, too, take support from that struggle for the
advancement of the people’s war against US imperialism, feudalism and
bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Somebody from the crowd yelled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Imperialism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!” responded Bayani
together with the throng, raising their clenched fists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Feudalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Bayani cried, “Long live the New
People’s Army!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The crowd under the streamer
carrying the artist group’s name “SINING KAYUMANGGI” flailed in the air their prop
M16s as they lead in the response: “Long Live!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live the protracted people’s
war!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Chapter III<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>ARANETA COMMUNE </b>was
the romance seizing the minds of young people who came in droves well into the
night that first day of the KAMAO strike.
The UP Commune, which had taken place from February 1 to 9, 1971, had
impacted on the youth so much that with the First Quarter Storm, of which the
commune was the highlight, having lulled into the second quarter of the year,
they hungered to replicate it wherever it was possible. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The KAMAO strike was an opportunity for doing just that, giving
release to the fire and fury from those days in February when the students had
seized control of the vast campus of the University of the Philippines, the
country’s premier learning institution, proclaiming its liberation from what
they called the Marcos fascist rule and its tutelage to US imperialism,
feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism. Wielding improvised weapons like pillbox
bombs and Molotov cocktail, the students had exercised political power over the
entire campus, and though it lasted for just over a week, the phenomenon did
advance the propaganda of the national democratic movement for the establishment
of what it called national democracy in
the Philippines. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Moreover the KAMAO strike was a
real school – as all workers’ strike were regarded – for youth activists to get
honed on the practice of proletarian revolutionary principles. It had become a
fad to call it mass integration whereby youth otherwise reared in affluence and
comfort stayed with workers in their homes and neighborhoods and shared with
them the difficulties of earning a living and fighting oppression and
exploitation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers had pitched camps all
around the Makabayan compound – on sidewalks, on the surrounding vacant lots,
and right on the street which had been completely cordoned to close it to
traffic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All over the strike area and
beyond, the KAMAO members had been sort of apportioned in groups for discussing
with youth activists. Many of the young people had copies of Mao Tse Tung’s Red
Book, a collection of Mao Tse Tung thoughts that all of a sudden at the advent
of the seventies proliferated among youth and students who took its contents as
Gospel truth on the proletarian revolutionary line. The discussions centered on
quotes read from the book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In an area in the midst of the
discussion groups, artist activists were singing a melancholic proletarian song
around a bonfire, as though serving as a sentimental background for the ongoing
discussions. Similar bonfires lit a number of the other groups, with the rest
making-do with candles or flashlights, otherwise with the illumination from the
streetlights of the Araneta Center.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In the main, the discussions were
actually veritable lectures from the activists, who read and then elaborated on
quotes from the Red Book, with the strikers limited to just listening.</div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“The people, and the people alone, are the
motive force in the making of world history.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“The wealth of society is created by the workers, peasants
and working intellectuals. If they take their destiny into their own hands,
follow a Marxist-Leninist line and take an active attitude in solving problems
instead of evading them, there will be no difficulty in the world which they
cannot overcome.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Be resolute, fear no sacrifice and surmount every difficulty
to win victory.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">In the cacophony of pronouncements, Ka Mao could not seem to
place himself. Just as he was focusing on a particular statement, came another
statement that would distract him.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“The revolutionary war is a
war of the masses…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“The masses are the real heroes…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“The masses have boundless creative power…”<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“People of the world, unite and defeat the
U.S. aggressors and all their running dogs! People of the world, be courageous,
and dare to fight, defy difficulties and advance wave upon wave. Then the whole
world will belong to the people. Monsters of all kinds shall be destroyed,” Ed
finished reading the quote as Ka Mao passed by. Barely acknowledging Ka Mao, Ed
proceeded to make his elaboration on the MTT quote. “The main enemy of the
Filipino people is US imperialism, which is why our struggle is
intertwined with the struggles of the
Chinese people and all people of the world struggling to overthrow American
imperialists worldwide.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao twitched inwardly as he passed by the
next group in his path in which the young moderator was intoning from a reading
of the Red Book, “The Communist Party of China, having made a clear-headed
appraisal of the international and domestic situation on the basis of the
science of Marxism-Leninism, recognized that all attacks by the reactionaries
at home and abroad had to be defeated and could be defeated. When dark clouds
appeared in the sky, we pointed out that they were only temporary, that the
darkness would soon pass and the sun break through.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
That reading, Ka Mao thought, just didn’t fit
into the situation. He walked on, slightly shaking his head. He was distracted
by the words from another group.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Comrade Bethune's spirit, his utter devotion
to others without any thought of self, was shown in his boundless sense of
responsibility in his work and his boundless warm-heartedness towards all
comrades and the people….”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Who was Comrade Bethune?” asked a striker.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“He was a Canadian doctor who devoted his
entire self in serving the Chinese people’s army during the bloody civil war in
China,” answered the young activist conducting the discussion. “As Mao Tse Tung
says,” and the activist read from the Red Book again, “we must all learn the
spirit of absolute selflessness from him.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao liked what he heard. He walked on,
liking also the words coming from all around. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Wherever
there is struggle there is sacrifice, and death is a common occurrence. But we
have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at
heart, and when we die for the people it is a worthy death.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
He pondered the words seriously as he walked
on; he was looking for somebody. He checked one group just as when the boy
activist leading in the discussion was speaking with an air of a battle-scarred
veteran: “All men must die, but death can vary in its significance. The ancient
Chinese writer Szuma Chien said, ‘Though death befalls all men alike, it may be
weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.’ To die for the people is
weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the fascists and die for the
exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather. In Tagalog, ang mamatay na
naglilingkod sa mga mamamayan ay kasing bigat ng Bundok Sierra Madre, subalit
ang mamatay na naglilingkod sa mga pasista ay kasing gaan ng balahibo ng
manok.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
While Ka Mao essayed the youthful looks of
the activist, a cockroach crept by the boy’s leg, prompting him to throw back
in fright. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Hey, kill that thing! Kill it!” cried the
boy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
As the other activists would just avoid the
creeper, Danny, who was among the strikers in the group, slammed it with his
slipper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Here’s for you, damn fascist!” Danny said,
eyeing the activist with mischief. He flicked the smashed cockroach aside,
causing the boy to throw back again because it passed in front of him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao amused to himself as he resumed his
steps. Finally he found Bayani leading the discussions in a rather large group.
Ka Mao joined the group in the midst of Bayani’s reading from the Red Book.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“There is an ancient Chinese fable called ‘The
Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains’. It tells of an old man who lived in
northern China long, long ago and was known as the Foolish Old Man of North
Mountain. His house faced south and beyond his doorway stood the two great
peaks, Taihang and Wangwu, obstructing the way. With great determination, he
led his sons in digging up these mountains hoe in hand. Another graybeard,
known as the Wise Old Man, saw them and said derisively, ‘How silly of you to
do this! It is quite impossible for you few to dig up these two huge mountains.’
The Foolish Old Man replied, ‘When I die, my sons will carry on; when they die,
there will be my grandsons, and then their sons and grandsons, and so on to
infinity. High as they are, the mountains cannot grow any higher and with every
bit we dig, they will be that much lower. Why can't we clear them away?’ Having
refuted the Wise Old Man's wrong view, he went on digging every day, unshaken
in his conviction. This moved God, and he sent down two angels, who carried the
mountains away on their backs. Today, two big mountains lie like a dead weight
on the Chinese people. One is imperialism and the other is feudalism. The
Chinese Communist Party has long made up its mind to dig them up. We must
persevere and work unceasingly, and we, too, will touch God's heart. Our God is
none other than the masses of the Chinese people. If they stand up and dig
together with us, why can't these two mountains be cleared away?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ending his reading, Bayani began elaborating.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Ka Mao was all by himself when he thought of
organizing KAMAO. And then there were two of us discussing the idea. And then
there were Ka Danny, Ka Ed. Before long, God, the masses in Makabayan,
listened, and now we are into this strike which as you can see already has the
makings of victory. With all of us joining hands, why can’t we clear away the
mountains of oppression and exploitation being suffered by the workers at
Makabayan Publishing Corporation?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The group cheered. Bayani enthused at it. He
turned to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Share us your thoughts, Ka Mao.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Oh,
yes,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
The crowd
thought of applauding, but at the first clapping of hands, Ka Mao gestured no
need for applause.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“I have
been thinking… Actually in command at Makabayan is not Jorvina but a bully of a
guy, Enrique, who is Don Amado’s Man Friday for all the Araneta enterprises in
the center. I had hoped that with the
official management, there was a big chance of striking up a settlement. After
all, I had been part of it at one time. But it is this bully that calls the
shots in the company, and when I presented the union demands to Jorvina and
Jorvina endorsed it to this bully, the guy punched his palm, saying
threateningly: “It’s like you hitting your head against a concrete wall.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Oh, yes?”
butted in an activist. He slapped the side of his head, “He’d bang his head
against that wall if he chose to collide with us.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“He’s been
readying himself for that,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
eyed Ka Mao, throwing the question wordlessly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“He got a
former member of the notorious Military Intelligence Security Group, a certain
Colonel Doromal, to replace the commander of the Araneta security forces.
That, by way of really gearing up for
battle.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
No remark
came from Ka Mao’s listeners. Bayani anticipated his words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao
continued, eyeing Bayani, “There was a little incident at the mess area just a
while ago.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Yes?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“The Cubao
police detachment commander entered the area surreptitiously, looking for me.
Comrades mistook his intentions and would have ganged up on him, and so he
grabbed me from behind, making me his shield. Turned out, the police officer
was sympathetic with the strike and came to warn me of an impending strike-bust
in the morning. He informed me that Doromal had gone all the way to the Central
Police District Command to press for the implementation of the no-permit,
no-strike policy.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
could visualize what Ka Mao was narrating. Now he speaks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“The
strike is an exercise of our right to peaceably assemble for redress of
grievances. Guaranteed by the constitution. No need for permits.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Tell that
to the Quezon City Police GHQ Chief.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
eyed Ka Mao inquisitively.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“He was a
batchmate of Doromal at the Philippine Military Academy.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
went tongue-tied.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<b>Chapter
IV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>EARLY SUN
RAYS </b>were
filtered through columns of smoke rising above tree tops hovering on what
served as the mess hall in the strike area. The grounds were that large open
section adjoining the east wall of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation.
Kitchen personnel were busy preparing the poor man’s fish <i>galunggong</i> for cooking in vinegar flavored with garlic, onion and
ginger and black pepper, while two women were already shoveling their cooking
spoons into the rice being fried in a large vat, which sat on a stove
improvised on the ground with little
rocks. Another stove, already burning with fire, was being fed by a man, the
cook, with more wood fuel. The cook addressed those preparing the fish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Hurry up,
ladies. We will be wasting fuel.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
The man
got a large vat and settled it on top of the stove. He emptied a large can of
vinegar into the vat, poured into it the collection of spices, and after mixing
the ingredients, savored the aroma of the rising steam. Then from a sack, he
scooped salt with his hand, dropped it into the vat, doing it thrice. He
stirred the ingredients so as to dissolve the salt, then made several scoops
once more with his hands of salt from the sack with which he treated the fish
collected in a basin. All that done, the man finally poured all the fish into
the cooking vat. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Again he
savored the aroma of the steam from the vat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Hmm… Makes me hungrier.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao
walked into the area, a cup in his hand, which he dipped into a large cauldron on
another stove with burning fuel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Smells
good,” said Ka Mao to the cook as he scooped coffee from the cauldron with his
cup.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“This will
be ready soon,” said the cook, then turned to the women frying rice. “Hey,
you’re taking too long there.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“You try
frying this much rice,” said one woman. “See if you don’t get your palms
calloused too.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao
amused at the little banter, beginning to sip his coffee. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Coming out
into the street, he scanned the surroundings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
The
strikers were in place in the quiet picket. Most of them were down on their
seats, leaning relaxed against the wall. Many were on their feet, also leaning
on the wall as they exchanged stories. A number lay on the pavement, obviously
asleep, as one may tell from the way they had their arms covered on their
faces, or their bodies folded up on their sides. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao took the other side of the road fronting the gates
and half-leaped into the air to get a glimpse of what could be taking place
inside the compound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
At the gates were large concentration of picketers, among
them Danny and Bayani, who were discussing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Been
thinking about that story Ka Mao told us,” said Danny. “That the police officer
warned him about the plan to break the strike this morning.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Good cop,
bad cop,” said Bayani. “That’s all there is to it.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“If it
were not true, why take the trouble of warning us.?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“To read
what’s on our minds.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Danny
appeared still perplexed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
addressed Ka Mao, “See anything?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Can’t see
much,” said Ka Mao, then walked toward the end of the picket line, now and then
leaping to see any movements inside the compound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Danny
resumed his talk with Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“They
didn’t have to read our minds. It’s obvious, what we’re doing. We’ll fight to
the finish.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Still
they need to check how determined we are. SOP in military science and tactics.
Know yourself, know your enemies, a thousand battles, a thousand victories.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
A loud clank created by the unlatching of the
lockset of the Makabayan gates stirred Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“This is it!” he said aloud, alarming
everyone as he leaped to his feet, at once grabbing a two-by-two-inch wooden
club.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Everybody
to the gates!” shouted Danny.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“To the gates!” cried Ed to those
under his command.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao prompted his assigned
strikers to do the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
` “Beat it, quick!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Those in the kitchen area all rushed
to respond. The cook minding the fish couldn’t quite make his mind up whether
to rush along with the rest or continue looking after the fish he was cooking.
Finally he decided to wave the fish away with his hands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the cook, clinging to his large
ladle, came squeezing himself into the mass of strikers clogging the gates as
they were swung open by the security guards. A large number of security guards massed
inside the compound, indicating their readiness to force a large delivery truck
out through the gates, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
For a moment, Bayani essayed the
meanness in the eyes of the guy giving commands to the guards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao spoke with tense hush.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Doromal.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“I can see that,” said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Doromal, catching Bayani staring at
him, flashed a faint impish, mocking
grin. Then he gave the signal for the truck to ram through the gates. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Block the fucking truck!” cried
Danny.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The strikers pressed close together
to seal the gates.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“No, no!” said Bayani. “Keep moving,
keep moving. You stand still, you’re blocking. That’s illegal. On the move,
you’re not blocking. So keep moving. Movc, move.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the strikers formed a circular
moving picket which although effecting a block of the gates could not
technically be called blocking because the circular picket moved continuously.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
At the same time, a large contingent
of the Quezon City Police arrived aboard patrol cars and immediately charged
toward the commotion at the gates. Ka Mao confronted them, waving them away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“No,” he told them. “You don’t go this
far. You’re only up to fifty meters away from the strike area. Back off…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The policemen wouldn’t budge. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Back off!” yelled Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The policemen hurried back to a
distance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao stirred at the sudden singing
by the picketers at the gate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KAMAO will never
ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> KAMAO will never ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Just like a sturdy tree<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In middle of the sea<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Never crumble down <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
It was a singing prompted by a need
for anything that could buoy up the
spirit of the strikers. The moving picket continued, all according to
the requirement of the law to keep it moving or be declared illegal. At the
same time, the Makabayan management also had the legal right to pass through
the gate without violating the strikers’ right
to picket. And so the situation presented two contending forces, each
exercising their respective rights under the law, rights that legally are
placed on equal level but on the practical level a lopsided balance. For
although the truck was not ramming through the picket, by simply moving inch by
inch, it caused the picket to draw back little by little even as it maintained
its circular motion. And by now, the hood of the truck had substantially gone through
the gates; before long, the whole vehicle could well be out into the street – successfully
breaking the strike. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao and Bayani finally resorted
to pushing on the truck hood now to keep the vehicle from moving forward any
further. They were not important anymore, the invectives they yelled to the top
of their voices. Words no longer mattered, nor did the song. Now sung with
discordant notes, the song succeeded only in imparting the rage and desperation
of the strikers thrown into utter helplessness in this most unfair and inhuman
pitting of warm bodies against the monstrosity of machine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Quite a number of sympathizing
activists shifted to singing the <i>Internationale</i>
in an effort to fire up the strikers. That amounted to a pathetic anti-climax of
a drama apparently already ended: the truck hood was now half-way through the
gates. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani and Ka Mao threw horrified
stares at each other.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Many of the strikers just found
themselvcs crying out their helplessness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Haven’t you even got pity left in
your hearts? Damn bastards! Fuck you!” cried the cook, banging the truck hood
with his ladle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
One hard stare at each other, and Ka
Mao and Bayani indicated their sharing of a realization: that the only way left
to be done was to throw themselves into a supreme sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Almost as one man, Ka Mao and Bayani
threw to the ground, hugging it crosswise to the path of the truck tires. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Doromal was completely taken aback.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The security guards signified their
horror at what they were doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The truck driver shifted the gear to
neutral, casting a horrified stare at Doromal, who was speechless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao and Bayani stared hard at
each other, then as though on cue punched the air at the same time, shouting
their supreme challenge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Come on! Damn you! Get it on!”
yelled Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Bangon sa pagkakabusabos! Mabuhay
ang uring manggagawa! (Rise from slavery! Long live the working class!)” yelled
Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The singing of the <i>Internationale </i>now took on its inherent
militant cadence, outing through the mouths of strikers and activists with
grit, in each one’s eyes, tears of rage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
For at Doromal’s signal, the truck
driver shifted to forward gear.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the truck tires were inch by
inch gaining on the bodies of Ka Mao and Bayani, now completely under the
bumper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And then tires and bodies touched.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
At that, the driver promptly stepped
on the brakes, instantly shifting to neutral gear. He threw a stare to Doromal,
who staring chidingly signaled him to go on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The truck driver grimaced to
himself. But gritting his jaws, he shifted to front gear and then moved his
foot from the brakes to the gas. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The women strikers cried as the men stared at one another,
urgently asking what to do?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the tires were pressing harder
and harder on the sides of Ka Mao and Bayani, until the rubber wheels were now
poised to climb up into their backs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Danny took the lead. He threw
himself on top of Ka Mao. The rest followed, throwing themselves alongside Ka
Mao and Bayani, piling one on top of the other such that what blocked the
vehicle now was a barricade made up of precious humans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
From under the pile, a ladle thrust
upward and hooked at the bumper of the truck. Tightly clinging to the ladle, the
cook grunted furiously. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
At the same time, activists and
strikers took positions to battle the
security guards with their pillbox bombs, Molotov cocktail, darts, homemade
shotguns, and other crude combat implements. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
From the bend in the kitchen area, slums folks rushed in,
wielding their own crude homemade weapons. They joined the strikers, all ready
to mix it up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Okay, roll it over!” shouted one
striker to the driver of the truck.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Blast, bastards!” yelled another to
the guards inside the compound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“You kill us, we kill you, we all
get killed!” cried an activist.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the driver did shift the gear
and moved as though to drive the truck forward. The combatants on the strikers’
side aimed their weapons. The driver made his mind up. His foot stepped on the
gas, revving up the engine. Under the truck hood, Bayani and Kamao stared in
horror then closed their eyes hard. The driver pulled the shift handle
backward.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The truck went full throttle back
into the compound and the guards promptly locked the gates back shut.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The strikers and sympathizers and
mass support threw in euphoria, prancing around, bursting into the song once
again, among them the particularly overjoyed cook flailing the air with his
ladle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KAMAO will never
ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> KAMAO will never ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Just like a sturdy tree<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In middle of the sea<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Never crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One among the policemen who had
withdrawn to the distance asked the team leader as they walked away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Why hadn’t we moved in?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Our orders were to maintain peace
and order. Has there been violence?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The policeman who asked the question
shook his head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The strikers who had formed
themselves into a barricade began picking themselves up from the pile. Ka Mao
had to push Danny off his torso.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It’s your weight I could have been
crushed with, you know that?” Ka Mao
joked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I was cushioning you from the truck
tires just in case they went over, you know that?” said Danny in turn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> They got a nice laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka Mao sat on the pavement, breathing
hard. Bayani did the same, beside him. They stared at each other, sharing each
other’s feeling of relief – and then exchanged high fives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER V<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">ALL DAY LONG, Ka Mao went around
soliciting logistical support. The
strike had been forced on the employees without giving them time to prepare,
and just into the first week of the picket, the union treasurer was already
expressing fears about funds running out after two or three days more.
Contributions from people who came by in the area, like pedestrians on the
sidewalks and passengers of vehicles, amount to so much inspiring sympathy, but
hardly in terms of hard logistics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Accompanied
by two of the strikers who had been acting as his close-in aides, he made the
rounds of friends and acquaintances, explaining the union cause. He purposely
garbed himself in a manner as to make him look true proletarian: faded maong
pants, plain drab shirt with folded long sleeves, and on his head a straw hat
characteristic of peasants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
three appeared queer as they strode into the hall of the National Press Club
that noon, quite contrasting the others walking in garbed either in barong
tagalog, business suites, executive shirt and tie, and other such respectable
attires as are fit in a formal affair. Nevertheless, the amiable movie actor
heading the reception committee welcomed the three and showed them into the
luncheon gathering by a business group at the plush NPC restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao realized that they had walked into where they did not belong. But he
decided that inasmuch as they had been welcomed, he might as well make good use
of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Pardon
us, ladies and gentlemen. We do not wish to intrude into your gathering. We
actually came to see Sol Villa, the NPC President. We are here to plead our
cause. We are members of the Katipunan ng mga Makabayang Obrero, KAMAO, in the
Makabayan Publishing Corporation. We are on strike because of unfair labor
practices by the company. We are soliciting your support.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Those
in the gathering cast inquisitive stares at one another. After a subtle shrug
of a shoulder here, a smile of indifference there, and a few sympathetic
responses of a hundred-peso-bill each, everybody minded their lunch. Ka Mao
felt like a pauper as he accepted the few contributions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
NPC prexy who was seated with guests at a table excused himself from the group
and saw fit to invite Ka Mao and his aides to his office. There they were asked
to wait while being served with Coca-Cola. Minutes later, Sol Villa joined them
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
have talked about your situation,” he began.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Yes?”
said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Certainly
we sympathize with your strike.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Oh,
yes. Thank you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “But
we cannot consider it as an attack on press freedom on which issue we can be
justified to intervene.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Is
it not a case that my freedom to express has been curtailed by the unjust
termination of my services?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “They
see it as a union matter…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Who
are they?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “My
colleagues at the NPC board.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Oh…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “But
we are supporting you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao gave out a lame, ambiguous smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NEXT Ka Mao and his aides found
themselves going office-to-office solicitation of support. These were foreign
films distribution outfits which at one time or another received help from Ka
Mao in publicizing their movies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> From
his suite, Johnny Litton, whom Ka Mao would later realize as the most rabid
defender of Hollywood movies in the Philippines, came out already wearing a
sarcastic smile. His publicist led him to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “This
is Mauro Gia Samonte,” said the publicist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Yes,
of course, Mauro,” said Litton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
have gone on strike at Makabayan Publishing,” said Ka Mao. “We wish to solicit
your support.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
would that be? I am a capitalist.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Litton
wore a taunting smile as he said those words. Ka Mao inwardly squinted. He
found himself putting on a smile of his
own, as defense mechanism or an alibi not to speak, because the Litton
statement amounted to a challenge, and in that moment which he suddenly
realized was one of begging, he was just powerless to answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Anyway,
Frankie here will take care of you,” Litton said, tapping the publicist on the
shoulder, then headed back to his suite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao trailed Litton with a deep stare. That guy Litton had a way of slighting
you but not letting the slighting show because he did it with a smile. But Ka
Mao’s sense of irony now was that what Litton said was true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> How,
indeed, can a capitalist support an action aimed at killing his class?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
greater irony for Ka Mao was that when the publicist Frankie fished two hundred
pesos from his wallet and handed it to him, he accepted. That was payment for
the right by Litton to insult him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao gulped that damaging of self-respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “All
in for KAMAO!” he shouted to himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> That
consoled him enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THAT EVENING the strikers had two
visitors, both purveyors of goodwill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> National
Press Club President Sol Villa brought two sacks of rice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
will try to provide more,” he said, then drove away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
next arrival created some stir because he was Atty. Jojo Binay from whom
everybody wanted to get assurance that on the legal front, the strike was going
fine. But the strikers found reason for more excitement when they learned that
aboard Jojo’s car was Crispin Aranda, the period’s matinee idol as far as
activists were concerned. Aranda was pictured in the media as a symbol of
students’ rebellion and exerted vivifying effect across the sectors in the
national democratic movement. It was obviously for this reason that Jojo sought
to announce Aranda’s presence to the strikers, although the fellow was trying
to make himself inconspicuous inside Jojo’s car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Mga
kasama, naririto si Cris Aranda.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
strikers spontaneously gathered around the car, veritable fans swooning at a
movie idol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
are you, Ka Cris,” greeted Ka Mao as he stretched his neck through the window
of the backseat where Aranda sat, not indicating he was stepping out. Ka Mao
turned to the crowd, speaking by way of prompting them to acknowledge the star
visitor. “Mga kasama, si Ka Cris.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Mabuhay
Ka Cris,” went the greetings from the strikers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Aranda
straightened up somewhat to get himself visible through the car window. Ka Mao
held out a hand to Aranda for a handshake, but in just that instance Aranda
waved a hand to excited strikers and didn’t take the handshake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Cris
got into trouble at the Island Cement strike. I had to get him out of jail,”
said Jojo to Ka Mao, distracting him at once from what seemed to be Aranda’s
snobbery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
appreciate your dropping by,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “To
remind you about our hearing tomorrow,” said Jojo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hearing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Management
filed a petition for permanent injunction.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What’s
permanent injunction, Attorney?” asked Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
guys never learn. Jojo is my name.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Yes,
sir, Attorney…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Jojo
stared hard at Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Jojo,”
added Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Be
at the Quezon City RTC 8:30 am tomorrow,” said Jojo to Ka Mao, then drove away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE COURT – a room on the second floor
of a wood-and-concrete building standing on the edge of a narrow creek cutting
under Highway 54 – was jampacked with a crowd overflowing into the corridor at the
creekside balcony. Into the first two rows of the benches in the gallery were
squeezed lawyers of the litigants, majority of whom common folks as indicated
by their lowly garments, with a spattering of men and women with snobbish mien
complemented by their well-pressed street-smart attires. Prominent on the front
benches were men in orange prison convicts’ uniforms, joined to one another
with handcuffs on the wrists and flanked by a policeman on either end of the
line. Ka Mao essayed this group with sympathetic eyes even as he inwardly
admired the oral arguments being delivered by Jojo before the judge on the
stand. Seated beside Ka Mao was Danny, listening intently to Jojo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Your
Honor, please. This honorable court should be well-informed that what is
involved in this case is a labor dispute. An exercise by workers of their
freedom to organize into a union and seek redress of grievances. Being such,
this honorable court is denied jurisdiction over this case as provided under
Republic Act 875, otherwise known as the Industrial Peace Act. This law
provides that labor disputes are to be tried by, and I quote, Letter a of
Section 2: ‘Court’ means the Court of Industrial Relations established by
Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred and three as amended…’ With all due
respect, this honorable court is not such court so defined under R.A. 875.
Moreover, Letter b, Section 9 of the Industrial Peace Act provides, and I
quote. ‘No court of the Philippines shall have jurisdiction to issue a
restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction upon the ground that any
of the persons participating or interested in a labor dispute constitute or are
engaged in an unlawful combination or conspiracy because of the doing in
concert of the acts enumerated in paragraph (a).’ Acts which may be summed up
thus: ‘Assembling peaceably to act or to organize to act in promotion of their
interests in a labor dispute.’ The law is clear and unequivocal. These acts are
never to be restrained nor be subject to temporary or permanent injunction.
Surely we all must abhor violence. But if ever there was violence in the strike
of the KAMAO, that violence was committed upon the peaceably assembling union
picketers by the brute naked force of the Security guards and other personnel
of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation. And at any rate such violence must be
a subject of criminal investigation and not serve as excuse for management to
stifle the rights and freedoms of workers guaranteed by our Constitution and
our laws. To reiterate your Honor, the issue is: Does this honorable court have
jurisdiction over this case which inherently is a labor dispute. Our humble
submission is: No, this court has not. That jurisdiction exclusively belongs to
the Court of Industrial Relations.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Even
as Jojo was still making the final plea for dismissal of the injunction suit,
Ka Mao was feeling confident the union will win the case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon he and Jojo
were walking out of the courtroom together with two other lawyers, who were
members of Ka Mao’s legal panel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Let’s
see they taste a certiorari if they side with the management,” boasted the
tallest lawyer among the three; Jojo was the shortest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What’s
a certiorari?” asked Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It’s
the remedy for grave abuse of discrethion by the court,” said Jojo. “As you
heard in my oral argument, the court has no jurisdiction over the case. Court
rules in favor of management, we raise the matter to the Sujpreme Court.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> All
the while, Danny just listened as he tagged along the group. Some thoughts were
seizing his mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">FINGERS plucking on the guitar chords
the tune of a popular melody provided the musical background for a poem
rendered by picketers who were huddled around a bonfire near the gates of the
publishing company. Other picketers were here and there busy with their own
huddles around their own bonfires, otherwise taking naps as they leaned on the
walls while seated on the ground or lay on carboard mats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Lumuha
ka aking bayan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Shed
your tear country dear)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Buong
lungkot mong iluha<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (With
all your sorrow cry)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ang
kawawang kapalaran<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (The great misfortune suffered)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ng
bayan mong kawawa…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (By
your people so aggrieved)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The poem was
barely audible in the mess hall area where Ka Mao, Danny, Ed and Bayani
huddled while taking coffee in a corner, seated on the ground. Light from the
stove being readied by the cook flickered on their faces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That certiori
thing sounded nice,” said Ed. “But been thinking about it all day. It’s no
use.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let Jojo worry
about that,” said Bayani. “Our concern is the picket line.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Precisely, Ka
Bay,” snapped Danny. “Once the court issues any injunction, we can’t fight with
force anymore. Meaning when management breaks our strike, we just sit by and
watch.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Naah! We fight
them to the last drop of our blood!” cut in Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And get our
strike declared illegal?” snapped Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s not the
law that will make us win. It’s our strength and determination to fight it out,”
declared Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The cook had set
a big cauldron on the stove with the necessary amount of water for cooking
rice. Now he emptied into the vessel what little rice was left in a sack, then
opened another sack from which he put additional rice into the cauldron. He
spoke to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Nothing more
after this sack, Ka Mao,” said the cook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sol Villa
promised to bring another sack tonight,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Very well then.
We are assured of food for the next two days,” said the cook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For a moment, Ka
Mao appeared stunned by the implication of those words. “After two days, what?”
he asked himself. Cross the bridge when we get there. That’s how he had always approached the
question, and luckily enough there always was something that cropped up and
solved the problem. This time however a kind of heaviness bore upon him. That
commitment from the National Press Club president was the last and no other
pledges were in place from elsewhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“My concern is
the strike,” he said as he resumed the discussion with the group. “Our members
did not join the union in order to push the movement. They joined to get what
the law says they must have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I think, Ka
Mao,” said Ed, “we had better start teaching the union members the need for
protracted struggle.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The members are
not ready for that,” said Danny<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s why I
say, teach them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What a time to
teach. Just as when everybody has begun complaining about difficulties in their
living.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There is no
other way to face up to those difficulties. Hard struggle.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Our members
appear to have prepared only for a short fight. Quite a few have already begun
looking for jobs elsewhere. Give this a month more and we’d be lucky to have
half of our number still picketing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So are we
blaming them? Blame it on our own economism.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s what the
union was perceived to be from the very beginning. To gain economic benefits
for the members.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Precisely why I
kept reminding you when you were making the union demands. Make them political.
Lenin said economic struggle is the ideological enslavement of the working
class.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There you go
again, Ed,” cut in Danny. “Stop dragging Lenin into the union fight.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Lenin is a
source of wisdom in the conduct of our strike.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Only you know
Lenin. All the rest are interested only in economic benefits.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay,
comrades.” Bayani finally cut in. “Debate won’t get us anywhere. (to Ed) We
face Lenin at the proper time and place, okay? Right now, let’s face the
concrete problem. We’re running out of food provisions. How do we solve that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Learn to struggle
the hard way. The only way,” said Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Cut the
rhetoric. I ask you, after our last sack of rice is gone, where do you get the next?”
said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’ve got the
committee system. We have the finance committee to worry about that.” Ed was
wiggling out of entrapment in the discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao cut in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Truth of the
matter is, Ed, the finance committee had been up to collecting alms from
passersby and car passengers only. Bulk of our logistics came from my tapping
of personal contacts. By now I have just about exhausted their goodwill.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So you’re the
hero. Well taken…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao found
himself not saying anything at the sarcasm. He set his jaws subtly while fixing
a hard stare at Ed. Bayani took up the discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ed, we are
finding solution to a problem. I don’t think your talk is proper.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ed, recognizing
his mistake, flashed to Ka Mao his characteristic put-on smile and gave him a
tap on the leg as he said, “Sorry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“All in for the
workers,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s on your
mind?” asked Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’d swallow
everything just to preserve the union.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All three
stared, anticipating Ka Mao’s next words. But Ka Mao did not pursue the topic
anymore. He rose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You mind the
picket. I don’t see any trouble coming. I’ll check my folks at home,” Ka Mao
said as he started for the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Won’t you have
dinner first?” said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s early
enough. I’ll catch some food in the house.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao walked
away. Bayani faced Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Lie low with
your tongue, eh, Ed. You come on too strong.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ed flashed his
apologetic smile, raising both hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry. I said,
I’m sorry, didn’t I?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">BEFORE THE CRUCIFIX on an improvised
altar in a corner of the mezzanine floor, Nanay Puping was in deep prayer with her rosary when she
was distracted by Violeta’s voice from below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ay,
si Manoy Mauro!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao was arriving at the apartment. He took the hand of Tatay Simo, who was
minding the store, and paid him his respect, touching the hand to his forehead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Tatay
Simo was his usual, quiet self, keeping his thoughts to himself. What relief he
felt in seeing his son well and safe, he didn’t speak but conveyed it with a
loving stare, a faint smile and a gentle grip on Ka Mao’s hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
are you, Tatay?” Ka Mao asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’m
okay,” said Tatay Simo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “And
everyone?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We’re
all okay. They missed you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Tatay
Simo went inside quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Violeta,
mind the store.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Violeta
quickly finished doing the dishes at the kitchen sink then went over to the
store, with jolly mien circling her palm in the air as she passed Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hello!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hi,
how are you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Okay!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Nice
to hear that.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What’s
not okay is that this store is not selling much. I really doubt if it can raise enough for my
and Ellen’s tuition come June.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “There
is still time I suppose.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
time flies so fast. Before we know it, it’s enrollment time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’ll
keep that in mind. Where’s Nanay?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Upstairs
praying. She’ll go down in a minute.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Mamay
Oliva not home yet?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Normally
it takes her just before midnight to arrive home. She’d be coming from
Malolos.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Meantime,
Tatay Simo hurried to prepare supper for Ka Mao. He called to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Come,
Maurito, sit here, eat. I can see you’ve lost weight. You must not be eating
enough at the strike.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ellen cleared a
space on the table for Tatay Simo to set the food in. She was doing in small
packs of colored Japanese paper a delicacy of sweet called pulvorun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hi,
Ellen,” said Ka Mao as he sat before the food Tatay Simo was setting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hi, how are you
Manoy Mauro?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s that you’re
doing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Pulvorun. For
selling to friends and acquaintances. Must help earning for my studies.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Worst case
scenario, you pass off the coming semester.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ay,” came
Ellen’s curt response. All of a sudden her mouth quivered as she pressed her
lips; a tear threatened in her eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao felt
Ellen’s pain. He spoke through a lump in his throat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Just a thought
really. I’ll make means of course. Don’t you worry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Already made
inquiries at UST.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, University
of the Santo Tomas. The oldest in the country. Good school.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“ Got enrollment
forms too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What do you
intend to take up by the way.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Medical
Technology. The cheapest medical course. We can’t afford medicine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Medtech is a
good course.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There is a big
demand for it abroad.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tatay Simo
finished setting for Ka Mao a simple dinner course consisting of rice, monggo
soup and fish boiled in vinegar and spices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay, son. Eat
a lot.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao laughed
lightly. He began eating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hmm… This is
good. You really cook nice, Tatay.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I had a feeling
you’d come, so I thought of cooking your favorite.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Every viand you
cook is my favorite.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now came Nanay
Puping rushing down the stairs. Always sentimental, she was already breaking in
tears as she hurried to hug Ka Mao even as he rose and made besa to her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ay, ginaha aqui
(beloved child),” Nanay Puping cried. “Dios mabalos (thank god). My heart
breaks just thinking what harm could be happening to you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No harm could
happen to me. My men are good. They even assign bodyguards to protect me when I
have to go out on appointments.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bodyguards! My
God. So people want to harm you. What do you need bodyguards for? You tell me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Puping, your
son is hungry. Let him eat,” cut in Tatay Simo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sat and
resumed eating. Nanay Puping sat beside him, doing her habit of putting food
into Ka Mao’s plate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No big deal
really, Nanay,” Ka Mao said assuringly. “Just little precaution. Nothing to
worry about.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tatay Simo stood
by, replenishing food in the plates, as Ka Mao was eating quite voraciously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“From what I
know, strikes take long. Months, years,” said Tatay Simo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How about
yours, how long?” Nanay Puping asked of Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I could end it
tomorrow.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao said the
words very matter-of-factly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But everybody
appeared stunned, including Violeta who rushed from the store, beaming with
surprised delight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Did I hear
right?” she asked loudly, unbelievingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Our lawyer had
agreed to a conciliation meeting with management,” Ka Mao said. “And it would
be tomorrow. In that meeting, I intend to make a return-to-work offer.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Return to
work!” exclaimed Violeta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s return
to work?” Nanay Puping asked Tatay Simo, nearly whispering, as though afraid
that anyone else might hear the question. He gestured to her to just listen to
Ka Mao’s explanation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought of a
face-saving way of ending the strike. We lift our picket with honor. The
company is saved from the disgrace of being anti-labor. Return to work will do
the trick.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Return to you
getting pay at every middle and end of the month?” asked Violeta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao nodded,
saying, “Right.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Return to me
and Ellen getting our daily school allowance?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“With bonus for
good grades, too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Violeta grabbed
Ka Mao’s arm and raised it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mabuhay si Ka
Mao!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everybody got a
good laugh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With Ellen the
laughter came with tears of joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao nodded to
her assuringly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A CLEAR DAY lay ahead as indicated by
the gleam reflected by the red KAMAO flag fluttering in the air, against the
bright blue of the sky and the brilliant white of the clouds. The picket along
the wide frontage of the Makabayan compound was being conducted with
characteristic militancy, but nothing in the atmosphere boded any grave
occurrence, such as the violence that inevitably erupted following past rises
in tension between strikers and strike-breakers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> But
as Ka Mao walked past the Araneta Coliseum on the way to the conciliation
meeting with the management, the Big Dome appeared to be like a gigantic weight
from under which he could not extricate himself. Walking beside him was Ed,
almost madly trying to talk him out of what he was intending to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What
you are thinking, Ka Mao, is not only a detestable act of class collaboration.
It is treachery to the union. It’s bad. It’s mad. It’s stupid!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ed,”
cut in Bayani, “we are comrades. No foul language please.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Bay,
this is not a question of language. It’s about ideology. Ka Mao is selling out
the struggle of the Makabayan workers.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao gritted his jaws, keeping himself from responding, which could be terrible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
had a board caucus, eh, Ed?” said Danny, wanting to avoid the ill talk. “The board
gave go signal to negotiate return to work. Why fret now?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Nobody
in the caucus had the guts to say no to Ka Mao. We were all no better than stooges, going whichever way he pulled us by
nose.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao stopped walking and faced up to Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’d
take that, Ed. Pour it on. I’ve bent backward enough, I’ll bend a lot more
backward still. But get this. As long as I’m president of KAMAO, I’ll do things
for the union the way I see best.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Your
best is no better than that of yellow labor leaders.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
cut in, but trying hard to sound cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ed,
careful with your words. We’re comrades.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “No
comrade sells workers to capitalists.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Say
it again, Ed,” Ka Mao dared, voice trembling in rage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Danny
butted in, “It’d still be all up for negotiations. No need to argue now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ed
insisted, “The very idea of returning to work and abandoning the strike is a
betrayal of the workers! A sellout!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Now,
Ka Mao let loose his own temper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
all know that that’s the last thing I could ever do to the union. You know
because you all know what I was before the strike. You know what I had. And all
that I was going to make. And all that I put at stake. If there has been any betrayal in this fight,
it is my having turned traitor to all the lot more that I stood to have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ah,
yes. Always the hero. Never mind that all that you want to do now are a desecration
of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse Tung Thought!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Almost
as one, Bayani and Danny blurted out together with Ka Mao a reprimand for Ed:
“Dammit, Ed!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But realizing
it, the two found themselves giving way for Ka Mao to complete what he was saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’m
not fighting for Marxism! I’m not fighting for Leninism. I’m not fighting for
Mao Tse Tung Thought! I’m fighting for the liberation of the working class!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> That
got Ed tongue-tied. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What Ed didn’t realize,
he actually scored a point. As eventually proven by the result of the
conciliation meeting, the idea of return-to-work was futile from the very
start. KAMAO had proclaimed its antagonism toward Makabayan and there wouldn’t
be anymore chance whatsoever that the strikers could be back in the company’s
good graces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Steeped
in legalese, the Makabayan management wouldn’t fall into a trap by rejecting Ka
Mao when he declared at the meeting: “We are offering to return to work.” It
was in effect Jojo who did it for them when he stretched aside to Ka Mao and
nudged him on the side of the body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Huwag
kang banat nang banat (Don’t go throwing wild punches),” Jojo said in a hushed,
irritated tone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Quickly
after, Jojo addressed the management group, saying, “Our position is that while
we are open to an amicable settlement, unless and until such a settlement is
reached, the issues raised before the court stand.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THAT MORNING, the surroundings in the
strike area appeared gloomy. Mist was in the air, the sun hardly shining
through the dark clouds that mostly covered the sky. The strikers, though
holding their ground, generally appeared in a lazy mood. They either pressed
close to one another or cringed inside themselves, feeling the cold air. A very
slight drizzle was dropping but was no cause for the picketers to seek shelter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In
the kitchen, the cook engaged in some braggadocio as he prepared viand for
breakfast consisting of tomato omelet matched with friend tuyo (dried fish).
With his large machete, he chopped wood for fueling the stove. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “When
our SSS payment is finally put in order, I’d take out a loan and use the money
to put up a bulalo eatery. You know the one in Sto. Tomas, Batangas began with
just three hundred sixty five pesos capital. Now it’s the biggest in that
region and the owner is now a millionaire.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “And
you plan to be a millionaire also?” cut in the cook’s female assistant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Certainly,”
said the cook as he began cooking the omelet. “I cook better bulalo than that
guy in Batangas.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Amusing
at the talk while sipping at his coffee, Ka Mao is distracted by the sudden
rushing in of Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Come,
take a look,” Danny said to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao trailed Danny in hurrying out of the kitchen and into the street where the
strikers in the picket lines were up on their feet, alarmed at the massing of
the Makabayan security force in their usual gathering place near the gates of
the While House. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “They’re
up to some mischief again,” said Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Nobody
moves,” went Ka Mao’s announcement. He instructed Danny, “Keep the men ready.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Danny
stayed among the picketers as Ka Mao walked to a spot from which he hoped to
make a study of the movements of the security guards. Doromal was at the head
of their formation but indicated no movement whatsoever. He just fixed a
belligerent stare at Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao was distracted from his eye confrontation with Doromal by Bayani who
hurried to his side, indicating the arrival of two police mobile patrol cars.
The vehicles were approaching from the street which curved to the area where
Doromal and his men were gathered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
formation of the security guards split at the middle to give way for the police
cars, which headed straight to the strike area. Ka Mao positioned himself in the middle of the
road, in the path of the approaching police cars. Doromal and his men began
moving forward, trailing the police vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao shouted as the police cars neared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Police!
Fifty meters away!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
police team leader chose to be polite. He stepped out of the lead vehicle, clutching
a document in his hand. His team of seven trailed him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
was emboldened and signaled his men to follow. This irked the police team
leader. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Stay
back. This is our job,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
grudgingly obliged and signaled to his men to stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
police team leader approached Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
are here to serve this order by the court,” he said and handed to Ka Mao the
document he was carrying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Staring
inquisitively, Ka Mao took the document and read it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Preliminary
injunction?” Ka Mao nearly blurted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “As
you can see,” said the police officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “This
order recognizes our strike as under the jurisdiction of the National Labor
Relations Commission,” Ka Mao pointed out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “But
you are ordered not to commit acts of violence. And you must not hinder the
company in its conduct of business.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
can picket.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “That
is your right. But you cannot put up these things. These tents. These banners.
These streamers. These shelters. The court orders you to dismantle all these
structures.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It
is an exercise of our constitutional rights,” Bayani cut in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
starts moving toward a tent, his men following. The police officer pushes him
aside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I
said this is our job,” growled the police officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
are inside a private property. It is our job!” Doromal growled back<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Court
order to the police, not you. You are obstructing justice!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
other policemen signified their readiness to confront Doromal and his men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
police officer faced Ka Mao. “You don’t remove these things, we will.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
strikers braced themselves for trouble. Ka Mao urged inside him to come up with
a quick decision. He trained his eyes
around. Danny eyed him back as though to say, “Your call, my call.” Bayani’s
stare was ambivalent. But Ed urged for a clash, indicating this with a firm
grip of his hand on the pillbox bomb inside a pocket of his pants. Quite a
number of young activists did the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> From
the kitchen, the cook rushed out and seeing what was happening, rushed back in
and when he emerged into the street again, he was brandishing his large
machete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But then that
was the moment Ka Mao finally shouted to the strikers as he started to
dismantle a tent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
follow the court order!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ed
grudgingly eyed Ka Mao, staying put where he stood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Though
similarly grudging, Bayani turned to another tent and began dismantling it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Okay,
Comrades. Get it on,” he told the others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Danny
took the cue and began dismantling another tent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> And
all the strikers turned to bringing down the tents that surrounded the
Makabayan compound, together with the large streamers and banners and every
little bit of strike paraphernalia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook madly swang his machete, which split in two the trunk of a banana plant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
moved around arrogantly now even as he beamed with triumph. He shouted to the
strikers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “The
Araneta Center is private property. You cannot put up anything around here. Bring
all your things out of Araneta Center.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook threw in a display of raging irony, cutting with his machete the ropes and
other supports that held the kitchen tent in place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Oh,
yes! Damn us, proletariat! What business do we have anyway squatting on an
oligarch’s property. Suits us fine that we’re wretched. That’s what we’re only
good for anyway. To be forever poor. Forever powerless. Forever suckered.
Forever fucked. We’ve got nothing to lose but our chains? Fuck! Fuck us all!
How can we even lose our chains when we’ve already lost our balls!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Finally
yanking at the center post of the kitchen tent, the cook sent the whole
structure collapsing over him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao hurried to the rescue, followed by a number of strikers. Some lifted the
collapsed tent so Ka Mao could pull the cook out from under it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It’s
okay, Comrade. It.s okay. We’ll be okay,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook brushed Ka Mao aside. He spoke with angry teary eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
got the gall to lead a strike. Get the balls to win it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao appeared stunned. It completely humbled him to hear those words which to
him sounded: “Who are you to pretend to lead us in a fight which you don’t know
how to win?” And he didn’t know what to answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Just
that moment, lightning bolts ripped the sky. A deafening thunder roared as
though to announce the sudden falling of the rain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook and his kitchen staff hurriedly gathered their cooking paraphernalia and
brought them to the slums area at the back of the Makabayan compound. Those
manning the picket sought cover under the few trees in the area, in a couple of
old shacks put up by construction workers in the past, or otherwise under the
torn streamers and banners which they spread over their heads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao saw that not one of the strikers had stayed in the picket. He picked up a
placard, hurried to the area fronting the gates of the company compound and
there did what appeared to be a one-man picket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> From
one of the shacks, Danny called out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Take
shelter, Ka Mao. You can get sick.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao just threw a stare at Danny, continuing with his picket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Under
a streamer together with Bayani and a number of activists, Ed waxed sarcasm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ah,
Ka Mao… Always the hero.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
did not relish Ed’s words. He grabbed a
placard and walked over to join Ka Mao. He stared probingly at him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao said, “Our cook was right. Inasmuch as we have taken the guts to unionize
the workers, we should see to it that we win this fight. So long as somebody
moves in the picket, management cannot say we have abandoned the strike. They
cannot have excuse to take over the picket line.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
kept his stare at Ka Mao, who felt squeamish at it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What?”
said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
sat on a boulder by the wall and stared at the distance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Suddenly
came a succession of lightning bolts causing Ka Mao to instinctively cringe
inside him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Can there be a
storm?” Ka Mao asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The proletariat
can no longer liberate itself without at the same time liberating the whole of
society,” said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I said, is
there a storm?” Ka Mao insisted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER VI<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE WIND blew hard, and a sea of
streamers, banners and placards carrying various slogans that had been a
hallmark of the national democratic movement swayed across the large frontage
of the Philippine Congress building. There was an overcast sky but no sign of
rain coming. It was just some kind of a foreboding of the onset of an early wet
season. Though the rainy season normally starts in June, soon after the early
April showers, stretches of heavy downpour begin taking place in May. Yet even
if it were to rain now, the enthusiasm seizing everyone in the area would
surely stand the downpour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was the First
of May, always a hallowed date in the history of the workers’ struggle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The area was
already teeming with demonstrators as a long column of marchers arrives,
half-running and chanting: “Down with US imperialism! Down with feudalism! Down
with bureaucrat capitalism!” At the head of the column is a huge streamer
hoisted on wooden poles and carried the signage: “KASAMA”. Actually an acronym
for “Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng mga Manggagawa (Federation of Workers’
Associations)”, the word is the Pilipino translation of “comrade”. Second only
to this streamer is a smaller one but large enough to be noticed, and it read:
“KAMAO”. Also hoisted on wooden poles, the streamer seemed to be blazing the
trail for the KAMAO members into the midst of the gathering. Leading the KAMAO
group was Ka Mao, Danny and Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ed, with much
aid from Bayani, had the day before won an argument with Ka Mao over whether
the union should participate in this commemoration of Labor Day. And so Ka Mao
had to go on a quick run-through of
several materials to get himself familiar with why the first of May is a
sacred day for the workers’ struggle. He should be able to tell it to the union
members in order to convince them to join today’s rally – which apparently he
did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Awed by the
mammoth gathering, Ka Mao wondered to himself whether what KAMAO was entering
into right now was any different from that May 1 of 1886 when 35,000 workers of
Chicago demonstrated demanding the reduction to eight hours the highly
oppressive ten-hour working day obtaining at the time. His crash course on the
history of Labor Day had made Ka Mao realized that were it not for the sacrifices
of those Chicago workers, the present generation of workers would not be
enjoying the benefits of the eight-hour working day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> On the edge of the elevated patio,
which was actually the top of a rising driveway that leveled up in front of the
wide main entrance of the building, the firebrand speaker, addressing the crowd
through a public address system, greeted the new arrivals with a yell: “Long
live the working class!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The gathering
cheered, “Long live the workers!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This arrival of
an awesomely large force of comrades from the workers’ sector clearly
demonstrates the readiness now of the Filipino proletariat to live up to its
historically-mandated task of being the leading class in the Filipino nation’s
resolute struggle to overthrow the US-Marcos dictatorship that has been ramming
down the throats of the Filipino people the tyrannical designs of US
imperialism in cahoots with local feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism!” cried
the speaker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A cheerleader
broke out into a call, “Marcos! Hitler! Diktador! Tuta! (Marcos! Hitler!
Dictator! Puppet!)”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And the call
turned into a continuing chant once the throng picked it up. To the KAMAO
members, it sounded like a fanfare heralding their entry into the gathering.
Some were thrilled. Others experienced that exhilarating feeling of being part
of something big, something noble and worth fighting for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And they joined
in the chant as they went deeper into the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even as he, too,
voiced it, the chant evoked in Ka Mao recollections of what he read about the
first May Day event in Chicago. That remembering strangely gave him the chills.
The Chicago police had fired at the protesters, resulting to calls for revenge
from the workers. Thereafter the workers went around the city urging other
workers to strike. When the police charged at a large gathering, bomb exploded
in their midst, instantly killing one officer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Instantly, Ka
Mao stirred from his recollections as a bomb – as though in response to that
precise moment’s agitation by the speaker for the overthrow of the “US-Marcos
dictatorship” – exploded on a spot at the Congress entrance where Metrocom
soldiers were standing on guard. A
second after, rapid ratatats rent the air. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The ratatats,
sounding more like a pounding on a sheet of iron, were not stunning, unlike
those from a rapidly-fired .45 pistol which astound. But to activists familiar
with shots from an M-16, the ratatats that threw everybody in panic were more
horrific. Armalite slugs, long and slender, don’t strike through their tips but
hit you sideways and thus have a more shattering effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The crowd
dispersed, scampering in all directions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Combatant
activists also rushed along with the throng but countering the ratatats with
explosions from their pillbox bombs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">An old couple
had a hard time clambering up the barbed-wire fence of the Sunken Garden, that
vast expanse of green grass separating the Congress area from the walls of
Intramuros. Others chose to crawl under. A young woman in this group got her
dress caught on the barbed wire and had her bottom exposed as she violently
ripped her garment to free herself and run on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rushing away
together with his ever loyal close-in buddies, Ka Mao wanted to help the old
couple, but just now he could almost feel the whizzing of something past his
ears and a split-second after, something impacted upon the shoulder of a youth
clad in military jacket and who, at some distance from Ka Mao, was aiming to
release a pillbox bomb from his hand. The youth threw to the ground,
unconscious, his shoulder shattered. The pillbox bombed he was attempting to
throw dropped on soft grass and did not explode.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the ratatats
would not stop and people dropped here and there after getting hit, Ka Mao’s
companions leaped at him, throwing themselves into the grass. Just a few meters
ahead, a woman, aiming to throw her own pillbox bomb, got hit smack on the chest,
right above the heart, and dropped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While many went
on rushing away, Ka Mao and his companions stayed hugging the ground. If M-16
slugs happened to strike where they lay, then just their luck. Still that was
better than having to stay clear on the snipers’ sights by running away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then the
ratatats were no more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao spent a
moment making sure if it was okay to get up. After that, he cautiously rose to
his feet. He cast a look around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The whole
frontage of the Congress building had been deserted and all over were strewn
torn placards, abandoned banners and streamers, along with plastic bags,
personal belongings, including ladies shoes and slippers, which mixed with
rubbish to make for the debris resulting from the mayhem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the sunken
garden, scores of people were still running in different directions, seeking
safer spots, while others minded the number of injured. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao wondered
to himself if this May Day violence was any different from the first one in
Chicago. Or if this was in fact a reprise of the first May 1 carnage, then
nearly a century since that time had not been enough for the workers to end violent
suppression of their legitimate right to protest and seek redress of
grievances? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He cringed at
sight of the youth whose shoulder had been shattered by an Armalite slug. Was
he alive? Ka Mao asked himself. The youth remained unconscious as companions
carried him for loading into a jeepney already jampacked with protesters. Many
of those aboard had sustained their own injuries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao trained
his eyes on the surroundings, wanting to see who had fired the shots. But there
was no police or military personnel in sight. Not even the soldiers who were
seen earlier guarding the entrance to the legislature. It would seem that they
had been instructed to hide from view once the guns began firing. In subsequent
accounts of the massacre, the press theorized that Metrocom soldiers fired the
shots from the rafters of the Congress building. For this reason, nobody was
seen firing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao could
just set his jaws in silent grief. He recalled what he had read about the first
May Day. None of the police was ever punished for shooting the workers. But
eight leaders of the protest were jailed for trumped-up charges and four of
them eventually hanged, with one committing suicide. In the case of the
Congress May Day, the police did not bother to make any arrests. The better to
execute the protesters then and there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the grimmest
sight for Ka Mao was the woman felled by an M16 slug which slammed her chest
above the heart and rendered that portion of her body to smithereens. She was a
bloody mess. A companion of Ka Mao vainly tried to pull the woman by the arm apparently
in an effort to help her get back up. The body would not budge. It was as limp
as the arm. She was dead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A news
photographer took a shot of that scene and it would fill the front pages of
newspapers the next day – the signature photograph of what would go down in the
contemporary history of the Filipino workers’ struggle as the Congress May Day
Massacre. Already, statements from the national democratic movement hailed the
fallen woman as a heroine of the workers’ struggle – Liza Balando, a union
organizer at the Rossini’s Knitwear Factory in Caloocan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao would not
recall if he had known Liza before that carnage, but in the run up to the
Congress massacre, when various caucuses and teach-ins had organized workers
coming together at one time or another, he knew he must have crossed path with
Liza. But Ka Mao would no longer bother about this. Instead, here to him was a
woman who had a family to support but did not hesitate to sacrifice her life if
only to be able to show how really should it be to fight capitalism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao got it
from Liza at close range. He needed not the news play up the next day to decide
that trade unionism was not the way to redeem the working class from capitalist
oppression and exploitation. Liza’s sacrifice was the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The following
day, Ka Mao called a meeting of KAMAO in the family’s store-residence. In the
meeting, he explained that while the union was not abandoning the legal aspect
of the strike, it had no more choice now but to lift the picket for good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You don’t fight
guns with placards, slingshot darts and pillbox bombs. You fight capitalism
with revolution,” he declared to the stunned KAMAO unionists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-26066163544875953992012-12-21T18:59:00.003-08:002012-12-21T18:59:32.419-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>BOOK SIX<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>ROMANCING THE STORM<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Chapter I<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>PCC</b>, as the
Philippine College of Commerce was popularly known, looked less a school than
activists’ camp that night chants of “Welga! Welga! Welga!” (“Strike! Strike!
Strike!) reverberated from one of the classrooms adjoining the corridor that
rounded the quadrangle. To one side of the quadrangle, artist activists have
partitioned among themselves portions to work on for a large mural depicting workers led by one
flailing a sledge hammer; farmers with the leader thrusting a sickle; peasant
women armed with bolos along with two guerilla-attired young men, one pumping
an M-16 to the sky, another waving a red
flag with the acronym “NPA” done in yellow; a group of physicians and
nurses led by someone holding high a
book with the acronym “<i>PSR</i>” on the
cover, with the spelled out title hardly readable: “<i>Philippine Society</i> <i>and Revolution</i>”
together with the by-line: “Amado Guerrero”. All these depicted movements are
directed at caricatures of a fallen Uncle Sam being helped up by a landlord and
a bureaucrat capitalist. Splashed across this composition was the large
caption: “ISULONG ANG DIGMAANG BAYAN”. On the quadrangle stage, a drama group,
identified by a streamer in its background as “GINTONG SILAHIS”, was rehearsing
a skit with one group doing an adagio depicting the poem “<i>Lumuha Ka Aking Bayan (Cry My Dear Country)</i>” being recited in
unison by another group. To the opposite end of the guadrangle, activists
garbed as government soldiers on one side and NPA guerillas on the other
perform a choreography of battle to the tune of “<i>Makibaka, Huwag Matakot</i>,” a Tagalog adaptation of a Chinese
revolutionary song. Here and there on the corridors are DGs (discussion groups)
and in rooms or spacious nooks, teach-ins.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Across the
quadrangle, a guy, short by normal reckoning but dapper in a polo barong,
briskly walked, lugging his brief case. He headed for the room from where came
the continuing call for strike.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welga!
Welga! Welga!” went on the chant by members of KAMAO huddled in the room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Kasama… Mga
kasama…” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao,
standing in front of the group, was urging them to quiet down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welga!
Welga! Welga!” continued the crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed,
standing on the sideline, appeared satisfied. Danny, seated among the crowd,
was anticipating eagerly what Ka Mao would say.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Won’t we
quiet down?” Danny told the crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now entered
the short fellow in polo barong with the brief case. His entrance prompted the
crowd to quiet down as Ed approached him and shook his hand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“O, Jo,”
greeted Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The guy
acknowledged the greeting then faced Ka Mao as he neared.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ka Mao,
this is attorney,” Ed said, introducing the two. “Attorney, si Ka Mao.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“O, Ka
Mao,” said the guy as he took Ka Mao’s handshake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good thing
you’re here. We need you to explain this whole thing.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed beat Ka
Mao to introducing the guest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Kasama,
this is Attorney Jejomar Binay, from the Lupon ng mga Manananggol ng Bansa or
LUMABAN. He is the lawyer given to us by Dr. Prudente to handle our case.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The crowd applauded
spontaneously, prompting Ka Mao to join them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Just call me Jojo,” said the guy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The crowd
loved the words and clapped their hands once more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well… What
have we got?” asked Jojo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao and
Ed moved at the same time to make the reply so that neither of them could speak
first. Danny rather annoyedly made the response.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“President
Ka Mao presented our union demands yesterday. And this morning the management
gave him his termination papers.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Outright,
unfair labor practice.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Precisely,
Jo. Enough reason to strike,” said Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It
depends,” said Jojo. “Do the members want to strike?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welga!
Welga! Welga!” went the calls one after another across the gathering.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Attorney…,”
said Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Jojo,”
said Jojo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes,
Jojo.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m just
one man slapped with that offense of unfair labor practice. Nothing done to the
rest of the union members.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Those are
always their tactics. They fire one. They fire two. They fire three…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“ Frankly,
Attorney… Jojo… I don’t want the union to go striking all because of me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s not
quite right. The union, if ever, will not be going on strike because of you. It
is because of the whole of you. All of you comprising the union. And it is
wrong to think that it is only you whose employment management is terminating.
It is their standard tactics. They fire one. Two. Three. Before you know it,
they’ve fired everybody.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s why
we need to strike. Now,” cut in Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ed, we’re
discussing,” snapped Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tell us
what to do, Attorney.” Danny said, butting in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“My name is
Jojo.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sorry…
Jojo,” said Danny. “What do we do?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well…
First off, I was sent here by Dr.Prudente to help you with your legal needs.
These needs will most likely come up as a consequence of the strike you are
discussing now. The police beats you up, I’m there to help you file charges
against your assailants. Or you assail the security guards, I’m there to defend
you against any action they make against you. It is not important whether you
are the aggressor or the aggrieved. For either way, I’m there to help you
assert your rights under the law. But as to whether you will go on strike or
not, I’m not here to tell you what to do. The strike is your judgment call.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of a
sudden the crowd burst in a powerful call: “Welga! Welga! Welga!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It enthused
Jojo exceedingly inside. He conveys the feeling to Ka Mao as he gestured him to
the chanting crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Their
call,” said Jojo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Our call,”
said Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Chapter II<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>RAYS OF THE RISING SUN
</b>appeared to fade in on the faces of
the KAMAO members who with bated breaths and taut nerves were completing
their blitzkrieg into that corner of the Araneta Center where in a large
compound was housed the Makabayan Publishing Corporation. Placard-bearing
strikers lined the concrete wall all the way from that corner to the mesh wire
fence that separated the publishing house compound from the equally large
acreage in which were housed the Araneta cock farm and the Araneta residence
called White House, which immediately adjourned Highway 54. Sparsely spaced,
the picketers were able to cover the entire frontage of the publishing house. A
number of strikers minded the streamer carrying the name of KAMAO, which, held
by a pole on either end, they spread across the gates. At this, the two
security guards assigned there were aroused from their stolen naps, and
realizing what was happening, they quickly locked the gates shut. One of the
guards frantically called on his mobile radio.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Danny
talked to the other guard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No need to
worry. We’re not after you. We’re fighting the management,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same
time, Ka Mao and Ed took command at positioning the strikers to cover the
entire frontage of the Makabayan compound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Follow
what we have discussed,” instructed Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Group A,
at the gate,” Ed directed those concerned, who massed themselves across the
gates, sealing them instantly. “Group B, here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed
indicated the frontage from the gates to the corner eastward, which the
concerned picketers filled up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Group C,
Group C,” Ka Mao shouted. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A big number of strikers presented
themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Take this
area, from here to there, all the way to the White House fence,” said Ka Mao, indicating
the stretch from the gates to where the Makabayan compound adjoined the
compound of the White House.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Group D,
Ka Mao. Group D,” a small section of the strikers announced themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“To the
back, to the back. We’ve discussed that,” said Ka Mao, showing impatience.
“Comrades from the squatters community there have been instructed to help you
out. They could already be there. Move.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The group
went rushing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ben,”
called Ka Mao to one of them. “You take
command there.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The guy
signaled A-OK.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ed, you’re
in command there,” indicating the area to the east of the gate, already taken
by him and Group B.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed smiled
like he got candy. He addressed the group.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ok,
Kasama. Let’s heat it up. Have no fear! Fight! Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
strikers took up the militant chant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Danny,
mind the gates. This is the most important area, the critical area,” said Ka
Mao, a kind of heaviness lining his voice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Danny felt
it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We’ll be
okay here,” he said. “Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Have no
fear! Fight!” Ka Mao shouted as he joined the group that had occupied the
frontage from the gates onward to the White House compound. “This is where the
enemy would be entering the strike area. We should be the first to mix it up
with them.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the
gates of the White House compound suddenly surged out a contingent of security
guards, about thirty of them, many still doing their belts and holsters and
caps. Obviously it was in the residential compound that the security guards
headquarters were. The guards headed for the picket line. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As by
instinct, all the strikers were suddenly silence with shock. Everyone gaped
with horror at the onrush of security guards. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps the
first to have gotten over the shock, Ed came rushing to Ka Mao’s ranks,
shouting: “Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
confronted Ed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Dammit,
Ed. Get back. Mind your command.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay…,”
said Ed, seeing no need to argue. He turned back, doing the chant “Have no
fear! Fight!” all by his lonesome.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
essayed the advancing security guards. Their outflow through the White House
gates seemed endless. It horrified him surely, as he saw it horrified everyone
else. He even thought that Ed’s continuing chant, at the moment solitary, was
actually a manifestation of his own horror.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Security guards rushed on and on out of the
Araneta residential compound and from there take their own position on the
opposite side of the street in confrontation with the strikers. Soon the
strikers stood pitted one-on-one with the security guards. The security guards
began intimidating the strikers with menacing stares while striking their
sticks on the palms of their hands, with
those guards armed with shotguns, standing behind them in another column, cocking
their weapons one after another in seemingly rhythmic succession. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is it,
Ka Mao told himself. It had been all so good then, when the workers were only
just organizing the union, to speak of
such things as dying for the liberation of the proletariat. Now that it was
here, Ka Mao admitted to himself that he was terrified. He had never gone through
such a situation. The worst he went
through before was the mauling he got one evening from a group of
thrill-seeking juvenile delinquents who ganged up on him as he was walking home
down a dark deserted section of the street. He deliberately put up no
resistance, knowing he was no match to the ferocity of his attackers; not
fighting, it occurred to him, was his best defense. And so he just took the
blows, reeling and crouching, even as he vainly tried to shield himself with
his arms. Until one blow sent him reeling to the ground, where the boys turned
to kicking him all over, mercilessly. Still he saw no need to fight back. Back
in college, he had come across a passage
in Rizal’s <i>El Filibusterismo: </i>“To stoop
when the bullet passes by is not cowardice. What is foolish is to face it, only
to fall, never to rise again.” But then, as his assailants went unrelenting in
pummeling him with fist blows and kicks, he thought if he was not being foolish
for continuing to stoop so low as to literally kiss the ground. And then it
came, the gleam of that blade flashed by one of the boys. They would kill him
anyway, so fight to the finish. And he leapt to his feet, ready to tackle his
attackers. It just so happened that by then, folks from the slums at the
distance, having overheard the commotion. were rushing to check. The boys
hurried into their car and beat it quick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, the
staccato of the sounds of cocking of the shotguns by the security guards were
as that flashing of the blade in the dark in that mauling incident. And it
kindled in him an anger not born out of sheer guts or bravado but just that
kind of rage that even now was already propelling him to go, fight it out to
the finish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so he
cried, to the very top of his voice, yet so measured as to sound it were an
unending echo: “Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that
cry, replicated in that mighty indescribable unison of workers’ voices,
thundered all over the Araneta Center, like a rumble of a thousand drums in a symphony
reaching its climax.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Have no
fear! Fight! Have no fear! Fight! Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Separating
the opposing columns was that narrow stretch of the road already avoided by
vehicles, save for the few passenger jeepneys whose drivers wanted to show
their sympathy to the strike. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“For the
revolution,” said the jeepney driver as he put a seizable portion of his earnings
into the collection box being passed around by a striker.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mabuhay,
Kasama,” said the striker; that’s for wishing the donor: “Long live, Comrade.”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The jeepney
passengers put in their own donations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mabuhay,
all of you. Thank you,” came the acknowledgement from the striker.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then the head of the security guards began prompting the
jeepney drivers to clear the area.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Beat it!”
said the mean-looking officer. “You don’t want to get hit, do you?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same
time, the officer shouted to the guards at the bend where vehicles were
entering the strike area.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No entry
there. All vehicles. Stop entry.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Promptly,
the guards set up road blocks in the area. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In a moment, the space separating
the guards from the strikers was as a horrible chasm ready to gobble up anybody
who dared step forward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The officer looked to his men.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Two minutes!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The guards tightened their grips on
their sticks, those with shotguns, on their weapons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The officer looked to Ka Mao, who
was trooping the picketers in their formations back and forth, yelling to the
top of his voice, prodding them to go on with their chant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Have no fear! Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The guard officer addressed Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“You have no permit. Your strike is
illegal. You have two minutes to clear the area.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ed and Danny looked to Ka Mao, who,
not bothering to mind their reaction, threw into a fit like a maddened beast,
now confronting the guards, now agitating
his men to chant on and on, then confronting the guards again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
To his men: “Have no fear! Fight!
Have no fear! Fight! To the guards: ”Okay, bastards! Come on! Get it on!” Back
to this men: “Have no fear! Fight!” Suddenly turning to the guards again: “Fight!
Bastards! Dammit! Come on! Come on! Get it on!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All the while, the strikers shouted
on and on with Ka Mao: “Have no fear!
Fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And then the guard officer began moving
forward. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All shouting stopped. The strikers
held their breaths for a long moment. Their eyes gaped in anticipation of what
the guards would do next. To writers like Ka Mao, the silence was ominous. It
had become a cliché but that was how it had always gone: the lull before the
storm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Inch by inch, the guard officer
moved forward, his men moving
accordingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao took a firm stand on the
path of the advancing guard officer. He appeared composed, just aiming to
strike his placard once he needed to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Come on…,” he murmured to himself.
His eyes were unblinking, like those of a batter aiming to hit a pitched baseball. The tip of the placard had a large
nail embedded in it such that a seizable part of its point protruded with a
terrifying effect. “Come on…,” Ka Mao murmured on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
At signal of the officer, the guards
at the White House end of their column began closing in on the strikers, like a
net folding up on fish; guards at the other end of the column did the same.
These movements were in turn signal for the officer to give it a go at Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao swang his placard. The nail
at the tip of the placard handle went burying into the officer’s arm. The
officer pulled back, yelling in pain. Ka Mao confronted other charging guards,
who held themselves back at sight of the blood dripping from the nail at the
tip of Ka Mao’s placard handle. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Other strikers tackled with their
respective opponents, their placards against the guards’ sticks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Two guards charging at lady strikers
were repelled with tear gas from their perfume sprayers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Several guards charging at male
strikers threw back at the firing of darts from slingshots by the strikers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
One dart hit the wrist of a guard,
causing him to lose hold of his stick, which a lady striker picked up and with
it hit the same guard on the head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Another dart hit a guard on the thigh,
causing him to rush away together with his companions who got hit by darts
on their butts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A large group of guards closed
ranks and charged like a mighty phalanx.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Two strikers repelled them with
blasts from their pillbox bombs, sending them scampering away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Another group forming another
phalanx charged and is met with a Molotov cocktail blast, its explosive
contraption of gasoline condensed with chips of bathsoap clinging inscrutably
to the guards’ attires and skin – on the arms, on the hands as they tried to
brush it off, and on their cheeks, in the case of some.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
At which the guards wielding
shotguns rushed to the frontlines, blasting warning shots into the air, then
cocking their weapons and pointed them to the strikers menacingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers appeared terrified and
drew back until they were pressing to the wall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Emboldened, the guard officer moved
forward even as he gripped his bleeding injured arm. The guards moved
accordingly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But abruptly they stopped.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
From behind the apparently
retreating strikers, men wielding improvised shotguns called <i>sumpak </i>took the frontlines, aiming them for
the kill as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Long, tense quiet ensued, the
guards betraying frayed nerves, the strikers resolved to fight it out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao and the guard officer
exchanged defiant stares.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Trying hard to conceal the
nervousness he shared with his men, the guard officer spoke to Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Those sumpak of yours are good
only for one shot each. Say you kill some of us, but we finish all of you. Two
minutes!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And the seconds went beating it
seemed, like the pounding of pulse beats matched by hushed harsh bated breaths.
Ka Mao scanned the uniform grit on the face of every striker and he knew he
shared that grit. He realized this was just that moment in any man’s life when
it no longer matters whether he dies, what is important is to fight. And he
could not help but bask in quiet pride to see in the faces of the guards not
the grit that seized his comrades but a kind of fragility of spirit that could
send them scurrying away at the slightest excuse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And then it came, a sound that
began creeping in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bangon sa pagkakabusabos (Arise
from your wretched existence)…” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers lit up, surprise in
their eyes, their lips quivering with a sudden feeling of relief.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
On the guards’ side, common seizure
of wonderment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bangon, alipin ng gutom (Slaves of
hunger break loose from your chains)”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And the sound, a singing by
thousands of voices, became louder and louder, now bringing joy and excitement
to the workers, horror to the guards,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Katarunga’y bulkang sasabog, sa
huling paghuhukom (Justice is volcano erupting, on the day of last judgment)” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
From one end of the road, the area manned
by Ed, activists in their hundreds began appearing in a march at the head of
which is a large streamer that proclaimed: “MABUHAY ANG URING MANGGAGAWA (LONG
LIVE THE WORKING CLASS)”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“Gapos ng kahapo’y lagutin, tayong
api ay magbalikwas (Oppressors tremble now in fright, we who are oppressed rise
and fight)…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ed wanted to shout out his great
feeling of relief and a desire to boast, but couldn’t quite do so yet. Nor
could Ka Mao, Danny and the rest of the strikers. Everybody appeared ravished,
as in euphoria in which one though suddenly thrown in bliss is thrown at the
same time into a state of utter wordlessness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“Tayo ngayo’s inaalipin, subalit
atin ang bukas (To shake off our chains of enslavement, and tomorrow become free
men)”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Activism had attained such a height
by that time that the mere sight of hundreds of activists marching instill
inspiration or terror, depending on where one stood in the class struggle. And
this time, the singing did not just come from Ed’s area of the battlefield but
from all over, from each entry into the Araneta center such that having been completely terrified,
the guards found their retreat blocked by still hundreds of activists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Now the strikers join in the
singing, while the guards sought to make a final dash to the White House
compound. But from that area, the last hundreds of activists appeared and as
they marched forward effected a compressing by the guards of themselves in the
picket line. There they could only cringe together in submission, ready to drop
to their knees if told to do so. Leading this last wave of marchers, the
biggest, was Bayani, proud, confident, combative. He was exhilarated at sight
of the full force of the marchers as well as of the strikers punching the air
with their tightly-clenched fists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“Ito’y huling paglalaban, magkaisa
nang masaklaw (This is the final class conflict, unite that we at long last win
)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ng manggagawa ang buong daigdigan (The good fight
of comrades the world has not yet seen)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ito’y huling paglalaban, magkaisa
nang masaklaw (This is the final class conflict, unite</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
that we may put in place)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ng manggagawa ang buong daigdigan
(The working class as ruler over all the Earth)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Wala tayong maaasahan, bathala o
manunubos (Neither is there God nor Redeemer to grant our dream of salvation)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Kaya ang ating kaligtasa’y nasa
ating pagkilos (And so it is our prayer ever to push our dear revolution)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Manggagawa bawiin ang yaman (The
wealth you make proclaim as your own)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ang uri ay palayain (Embark on
class liberation)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ang maso’t karet ay hawakan (Hold
on fast to hammer and sickle)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Kinabukasa’y pandayin (Pound your
future fine like steel)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ito’y huling paglalaban, tunay na
kalayaan (This is the final class conflict, struggle for genuine liberty)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ng manggagawa sa buong daigdigan
(Of all workers over the whole of the Earth)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ito’y huling paglalaban, magkaisa nang
masaklaw (This is the ultimate conflict, the great fight for final conquest)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ng Internasyonal ang buong daigdigan
(By Internationale of the whole human race)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In contrast to his calm, cool
comportment during the voting on the strike the night before, Bayani was a
firebrand as the singing ended, when at once he threw into a speech.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live the struggling workers
of KAMAO!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live!” came the thunderous
response.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Down with US imperialism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!” cried the horde of
thousands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Down with feudalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Down with bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The entire crowd burst in
thunderous applause, while a couple of women strikers hit the guard officer
with their knuckles on his head; other guards got surreptitious elbow strikes
on the side and none dared show any trace of their belligerence just a while
ago. But one unthinking guard got
himself carried away by impulse and at the hard elbow butt on his side, he
moved to retaliate with a strike of his stick, at which a striker quickly aimed
to shoot a dart to his face at point blank.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao intervened in time to
prevent any further commotion. He addressed the guards.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Friend security guards, you are
not our enemies. You are also employees of the monster that is the Araneta
empire. As we always say, pain on the small toe is ache of the whole body. Our
pain is your pain, our fight, your fight!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Quite a number of the guards
appeared stunned, others convinced, but most of them took those words as
propaganda. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“That’s right,” butted in Bayani,
having heard Ka Mao’s words. “This is a golden opportunity for you to ride the
crest of the workers’ triumphant historical march to full exercise of their
liberating political power.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Comrades, mark this!” cried Bayani,
turning to the throng once more. Ka Mao minded the job of prompting the guards
to get away, while speaking to the strikers and activists who were blocking
their way, “Paraanin, mga kasama.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers relented, and the
guards seized the opportunity to rush away, heading for the White House
compound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Today,” continued the agitation by
Bayani, “is the day of a great consolidation of youth and students militancy
with the revolutionary role of the proletariat in leading the struggle for the
establishment on the face of the earth a truly just and humane society. That
society which we all so dearly dream of can never come about except through the
one single road of the dictatorship of the proletariat. We, mass organizations
of different sectors in the national democratic movement, youth and students,
workers, peasants, women, professionals and nationalist businessmen, pronounce
our wholehearted support to the struggle of
KAMAO even as we, too, take support from that struggle for the
advancement of the people’s war against US imperialism, feudalism and
bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Somebody from the crowd yelled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Imperialism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!” responded Bayani
together with the throng, raising their clenched fists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Feudalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bring it down!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Bayani cried, “Long live the New
People’s Army!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The crowd under the streamer
carrying the artist group’s name “SINING KAYUMANGGI” flailed in the air their prop
M16s as they lead in the response: “Long Live!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live the protracted people’s
war!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Long live!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Chapter III<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>ARANETA COMMUNE </b>was
the romance seizing the minds of young people who came in droves well into the
night that first day of the KAMAO strike.
The UP Commune, which had taken place from February 1 to 9, 1971, had
impacted on the youth so much that with the First Quarter Storm, of which the
commune was the highlight, having lulled into the second quarter of the year,
they hungered to replicate it wherever it was possible. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The KAMAO strike was an opportunity for doing just that, giving
release to the fire and fury from those days in February when the students had
seized control of the vast campus of the University of the Philippines, the
country’s premier learning institution, proclaiming its liberation from what
they called the Marcos fascist rule and its tutelage to US imperialism,
feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism. Wielding improvised weapons like pillbox
bombs and Molotov cocktail, the students had exercised political power over the
entire campus, and though it lasted for just over a week, the phenomenon did
advance the propaganda of the national democratic movement for the establishment
of what it called national democracy in
the Philippines. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Moreover the KAMAO strike was a
real school – as all workers’ strike were regarded – for youth activists to get
honed on the practice of proletarian revolutionary principles. It had become a
fad to call it mass integration whereby youth otherwise reared in affluence and
comfort stayed with workers in their homes and neighborhoods and shared with
them the difficulties of earning a living and fighting oppression and
exploitation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The strikers had pitched camps all
around the Makabayan compound – on sidewalks, on the surrounding vacant lots,
and right on the street which had been completely cordoned to close it to
traffic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All over the strike area and
beyond, the KAMAO members had been sort of apportioned in groups for discussing
with youth activists. Many of the young people had copies of Mao Tse Tung’s Red
Book, a collection of Mao Tse Tung thoughts that all of a sudden at the advent
of the seventies proliferated among youth and students who took its contents as
Gospel truth on the proletarian revolutionary line. The discussions centered on
quotes read from the book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In an area in the midst of the
discussion groups, artist activists were singing a melancholic proletarian song
around a bonfire, as though serving as a sentimental background for the ongoing
discussions. Similar bonfires lit a number of the other groups, with the rest
making-do with candles or flashlights, otherwise with the illumination from the
streetlights of the Araneta Center.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In the main, the discussions were
actually veritable lectures from the activists, who read and then elaborated on
quotes from the Red Book, with the strikers limited to just listening.</div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“The people, and the people alone, are the
motive force in the making of world history.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“The wealth of society is created by the workers, peasants
and working intellectuals. If they take their destiny into their own hands,
follow a Marxist-Leninist line and take an active attitude in solving problems
instead of evading them, there will be no difficulty in the world which they
cannot overcome.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Be resolute, fear no sacrifice and surmount every difficulty
to win victory.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">In the cacophony of pronouncements, Ka Mao could not seem to
place himself. Just as he was focusing on a particular statement, came another
statement that would distract him.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“The revolutionary war is a
war of the masses…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“The masses are the real heroes…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“The masses have boundless creative power…”<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“People of the world, unite and defeat the
U.S. aggressors and all their running dogs! People of the world, be courageous,
and dare to fight, defy difficulties and advance wave upon wave. Then the whole
world will belong to the people. Monsters of all kinds shall be destroyed,” Ed
finished reading the quote as Ka Mao passed by. Barely acknowledging Ka Mao, Ed
proceeded to make his elaboration on the MTT quote. “The main enemy of the
Filipino people is US imperialism, which is why our struggle is
intertwined with the struggles of the
Chinese people and all people of the world struggling to overthrow American
imperialists worldwide.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao twitched inwardly as he passed by the
next group in his path in which the young moderator was intoning from a reading
of the Red Book, “The Communist Party of China, having made a clear-headed
appraisal of the international and domestic situation on the basis of the
science of Marxism-Leninism, recognized that all attacks by the reactionaries
at home and abroad had to be defeated and could be defeated. When dark clouds
appeared in the sky, we pointed out that they were only temporary, that the
darkness would soon pass and the sun break through.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
That reading, Ka Mao thought, just didn’t fit
into the situation. He walked on, slightly shaking his head. He was distracted
by the words from another group.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Comrade Bethune's spirit, his utter devotion
to others without any thought of self, was shown in his boundless sense of
responsibility in his work and his boundless warm-heartedness towards all
comrades and the people….”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Who was Comrade Bethune?” asked a striker.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“He was a Canadian doctor who devoted his
entire self in serving the Chinese people’s army during the bloody civil war in
China,” answered the young activist conducting the discussion. “As Mao Tse Tung
says,” and the activist read from the Red Book again, “we must all learn the
spirit of absolute selflessness from him.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao liked what he heard. He walked on,
liking also the words coming from all around. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Wherever
there is struggle there is sacrifice, and death is a common occurrence. But we
have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at
heart, and when we die for the people it is a worthy death.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
He pondered the words seriously as he walked
on; he was looking for somebody. He checked one group just as when the boy
activist leading in the discussion was speaking with an air of a battle-scarred
veteran: “All men must die, but death can vary in its significance. The ancient
Chinese writer Szuma Chien said, ‘Though death befalls all men alike, it may be
weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.’ To die for the people is
weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the fascists and die for the
exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather. In Tagalog, ang mamatay na
naglilingkod sa mga mamamayan ay kasing bigat ng Bundok Sierra Madre, subalit
ang mamatay na naglilingkod sa mga pasista ay kasing gaan ng balahibo ng
manok.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
While Ka Mao essayed the youthful looks of
the activist, a cockroach crept by the boy’s leg, prompting him to throw back
in fright. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Hey, kill that thing! Kill it!” cried the
boy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
As the other activists would just avoid the
creeper, Danny, who was among the strikers in the group, slammed it with his
slipper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Here’s for you, damn fascist!” Danny said,
eyeing the activist with mischief. He flicked the smashed cockroach aside,
causing the boy to throw back again because it passed in front of him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao amused to himself as he resumed his
steps. Finally he found Bayani leading the discussions in a rather large group.
Ka Mao joined the group in the midst of Bayani’s reading from the Red Book.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“There is an ancient Chinese fable called ‘The
Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains’. It tells of an old man who lived in
northern China long, long ago and was known as the Foolish Old Man of North
Mountain. His house faced south and beyond his doorway stood the two great
peaks, Taihang and Wangwu, obstructing the way. With great determination, he
led his sons in digging up these mountains hoe in hand. Another graybeard,
known as the Wise Old Man, saw them and said derisively, ‘How silly of you to
do this! It is quite impossible for you few to dig up these two huge mountains.’
The Foolish Old Man replied, ‘When I die, my sons will carry on; when they die,
there will be my grandsons, and then their sons and grandsons, and so on to
infinity. High as they are, the mountains cannot grow any higher and with every
bit we dig, they will be that much lower. Why can't we clear them away?’ Having
refuted the Wise Old Man's wrong view, he went on digging every day, unshaken
in his conviction. This moved God, and he sent down two angels, who carried the
mountains away on their backs. Today, two big mountains lie like a dead weight
on the Chinese people. One is imperialism and the other is feudalism. The
Chinese Communist Party has long made up its mind to dig them up. We must
persevere and work unceasingly, and we, too, will touch God's heart. Our God is
none other than the masses of the Chinese people. If they stand up and dig
together with us, why can't these two mountains be cleared away?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Ending his reading, Bayani began elaborating.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Ka Mao was all by himself when he thought of
organizing KAMAO. And then there were two of us discussing the idea. And then
there were Ka Danny, Ka Ed. Before long, God, the masses in Makabayan,
listened, and now we are into this strike which as you can see already has the
makings of victory. With all of us joining hands, why can’t we clear away the
mountains of oppression and exploitation being suffered by the workers at
Makabayan Publishing Corporation?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The group cheered. Bayani enthused at it. He
turned to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Share us your thoughts, Ka Mao.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Oh,
yes,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
The crowd
thought of applauding, but at the first clapping of hands, Ka Mao gestured no
need for applause.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“I have
been thinking… Actually in command at Makabayan is not Jorvina but a bully of a
guy, Enrique, who is Don Amado’s Man Friday for all the Araneta enterprises in
the center. I had hoped that with the
official management, there was a big chance of striking up a settlement. After
all, I had been part of it at one time. But it is this bully that calls the
shots in the company, and when I presented the union demands to Jorvina and
Jorvina endorsed it to this bully, the guy punched his palm, saying
threateningly: “It’s like you hitting your head against a concrete wall.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Oh, yes?”
butted in an activist. He slapped the side of his head, “He’d bang his head
against that wall if he chose to collide with us.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“He’s been
readying himself for that,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
eyed Ka Mao, throwing the question wordlessly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“He got a
former member of the notorious Military Intelligence Security Group, a certain
Colonel Doromal, to replace the commander of the Araneta security forces.
That, by way of really gearing up for
battle.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
No remark
came from Ka Mao’s listeners. Bayani anticipated his words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao
continued, eyeing Bayani, “There was a little incident at the mess area just a
while ago.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Yes?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“The Cubao
police detachment commander entered the area surreptitiously, looking for me.
Comrades mistook his intentions and would have ganged up on him, and so he
grabbed me from behind, making me his shield. Turned out, the police officer
was sympathetic with the strike and came to warn me of an impending strike-bust
in the morning. He informed me that Doromal had gone all the way to the Central
Police District Command to press for the implementation of the no-permit,
no-strike policy.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
could visualize what Ka Mao was narrating. Now he speaks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“The
strike is an exercise of our right to peaceably assemble for redress of
grievances. Guaranteed by the constitution. No need for permits.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Tell that
to the Quezon City Police GHQ Chief.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
eyed Ka Mao inquisitively.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“He was a
batchmate of Doromal at the Philippine Military Academy.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
went tongue-tied.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<b>Chapter
IV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>EARLY SUN
RAYS </b>were
filtered through columns of smoke rising above tree tops hovering on what
served as the mess hall in the strike area. The grounds were that large open
section adjoining the east wall of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation.
Kitchen personnel were busy preparing the poor man’s fish <i>galunggong</i> for cooking in vinegar flavored with garlic, onion and
ginger and black pepper, while two women were already shoveling their cooking
spoons into the rice being fried in a large vat, which sat on a stove
improvised on the ground with little
rocks. Another stove, already burning with fire, was being fed by a man, the
cook, with more wood fuel. The cook addressed those preparing the fish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Hurry up,
ladies. We will be wasting fuel.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
The man
got a large vat and settled it on top of the stove. He emptied a large can of
vinegar into the vat, poured into it the collection of spices, and after mixing
the ingredients, savored the aroma of the rising steam. Then from a sack, he
scooped salt with his hand, dropped it into the vat, doing it thrice. He
stirred the ingredients so as to dissolve the salt, then made several scoops
once more with his hands of salt from the sack with which he treated the fish
collected in a basin. All that done, the man finally poured all the fish into
the cooking vat. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Again he
savored the aroma of the steam from the vat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Hmm… Makes me hungrier.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao
walked into the area, a cup in his hand, which he dipped into a large cauldron on
another stove with burning fuel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Smells
good,” said Ka Mao to the cook as he scooped coffee from the cauldron with his
cup.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“This will
be ready soon,” said the cook, then turned to the women frying rice. “Hey,
you’re taking too long there.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“You try
frying this much rice,” said one woman. “See if you don’t get your palms
calloused too.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao
amused at the little banter, beginning to sip his coffee. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Coming out
into the street, he scanned the surroundings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
The
strikers were in place in the quiet picket. Most of them were down on their
seats, leaning relaxed against the wall. Many were on their feet, also leaning
on the wall as they exchanged stories. A number lay on the pavement, obviously
asleep, as one may tell from the way they had their arms covered on their
faces, or their bodies folded up on their sides. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao took the other side of the road fronting the gates
and half-leaped into the air to get a glimpse of what could be taking place
inside the compound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
At the gates were large concentration of picketers, among
them Danny and Bayani, who were discussing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Been
thinking about that story Ka Mao told us,” said Danny. “That the police officer
warned him about the plan to break the strike this morning.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Good cop,
bad cop,” said Bayani. “That’s all there is to it.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“If it
were not true, why take the trouble of warning us.?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“To read
what’s on our minds.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Danny
appeared still perplexed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani
addressed Ka Mao, “See anything?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Can’t see
much,” said Ka Mao, then walked toward the end of the picket line, now and then
leaping to see any movements inside the compound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Danny
resumed his talk with Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“They
didn’t have to read our minds. It’s obvious, what we’re doing. We’ll fight to
the finish.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Still
they need to check how determined we are. SOP in military science and tactics.
Know yourself, know your enemies, a thousand battles, a thousand victories.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
A loud clank created by the unlatching of the
lockset of the Makabayan gates stirred Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“This is it!” he said aloud, alarming
everyone as he leaped to his feet, at once grabbing a two-by-two-inch wooden
club.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
“Everybody
to the gates!” shouted Danny.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“To the gates!” cried Ed to those
under his command.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao prompted his assigned
strikers to do the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
` “Beat it, quick!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Those in the kitchen area all rushed
to respond. The cook minding the fish couldn’t quite make his mind up whether
to rush along with the rest or continue looking after the fish he was cooking.
Finally he decided to wave the fish away with his hands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the cook, clinging to his large
ladle, came squeezing himself into the mass of strikers clogging the gates as
they were swung open by the security guards. A large number of security guards massed
inside the compound, indicating their readiness to force a large delivery truck
out through the gates, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
For a moment, Bayani essayed the
meanness in the eyes of the guy giving commands to the guards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao spoke with tense hush.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Doromal.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“I can see that,” said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Doromal, catching Bayani staring at
him, flashed a faint impish, mocking
grin. Then he gave the signal for the truck to ram through the gates. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Block the fucking truck!” cried
Danny.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The strikers pressed close together
to seal the gates.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“No, no!” said Bayani. “Keep moving,
keep moving. You stand still, you’re blocking. That’s illegal. On the move,
you’re not blocking. So keep moving. Movc, move.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the strikers formed a circular
moving picket which although effecting a block of the gates could not
technically be called blocking because the circular picket moved continuously.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
At the same time, a large contingent
of the Quezon City Police arrived aboard patrol cars and immediately charged
toward the commotion at the gates. Ka Mao confronted them, waving them away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“No,” he told them. “You don’t go this
far. You’re only up to fifty meters away from the strike area. Back off…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The policemen wouldn’t budge. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Back off!” yelled Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The policemen hurried back to a
distance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao stirred at the sudden singing
by the picketers at the gate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KAMAO will never
ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> KAMAO will never ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Just like a sturdy tree<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In middle of the sea<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Never crumble down <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
It was a singing prompted by a need
for anything that could buoy up the
spirit of the strikers. The moving picket continued, all according to
the requirement of the law to keep it moving or be declared illegal. At the
same time, the Makabayan management also had the legal right to pass through
the gate without violating the strikers’ right
to picket. And so the situation presented two contending forces, each
exercising their respective rights under the law, rights that legally are
placed on equal level but on the practical level a lopsided balance. For
although the truck was not ramming through the picket, by simply moving inch by
inch, it caused the picket to draw back little by little even as it maintained
its circular motion. And by now, the hood of the truck had substantially gone through
the gates; before long, the whole vehicle could well be out into the street – successfully
breaking the strike. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao and Bayani finally resorted
to pushing on the truck hood now to keep the vehicle from moving forward any
further. They were not important anymore, the invectives they yelled to the top
of their voices. Words no longer mattered, nor did the song. Now sung with
discordant notes, the song succeeded only in imparting the rage and desperation
of the strikers thrown into utter helplessness in this most unfair and inhuman
pitting of warm bodies against the monstrosity of machine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Quite a number of sympathizing
activists shifted to singing the <i>Internationale</i>
in an effort to fire up the strikers. That amounted to a pathetic anti-climax of
a drama apparently already ended: the truck hood was now half-way through the
gates. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Bayani and Ka Mao threw horrified
stares at each other.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Many of the strikers just found
themselvcs crying out their helplessness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Haven’t you even got pity left in
your hearts? Damn bastards! Fuck you!” cried the cook, banging the truck hood
with his ladle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
One hard stare at each other, and Ka
Mao and Bayani indicated their sharing of a realization: that the only way left
to be done was to throw themselves into a supreme sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Almost as one man, Ka Mao and Bayani
threw to the ground, hugging it crosswise to the path of the truck tires. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Doromal was completely taken aback.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The security guards signified their
horror at what they were doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The truck driver shifted the gear to
neutral, casting a horrified stare at Doromal, who was speechless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Ka Mao and Bayani stared hard at
each other, then as though on cue punched the air at the same time, shouting
their supreme challenge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Come on! Damn you! Get it on!”
yelled Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Bangon sa pagkakabusabos! Mabuhay
ang uring manggagawa! (Rise from slavery! Long live the working class!)” yelled
Bayani.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The singing of the <i>Internationale </i>now took on its inherent
militant cadence, outing through the mouths of strikers and activists with
grit, in each one’s eyes, tears of rage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
For at Doromal’s signal, the truck
driver shifted to forward gear.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the truck tires were inch by
inch gaining on the bodies of Ka Mao and Bayani, now completely under the
bumper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And then tires and bodies touched.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
At that, the driver promptly stepped
on the brakes, instantly shifting to neutral gear. He threw a stare to Doromal,
who staring chidingly signaled him to go on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The truck driver grimaced to
himself. But gritting his jaws, he shifted to front gear and then moved his
foot from the brakes to the gas. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The women strikers cried as the men stared at one another,
urgently asking what to do?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the tires were pressing harder
and harder on the sides of Ka Mao and Bayani, until the rubber wheels were now
poised to climb up into their backs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
Danny took the lead. He threw
himself on top of Ka Mao. The rest followed, throwing themselves alongside Ka
Mao and Bayani, piling one on top of the other such that what blocked the
vehicle now was a barricade made up of precious humans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
From under the pile, a ladle thrust
upward and hooked at the bumper of the truck. Tightly clinging to the ladle, the
cook grunted furiously. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
At the same time, activists and
strikers took positions to battle the
security guards with their pillbox bombs, Molotov cocktail, darts, homemade
shotguns, and other crude combat implements. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
From the bend in the kitchen area, slums folks rushed in,
wielding their own crude homemade weapons. They joined the strikers, all ready
to mix it up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Okay, roll it over!” shouted one
striker to the driver of the truck.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“Blast, bastards!” yelled another to
the guards inside the compound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
“You kill us, we kill you, we all
get killed!” cried an activist.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
And the driver did shift the gear
and moved as though to drive the truck forward. The combatants on the strikers’
side aimed their weapons. The driver made his mind up. His foot stepped on the
gas, revving up the engine. Under the truck hood, Bayani and Kamao stared in
horror then closed their eyes hard. The driver pulled the shift handle
backward.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The truck went full throttle back
into the compound and the guards promptly locked the gates back shut.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-right: 66.5pt; text-align: justify;">
The strikers and sympathizers and
mass support threw in euphoria, prancing around, bursting into the song once
again, among them the particularly overjoyed cook flailing the air with his
ladle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">KAMAO will never
ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> KAMAO will never ever crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Just like a sturdy tree<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In middle of the sea<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Never crumble down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One among the policemen who had
withdrawn to the distance asked the team leader as they walked away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Why hadn’t we moved in?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Our orders were to maintain peace
and order. Has there been violence?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The policeman who asked the question
shook his head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The strikers who had formed
themselves into a barricade began picking themselves up from the pile. Ka Mao
had to push Danny off his torso.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It’s your weight I could have been
crushed with, you know that?” Ka Mao
joked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I was cushioning you from the truck
tires just in case they went over, you know that?” said Danny in turn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> They got a nice laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka Mao sat on the pavement, breathing
hard. Bayani did the same, beside him. They stared at each other, sharing each
other’s feeling of relief – and then exchanged high fives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER V<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">ALL DAY LONG, Ka Mao went around
soliciting logistical support. The
strike had been forced on the employees without giving them time to prepare,
and just into the first week of the picket, the union treasurer was already
expressing fears about funds running out after two or three days more.
Contributions from people who came by in the area, like pedestrians on the
sidewalks and passengers of vehicles, amount to so much inspiring sympathy, but
hardly in terms of hard logistics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Accompanied
by two of the strikers who had been acting as his close-in aides, he made the
rounds of friends and acquaintances, explaining the union cause. He purposely
garbed himself in a manner as to make him look true proletarian: faded maong
pants, plain drab shirt with folded long sleeves, and on his head a straw hat
characteristic of peasants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
three appeared queer as they strode into the hall of the National Press Club
that noon, quite contrasting the others walking in garbed either in barong
tagalog, business suites, executive shirt and tie, and other such respectable
attires as are fit in a formal affair. Nevertheless, the amiable movie actor
heading the reception committee welcomed the three and showed them into the
luncheon gathering by a business group at the plush NPC restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao realized that they had walked into where they did not belong. But he
decided that inasmuch as they had been welcomed, he might as well make good use
of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Pardon
us, ladies and gentlemen. We do not wish to intrude into your gathering. We
actually came to see Sol Villa, the NPC President. We are here to plead our
cause. We are members of the Katipunan ng mga Makabayang Obrero, KAMAO, in the
Makabayan Publishing Corporation. We are on strike because of unfair labor
practices by the company. We are soliciting your support.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Those
in the gathering cast inquisitive stares at one another. After a subtle shrug
of a shoulder here, a smile of indifference there, and a few sympathetic
responses of a hundred-peso-bill each, everybody minded their lunch. Ka Mao
felt like a pauper as he accepted the few contributions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
NPC prexy who was seated with guests at a table excused himself from the group
and saw fit to invite Ka Mao and his aides to his office. There they were asked
to wait while being served with Coca-Cola. Minutes later, Sol Villa joined them
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
have talked about your situation,” he began.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Yes?”
said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Certainly
we sympathize with your strike.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Oh,
yes. Thank you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “But
we cannot consider it as an attack on press freedom on which issue we can be
justified to intervene.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Is
it not a case that my freedom to express has been curtailed by the unjust
termination of my services?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “They
see it as a union matter…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Who
are they?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “My
colleagues at the NPC board.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Oh…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “But
we are supporting you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao gave out a lame, ambiguous smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NEXT Ka Mao and his aides found
themselves going office-to-office solicitation of support. These were foreign
films distribution outfits which at one time or another received help from Ka
Mao in publicizing their movies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> From
his suite, Johnny Litton, whom Ka Mao would later realize as the most rabid
defender of Hollywood movies in the Philippines, came out already wearing a
sarcastic smile. His publicist led him to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “This
is Mauro Gia Samonte,” said the publicist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Yes,
of course, Mauro,” said Litton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
have gone on strike at Makabayan Publishing,” said Ka Mao. “We wish to solicit
your support.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
would that be? I am a capitalist.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Litton
wore a taunting smile as he said those words. Ka Mao inwardly squinted. He
found himself putting on a smile of his
own, as defense mechanism or an alibi not to speak, because the Litton
statement amounted to a challenge, and in that moment which he suddenly
realized was one of begging, he was just powerless to answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Anyway,
Frankie here will take care of you,” Litton said, tapping the publicist on the
shoulder, then headed back to his suite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao trailed Litton with a deep stare. That guy Litton had a way of slighting
you but not letting the slighting show because he did it with a smile. But Ka
Mao’s sense of irony now was that what Litton said was true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> How,
indeed, can a capitalist support an action aimed at killing his class?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
greater irony for Ka Mao was that when the publicist Frankie fished two hundred
pesos from his wallet and handed it to him, he accepted. That was payment for
the right by Litton to insult him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao gulped that damaging of self-respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “All
in for KAMAO!” he shouted to himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> That
consoled him enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THAT EVENING the strikers had two
visitors, both purveyors of goodwill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> National
Press Club President Sol Villa brought two sacks of rice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
will try to provide more,” he said, then drove away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
next arrival created some stir because he was Atty. Jojo Binay from whom
everybody wanted to get assurance that on the legal front, the strike was going
fine. But the strikers found reason for more excitement when they learned that
aboard Jojo’s car was Crispin Aranda, the period’s matinee idol as far as
activists were concerned. Aranda was pictured in the media as a symbol of
students’ rebellion and exerted vivifying effect across the sectors in the
national democratic movement. It was obviously for this reason that Jojo sought
to announce Aranda’s presence to the strikers, although the fellow was trying
to make himself inconspicuous inside Jojo’s car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Mga
kasama, naririto si Cris Aranda.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
strikers spontaneously gathered around the car, veritable fans swooning at a
movie idol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
are you, Ka Cris,” greeted Ka Mao as he stretched his neck through the window
of the backseat where Aranda sat, not indicating he was stepping out. Ka Mao
turned to the crowd, speaking by way of prompting them to acknowledge the star
visitor. “Mga kasama, si Ka Cris.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Mabuhay
Ka Cris,” went the greetings from the strikers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Aranda
straightened up somewhat to get himself visible through the car window. Ka Mao
held out a hand to Aranda for a handshake, but in just that instance Aranda
waved a hand to excited strikers and didn’t take the handshake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Cris
got into trouble at the Island Cement strike. I had to get him out of jail,”
said Jojo to Ka Mao, distracting him at once from what seemed to be Aranda’s
snobbery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
appreciate your dropping by,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “To
remind you about our hearing tomorrow,” said Jojo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hearing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Management
filed a petition for permanent injunction.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What’s
permanent injunction, Attorney?” asked Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
guys never learn. Jojo is my name.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Yes,
sir, Attorney…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Jojo
stared hard at Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Jojo,”
added Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Be
at the Quezon City RTC 8:30 am tomorrow,” said Jojo to Ka Mao, then drove away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE COURT – a room on the second floor
of a wood-and-concrete building standing on the edge of a narrow creek cutting
under Highway 54 – was jampacked with a crowd overflowing into the corridor at the
creekside balcony. Into the first two rows of the benches in the gallery were
squeezed lawyers of the litigants, majority of whom common folks as indicated
by their lowly garments, with a spattering of men and women with snobbish mien
complemented by their well-pressed street-smart attires. Prominent on the front
benches were men in orange prison convicts’ uniforms, joined to one another
with handcuffs on the wrists and flanked by a policeman on either end of the
line. Ka Mao essayed this group with sympathetic eyes even as he inwardly
admired the oral arguments being delivered by Jojo before the judge on the
stand. Seated beside Ka Mao was Danny, listening intently to Jojo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Your
Honor, please. This honorable court should be well-informed that what is
involved in this case is a labor dispute. An exercise by workers of their
freedom to organize into a union and seek redress of grievances. Being such,
this honorable court is denied jurisdiction over this case as provided under
Republic Act 875, otherwise known as the Industrial Peace Act. This law
provides that labor disputes are to be tried by, and I quote, Letter a of
Section 2: ‘Court’ means the Court of Industrial Relations established by
Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred and three as amended…’ With all due
respect, this honorable court is not such court so defined under R.A. 875.
Moreover, Letter b, Section 9 of the Industrial Peace Act provides, and I
quote. ‘No court of the Philippines shall have jurisdiction to issue a
restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction upon the ground that any
of the persons participating or interested in a labor dispute constitute or are
engaged in an unlawful combination or conspiracy because of the doing in
concert of the acts enumerated in paragraph (a).’ Acts which may be summed up
thus: ‘Assembling peaceably to act or to organize to act in promotion of their
interests in a labor dispute.’ The law is clear and unequivocal. These acts are
never to be restrained nor be subject to temporary or permanent injunction.
Surely we all must abhor violence. But if ever there was violence in the strike
of the KAMAO, that violence was committed upon the peaceably assembling union
picketers by the brute naked force of the Security guards and other personnel
of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation. And at any rate such violence must be
a subject of criminal investigation and not serve as excuse for management to
stifle the rights and freedoms of workers guaranteed by our Constitution and
our laws. To reiterate your Honor, the issue is: Does this honorable court have
jurisdiction over this case which inherently is a labor dispute. Our humble
submission is: No, this court has not. That jurisdiction exclusively belongs to
the Court of Industrial Relations.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Even
as Jojo was still making the final plea for dismissal of the injunction suit,
Ka Mao was feeling confident the union will win the case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon he and Jojo
were walking out of the courtroom together with two other lawyers, who were
members of Ka Mao’s legal panel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Let’s
see they taste a certiorari if they side with the management,” boasted the
tallest lawyer among the three; Jojo was the shortest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What’s
a certiorari?” asked Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It’s
the remedy for grave abuse of discrethion by the court,” said Jojo. “As you
heard in my oral argument, the court has no jurisdiction over the case. Court
rules in favor of management, we raise the matter to the Sujpreme Court.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> All
the while, Danny just listened as he tagged along the group. Some thoughts were
seizing his mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">FINGERS plucking on the guitar chords
the tune of a popular melody provided the musical background for a poem
rendered by picketers who were huddled around a bonfire near the gates of the
publishing company. Other picketers were here and there busy with their own
huddles around their own bonfires, otherwise taking naps as they leaned on the
walls while seated on the ground or lay on carboard mats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Lumuha
ka aking bayan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Shed
your tear country dear)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Buong
lungkot mong iluha<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (With
all your sorrow cry)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ang
kawawang kapalaran<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (The great misfortune suffered)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ng
bayan mong kawawa…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (By
your people so aggrieved)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The poem was
barely audible in the mess hall area where Ka Mao, Danny, Ed and Bayani
huddled while taking coffee in a corner, seated on the ground. Light from the
stove being readied by the cook flickered on their faces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That certiori
thing sounded nice,” said Ed. “But been thinking about it all day. It’s no
use.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let Jojo worry
about that,” said Bayani. “Our concern is the picket line.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Precisely, Ka
Bay,” snapped Danny. “Once the court issues any injunction, we can’t fight with
force anymore. Meaning when management breaks our strike, we just sit by and
watch.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Naah! We fight
them to the last drop of our blood!” cut in Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And get our
strike declared illegal?” snapped Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s not the
law that will make us win. It’s our strength and determination to fight it out,”
declared Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The cook had set
a big cauldron on the stove with the necessary amount of water for cooking
rice. Now he emptied into the vessel what little rice was left in a sack, then
opened another sack from which he put additional rice into the cauldron. He
spoke to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Nothing more
after this sack, Ka Mao,” said the cook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sol Villa
promised to bring another sack tonight,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Very well then.
We are assured of food for the next two days,” said the cook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For a moment, Ka
Mao appeared stunned by the implication of those words. “After two days, what?”
he asked himself. Cross the bridge when we get there. That’s how he had always approached the
question, and luckily enough there always was something that cropped up and
solved the problem. This time however a kind of heaviness bore upon him. That
commitment from the National Press Club president was the last and no other
pledges were in place from elsewhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“My concern is
the strike,” he said as he resumed the discussion with the group. “Our members
did not join the union in order to push the movement. They joined to get what
the law says they must have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I think, Ka
Mao,” said Ed, “we had better start teaching the union members the need for
protracted struggle.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The members are
not ready for that,” said Danny<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s why I
say, teach them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What a time to
teach. Just as when everybody has begun complaining about difficulties in their
living.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There is no
other way to face up to those difficulties. Hard struggle.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Our members
appear to have prepared only for a short fight. Quite a few have already begun
looking for jobs elsewhere. Give this a month more and we’d be lucky to have
half of our number still picketing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So are we
blaming them? Blame it on our own economism.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s what the
union was perceived to be from the very beginning. To gain economic benefits
for the members.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Precisely why I
kept reminding you when you were making the union demands. Make them political.
Lenin said economic struggle is the ideological enslavement of the working
class.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There you go
again, Ed,” cut in Danny. “Stop dragging Lenin into the union fight.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Lenin is a
source of wisdom in the conduct of our strike.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Only you know
Lenin. All the rest are interested only in economic benefits.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay,
comrades.” Bayani finally cut in. “Debate won’t get us anywhere. (to Ed) We
face Lenin at the proper time and place, okay? Right now, let’s face the
concrete problem. We’re running out of food provisions. How do we solve that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Learn to struggle
the hard way. The only way,” said Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Cut the
rhetoric. I ask you, after our last sack of rice is gone, where do you get the next?”
said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’ve got the
committee system. We have the finance committee to worry about that.” Ed was
wiggling out of entrapment in the discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao cut in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Truth of the
matter is, Ed, the finance committee had been up to collecting alms from
passersby and car passengers only. Bulk of our logistics came from my tapping
of personal contacts. By now I have just about exhausted their goodwill.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So you’re the
hero. Well taken…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao found
himself not saying anything at the sarcasm. He set his jaws subtly while fixing
a hard stare at Ed. Bayani took up the discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ed, we are
finding solution to a problem. I don’t think your talk is proper.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ed, recognizing
his mistake, flashed to Ka Mao his characteristic put-on smile and gave him a
tap on the leg as he said, “Sorry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“All in for the
workers,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s on your
mind?” asked Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’d swallow
everything just to preserve the union.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All three
stared, anticipating Ka Mao’s next words. But Ka Mao did not pursue the topic
anymore. He rose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You mind the
picket. I don’t see any trouble coming. I’ll check my folks at home,” Ka Mao
said as he started for the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Won’t you have
dinner first?” said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s early
enough. I’ll catch some food in the house.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao walked
away. Bayani faced Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Lie low with
your tongue, eh, Ed. You come on too strong.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ed flashed his
apologetic smile, raising both hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry. I said,
I’m sorry, didn’t I?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">BEFORE THE CRUCIFIX on an improvised
altar in a corner of the mezzanine floor, Nanay Puping was in deep prayer with her rosary when she
was distracted by Violeta’s voice from below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ay,
si Manoy Mauro!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao was arriving at the apartment. He took the hand of Tatay Simo, who was
minding the store, and paid him his respect, touching the hand to his forehead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Tatay
Simo was his usual, quiet self, keeping his thoughts to himself. What relief he
felt in seeing his son well and safe, he didn’t speak but conveyed it with a
loving stare, a faint smile and a gentle grip on Ka Mao’s hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
are you, Tatay?” Ka Mao asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’m
okay,” said Tatay Simo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “And
everyone?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We’re
all okay. They missed you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Tatay
Simo went inside quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Violeta,
mind the store.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Violeta
quickly finished doing the dishes at the kitchen sink then went over to the
store, with jolly mien circling her palm in the air as she passed Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hello!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hi,
how are you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Okay!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Nice
to hear that.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What’s
not okay is that this store is not selling much. I really doubt if it can raise enough for my
and Ellen’s tuition come June.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “There
is still time I suppose.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “How
time flies so fast. Before we know it, it’s enrollment time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’ll
keep that in mind. Where’s Nanay?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Upstairs
praying. She’ll go down in a minute.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Mamay
Oliva not home yet?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Normally
it takes her just before midnight to arrive home. She’d be coming from
Malolos.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Meantime,
Tatay Simo hurried to prepare supper for Ka Mao. He called to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Come,
Maurito, sit here, eat. I can see you’ve lost weight. You must not be eating
enough at the strike.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ellen cleared a
space on the table for Tatay Simo to set the food in. She was doing in small
packs of colored Japanese paper a delicacy of sweet called pulvorun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Hi,
Ellen,” said Ka Mao as he sat before the food Tatay Simo was setting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hi, how are you
Manoy Mauro?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s that you’re
doing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Pulvorun. For
selling to friends and acquaintances. Must help earning for my studies.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Worst case
scenario, you pass off the coming semester.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ay,” came
Ellen’s curt response. All of a sudden her mouth quivered as she pressed her
lips; a tear threatened in her eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao felt
Ellen’s pain. He spoke through a lump in his throat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Just a thought
really. I’ll make means of course. Don’t you worry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Already made
inquiries at UST.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, University
of the Santo Tomas. The oldest in the country. Good school.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“ Got enrollment
forms too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What do you
intend to take up by the way.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Medical
Technology. The cheapest medical course. We can’t afford medicine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Medtech is a
good course.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There is a big
demand for it abroad.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tatay Simo
finished setting for Ka Mao a simple dinner course consisting of rice, monggo
soup and fish boiled in vinegar and spices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Okay, son. Eat
a lot.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao laughed
lightly. He began eating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hmm… This is
good. You really cook nice, Tatay.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I had a feeling
you’d come, so I thought of cooking your favorite.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Every viand you
cook is my favorite.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now came Nanay
Puping rushing down the stairs. Always sentimental, she was already breaking in
tears as she hurried to hug Ka Mao even as he rose and made besa to her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ay, ginaha aqui
(beloved child),” Nanay Puping cried. “Dios mabalos (thank god). My heart
breaks just thinking what harm could be happening to you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No harm could
happen to me. My men are good. They even assign bodyguards to protect me when I
have to go out on appointments.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bodyguards! My
God. So people want to harm you. What do you need bodyguards for? You tell me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Puping, your
son is hungry. Let him eat,” cut in Tatay Simo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao sat and
resumed eating. Nanay Puping sat beside him, doing her habit of putting food
into Ka Mao’s plate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No big deal
really, Nanay,” Ka Mao said assuringly. “Just little precaution. Nothing to
worry about.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tatay Simo stood
by, replenishing food in the plates, as Ka Mao was eating quite voraciously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“From what I
know, strikes take long. Months, years,” said Tatay Simo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“How about
yours, how long?” Nanay Puping asked of Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I could end it
tomorrow.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao said the
words very matter-of-factly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But everybody
appeared stunned, including Violeta who rushed from the store, beaming with
surprised delight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Did I hear
right?” she asked loudly, unbelievingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Our lawyer had
agreed to a conciliation meeting with management,” Ka Mao said. “And it would
be tomorrow. In that meeting, I intend to make a return-to-work offer.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Return to
work!” exclaimed Violeta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What’s return
to work?” Nanay Puping asked Tatay Simo, nearly whispering, as though afraid
that anyone else might hear the question. He gestured to her to just listen to
Ka Mao’s explanation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought of a
face-saving way of ending the strike. We lift our picket with honor. The
company is saved from the disgrace of being anti-labor. Return to work will do
the trick.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Return to you
getting pay at every middle and end of the month?” asked Violeta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao nodded,
saying, “Right.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Return to me
and Ellen getting our daily school allowance?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“With bonus for
good grades, too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Violeta grabbed
Ka Mao’s arm and raised it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mabuhay si Ka
Mao!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everybody got a
good laugh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With Ellen the
laughter came with tears of joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao nodded to
her assuringly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A CLEAR DAY lay ahead as indicated by
the gleam reflected by the red KAMAO flag fluttering in the air, against the
bright blue of the sky and the brilliant white of the clouds. The picket along
the wide frontage of the Makabayan compound was being conducted with
characteristic militancy, but nothing in the atmosphere boded any grave
occurrence, such as the violence that inevitably erupted following past rises
in tension between strikers and strike-breakers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> But
as Ka Mao walked past the Araneta Coliseum on the way to the conciliation
meeting with the management, the Big Dome appeared to be like a gigantic weight
from under which he could not extricate himself. Walking beside him was Ed,
almost madly trying to talk him out of what he was intending to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What
you are thinking, Ka Mao, is not only a detestable act of class collaboration.
It is treachery to the union. It’s bad. It’s mad. It’s stupid!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ed,”
cut in Bayani, “we are comrades. No foul language please.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Bay,
this is not a question of language. It’s about ideology. Ka Mao is selling out
the struggle of the Makabayan workers.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao gritted his jaws, keeping himself from responding, which could be terrible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
had a board caucus, eh, Ed?” said Danny, wanting to avoid the ill talk. “The board
gave go signal to negotiate return to work. Why fret now?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Nobody
in the caucus had the guts to say no to Ka Mao. We were all no better than stooges, going whichever way he pulled us by
nose.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao stopped walking and faced up to Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’d
take that, Ed. Pour it on. I’ve bent backward enough, I’ll bend a lot more
backward still. But get this. As long as I’m president of KAMAO, I’ll do things
for the union the way I see best.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Your
best is no better than that of yellow labor leaders.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
cut in, but trying hard to sound cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ed,
careful with your words. We’re comrades.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “No
comrade sells workers to capitalists.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Say
it again, Ed,” Ka Mao dared, voice trembling in rage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Danny
butted in, “It’d still be all up for negotiations. No need to argue now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ed
insisted, “The very idea of returning to work and abandoning the strike is a
betrayal of the workers! A sellout!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Now,
Ka Mao let loose his own temper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
all know that that’s the last thing I could ever do to the union. You know
because you all know what I was before the strike. You know what I had. And all
that I was going to make. And all that I put at stake. If there has been any betrayal in this fight,
it is my having turned traitor to all the lot more that I stood to have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ah,
yes. Always the hero. Never mind that all that you want to do now are a desecration
of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse Tung Thought!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Almost
as one, Bayani and Danny blurted out together with Ka Mao a reprimand for Ed:
“Dammit, Ed!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But realizing
it, the two found themselves giving way for Ka Mao to complete what he was saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I’m
not fighting for Marxism! I’m not fighting for Leninism. I’m not fighting for
Mao Tse Tung Thought! I’m fighting for the liberation of the working class!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> That
got Ed tongue-tied. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What Ed didn’t realize,
he actually scored a point. As eventually proven by the result of the
conciliation meeting, the idea of return-to-work was futile from the very
start. KAMAO had proclaimed its antagonism toward Makabayan and there wouldn’t
be anymore chance whatsoever that the strikers could be back in the company’s
good graces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Steeped
in legalese, the Makabayan management wouldn’t fall into a trap by rejecting Ka
Mao when he declared at the meeting: “We are offering to return to work.” It
was in effect Jojo who did it for them when he stretched aside to Ka Mao and
nudged him on the side of the body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Huwag
kang banat nang banat (Don’t go throwing wild punches),” Jojo said in a hushed,
irritated tone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Quickly
after, Jojo addressed the management group, saying, “Our position is that while
we are open to an amicable settlement, unless and until such a settlement is
reached, the issues raised before the court stand.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THAT MORNING, the surroundings in the
strike area appeared gloomy. Mist was in the air, the sun hardly shining
through the dark clouds that mostly covered the sky. The strikers, though
holding their ground, generally appeared in a lazy mood. They either pressed
close to one another or cringed inside themselves, feeling the cold air. A very
slight drizzle was dropping but was no cause for the picketers to seek shelter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In
the kitchen, the cook engaged in some braggadocio as he prepared viand for
breakfast consisting of tomato omelet matched with friend tuyo (dried fish).
With his large machete, he chopped wood for fueling the stove. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “When
our SSS payment is finally put in order, I’d take out a loan and use the money
to put up a bulalo eatery. You know the one in Sto. Tomas, Batangas began with
just three hundred sixty five pesos capital. Now it’s the biggest in that
region and the owner is now a millionaire.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “And
you plan to be a millionaire also?” cut in the cook’s female assistant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Certainly,”
said the cook as he began cooking the omelet. “I cook better bulalo than that
guy in Batangas.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Amusing
at the talk while sipping at his coffee, Ka Mao is distracted by the sudden
rushing in of Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Come,
take a look,” Danny said to Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao trailed Danny in hurrying out of the kitchen and into the street where the
strikers in the picket lines were up on their feet, alarmed at the massing of
the Makabayan security force in their usual gathering place near the gates of
the While House. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “They’re
up to some mischief again,” said Danny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Nobody
moves,” went Ka Mao’s announcement. He instructed Danny, “Keep the men ready.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Danny
stayed among the picketers as Ka Mao walked to a spot from which he hoped to
make a study of the movements of the security guards. Doromal was at the head
of their formation but indicated no movement whatsoever. He just fixed a
belligerent stare at Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao was distracted from his eye confrontation with Doromal by Bayani who
hurried to his side, indicating the arrival of two police mobile patrol cars.
The vehicles were approaching from the street which curved to the area where
Doromal and his men were gathered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
formation of the security guards split at the middle to give way for the police
cars, which headed straight to the strike area. Ka Mao positioned himself in the middle of the
road, in the path of the approaching police cars. Doromal and his men began
moving forward, trailing the police vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao shouted as the police cars neared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Police!
Fifty meters away!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
police team leader chose to be polite. He stepped out of the lead vehicle, clutching
a document in his hand. His team of seven trailed him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
was emboldened and signaled his men to follow. This irked the police team
leader. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Stay
back. This is our job,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
grudgingly obliged and signaled to his men to stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
police team leader approached Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
are here to serve this order by the court,” he said and handed to Ka Mao the
document he was carrying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Staring
inquisitively, Ka Mao took the document and read it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Preliminary
injunction?” Ka Mao nearly blurted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “As
you can see,” said the police officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “This
order recognizes our strike as under the jurisdiction of the National Labor
Relations Commission,” Ka Mao pointed out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “But
you are ordered not to commit acts of violence. And you must not hinder the
company in its conduct of business.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
can picket.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “That
is your right. But you cannot put up these things. These tents. These banners.
These streamers. These shelters. The court orders you to dismantle all these
structures.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It
is an exercise of our constitutional rights,” Bayani cut in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
starts moving toward a tent, his men following. The police officer pushes him
aside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “I
said this is our job,” growled the police officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
are inside a private property. It is our job!” Doromal growled back<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Court
order to the police, not you. You are obstructing justice!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
other policemen signified their readiness to confront Doromal and his men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
police officer faced Ka Mao. “You don’t remove these things, we will.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
strikers braced themselves for trouble. Ka Mao urged inside him to come up with
a quick decision. He trained his eyes
around. Danny eyed him back as though to say, “Your call, my call.” Bayani’s
stare was ambivalent. But Ed urged for a clash, indicating this with a firm
grip of his hand on the pillbox bomb inside a pocket of his pants. Quite a
number of young activists did the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> From
the kitchen, the cook rushed out and seeing what was happening, rushed back in
and when he emerged into the street again, he was brandishing his large
machete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But then that
was the moment Ka Mao finally shouted to the strikers as he started to
dismantle a tent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “We
follow the court order!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ed
grudgingly eyed Ka Mao, staying put where he stood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Though
similarly grudging, Bayani turned to another tent and began dismantling it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Okay,
Comrades. Get it on,” he told the others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Danny
took the cue and began dismantling another tent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> And
all the strikers turned to bringing down the tents that surrounded the
Makabayan compound, together with the large streamers and banners and every
little bit of strike paraphernalia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook madly swang his machete, which split in two the trunk of a banana plant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Doromal
moved around arrogantly now even as he beamed with triumph. He shouted to the
strikers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “The
Araneta Center is private property. You cannot put up anything around here. Bring
all your things out of Araneta Center.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook threw in a display of raging irony, cutting with his machete the ropes and
other supports that held the kitchen tent in place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Oh,
yes! Damn us, proletariat! What business do we have anyway squatting on an
oligarch’s property. Suits us fine that we’re wretched. That’s what we’re only
good for anyway. To be forever poor. Forever powerless. Forever suckered.
Forever fucked. We’ve got nothing to lose but our chains? Fuck! Fuck us all!
How can we even lose our chains when we’ve already lost our balls!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Finally
yanking at the center post of the kitchen tent, the cook sent the whole
structure collapsing over him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao hurried to the rescue, followed by a number of strikers. Some lifted the
collapsed tent so Ka Mao could pull the cook out from under it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “It’s
okay, Comrade. It.s okay. We’ll be okay,” said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook brushed Ka Mao aside. He spoke with angry teary eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
got the gall to lead a strike. Get the balls to win it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao appeared stunned. It completely humbled him to hear those words which to
him sounded: “Who are you to pretend to lead us in a fight which you don’t know
how to win?” And he didn’t know what to answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Just
that moment, lightning bolts ripped the sky. A deafening thunder roared as
though to announce the sudden falling of the rain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
cook and his kitchen staff hurriedly gathered their cooking paraphernalia and
brought them to the slums area at the back of the Makabayan compound. Those
manning the picket sought cover under the few trees in the area, in a couple of
old shacks put up by construction workers in the past, or otherwise under the
torn streamers and banners which they spread over their heads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao saw that not one of the strikers had stayed in the picket. He picked up a
placard, hurried to the area fronting the gates of the company compound and
there did what appeared to be a one-man picket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> From
one of the shacks, Danny called out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Take
shelter, Ka Mao. You can get sick.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao just threw a stare at Danny, continuing with his picket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Under
a streamer together with Bayani and a number of activists, Ed waxed sarcasm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ah,
Ka Mao… Always the hero.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
did not relish Ed’s words. He grabbed a
placard and walked over to join Ka Mao. He stared probingly at him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ka
Mao said, “Our cook was right. Inasmuch as we have taken the guts to unionize
the workers, we should see to it that we win this fight. So long as somebody
moves in the picket, management cannot say we have abandoned the strike. They
cannot have excuse to take over the picket line.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
kept his stare at Ka Mao, who felt squeamish at it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “What?”
said Ka Mao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bayani
sat on a boulder by the wall and stared at the distance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Suddenly
came a succession of lightning bolts causing Ka Mao to instinctively cringe
inside him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Can there be a
storm?” Ka Mao asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The proletariat
can no longer liberate itself without at the same time liberating the whole of
society,” said Bayani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I said, is
there a storm?” Ka Mao insisted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHAPTER VI<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">THE WIND blew hard, and a sea of
streamers, banners and placards carrying various slogans that had been a
hallmark of the national democratic movement swayed across the large frontage
of the Philippine Congress building. There was an overcast sky but no sign of
rain coming. It was just some kind of a foreboding of the onset of an early wet
season. Though the rainy season normally starts in June, soon after the early
April showers, stretches of heavy downpour begin taking place in May. Yet even
if it were to rain now, the enthusiasm seizing everyone in the area would
surely stand the downpour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was the First
of May, always a hallowed date in the history of the workers’ struggle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The area was
already teeming with demonstrators as a long column of marchers arrives,
half-running and chanting: “Down with US imperialism! Down with feudalism! Down
with bureaucrat capitalism!” At the head of the column is a huge streamer
hoisted on wooden poles and carried the signage: “KASAMA”. Actually an acronym
for “Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng mga Manggagawa (Federation of Workers’
Associations)”, the word is the Pilipino translation of “comrade”. Second only
to this streamer is a smaller one but large enough to be noticed, and it read:
“KAMAO”. Also hoisted on wooden poles, the streamer seemed to be blazing the
trail for the KAMAO members into the midst of the gathering. Leading the KAMAO
group was Ka Mao, Danny and Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ed, with much
aid from Bayani, had the day before won an argument with Ka Mao over whether
the union should participate in this commemoration of Labor Day. And so Ka Mao
had to go on a quick run-through of
several materials to get himself familiar with why the first of May is a
sacred day for the workers’ struggle. He should be able to tell it to the union
members in order to convince them to join today’s rally – which apparently he
did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Awed by the
mammoth gathering, Ka Mao wondered to himself whether what KAMAO was entering
into right now was any different from that May 1 of 1886 when 35,000 workers of
Chicago demonstrated demanding the reduction to eight hours the highly
oppressive ten-hour working day obtaining at the time. His crash course on the
history of Labor Day had made Ka Mao realized that were it not for the sacrifices
of those Chicago workers, the present generation of workers would not be
enjoying the benefits of the eight-hour working day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> On the edge of the elevated patio,
which was actually the top of a rising driveway that leveled up in front of the
wide main entrance of the building, the firebrand speaker, addressing the crowd
through a public address system, greeted the new arrivals with a yell: “Long
live the working class!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The gathering
cheered, “Long live the workers!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This arrival of
an awesomely large force of comrades from the workers’ sector clearly
demonstrates the readiness now of the Filipino proletariat to live up to its
historically-mandated task of being the leading class in the Filipino nation’s
resolute struggle to overthrow the US-Marcos dictatorship that has been ramming
down the throats of the Filipino people the tyrannical designs of US
imperialism in cahoots with local feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism!” cried
the speaker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A cheerleader
broke out into a call, “Marcos! Hitler! Diktador! Tuta! (Marcos! Hitler!
Dictator! Puppet!)”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And the call
turned into a continuing chant once the throng picked it up. To the KAMAO
members, it sounded like a fanfare heralding their entry into the gathering.
Some were thrilled. Others experienced that exhilarating feeling of being part
of something big, something noble and worth fighting for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And they joined
in the chant as they went deeper into the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even as he, too,
voiced it, the chant evoked in Ka Mao recollections of what he read about the
first May Day event in Chicago. That remembering strangely gave him the chills.
The Chicago police had fired at the protesters, resulting to calls for revenge
from the workers. Thereafter the workers went around the city urging other
workers to strike. When the police charged at a large gathering, bomb exploded
in their midst, instantly killing one officer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Instantly, Ka
Mao stirred from his recollections as a bomb – as though in response to that
precise moment’s agitation by the speaker for the overthrow of the “US-Marcos
dictatorship” – exploded on a spot at the Congress entrance where Metrocom
soldiers were standing on guard. A
second after, rapid ratatats rent the air. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The ratatats,
sounding more like a pounding on a sheet of iron, were not stunning, unlike
those from a rapidly-fired .45 pistol which astound. But to activists familiar
with shots from an M-16, the ratatats that threw everybody in panic were more
horrific. Armalite slugs, long and slender, don’t strike through their tips but
hit you sideways and thus have a more shattering effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The crowd
dispersed, scampering in all directions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Combatant
activists also rushed along with the throng but countering the ratatats with
explosions from their pillbox bombs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">An old couple
had a hard time clambering up the barbed-wire fence of the Sunken Garden, that
vast expanse of green grass separating the Congress area from the walls of
Intramuros. Others chose to crawl under. A young woman in this group got her
dress caught on the barbed wire and had her bottom exposed as she violently
ripped her garment to free herself and run on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rushing away
together with his ever loyal close-in buddies, Ka Mao wanted to help the old
couple, but just now he could almost feel the whizzing of something past his
ears and a split-second after, something impacted upon the shoulder of a youth
clad in military jacket and who, at some distance from Ka Mao, was aiming to
release a pillbox bomb from his hand. The youth threw to the ground,
unconscious, his shoulder shattered. The pillbox bombed he was attempting to
throw dropped on soft grass and did not explode.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the ratatats
would not stop and people dropped here and there after getting hit, Ka Mao’s
companions leaped at him, throwing themselves into the grass. Just a few meters
ahead, a woman, aiming to throw her own pillbox bomb, got hit smack on the chest,
right above the heart, and dropped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While many went
on rushing away, Ka Mao and his companions stayed hugging the ground. If M-16
slugs happened to strike where they lay, then just their luck. Still that was
better than having to stay clear on the snipers’ sights by running away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then the
ratatats were no more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao spent a
moment making sure if it was okay to get up. After that, he cautiously rose to
his feet. He cast a look around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The whole
frontage of the Congress building had been deserted and all over were strewn
torn placards, abandoned banners and streamers, along with plastic bags,
personal belongings, including ladies shoes and slippers, which mixed with
rubbish to make for the debris resulting from the mayhem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the sunken
garden, scores of people were still running in different directions, seeking
safer spots, while others minded the number of injured. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao wondered
to himself if this May Day violence was any different from the first one in
Chicago. Or if this was in fact a reprise of the first May 1 carnage, then
nearly a century since that time had not been enough for the workers to end violent
suppression of their legitimate right to protest and seek redress of
grievances? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He cringed at
sight of the youth whose shoulder had been shattered by an Armalite slug. Was
he alive? Ka Mao asked himself. The youth remained unconscious as companions
carried him for loading into a jeepney already jampacked with protesters. Many
of those aboard had sustained their own injuries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao trained
his eyes on the surroundings, wanting to see who had fired the shots. But there
was no police or military personnel in sight. Not even the soldiers who were
seen earlier guarding the entrance to the legislature. It would seem that they
had been instructed to hide from view once the guns began firing. In subsequent
accounts of the massacre, the press theorized that Metrocom soldiers fired the
shots from the rafters of the Congress building. For this reason, nobody was
seen firing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao could
just set his jaws in silent grief. He recalled what he had read about the first
May Day. None of the police was ever punished for shooting the workers. But
eight leaders of the protest were jailed for trumped-up charges and four of
them eventually hanged, with one committing suicide. In the case of the
Congress May Day, the police did not bother to make any arrests. The better to
execute the protesters then and there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the grimmest
sight for Ka Mao was the woman felled by an M16 slug which slammed her chest
above the heart and rendered that portion of her body to smithereens. She was a
bloody mess. A companion of Ka Mao vainly tried to pull the woman by the arm apparently
in an effort to help her get back up. The body would not budge. It was as limp
as the arm. She was dead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A news
photographer took a shot of that scene and it would fill the front pages of
newspapers the next day – the signature photograph of what would go down in the
contemporary history of the Filipino workers’ struggle as the Congress May Day
Massacre. Already, statements from the national democratic movement hailed the
fallen woman as a heroine of the workers’ struggle – Liza Balando, a union
organizer at the Rossini’s Knitwear Factory in Caloocan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao would not
recall if he had known Liza before that carnage, but in the run up to the
Congress massacre, when various caucuses and teach-ins had organized workers
coming together at one time or another, he knew he must have crossed path with
Liza. But Ka Mao would no longer bother about this. Instead, here to him was a
woman who had a family to support but did not hesitate to sacrifice her life if
only to be able to show how really should it be to fight capitalism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ka Mao got it
from Liza at close range. He needed not the news play up the next day to decide
that trade unionism was not the way to redeem the working class from capitalist
oppression and exploitation. Liza’s sacrifice was the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The following
day, Ka Mao called a meeting of KAMAO in the family’s store-residence. In the
meeting, he explained that while the union was not abandoning the legal aspect
of the strike, it had no more choice now but to lift the picket for good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You don’t fight
guns with placards, slingshot darts and pillbox bombs. You fight capitalism
with revolution,” he declared to the stunned KAMAO unionists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-23255324051042743722012-05-01T22:47:00.000-07:002012-05-02T04:19:04.653-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>SHOES OF THE TRAVELER <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>By Mauro Gia Samonte<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>BOOK FIVE<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b> A TALE OF TWO DESTINIES<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER I<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THE DAWNING</b> of the Age of Aquarius begun in the latter
half of the sixties in the United States was getting caught on by the
Philippine youth at the advent of the seventies.. Girls in early teens had
learned to let go of their petticoats in exchange for pedal pushers in which
they walked with boys in a unisex drive for social relevance. Attires didn’t
matter anymore in distinguishing between the sexes as it became a fad for young
people to sit on sidewalks, school grounds and public parks discussing
imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism. Jose Maria Sison had
initially tackled these issues in a mimeographed, bookbound manuscript that
carried the title “Struggle for National Democracy”. These were the same issues
that already in 1966 a guy named Clemente was discussing to Maurito quite
discreetly. Clemente was taking up political science at the Lyceum, close to
MIT in Intramuros. In his own drive for
relevance, Maurito just found himself in the company of Clemente and a few
aspiring intellectuals who in sessions at Fort Santiago would show off their
exposure to high thoughts: “What now, Aristotle or St. Augustine?”
“Machiavelli,” Maurito would have retorted, but Clemente whispered to him
“Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse Tung Thought”, at which Maurito stared. Clemente offered
to take him to Jose Maria Sison whom he said was forming the Kabataang
Makabayan. But with that offer was the last Maurito saw of Clemente.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1969,
when Maurito moved to Top Magazine as much for better pay as for more leeway in editorial prerogatives, he
joined the fad in the media of publicizing Kumander Dante, chieftain of the
just organized New People’s Army, counterpoised against the “fascist” Armed
Forces of the Philippines as well as against the “revisionist Lava-Taruc Gang”.
In his state of consciousness at the time, these euphemisms did not strike him
as carrying deep ideological and political implications. For instance, he did
not find reason to ask why the NPA was formed at that precise time? Why need
another red army when those composing it were the same elements that had
composed the Hukbalahap, the guerilla army organized to resist Japanese
invasion of the country in World War II. Maurito didn’t feel like asking, too,
why the Communist Party of the Philippines was organized as a re-establishment
of the old merger party, Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP)-Partido
Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PSP), parties
that bore the brunt of struggle for the Filipino proletariat and peasantry,
from the period of American invasion, all throughout the period of Japanese
occupation, and all the way to the fifties when the Huks came close to toppling
the Philippine Republic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All that mattered to Maurito was
that in the offing were the answers he had been trying to discover for the many
inequities he witnessed in society. At the Top post, Maurito got the
prerogative to say what he wanted in whatever field, including politics. In one
issue, he devoted his whole column to paying plaudits to Kumander Dante, whom
he, like everybody else, didn’t know from Adam. Conjectures were even rife that
Dante was a non-person but an acronym: D for (Jose W.) Diokno; A, (Benigno)
Aquino; N, Neptali (Gonzales); T,(Lorenzo) Tanada; and E, Eva (Estrada Kalaw),
most hardened oppositors to then President Ferdinand E. Marcos.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Reporting for work shortly after
the publication of that particular issue of Top Magazine, Maurito found a lady
seated at his desk, waiting. She must be in her early twenties, pretty and
charming enough for the naughty magazine publisher, Cil Evangelista, to
insinuate possible romantic relations
between her and Maurito. Cil, wearing that characteristic mischief in his
smile, introduced the lady as Julie Delima. The girl was visibly upset, and
even as Maurito was only just beginning to strike up a conversation to know
what she came for, she rose, said goodbye, and went just like that. After the
1986 EDSA revolt, that name “Julie Delima” again figured in Ka Mao’s
consciousness, the name of the wife of Jose Maria Sison, the Communist Party of
the Philippines (CPP) chairman ordered released from incarceration together
with NPA chief Bernabe Buyscayno, aka Kumander Dante. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao could only deduce that those
events taking place far off in time from one another, were pieces of a puzzle
that would baffle him at each recollection but which with the unfolding of the
identity of Julie Delima would finally fall into place: that as early as the late
sixties, efforts were already afoot to recruit him into the revolutionary
movement that would gain momentum beginning the first quarter of 1970.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Had Clemente or, later, Julie, not
been too timid about revealing to him their intentions those times around, they
would not have had a hard time convincing him. It is basic to Marx that social consciousness
grows out of social being, and Maurito, who was born poor, was raised poor, got
education the hard way of the poor, was surely ripe for gulping into the
mainstream of struggle by those taking up the side of the poor in the brewing
storm of class conflict.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But, as Ka Mao had set in his own
criteria for the development of a story, that was the way events in his life took
place, that was the way his story would have to go. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As the theme from “A Man and A
Woman” goes:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“And so we go another season</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
We close our eyes and find a reason</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
For we are joined by destiny</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And love is stronger far than we”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thus,
romancing with the revolutionary storm could not yet take off. For one thing,
the Aquarian age had only dawned and had not quite shone to bring forth social
upheavals. There was no storm yet to romance with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At hand was
the first destiny he had to go by.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nearing
thirty, he was still single, and with the increased income from his writing, he
began to enjoy little luxuries that made life, or so he thought, worth living
up. He could afford drinking now in the beer joints of Ermita which, compared
to the cubicles of Fifth Avenue cabarets, were ”class”. And the girls were far
more sophisticated, whose charm and allure you could feast on, damn to your
heart’s content, in any of the motels that abounded in the area. And with no
talk about price at that. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the
girls just loved his company. His training in insurance and encyclopedia
selling had honed him up on speech which with touches of hyperbole proved
effective in making friends with bar hostesses. Just making friends, like
sharing them a shot of Tequila or two, in-between dancing the cha-cha or
rock-n-roll in trim tight-fit, high-waist flesh-colored gabardine pants, purple
cowl-collared cotton shirt with fat red horizontal stripes and worn tuck-in, to
go with unbuttoned coat of carmine red and, yes, his ubiquitous Swatch in
purple, too. When, in their state of intoxication the girls got tired from
dancing, they would sit and drop snoring on his groins. What happened after
that would be just one more piece of forgettable history.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ERMITA in the late sixties – that is, in the memory of Ka
Mao – was a pleasure hub for all kinds of people, be they rich foreign tourists,
top business entrepreneurs, government bureaucrats, middle level executives,
all sorts of sales agents and brokers,
down to underworld kingpins, street bullies, including proletarians and
social scums who would even get reserved
spots in drinking stalls set up in dingy alleys, unattended lots and ruins
of buildings, and in less conspicuous sections of sidewalks. In
these latter categories, for want of appropriate space, whenever a man and a woman
felt like ejaculating, they would just seek a dark nook and did it there either
on their seats or on their feet. .</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To the
world, when you talk about Manila, you talk about Ermita. Ramon Jacinto sings about
Manila, he sings about Ermita. Peque Gallaga films Manila by night, he films
Ermita’s nightlife.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Big world business is transacted in the dining
halls of Ermita five-star hotels where international guests enjoy world class
accommodations. Foreign exchange is in abundance, as evidenced by money
changing shops that in some sections dot the streets literally every inch of
the way. Plush restaurants cater to as many tastes as there are foreign
embassies in the area, notably the American and Japanese embassies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But while there
were establishments in Ermita engaging in one kind of legitimate business or
another, one outstanding feature of the district is its thriving flesh trade.
The entire stretch of Mabini and M.H. del Pilar teemed with clubs and beer
joints many of which had girls, mostly adolescents, clad in skimpy bikini
gyrating to rock music, caged in glass so that the male passersby did not have
to come inside to take a look and make a pick. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The real
classy women, all beauteous and alluring and many of whom priding in this and
that college master’s degree, do business inside luxuriously furnished rooms of
exclusive clubs, the business consisting of giving you the honor and pleasure from
an honest-to-goodness dinner date and while at it engaging you in intellectual conversation
about anything that interests you. Though normally the conversation goes with
hard liquor, the policy is always – no touch. If you haven’t got fifty grand for that kind
of service, forget about it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why pay
fifty thousand pesos for just being dined with and talked to?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
wouldn’t pay five hundred for that service.
Not that he was in league with that legendary Manila mayor who, as one
anecdote went at the time, was said to have wanted to date a lovely New York
prostitute who priced her services five thousand dollars, which, the
spendthrift that he was, he rejected, bargaining for five hundred, which the
American sloth turned down, of course, and so nothing came out of the night,
and the following morning while walking down a New York street, the mayor again
met the lovely bitch who at seeing his wife beside him smirked, saying, “That’s
what you get for five hundred dollars.” In his job, Maurito got to sit with lovely,
highly educated girls gratis et amore –
with touch, too, even, at times.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, back to the college master’s degree
holder lovelies, surprisingly there were takers of the high price of talking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What’s
fifty thousand anyway for congressmen and senators? They have pork barrels from which to draw funds a lot more than
that. Or for local government executives and military generals who regularly
received protection money from jueteng operators and dope syndicates. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meantime on
the sidewalks and in dark alleys, girls not yet into their teens flaunt their
nascent scents to foreign pedophiles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito had
not stopped grieving at sight of those young prostitutes – prostitutes, because
those little darlings, as if in a show of supreme irony, knew exactly what they
were doing. It was in their system, a
way of life, just the way Maurito took it now, one of those things, part and
parcel of a decaying society – something
he just had to stomach, because, from the way he saw it, irremediable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was
inevitable that Maurito became a habitué of Ermita. Notoriously known as the
“red light district”, the area also abounded in art studios, shops and
galleries, where artists held exhibits for their work. He was living what,
because of sheer overuse by writers of the phrase, had become a cliché: search
for meaning and identity. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a
paradox, Maurito would deeply ponder the phenomenon: art and prostitution in a
single venue. How can
something beautiful like art exist side by side with something ugly like
prostitution?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In his
later studies of dialectics, from its conception by philosophers of the
Aristotlean age, down to its refinement almost to perfection by Hegel, then to
its materialistic modification by Marx
and Engels, and finally to its social application by Lenin, Ka Mao would learn
that this is just what life is. In his book On Contradiction, Mao Zedong has a
succinct way of explaining the principle: “identity of opposites,” meaning two
opposing aspects coming together to form the entity of a thing, the identity being that each aspect is the condition for
the existence of the other. Stated, therefore, in the case of Ermita, art is
the condition for the existence of prostitution just as prostitution is the
condition for the existence of art. And judging from the numerous hacks and
pseudo artists who had converted the district into their haven, what Aristotle
and his descendants down to the current century had preached as a world outlook
in the ideal, had become a grim reality.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SO NOW Maurito found himself immersing in the contradiction
of Ermita. He seriously believed he had got art in him and he needed company to
let it flower. Moreover, the artists of Ermita had the penchant for spending
hours engaging in intellectual discussions, about aesthetics, philosophy and
political thoughts, which Maurito found helpful in crystallizing and
systematizing his own ideas. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the guys
vented their energy on dissertations, Maurito stayed on the sidelines, just
listening. That’s how he always was, a no show-off in matters of the intellect,
one who did not have the knack for bravura in debates. He did have occasions to
engage in some grandstanding as a declaimer in the elementary grades, but
always that was a show, not a way of life. So in those moments with Ermita
artists, writers and pseudo intellectuals, he was contented just listening.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Ka Loren would say, “Less talk, less
mistake.” So conversely, the more you listen, the more you learn. Ka Mao did come
to realize this when he was finally deep into the national democratic movement.
In a DG, the political officer advised: “Give first place to the other fellow’s
idea.” That, by way of illustrating proletarian selflessness, the apex of
quality expected of cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito’s
regular hangout was the working area of Aro, an ink artist who created his figures by impressing them as dots on a white
cardboard – actually antedating what today is known as pixels of digital
images. With that technique, Aro did his numerous contributions to what was in
vogue among artists calling themselves relevant, the propaganda against
American imperialism.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aro hardly
spoke. You read his mind through the images that painstakingly took form as
dots accumulated on the cardboard, impressed there with a pen point moved by
his hand with the precision of a woodpecker’s bill puncturing a tree trunk. It
would take 24 hours on the average for Aro to fill the whole cardboard with
what initially would look like nothing but dots. What’s that? Maurito would ask.
And as though priding in his work not being understood by a simpleton, Aro
wouldn’t say a word. At any rate, there was something in his work, some kind of
a tri-dimensional nature such that as you belabor your eyes in trying to make
something out of the dots, there appears the image of the imperialist eagle
here, the American flag there, or Uncle Sam made like Satan on the next
cardboard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aro had
hair that curled in waves down to his shoulders like Che Guevarra, had
moustache like Che Guevarra, and had a face which with its white, Caucasian
features was as handsome as Che Guevarra. For all you know, he thought maybe he
was Che Guevarra. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same
time, those features are those of Christ also, as depicted in art caricatures
and in images worshipped by the Catholic church. So for all you know, too, Aro
thought maybe he was Christ, too. This last speculation inspired an idea in
Maurito. He thought of a theme: “My Christ is not the coward who carried a
cross to Calvary but Christ the Comrade who fired away an Armalite from Sierra
Madre.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Using the
Nikon FT that had become his most prized possession, Maurito did a pictorial of
Aro in the nude backdropped by the rocks forming the seawall of the reclaimed
area of Manila Bay and amidst the squatters’ shanties which at the time was far
off from being sold out by Popoy to Amari.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So Maurito
was there that morning firing away with his Nikon when all of a sudden a very maddened fisherman came
charging with his wooden paddle and paddled away at Aro’s hump.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ouch!”
cried Aro as Maurito and the pictorial crew beat it quick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sonnovabitch!
We’ve got women here,” growled the fisherman and then swang the paddle again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
implement swished past the very tip of Aro’s own implement as he backed away.
Aro turned and dashed away. It was a good thing he rushed forward for if he did
it backward, the fisherman’s next swing could have crushed the glory of Aro’s
manhood. For the paddle landed hard smack on his butt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ouch!” Aro
cried painfully.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was
the first ever word Maurito heard from Aro. And that gave Maurito an addition
to his theme: “My Christ is not the Christ who in bearing the sins of humanity
ever cried out ‘Ouch!’”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER II<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Maurito </b>had by
then joined the Makabayan Publishing Corporation, owned by the Araneta family
of the Araneta Colieum fame. And his placement in the company sort of widened
his circle of friends and acquaintances in the journalistic field. The company
was publishing Weekly Nation, considered at par in terms of nationwide exposure
to Philippine Free Press and Weekly Graphic, the two other leading magazines at
the time. It also published Tagumpay, a weekly
magazine in the vernacular, and Movie Confidential, a monthly magazine
which enjoyed influence and respect in the film industry and in entertainment.
It was as editorial assistant in the last-named magazine Maurito was hired in
the company.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was a demotion to be sure, but Movie
Confidential was the country’s leading movie magazine. Not only did it pay a
lot higher than did his two previous employments but also gave him a higher
degree of prestige, which the show business industry looked up to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Danny
Holmsen, he was constantly tugging at his coattails, ever just his waiting boy.
With Top Magazine he proved himself capable of standing on his own feet in
matters of editing a magazine. With the Movie Confidential, he was at the top
of show business journalism</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
found himself aspiring now to be in
league with Franklin Cabaluna and Douglas Quijano, the cream of the crop of
movie writers along with Ethelwolda Ramos and Ernie Evora Sioco of Weekly
Graphic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Into 1970,
Andy Salao, the Editor of Movie Confidential, had a falling out with the
Makabayan Publishing Corporation and resigned. It was Andy who had worked out
Maurito’s employment in the company and Maurito sympathized with him in that
incident. But Andy himself advised Maurito to stay on in his job even as he was
leaving. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How nice of
Andy, said Maurito to himself as he watched Andy pack his things up. He
remembered that night he visited him at the MCU Hospital, his arms and face
bandaged, his legs in plaster cast. Andy had had a car accident together with
his wife. Maurito had learned about it and was the first from the movie world
to visit him. They had not been that close before, but Andy must have valued
that visit so much that right after recuperating from his injuries, he
recommended Maurito for the Editorial Assistant post.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Once I
find another publisher, I’ll put out my own magazine. I’ll take you in,” Andy
assured Maurito before leaving.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Andy’s
niceness, wasn’t that what the insurance unit manager had advised Maurito about
long ago? “Never mind if you do not make a sale with your prospect. No matter
what happens build goodwill.” Surely, nothing but pure goodwill brought him to
the attention of Andy and placed him in the Makabayan management higher-up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito did
not get the editorship of the Movie Confidential as things would ordinarily
turn out. It was given to Danny Villanueva, the Editor of the Entertainment
Section of the Weekly Nation. Maurito, the human being that he was, felt bad at
this and was on the way to resigning, too. But Celso Carunungan, publisher of
the company’s magazines for the Araneta family, had the magnanimity of spirit
to understand Maurito’s show of trantrums and, like Andy, advised him to stay
on. Not long after, the Daily Sun, a tabloid, entered the publication scene,
pirating Danny Villanueva for the editorship.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thus was
Maurito finally got promoted to the post of Editor of Movie Confidential – and
of the Entertainment Section of Weekly Nation, too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suddenly
the entire entertainment world and glamor society appeared to gravitate around
him. Quite a few stars and movie producers vied with one another in wanting to
host for him a party for the promotion. It was tempting all right, but Maurito
valued self-respect so much that he would never compromise it for a flitting
moment of superficial honoring by a world known for utter thanklessness. Where
before he had to virtually gate-crash into big-time movie affairs, now he had
to be wooed for his presence in those events. By being not beholden to any star
or movie outfit, he gained ascendancy over them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito thought
he got the fullest measure of it that afternoon he proceeded to the office from
the Manila Bay pictorial with Aro. He had gestated a theme on Jesus Christ on
the way and was excited to put it in writing, for inclusion in Movie
Confidential’s next issue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A man had
arrived at the editorial office long before lunch and had had to bear with more
than three hours of waiting to see him for a purpose. The man was a lean fellow
with slightly curly hair combed well backward to fully bare his wide forehead,
his thin-rimmed spectacles slightly sliding off his nosebridge, revealing
chinky eyes that lit up as soon as Maurito walked in through the door.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
could not have possibly missed those features, the Malayan-looking
pseudo-intellectual who used to twit him for his writing which he said only
served to enrich the paper industry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Jimmy!”
exclaimed Maurito as he hurried to shake hands with the visitor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good
morning… err… afternoon. I’ve been waiting for you since ten.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh… Sorry
about that. You could have just come back later.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I didn’t
want to miss you today. I need your help.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Anytime.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m
handling the PR of Nepomuceno Productions. “</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito got
what Jimmy had come for. And he remembered his oath that time he was struggling
to polish on his writing in the travel agency office: “Just you wait, wise guy
Jimmy. Just you wait…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now,
indeed, Jimmy had waited. And Maurito smiled triumphant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
himself interviewed Luis Nepomuceno and gave him a nice splurge on the pages of
the Weekly Nation. The question is asked then: Why give something nice for
something bad done to him? In the spirit of the Christian returning with bread
the stoning given him? For Maurito it smacks of the beauty of dialectics. By
granting Jimmy’s wish for a coverage of Nepomuceno, he cast him to the height
of humiliation. More than vengeance, it was an act of ascendancy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito had long begun asking if it was not
the case that by humbling himself, Christ had come to lord it over humanity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER III<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THE NEXT TIME </b>Maurito
came to visit Aro’s pad, he was no longer there. A lady who had just arrived
and was heading to the upper floor informed Maurito that Aro had moved to
another place; he could no longer afford the rent of the pad in the building
which was rather high. It turned out Aro’s work had all the time been
subsidized by the owner of the Aristocrat Restaurant who was some sort of a
patroness of art. According to the arrangement, Aro would enjoy the subsidy
while he was still at work with his pieces but once the art works were done,
the art patroness would have them exhibited at the restaurant for sale to art
lovers, and from the sales proceeds she would get reimbursed for her earlier
subsidy of the works. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All that,
Maurito learned from the lady, who went on and on with her story even as her
husband proceeded to their third floor quarters followed by her daughter who
secretly exchanged soft, sweet gazes with Maurito as she stepped up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That
arrangement with Aristocrat worked well both ways for the patroness and the
artist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the
patroness, it served to add to the prestige of the restaurant, which the way it
was already enjoyed a regular wide clientele from not just Manila but from the
suburbs which at the time meant the yet less-developed areas like Quezon City,
Pasig, Caloocan, Pasay, Mandaluyong and Paranaque. Danny Holmsen himself, with Maurito and the
rest of his regular entourage in tow, would go to the place after work just to
have a bowl of that delectable dinuguan, beef cubes cooked in its blood, taken
with rice cake called <i>puto</i>, which is
the most popular among the dishes served by the restaurant, a popularity
matched only by its other signature dish, chicken barbecue served with fried
rice and taken with an exotic appetizer called <i>atchara</i>, a concoction of shredded papaya, carrot, ginger and bell
pepper preserved in vinegar mixed with just the right amount of sugar. From
those two dishes alone, Aristocrat was said to be earning a windfall and you
could see it from the way the eatery had been expanding over the years and was
counting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the
artist, it gave him the imprimatur of high-breed Ermita art, simply stated,
high price of his work. So that though the earlier subsidy for his work would
be deducted from the sales in the exhibit for reimbursement to the patroness,
what would remain would be comfortable enough for the artist to work on his own
thereafter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For Aro,
whose works didn’t sell, he got no proceeds for working with on his own, nor
would he again get support from the art patroness. So he had to move to a
cheaper place, which the lady who told Maurito all this story didn’t know, and
so could not say where Maurito could trace Aro any further, bnt since Maurito
was there, he could proceed to her upper floor quarters and join the family
for dinner.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The lady
was an entrepreneur who owned the “Steak House” that occupied the front section
of the second floor of the building. “Steak House” was a misnomer. The
establishment didn’t serve steak; it served beer, brandy, whisky, gin, and other
such hard liquor. It was not for dining but for smooching and groping by mostly
Japanese customers with hostesses called hospitality girls, the ancestors of
today’s GROs, for guest relations officers. If the Japanese wanted some higher
degree of hospitality, he could repair with the girl to one of the nearby
motels. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were
no Japanese yet as the lady showed Maurito up the steps. The hostesses were
either seated at the windows, looking out into the street for signs of any
customer approaching, or asleep at a table on a chair with legs propped up on
another, or seated in a similar position at another table reading a comics
book, or dancing to the boogie tune coming from a record player, or getting
this and that treatment at the beauty parlor walled in glass in one section of
the second floor toward the back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is my
parlor,” the lady said, indicating the place where two girls in tight mini
skirts that bulged with excess flesh were heading to from the steak house.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Find me a
bar fine tonight, Mommy,” one girl said to the lady. “My boyfriend needs money
for his tuition.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
knew that term. Whenever a man wanted to take out a hostess for a date, he must
pay that fine to the cashier at the bar,
sort of a permit fee; that, on top of whatever amount the hostess and
the customer had agreed upon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Japanese
don’t want them fat. You slim down.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tell those
bow-legged ones. Fat or thin, it’s the same mouth size up and down.” And the
girl wiggled out her tongue at Maurito as she and her companion stepped into
the parlor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
didn’t mind it. He fixed his stare at another section, similarly walled in
glass but with closed door over which was the sign “Lydia’s Photography.” The
lady went on up the stairs toward the third floor, pushing on Maurito’s back to
make him step ahead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s my
studio. It’s my name there, Lydia. Not operating anymore. Found out my
photographer cheating. He took pictures with my camera, processed them in my
dark room, but pocketed all the money. I see you are a photographer.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito had
his ubiquitous Nikon FT slung on his shoulder..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I take
many of the pictures I use in my magazine. I love photography.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, yes,
the wife of Aro told me you are editor of… what’s that?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Movie
Confidential.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ah,
confidential. The secrets of movie stars. Hey, is it true about Vilma in the
toilet of Channel 5?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I wasn’t
there.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“They say
Dovie has gonorrhea that’s why Macoy got it. So Rosemarie must have gotten it
also.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This lady
must have been reading Franklin Cabaluna, said Maurito to himself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They
reached the third floor living quarters. To the street side was a room, its
door closed. To the back was a kitchen where the male companion of the lady was
heating food on an electric stove; a
couple of dishes had already been set on the small dining table in a section
adjoining the stairwell. Between the kitchen and the room was a space furnished with upholstered sala
set and a hodge-podge of decorative trimmings that – like the interior plants in Chinese pots that
immediately greeted your eyes at the stairs landing and the twin divider
between the sala and the kitchen/dining area carrying Japanese characters and
figures on black, glossy field, and the beads of seashells strung on cotton
strings and hung in that corner where the sala adjoined the room, and swayed at
touch of air blown by the electric fan standing beside one chair of the sala
set – didn’t indicate a taste for interior design.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The lady
called to the man in the kitchen as she and Maurito stepped into the sala.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Timmy,
this is…What’s your name again?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mauro Gia
Samonte.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mauro. He
is the editor of what magazine is that?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Movie
Confidential.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes, Movie
Confidential. You know, that magazine that publishes stories about Vilma
Santos, Dovie Beams, Rosemarie Sonora, Carmen Soriano, President Marcos…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How are you, Mauro,” said the man, cutting
the lady short.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Fine,
thank you.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“He is your
Mang Timmy, my better half.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How do you
do, Mang Timmy?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mauro is
having dinner with us.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sit
awhile,” said the man, pouring a preparation of soy sauce and lemon juice into
the pan he was frying pork in. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The man
cooked nice, said Maurito to himself as he subtly breathed in the aroma from
the kitchen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Surely you
can find space in your magazine for fashion models?” said the lady.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Why not?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a
sudden glint in the lady’s eyes. She gently pushed Maurito to the sofa.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sit down;”
said the lady, then turned for the room. “Let me have a minute.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I didn’t
get your name.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s
written in the studio sign. Lydia. Call me Aling Lydia.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
didn’t get to say any more word as Aling Lydia
opened the door and by that opened up for his eyes bare legs of a girl
in sleep shorts, lying in bed with the upper half of her body hidden. Aling
Lydia kept the door ajar when she
proceeded inside the room and went out of view into a corner. Maurito had some
feast with his eyes on those young legs, now spread flat on the bed, now
crossed, now spread-eagled, now propped up on the feet spread wide, now
frontward to Maurito as she lay on her side, now backward to Maurito as she
changed side positions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amused, if
aroused, Maurito asked himself, Is this a show? Those legs looked okay, though
not quite. The girl needed to fill in more flesh on the calves and on the
thighs. But what’s noticeable about those limbs was the hair that even from the
distance, where Maurito sat, he could see the nice pattern it formed on the
fair, smooth skin running from above the ankle up to the thigh and still further
up into the sleep shorts where it must be gathering in some nice spongy lump
where the thighs joined up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is it
about hair such that the mere sight of it on a girl’s skin threw him into
instant fantasy, or something, at any rate a sensation that caused his own body
hairs to stand to their ends? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A half
decade later, Ka Mao would realize that maybe Pilar Pilapil understood the
phenomenon early on. The former beauty queen, Miss Universe Candidate and
eventually top movie actress was shooting “Ang Madugong Daigdig ni Salvacion”
in Tulay Buhangin, Quezon and day after day on the job, she didn’t feel like
taking any caution about hair from in-between her thighs liberally protruding
through the hems of her bikini panty. Neither did she bother shaving the hair
in her armpits. In contrast, much
farther down time, Rossana Roces had it all shaven off at the joint of her thighs when she reported
for the first day shooting of “Machete II.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Pilar,
Maurito would feel something nice, very much like the sensation he felt now as
he, with understandable discomfiture, stole stares at those legs of whoever was
that lying in bed in the room Aling Lydia had disappeared into. With Rossana,
however, he felt like throwing up when she, doing ala Sharon Stone in “Fatal
Attraction”, spread-eagled her thighs to
show to Ka Mao her crownless glory. “Oh, no,” said Ka Mao, like weeping; he thought he saw the
inside of a scallop gasping for moisture where it had been left to dry in the sand. “I don’t like it that way.
Let grow there hair.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It would
take that long for the aesthetics of hair to crystallize in Maurito. For the
time being, it was enough that he traced with his eyes the pattern of those
sparsely-spaced tiny strands of black streaming
on immaculate flesh. What thoughts the pattern of hair evoked! Flow of water in a brook, white cogon flowers
swaying with the wind, in the green of the meadow and blue of the sky, homing
birds against the setting sun, flames exploding in the bonfire in that boy
scout jamboree once upon a time, then suddenly the stream of notes from a
thousand violins rasping the night.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito’s
poetic musings abruptly stopped at the appearance of Aling Lydia, rushing back
to join him at the sala. She had gotten several photo albums and sitting close
to Maurito, she began opening up to him the pages containing beautifully taken
photographs of a young teener, posing in various stylish attires in fashion
shows and in various pictorial sessions in different settings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An
incorrigible beauty lover, Maurito immediately turned jelly at sight of the
girl even just in her photographs. Lovely, lovely, lovely, he almost sang to himself.
Hair cropped short, forming a beautiful bob that framed what appeared to be the
face of Audrey Hepburn, complete with that wide, winsome smile, her eyes
glinting with girlish youthful exuberance but already hinting at a juvenile
yearning for womanly pleasure. She wore that precise tease in her eyes when she
fixed a flitting gaze at him as she walked up the stairs a while ago.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
didn’t realize it, but her presentation of the photographs served to complete
the physical exhibition Maurito’s eyes continued to be treated to by the girl
in bed in the room whose door Aling Lydia had not bothered to close back. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is my
daughter, Lala,” said Aling Lydia. “She is a fashion model for Nick Libramonte.
You know, Nick Libramonte. He has a shop in Blumentritt…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How old is
she?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, Nick
Libramonte? Thirty perhaps…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, your
daughter.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“A, Lala,”
said Aling Lydia, laughing as she slapped Maurito on the shoulder. “She is
fourteen.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
gaped somewhat. “She looks sixteen or seventeen.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You saw
her arriving with us. She’s a big girl.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay. How
tall is she?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How tall?
Er…” Aling Lydia groped for the answer. “She must be… Let me see…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The girl in
the room leapt off the bed, having overheard the question, and making like
doing a fashion walk, she sashayed to the sala, the book she had been reading
staying in her hand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Five
seven,” she said, gazing at Maurito with that very subtle girlish flirt in her
eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“My… I’m
only five four,” said Maurito, glancing her over from head to toe and back up
to the half-exposed midriff between the sleep shorts and the blouse of the outfit.
He was finding some hard time not betraying his sensual affectation by the
girl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mang Timmy
had finished setting supper at the dining table.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hey, you
people. Continue your talk here,” he said as he took a seat and began eating.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The three
join Mang Timmy at the dining table. Maurito sat at the chair pulled for him by
Aling Lydia at the head of the table. She took the seat next to Maurito at the
side and beside her sat Lala.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
served food into Maurito’s plate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Here,
taste your Mang Timmy’s steak. This is the kind that we serve in the steak
house.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mang Timmy
offered to Maurito the stuff he had specially prepared in a saucer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I made
mashed potato in case you want to take it with the steak.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Thank
you,” said Maurito as he scooped with his spoon a piece of the mashed
potato. “I’ll take some. Though I’m
always partial to rice even with steak. With any viand for that matter.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the
while, Maurito stole glances at Lala, who returned them with same stolen,
flitting gazes that betrayed her own sensual affectation by him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Maurito
caught Aling Lydia noticing the gazes between him and Lala, he made good at it
by speaking to her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You go to
school?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Laco.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“La
Concordia,” butted in Aling Lydia.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes, Laco.
What year?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Second
year,” said Aling Lydia, beating Lala to the answer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You talk
to Mommy,” said Lala.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Turning to
Aling Lydia, Maurito said, “You’re in
second year?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling
Lydia, just at that moment feeding food into her mouth, gawked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, Lala,
stupid,” she hardly put the words out through her mouth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mang Timmy laughed. The rest laughed with him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You got
sense of humor,” Aling Lydia said, continuing to have difficulty with her
words.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mommy,
don’t talk when you’re mouth is full,” admonished Lala.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That
triggered a recollection in Maurito which made him laugh heartily.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What’s
funny?” asked Lala.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“There were
these newly weds on a honeymoon. That night the bride’s mother tiptoed to the
honeymoon suite to eavesdrop on what bliss the couple could be having. But it
was all quiet and the mother thought of calling, “Darling daughter, are you okay?” No answer came. At
breakfast, the mother asked why no answer came when she called the night
before. And the daughter said, “Didn’t you say, Mom…?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mang Timmy
picked it up from there, “Don’t talk when your mouth is full.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The two men
got a good laugh.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mom,
what’s funny?” asked Lala.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
ignored the question. She rather chided Mang Timmy, “Stop it, will you?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She turned
to Maurito, “How much will it take to have my daughter featured in your
magazine?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito was
taken aback at the question. He stared at Aling Lydia, like asking, “Are you
daring me?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
repeated the question, “How much?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
shifted his eyes to Lala. She felt strange at the sudden gentle seriousness
with which he gazed at her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Don’t be
shy. Say it. How much?” insisted Aling Lydia. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“For love,”
Maurito said abruptly, without taking her eyes off Lala.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a
pleasant twinkle in Lala’s eyes. She loved those words. They made her feel
warm, a warmth she had not felt before. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
could just stare, tongue-tied.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER IV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
LAGUNA DE BAY opened up a pretty panorama in Maurito’s eyes as he leaned on the side of the
motorized outrigger cutting across the fabled lake. It was a clear day and the
sky was a lovely field of endless blue where abounded cottons of white that
were the clouds. To the east lay the mighty Sierra Madre mountain range which
despite outcries of deforestation caused by illegal logging continued to bask
in the green of its foliage. What barren brown patches of earth there were
appeared just little dots from where Maurito was viewing the scenes around. The
much bigger dots were the several islets in the lake peopled by farmers and
fisherfolks whom he could see busily working the fields with their plows and
carabaos, those in the water throwing fishing lines from aboard their tiny
canoes, and those by the shores casting nets. A few enterprising fishermen were
beginning to set up fishing pens – this last livelihood idea to be seized upon
by big capitalists decades afterward in their shameless conversion of the lake
into their private fishpond.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the
moment, that social concern was far-fetched in Maurito’s mind. Occupying his
thoughts were recollections of episodes in <b>Noli
Me Tangere</b> depicting the romance of Dr. Jose Rizal and his cousin Leonora
Rivera in this same lake. Maurito just felt himself getting romantic touches
which he wondered if Leonora Rivera had not herself done to Rizal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beside
Maurito was Lala, making like engaging him in an innocent talk about the
scenery but increasingly pressing close so as to make the liaison pleasantly
physical. Her hand was groping the top of the boat siding on which Maurito’s
groin was pressing. And the bobbing of the boat caused a tossing of his torso
to and fro such that his groin in effect rubbed gently on Lala’s hand. What
exquisite sensation the two were getting, only they knew, conveyed by the way
they gazed at each other with glassy eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
was among the other boat passengers reclined in folding chairs; Mang Timmy was
asleep beside her. Though she was awake, she busied herself accounting for her
finances: checking receipts and money lists, counting cash in her bag. She
glanced at the two. They did appear to be enjoying the sights.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala was
acting pretty well, excitedly pointing with her left hand the biggest one among
the lake islets.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Look,
there’s Talim Island.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Maurito
was moaning, cussing to himself, “Dammit… dammit…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala’s hand
was groping harder on the boat siding accordingly as the vessel swayed from
side to side, making like keeping her balance in the boat motion. In effect,
the hand pressed harder and harder on Maurito’s groin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s
where we’re going. The family’s got a farm there.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then at
a particularly strong swaying of the boat, Maurito pressed his front hard on
the boat siding and kept it pressed there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Dammit!”
he grunted, but keeping his voice low for only Lala to hear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala looked
to Maurito, who gave her a gaze that conveyed a feeling all at once blissful,
satisfied and relaxing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She gently
giggled. She removed her hand from under the pressing by Maurito’s groins and
with her ubiquituous handkerchief blotted the wetness on the back of it..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
stole a glance at his front. A wet spot was very visible on that section of his
pants a little below his groins. Taking care not to make his next move obvious,
he slowly pulled out his shirt, untucking it from his pants so as to cover its
front.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala neatly
folded her handkerchief.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Throw it
away. I’ll buy you a new one,” Maurito whispered to her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No,” Lala
said with a look of protest. “I’m keeping it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Keep it…
why?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She let out
that dainty, girlish smile of hers, then said, “Souvenir.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Initially
after that mischief, Maurito swelled with a guilt feeling. No matter how he
looked at it, he took advantage of a young adolescent girl’s innocent search
for the meanings sought by her flesh. The predicament Maurito found himself in
with Lala was precisely the same predicament the hero in his short story “<i>Forests of the Heart</i>” had toward his
adolescent cousin. But while the short story hero had regained balance of mind
and held back on his lusty intentions toward the girl of his desire, in this case of Maurito and Lala, he
completely gave in to his lust. Had he defiled her then? The anquish crossed
his mind even as his muscles quivered in those last jerks of ejaculation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But now…
How sweet of Lala to have said that word. People don’t keep bad things for
souvenirs, Maurito felt himself assured. What he did must be good for her to
want to keep it forever. And her smile assured him as well that she liked it,
too. What transpired, then, was a mutual giving and taking resulting in mutual
bliss. No need to feel guilty about that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the
contrary, it encouraged Maurito to persevere in his pursuit of Lala.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a
pictorial session conducted beside an idyllic brook that flowed down
trees-covered slope on Talim Island, Maurito appeared exceedingly inspired,
endlessly whispering “You’re beautiful… beautiful…” each time he came close to
position her for a pose. Each time he drew his mouth so close to hers he could
almost gobble her up in a kiss. And she could have just let him but that Aling
Lydia and other girls in waiting were around observing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the
photo sessions, Lala relaxed with her mom on a bench in the yard of their
lakeside house. They talked about things while observing folks bathing naked in
the water near the shore. On the horizon, the sun was setting. And then they
stirred as an old man suddenly stood up to scrub his body, revealing the full
glory, or what remained of it anyhow, of his manhood.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala turned
to Maurito who was busy doing something behind her. She gestured him to the naked ancient bather.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh…,” said
Maurito with a slight gasp.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“On this
island,” said Aling Lydia, “people have grown accustomed to taking a bath in
the lake in the nude.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I can see
that…” said Maurito, pointing toward another elderly, a woman, rising from the
water, revealing her stark nakedness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
looked toward the woman in the lake. Maurito seized the opportunity to drop what
he had been working on into Lala’s laps. It was a piece of guava, all right.
But the secret way Maurito gave it to Lala made her realize he wanted to hide
it from Aling Lydia. So Lala grabbed the green fruit and kept it in her hand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At bedtime,
Lala took the guava out of her panty and read the nail-carved inscription on
its rind : “Mau loves Lala.” Surely she had read it already, but now that she
was alone in bed ready to sleep, she thought it nice to read those words again.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She kissed
the fruit, saying, “Love you, too. Make me sleep and make my dreams wet.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She
giggled, put the guava back into her panty, pressed it tight there by hugging a
pillow, clipping it with his thighs, and
then closed her eyes to sleep.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER V<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
AT FOURTEEN, Lala was in that age where any young girl
experiences strange things about her body. Her breasts would seem to tighten
around her chest while her groins contracted so hard she had to keep her thighs
apart or it seemed they would be welded to each other for good. During the day
when her body moved continuously in the the course of his usual acivities in
school, she managed to contain the discomfiture caused by the unabated
tautening of her breasts and groins. But at nights when she was alone in bed,
nothing would distract her mind any longer from the pestering sensation, she
had begun succumbing to the temptation of rubbing her hands on her genitals and
gripping her breasts. What she did that for, she didn’t know when she began
doing it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She started
getting the idea of what was it all about when a twentyish boy neighbor began
setting lusty eyes on her. He secretly sent her letters, which she kept, not
necessarily putting much value on them nor understanding completely what the
boy was putting in her mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That
afternoon while waiting for her fetch at the gate of La Concordia College on
Herran Street in Paco, the boy siddled up to her and handed her a thin small
pamphlet. Innocently she opened the pamphlet while the boy began stealthily
groping her hip. It was a crudely printed bedtime story with some illustrations
of couples copulating. In her innocence, Lala just leafed through the pages of
the pamphlet, giving the boy the impression that she was liking it. And so he
got bolder in his groping on Lala. She didn’t know how to repel his touches.
If she made a noise, that would be very embarrassing. Emboldened even more, the
boy groped slowly down from her groin to in-between her thighs. Of course, his
hands were on top of her skirt, but he was digging his finger deep and was
pressing on her very front. That got Lala finally annoyed. She brushed his hand
aside.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just then,
Lala’s car fetch arrived. And she hurried to get inside, taking the back seat.
The boy just trailed the car with a mocking smile. He felt confident that he
was going to subdue Lala sooner or later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aboard the
car, Lala was smarting to herself. The nerve of that guy feeling my… Why would
boys love feeling a girl’s front. What’s so nice about it. She felt her thighs,
making her hand press deep into her front. She began feeling a hot sensation
creeping over her groin. That triggered recollection of that moment aboard the boat
to Talim Island, Maurito’s front rubbing on Lala’s hand as he bobbed frontward,
backward, sideward accordingly as the boat swayed with the waves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala seemed
to jerk off the recollection as the car came to a sudden stop at the shifting
to red of the traffic light at an intersection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Busy
writing at his desk in the Makabayan editorial office, Maurito was distracted
by a calling by the office secretary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ed Mau,
telephone call.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
rose to the stand where the secretary put down the phone receiver on the set.
He picked up the phone receiver.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hello…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hello,
Maurito,” said Lala on the other end of the line.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, yes,
Lala.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You always
know it’s me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s
always nice to hear your voice. Like the gentle sigh of morning… or the breath
of evening…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Beautiful.
Is that a poem?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, it’s a
song,” Maurito said and sang softly, not wanting to catch attention from the
other personnel busy in their respective works. “See the golden smile of
moonlight, streaming through a dark night, that’s the smile of my sweet Lala…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh,” Lala
swooned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hear the
gentle sigh of morning, or the breath of evening, that’s the voice of my sweet
Lala…” Maurito stopped singing. He asked, “Like it?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Like it?
Love it. You compose nice songs, too.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Very rarely.
But for you, the tune comes easily.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“And the
lyrics… What beautiful words.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Because
they’re real. My true feelings for you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh…Wish
you wrote them to me. I’d love reading them over and over again. Not like the
letters that fresh guy keeps sending me. Just this afternoon at the school gate
he gave me another letter. That’s why I called. I wanted to tell it to you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What
letter?” asked Maurito. </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Just like
the many ones he had been giving me before.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What
about?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I don’t
know. He says he loves me and asks me to sneak away from Mommy and go out with
him on a date. He says he will make me happy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of a
sudden, Maurito raged inside him. His impulse was to think that Lala already
had an understanding with that boy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The gall. He
must be your boyfriend.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Course
not. He is too old for me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How old is
he?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Twenty
one.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ouch! I’m
twenty nine,” Maurito said to himself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Why don’t
you just junk him?” he suggested.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Told him
that. I said I cannot have an old guy for my boytfriend.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ouch!”
again cried Maurito to himself. “Stop it, Lala. You’re hurting me really.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“But he is
so stubborn. He irritates me now. I’ll burn all his letters to me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’ve
been keeping his letters… And you said he irritates you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ok, I’ll
burn them.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No. Let me
burn them.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Why take
the trouble? I can do it myself.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I want to
read them first.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ok. I’ll
sleep in the steakhouse tonight. That’s where I keep the letters. I’ll give
them to you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
CHAPTER VI</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
COMING to the Ermita steakhouse of Aling Lydia had become
normal for Maurito. That’s where, in the woman’s defunct photo studio, he had
been developing the photographs he took of Lala. That night, the studio was the
most natural alibi for Maurito to come and thereby get the letters from Lala.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As usual,
Aling Lydia was making an accounting of her finances at the sala of the third
floor living quarters when Maurito arrived.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good
evening,” said Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh,
Maurito. Come in,” said Aling Lydia, quickly keeping in her bag the notepad and
papers she was working on. “Have you eaten supper? Weve got food here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Please
don’t bother,” said Maurito, sitting on the sofa and taking his Nikon FT out of
the case. “I came to develop the black-and-white photos I took of Lala at the
Cultural Center.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The ones
for the Free Press?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, for
our own albums. Those for Free Press are color slides. I had them processed at
Kodak.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
unwound the last reel of film in the camera. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I wish we
still got fixer chemicals. I forgot to buy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The door of
the room opened, revealing Lala in typical sleepwear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So you’re
there,” she spoke to Maurito. “I thought I heard you arrive.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I thought
you’ve been asleep,” said Aling Lydia. “You’ve got early classes tomorrow.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m not
finished with my homework. Help me, Maurito?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“He’s got
work to do,” said Aling Lydia.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala pulled
Maurito into the room. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Help me solve
a few Math problems,” she said. “I’ve been cracking my skull doing them. You
studied engineering so you’ll find them easy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala closed
the door as soon she and Maurito got inside the room. Aling Lydia suspected
something not nice for a moment but instantly dismissed her ugly thoughts. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once inside
the room, Lala snatched from a drawer a bunch of letters tied with a ribbon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Here are
the letters,” she said in a hush.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito had
a hard time trying to squeeze the letters into the pocket of his pants. Lala saw it. She snatched the letters and
inserted them into the front of his pants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Put the
letters beside the pen,” she said, giggling cutely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
slightly thrust his butt backward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Careful.
The ink will spill.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They got a
cute laugh.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
gathered her things and put them aside on top of a shelf. She then headed for downstairs, speaking aloud
toward the room. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’ll look
for the fixer chemicals. Find them in the darkroom.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala got a
sudden idea. She wrapped Maurito tight in her arms and kissed him hard on the
mouth – a kiss too wanton, too passionate it seemed for a fourteen-year-old. It
became obvious that she had planned it all: pretend to her mother to have
Maurito into the room for him to help her in her Math problems. When she
realized her mother was going downstairs thus giving her and Maurito the rare
chance to be closeted for a moment of privacy, she let loose of all inhibition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How could a
man nearing thirty have possibly avoided the opportunity?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Besides.
Maurito wanted it, too. He had not planned this moment specifically but had
resolved to himself that once it came, he would seize the opportunity. So now,
he reciprocated Lala’s letting loose of
all her adolescent fire with his own release of inhibition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito had
had this kind of moment with all sorts of sluts countless times before, but in
all those moments, happiness went only as far as the quivering of his flesh to
get it over with once and for all. There had been no such pleasant fire at all
as possessed him now; that fire, neither he nor Lala wanted to end but rather
to burn in, melt in, over and over again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sex, Maurito
thought in that blissful melting of his flesh, must be the ultimate expression
of love. For how else can a man and a woman express their caring, and sharing,
and giving and taking for each other but through that primeval act of being one
to bring forth a fruit and contribute to the propagation of humankind. They
were on the verge of giving in to that act when Aling Lydia climbed back up the
stairs, calling out to Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Maurito,
the chemicals are complete in the dark room.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito and
Lala did not seem to be alarmed, continuing to kiss and clinch passionately.
Meanwhile Aling Lydia approached the room nearer and nearer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once she
reached the door of the room, she threw it open, revealing Maurito seated with
Lala at the study table, appearing to be intently doing the Math lessons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Lala,
enough of that assignment. Maurito has got work to do. He’ll be late coming
home.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“He can
sleep here,” said Lala excitedly, a gaze of subtle mischief to Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
lit up at the idea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes, why
not. We’ve got a folding bed for you to use.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes,” said
Lala, hurrying to a corner where she pulled out the folding bed from behind a
clothes cabinet. “It’s here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Let’s get
on with the photo developing. I can travel home anytime.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
cast a subtle chiding glance at Lala. She giggled to herself.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
LIGHTS turned off inside the photo laboratory, throwing the
whole place in darkness. From his stint with Danny Holmsen, Maurito had grown
adept at the process of black-and-white film developing and printing, but up
until now he had not stopped marveling at what he thought was the magic of it
all. In the middle of the dark, the enlarger light shone, projecting on the
white printing paper a vague, hazy image which through manipulation of the
enlarger lens ultimately was focused to be that of Lala, garbed in a girlish
playsuit among rocks backdropped by Manila Bay in a sunlit morning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A clock
with luminous hands stood by the foot of the enlarger to indicate the time of
exposure of the printing paper to the projected image, but Maurito actually had
no more need for it because such element as duration of exposures had long
become part of his system. By mental count, he knew when it was time to turn
off the enlarger and immerse the exposed paper in the chemical-filled
developing tray and turn on the red printing light to see the picture on the
paper getting developed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That coming
of light from dark, of Lala’s image out of nothing, Maurito had always wondered
if that was not itself creation. Of course, he knew it was the chemical coated
on one side of the printing paper that enabled the light waves projected
through the negative from the enlarger to get impressed there permanently to be
made manifest upon contact with the developing chemical. But although realizing
this technical element to be the fact of photography, Maurito could not get off
the idea that something in that interaction of chemicals made possible the
imagery brought about by the interplay of dark and light. That something must
neither be in the chemical ingrained in the printing paper nor in the liquid
developer, for if it were in either of the two, then the photograph could come
into being without need for their interaction. That something – that power to create the
image of a photograph – must already be there, precisely to make the interaction
of the two chemicals result in the photograph. In other words, the capacities
of the two chemicals to bring a photograph to life had been designed <i>a priori</i> and it is this design that
makes a photograph, not the chemicals which serve only as agents of
photographic life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
realized that his present thoughts were confined only to the stage of
developing and printing; there was the initial stage of picture-taking. In this
stage, much of the photographic creativity actually takes place: visualization
that requires mastery of the elements of
composition and interplay of light and shadow, requiring in turn
masterful use of the technical
components of the camera like lenses, aperture and exposure speed. How are all
these ramifications taken together, exquisitely integrated to one another in
that split-second clicking of the shutter to be captured on film inside the
camera – with apparently nothing and no one intervening between the camera and
the subject. There must be that <i>a priori</i>
something on the operation of the technical components of the camera, on the
emulsion side of the film inside it, and in the nature of light waves
reflecting each micro-component of the subject so that in one click is achieved
the desired image of the photograph.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This <i>a priori</i> element in photography had
baffled Maurito immensely. He had come to the conclusion that it was a problem
that defied solution. For he realized that granting it was possible to discover
what that primeval something was, still logic would demand that that primeval
something necessitated the existence of a more primeval one that must give rise
to it, in which event, the question would lead to another, on and on in a
ceaseless, infinitesimal number of questions which at any instance would be completely
unanswerable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
came to the point where he thought it pragmatic to leave the matter of
photography simply as it occurred: the subject taken through a shot with the
camera, ingrained on the negative inside, which after being developed projected
through the enlarger and imprinted on the printing paper.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With a
rubber-tipped tong, Maurito stirred the exposed paper through the chemical in
the developing tray, reciting to himself a passage in the Genesis.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“In the
beginning, there was only darkness. And God said, let there be light. And
suddenly, voila! There is Lala!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala’s
photograph now appeared clearly in the print paper under the developing
chemical.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BEFORE LONG, Lala was filling up nice spaces in the pages of
Movie Confidential and Weekly Nation. That photo session on Talim Island was
just the first of many photo trips Maurito took Lala on in his obsession to see
her shine as a fashion queen. Or even a beauty queen, too, like Sabsy, if it
came to that. She was just fourteen and thus had all of three years to fill her
body up with flesh in the right places. At five-foot-seven, she already looked
majestic, and with the regular training she was getting at the Cora Doloroso
Finishing School, she could imbibe queenly bearing in no time at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meantime his
employment by Danny Holmsen had also set him on a prosperous film career. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aside from
publishing magazines, Danny Holmsen was the house musical director of
Sampaguita Pictures, one of the three major film companies in the country, the
other two being LVN Pictures and Premier Productions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito was
always in the entourage of Danny when he recorded film themes with his
orchestra at the Sampaguita Pictures sound studio and when he re-recorded the
themes on the films for the musical score. Maurito’s gift for keenly observing
things made him study the various processes being done in the studio. Without
him realizing it, he was actually learning filmmaking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the
other hand, a dear friend of Danny, Medy Tarnate, who was constantly in the
entourage, was a scriptwriter. In times when she was pressed for time in
finishing a script, she would assign the job to Maurito, who needed not much
time getting oriented into the mechanics of screenplay writing: when to fade in
and out, dissolve to, cut away and cut back, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
Maurito joined Makabayan Publishing Corporation, he had sufficient grasp of the
craft of screenwriting. In 1970, Dindo
Reyes, another movie magazine publisher, produced a movie and asked him to
write the script. Titled “Tag-araw,” it starred a completely new female star, a
third year high school student of Torres High School, protegee of press
phtotographer Eddie Villanueva, who named
her Laarni Luna. Dindo was confident that by pairing the unknown girl with Fred
Galang, the movie would click with the film audience. Fred
had been packaged big in the Luis Nepomuceno Productions movie, “Dahil
Sa Isang Bulaklak,” a Charito Solis starrer publicized as a blockbuster. That packaging didn’t help. “Tag-Araw” was a
big flop. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dindo had
provided the gist of the story and Maurito accepted the scripting job largely
for the purpose of having a grab at the craft of screenwriting. That was a mistake, to think that he could write
somebody else’s story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing is the author’s living out
the story of his life. For some reason or another, he changes the names of
characters, places, times and situations, but always it is a telling of the
author’s own thoughts and feelings, the author’s own dreams and inner longings,
of things ugly and beautiful he has done, gone through in his life, the telling
of which, though done in guises, is
always a telling of the story of his life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If this be
not true, no author will find reason to write at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For Maurito
to write a good movie then, that movie should be a telling of his own life
story. And in the making now was the merging of the first with the second of
his two destinies at this stage of his life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER VII<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THE JANUARY 26 CONFRONTATION<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>A HIGHLY PERSONAL
ACCOUNT<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>By Pete Lacaba<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
IT WAS FIVE MINUTES PAST FIVE in the afternoon, by the clock on the Maharnilad
tower, when I arrived at Congress. The President was already delivering his
State of the Nation message: loudspeakers on both sides of the legislative
building relayed the familiar voice and the equally familiar rhetoric to anyone
in the streets who cared to listen. In front of the building, massed from end
to end of Burgos Drive, spilling over to the parking lot and the grassy sidewalk
that forms an embankment above the Muni golf course, were the demonstrators.
Few of them cared to listen to the President. They had brought with them
microphones and loudspeakers of their own and they lent their ears to people
they could see, standing before them, on the raised ground that leads to the
steps of the legislative building, around the flagpole, beneath a flag that was
at half-mast. There were, according to conservative estimates, at least 20,000
of them, perhaps even 50,000. Beyond the fringes of this huge convocation stood
the uniformed policemen, their long rattan sticks swinging like clocks’
pendulums at their sides; with them were the members of the riot squad, wearing
crash helmets and carrying wicker shields.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
I came on foot from the Luneta, which was as far as my taxi could go, and made
straight for the Congress driveway. A cop at the foot of the driveway took one
look at my hair and waved me away, pointing to the demonstrators beyond a row
of white hurdles. When I pointed to the special press badge pinned to the
breast pocket of my leather jacket, he eyed me suspiciously, but finally let me
through the cordon sanitaire. The guard at the door of Congress was no less
suspicious, on guard against intruders and infiltrators, and along the
corridors it seemed that every man in uniform tightened his grip on his carbine
as I passed by, and strained his eyes to read the fine print on my press badge.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The doors of the
session hall were locked, presumably to prevent late entrances from disturbing
the assembly listening to the President’s message. A clutch of photographers
who had arrived late milled outside the session hall, talking with some men in
barong Tagalog, pleading and demanding to be let in. The men in barong Tagalog
shook their heads, smiled ruefully, and shrugged; they had their orders. I
decided to go out and have a look at the demonstration.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Among the
demonstrators it was possible to feel at ease. None of them carried guns, they
didn’t stand on ceremony, and there was no need for the aura of privilege that
a press badge automatically confers on its wearer. I took off the badge,
pocketed it, and reflected on the pleasurable sensation that comes from being
inconspicuous. It seemed awkward, absurd, to strut around with a label on a lapel
proclaiming one’s identity, a feeling doubtless shared by cops who were even
then surreptitiously removing their name plates. Also, I was curious. No joiner
of demonstrations in my antisocial student days, I now wanted to know how it
felt like to be in one, not as journalistic observer but as participant, and I wanted to find out what treatment I could
expect from authority in this guise. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I found out soon
enough, and the knowledge hurt.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>At about half past
five, the demo that had been going on for more than four hours was only
beginning to warm up. The <i>colegialas</i> in their well-pressed uniforms were
wandering off toward the Luneta, munching on <i>pinipig</i> crunches and dying
of boredom. Priests and seminarians lingered at one edge of the crowd, probably
discussing the epistemology of dissent. Behind the traffic island in the middle
of Burgos Drive, in the negligible shade of the pine trees, ice cream and
popsicle carts vied for attention with small tables each laden with paper and
envelopes, an improvised cardboard mailbox and a sign that urged: <i>Write Your
Congressman.</i> In this outer circle of the demo, things were relatively
quiet; but in the inner circle, nearer Congress, right below the mikes, the
militants were restless, clamorous, chanting their slogans, carrying the
streamers that bore the names of their organizations, waving placards (made out
of those controversial Japanese-made calendars the administration gave away during
the campaign) that pictured the President as Hitler, the <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>First Couple as Bonnie
and Clyde. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>There were two mikes,
taped together; and this may sound frivolous, but I think the mikes were the
immediate cause of the trouble that ensued. They were in the hands of Edgar
Jopson of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, the group that had
organized the rally and secured the permit for it. The NUSP dubbed its
demonstration “the January 26 Movement”; its chief objective was to demand “a
nonpartisan Constitutional Convention in 1971.” Demonstrations, however, are
never restricted to members of the organization to which a permit has been
issued. They are, according to standard practice, open to all sympathizers who
care to join; and to the January 26 Movement the veterans of countless demos
sent their representatives. Swelling the numbers of the dissenters were youth
organizations like the <i>Kabataang Makabayan, </i>the <i>Samahang Demokratiko
ng Kabataan,</i> the <i>Malayang Pagkakaisa ng Kabataang Pilipino,</i> the <i>Kilusan
ng Kabataang Makati;</i> labor groups like the National Association of Trade Unions;
peasant associations<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>like the Malayang
Samahang Magsasaka.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Now, at about half
past five, Jopson, who was in polo barong and sported a red armband with the
inscription “J26M,” announced that the next speaker would be Gary Olivar of the
SDK and of the University of the Philippines student council. Scads of
demonstration leaders stood with Jopson on that raised ground with the Congress
flagpole, but Olivar was at this point not to be seen among them. The mikes
passed instead to Roger Arienda, the radio commentator and publisher of <i>Bomba.</i>
Arienda may sound impressive to his radio listeners, but in person he acts like
a parody of a high-school freshman delivering Mark Anthony’s funeral oration.
His bombast, complete with expansive gestures, drew laughter and Bronx cheers
from the militants up front, who now started chanting: “We want Gary! We want Gary!”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> !<br />
Arienda retreated, the chant grew louder, and someone with glasses who looked
like a priest took the mikes and in a fruity, flute-thin voice pleaded for
sobriety and silence. “We are all in this together,” he fluted. “We are with
you. There is no need for shouting. Let us respect each other.” Or words to
that effect. By this time, Olivar was visible, standing next to Jopson. It was
about a quarter to six.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
When Jopson got the mikes back, however, he did not pass them on to Olivar.
Once more he announced: <i>“Ang susunod na magsasalita ay si Gary Olivar.”</i>
Olivar stretched out his hand, waiting for the mikes, and the crowd resumed its
chant; but Jopson after some hesitation now said: <i>“Aawitin natin ang Bayang
Magiliw.”</i> Those seated, squatting, or sprawled on the road rose as one man.
Jopson sang the first verse of the national anthem, then paused, as if to let
the crowd go on from there: instead he went right on singing into the mikes,
drowning out the voices of everybody else, pausing every now and then for
breath or to change his pitch.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
Olivar stood there with a funny expression on his face, his mouth assuming a
shape that was not quite a smile, not quite a scowl. Other demonstration
leaders started remonstrating with Jopson, gesturing toward the mikes, but he
pointedly ignored them. He repeated his instructions to NUSP members, then
started acting busy and looking preoccupied, all the while clutching the mikes
to his breast. Manifestoes that had earlier been passed from hand to hand now
started flying, in crumpled balls or as paper planes, toward the demonstration
leaders’ perch. It was at this point that one of the militants grabbed the
mikes from Jopson.<br />
<br />
Certainly there can be no justification for the action of the militants. The
NUSP leaders had every right to pack up and leave, since their permit gave them
only up to six o’clock to demonstrate and they had declared their demonstration
formally closed; and since it was their organization that had paid for the use
of the microphones and loudspeakers, they had every right to keep these
instruments ot themselves. Yet, by refusing to at least lend their mikes to the
radicals, the NUSP leaders gave the impression of being too finicky; they acted
like an old maid aunt determined not to surrender her Edwardian finery to a
hippie niece, knowing that it would be used for more audacious purposes than
she had ever intended for it. The radicals would surely demand more than a
nonpartisan Constitutional Convention; they would speak of more fundamental,
doubtless violent, changes; and it was precisely the prospect of violence that
the NUSP feared. The quarrel over the mikes revealed the class distinctions in
the demonstration: on the one hand the exclusive-school kids of the NUSP, bred
in comfort, decent, respectful, and timorous; and on the other hand the
public-school firebrands of groups like the KM and the SDK, familiar with
privation, rowdy, irreverent, troublesome. Naturally, the nice dissenters
wanted to dissociate themselves from anything that smelled disreputable, and
besides the mikes belonged to them.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
Now the mikes had passed to a young man, a labor union leader I had seen
before, at another demonstration, whose name I do not know.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
It had happened so fast Jopson was caught by surprise; the next thing he knew
the mikes were no longer in his possession. This young labor union leader was a
terrific speaker. He was obviously some kind of hero to the militants, for they
cheered him on as he attacked the “counter-revolutionaries who want to end this
demonstration,” going on from there to attack fascists and imperialists in
general. By the time he was through, his audience had a new, a more insistent
chant: <i>“Rebolusyon! Rebolusyon! Rebolusyon!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
Passions were high, exacerbated by the quarrel over the mikes; and the
President had the back luck of coming out of Congress at this particular
instant.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
WHERE THE DEMONSTRATION LEADERS STOOD, emblems of the enemy were prominently
displayed: a cardboard coffin representing the death of democracy at the hands
of the goonstabulary in the last elections; a cardboard crocodile, painted
green, symbolizing congressmen greedy for allowances; a paper effigy of
Ferdinand Marcos. When the President stepped out of Congress, the effigy was
set on fire and, according to report, the coffin was pushed toward him, the
crocodile hurled at him. From my position down on the street, I saw only the
burning of the effigy—a singularly undramatic incident, since it took the
effigy so long to catch fire. I could not even see the President and could only
deduce the fact of his coming out of Congress from the commotion at the doors,
the sudden radiance created by dozens of flashbulbs bursting simultaneously,
and the rise in the streets of the cry: <i>“MARcos PUPpet! MARcos PUPpet!
MARcos PUPpet!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
Things got so confused at this point that I cannot honestly say which came
first: the pebbles flying or the cops charging. I remember only the cops
rushing down the steps of Congress, pushing aside the demonstration leaders,
and jumping down to the streets, straight into the mass of demonstrators. The
cops flailed away, the demonstrators scattered. The cops gave chase to anything
that moved, clubbed anyone who resisted, and hauled off those they caught up
with. The demonstrators who got as far as the sidewalk that led to the Muni
golf links started to pick up pebbles and rocks with which they pelted the
police. Very soon, placards had turned into missiles, and the sound of broken
glass punctuated the yelling: soft-drink bottles were flying, too. The effigy
was down on the ground, still burning.<br />
<br />
The first scuffle was brief. By the time it was over, the President and the
First Lady must have made good their escape. The cops retreated into Congress
with hostages. The demonstrators re-occupied the area they had vacated in their
panic. The majority of NUSP members must have been safe in their buses by then,
on their way home, but the militants were still in possession of the mikes.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
The militants were also in possession of the field. Probably not more than
2,000 remained on Burgos Drive—some of them just hanging around, looking on;
many of them raging mad, refusing to be cowed. A small group defiantly sang the
Tagalog version of the “Internationale,” no longer bothering now to hide their
allegiances. Their slogan was “fight and fear not,” and they made a powerful
incantation out of it: <i>“Ma-ki-BAKA! Huwag maTAKOT!”</i> They marched with
arms linked together and faced the cops without flinching, baiting them,
taunting them.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<i>“Pulis, pulis, titi matulis!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<i>“Pulis, mukhang kuwarta!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<i>“Me mga panangga pa, o, akala mo lalaban sa giyera!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<i>“Takbo kayo nang takbo, baka lumiit ang tiyan n’yo!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<i>“Baka mangreyp pa kayo, lima-lima na’ng asawa n’yo!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<i>“Mano-mano lang, o!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
NOTHING MORE CLEARLY REVEALED THE DEPTHS to which the reputation of the
supposed enforcers of the law has sunk than this open mocking of the cops.
Annual selections of ten outstanding policemen notwithstanding, the cops are
generally believed to be corrupt, venal, brutal, vicious, and zealous in their
duties only when the alleged lawbreaker is neither rich nor powerful. Those who
deplore the loss of respect for the law forget that respect needs to be earned,
and anyone is likely to lose respect for the law who has felt the wrath of
lawmen or come face to face with their greed.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
The students who now hurled insults at the cops around Congress differed from
the rest of their countrymen only in that they did not bother to hide their contempt
or express it in bitter whispers. In at least two recent demonstrations—one at
the US Embassy on the arrival of Agnew, the other at Malacanang to denounce
police brutality and the rise of fascism—students had suffered at the hands of
the cops, and now the students were in a rage, they were spoiling for trouble,
they were in no mood for dinner-party chatter or elocution contents.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
In the parliament of the streets, debate takes the form of confrontation.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
While the braver radicals flung jeers at the cops in a deliberate attempt to
precipitate a riotous confrontation, the rest of the demonstrators gathered in
front of the Congress flagpole, listening to various speakers, though more
often outshouting them. Senator Emmanuel Pelaez had come out of Congress,
dapper in a dark-blue suit, and the mikes were handed over to him. Despite the
mikes, his voice could hardly be heard above the din of the demonstrators.
Because Pelaez spoke in English, they shouted: “Tagalog! Tagalog!” They had
also made up a new chant: <i>“Pakawalan ang hinuli! Pakawalan ang hinuli!
Pakawalan ang hinuli!”</i> Not after several minutes of furious waving from
student leaders gesturing for quiet did the noise of the throng subside.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
Pelaez made an appeal for peace that received an equal amount of cheers and
jeers. Then he made the mistake of calling MPD Chief Gerardo Tamayo to his
side. The very sight of a uniformed policeman is enough to drive demonstrators
into a frenzy; his mere presence is provocation enough. The reaction to Tamayo
was unequivocal, unanimous. The moment he appeared, fancy swagger stick in
hand, an orgy of boos and catcalls began, sticks and stones and crumpled sheets
started to fly again, and Pelaez had to let the police chief beat a hasty
retreat.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
With Tamayo out of sight, a little quiet descended on the crowd once more.
Speeches again, and more speeches. The lull, a period of watchful waiting for
the demonstrators, lasted for some time. And then, from the north, from the
Maharnilad side of Congress, came the cry: <i>“Eto na naman ang mga pulis!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
Thunder of feet, tumult of images and sounds. White smooth round crash helmets
advancing like a fleet of flying saucers in the growing darkness. The tread of
marching feet, the rat-tat-tat of fearful feet on the run, the shuffle of hesitant
feet unable to decide whether to stand fast or flee. From loudspeakers, an
angry voice: <i>“Mga pulis! Pakiusap lang! Tahimik na kami rito! Huwag na
kayong makialam!” </i>And everywhere, a confusion of shouts:<i> Walang tatakbo!
Walang uurong! Balik! Balik! Walang mambabato! Tigil ang batuhan! Link arms,
link arms! Ma-ki-BAKA! Huwag maTAKOT!<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
The khaki contingent broke into a run. The demonstrators fled in all
directions, each man for himself. Some merely stepped aside, hugging the
Congress walls, clustering around trees. The cops at this time went only after
those who ran, bypassing all who stood still. Three cops cornered one
demonstrator against a traffic sign and clubbed him until the signpost gave way
and fell with a crash. One cop caught up with a demonstrator and grabbed him by
the collar, but the demonstrator wriggled free of his shirt and made a new dash
for freedom in his undershirt. One cop lost his quarry near the golf course and
found himself surrounded by other demonstrators; they didn’t touch him—<i>“Nag-iisa
'yan, pabayaan n'yo”</i>—but they taunted him mercilessly. This was a Metrocom
cop, not an unarmed trainee, and finding himself surrounded by laughing
sneering faces, he drew his .45 in anger, his eyes flashing, his teeth bared.
He kept his gun pointed to the ground, however, and the laughter and sneers
continued until he backed off slowly, trying to maintain whatever remaining
dignity he could muster.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
The demonstrators who had fled regrouped, on the Luneta side of Congress, and
with holler and whoop they charged. The cops slowly retreated before this
surging mass, then ran, ran for their lives, pursued by rage, rocks, and
burning placard handles. Now it was the students giving chase, exhilarated by
the unexpected turnabout. The momentum of their charge, however, took them only
up to the center of Burgos Drive; either there was a failure of nerve or their
intention was merely to regain ground they had lost, without really charging
into the very ranks of the police.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
Once again, the lines of battle were as before: the students in the center, the
cops at the northern end of Burgos Drive.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
In the next two hours, the pattern of battle would be set. The cops would
charge, the demonstrators would retreat; the demonstrators would regroup and
come forward again, the cops would back off to their former position. At
certain times, however, the lines of battle would shift, with the cops holding
all of the area right in front of Congress and the students facing them across
the street, with three areas of retreat—north toward Maharnilad, south toward
the Luneta, and west toward the golf course and Intramuros. There were about
seven waves of attack and retreat by both sides, each attack preceded by a
tense noisy lull, during which there would be sporadic stoning, by both cops
and demonstrators.<br />
<br />
Sometime during the lull in the clashes, two fire trucks appeared in the north.
They inched their way forward, flanked by the cops, and when they were near the
center of Burgos Drive they trained their hoses on the scattered bonfires the
students had made with their placards and manifestoes. Students who held their
ground, getting wet in the weak stream, yelled: <i>“Mahal ang tubig! Isauli
n'yo na 'yan sa Nawasa!”</i> Other demonstrators, emboldened by the lack of
force of the jets of water, came forward with rocks to hurl at the fire trucks.
The trucks hurriedly backed away from the barrage and soon made themselves
scarce.<br />
<br />
At one student attack, the demonstrators managed to occupy the northern portion
the cops had held throughout the battle. When the cops started moving forward,
from the Congress driveway where they had taken shelter, the demonstrators
backed away one by one, until only three brave and foolhardy souls remained,
standing fast, holding aloft, by its three poles, a streamer that carried the
name of the <i>Kabataang Makabayan.</i> There they stood, those three, no one
behind them and the cops coming toward them slowly, menacingly. Without a
warning, some cops dashed forward, about ten of them, and in full view of the
horrified crowd flailed away at the three who held their ground, unable to
resist. The two kids holding the side poles either managed to flee or were
hauled off to the legislative building to join everybody else who had the
misfortune of being caught. The boy in the center crumpled to the ground and
stayed there cringing, bundled up like a foetus, his legs to his chest and his
arms over his head. The cops made a small tight circle around him, and then all
that could be seen were the rattan sticks moving up and down and from side to
side in seeming rhythm. When they were through, the cops walked away
nonchalantly, leaving the boy on the ground. One cop, before leaving, gave one
last aimless swing of his stick as a parting shot, hitting his target in the
knees.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
The cops really had it in for the <i>Kabataang Makabayan.</i> The fallen
standard was picked up by six or seven KM boys and carried to the center of
Burgos Drive, where it stood beside another streamer, held up by members of the
<i>Kilusan ng Kabataang Makati,</i> bearing the words: <i>“Ibagsak ang
imperyalismo at piyudalismo!”</i> When the cops made another attack and
everybody in the center of Burgos Drive scattered, the KM boys again held their
ground. The cops gave them so severe a beating one of the wooden poles broke in
half.<br />
<br />
I had taken shelter beneath the <i>Kilusan ng Kabataang Makati</i> streamer
during the attack; we were left untouched. The KM boys had to abandon their
streamer. One of them, limping, joined us, and when the cops had gone he asked
me, probably thinking I was another KM member, to help him pick up the
streamer. I thought it was the least I could do for the poor bastards, so I
took hold of the broken pole and helped the KM boy carry the streamer a little
closer to the Congress walls. There I stood, thinking of the awkwardness of my
position, being neither demonstrator nor KM member, until a few other guys
began to gather around us. I handed the broken pole to someone who nodded when
I asked him if he belonged to the KM.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
About this time, or sometime afterwards, Pelaez was down on the street,
surrounded by aides and students all talking at the same time, complaining to
him about missing nameplates and arrested comrades. He was probably still down
there when the cops advanced once again. Panic spread, and I found myself
running, too. In previous attacks I had merely stepped aside and watched; but I
had already seen what had happened to the KM boys who refused to flee, and I
had seen policemen, walking back to their lines after a futile chase, club or
haul off anyone standing by who just happened to be in their way, or who seemed
to have a look of gloating and triumph on their faces; and I realized it was no
longer safe to remain motionless. I had completely forgotten the press badge in
my pocket.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, it seemed that certain distinguished personages trapped inside the
legislative building had grown restless and wanted to get on to their mansions
or their favorite night clubs or some parties in their honor, but cars were
parked up front. At any rate, some cars started moving up the driveway to pick
up passengers. The sight of those long sleek limousines infuriated the
demonstrators all the more; the sight of those beautiful air-conditioned
limousines was like a haughty voice saying, “Let them eat cake.” Cries of <i>“Kotse!
Kotse!”</i> were followed by <i>“Batuhin! Batuhin!”</i> Down the driveway came
the cars, and whizz went the rocks. Some cars even had the effrontery of
driving down Burgos Drive straight into the lines of the demonstrators, as
though meaning to disperse them. All the cars got stoned.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
One apple-green Mercedes-Benz, belonging to Senator Jose Roy, screeched to a
stop when the rocks thudded on its roofs and sides. The driver got out and
started picking up rocks himself, throwing them at the students. A few cops had
to brave the rain of stones that ensued to save the poor driver who had only
tried to defend his master’s car. The demonstrators then surged forward with
sticks and stones and beat the hell out of the car, stopping only when it was a
total wreck. <i>“Sunugin!”</i> rose the cry, but by then the cops were coming
in force.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
The demonstrators had hired a jeepney in which rode some of their leaders. It
had two loudspeakers on its roof, was surrounded by students, and inched its
way forward and backward throughout the melee. The cops, seemingly maddened by
the destruction of a senator’s Model 1970 Mercedes-Benz, swooped down on the
jeepney with their rattan sticks, striking out at the students who surrounded
it until they fled, then venting their rage some more on those inside the
jeepney who could not get out to run. The shrill screams of women inside the
jeepney rent the air. The driver, bloody all over, managed to stagger out; the
cops quickly grabbed him.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
When the cops were through beating up the jeepney’s passengers, they backed
away. Some stayed behind, trying to drag out those who were still inside the
jeepney, from which came endless shrieks, sobs, curses, wails, and the sound of
weeping. It was impossible to remain detached and uninvolved now, to be a
spectator forever. When the screams for help became unendurable, I started to
walk toward the jeepney, and was only four or five steps away when, from the
other side of the jeepney, crash helmet, khaki uniform, and rattan stick came
charging at me. The cop’s hands gripped his stick at both ends. <i>“O, isa ka
pa, lalapit-lapit ka pa!”</i> he cried as he swung at me. I stepped back,
feeling the wind from the swing of his stick ruffle the front of my shirt. In
stepping back I lost my balance. Before I realized what had happened, I was
down on my back and the cop was lunging at me, still holding his stick at both
ends. I caught the middle of the stick with my hands and, well, under the
circumstances, I don’t think I can be blamed for losing my cool. <i>“Putangnamo,”</i>
I shouted at him, <i>“tutulong ako do’n, e!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
I jumped to my feet, dusted myself off angrily, and glared at my would-be
tormentor. If my eyes had the gift of a triple whammy, he would be dust and
ashes now. We stared at each other for a few seconds, but when I dropped my
glance down to his breast, to see no nameplate there, he turned his back and
slowly walked away. I had no intention of doing a Norman Mailer and getting
arrested, so I let him go. By this time, the jeepney’s passengers had decided,
screaming and swearing and sobbing all the while, to abandon their vehicle with
its load of mimeographed manifestoes and various literature, and to look for a
safer place from which to deliver their exhortations to their fellow
demonstrators.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
On two other occasions, I found myself running with the demonstrators. Once I
jumped down with them to the golf course and got as far as the fence of the
mini-golf range. Behind us, the cops were firing into the air. When it was the
students’ turn to charge, I found my way back to the street. Another time,
running along the sidewalk down rows of pine trees toward the Luneta, I saw a
girl a few meters away from me stumble and fall. I stopped running, with the
intention of helping her up, when whack! I felt the sting of a blow just below
my belt and above my ass. When I turned around the cop was gone; he was
swinging wildly as he ran and I just happened to be in the way of his rattan.
The girl, too, was nowhere to be seen; there was no longer anyone to play Good
Samaritan to.<br />
<br />
As I stood there, rubbing that part of me where I was hit, I heard more
screaming and curses from the golf course. A boy and two girls, who had decided
to sit out the attack on a mound, had been set upon by the cops. People inside
the mini-golf enclosure were yelling at the cops, shaking their golf clubs in
helpless fury. <i>“Tena, tulungan natin!”</i> cried one demonstrator; but the
cops had retreated by the time we got to the trio on the mound. The two girls
were cursing through their tears; the boy was calm, consoling them in his fashion.
“This is just part of the class struggle,” he said, and one girl sobbed, “I
know, I know. <i>Pero putangna nila, me araw din sila!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
IT WAS NOW EIGHT O’CLOCK. The battle of Burgos Drive was over, Burgos Drive was
open to traffic once more. I decided it was time to go to the Philippine
General Hospital for a change of scene. Crossing the street, on my way to Taft
Avenue, I saw for the first time, on the Luneta side of the traffic island, a
row of horses behind a squad of uniformed men.<br />
<br />
At the PGH, confusion reigned. More than thirty demonstrators with bloody heads
and broken wrists had been or were being treated along with three or four
policemen hit by rocks. Other students kept coming, looking for companions,
bringing news from the field. The battle was not over yet, they said, it had
merely shifted ground. The cops were chasing demonstrators right up to
Intramuros, all the way to Plaza Lawton; were even boarding jeepneys and buses
to haul down demonstrators on their way home. There was a rumor that two or
three students had been killed—did anyone know anything about it? (It proved to
be a false alarm.) Even NUSP members were at the PGH. Some of them had called
up Executive Secretary Ernesto Maceda, and he came in a long black car, <i>mapungay</i>
eyes, slicked-down hair, newly pressed barong Tagalog, and all, accompanied by
a photographer and scads of technical assistants or security men.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
The next day came the post-mortems, the breast-beating, the press releases, the
alibis.<br />
<br />
“We maintain,” said MPD Deputy Chief James Barbers, “that the police acted
swiftly at a particular time when the life of the President of the Republic—and
that of the First Lady—was being endangered by the vicious and unscrupulous
elements among the student demonstrators. One can just imagine what would have
resulted had something happened to the First Lady!” Barbers did not bother to
explain why the rampage continued after the President being protected had gone.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
Manila Mayor Antonio J. Villegas commended Tamayo and his men for their “exemplary
behavior and courage” and reportedly gave them a day off. Then he announced
that Manila policemen would henceforth stay away from demonstration sites. “I’m
doing this to protect Manila policemen from unfair criticism and to avoid
friction between the MPD and student groups.”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
“The night of January 26,” said UP president S.P. Lopez, “must be regarded as a
night of grave portent for the future of the nation. It has brought us face to
face with the fundamental question: Is it still possible to transform our
society by peaceful means so that the many who are poor, oppressed, sick, and
ignorant may be released from their misery, by the actual operation of law and
government, rather than by waiting in vain for the empty promise of ‘social
justice’ in our Constitution?”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
The faculty of the University of the Philippines issued a declaration
denouncing “the use of brutal force by state authorities against the student
demonstrators” and supporting “unqualifiedly the students’ exercise of
democratic rights in their struggle for revolutionary change.” The declaration
went on to say: “It is with the gravest concern that the faculty views the
January 26 event as part of an emerging pattern of repression of the democratic
rights of the people. This pattern is evident in the formation of paramilitary
units such as the Home Defense Forces, the politicalization of the Armed
Forces, the existence of private armies, foreign interference in internal
security, and the use of specially trained police for purposes of suppression.”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
From the Lyceum faculty came another strongly worded statement: “Above the
sadism and inhumanity of the action of the police, we fear that the brutal
treatment of the idealistic students has done irreparable harm to our society.
For it is true that the skirmish was won by the policemen and the riot
soldiers. But if we view the battle in the correct perspective of the struggle
for the hearts and minds of our youth, we cannot help but realize that the
senseless, brutal, and uncalled-for acts of the police have forever alienated
many of our young people from our society. The police will have to realize that
in winning the battles, they are losing the war for our society.”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
While he deplored the “abusive language” he read in some of the demonstrators’
placards, Senator Gil J. Puyat said, “I regret the use of unnecessary force by
the police when they could have used a less harmful method.” IF the police had
“kept their cool,” said Senator Benigno Aquino, there would have been no
violence—“it takes two to fight.” Senator Salvador Laurel said he had witnessed
“with my own eyes the reported brutalities perpetrated by a number of [police
officers] upon unarmed students, some of them helpless women.” Senator Eva
Kalaw warned: “The students set the emotional powderkeg that may become the
signal for wave upon wave of unrest in the streets, in the factories, on the
campuses, in our farms.”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
<br />
“Students,” said President Ferdinand Marcos, “have a legitimate right to
manifest their grievances in public and we shall support their just demands,
but we do not consider violence a legitimate instrument of democratic dissent,
and we expect the students to cooperate with government in making sure that
their demonstrations are not marred by violence.”<br />
<br />
Some of the students began talking of arming themselves the next time with
molotov cocktails and pillboxes, of using <i>dos-por-dos</i> as placard
handles, of wearing crash helmets. Everyone agreed that the January 26
confrontation was the longest and most violent in the history of the Philippine
student movement.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
And then came January 30<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br />
</b>THRICE OVER had Maurito read the Philippine Free Press article before Pepito
showed up at their rendezvous in front of a snack shop at the rotunda junction
of Timog and Quezon Avenues in Quezon City that February afternoon. He had
called Pepito for what he merely told him as “a purpose” and Pepito had advised
about him joining up with marchers from the UP campus in that area, together
with whom to join up in turn with marchers from other areas at the Welcome
Rotunda and from there proceed to what Pepito had informed Maurito as “people’s
congress” at the Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until then,
Maurito had not joined any protest actions that were efflorescing in downtown
Manila at the advent of the year. But he had been keenly following them in news
reports which increasingly made him want to get involved. He could not quite
place his feelings over the events, particularly since it struck him as odd
that the reported agitations for the downfall of “imperialism, feudalism and
bureaucrat capitalism” were agitations as well for the crushing of the
“Lava-Taruc revisionist clique”. He had made some extensive reading of the
history of the Hukbalahap and had seen its struggle to institute a socialist
regime in the country as nothing short of heroic. He had loved reading the books
<i>Born of the People</i> and <i>He Who Rides The Tiger</i> by Luis Taruc,
the HUK Supremo, and believed he had gained sufficient insight into the man so
as to feel quite uncomfortable with the current damning he was being subjected
to in current rallies and demonstrations. To Maurito, this attack on Taruc was
reminiscent of the obsession Stalin was seized with in wanting to crush Leon
Trotsky which Maurito just would not understand; he had read much about Trotsky
and had known that it was Trotky’s defection to the Bolsheviks together with
the Russian army which he commanded that was most crucial in bringing about the
downfall of the Tzarist regime and thus the success of the February 17
Revolution. And already, Maurito was noting this distinction: that while
Stalin’s pursuit of Trotsky took place after the success of what clearly was a
socialist revolution, the damning of Taruc as a revisionist was taking place
even before a clear picture of what the current
risings were all about could be made.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito had
begun arguing if only to himself that revisionism in socialist reckoning is a
sliding back to capitalism. Revisionism,
therefore, presupposes the establishment of a socialist state upon the overthrow
of capitalism. How could charges of revisionism be valid against anybody in a
set-up in which according to the prime accuser of the offense, Jose Maria
Sison, capitalism had not succeeded yet? Sison called the Philippine society
“semi-feudal, semi-colonial.” And even granting that Maurito’s own view were
correct, that the installation of the Republic of 1946 signaled the ascendance
of the Philippine bourgeoisie and thus the corresponding ascendance of the
capitalist system in the country, still it behooved the socialist system to be
in place before there can be any revisionist act against it. How can there be
any sliding back to capitalism in a society where capitalism has not even been
in place yet pursuant to the Sison line? Pursuant to Maurito’s line – in fact,
a line trudged by a multitude of others – how can revisionism be committed as
an offense in a society where socialism had over the years only been struggling
to get on top, from which alone it could be made to slide back down. Only in a
socialist state can revisionism be a valid offense.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All these
ideas by Maurito were still in gestative stages at the time; it would require
his eventual practice of the theory of proletarian revolution for these ideas
to crystallize.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
promotion in marches, rallies, demonstrations, and all sorts of protests
actions of the Sison strategy of a
national democratic revolution had popularized the general notion of oppression
and exploitation against which the oppressed and exploited must rise in arms.
In factories and other places of employment, workers greatly influenced by
activists were experiencing an exhilarating feeling of being the creators of
society’s riches and therefore are these riches’ owners. but that the
oppressors and exploiters were arrogating those riches to themselves through
the use of the state as an instrument of class oppression. Workers, therefore,
must seize control of the state by the use of which alone they can exercise
political power over the oppressors and exploiters. Society thus turned upside
down, the once oppressors and exploiters are now the ruled, while the workers
are the ruling class.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Already, euphoria over the prospect
of themselves getting to be the rulers one day was the common seizure employees
and workers got from the daily occurrence of rallies and demonstrations. This
was the distinct advantage Maurito found handy when he began the moves for
organizing a labor union at the Makabayan Publishing Corporation. He didn’t
have to do a lot of convincing for employees of the company to enlist. On the
contrary, it was Maurito who needed to be talked into the idea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At that
time, Maurito had just been elevated to the company’s management committee. which
ranked him with the company’s top brass: Celso Al. Carunungan, publisher of the
Makabayan magazines; Consorcio Borje, Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly Nation; and
Suzana de Guzman, Editor-in-Chief of Tagumpay Magazine. It was a matter of
course that he would be president of the union to be formed and this would
entail some complication. As a member of the management committee, he would
fall under the classification of supervisor which under labor laws was banned
from heading a union of rank-ane-file employees. Maurito had pondered the
problem and thought that there was a legal remedy to it: supervisors were not
so by mere designation; they had to have the power to hire and fire, which
Maurito didn’t have, and so he was no supervisor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What could
not be remedied was the sure loss of the potential for big personal gains he
stood to make from having been elevated to the management committee. In terms
of economics, those gains could last a lifetime.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But as Karl Marx put it, social consciousness is
determined by social being. Having been
born poor, lived poor in the formative years of his life, and experienced the
wretched existence among the poorest of the poor in Manila, Maurito could stand
as a shining example of that Marxist dictum. Still, more than Marx was the
inscrutable trait of Maurito of ever feeling the Big Brother, the Good Neighbor,
Teacher of the Unschooled, Provider of Succor, Fighter of Evil.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About the
last-cited trait, Maurito would debate against himself: who was he to pretend
to righteousness when many times he, too, had been evil. But then again soon he
would realize that experiencing evil was a necessary stage of his recognition
of it. Man does good knowing that doing otherwise would be bad. But how would
he know a sinful act if he had not done such act himself! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Evil must
then consist not of doing evil but of not realizing that the evil one does is
not to be repeated anymore.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito was
human enough to gloat in the glory of his elevation to the management committee
of the Makabayan Publishing Corporation. And he did savor the prestige and
privileges accorded him as a result of the promotion. But it is in the nature of the capitalist
system that management functionaries perform tasks that are part of the
mechanism for oppressing and exploiting
workers. Maurito needed not Marx to realize this. It was the concrete
agitation, albeit silently at first, by the Makabayan workers to counter their
exploitation by the company with union organizing that threw Maurito into
having to make a choice: on whose side was he, the management or the workers?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Persevering
in seeing Pepito now would indicate that Maurito had made the choice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito’s
reportage on the upheavals of the first quarter of the year had placed him in
Maurito’s high esteem. Particularly in regard to the article he had been
reading over and over again, Pepito’s intimate participation in the events and the
candid way he reported them made Maurito wonder if Pepito was not playing the
role of Ernest Hemingway covering the Spanish civil war. He seemed not content
with being just on the peripheries of activists’ skirmishes with the police but
always in their midst, getting beaten and bruised and shouting invectives as
were the wont of youth and students against what they called state fascism. If
an otherwise cool, cultured, unpretentious fellow was willing to risk his balls
advancing the cause of the national democratic movement, then that movement
must be worth Maurito’s own genitals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito had
not been known to Maurito personally for long. Andy Salao had introduced them
to each other not too long ago in one of those typical movie conferences where
outside of the conference subject matter, the main attraction were sumptuous
food and plenty of drinks; envelopes were not yet in vogue at the time. But
Maurito had been reading Pepito’s articles in a leading magazine, which despite
the Weekly Nation was Maurito’s favorite. He admired Pepito’s style which to
him was strikingly down-to-earth and straightforward but nonetheless brimmed
with literary flair. Maurito thought that with the literary approach being kept
unobtrusive, Pepito had succeeded in coming up with a brand of writing that was
<i>masa</i> and intellectual all at once.
Hence even before the two met, Maurito already had an image of Pepito as a role
model for writers seeking literary fulfillment and social relevance – a role
model for himself. When they met in that movie conference, Maurito’s role model
image of Pepito was bolstered even more. Pepito struck Maurito as somebody
amiably austere, his face always ready with a smile for everyone, though his
good looks always tended to be downplayed by faded denim pants and drab polo
shirt tucked in and long sleeves rolled up. If he had the predilection to clip
his thumbs on the front pockets of his pants and slightly slouched to a side,
with a crouch of his shoulders to boot, while one end of his tucked-in shirt
flapped out in front, then one would understand why Fernando Poe, Jr. was such
a smash hit among lowly folks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
hurried out of the snack shop as Pepito looked around on the sidewalk. Already
he could hear agitators blaring their slogans through megaphones at the head of
a colum of youthful activists marching
from the east, repeating the chants. Carried by the marchers were streamers
indicating their respective groups [as Kabataang Makabayan (KM), Samahang Demokratiko
ng Kabataan (SDK), MAKIBAKA, Movement for a Democratic Philippines (MDP)] and
slogans like ISULONG ANG DIGMAANG BAYAN, MABUHAY ANG KONGRESO NG BAYAN;
placards carried red-painted slogans against Marcos, imperialism, feudalism and
bureaucrat capitalism.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Marcos
Hitler! Diktador! Tuta!” (“Marcos Hitler! Dictator! Puppet!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Down with
imperialism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Down with
feudalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Down with
bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito saw
Maurito approaching. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Mao,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“They’re approaching,” said Maurito,
indicating the march. “That’s the group you’re joining?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes. We
don’t have much time. What purpose was it you were telling me about?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
PEPITO AND MAURITO were flowing with the
continuously-chanting marchers as they continued the conversation down Quezon
Avenue, heading toward the Welcome Rotunda.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The
Makabayan rank-and-file have been asking me to lead in the formation of a labor
union. If it happens, it will be the first labor union to be established in the
Araneta empire,” said Maurito, straining his voice to get it heard by Pepito in
the din of the agitations and chants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What are
your chances?” asked Pepito, cool and composed as ever.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Very good.
The whole editorial staff want to join, so do management personnel who
otherwise should be categorized as supervisors.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So what
did you want to see me for?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Teach us
how to go about it. “</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Why me?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’ve
done it successfully at the Free Press.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
”We’re just
lucky I guess to not have had to go on strike.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Strikes
are necessary elements of workers’ struggle.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The
management immediately agreed to a
conciliation meeting after we presented our demands. And we came to a
settlement.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m
prepared for the worse.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito paused from the conversation as the
march abruptly shifted to a running rush on the approach to the Welcome Rotunda.
Pepito and Maurito flowed in the rush,
joining in the chants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Imperyalismo!”
(Imperialism!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ibagsak!” (Bring
it down!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Piyudalismo!”
(Feudalism!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ibagsak!”
(Bring it down!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Burukratang
kapitalismo!” (Bureaucrat capitalism!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ibagsak” (Bring
it down!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Marcos!
Hitler! Diktador! Tuta!” (Marcos! Hitler! Dictator! Puppet!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE LAST CHANT continued as the running marchers traversed
Espana, crossing the railway that cut through the main thoroughfare from Manila
to Quezon City. The air is filled with the single agitation by the speaker at
the head of the march haranguing onlookers on the roadsides with condemnation
of “US imperialism”, “local feudalism”, “bureaucrat capitalism”, “Japanese
imperialism”, and “Soviet social imperialism along with its lackeys in the
Philippines, the Lava-Taruc revisionist clique”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The running march slowed down on
the approach to Forbes Street where at the intersection the traffic light
turned red.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So now, Pepito…”
Maurito said, panting somewhat at the slow-down in the march.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito essayed him with a fleeting stare then said, “I think... You should seek
Ninoy’s help.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As casually
as the statement came, so did Maurito let it pass without commenting on it at
all. Ninoy was a capitalist and Maurito, in his utter lack of political savvy,
had not completely learned about having to build alliances with class enemies. To
him no capitalist stood to take the side of the workers in the matter of
organizing a labor union at the Araneta empire. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The march
resumed on a slow pace even before the green light could turn on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I feel
we’re in for a hard fight,” Maurito laid it out to Pepito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito took
time to comment, appearing more focused on the speaker’s agitation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Araneta security guards number
300. If we enlist one hundred percent of the Makabayan employees, that’s a
one-on-one odds. Tough for the union. We should have 3,000, going by the ratios
in guerilla warfare, 10 to 1 against the enemy. We don’t have those numbers,
but with you, we can.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito
stared inquisitively.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“If you
could assure us of your support, that would be comfortable enough for us. Where
you are, the movement will be there.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito
flashed his ever-restrained smile in showing his amusement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m just
one writer. Like now, just one reporter covering the event,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Precisely,”
retorted Maurito nearly exclaiming. “Just writing about the Makabayan strike,
you become thousands upon thousands of youth activists taking up the struggle
of the first-ever union in the Araneta empire.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito
stared at Maurito, his smile turning into one of amazement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“At the
rate we are going, we should be ready to organize come April. We will he happy
to have you in our organizational meeting.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito
instantly quickened his pace accordingly as the marchers turn to running once
more in the final approach to Plaza Miranda. The place was now cramming with
demonstrators, flashing their respective streamers and placards carrying battle
cries and names of organizations. Standing out among the signs is a large
streamer proclaiming: “PEOPLE’S CONGRESS.” At the instigation of a speaker through
the public address system, the crowd cheered the arrival of the group Pepito
and Maurito were in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Cheers to
our comrades from Quezon City and Marikina!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
marchers rushed on into the midst of the crowd. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even as he
rushed along with the marchers, Maurito scanned with his eyes the
militantly-cheering crowd. He inwardly beamed with a great feeling of assurance.
His circular scanning of the crowd ended up on Pepito staring at him
inquiringly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
anticipated Pepito’s question. He said, “With a support like this, how can the
union lose?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER VIII<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>CLOUDS OF DUST</b>
billow at the tail of a convoy of four passenger jeepneys traversing the rough
road that traced the banks of a river flowing down a gorge at the foot of the
Montalban mountain. As agreed upon, a picnic would be held as a ploy for
gathering the Makabayan Publishing Corporation employees for the formal
organization of KAMAO, thus divert the attention of the management from the
event; any premature exposure of the move to the management could alarm the
Aranetas and prompt them to take preemptive action, whatever that might be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The people
aboard the vehicles, all in picnic attires, did enjoy the trip like true blue
picnickers, delighting at the scenery they pass or already anticipating the
excitement they would be indulging in at the end of the journey.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Look,”
said a man, pointing to the river. “Water so clear. It sure would be nice
taking a splash there.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’d do it
with beer, too,” said another, who is already gulping the brew from the bottle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’re
such a sot,” said one girl to the drinker. “How do you expect a girl to love
you with that kind of drinking?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“’Tsokey.
With beer I get to kiss lips to lips morning, noon and night.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the
drinker sucked beer through the mouth of the bottle like kissing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Laughter
from the folks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aboard
another jeepney, a young man appeared getting entertained by lively talk among
the passengers. He was Ed Oliva, an
eighteen-year-old, able-bodied, slightly tall young man, who wore a boyish ubiquitous
smile everytime he spoke. It was less of a character than a learned manner of
dealing with people, no different from the way salesmen conduct their business.
He was a student purusuing an AB course at the Philippine College of Commerc
(what the Polytechnic University of the Philippines was then), a member of the Kabataang Makabayan
(KM) who found a way among the personnel in the advertising department of the
Makabayan Publishing Corporation. Since joining the company, it had been
routinary for Ed during break times to engage the printing personnel in
discussions about labor relations, stressing the need for the Makabayan
employees to unionize. His intention, of course, was to sway the corporation’s
labor force into the KM agenda in the intensifying national democratic
movement, roughly outlined by Jose Maria Sison in a mimeographed pamphlet
entitled “Struggle for National Democracy” or SND as popularized by
slogan-loving student activists. Ed
particularly joined up in this effort with Danny Macapagal, who, as proof
reader, had natural camaraderie with
editorial people and those in the production department. Danny, who lived among
the informal settlers in the coastal slums of Navotas, could easily have been
the top choice to head the union but that he himself saw the need of having
somebody there with a stature which gained ascendancy over the editorial department.
This matter was taken up in the final meeting of the adhoc committee for
formalizing the union and it was unanimously agreed that Maurito, who was
thought to hold sway over the entire editorial department but for the Publisher
and Editors-in-Chief of the Weekly Nation and Tagumpay, would be president;
Danny, vice-president; and Ed, secretary, among other officers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In that
meeting, it was agreed that the union would be called “Katipunan ng mga
Makabayang Obrero (KAMAO) ng Makabayan Publishing Corporation.” At this, Ed
expressed some aside, though spoken with his learned geniality, saying the
union’s name glorified Maurito whom he had already popularized in the Makabayan
premises as “Ka Mao”, in line with activists’ way of addressing one another; “Ka” is a contraction
of “<i>Kasama</i>”, meaning “Comrade.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thus did
Maurito from then on gained the changed name: Ka Mao. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
For the purpose of formally
organizing the union, Ka Mao proposed the idea, which was approved, to conduct
it as a traditional summer outing of the Makabayan employees. He was
increasingly feeling he was performing his own historical destiny and what
better grounds were there on which to hold the organizational meeting of KAMAO
than the same hallowed site on which Bonifacio organized the Katipunan. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I brought
my two-piece swimsuit,” said one girl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ay, me,
too,” said another.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Bikini?”
asked a boy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well… Sort
of. Just to show a little of my… the navel.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Wow, we’ll
have a show then,” said another boy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You said
it. We’re sexier than Brigitte Bardot, didn’t you know?” teased the girls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“All the
better for my camera,” said one man.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Share me
your shots, Pare, eh?” still another man said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Revolution
is no picnic,” Ed finally saw it fit to make the talk political. He had not imbibed
much tact in pushing his activist agenda and he would go intruding into a
discussion expounding on it at the slightest provocation. What he said were actually words by Mao Tse
Tung, quoting of which was a favorite pastime of activists of various affiliations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Wait a
minute,” Danny reacted sharply. An obese thirtyish fellow, with a truly big
bulge on his belly, he could have been physically the better to have done a Mao
Tse Tung but that he didn’t have the pleasant beam of the Chinese leader’s face
as popularized in photographs; in contrast, the guy’s reaction was expressed,
as always, with that slant in tone that made him sound like complaining.“What
revolution? We’re here to organize the union.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The
proletariat can no longer liberate itself without liberating the whole of
society,” countered Ed, clearly priding in his posture as a Marxist demagogue.
“True, we are organizing a union. But it is not a union similar to those
organized by yellow labor leaders like the Ocas and the Lacsinas, but one
sharpened along proletarian revolutionary ideals.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What
revolutionary ideals?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Being the
most advanced class, the workers must take up their historical task of leading
in the national struggle to crush US imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat
capitalism…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hey, Ed,
we don’t care about no isms. We want security of employment, increase in our
wages, remittance of our SSS payments, etcetera…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ka Danny,”
countered Ed. “What you are saying is
pure economic struggle and in the words of Lenin, economic struggle is the
ideological enslavement of the working class.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, my
God,” lamented Danny.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao was
on the front seat of the vehicle together with Pepito. He turned to Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Discuss
that in the meeting, Ed.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One nice
thing about the young activist was that he deferred to elders; when a
29-year-old like Ka Mao spoke, he listened, not in surrender of his political
views but as a fundamental regard to good manners and right conduct. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well…
okay.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That guy
seems hot,” said Pepito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“He is a KM,”
said Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I think
the meeting should focus on organizing the union. Revolution can be an alien
agenda as yet,” said Pepito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“…AND SO in order to escape suspicion by the Spanish
authorities, Bonifacio and the other leaders of the Katipunan would undergo the
arduous paddling of their canoes from the Pasig River, down through the Wawa
Napindan, upstream the Marikina River, and finally to the falls where we are
now to plan the moves of the Katipunan in the revolution of 1896. I thought it
would be nice to walk the paths of history in organizing our own Katipunan,
KAMAO,” went the speech of Ka Mao in the formal meeting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Evidently
the folks had gone through their picnic activities. Many were in their swimming
outfits. Picnic paraphernalia were laid out by the foot of trees, beside rocks,
or under improvised shelters. In a fire place cauldrons sat on top of stone
stoves and over a grill, fish and pork continued to be broiled by a man even as
he listened to Ka Mao speaking to the crowd huddled among big rocks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Now that
we have formally organized our own Katipunan, I think it is not a bad thing
that in doing the fight which we are about to make through our union, we take inspiration from the struggle that
Bonifacio and the Katipunan made which brought the downfall of Spanish
colonialism in our country.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito’s
reaction was not quite clear. He betrayed an ambivalent feeling of being
impressed but not wanting what he heard. He got to express that feeling when,
at Ka Mao’s calling, he took the front of the gathering.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“About that
fight, let us hear from our good friend and supporter, Mr. Pepito...” The crowd
burst in applause before Ka Mao could complete the introduction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito
stole a whisper to Ka Mao as he took the front of the gathering, “It’s revolution
you also talked about.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepito
addressed the crowd in his characteristic slow-paced manner, like weighing in
his mind every word before uttering it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I thank
you for inviting me to your meeting. I promise to help in your struggle in
whatever way I can, though I am afraid it’s not much. Our experience in
organizing a union at the Free Press had gone through a process which did not
require us to go on strike early on, because the union and the management
immediately reached an agreement after we presented our demands. So there is
not much I can help you with in terms of conducting a strike. But there is one
thing I can be sure of. You have no one to depend on but yourselves. Supporters
will be there, yes. I will be there for sure.
But only your unity can make your union succeed.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER IX<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
EVENTS seemed to come in quick flashes for KAMAO after that
Montalban organizational meeting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In what had the trappings of a
conspiratorial move, Ka Mao intimated to National Labor Relations Commission
Commissioner Gat Amado Inciong the need to register the union in as discreet a
manner as possible, and with dispatch as well. And betraying his heavy leanings
toward trade unionism, the commissioner acquiesced. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Thus did the Katipunan ng mga
Makabayang Obrero (KAMAO) ng Makabayan Publishing Corporation promptly get its registration certificate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao reported early at the office
the next day and immediately busied himself typing the union demands. Ka Ed
stole a moment from his Advertising
Department post to remind Ka Mao on how to formulate the union demands. He
glanced at the letter Ka Mao had typed so far.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“You’re making it too economic,” Ka
Ed said. “Make the political demands
stand out.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“What political demands?” asked Ka
Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Union recognition, that’s one,”
said Ka Ed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Couldn’t that come as a matter of
course. If they accept our economic demands, automatically they recognize the
union.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“It is better to have that stated
categorically.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As it meant retyping what he had
written over again, Ka Mao was feeling irritated. But he kept his cool. He
rolled the letter off the typewriter, subtly letting out a sigh of disgust.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Ok…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The phone rang meantime, and after
taking the call, the office sccretary spoke to Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“For you, Ka Mao.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao rose to take the phone which
the office secretary settled on the stand. Ka Ed walked after him, saying, “And
don’t forget. Their recognition of our right to join political rallies and
demonstrations. That should be stated clearly also.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao waved Ka Ed away. “Ok… Ok…”
He took the phone. “Hello…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Hello, Maurito…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Yes, Lala…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Ed cut in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“And, yes, our right to strike.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“My God, that’s provided for in the
Magna Carta of Labor!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Ed realized Ka Mao was losing
his cool. He turned away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Hello, Lala,” said Ka Mao on the
phone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Maurito…” Lala was suddenly
crying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Hey, what’s the matter?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“It’s about Mommy…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“What about…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
No answer came but just sound of
Lala’s sobbing.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Lala, what is it?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Still no answer but just sound of
Lala’s continuing sobs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao was getting piqued..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Look, Lala. I’m busy rushing
something. Call you in half an hour.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao hang up. He resumed typing
the demand letter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In her house, Lala was slouched on
the floor, leaning against the side of the low cabinet on which the phone was
rested. She was continuing to sob, sulking to herself even. She lifted the hem
of her house wear to reveal her belly which she felt with a gentle rub of her
hand. A faint smile shone through her sobbing. And then she gritted her jaws.
She reached for the phone set and staying on the floor, dialed a number.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao was pounding hard at his
typewriter when he realized he had made another mistake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Not again,” he grumbled to
himself. “Why do I always miss that political demand?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
He snatched the paper off the
roller of the typewriter, compressed it into a ball which he threw to the waste
basket. It missed the target. The office secretary, just then walking toward
the ringing phone, picked it up and dropped it into the waste basket. Ka Mao
inserted another paper into the typewriter while the office secretary answered
the phone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Hello…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Maurito please.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“A minute.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The office secretary put the phone
down on the stand, then walked back to her desk while informing, “For you, Ka
Mao.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“God.,.,” Ka Mao gnashed the words
through his teeth as he threw himself up. He walked to the phone in a huff. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Hello!” he said, almost yelling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Why are you mad?” came Lala’s
lightly complaining voice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Oh, Lala…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I said, why are you mad?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“It’s not you...”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Who?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Didn’t I say I’d call you in half
an hour?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“So it’s me you are mad at.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“No, God. Of course not. Look, I’m
busy writing a letter. I’ll call you once I’m done.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
No words came from Lala. She
sobbed. Ka Mao now realized Lala was in some serious trouble.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Lala…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Lala just sobbed on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“What is it you really want
anyway?” Ka Mao said, sounding exasperated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Take me away.” Lala said it clear
and precise. Ka Mao appeared stunned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Lala, are you serious?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Take me away. Before Mommy does
what she wants to do to me.”<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao is speechless. He did not
have to find out what it was Aling Lydia wanted to do to Lala. The fact that
Lala was asking him to take her away was burden enough. Already worries were
rending his mind. How would she house
her? How to sustain her bourgeois lifestyle? She was only in high school, a
long way off to finishing a college course. Where would he get the financing
for her education in exclusive schools?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
At the long silence he took, Lala
tearfully pleaded, “Maurito, please. Take me away now. Please…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Ok, ok. Don’t cry. I’ll plan it
out. Tonight. Let me just finish my urgent business here. Ok?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Ok.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bye.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Bye. Love you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Love you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao replaced the phone receiver
on the set and hurried to proceed with the letter he couldn’t quite compose.
This was what immediately worried him the most. How would he ever be able to
settle down with Lala at precisely these times when he was bracing himself for
the big strike expected to follow the revelation to the Makabayan management
that its workers had unionized? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ah, Lala, he uttered in silent
plaint, even as he began pounding at the keys of his typewriter, furiously now,
it seemed. How so cruel of you, to put me into this torment. I love you, oh,
God knows how truly I love you, as I have never loved anybody before, but this
devotion I had vowed to hold high ever for the workers is just as so much the
fire we burned in over and over again, and it is a terrible, terrible agony now
to have to make a choice. I should never forsake you, but by not forsaking you,
I forsake the fight that has been the mother of all of my life’s passion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And so, with every furious strike
of his fingers on the typewriter keys, Ka Mao threw in torrents of remembering…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE TAXI pulled up in an unlit section on the frontage of
the old wooden house. Maurito deliberately made a loud enough banging of the cab
door as he stepped out. That was the signal he and Lala had agreed on. And as
the taxi sped away, Lala opened the porch window from where she signaled to Maurito to come right in. Stealthily he stepped up the wooden stairs. No sooner
that he reached the landing than she rather urgently snatched him into the
porch which served as a foyer, walled all around, offering complete privacy
which both of them seized in throwing themselves into each other’s ecstasy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you
sure this is okay?” asked Maurito even as he rummaged his mouth on her face with
passionate kisses.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Matching
his passion, she said, “Mommy won’t ever let me go out on a date with you. So I
cannot come to you, you come to me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We come
together,” she added, giggling, and then tugged at him, pulling him to her room
across the sala. For a moment, Maurito confronted in his mind his amazement at an
otherwise innocent fourteen-year-old doing a Marilyn Monroe. Once inside her
room, she kicked the door closed as she threw herself into her bed, pulling him
along. And there, finally, she gave vent
to releasing every yearning of her flesh to take him, as he took her, taking
and sharing all of their bodies, from
their watering mouths to the burning bowels of their beings. The night was long, and yet every minute
brimmed with bliss from ejaculations of ecstasy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By three o’clock in the morning, the two had
been so spent they dropped to sleep exactly as they were after that one last
orgasmic satisfaction: Maurito on top of Lala. Now, that had been the normal
hour for Aling Lydia and Mang Timmy to arrive home from the Malate steak house.
And by routine, Aling Lydia’s first act after stepping into the sala was to
proceed to Lala’s room to check her. Good thing enough that Lala awakened at
the opening of the door so that she was able to leap out of bed and shut the
door back and lock it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“A ,minute,
Mom,” she said as she hastily put back on her sleep wear, while prompting
Maurito to hide into the clothes cabinet, which he did in his naked glory,
forgetting to take along his garments which lay in bed. Lala made sure to close
the cabinet sliding door before throwing the room door open, a way of
impressing upon anybody that there was nothing to hide in the room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
scanned the room interior with her eyes, and if this made her notice anything unusual,
she didn’t show it. She just cast a sorry, mad glance at Lala then turned to
her room. Lala followed her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Did you
bring anything for me, Mommy?” Lala asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
took out a footlong hotdog sandwich as she entered her room and handed it to
Lala, who followed her in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meantime
Mang Timmy walked into Lala\s room to double-check the man’s garments in Lala’s
bed. But no one appeared to be inside the room, except if, as he rightly
suspected, that somebody was hiding in the only place anybody could hide in. He
rolled open the sliding door of the clothes cabinet and was shocked to find Maurito crouching inside.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Maurito!”
was Mang Timmy’s suppressed exclamation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito could not utter any word. What a sorry sight he was, covering his front with
his hands while casting at Mang Timmy a look that was less sad than helpless.
If that situation called for an upright manliness on his part, Maurito was a
miserable failure. Mang Timmy hurried to their room as Lala got back to her
room, continuing to act out her pretense of innocence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She found Maurito putting his clothes back on. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mang Timmy
found me out,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“My God,”
she gasped.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instantly
Lala thought of getting away with Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile,
in their room, Mang Timmy had revealed to Aling Lydia about Maurito and now she
was taking out a knife from a drawer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’d kill
that snake.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aling Lydia
moved to rush out of the room. Mang Timmy held her back and managed to take the
knife from her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Will you
be quiet. You’d wake up everybody in the house. Your folks could really end up
killing Maurito.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“He ought
to get killed.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“And us get
scandalized?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Snake! “</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Lala is just my stepdaughter, but I’d
suffer just as much shame as I would if I were her real father.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Snake!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mang Timmy
flailed the knife at Aling Lydia’s face. “You be quiet, I’m warning you. I’ll
settle this matter.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mang Timmy
rushed out of the room He rather
surprised Lala and Maurito when he threw the door of Lala’s room open. He
addressed Maurito..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Be quick.
Go away. Go.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mang Timmy
rushed back to their room. Ka Mao looked to Lala inquisitively. She could
almost cry, still she said it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Go.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
WITH THAT final recollection, Ka Mao finished typing the
union demand letter. He gave it one last go-through, grabbed a pen, signed it,
then rushed over to the office of the Personnel Manager and handed to him the
letter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The personnel
manager read it, then eyed Ka Mao unbelievingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We are
exercising our right to unionize.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
personnel manager was at a loss for words. He flashed an ambivalent smile. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
CHAPTER
X</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE MEZZANINE of the Blumentritt apartment appeared too cramped
for comfort. One side, the one with the windows, had a bed, for use by Ka Mao’s
siblings, Violeta and Ellen. Tatay Simo and Nanay Puping had their sleeping
spaces downstairs where Mamay Oliva also had her quarters. Toward the streetside of the apartment, the
mezzanine stopped midway with a railing from where to look out into the ground
floor, the front of which was occupied by the family’s sari-sari store. At the
moment, Tatay Simo and Mamay Oliva were engaged in casual conversation while
minding the store and Violeta and Ellen were studying their school assignments
at the dining table. On the railing side of the mezzanine, Nanay Puping was
setting up the space for some purpose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Observing
as he stood by the railing, Ka Mao said after a long while of silence, “I think
it’s ok for now, Nanay. You hang a curtain or a blanket across this area and it
can serve as our room for the time being.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What time
will you pick her up?” Nanay Puping asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Toward
midnight I suppose. We will have to wait till her folks are soundly asleep.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“If you ask
me, I’d rather that we sit down with her parents and ask for her hands…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Nanay,
that’s out of the question. Her mother has high ambitions for her. It’s not my
kind she’d like her daughter to settle down with. They’re all the same, those
mothers. Grooming their lovely daughters to be some rich guys’ mates.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nanay
Puping chose not to argue. She knew Ka Mao’s ill temper. Ever the understanding
mother that she had been, she gave Ka Mao a glance that said whatever his
decision was, she was with him. The noise made by Tatay Simo and Mamay Oliva in
closing the store distracted Nanay Puping. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Your Tatay
is closing the store. It must be late,” she said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She took a large white blanket out of a
cabinet and moved to hang it across that section of the mezzanine so as to
closet it; arrangements had been done so that the area now contained amenities
such as an improvised bed with old mattress made neat with clean sheet, an old
shaded lamp, a stool to one side, and a corner made into a section for keeping
and hanging clothes in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
started for downstairs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I had
better be going,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE TAXI, as in the many times of Ka Mao’s stealing moments
with Lala in the past, stopped in the unlit section of the frontage of the old wooden ancestral home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Wait a
while,” Ka Mao told the cab driver. “I’m fetching somebody.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cab
driver nodded, immediately sliding on his seat to steal some nap.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And as
usual, after stepping out, Ka Mao banged the cab door loud enough for his
signal to Lala. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cab
driver straightened up on his seat, looking to Ka Mao inquiringly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s ok,”
Ka Mao said. “Just my signal.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cab
driver resumed his sleeping position.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao leaned on the cab side to
wait. His understanding with Lala had been that as soon as she heard the
banging of the cab door, Lala would sneak out of the house and that’s it, they’d
be up up and away. But a minute went by, then two, and then three. Ka Mao had
not expected it would take that long for Lala to come out. Unless, he thought, she
must have fallen asleep. So he decided to make another bang, this time a little
louder, of the cab door – prompting the cab driver to straighten up again on
his seat. Ka Mao gestured to him to relax.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Oh, yes. Signal,” said the driver,
slouching on his seat again, covering his face with the face towel hung around
his neck.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another
minute went by, then two. Ka Mao was getting impatient. At the strike of the
next minute, he banged the door really hard, arousing the snoring driver, who
complained.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’re
wrecking my car!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
gestured with his hand for the driver to be quiet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You be
quiet.,” said the driver, instantly turning the engine on. “Pay me and you can take
another taxi.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now the
window of the porch opened.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Wait,” Ka
Mao told the driver. “She’s here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lala did
show herself at the window, but at Ka Mao’s prompting for her to be quick, she
waved him away with her hand. Ka Mao couldn’t make it out. He motioned for her
to come down. She waved him away with her hand harder. He motioned for her to
come down more urgently. And harder still, she waved him away with her hand,
and then with that closed the porch window.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
realized Lala was not coming out at all. Though he spent another minute just
standing there, hoping that Lala would still be coming down, all his spirit for the
elopement had gone. Soon he stepped back into the cab and told the cabbie to
drive away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What’s
happened?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mind your
own business, will you!” Ka Mao growled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cab
driver stepped on the gas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
KA MAO went home to the Blumentritt apartment sagging inside
him. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Where is
she?” asked Nanay Puping.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He could
only respond with a lame shake of his head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What
happened?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, just
a shake of his head. How was he to explain? Lala just waved him away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nanay
Puping sensed something had gone wrong, but because Ka Mao would not speak a
word, she chose not to speak anymore, too. Ever the understanding mother, Nanay Puping needed not many words from Ka Mao to know what was going
on in his mind and in his heart. This time, his deep silence indicated his grief
just as deep.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
proceeded to the mezzanine quarters that Nanay Puping had meticulously prepared
for him and Lala. It would have been a cozy enough corner of the world for two
people in love to start a family from. He lay on the bed, felt the smoothness
of clean lenin made even more savory by the scent of air freshener indicated by
the canister lying on the stand by the lampshade. This could have been a
blissful night, after all. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
How heartless of Lala to have
driven him away just like that. So much was between them, so much of dear
value, always to cling to, never to let go, and yet she let go, with an, oh, so
utterly slighting slight wave of a hand. It had made him feel he was nothing to
her – nothing at all.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
For a moment, Ka Mao felt
succumbing to rage, the kind one feels from being rejected. Can Lala be like
anyone of those Ermita bitches to whom smudge from sex was only a matter for
bathsoap; a little scrubbing here and there and presto, you’re fresh again. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But Lala had been the dearest
darling he had had in his life to whom he had been just as such a darling, too.
It was just too bad that he did not care to find out why she suddenly refused
to come with him. For him to have had the guts to barge into the house in the
dead of the night and forcibly take her away was out of the question. This was
no fairy tale where a prince charming engages in bravado to rescue his lady
love. In the reality of their relationship, he would have caused Lala great
harm had he sought to force the issue then and there. The shame, the scandal, all the nasty things
that would result from such an insistence by Ka Mao to take her away, could
forever damage Lala’s career in the glamor world. Ka Mao had all this in mind
when finally he allowed himself to be just waved away by Lala. He could clear
the matter up later. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Sadly they never got to talk to
each other again after that – that is, not after two and half decades. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In the mid-nineties, Ka Mao was
getting hailed as a top movie box office director. He was supervising the
post-production work on a movie he was doing when he got a call on the phone at
the information desk of the post-production outfit, Magnatech.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Hello,” he spoke on the phone
impatiently.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Hello, Maurito,” said the voice at
the other end of the line.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All of sudden, Ka Mao felt melting
in a mix of exquisite shiver and warmth that crept all over his flesh. His eyes
were glassy in an instant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Lala!” he exclaimed, though in a
hushed manner.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“How are you?” she said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I’m ok,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“You must be. I’ve been hearing a
lot of nice things about you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Oh…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I’ve been following things about
you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“How did you trace this number?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“When you follow somebody, you follow him all the
way.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A surge of fire in his chest was
getting Ka Mao’s eyes wet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“So how are you and Ricky?” Ka Mao
found himself asking, if only to divert his mind from the tear threatening to
form in his eyes. “I only heard about it from stories. That it’s him you eventually
married.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Oh, well, that’s not what’s
forever.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Oh…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“After a time, we’re off.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Why did you call by the way?
Anything I can do for you?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I’ve always been this way since we
parted. Everytime something big happens in my life, good or bad, it’s always
you I’d like to be with. So I do my damn best to reach you wherever you are.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao was getting ill at ease. He
sensed where all the talk was leading to and he did not wish to encourage it.
Lala, for all the beautiful memories, had been an ended story, let her stay at
that. But the phone addict that she had always been, Lala would go reminiscing on and on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“You did a pretty good job of our
story, do you know that?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“What story?” asked Ka Mao in
surprise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Tag-Ulan Sa Tag-araw,” she said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
That was the title of the film Ka
Mao wrote in 1976 based on his first fiction,
“Forests of the Heart”, which appeared in Weekly Graphic Magazine in the
mid-sixties. The film version told of a boy and a girl falling in love with
each other at first sight, only to find out later that they were first cousins;
the love relationship is taboo according to Philippine social norms. Pursuing
the relationship resulted to the girl getting pregnant by the boy. Discovering
this, the parents of the girl decided to have the child aborted, and the boy,
learning about this, decided to elope
with the girl. The elopement was discovered, with the girl’s father having the
boy mauled so badly that he had to be hospitalized. Defying doctor’s order, the
boy escaped from his hospital confinement in order to rescue the girl as she
was being rushed away in a car by her parents for abortion of the child. But
for all his human grit, how could the boy, on foot, catch up with the car. On
this note of pathos, the film ended.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The film, which featured the first
pairing of Christopher de Leon and Vilma Santos, was a smash hit, propelling
further Ka Mao’s rise as a screenwriter. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Oh, yes, ‘Tag-Ulan Sa Tag-araw’,”
Ka Mao just found himself remarking at Lala’s recollection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I saw the film, and I cried and
cried. How so true, I said. I saw it with Mommy, and she cried, too. She knew
that’s what she did to me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Suddenly, Ka Mao sensed something
serious in Lala’s words. It intrigued him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“What did Mommy do to you?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“She brought me to Hongkong and
there had our baby aborted.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The lobby of the Magnatech that
afternoon was crawling with all sorts of movie personalities, stars, crewmen,
technical people, and Ka Mao would have created a scene had he let out his
grief and rage at knowing that his first baby ever had been killed. Yes,
killed, he protested to himself. Abortion is murder! My God! But he could only
revolt to himself. He was so shocked that any capacity in him to react with
emotion was totally numbed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I should have gone with you that
night. We could have just had our baby. But Mommy threatened to harm you or
bring you to court for whatever charges if I went away with you. And I was
afraid for you. And so I thought it best to follow her order. I said to myself,
it’s ok that we parted. At least you’re safe. I didn’t know that she would bring me all the
way to that abortion in Hongkong.
Maurito it hurt. I lost you, and then lost our baby, too. Oh, how it
hurt.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Ka Mao couldn’t take it anymore. He
shifted his face away from the lobby crowd, pressing his head close to the wall
to hide the tears forming in his eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Lala, I’m busy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I want to see you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“No more, Lala. It’s all over.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Nothing is over that is forever.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tears welled in Ka Mao’s eyes. He put the phone down.</span></div>Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-16781260734444367492012-04-08T20:38:00.000-07:002012-04-09T15:35:31.589-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>SHOES OF THE TRAVELER<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>By Mauro Gia Samonte<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>BOOK FOUR<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>WRITING THE WRONG<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER 1<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>LIGHTNING </b>bolts
flashed as though to etch in the sky the unfailing glory of God’s Temple even
in times of one man’s adversity. How so magnificent, indeed, did the spires of
the INC <i>Templo</i> appear in that
phenomenon of heavenly light and sound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Let’s all
rise and pray,” Ka Roy enjoined the people in attendance at the prayer meeting
in a room of the INC Central Office. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everybody
stood up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The door
abruptly opened, distracting everyone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
entered in a discreet rush. Ka Roy eyed him admonishingly as he proceeded to
his usual seat at the table where the prayer meeting was being held.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sorry, I’m
late. The rain,” said Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao’s
right footsteps left blood marks on the floor as he walked to his seat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“All of us
here could say that. But we made sure to be safe in the temple of God before
the rain could fall,” chided Ka Roy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A girl in
the group noticed the blood marks made by Ka Mao’s footsteps.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ka Roy, Ka
Mao is wounded,” the girl informed worriedly, pointing to Ka Mao’s foot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
forced a smile to the girl and then to Ka Roy by way of saying, “It’s okay.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Roy
glanced at the foot, which Ka Mao rested on a slight tiptoe to keep its sole
from being pressed hard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Stepped on
a sharp steel,” said Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Roy
resumed his posture for praying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Small
wound. Christ had one whole nail piercing through,” said Ka Roy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
nodded, pressing a pain-laden smile.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Roy
asked, “Got your left foot wounded, too?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No,” said
Ka Mao, faintly shaking his head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Christ got
the nail pierced through both his feet.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao let
out a pure, exquisite smile, as though saying, “I wish me, too.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Let us
pray,” enjoined Ka Roy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everybody
bowed their heads.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Father,
God in heaven…” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<i>Opo</i>,” chorused the group. That was how
it was in doing prayer in the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Those praying responded with
the Filipino for “Yes” at every pause of the Minister’s words and Amen at each
reference to salvation, God’s glory and the work of the church.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
IN THE DAYS of the indoctrination, the travel back home
after the <i>panata</i> would not have been
as torturous as it was now for Ka Mao.
Ka Loren had grown the habit of providing him the transportation money
back home, and if he were around after the <i>panata
</i>was over, he could have done so as well and Ka Mao could even have taken a
taxi in going home to make the travel faster.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He needed
to get home as quickly as possible so he could have his foot wound treated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But illness
had prevented Ka Loren from undergoing the <i>pagsubok</i>,
thus making him lag behind in the process. Ka Mao went through it all by
himself, onto this period of final trial.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ah, Pareng
Loren…,” Ka Mao ached to himself as he trudged the way back through the Tumana
Bridge. “Just as when I needed you most.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He limped
his way under a very slight drizzle, heading for the jeepney stop. That had
been his itinerary. He would take a jeepney for a 7-peso senior citizen fare to
Masinag where to hitch a ride on an Antipolo-bound jeepney. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He tried to
walk as fast as he could. His foot was swelling and some kind of a flaming
numbness was creeping all over it. It hurt increasingly with every step.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In his
lonesome and in the rain, he couldn’t
help growing a tear of sheer
self-pity. But as always in similar straits, he would cling to a favorite line
by INC ministers during homilies: “When everyone else has abandoned you, when
you can no longer count for help from friends and even from your own brothers,
try God.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
seemed to swell with a sudden-found joy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Indeed, in
many a difficult time he tried God. It always worked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
stared ahead, gritting his jaws.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His steps
quickened.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE SHOE got pulled off Ka Mao’s foot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ogie, his
youngest son, grimaced. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What a
nasty, deep wound it was he uncovered on the sole as he removed the sock which
Ka Mao had lumped over it to cushion the wound and also to stem the flow of blood. The sole had grown
whitish, which is the case when the skin is soaked in water for long. But the
wound was wet not with water but with fresh blood. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao was
reclined on the couch in his bedroom as Ogie treated his injury. He visibly
shivered but tried hard to control it as Ogie appeared to notice it.<br />
<br />
. "You're shaking, Tatay?"<br />
<br />
"No... Of course not."<br />
<br />
"Best to bring you to the hospital."<br />
<br />
"Aw, Ogie. Get it on," Ka Mao snapped. <br />
<br />
“How did
you ever get that wound?” asked Ogie as he hurried to get the medicine kit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No big
deal,” said Ka Mao. “Put a little betadine and it’ll be okay.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ogie began
treating Ka Mao’s wound. He took time examining it, checking how deep it was.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ogie, be
done with it quick, will you?” Ka Mao said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ogie began
cleaning the wound with oxidized water.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sometimes
you mystify me, Tatay.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hmm?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You insist
in hiking to the <i>Templo</i>.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What’s so
mystifying about hiking.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I have my
motorcycle. I could take you there back and forth. Yet you’d rather walk.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Two
things,” said Ka Mao. “First, I have a phobia for taking the back ride on a
motorbike. Especially if handled by a hell driver, which you are. Second, it’s
costly. What we’d spend for gas, we’d rather buy rice with. Like Maoie, you’ve
been out of job for long. And the remittance from your Ate Maripaz takes too
much time coming. Ah… If only I could reach Saudi by walking.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Don’t fret,
Tatay. I’ll find a new job soon,” said Ogie as he began wrapping gauze cloth
around the wound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What I’m
saying is we cut down on unnecessary expenses. The one hundred pesos I save by
not commuting on jeepneys in my trips to the Iglesia buys us rice for three
days…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“But look
what you got for walking,” cut in Ogie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
stirred. Ka Roy’s voice rang out and he recalled the stern manner in which he
spoke: “Small wound. Christ got one whole nail pierced through his foot.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Small
wound,” Ka Mao told Ogie, tilting his chin. “Christ got one whole nail pierced
through his foot.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good thing you didn’t get the iron on your
left foot, too.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Even so.
Christ got the nail through both his feet,” Ka Mao smarted.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tatay,
you’re not Christ.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Son, I
wish I were!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ogie was
tongue-tied.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He replaced
the medicine kit on a drawer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’d be
going to the Iglesia again tomorrow?” he asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’d take
you there.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Got no
money for gas.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I still
have a hundred fifty in my wallet.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Save that
for Gia’s allowance tomorrow. We don’t know when Maripaz can send her next remittance.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ogie
realized there was no use arguing with Ka Mao. He walked out of the room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good
night.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good
night,” said Ka Mao, finding no more reason to hide his shivers. He limped to
the drawer where Ogie had replaced the medicine kit. He got a pill which he
took with purified water from a half-empty bottle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gia was soundly
asleep.He changed into a night wear and then moved to join her in bed, but as he was about to share her blanket, he
realized she could contact his fever. He made the girl snug under the blanket, kissed her good night, then took
another blanket for himself with which
he covered himself as he lay on the couch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He shivered
on, and he closed his eyes, wanting to sleep off his fever. But his thoughts kept awake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER II<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE PRESSURE of having to fend for his folks back home
together with that of having to sustain his studies was heaping upon Maurito more
and more heavily. He cut down on snacks and turned to walking from the Binondo
office to the MIT Doroteo Jose main campus or to the Intramuros branch; he
walked longest if he needed to transfer subjects from the main campus to the
Intramuros branch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The money
he saved would substantially add up to what he had originally budgeted for
Calolbon. And taking cue from the way Mamay Oliva was sending money to the
family before, Maurito sent it through the mail in a coffee pack bundled with
same-size pack of sugar which he bought from Divisoria.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the end
of the next semester of his self-support studies, Maurito had to choose between
his engineering course and the family’s survival. In the movie “A Man and A
Woman” Jean Louis Trintignant spoke to Anouk Aimee: “A man once said that if
caught in a fire and he was made to choose between a Rembrandt and a cat, he
would choose the cat.” That was the dilemma Maurito found himself facing. He chose life. That semester was the last in
his schooling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For want of
bigger income, he joined an insurance company as a sales agent, but after some
three months on the job, he scored not a single sale.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
jested to himself, Maybe that was why insurance agents are called underwriters;
they are doing the wrong kind of writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito’s
failure at the job must stem from a deep-set supreme value he was increasingly
putting for life. It just would not inspire him to sell the eventuality of
death, on which idea, he concluded, life insurance business thrived.
Nevertheless he took great inspiration from the constant advice of his unit manager: “Never mind that you don’t close
a deal with a prospect. No matter what happens, build goodwill.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a
time, he decided that selling knowledge was far nobler than selling death. So
he shifted to selling encyclopedia.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito did
the job by indiscriminately making the rounds of neighborhoods where from the
appearance of a house he gleaned that the people living there would care to buy
books. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That late
morning, Maurito knocked on doors along a narrow street in Cubao. Again he was
hoping to make his next sale of the books; the first he made was to the brother
of the travel angency owner Dulcesimo. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He spent a
minute studying one particular house. It did not indicate that the owner was
rich, but neither did Maurito see signs of being poor. The house was typical of
the bungalows of the fifties, a simple rectangular structure with low lying
roof painted in green; the walls were bone white. The house had a fence around
done in concrete, with iron grills at the gate. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A housemaid
answered his knocking at the gate. He gave her his card for showing to the
master of the house. When the housemaid came back from the house, she opened
the gate and let him in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
housemaid showed him inside the house. In the living room, a man was
pressing the</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
keys of a piano and
then writing the notes on a music writing sheet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The man
didn’t look quite thirty and not quite Filipino either with his milky
complexion and very obviously western features of his face. He was handsome,
almost beautiful when he smiled that dainty smile of his. He threw a glance at Maurito, letting out that
smile, even as he continued with his work, whatever it was, on the piano.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Told by the
maid to wait, Maurito sat on a bench. He noticed the place had framed photographs
of movie stars hanging on the wall: Gloria Romero, Ric Rodrigo, Amalia Fuentes,
Romeo Vasquez, Susan Roces, Juancho Gutierrez, a lot of them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What could
the place be? he wondered to himself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At any
rate, the amenities in the house betrayed that the owner had means to afford a
set of encyclopedia. And that was fine for Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Done with a
page of the music writing sheet, the man at the piano stood and faced Maurito,
who offered his hand for a handshake. The man took his hand. How tender the man’s
touch was, Maurito said to himself. How soft were his hands. He felt that if he
gripped the man’s hand hard enough, the fingers would break. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m Mauro Gia
Samonte,” Maurito said. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The man
acknowledged the introduction, ever with that dainty smile of his. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“May I have
a few minutes of your time,” said Maurito. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At that,
the man showed Maurito to his office, which was the room on the other end of
the living room. A typewriter was on a desk to a side; nobody was working at it.
At another desk was a boy, obviously a queer, which was how homosexuals were
called then. He was doing paste-up of cut-out letter set which he laid out on a
layout sheet. The boy, in his late teens, looked up to the man.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“A few
pages more and I will be done with the layout. We can deliver this afternoon to
the printing press,” said the boy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay,”
said the man, then addressed Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you
into printing or something?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m the
publisher of Show Business Magazine.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You are…?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Danny
Holmsen.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
found himself exclaiming inside, “Yes, Danny Holmsen!” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He used to
hear that name in the shows at the Araneta Coliseum when the emcee would
announce the name of the band that provided the music: Danny Holmsen and his
Orchestra. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Danny had
by then gained fame as a composer and musician with the popular ditty titled “My
Faithful Love.” Recorded by RJ and the Riots on the guitar in the sixties, it
was such a smash hit among the youth and had since then become a classic
composition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Maurito
would learn later, Danny had become a favorite of Don Amado Araneta, owner of
the coliseum, such that in every show which the coliseum brought to Manila with
international singing celebrities, Danny arranged and conducted the musical
accompaniment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito, a
music lover, had himself grown to admiring Danny’s music, mainly from having
been exposed to it in many coliseum shows. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that
morning, his urgent concern was to make a sale. Ellen had already graduated
from the elementary and Maurito had brought her to Manila and enrolled her at
the MIT, which he had found to be a good school. She was now staying with him
in the house of Manay Consoling together with Nanay Puping, who did the laundry
by way of paying for their subsistence. Just the other day, he flared up at
Nanay Puping’s insisting to bring Ellen back to province, she felt they were
burdening Manay Consoling a bit too much with their dependence on her for
subsistence. Maurito had been feeling that way, too, for long already, and now
that he felt Nanay Puping was rubbing it on him at a time when he was just
helpless to do anything about it, he vented his rage on the wall which he
punctured with his fist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
swelled with so much optimism as he readied his paraphernalia for making his
sale presentation. He could not help recalling a tragi-comic experience he
encountered early on in his his door-to-door selling. He knocked on the door of
a house in a compound of duplex townhomes. The lady who let him in was quite
pretty, not quite past her mid-twenties, very amiable, accommodating. She bore
with the touches of amateurism in Maurito’s presentation and visibly forced
herself to be polite at each clumsy move or speech he committed. Done with his
presentation, Maurito bent somewhat as he spread the sales contract for the
lady to sign. The contents of his shirt pocket slid out and littered the floor.
The lady graciously helped Maurito as he fumbled in gathering back the items
comprised of various cards, IDs and folded notes and contacts list.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
proceeded just the same to the finale of his presentation, which was to ask the
lady to sign the sales contract. She begged off, uttering a polite alibi, then
thanked him and wished him luck in his next venture.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
ached deeply inside. He forced a cover-up smile as he gathered his things back in his sales kit. Just to
have something to say, he uttered, ““Oh, by the way. I forgot to ask for your
name.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m Boots
Anson Roa,” she smiled, anticipating a surprised reaction from him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
could not immediately place the name. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Any
relation to Pete Roa?” he asked. Pete
was then the popular host of
“Discorama,” a music-dance show on television, together with Baby
Obrien.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The lady
smiled on and said, “I’m his wife.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was
when Maurito gaped in surprise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Years
later, when Maurito had begun his career
in movie journalism, he would encounter the lady again in a press conference at
the Vera Perez Garden for a movie she was starring in. Boots noticed his stare,
which he fixed on her without bothering to greet her. Actually Maurito was
trying to find out if Boots remembered the incident she had with him. He
considered it so nice of Boots to have entertained his sales presentation. He
wished he could recall it to her and thank her again now. But Boots certainly
did not remember, for irked by Maurito’s stare, she pouted. Maurito didn’t find
reason to bother Boots anymore.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So now, in
making the presentation to Danny, Maurito resolved to himself to perfect the
methodology taught by the trainor in the encyclopedia salesmanship training.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The
technique is, don’t let the prospect intervene in your presentation. The minute
you start talking, continue talking, not letting him speak at all, all the way to the signing
of the contract.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What if he
doesn’t sign?” Maurito asked then.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“He will,”
replied the trainor . “Look…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The trainor
moved to hand Maurito a pen for signing. Maurito didn’t move to take it. At
that, the trainor let the pen drop from his hand. By reflex, Maurito picked up the pen and at that precise moment
the trainor spread before him a sales contract, which Maurito signed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito had
done the trick to more than two prospects; they signed but would not give money
for down payment. On the next visit, they reconsidered their signatures. But
with the signed contracts, he got advances on commissions which enabled him to
sustain Ellen’s day-to-day needs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Danny
now, Maurito saw no problem. Danny was popular and surely had money for the
required down payment. And once Danny paid the down payment, Maurito would get
his whole commission from the deal. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thus Maurito began, “This is Collier’s
Encyclopedia, the most modern, most up to date encyclopedia in the world today.
It comes in 24 volumes…” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito did it so well Danny was quite impressed. Toward the
end of the sales pitch, Danny appeared stymied, not able to intervene, not
asking any questions, just listening as though in a trance – all the way to the
dropping of the pen which he picked up as if in a spell and moved as though to
sign the sales contract which Maurito spread in what he felt was perfect timing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Danny’s
hand stopped.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like Boots
perhaps, Danny did not have the heart to discourage Maurito in his sales
presentation and so let him do all the talking.
But unlike Boots, Danny did not have to fake an excuse for not buying.
Using the pen, he pointed to the set of encyclopedia neatly set
on top of the low cabinet that lined the wall on one side of the room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
nearly gawked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Collier’s
Encyclopedia,” Said Danny.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER III<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>FAR FROM</b> being
another failure, however, that encounter with Danny Holmsen turned out to be a most important episode in
that stage of Ka Mao’s journey in life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Danny was
into publication, and learning that Maurito was a writer, he tried him, got
convinced that he could do the job of an editorial assistant, and offered him
the post. And Maurito accepted. He got a salary of P150 monthly. Because he worked stay-in with
free board and lodging, that amount was actually a net pay, fat enough. Maurito could continue sending money to the
family in Calolbon while providing for Ellen’s studies at the MIT.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was no
job of an editorial assistant which Maurito did as things turned out. He was
practically writing the whole magazine – doing the interviews and writing
feature articles on show business personalities, lifting articles from other
sources for reprint, and writing a column. The only things he did not write
were Danny’s own column, the trivia section Danny prepared as well as the
crossword puzzle which Danny also did, copying from this or that source. Every
now and then writers contributed articles, which would be burden off Maurito’s
shoulders, however slight those
contributions would amount to. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The effort
paid off shortly. After only three months on the job, Maurito was promoted to
Editor. Nothing much changed though but for the designation in the staff box.
Danny was no longer Publisher and Editor as it used to be but just Publisher.
With Maurito being Editor now, nobody was there to fill in the position of
Editorial Assistant. But for the formality of having a complete editorial
staff, Danny needed to put in someone’s
name there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, at
that time a fresh graduate from Bicol
had come to Manila to begin his own writing career. One morning, he came to the
Cubao office of the magazine and submitted an article on a movie star. Maurito
had been used to receiving contributions from show business hacks which, though
they wouldn’t pass by journalistic standard, he entertained just the same and
labored hard to rewrite just so the magazine carried bylines.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Bicol
boy’s piece stood out. Maurito showed it to Danny, praising its merits. And
Danny decided to place the boy’s name in the staff box as Editorial Assistant
along with the publication of his article. Danny had thought that being a
neophyte writer who longed to see his name in print, the boy would welcome the
idea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
True
enough, the boy was excited and profuse with thanks when he came to the office
again. But in a very polite manner, he asked that his name be taken off the
staff box. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More than a
decade from then, the boy would shine in, as the cliché goes, the firmament of
show business writing and would properly belong in the staff box of the Philippine
Daily Star – the paper’s Entertainment Editor, Ricky Lo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Into the
90s, when Ka Mao was already directing movies for Seiko Films, he encountered
Ricky at the press conference held by Robbie Tan for the movie he was promoting
at the time. Ka Mao was glad to meet Ricky again and would Ricky handle the PR
of Maripaz, Ka Mao’s daughter, who was a budding child star?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Look,
guys,” Ricky said to his companions. “Mauro here is asking me to be the PRO of
his daughter.” They laughed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ah, Ricky,
so sighed Ka Mao to himself. So polite as ever, so mild-mannered, tactful and
soft-spoken you wouldn’t feel it any even when he is irked or even really mad
for having been slighted. Just like that time when in a soft, slowly-measured
words he asked that his name be stricken off the staff box of Show Business
Magazine. And with no laughter, too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER IV</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>WITH</b> nary a
complaint, Maurito did his job in Show Business Magazine. It never occurred to
him that, in fact, that was a high point in his prolificacy as a writer. He just wrote articles as needed, wrote on
and on such that he had to use pseudonyms or the magazine would look like a
festival of “Mauro Gia Samonte” bylines. Among the pseudonyms he used were
Margia Montesa, Leo Augusto and Sonny La Madrid. The first was a derivative
of “Mar” being his nickname during his
late high school and early college days, “gia” an abbreviation of his middle
name “Gianan,” and “Montesa” his surname spelled with the first syllable at the
end. The second was his zodiac sign, “Leo” and his birth month in Spanish
“Augusto”, The third, a mere contrivance, taking cue from Quijano de Manila.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moreover, Danny
published another magazine. Fashion and Models, which, well, the name said it
all, was about fashion and fashion
models. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What
business had a young macho editing a girlie publication? Unless, he, too, was…Oh,
no, et tu, Maurito!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But no, a
boy who back in the elementary grades was already chasing girls, in high school
wooing the girlfriend of another when not occupied slouching on his chair in
class in order to get a vantage view of his Tagalog teacher’s thighs, which
appeared to enjoy being stared at anyway; who even as a young tot had the courage
to toy with the flower of that cross-eyed adolescent girl in Calolbon, tickling
it with the tip of the stem of a coconut leaf while she peed among the <i>malubago </i>trees on the beach; who even
also at that age was already joining Calolben men doing their things as they
hid among the bushes, watching women take their panties off and then roll the
hems of their dresses all the way to their breasts so that their garments didn’t get wet as they crossed the river that
outed into the sea. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>FRANKLIN CABALUNA</b>
was editing another movie magazine which was printed also in the Benipayo press in Sta. Cruz, Manila. While their
magazines were being run in the presses, it was their pastime to stay on the
rooftop of the building where on moonlit nights it was nice talking, just
talking about anything under the sun, nay, at that hour, moon, and then suddenly
they would hug the corrugation of the galvanized iron roof to make themselves
inconspicuous in watching those Mesirecordia prostitutes getting laid in their
rooms or doing pistons of their torsos while straddling atop men’s laps. In later times when booked in a hotel to
co-write a movie script, they would feel they, too, needed to do their own
laying, so they’d get a girl whom
Franklin was ever gracious to let Maurito go on top first, never mind if what
he ate afterward was Maurito’s leftover.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was with
Franklin that Maurito realized a paradox: people get bound together real tight
by vice rather than by virtue. Until now, Ka Mao had not quite found an
explanation for this. The best he could
do was conjecture: the world being sinful, sinners do get an easy way of sticking
to one another in flocks while those who cling to their virtues necessarily
flounder in the waters of sin in their lonesome.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yet
Franklin went on to be a dear friend to Maurito, sharing in his joys and ever
coming to his rescue whenever hard times came. When Maoie was baptized,
Franklin was one of six godfathers who included Diego Cagahastian, Pete Lacaba,
Tony Mortel, Leroy Salvador and Amado Cortez. The many wonderful things
Franklin did to Ka Mao after that Benipayo press episode certainly were no
vice. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Must it be,
then, that in a world of sins, virtue consists in people recognizing one
another’s weaknesses, and thus recognizing endeavor to help one another rise
above their common weak humanness?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In that sense,
therefore, Ka Mao would think now, sin is a collective character of humanity.
The sin of one, is the sin of the other, so that as salvation for one is
salvation for the other, so is punishment for one punishment for the other.
Either this or Christ’s single death on the cross could not have accomplished
the salvation from sin of all mankind in one fell swoop. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last
time Ka Mao saw Franklin was at the People’s Journal office, when he submitted
to him for publication in The Insider, a magazine Franklin was editing, an
article titled “Portrait Of A Young Man As An Educator.” It was a veritable
treatise on Ramon V. Guico III, the young scion of the rich Guicos of
Binalonan, Pangasinan, who was then the Vice President for Education of the
family-owned World Citi Colleges.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That
semester, Ka Mao’s daughter Maripaz, whom he had diverted away from the movies
in favor of her education, would be graduating from nursing. But Ka Mao had
gone so down he just didn’t have anymore means to earn for the girl’s completion
of her studies.at WCC.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But he was
not dead, Ka Mao protested to himself. He still got his flesh, his brain, his
talent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So one
afternoon, he came forward to Sir Mon, whom he didn’t know from Adam, and laid
it all out to him. He wanted his daughter to graduate but did not have the
money to enroll her anymore, and would Sir Mon please allow her to enroll, her
tuition to be paid with his services. Sir Mon took pity and agreed, even
admitting Ka Mao into the college faculty as a lecturer in Logic and History so
he would earn for Maripaz’s allowance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How nice of
the guy. You asked him for the moon, he gave you the stars, too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Franklin
accommodated the article, giving it a five-page
spread in Insider. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next
time he came to Journal office was months after that. Again, for want of some
income, he did a little publicity article for an aspiring young singer.
Franklin was no longer there to accommodate the article; the guard informed him
that Franklin had died the past December.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of a
sudden, Ka Mao swelled inside with that terrible hollow he invariably felt each time he was seized with great
grief. It had always seemed the function of that hollow to make him realize
just how huge an emptiness it was he had gone into for having lost a dear thing
you would never get back again. And the emptiness would swell, swell into a
fire that then would explode in his chest, which he would feel shattering in
its seams, and he would choke on his convulsive sobs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Franklin,
dear Pare, Ka Mao sobbed to himself as he went away rushing from the Journal
office. He gritted his jaws and tightened the nerves around his eyes to keep
tears from falling. How cruel of Letty Celli, she always passed the word around
when colleagues in the movie press passed away, like that time she traced me
all the way to Antipolo to say Danny Villanueva had died, why had she not done so when you went, Pare? Not even Nelia
Tan had thought of calling; she knew my number.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or had Franklin been one of a few select players in
Ka Mao’s story whom he’d rather not see in coffins and by that keep them forever
alive?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER V<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>SO IT WAS FRANKLIN</b>,
more than anybody else, who knew Maurito’s editing a fashion magazine was not for
reasons anywhere close to loss of machismo. Maurito had lots of it, which he
tried to put to good use, too, on a good number of occasions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One was
with Betchie. She hailed from a
prominent family which owned a large manufacturing firm. She was not yet
twenty, an age at which a girl, having tasted enough of the juice of life,
wanted to taste more. In fact, Betchie had to bow out of college for bearing a
child whose father she would not talk about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During
changes of attires in her photo sessions with Danny, Betchie did not exercise
much prudence and was very liberal in
exposing her flesh. Anyway, Danny was, well, she knew it, which Danny wouldn’t
flaunt though. If Betchie’s was a
seduction, then it could not have been meant either for another creature at
hand, which was the queer secretary/assistant of Danny. The only guy present
was Maurito, watching on the side, waiting for his turn, which was to interview
Betchie for the feature article to go with the pictorial.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Betchie was
not so prudent either when Maurito got her to a corner of the
office-turned-photo-studio for the interview. Her hand groping on his lap, she
gently blew her answers to Maurito’s questions in an efflorescence of womanly
scent which made the hair of his skin stand to its end. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
knew that scent to be common among biological species that need copulation to
procreate. The female emits that scent to announce to the male that she is
ready to copulate. And Maurito inhaled a good fill of that scent such that he
wanted to gulp the whole of Betchie down the very bowels of his manhood.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Maurito
was a romantic. For him, carnal knowledge with a girl is not just for getting orgasm. It is for having a child, out of love with
a woman with whom to raise a family. Wouldn’t that be hypocritical for somebody
who had admitted his past flings with girls in hotel rooms and the non-admitted
ones in the dingy cubicles of Fifth Avenue cabarets in Caloocan?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No
hypocrisy there, Maurito would argue to himself. Those girls were prostitutes,
got paid for the satisfaction they gave him, and so it was even stevens between
them. Outside of this balance sheet of the flesh trade, having a girl’s
chastity for Maurito was opportunism, and he felt he was none of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If he must
have Betchie’s chastity, he must take her for a wife. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
wrote her letters, which after a time turned into subtle expressions of love.
She responded with expressions of friendship which Maurito took to be
encouragement of his intentions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All that,
of course, was prior to the release of the magazine issue carrying Betchie’s
pictorial. Betchie’s real sentiment was betrayed one afternoon when she came to
the office with a copy of the blueprint of the magazine issue. Through a
friend, Betsie had gotten that advance copy, had gone over it, and now saw
Maurito to get one word corrected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Betchie
wanted the word “effcminate” deleted from among other words Maurito used to
describe her character.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Effeminate,”
said Betchie, “is bakla.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
explained that he was not referring to gender but rather to a manner of
appearance on the ramp where female models move quite unlike women moving in
real life but quite much like, yes, indeed, baklas, so that the use of the word
“effeminate” made a precise description of Betchie’s comportment as a fashion
model. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Besides, wasn’t
Betchie encroaching upon his prerogatives as a writer? Not even Danny would
have the gall to dictate on him what words to use. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So on the
delete mark Betchie had placed for the encircled word “effeminate”, Maurito
superimposed the mark for “stet”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was
raining that evening Maurito alighted from a jeepney and rushed to Betchie’s
townhome in San Miguel Village in Makati. A maid opened the door at his
knocking, then shut the door again as she turned to inform Betchie of his
presence. Betchie came rushing from upstairs and was still wrapping her robe
around her body when she opened the door and appeared to Maurito, who was outside the iron grill at the gate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hi, good
evening.” Said Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hi,” she
replied, putting on a smile.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It became
evident to Maurito that Betchie was not inclined to let him in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The
magazine is out,” said Maurito then took out the copy of the magazine which he
had tucked inside his sweater. “I brought you a copy. Here…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She waved
the magazine away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s okay.
I already bought a copy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I see.
Have you read the article?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m sorry.
I’m dressing up for an occasion. I’m in a hurry.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, yes.
Bye.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Bye.
Thanks for coming.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Betchie
closed the door.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the
while, Maurito stood at the grill by the gate – under the rain.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER VI<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>SUITS ME FINE</b>,
Maurito chided himself after recovering from hurt feelings in that episode. To have thought that he could
enamor a socialite even just for a fling was stupid enough, but to believe she
could take him for a lifetime partner was crazy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the one
hand, he didn’t belong in Betchie’s lifestyle, or in Marxist term, class. Did
he expect to indulge in affluence wholly on Betchie’s means, nay, on the means
of Betchie’s family? If he did, he deserved damnation. On the other hand,
nothing seemed to prevent Betchie from doing the turn-around instead, i. e.,
abandon her bourgeois life and embrace the hardship of the proletariat. But
then that would be fairy tale, and no fairy tale has a poor Prince pulling down a rich Cinderella from high up her social
rung. It is always the other way around, a rich Prince rescuing a poor
Cinderella from misery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Either way,
that episode with Betchie served to dramatize one thing about Maurito: he believed people are sincere when they
spoke good to him. He took people’s words and actions at their face value and
hardly ever bothered to inquire into motives, why that word or why this action.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
niceties showered on him by people from showbiz and <i>alta sociedad</i> struck him as simply what they were, nice things
which he needed to appreciate. He never thought that those nice things were
meant to facilitate these people’s accommodation into the pages of his
magazines.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you
that naïve?” Psyche Mendoza of the Philippine Graphic asked Ka Mao just
recently; she was interviewing him about the recent landgrabbing on his
property and the discussion turned to Ka Mao’s attitude toward people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a split
moment, Ka Mao was tongue tied. He didn’t consider it naive to believe people
are good, and that you should take their words for whatever they say and take
their good actions toward one another as sincere.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
himself had wondered at times why he was that way with people, never
attributing any bad intentions on their part in their dealings with him. For he
had noticed one outstanding characteristic of society: the smart ones prevail
over those who are not. So if you want to survive in this life, be smart and
gather all the gains you can from the globe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
recognized that he was no Simon pure. He did commit this and that wrongdoing at
one point or another in his life, like that case of the boy scout uniform or
his cheating on Mamay Oliva regarding his tuition money. But each time he did,
he repented deeply, and though done only to himself, that repentance would
subject him to some kind of a thorough cleansing inside him, making him feel
good again. – and continue being good thenceforth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao
doubted if Psyche, in that interview, could have taken that explanation. With the
girl, who didn’t let the interviewee’s opinion pass without putting forward her
counterpoint, it would have instead triggered a philosophical discussion, for which
Ka Mao felt the occasion was not meant. Besides, the longer the discussions took, the more coffee you drank, and what you
pay for a cup of UCC coffee in Trinoma could buy you a gram of gold in Bontoc in the
Mountain Province. For this reason, Ka Mao did not think it wise to argue any
further when to his explanation that his sex movies were meant to advance the
equality of women with men even in such matters as courtship and copulating,
she uttered, smarting: “Don’t walk in the marsh or you’ll sink deeper into the
mire with every step.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So to her
question, “Are you that naive? ”, Ka Mao found it convenient to just say “Yes.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER VII<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>WITH SABSY</b>, the
case was entirely different. This, owing to several factors. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
` Firstly,
Sabsy was no burgis. If she qualified for some level of the Philippine bourgeoisie, it was probably no
higher than that of a petty bourgeois. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
` She was a
daughter of a Bulakena who married a Chinese merchant dealing in dried fish.
They rented an apartment in Binondo, with the two upper floors as living
quarters for the family, and the entire groundfloor as stock room and display
area for all sorts of dried fish and preserved seafood including <i>bagoong alamang</i>, shrimps caught in their
infancy, and <i>bagoong isda</i>, sauce from
sap of rotting fish, both of which, after undergoing the process of
preservation, turn out to be exotic appetizers that are a delicacy even in
five-star restaurants that serve Filipino dishes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Secondly,
Sabsy was, in the tradition of a Beatles song, just seventeen when he saw her
standing there, retaining much of the modesty of young girls not yet qualified
to be women of the world. She was in second year foreign service at the
University of Sto. Tomas and, being a serious student aspiring to join the
diplomatic corps one day, could well just be concentrating on her studies but
for the fact that Mama Isabela wanted her second youngest child to be a beauty
queen. What rewards would Sabsy get if she became a beauty queen, only Mama
Isabela knew, but those rewards must be big, for the matron was spending much for the purpose. In
other words investing, and no investor puts big money for small profits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thirdly,
Maurito developed a relationship with Sabsy that went beyond trite
give-and-take, which was the hallmark of harsh business. He paid her visits at
her Binondo home on weekends, mixed with her folks, even had dinner with the
family, and when he went. always got a pack of dried fish for bringing home. At
nights, he would call her on the phone and they would exchange little stories,
like how she got irked by her stocking getting snagged on her desk in school or
how it melted her heart to hear Jose Mari Chan sing; and, for Maurito’s part,
how he could not seem to get going with a story he had been wanting to write
since he met her. She would press him to tell what the story was all about and
he would tell her that it was about a poor dreamer who fell in love with a
seventeen-year-old fashion model with whom he wished to settle down for the
rest of his life. Maurito had that knack for wording his thoughts in a
run-about way. Writers call it style. With Maurito, it was a way of admitting
he lacked words with which to express his feelings exactly as he felt them and
that the circumlocution of verbiage succeeds in achieving the dramatic impact.
“Nice story,” Sabsy would say. “Start writing it and give it that fairy tale
ending, ‘And they lived happily ever after.’”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally,
Sabsy, at her age and with the consistent close guarding by Mama Isabel, was not
in league with those temptresses whose weapons in subduing him where their
physical assets. Sabsy made him toe the line with fine gestures, like a sulking
look in her eyes, a very subtle show of inner tantrum, and even just silence. Like that noon after a show at the Manila
Hilton, a group of thrill-seeking models were even pulling at Maurito’s hand in
trying to sit him in the restaurant for lunch. “Come on,” said the girls.
“We’ll pay.” Maurito threw a glance at Sabsy, who just kept standing there, by
the elevator, staring at him quietly. She did that to him a couple of times
before, and Maurito knew she was mad. She untangled himself from the other
models and joined Sabsy in a rush as she walked into the elevator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
felt his machismo was greatly damaged in the eyes of the other models. But on
the other hand, it made him feel extremely nice to realize that already Sabsy
was treating him as her exclusive possession.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first
time they met, Sabsy struck Maurito as just like that Finnish teener who upon
being called as a candidate in the Miss Universe Pageant walked up to the mike
with that innocent, tentative gait of an
adolescent, and then doing what looked like an amalgam of a half tiptoe, half
curtsy, introduced herself. The Finnish beauty, Joanna Raunio, won second
runner-up. But when Sabsy presented herself to Maurito with that half-tiptoe,
half-curtsy, she won a queen. He just loved that pleasantly awkward girlish
mannerism which would trigger imagery of
a rose that couldn\t seem to make its mind up whether to bloom or stay a bud.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sabsy had
all the attributes of a beauty queen. She had a face which, if Homer were to
word it, could launch a thousand ships in the tradition of Rosanna Podesta as
Helen of Troy. She wore a dimple which, like a gem, accented her every smile. She stood tall and trim, with curves and bulges
of her flesh perfect in proper places. “You’ve got such beautiful legs,”
commented Lilian Laing de Leon at an afternoon tea for candidates in the Miss
Teen Princess Philippines held at the Vera-Perez Garden, to which comment
Maurito added,”Million dollar legs which she had better gotten insured like
those of Angie Dickinson.” And the movie actress Laing – whose aristocratic demeanor just wouldn’t fit
into her fat, obtrusive physique – scowled at Maurito for having said it better.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sabsy was
modeling for Romy Lopez, a short, snub-nosed, thick-lipped fellow – the better
perhaps to spell that with just an “a” at the end for, well, femininity – who
wore an Aguinaldo hair cut as though to complete the incongruity of his looks
with the finery of fashion designing;
Romy was looked down on by couturiers in the mold of Pitoy Moreno, Ben Farrales
and Rudy Fuentes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Romy, who
had a shop in Sampaloc, Manila,
presented Sabsy to Maurito when he entered her as candidate in the search for
Top Ten Models. That search was just one among many “top tens” in a popularity
contest being conducted by Show Business Magazine, like top ten movie
directors, top ten musical directors, and top ten couturiers. The highest
category was Mr. and Miss Show Business in which the candidates were movie
stars.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Votes for
the candidates in the contest were cast through ballots you had to cut out from
copies of Show Business Magazine and Fashion and Models. That only meant you
had to buy as many magazines as you could to get votes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brilliant
marketing strategy!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Readers did
excitedly form themselves into camps taking sides in the various categories of
the rivalry. And it was always an event in the Holmsen residence when fans in
their tens and hundreds flocked there to cast their ballots in the monthly
countings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And you
could do a Garci, too. For ballots were being printed independently of the
magazines and these ballots were up for sale to candidates who were dying to
win. In the case of Sabsy – let alone the fact that Mama Isabel was going out
of her way to ensure Sabsy’s inclusion among the top ten models of the land –
Maurito made sure she made it. He tabulated the votes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thus during
that particular coronation night of Mr. and
Miss Show Business at the Araneta Coliseum in 1968, Sabsy joined the
rank of the country’s top ten fashion models, among them being the venerables
Chona Recto-Kasten and Jojie Felix
Velarde, the beauty queens Aurora Patricio and
Elsa Payumo, and the young set composed of Pearlie Arcache, Tetchie Ysmael and Cherrie
Pie Villongco.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From then
on, Maurito was Sabsy’s PRO strictly on a personal basis, meaning no business
relations whatsoever. He didn’t charge a centavo for his services, though she
gave him gifts every now and then like, yes, a pair of Swatch from Hongkong.
One time coming home from a trip abroad, she gifted him with a Nikon FT, a
status symbol among press photographers, and in the movie press, Maurito got
the distinction of being the only one who owned the luxury camera.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since
getting employed by Danny, Maurito began a hands-on training in photography.
Danny was taking the pictures he used in his publications, using a 120 mm box
camera. For the black-and-white photos, he set up his own paraphernalia
for developing and printing, which he
himself did, each time converting the office into a dark room by simply
throwing drapes across the jalousies of the window, thereby isolating the
room from any source of light outside.
For the color slides, he had them processed by Kodak in its Escolta branch. In
due time, Maurito was doing this photography job as well, and now that he was
handling Sabsy’s publicity, he found it practical to take her photos as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
wasn’t yet aware of it, but his artistic inclinations were seeking release. He
gave vent to his literary cravings by writing short stories and, in moments he
was seized with the muses, poetry, too. He did pencil drawing. And he thought
he also wanted to play the piano, so he told Danny about it, and he recommended
him to a friend matronly piano teacher, who, the master pianist that she was,
told Maurito after only two sessions|, “Forget it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For
Maurito, Sabsy was increasingly turning into an artistic creation, obsessing
him with a passion no different from that which made Pygmalion go head over
heels over the painting Galatea. And so he was there, in her every journey to
fame. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the run
up to the Miss Teen Princess of the Philippines, Sabsy needed to hold a charity
show for street children of Manila. Maurito helped Mama Isabel produce the show
by being responsible for the talents needed in the production. Maurito thought he had goodwill enough to get those talents <i>gratis et amore</i>. A few talents did come
to keep their promise of performing for free, but the Minstrels, a singing
group with following among the campus crowd and who Maurito intended to be
among the main performers, came surreptitiously, and seeing the confusion that
was taking place turned away pronto. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At that
moment, Maurito and Mama Isabel were confronting the biggest problem. The
orchestra contracted by Maurito had not yet arrived and there was no word that
they were coming at all. The orchestra consisted of musicians who regularly
played for Danny. Maurito did tell them that they would be playing for free but
he intended to surprise them with a sizeable allowance each after the show. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After much
waiting, Maurito shuddered at realizing that the musicians would no longer come.
So time to announce that the show would be cancelled, to be held under better
circumstances? Maurito could not bear the look in Mama Isabel’s face. She was
nearly crying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now,
Maurito had this amazing talent for making quick decisions. He couldn\t explain
it but in many tight situations, he would find a way of getting through. This
time around, he thought of a way out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sabsy had a
suitor, Margarito. Already in his thirties, the guy had been off to a promising
career in hotel management. He was the manager of the Aloha Hotel on Roxas
Boulevard. Maurito recalled that he had been to that hotel a few times before
and knew that on the fifth floor it had a club where a band played regularly.
There were breaks in the band’s performance and it could use one of those
breaks to hurry over to the San Sebastian Auditorium, the venue for the show. Band
accompaniment was needed only for the performance of Merci Molina which was the
finale number. So the show could proceed as programmed, beginning with the
antics of a comedy tandem, onto the tricks of a magician, then to the
performance of a singing group doing it acapela, and to the pre-finale, a
lengthy fashion show featuring creations of Romy Lopez as showcased by his mannequins,
with Sabsy as the signature model. What music the fashion number needed could
be provided by a record player. When it was
time for Merci’s finale songs, Margarito’s band should
be well in place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Mama
Isabel was sure Sabsy would not agree to asking Margarito’s help. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Why not?”
asked Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sabsy
would feel compromised. Beholden to Margarito.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
need not be told about it. He felt it, too. In fact he would be risking his own
intentions toward Sabsy should she softened up on Margarito due to his coming
to her rescue now. Still Maurito just found himself insisting, “No compromises
here. Margarito’s courtship is one thing, the show, another. It must go on.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He told
that to Sabsy when he asked her to do the calling to Margarito on the phone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No way,”
said Sabsy firmly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“But the
show…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Cancel
it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tears
formed in Mama Isabel’s eyes. Maurito
could not take it. Besides he admitted
he was to blame for the impending fiasco. Feeling extremely guilty, he
made his mind up. He hurried to the telephone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The phone
in the office of Margarito rang. He picked it up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hello.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The voice
on the other end of the line said, “Hello, Margarito. This is Mauro Gia
Samonte.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, yes,
Mauro. Sabsy’s friend.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I need
your help.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so even
before the fashion number could end in the ongoing show at the San Sebastian
Auditorium, Margarito came with the hotel band aboard a van. Margarito
personally supervised the band members in hurrying to the stage with their
instruments and positioning themselves for the finale of the show. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The band
now well in place, Margarito stood aside and watched Sabsy doing the final
turns and pirouettes in the fashion number that was ending. He smiled, proud
and satisfied. It struck Maurito as the feeling of a benefactor expecting reward
from his beneficiary. But Sabsy did her number without looking at Margarito.
Instead she threw a sweeping stare at Maurito, like castigating him for some misdeed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally,
the superb performer that she was, Merci Molina dished out the classic songs
that had made her a prima donna during the decade and that year’s top singer in the Mr. and Miss Show Business contest: “I
Who Have Nothing,” which at once got the audience swooning at her intro, and
“Those Were The Days” in which she was joined by the rest of the performers,
including Sabsy and the other fashion models, while the audience could not but
react with their own sing-along, up on their feet, clapping their hands and
swaying to the passion and vibrancy of the finale tune.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Really
crying now but crying tears of joy, Mama Isabela thanked Margarito profusely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Thank you…
Thank you… If it were not for you…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Margarito
cut her short. “Anything for Sabsy,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito ached
at the conversation but pretended not to hear it. He joined the crew at the
backstage in their sing-along. He felt giving in to a nascent grief. Mama
Isabel was right. The show would have been a disaster had not Margarito come to
the rescue. And that was no cause for relief on the part of Maurito. On the
contrary, it humbled him exceedingly: he was too little, indeed, to reach
Sabsy, too. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At that,
Maurito finally let his tears drop. But he sang on, consoling himself, “Oh,
well. That’s how the cookie crumbles.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shortly
after, Sabsy would go on to win the Miss Teen Princess of the Philippines
title, and to her coronation night at the Manila Hotel, she made sure she sent Maurito
an invitation. Maurito had learned from her that Margarito was invited as well,
so that though Maurito had his
coat-and-tie on when he left home that evening, intending to attend the
coronation affair, upon reaching Avenida Rizal, he tarried at Luisa and Sons
where he took a bottle of beer while waiting for a friend he had called. Bonnie
Paredes arrived in no time and agreed when Maurito asked him to pitch in for
him in the Manila Hotel affair. Maurito gave Bonnie the Nikon FT to use in
taking photos of Sabsy. Hardly had Maurito finished his second bottle when
Bonnie came back, rushing, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sabsy won’t
accept a proxy,” said Bonnie. “It’s you she wants,, she said. You must come.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
gave Bonnie one hard stare in conveying what he wanted to say; served Bonnie
fine if he didn’t know what he meant. Then he ordered two bottles more for the
two of them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s all
over, Maurito resolved to himself. It was not the martyr complex in him that
was at play now, his consistency at playing hero, doing people great things
with no expectation for rewards. Rather it was a questioning: If Sabsy had but
a little endearment for him, why should she have the heart to put him in that
Manila Hotel affair together with a rival who had already trashed him in that
San Sebastian Auditorium show? Maurito imagined himself in his bareness being
pitted against a gladiator in full combat regalia. How could he win? If, then,
he attended the Manila Hotel affair, he would only be indulging in masochism of
the highest order.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
gulfed what remained of the beer in the
bottle he had in his hand before drinking on the next bottle bottoms up.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Years
later, in the progress of his film career, Maurito would learn that once you’ve
made the punch you want to deliver in your story, stop; everything else after
that is anti-climactic. Sabsy’s episode in his story was one of good and beauty, so let her end
there, in the finale of the San Sebastian Auditorium show, when in the joy of a
song she vied with time for the eternity of her utmost good, her most
beautiful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those were
the days my friend</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’d
thought would never end</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’d sing
and dance forever in a day</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’d live
the life we chose</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’d thought
we’d never lose</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those were
the days, oh, yes those were the days</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…</div>
</div>Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-35767680510287260332012-04-01T16:28:00.001-07:002012-04-04T14:47:38.825-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>SHOES OF THE TRAVELER</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>By Mauro Gia Samonte</b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>BOOK THREE<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>DAWNING IN MANILA <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER I</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NASCENT daylight served to illumine the city skyline as a
locomotive, its horn blowing, chug-chugged from the Tayuman bend of the
railtracks heading for a stop at the Tutuban Terminal Station of the Philippine
National Railway. Streaks of brilliance shot up gently from below the
horizon, just enough to create soft outlines of city features, like tall
buildings and short shelters, neon signs, and electric posts that appeared to
be giant exclamation marks that punctuated what otherwise is a yet grey, unlit
sky. These elements made up somewhat an artful landscape for the end of the
train’s journey – Maurito’s transition to the next phase of his life’s travel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
awakened at the jerk the train made in coming to a stop. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Impulsively,
he joined the frenzy of passengers in hastily gathering their luggages and then
hurrying to get off the train. The couple passengers with whom he had shared the
train seat address him with concern.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you
sure you know where you are going?” asked the woman.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We’re
taking a taxi. We could drop you off,” offered the man.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Take a
jeepney to Quiapo, Mamay Oliva had instructed me in her letter,” Maurito said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh,
Quiapo. We’re going to Sangandaan. Opposite direction,” said the woman.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mamay said, alight at the corner of P. Gomez.
Two houses from that corner is her apartment,” Maurito said, assuring the
couple that he knew where he was going. “Only problem, where do I take the
jeepney to Quiapo?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“After
getting out of the station, cross Azcarraga. That’s where jeepneys to Quiapo
pass.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn was
fast turning into day as Maurito walked out of the Tutuban station. He stood
still for a long while, just glancing around, as though essaying the kind of
life he was heading into in the city.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MANILA</b> is the
Mecca of every poor Calolbon boy or girl desiring to conquer the poverty of his
hometown. No sooner that they graduate from the elementary grades than their
families would pawn whatever valuable they have to raise transportation money
for going to the city, there to slave for one year mostly as household
servants, shop helpers, restaurant waitresses and boys, and street and market
vendors. They would scrimp on expenses in their day-to-day subsistence so they
would have some cash to bring home to the folks at home by which to celebrate
the town fiesta, the feast of San Andres. What they save in a year, they spend
all in a day’s ostentation, leaving only an amount unspent, meant for funding
their next trip to Manila and start the cycle all over again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More than a
manner of honoring a Catholic saint, San Andres fiestas have become an occasion
for showcasing what rise households have gained in social level. The ability to
send children to Manila, therefore, has become the measure of a poor family’s
social rise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In
Maurito’s case, coming to Manila was far from having to show off what had been
gained from the city come fiesta time. It was a lifetime resolve to see his
family rise above poverty. If it went to the extent of making his family join
the rich class, then let it be. After all being rich is everybody’s wish. And
Manila had become the promised land for making that wish come true.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All his
years in the elementary grades, Maurito had heard only about Manila in stories by those
who had gone to the city and had told tall tales about it upon returning to the
town. These stories made up with
braggadocio characteristic of feudal culture had had a way of ensconcing in
Maurito’s young consciousness an image of Manila as the ideal world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, as he
stood there with the city finally in full daylight, Maurito for the first time
got clear gilmpses of what Manila really was. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The city was not quite the way people had
spoken about it back in Calolbon. Things
didn’t seem to place well with one another: tall, concrete edifices here,
cardboard houses there; horse-drawn <i>calesas
</i>vying with gas-powered motor vehicles on the streets; man-pushed carts
laden with fruits, vegetables and all sorts of dry merchandise racing with
delivery trucks; people eating in posh
restaurants, others at sidewalk stalls; whole families with suckling infants
making-do with an improvised shelter on the street sides; heavily-tatooed
toughies ganging up on a man, with the street crowd making no effort to help.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER II<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>INITIAL </b>glimpses
of the city would actually be a daily fare for Maurito in his eventual pursuit
of secondary education at the Mapa High School for which Mamay Oliva had sent
for him to Manila.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At nights
he deligted at the play of neon lights in advertisements at building tops, in
signs of busisness establishments, particularly nightclubs, restaurants and
movie theaters. These, while car headlights streamed on the boulevard all night
long.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the day,
he squinted at sight of squatter shanties on the esteros of R. Hidalgo, Arlegui
and Echague, a big colony of slums in Intramuros, pickpockets on Carriedo and
even right in the yard of Quiapo Church – not to mention Tondo, the perennial
barometer for poor, wretched living.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A
traffic policeman was rammed to death by an enraged jeepney driver who could no longer take the
policeman’s unending mulcting. Even at daytime, prostitutes plied their trade
on the sidewalks of Misericordia and Raon while gangwars erupted nightly among juveniles taking after the youth
rebellion in James Dean movies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was
the reality Maurito had to face every day of his existence in the city.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He lived in
Mamay Oliva’s apartment on P. Gomez Street, just a block away from Quiapo
Church. He traversed this block on schooldays, crossed the Plaza Miranda
intersection with Quezon Boulevard onward to Arlegui where the Mapa High School
building was. On Saturdays, he worked in a dental clinic, also on Arlegui. where
Mamay Oliva had recommended him to do errands including cleaning the clinic and
religiously replenishing the glass vase on
the table in the reception area with fresh flowers which he bought from
Echague. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mamay Oliva
was earning some nice income working as theater checker for Sampaguita
Pictures. At the same time, she ran a photo studio just across Quezon Boulevard
from the Quiapo Church. She definitely had means to sustain Maurito’s schooling
without him getting bothered about working for his allowance and certain
personal needs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But she
wanted to hone Maurito up early on the virtues of industriousness and
self-reliance, and his working as a janitor-messenger-what-have-you in the
dental clinic was part of such honing up. He earned 20 pesos per month, which
meant an allowance of 1 peso per school day. That was not too small really at a
time when you could buy Coca-Cola for 10 centavos and a stick of banana cue for
5. As for transportation, it was no problem. He walked that distance from P.
Gomez to Arlegui. So if he were as spendthript as Mamay Oliva, he could even
save a good portion of that 1 peso at the end of the day. On weekends, he could
use the savings for watching a Marilyn Monroe movie at Main Theater, which was just beside
Mamay Oliva’s Boulevard Studio, a vaudeville at Clover Theater on Echague, or
if Mamay was not really looking, a burlesque show at Inday Theater.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That proved
the irony of his Manila studies. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the one
hand, he found himself gullible for the many pleasures the city offered. It instilled in him a feeling of being set
apart from multitudes of Manila folks to whom education even in public schools
was a luxury. In the context of the struggle between the rich and the poor, this
feeling tended to draw him more toward the former than the latter. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was
quite a difficult feeling. He was not rich, yet he didn’t feel poor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Surely, there were poor people in Calolbon.
The Samontes were themselves poor. But
none the likes of those in Manila. Many
slept on sidewalks, many of them young children, nearly among rubbish, and
during the wet season, in the cold of rain,
nothing to warm themselves up with but
a piece of cardboard, or none at
all but their damp, greasy clothes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He was
better off then when he was in Calolbon. There he knew he was poor, quite apart
from the few that led affluent lives. But compared to the squatters and street
dwellers of Manila, any of the Calolbon poor would rise many rungs higher. For
this reason, Maurito just wouldn’t identify himself with the Manila poor,
though he knew, too, he didn’t belong to the rich.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seemed
unending, the dilemma of being neither rich nor poor yet the persistent feeling
of having to make a choice between the rich and the poor. If he chose the poor, he would have to live
the wretched lives of the squatters and street dwellers of Manila; if the rich,
indulge in the pleasures of the city. Either way, he wouldn’t finish his
studies, which both Tatay Simo and Mamay Oliva believed the only way for him to
lift the family from poverty, that is, the poverty in Calolbon. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only
remaining option would be to leave the situation at that, which would be worst
because he surely would get nowhere. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Indeed,
while he went along with slums youngsters in going around the Quiapo, Sta. Cruz
and Sampaloc areas shining shoes or vending comics and magazines during
weekends, he spent the money he earned from those callings in mixing with
well-off classmates in their nascent pursuits of pleasure. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For two
years, Maurito privately bore with his torment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was
nobody to share it with in the Manila household. Mamay Oliva was always
traveling in the course of her work. It seemed enough that she kept her
obligation of providing for the subsistence of three nephews and three nieces
in the household who, anyhow, all had sources of income on which to depend for
their personal needs. Only Maurito was fully dependent on Mamay Oliva. This
should be true for his moral and spiritual needs as well, but Mamay Oliva just didn’t
have the time. Nor did his elder cousins. What togetherness they shared seemed
limited to mealtimes, when listening to popular radio soap operas and musical
programs, or when going to church by two among the seven.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito had
the genes of his father as far as concerned his keeping his thoughts to himself
unless provoked to express them. So to the many questions that harassed his
mind, there just was nobody to turn to for answers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He
particularly began asking if God did exist. For if he did, why allow such
disparity among his creations? No father with equal love for his children would
bless one child with a life of luxury and the other with abject misery. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He would often recall that in Grade
3, the highest grade he got was in religion. He was perfect in the recitation
of the Apostle’s Creed and the Beatitudes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Blessed
are the poor for they shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wasn’t this
blessedness concocted just so some few select people could wallow in the riches
of the earth? If so, therefore, the Kingdom of God was no more than a ploy to
fool the poor in making them accept their oppression and exploitation by the
rich. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Maurito
was only fourteen. Deep thoughts like these occurred to him in vague terms and
hence he was hard put to get clear answers to. Deep thinking confounded his
youthful dilemma. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER III<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THAT MORNING Maurito got up from bed early so he wouldn’t
miss talking to Mamay Oliva who as usual was in a hurry to go to her assignment
in a provincial theater. He showed her his shoes with soles peeling off at the
tip.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s been
days since I showed you this. Can I buy new ones now? We are auditioning for
the Student Canteen this afternoon.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“A little
glue will fix it,” she said, as she finished putting a blush-on on her cheeks
and hurried to do the bun on her hair. Mamay Oliva was such a prim and
street-smart woman who would not leave the house without doing her complete
make-up and hairdo. “Use your allowance. I will replenish it later.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Had it
glued several times already. It always peeled off when I walked in the rain.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Have it
fixed for now.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
began sulking inside. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mamay Oliva
finished her hairdo. She grabbed her shoes and put them on, saying, “Don’t I
always tell you? Be frugal. Let every centavo count. Concentrate on necessary
expenses. Your shoes can still be fixed,
have themt fixed. My own shoes need replacing also, but I bear with them. ”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her shoes
on, Mamay Oliva made a last look-see of herself on the mirror of her dresser, grabbed her bag and turned to leave.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m in a
hurry. The theater in Cavite City opens ten in the morning,” she said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mamay, I’d
be very embarrassed to wear my shoes to Student Canteen,” Maurito said
desperately.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Don’t come
to Student Canteen. You came to Manila for your studies.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
raged inside. Even before Mamay Oliva could walk out through the door, he beat
her for outside, rushing in an obvious run-away. Mamay Oliva inwardly took
offense but spoke no word. She had always been accommodating of Maurito’s
impulsive mood. His little tantrums, she attributed to his youth. In the
several instances when the Mapa High School Guidance Counselor summoned her for
conferences over Maurito’s certain misbehavior in school, she always came, even
gifting the counselor with movie passes in pleading to give Maurito another
chance to make good.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was not
that Mamay Oliva didn’t care about Maurito’s running away. It was just that she
felt Maurito had to be told that enough was enough, and if it needed that show
of indifference to make him mend his errant ways, then she did show it enough by not stopping him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Actually
Maurito needed only to hear Mamay Oliva calling at him to come back and he
would have easily turned back to the thouse. But she kept quiet, and Maurito in
his young pride went on rushing, losing himself in the crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ALL DAY LONG Maurito floundered in a sea of people flowing
in frenzy in their respective businesses in every sector of the Quiapo district:
shoppers, traders, vendors engaging policemen in veritable hide-and-seek in
plying their trades on sidewalks, marketing folks, baggage boys, market
kargadors, sexily-attired sluts posing as manicure girls on Avenida Rizal,
pickpockets and snatchers, barge crewmen along the docks of Pasig River,
pushcart boys scavenging in trash dumpsites, all sorts of students
window-shopping in department stores, men crowding in a chess game on the
sidewalks, elocutioners at Plaza Miranda debating on every topic under the sun
no sooner than it would shine in the horizon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a
phenomenon, Maurito thought, that such great movement took place among people
of varying dispositions, pursuing objectives independently of one another yet
never colliding in one another’s rush to their individual destinations. Some
supreme single force must be directing all these mighty movements or otherwise
people would have to end up crashing into one another.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again
Maurito was fourteen and a long way off to intellectual maturity for
crystallizing his thoughts. But already he was concluding that there must be
one single mechanism that makes multitudes move the way they do and that if he
could discover that mechanism, he could conquer the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He cowered
at this thought, realizing that it was way past noon. How crazy of him to
think of conquering the world when just for finding a piece of food to feed
into his mouth he was utterly powerless. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Walking
aimlessly on, he avoided passing eating places by way of diverting his mind
from hunger. How stupid of him, he thought, for having run away. With Mamay
Oliva, food had been no problem. She made sure the whole household had three
meals a day. He told himself, he could
have just borne with his old shoes, never mind if its sole flip-flapped at the
tip, for still he had shoes to wear, unlike now that he walked on bare feet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His feet
curled up in a vain effort to avoid the heat from the pavement veritably
sizzling with heat from the afternoon sun. He was trudging up the MacArthur
Bridge that spanned the Pasig River just off the point of junction with the
Manila Bay. From the bridge, he crossed the Lawton Plaza and the Mehan Garden,
ending up at the Luneta where he sought a nook for passing his hunger in a nap.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A long nap,
he did take, still it was the pinch from his rumbling stomach that awakened
him. He sat up by reflex, like getting up from sleep in his own bed, but for
sheer want of a sure place to go to, he throw back into the grass, crumpling
his body as he lay on his side. The cadence of engine motor sounds and the
gentle rustling of bushes at touch of the wind became as music that lulled him
back into sleep...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BY NIGHTFALL, a pair of unshod feet shuffled on the sidewalk
at the corner of P. Gomez and Ronquillo.
The evening hour is early and the windows of Mamay Oliva’s apartment are wide
open, making visible the excitement of three girls over the musical program from the
radio set in one corner, while a boy sat at the window sill, engrossed in
reading comics.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
took care not to be seen by those at the window as he moved about in the street
corner. From his mannerism, it was obvious that he was planning to get back
home but holding back on it due to pride or whatever it was. It wasn’t easy to
return home just like that after that utter show of defiance to Mamay Oliva.
Not that Mamay Oliva was an enemy but that at least a high degree of
self-respect prevented him from swallowing back what he had thrown up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He stared
as Manay Consoling offered a piece of food in a cooking spoon for tasting by
the girls around the radio set. The girls tasted the food then signaled that it
was okay, and Manay Consoling gestured that supper was ready. The girls hurry
away from the window.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
knew what was taking place, and the thought made him extremely hungry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Indeed, when
the girls got back in sight, they had a plate each filled with food which they
ate, using their hands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
ached at the sight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His feet
shuffled away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
found himself walking into the site of a Chinese restaurant where unlike the
Jollibee or McDo of today had no guards to block street urchins rushing in to
grab at leftovers as soon as diners signaled for the bill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
would much like to do the same, except that he had not been cut out for the
chore. Back in the province, he might be feeding on just kamote, cassava or
some other root crop day in and day out, and partaking of soup of boiled kamote
tops, but always the meal would be hot, freshly-cooked. Now he could only stand
just outside the entrance, gulping nothing down his throat as the other kids gobbled
up whatever were left in the plates. And he remembered a scene in a film
documentary where laughing hyenas feasted on the carcass of a decaying beast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One boy who
rushed out hugging a sizeable mixture of leftovers gathered in newspaper page noticed Maurito staring
hungrily.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What are
you waiting for? Move,” said the boy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
shook his head. “They got it all.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, well,”
the boy said, tugging at Maurito . “Come.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The boy
split the food as he sat against a post, prompting Maurito to join him, He gave
one part to Maurito, then started eating his own part voraciously.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
took time deciding whether he could stomach the mixed what-nots, so the boy
nudged him with an elbow, at which Maurito finally matched the boy’s
voraciousness. He must be so hungry that he finished his food much ahead of the
boy. Noticing it, the boy gave to Maurito what was left of his food.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No that’s
yours,” said Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m full,
you’re still hungry. Eat.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THAT WAS</b> a low,
low point in Ka Mao’s adolescence, or so he felt then as he bundled up against
a post, while the other kids were asleep here and there against the wall. He
was controlling tears of self-pity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
must have slept late that night. When he awoke the next morning, the Quiapo
sidewalk had begun teeming with early crowd. He stirred at touch of a stool on
his foot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A young man
in near twenties was arranging his paraphernalia for shining shoes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is my
spot,” Fredo, the young man, said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
needed not to ask what Fredo meant, as a man sat on the stool and placed his
shoed foot on top of the shoe-shine box in front of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Be quick.
I’m in a hurry,” said the man.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Fredo
moved fast in shining the man’s shoe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito got
to his feet. He looked around aimlessly. He spotted something. A piece of
lanzones had dropped from a vendor’s cart and had rolled into the gutter
flowing with sewage water. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
hurriedly picked up the fruit, wiped it on his pants, and after half-peeling
the rind off, pressed the flesh into his mouth. Fredo saw it and squinted
inwardly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a
moment, Maurito just stood, deciding to himself which way to go. As he began
stepping away, Fredo called.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hey, boy!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE SUN was a red ball half-way down the horizon of Manila
Bay when Fredo led Maurito into a shanty in the slums of Tambunting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is my
home,” Fredo said, setting on the table the <i>pansit
</i>he brought, wrapped in banana leaf. “Sit here. We eat.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
took a seat at the table. Fredo proceeded to put rice in two plates which he
set on the table for the two of them. .</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They began
eating, using their bare hands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You can
stay here,” said Fredo. “I’m alone in the house anyway. And you can earn some
money by helping me in my shoe-shine work.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Fine,”
agreed Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“But I
cannot send you to school.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
stared.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sleep here
tonight. Tomorrow I’ll accompany you to your Mamay Oliva.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“She will
get mad,” Maurito protested.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Has she
ever hurt you?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, not
ever.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Surely she
must be a good person for supporting you in your studies. School is the best
thing that could happen to poor people like us. I didn’t have that opportunity.
You have. Don’t waste it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER IV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MAURITO </b>was in
third year high school then. After having been reconciled by Fredo with Mamay
Oliva, he encountered no more serious hitches in hurdling the rest of the
course, onward to a promising pursuit of a college degree. He was well on the
way to an engineering degree in 1963. Two years more and Mamay Oliva could hold
her chin up for having produced the first civil engineer in the Samonte family.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Jose
had graduated from high school and now came to Manila to take the UPCAT or the
University of the Philippines College Admission Test. He was hoping to get a
full scholarship, because that was the only way he could pursue his college
studies. Their parents’ supporting him in school was out of the question and
Mamay Oliva was already into minding Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jose easily
passed the test, but it did not help any in his desire for a full scholarship.
The school stuck to its rule of awarding full scholarship to high school
valedictorians. Jose graduated
salutatorian at the San Andres Vocational School in Calolbon, which qualified
him only for a half scholarship. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still, for
even just half of Jose’s college expenses to pay, their parents did not have
the means.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
felt just bad. For days on during that summer, an idea kept on troubling his
mind almost like torment. What if he stopped in his studies and gave way to
Jose? He had had college education enough
to land him a job and go on self-support studies later. One or two semesters
out of school won’t matter much. What’s important was that the flowering of
Jose’s scholastic brilliance kept its momentum. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for the
momentum of his own college pursuit, Maurito felt he actually needed a break.
He had succumbed to the pleasures of the city, gallivanting with friends in
beer joints, in billiard halls, or otherwise
dating a girl or two to movie theaters, or partying every so often. Lately, he
began doubting if he could finish engineering in five years?. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was no
big deal, those pleasure sorties. Boys
from families not necessarily rich but with means in life could very well
afford them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But for
Maurito who had no means whatsoever and whose access to money was the meager
allowance he got from Mamay Oliva, indulging in those pleasures, no matter how
modest they were, was a big problem. Time came when Maurito began squandering
his tuition money just to be able to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak. To
cover this up, he produced falsified payment receipts which though done on
genuine school receipt forms were run through standard typewriter and not
through the official school cash register. He would present the bogus receipt
to Mamay Oliva to show that he paid the money she gave for his tuition fee. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Mamay
Oliva would believe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Low-witted
boys would have a hard time doing the
trick. For not paying their tuition fees, they would have to pass up the
semester without taking the final exams thereby getting grades of Incomplete.
That way, their paremts would find out their shenanigans.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For
Maurito, it did him good on the one hand. All he did was make real good in his
studies so that he got exempted from taking the final examinations. So for the meantime, he passed the semester
without settling his back accounts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the
other hand, he would reel with worry at having to pay the past tution fee in
order to be able to enroll in the succeeding semester. For the second semester last schoolyear,
Maurito got through it by vending soft
drinks and snack during shows at the Araneta Coliseum. He earned quite a sum so
that he was able to pay what he had squandered the semester before.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But toward
the first semester of the coming schoolyear, Maurito had begun to worry. He was
banned from vending in the the Araneta Coliseum together with his friends,
because they had a rumble with a group of spectators during the Harry Belafonte
show. He was beginning to doubt if he could earn money in time for the
enrolment in June.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If Mamay
shifted his support to Jose, Maurito did not have to worry about having to
enroll come June.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So Maurito
had a candid talk with Mamay Oliva. He told her that he had lost interest in
engineering and would she instead please support Jose, who wanted to enter the
University of the Philippines for a law course.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I want an
engineer in the family. You’re almost
there,” Mamay Oliva said, betraying an inner ache. “In fact, you’ve got advance
fourth year subjects already.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I feel I’d
be best in writing,” said Maurito. “Journalism.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Start all
over again?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No need
to. I can learn writing on self-study.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mamay Oliva
didn’t give any definite answer during that talk. Maurito decided to put it all
out in writing. She confessed to her how
he had been cheating on her about the tuition money and that he did not wish to
burden her any further. He told her that Jose wasn’t bad like he had been,
would not ever commit the sin he had done, and so would she please support him. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ever the
magnanimous, benevolent, benign benefactor, Mamay Oliva agreed this time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
would be vindicated in his decision. Jose was accepted at the UP as a partial
scholar onward to finishing a law course and ultimately landing a top post in
the legal division of Napocor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But was
Maurito’s decision right because Jose became a successful lawyer?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a time,
Ka Mao had been thinking so. He had this feeling of being a hero, some kind of
a superhuman who can do wonders as much as sacrifices, like saving people in
dire straits or carrying the burdens of the oppressed up his own calvary.
Messianic complex, psychologists term it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No! Ka Mao
would protest to himself in his fading years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His
decision was right not because Jose became a successful lawyer but because it made
Ka Mao feel good doing it. The act of the boy in sharing his food with Maurito
in that experience with the Quiapo
street children was right because it made the boy feel good doing it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ka Mao had
gone through so much travail in life to
realize that good must never be measured
in terms of effect on the recipient. Had
Maurito been such a glutton in that Quiapo experience and the boy who
shared his food, in his scarcity. could not sate Maurito’s hunger, would that
make the boy ungood. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fredo could
make good use of Maurito as a helper in his shoe-shine work and Maurito was
only too glad to do it, but it made Fredo feel good reconciling Maurito with
Mamay Oliva for the sake of Maurito’s studies. Did Maurito’s not finishing his
college course diminish the good intention of Fredo?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For that
matter, would Mamay Oliva be less good
in supporting Maurito in his studies all because he failed to finish his engineering
course? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That would
be injustice! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mamay Oliva
went on in her innate selfless way by showering her continuing goodness not only on Jose, in
fact, but also on Violeta and Ellen. Violeta finished Education at the
University of the East; Ellen, Medical Technology at the University of Sto.
Tomas. Mamay Oliva funded all those studies with her income supplemented by
modest earnings of a sari-sari store she set up in Blumentritt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mamay Oliva
died in 1994 in the house built for her
by Ellen in Calolbon. She was so sadly alone.
Ellen was in Kuwait, working in a hospital; Violeta, at the National
Housing Authority doing accountancy work; Jose was second top man at the
Napocor Legal Division; and Ka Mao deep into filmmaking. Tatay Simo and Nanay
Puping were secure in the house of Jose in Napocor Village whose amenities gave
them a comfortable retirement that was quite a rise from their poor beginnings. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Only two of
Ka Mao’s siblings were in Calolbon to have been at her deathbed when Mamay
Oliva died. But Raul was out fishing at the time and Manuel had his own family
to mind in another house. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Raul and
Manuel were also the only two among Ka Mao’s siblings who did not get any
schooling support from Mamay Oliva. Yet all throughout that long period of
Mamay Oliva’s retirement in Calolbon,
Raul and Manuel were the only two who gave their physical presence in dutifully attending to her needs up to the
time of her death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That must be what good really is. As
Mamay had shown, don’t count costs, nor expect gains. Ka Mao learned now, good is a thing in itself, immeasurable
in its immensity, incapable of being quantified
by the recipient, much less by the giver.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did Mamay
Oliva know just how much good she had done? She never said, she could no longer
say now. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But we, her
good, live on, said Ka Mao to himself as Jose delivered his eulogy at her funeral
services</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHAPTER V<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OUT OF Mamay Oliva’s patronage, Maurito stayed behind with
Manay Consoling in the M. Hizon Street apartment when Mamay Oliva moved to the
Cavite Street apartment where she set up the sari-sari store. Maurito felt he was mature enough to stop
being Mamay Oliva’s burden.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manay
Consoling herself had been a beneficiary of Mamay Oliva, who enrolled her at
the Sta. Catalina College, as an intern at that. But the immaturity of youth
took the better of her. At fifteen, she ran away from the school and eloped
with a boy, whom she married and had children with, Buddy, Boboy and Eva. But
when she was pregnant with Eva, her frequent quarrels with her husband ended up
in separation. She had her children under the care of her mother in Calolbon
while she worked in Manila, as an attendant in Mamay Oliva’s photo studio on
Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manay
Consoling had been a doting older sister to the fresh elementary graduate
Maurito when he came to Manila for his studies. She was Maurito’s constant companion on weekends, sightseeing
in Luneta, viewing movies, and on Sundays hearing mass at the Quiapo Church.
Mamay Oliva’s apartment at the time in which all her nephews and nieces in
Manila stayed was on P. Gomez Street, just a block away from the church; her
photo studio, just across Quezon Boulevard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manay
Consoling had always been proud of Ka Mao’s brilliance as a boy. One time she
brought him to a popular program on DZRH to join a spelling contest. He won
with a prize of a case of Royal True Orange.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When hard
times came and Mamay Oliva had to close down the photo studio, Manay Consoling
worked as a singer in a nightclub. She was very pretty and naturally seductive,
attributes that made her a hit. She had a soprano voice, which in the fifties,
when she must have been at her prettiest, attracted promoters who would offer
her stardom. But she detested the idea of going out on dates in exchange, and
thus she did not profit from the pragmatism which brought fame and fortune to
many a singer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, she
earned enough with her regular fee, commission from drinks and tips. When Buddy
and Boboy reached high school age, she brought the boys to Manila where to
continue their studies together with Eva. She earned additional income by
spending her afternoons sewing clothes and rugs which were up for sale by
vendors in the market.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito voluntarily did the chores of a houseboy. He
cleaned the house, fetched water from a hydrant a block away, did the marketing
and cleaned the things he bought for Manay Consoling’s cooking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All these,
as his way of paying for his subsistence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yet
Manay Consoling never asked him to do so, too. Like Mamay Oliva she did not
count the cost of his stay in the house nor expected anything in return.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later on in
her life, after surviving her own many travails, when the task demanded of parents to secure
the future of their children through whatever means no longer bore upon her
shoulders –Buddy had finished Accountancy at the University of the East and had
landed the post of a head bank accountant, and Boboy, Architecture at the Mapua
Institute of Technology and got a nice spot in the architecture department of
the Bureau of Internal Revenue; Eva had long joined her Creator owing to an
enlarging heart that never got cured even before she could finish the
elementary grades – Manay Consoling found herself shifting her natural gift for
singing from the glitter of nightclub stages to the glorious enlightenment in a
Born Again congregation in whose choir she sang dutifully every Sunday.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In recent times, Manay Consoling had gifted Ka
Mao with two versions of the Bible and the book <i>Purpose Driven Life</i>; the former, he had grown the habit of reading,
the latter he got done with only up to Chapter 1. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I always
tell my congregation proudly that you are such an intelligent man and that if
only you’d wish it you can be a pastor. I’d love to see you become a pastor,”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was
how sure Manay Consoling was with her
words, Ka Mao mused to himself. Just like when she told him he could win in the
spelling contest, and he won.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But at
this, Ka Mao would say if only to himself, “Look, the contest you are asking me
to join is not one where to win a case of Royal True Orange to sate the thirst
of our mouths. It is one where to drink
the water of eternal salvation. That’s not easy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SEEING how Maurito was wasting his talent and energy doing
household chores fit for domestic helpers, Manay Consoling persevered in
finding him a job. She had friends and they got connections. Sure enough, after
a time, Manay Consoling enthused to him that she got work for him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What?”
Maurito asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Messenger,”she
said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fine
enough, Maurito thought to himself. And he entertained visions of the job, he
making the rounds of offices, delivering messages. Not so hard, he thought.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The dresser
that he was until then, he put on his white gabardine pants topped by a white
shirt striped with blue when he reported for work for the first time. It turned
out the travel agency with office in Binondo, barely had business. For want of
any messaging for Ka Mao to do, the owner of the agency, a big womanizing man
with such a sweet, sweet name, Dulcesimo, ordered him to dust the tables and
chairs, sweep the floor, do a variety of menial errands highlighted by his cleaning the agency
owner’s Oldsmobile.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pesky
driver of the parked car nearby chided Maurito, “You don’t have to show off in
that attire. You’re just a carwash boy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
stayed in the job. The pay was good enough and already he was sure of enrolling
again at MIT come next semester. Even as by this time, Tatay Simo started
writing him for financial support for the needs of the family, including the
studies back in the province of his sisters. Violeta was already in high
school, Ellen, in Grade 6. Maurito figured out that after providing for the
family’s needs, he would still have enough to sustain his self-support studies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The work
was stay-in. And that’s what was best about the job. More than the free meals,
he would have the office all to himself at nights. He had learned typing at the
Gregg Voicational School, and now that he had a typewriter of his own, he gave
vent to his urging for release of so many ideas in his mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
first-ever piece that he got published was a letter to the editor in the Manila
Times commending for a good action the then Secretary of Education Alejandro
Roces had done. It never crossed Maurito’s nind that the guy he was praising was a Roces
and hence would easily find favor in a newspaper published by the famed Roceses
of the publication industry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for his
attempts at English fiction, a friend of the agency owner, named Jimmy, would
size it up this way: “The only good thing about your writing is that you’re
helping the paper industry.” At Maurito’s wondering stare, Jimmy would add:
“Imagine the volumes of paper you waste. That’s income for the industry.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Maurito
wouldn’t be dismayed. True, he was getting rejection after rejection of
manuscripts submitted to <i>Weekly Graphic</i>.
What would keep him going was the constant encouragement by WG Literary Editor
Vicente Rivera, Jr., who never tired writing inspiring notes on the slips that
went with the rejections. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The best
way to learn how to write is to keep on reading and writing.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reading,
Maurito thought as he pounded the typewriter for another piece, I have enough,
if not much yet. I had not been most voracious reader in the elementary for
nothing. But as for writing, maybe not yet, but just you wait, just you wait
wise guy Jimmy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And he
pounded the typewriter ragingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THAT AFTERNOON was just one of the many past ones he had
spent scouring the newsstands of Rizal Avenue for a copy of Weekly Graphic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
magazine must have a way of selling fast, Maurito told himself. He had gone to three stands already and all
of them had their copies of the magazine sold out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For weeks
on since he last submitted a story to the magazine, he had religiously bought
every issue of it, since he had not gotten the manuscript back. Normally he
would receive the returned manuscript through the mail no longer than two weeks after
submission..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally,
Maurito came upon a stand that still had
a few copies of the magazine left. He
grabbed the magazine, like beating an opponent for it. He quickly leafed
through the pages, seized by an ambivalent feeling. He wanted to get fast to
the Literary Section to see if his story was there, yet at the same time he did
not want to get to that section, not wanting to find out that the story was not
yet there. But he must know, and finally opening into the Literary Section, he
gaped at a caricature of a young adolescent girl prancing in the sunlight while
at a distance a young man carrying school paraphernalia in his hands watched in
a happy trance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
felt his heart skipped beats. The characters were so familiar. He moved his eyes upward on the page, and yes, indeed!
he yelled to himself. The byline “Mauro
Gia Samonte” was in bold, unmistakable fonts along with the title: “Forests of
the Heart.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He made it
at long last!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He wanted to shout to the world, yell
as loud as he could. Or jump and punch the air, even roll on the pavement and
do a merry-go-round on his butt, with his feet kicking. The heck with people.
They’re no writers. They don’t know how it feels for a writer to see his first
creation ever getting published, his first ever byline in print. That
feeling, perhaps matched only by the
exquisite joy of a mother hearing the cry of her first born. Maurito didn’t
quite understand what Nanay Puping exactly meant that day she told him how she
felt when she gave birth to him. Now, gaping at his own first born, Maurito
knew exactly what Nanay Puping meant. It was heavenly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Give me
all those, “ Maurito told the newsstand attendant, a fortyish woman who had no
predilection to smile.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She kept
that stoic mien on her face as she stared at Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I mean,
all,” Maurito said with a smile that said,”Aren’t you glad I’m buying all
those.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The woman
gathered all the remaining copies of <i>Weekly
Graphic</i> and gave them to Maurito, not bothering to bundle them up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
showed the woman to the Literary Section and pointed to the byline.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s
me!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The woman
gave Maurito one stoic glance then held out her palm. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Pay,” she
said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maurito
eyed the woman chidingly as he gave her the payment for the magazine. He really
took offense at the woman’s not matching his enthusiasm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What a
snob,” Maurito said to himself as he walked away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
IF THERE had been milestones in Maurito’s life, that first
publication of his story was one of them. It did him many significant things.
It signaled his initiation into the
literary field. Oh, the many wonderful things that he felt went with the honor.
Particularly in Calolbon where your success was measured in terms of your
accomplishments in Manila, the publication of his story must be a great
distinction. Maurito knew of nobody else from the town nor even from the whole
of Catanduanes whose English fiction saw print in a major national magazine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Above all,
it gave him the confidence to persevere in writing as an occupation, a
profession, a career, or whatever you may call it, but a calling that promised
no little money when viewed in terms of economics.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He was paid
eighty pesos for the effort, exactly the amount he got for a month’s salary in
the travel agency. It never occurred to Maurito then nor perhaps even to Vic
Rivera that years after, the story would be worth much, much more. It was the
story that Maurito would turn into a screenplay for the movie “Tag-Ulan sa
Tag-Araw”, the first team-up of Vilma Santos and Christopher De Leon, directed
by Celso Ad Castillo, who gave the movie title.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But
meantime, his euphoria over the publication of the story didn’t last long.
Maurito realized shortly that, contrary to popular belief, story writing was
not a creative process, meaning a process where a writer tells his brain to
conjure up stories as he pleases. Rather story writing is living a story that
inevitably transpires in the writer’s life, and because life has dynamics that
work independently of the consciousness of the writer, the development of a
story is not a function of the writer
but of laws of development that far from being a creation of the writer are
laws over which he has no power to go against, alter or modify. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If this be
true, then everybody is a writer, because everybody lives through life? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, except
that people vary in their grasp of words and nuances by which to express their
visions and perceptions of the world. Only those gifted with a capacity for
verbiage are necessarily only those who are able to communicate ideas – tell a
story. By the sheer consciousness of your living, you become a writer, yet by
your lack of tools by which to word your thoughts, you are unable to tell that
consciousness. At best, then, creative writing refers to that technical aspect
of literature that has to do with the capacity to express and communicate
ideas, not with the creation of substance, which is a sole function of living.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Simply put,
therefore, Maurito could not write
stories as he pleased, and in the context of his current need to sustain the
family’s livelihood back in the province and provide for the studies of Violeta
and Ellen, English fiction could not be relied upon. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
would his next story come out in print,
hence his next eighty pesos?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
question was not for Maurito to answer then but for the next phases of his life
that were yet to come.</div>
</div>Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-36071350959263171312012-03-25T16:43:00.002-07:002012-03-25T16:43:49.627-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SHOES OF THE TRAVELER</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">By Mauro Gia Samonte</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BOOK TWO</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WORLD WITHOUT SHOES</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER I</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BLOOD-STAINED FEET of a new-born infant boy were held up in
the air, clipped in the hands of a native midwife, who gave the already crying
baby another tap on its bottom, making it cry on. The infant Ka Mao was born at
a time when nations were at war against one another, kingdoms against kingdoms.
World War II had already broken out in Europe and the Axis Powers led by
Hitler, having overrun in a blitzkrieg the allied democracies,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were now in a determined bid to conquer
Russia and thereby complete its onslaught of the entire European continent. In
the Far East, Japan, comprising the Asian wing of the Axis Powers, had already
annexed a big portion of China, had gone on a rampage across Southeast Asia and
was now poised to push the war all the way to the islands in the Pacific Ocean.
By the time the infant Ka Mao was five months old, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor,
finally forcing America to join in the global conflict; consequently, the
Philippines, too, being a colony of the United States since the start of the
century.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No man is
born with shoes on,” Nanay Puping told the eleven-year-old boy who was
balancing himself as he trudged after her on the elevated footpath that snaked
across a vast sea of green which were the rice fields cradling the hills
yonder. They walked with their feet unshod.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You were
only five months old when the Japanese came to our town and I had to rush you
to our coconut farm in Solpo to escape their cruelty. Other mothers were
carrying their own babies and little children to hide in the barrios and in the
mountains. All of us wore no shoes. Imagine if I had shoes on at the time, the
Japanese soldiers would have caught up with us.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I mean,
Nanay, why do we travel around<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>now on
bare feet?”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Because,
Maurito, we would be foolish if we walked with shoes on our feet. Like now, do
you suppose you’d be able to keep your balance on this pathwalk if you had
shoes on?”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito,
the boy, stared wonderingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Our life
seems meant for not wearing shoes,” continued the mother in mid-thirties
who<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>herself did some balancing over the
very narrow footpaths that were actually the low walls of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>earth subdividing the fields into individual
patches; the subdivisions enabled farmers to pace their planting work, i.e.,
cultivating one plot at a time instead of one whole vast field all at once<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>every time which would be very cumbersome.
She was carrying a rattan basket containing rice and soup in small pots and
viand of fish<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wrapped in banana leaves. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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“Ay, if we are not working the
fields in the mud with your Tatay, we are helping him make copra in our coconut
farm. Or helping him out make hemp in our abaca farm in the mountain. Otherwise
we climb<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the mountain to harvest camote.
In all these works, do you think we need shoes?”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nanay
Puping laughed, amused by thoughts that suddenly crossed her mind. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Pity your
Tatay as he gets a harder time just getting his shoes off where they had stuck
in the mud than steering his carabao in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>slicing his<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>plow through the
earth. Or as he slides down a coconut tree because his shoes won’t catch on the
shallow steps carved out of the trunk of the tree.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito
could visualize the words of his mother and began being amused himself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“He can
deepen the steps on the trunk,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“And make
the tree crack down altogether.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
laughed together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now the two
take the path on the slope that got steeper and steeper leading to the hilltop.
From here you get a breathtaking vista of the town of San Andres whose shores
are washed by waters of the San Bernardino Strait. It was a sunny day and you
could see clearly the entirety of the town. Prominent were the municipal
building and the 40-foot circular concrete water reservoir standing beside it
on top of a molehill toward the south end of the community. Toward the opposite
end was the church ancient for its façade and belfry, to the east of which was
the Calolbon Elementary School where Maurito studied and to the west, the
market just off the shore and the pier. If this were photography you had a view
that was beautifully lit, the focus set to infinity and the composition quite
in accord with the rule on landscape, two-thirds land, one third sky, with the
green of the foliage and of the rice fields in the plains in the foreground,
the town proper and the sea in the middle ground, and yonder Mount Mayon,
indeed, as goes the legend, sitting majestically on the ocean edge of mainland
Bicol. With that panorama, Paul Cezanne could have done a post-impressionist
work much better than his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L’Etaque</i> or
Joaquin Clausell a far more inspired impression than his famous <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Vista del Pico de Orizaba</i>. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>San Andres,
which used to be called Calolbon, is in the west coast of Catanduanes, an
island province off the main Bicol peninsula. The<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>province is the favorite whipping boy of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>typhoons that blow in from the Pacific Ocean,
though in many instances, it is just a reference point for storms that actually
make a landfall on the northeast coastal provinces of Aurora, Cagayan, and the
Batanes islands in Luzon. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
geographical location must be one factor why until Maurito’s time, Catanduanes,
and hence San Andres, too, had remained underdeveloped. Save for hemp and copra
making, there hardly were any other sources of income for majority of the
Catanduanes people who lived in poverty. The sons and daughters of poor
families would seek livelihood elsewhere, some in more developed areas of the
country, like Manila. Even those with enough means were forced to look for
greener pasture, so to speak, by migrating abroad, mostly to the USA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito had
come to wonder why he and folks like him, big and small, travelled around on
bare feet: the toilers in the fields, the laborers in public construction
works, fisher folks going out to sea, the children going to school, and most of
those attending mass on Sundays.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the case
of his father, Tatay Simo,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maurito would
seem to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>understand why. His very
industrious father would plow the family’s modest riceland for planting to
palay, climb up coconut trees to down the nuts for making into copra, climb the
mountain for planting or harvesting kamote, or otherwise making hemp from
abaca, and went out to sea on a small outrigger to fish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except in
the fishing ventures, Maurito accompanied his father in his work during
weekends, and like Nanay Puping he would tell himself, “How could Tatay
possibly do all these with shoes on.” He would amuse at his thoughts: Tatay
Simo’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shoes getting snagged in the
sticky mud as he plowed the rain-soaked field, or slipping on the shallow steps
chopped off on the coconut trunks, or causing clumsy footwork on the mountain
path traversable only by foot, because on foot, you could dig your toes into
the ground like spikes while walking and thus avoiding slips in the climb
uphill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But in the
case of his grandfather Tay Celso, father of Nanay Puping, Maurito would stare
in seeming awe. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The tall
fellow with handsome Castillan looks would gait down the street to the church
in trim starched de hilo pants topped by a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>well-ironed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shirt called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">morona</i> made from fine pineapple fabric,
and betraying none of his more than sixty years past, struck up the flair of a
Spanish don<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>immaculately garbed for
Sunday mass – except that he walked barefoot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Such
paradox! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao
never got to solve it in his youth,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nor
even in the many subsequent journeys he would take in life after that. Only in
a recent indoctrination session conducted for his family by INC Antipolo Pastor
Ka Wilson<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>did Ka Mao think he got the
answer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao
showed to the pastor the worn-out sole of his Swatch by way of impressing him
on just how much travel he had already made in his journey to baptism.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Wilson
said, “Observe this. When you walk with your shoes on, what happens? The soles
of the shoes get worn out. Right? “</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao
nodded.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But walk
on your feet,” continued Ka Wilson, “do your soles ever get worn out, too? No.
Never. How amazing is God’s wisdom.?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“They get
calloused,” jested Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“All the
better for walking,” replied the pastor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao had
a hearty laugh. But at the same time, he thought the revelation might be one
good sales pitch for the makers of his worn-out shoes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Only God
makes shoes for trips to heaven. Swatch is meant only for traipsing in the
pleasures of the world.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ka Mao
gasped to himself, “Imagine the millions upon millions of sin-loving people who
would catch on the spiel!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Calloused<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>indeed were the soles of Tay Celso, as
Maurito observed them in the old man’s walking to his regular Sunday communion
with God. The venerable Gianan patriarch would wear those calluses all the way
to his rest. Tay Celso died<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at the ripe,
fully-fulfilled age of 99 – just a year short of that of Abraham.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Gianan
siblings took some time deciding whether or not to put shoes on Tay Celso’s
corpse in resting it inside his coffin. Ka Mao argued to himself, Why make
grandfather wear in his death something he detested to put on his feet in his
whole life? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the end,
Tay Celso rested in his coffin wearing shoes. He lay there serene in his
immaculate garb of trim starched de hilo pants with his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">morona</i> of fine pineapple fabric to match – with this big difference
from his regular Sunday walks to communion with God in life: leather shods now
wrapped the God-made shoes that had been his calluses-protected bare feet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But did Tay
Celso reach heaven?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Only now
would Ka Mao shudder at the question. In the INC doctrine, no one outside the
Iglesio ni Cristo would be saved. And Tay Celso was born a Catholic,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>baptized a Catholic, grew up a devoted
Catholic, raised a family a Catholic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As a matter
of fact, his coffin, as it rested in the living room of the Gianan ancestral
home during his wake, continued to be surrounded by framed photos of Catholic
saints, the crucifix, Virgin Mary as the Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and a
large statue of St. John, the Baptist, which the Gianans kept for the Catholic
Church, for parading together with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>similar statues of Christ and other saints during the Catholic
observance of the Holy Week. These are what the INC condemns as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">diyus-diyosan</i> or false gods, worship of
which is a terrible sin...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER II</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BELLS rang in the belfry, signaling the start of a church
ceremony.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
sacristy of the Calolbon Parish Church, a month-old infant kicked its feet shod
with typical baptismal shoes. Crying, the infant wiggled in the arms of Nanay
Puping as the priest poured water on its head, pronouncing the baptismal
blessing for the infant Ka Mao.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Those were
the first shoes you ever wore,” Nanay Puping recalled to Maurito as they
struggled their way up the steepest slope on top of which stood the century-old
narra tree signaling the end of their journey. It had been raining the night
before and the soil was extremely slippery; they had to dig their toes deep
into the earth or they would go slipping down the hill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“First
shoes? The only ones,” said the boy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nanay<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Puping stared, wondering.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t
remember having worn any until now. The best I could wear to school is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bakya</i>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bakya </i>is an improvised slipper made from
wood with strap recycled from discarded car tire. The strap was painted with
austere flower design to make the clog attractive. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Up to the
fifties, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bakya</i> was a common footwear
for those who could not afford to buy shoes. Even in Manila, people wore them
in their daily travels, and those were the kind of people who loved to go to
the movies. For that reason, Lamberto Avellana, the film director whose movies
rated good with the critics but not with the masses of film audience,
coined<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the term “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bakya </i>crowd”, to refer to lovers of movies by such popular
directors as Armando Garces or Artemio Marquez.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In a
fifth-rate town like Calolbon, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bakya </i>did
serve, too, as barometer for your rung in social standing. In the case of
Maurito, in a most pronounced way</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shortly
they reached the spot by the foot of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
narra tree. A small fire was burning in the improvised stove. Close by, a man
of modest physique, with highly Malayan features on his face and wearing a crew
cut for his hair, was hard at work in making hemp from abaca pulps. The spot
was half-circumscribed by abaca plantation from where were harvested the pulps
the man was working.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He simply
threw a glance at the two arrivals, uttering no word for a greeting. Neither
did the two. It looked as though, for him, the arrival was a matter of course,
and for the two, to find him there working; nothing was unusual about their
coming together now that needed wording of any kind; it was enough that they
acknowledged one another with glances.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If we had
shoes on now, we would have been tumbling down the hill with every step we
made,” said Nanay Puping. “Only on foot can you climb up to the mountain,
because you can dig your toes into the ground like spikes and avoid slipping in
the steep climb.”. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But it’s
not for climbing to the mountain that I need shoes now,” countered Maurito.
“It’s for the boy scout jamboree on Monday night.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The man
doing the hemp paused for a moment. He knew what Maurito meant. He would rather
not think about it. He resumed his work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nanay
Puping realized now what Maurito was leading up to. She ached inside but
avoided the topic. She proceeded to set the pot of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>soup of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">magisara</i>
shell on the improvised stove while calling out to the man.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Have a
rest, Simo. I’ll be just a minute heating<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>up this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">magisara</i>. Then we can
eat lunch.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,” said
Tatay Simo as he gave the abaca pulp a mighty pull through the implement for
making hemp.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
implement was called in Bicol <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ha-got</i>.
It consisted of steel<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a foot and a half
long, three inches wide and one fourth inch thick one side of which had been
made like a saw and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fitted like a clapper
on a block of wood set on a stand. The steel would be clamped down crosswise
such that its teeth dug deep into the flesh of the abaca pulp. The pulp end at
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ha-got</i> would then be rolled
tightly on a wooden peg which served as handle for pulling the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pulp through the teeth of the steel
implement. That way the abaca fiber was separated from the pulp, for drying as
hemp. Think of a lady whose hair is completely enwrapped by dandruff and a comb
is run through it, with Clear shampoo to boot, and all that dandruff is flaked
off and what remains is the soft-flowing hair. That’s exactly how hemp from the
abaca pulps was made.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Philippine
hemp had gotten popular the world over as Manila hemp, and the best hemp in the
country is from Catanduanes where the abaca variety has fiber with long
enduring tensile strength.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
repeated the process on the same pulp four times before being convinced that
the fiber he made was fine enough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He exhaled
hard as he got done with the pulp.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito
took Tatay Simo’s hand to pay him respect by pressing it on his forehead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Why did
you have to tag along with your Nanay? You’d be better off studying your
assignment lessons at home,” said Tatay Simo as he prepared to set another pulp
for pulling through the implement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sat on the ground and keenly watched Tatay
Simo work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I need
shoes, Tatay,” the boy said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
threw a brief stare at him then continued his work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
finished four years of the elementary without shoes. You can finish the next two
years without them.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We have
our boy scout jamboree at the plaza Monday night.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I thought
I told you to forget about that. You can pass by just minding your subjects.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I want to
graduate a valedictorian. Boy scouting can add to my grades.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey, you
two,” called out Nanay Puping as she set food<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>for lunch.”Let’s eat.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The meal
was set on an abaca leaf laid out on the ground by the fireplace. It consisted
of rice scooped from the pot with a spoon done from coconut shell, two broiled
fish, and the shell soup contained in a bowl fashioned from coconut shell as
well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
stopped working and sat before the food. He took a sip at the soup bowl first.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito,
hurting from the rejection he got from his father, suddenly got an idea. He set
up a pulp for making hemp and tried to pull it through the implement. He could
not move it. Still he tried, exerting all his young strength.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Your son
is asking for shoes,” Nanay Puping told Tatay Simo as he began eating.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
ignored the topic. He threw a glance at the boy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s he
doing anyway?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito
gave it his all in pulling hard at the abaca pulp, but his hands rolled on the
handle, causing the pulp to loosen up on it and get detached. He threw to the
ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nanay
Puping hurriedly walked to the boy and scolded him with a whip of her hand at
his thigh. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What are
you doing anyway?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I need boy
scout shoes.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
rushed to the boy’s rescue, shielding him from Nanay Puping while helping him
get back to his feet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Today is
Saturday,” Tatay Simo consoled the boy. “Two days to Monday. Let’s see if the
hemp can dry enough for selling.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER III</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SUNDAY, as usual, was for going to church. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
Maurito, too. Nanay Puping had raised him up on that obligation so that it was
deep in his consciousness that not going to church on Sundays was a big
sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And the
whole family always went together. Nanay Puping, cradling the infant Ellen in
her arms, sat beside Tatay Simo, while next to her in the order of age were the
two-year-old Violeta, the four-year-old Manuel, the six-year-old Jose, the
eight-year-old Raul, and Maurito at the end of the line. It made you feel good
to see the brood and their parents deeply listening to the homily of the
priest, including, it seemed, the infant who was quietly sucking its thumb. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito had
other thoughts. Even as he listened, he kept whispering to himself, “God,
please… please…” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito had
lost hope that his father could still provide the shoes he needed. Surely Tatay
Simo promised to buy him the shoes if the hemp dried up by Monday. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What if it
rained,” he had told himself. “That would be a good reason for Tatay not to fulfill
his promise.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito
thought Tatay Simo had always been like that, promising and not keeping it. He.
remembered the last time there was a provincial public school athletics and
academic competitions in the capital and he had perfected his practice of a
piece for performing in a declamation contest. Tatay Simo promised to buy him
the required military attire; he failed to buy the uniform, Maurito failed to
join the competition, thus losing out on default in a contest in which he knew
he could easily have won the gold medal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his
young mind, Maurito couldn’t yet realize that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the family was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>poor and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his parents<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>could not afford to give him means for the accomplishments he wanted to
have in his studies. Just providing for the children’s food was difficult
enough, no matter that the couple were truly hardworking. When rice from the
last harvest ran out – and most often it would happen months before Tatay Simo
could plant palay again – the family mainly thrived on kamote, alternated with
other root crops, like cassava, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hupi </i>or
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">galyang</i>. They could eat rice in this
period only when Tatay Simo earned money from fishing, from selling copra and
hemp, which didn’t happen everyday, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or
otherwise, when the store owner would let them get rice on credit, which had a
low limit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or on
election time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For all his
lack of education, Tatay Simo<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was gifted
with an elegant penmanship which could easily qualify him for a writing job in
medieval style, but since there was none of it in Calolbon, he was exceedingly
glad just the same working as clerk in a voting precinct.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ay,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dios mabalos</i>,” Nanay Puping would utter in relief, making the sign
of the cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either that meant “Thank
God” or<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to a giver of a favor “God will
reward.” She was quite unconscious that in the context of Philippine politics,
what she uttered to mean thank you was an expression of great irony. And it
even became<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pathetic when she wished
elections were held everyday. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The money
Tatay Simo earned as election clerk would sustain the family for a month, give
and take three days before going back to root crop subsistence. But those who
would get elected would wallow in endless ostentation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
was a very simple man. But for smoking, which was average anyway by normal
reckoning, he had no vices whatsoever. He didn’t drink, never womanized. He
didn’t even have the habit of gallivanting around or spending endless hours
just exchanging tall tales with friends. He minded the family dutifully. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For him, it
had been a daily routine of hard toil, in the field, in the coconut farm, in
the mountain and in the sea, and at infrequent times in public construction
work on the provincial road. The nights, when not out fishing, he spent
teaching Maurito and Raul in their homeworks for school, and then just sitting
on the bamboo bench at the porch, staring into the dark.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That night
before Sunday, it rained. Good enough that he was on the porch so that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he was on hand to salvage from the downpour
the hemp he had hung on a line for drying. Feeling the fibers as he secured
them under the house, Tatay Simo shook his head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He got
inside the house. Maurito and his siblings were slept side by side on a common
mat. Nanay Puping was ironing clothes with charcoal-heated iron. Their youngest
child, the infant Ellen, was on a hammock, which Tatay Simo nudged as he spread
on the floor his own mat for sleeping on. He gently rocked the hammock but the
baby girl cried on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nanay
Puping paused from her work to get a bottle filled with what looked like milk,
which<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>she fed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into the baby’s mouth. The baby sucked on it
immediately, stopping to cry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where’d
you get money to buy milk?” asked Tatay Simo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s no
milk,” said Nanay Puping. “It’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Am</i> is the local term for the
water condensed with rice sap along with its milky color in the process of
cooking the cereal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With sugar, it
tastes nice for drinking. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Rice sap
for milk,” said Tatay Simo. “What nutrients will Ellen get from it?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“She
stopped crying, ” Nanay Puping said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
lay on the mat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Wish Manay
Oliva sent us coffee now.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Manay
Oliva, or Mamay as Maurito and her other nephews and nieces called her, was a
doting older sister of Tatay Simo and a spinster who had some good job in
Manila. She had been<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>regularly sending
them ground coffee and sugar every month as a ploy. She used to send her regular
financial support to the family through the mail enclosed in a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>letter in a sealed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>envelope. But mail sorters at the post office
in Manila could see no matter how vaguely that the letter contained money. And
they found a way of stealing it. They split one end of a stick rendered so thin
as to get it through the fold of the pasted envelope cover and by that caught
the money bill inside the envelope, rolled the bill to the size of the stick
and through the same way it got in, the stick neatly got the money out of the
envelope without opening the cover.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Such
Filipino ingenuity!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So Mamay
Oliva got the opportunity to prove herself more ingenious. She stopped sending
her letters in envelopes. Rather she inserted them together with the money
bills in a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pack of ground coffee which
she bundled in a box together with same-size packed sugar. Labeling the package
as simply coffee and sugar, she sent the parcel through the mail. Thus were the
thieving mail sorters outwitted, and Tatay Simo safely got the money from Mamay
Oliva monthly ever since.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The infant
Ellen quieted down in sleep on the hammock. Nanay Puping resumed ironing
clothes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>‘It’s
always a week after the end of the month when Manay Oliva sends the coffee,”
she said. “That’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two weeks from now.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
threw on the mat as though in torment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s it,
Simo?”asked Nanay Puping.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I grew up
with no father to rely on, but that was because Tatay died when I was just two
years old.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What are
you fretting about?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How does a
father, alive and strong, say sorry to a son for not being able to give him the
shoes he needs?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER IV</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Pray,”</b> intoned
the priest in the homily, as though to stir Tatay Simo, Nanay Puping and
Maurito from their recollections. “In times of need, pray. No matter the
hardship, pray. No matter the difficulty. Pray, pray. And God will listen…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maurito was still praying to himself as he
walked with the family<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>going home<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from the church. And lo! what greeted his
eyes was a set of boy scout uniform complete with shoes hanging on a clothes
line by the stairs of a two-storey house.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was the
house of Tang Emoy, his godfather.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito lit
up at the sight. He begged leave of his parents, “I’ll do besa to Tang Emoy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Besa</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>is the Bicol term for the custom of young people in paying respect to
elders by placing on the forehead the right hand of the latter; in Filipino
it’s termed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mano</i>. Ka Mao had gone
through no literature about how the practice evolved. He could only surmise
that it developed after the custom of the royalties of Europe who would kiss
the ring of the Pope as a sign of reverence. That practice was brought by
friars to the Philippines during the Spanish conquest. But it would leave a
pungent smell on the friar’s hand when done by the native males who loved to
drink <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tuba</i>, a wine from the sap of young
coconut fruit, which though sweet in its original state emitted a pungency when
burped from the esophagus of the drinker. In the case of women who loved to
chew <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nganga</i>, a mixture of tobacco,
lime, the herb buyo and betel nut, the friar squinted at the ugly reddish
residue on their lips. For these reasons, the early Spanish priests had grown
the habit of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pulling at their hands
when the natives kissed them, causing the hands to slip upward to the forehead
and get pressed there. Repeated over time, that habit was taken by the natives
as a way of saying that the friar’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hand
on their foreheads was the right way of paying respect. And practiced over 400
years of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spanish colonization, a bad
habit became a hallowed tradition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For Maurito
that Sunday morning, the habit gave him a most convenient excuse to remedy his
problem. He found Tang Emoy having breakfast at the large table in the dining
room at the back portion of the second floor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good
morning, Godfather,” said Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“O<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, hijo</i>. Sit here,” Tang Emoy said. “Join
me for breakfast.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m done
with breakfast,” said Maurito as he approached the table tentatively.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’d like
to borrow…” Maurito held back on his words when he overheard the talk between a
boy, Tang Emoy’s son, and the laundry woman in the backyard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“My boy
scout uniform? Will wear it tonight for the practice.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No, it’ll
get dirty. Wear it in the jamboree. Use your old uniform for the practice.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito
realized he could not proceed with his intention.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Borrow
what?” said Tang Emoy. “Come on, sit. Eat.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Just been to church. I passed by to make
besa,”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>came Maurito’s alibi. He took
Tang Emoy’s hand and placed it on his forehead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Es tengo santo</i>,” Tang Emoy said,
whatever that meant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito
turned to walk away. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Goodbye.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Here,”
said Tang Emoy as he got a centavo coin from his pocket. He handed it to
Maurito. “Buy yourself some bread.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dios mabalos</i>,” said Maurito. He took the
coin, pocketing it as he turned away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Passing the
hung boy scout uniform as he walked down the stairs, Maurito gave in to an idea
he would not think of doing in other circumstances. He made sure that nobody
was looking then quietly took all the boy scout items off the clothes line.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito
clipped the boy scout uniform and shoes in his arms like they were his own as
he strutted on the street very casually, even humming a boy scout song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Night</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">of Monday</b> next was truly exciting for
Maurito, doing antics in the jamboree together with the other boy scouts which
entertained the spectators. Tang Emoy’s son did as well but kept fidgettng in
his uniform, which was rather tight for his size. But he performed on, doing an
Indian war dance together with Maurito. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of course,
Maurito had not told his parents the truth. What he told them was that he
borrowed the boy scout uniform and shoes from his classmate. And he was not
lying either. Soon after the affair was over, he sneaked into his godfather’s
compound and returned to the clothesline the items which, he told himself, he
merely borrowed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That done,
Maurito gently tapped the clothesline and said, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dios mabalos</i>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER V</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A SHOWMAKER </b>was
what Maurito was greatly turning out to be. He was a favorite performer in town
shows and school programs<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At one
time, during the flag ceremony at the Calolbon Elementary School, he was called
by Miss Fe Aldave, his class adviser who was the emcee, to deliver the welcome
remarks impromptu for the provincial public school superintendent, who was the
guest of honor. For that purpose, he went on top of the long concrete water
sink from the back of which rose the flag pole where now flew the Philippine
flag. But as soon as he leaped to the top of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the sink, some naughty girls at the front of the students’ formation cheered,
“In Despair… In Despair…,” referring to a popular hit song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that, he looked to Miss Aldave, who
already with pride glanced at the special guest, a way of saying that what was
about to transpire was the performance of the school’s star. And she gave the
signal to Maurito to go ahead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
“You taught my heart
how to dream…</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
students burst in applause at that opening strain of the song alone. And they
cheered on and on with every succeeding strain.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Filling
each moment divine</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just for a while you were mine</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now I’m alone in despair…</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
students applauded heartily at the conclusion of the song, whereupon, after
signaling to his fans to quiet down, Maurito proceeded to his remarks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But it is
not in despair that our dear Provincial Public School Superintendent has come
to visit us this morning. It is hope that he will bring the good life which we
students of the Calolbon Elementary School are all dreaming of.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And with
that he introduced the guest of honor, “Dear teachers and fellow students,
please welcome our distinguished guest, the honorable provincial public school
superintendent…” God, he didn’t know the name! He looked to Miss Aldave for
succor. She understood it and took it from there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Mister
Venancio Molina!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The guest
rose from his seat and went over to the front of the water sink, shaking
Maurito’s hand in the process. The students applauded Maurito on when he
returned to their formation. The guest could not quite get himself started
seeing that the applause was not meant for him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A SCENE STEALER even was Maurito. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One time,
as a fulfillment of an assignment in school, he staged in the classroom a skit
extracted from a film, “Prinsipe Amante” which he had seen in the movie house
in the provincial capitol. It was not just a reading from the script he wrote
which his partakers did but acting complete with swords fashioned from bamboo
sticks, capes made up of their mothers’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tapis</i>
or wrap-around skirts and beards and moustaches done on their faces with
charcoal. Students from the other sections heard about the presentation and
they all rushed to Maurito’s classroom to view it, pressing tight at one
another inside the room, over one another’s shoulders and heads at the door and
at the windows. The teachers could only throw their arms in surrender in their
effort to contain their pupils, if they were not themselves excited to do their
own viewing, even pulling at desks on which to stand just to get a good<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>view of the presentation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Always,
there were two other youth competing with him for fame as enterainer, as was
the case in the past boy scout jamboree. One was Ignacio, a boy with handsome
Spanish features but for eyes that glared as from a white lizard, who sang mimicking
the style of Leopoldo Salcedo, his tongue slightly thrusting outward, eyes
half-closed for feeling<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– not conscious
of the fact that the movie actor was doing it that way because he was not
actually sounding the words but merely lip-synching, and the singing looked
artificial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The other
competitor of Maurito was Jose, his classmate, whom Maurito considered a better
performer in the finer points of singing. But in declamation, Maurito was
superior to both. In the jamboree, he awed the big crowd of spectators with his
rendition of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s epic poem, “Charge of the Light Brigade.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>“Forward,
the Light Brigade!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Was
there a man dismay’d?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Not
tho the soldiers knew</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> </span>Someone
had blunder’d</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Theirs
not to make reply</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Theirs
not to reason why</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Theirs
but to do and die</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Into
the valley of Death</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> </span>Rode
the six hundred.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was
the same piece he had practiced painstakingly for performing in the past public
school provincial meet, intending to win the gold medal. He failed on that
occasion for sheer want of a military uniform in which to deliver it, and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he gave it in the jamboree the spirit of
battle it depicted, his voice ringing with energy and the precision of
oratorical cadence that stirred the crowd into giving him a rousing ovation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Cannon
to right of them</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Cannon
to left of them</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Cannon
in front of them</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> </span>Volly’d
and thunder’d</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Storm’d
at with shot and shell</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Boldly
they rode so well</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Into
the Jaws of Death</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Into
the mouth of Hell</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> </span>Rode
the six hundred</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was
mid-1954, when the country was brimming with high hopes from the election of
President Ramon Magsaysay, packaged to be the country’s salvation from the
corruption of the past Quirino regime. President Elpidio Quirino had been
pilloried endlessly in the media as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>corrupt, one highlight of such corruption being the use of a golden
urinal in Malacanang. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito had
occasion to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>take a dig at the past
president in the Magsaysay campaign, repeating that golden urinal line during
one rally in the town plaza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Ano man na klaseng Presidene iyan si
Quirino? Para maudo, mangaipo pa ning urinolang bulawan. Kita?Tukmo sana sa
malubago, puswit na.” </i>That was Bicol for “What kind of a president is that
Quirino? Just for shitting, he’ll need a golden urinal. Us? Just squat among
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">malubago</i> trees and that’s it,
shit.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Actually,
the boy was being fed with words by elder operators in the campaign. But he
delivered it effectively and the crowd guffawed. After his remarks he descended
the stage while the public address system sounded the “Mambo Magsaysay” as an
intro to the next speaker. He stepped to the mambo tune to the thrill of the
crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
entertaining his audience, Maurito went as far as doing the acts he observed
from a magician who performed in the last town fiesta. One act was a sleigh of
the hand which caused a coin to vanish. Another was driving of a long nail into
the nose. At the back of the family’s house he improvised a show room in which he
did those tricks to a crowd of young kids who paid their way into the room with
5 matchsticks per head, except when sometimes some wise kid would sneak in when
Maurito was not looking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gathered
together, the matchsticks paid him filled up more than two matchboxes, which he
converted to cash by selling them to the store at a discount.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the
coin act, Maurito earned extra income, because the coin he used was from among
the audience and when it vanished, it necessarily ended up in his pockets. It
was all trick of course, but he had to make it look real or else spoil the
illusion. So the boy who provided the coin paid for the joy of seeing his money
lost. And if another kid wanted the same enjoyment, then he must furnish his
own coin. One boy, though, wouldn’t part with his 1-centavo coin. Why risk his
money when he could have the joy at the expense of somebody else’s money? He
was the same one who had succeeded in getting inside the room unnoticed thereby
seeing the show for free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Early
picture of a dirty cheat opportunist outwitting a dirty cheat illusionist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was
while Maurito was at the nail act when Tatay Simo barged in and flared up at
Maurito’s performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He snatched the
nail that glistened with mucous from Maurito’s nose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You want to
get killed?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I know the
magician’s secret, Tatay.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You know!
What that magician uses is several layers of thin tin made to look like one
whole piece of nail. When he hammers that nail into his nose, he actually makes
the nail fold up from the tip to the end into a short piece the length of the
interior of his nose. And when he takes out the nail from his nose, he causes
it to lengthen back to the original size.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“My nail is
no cheat. It’s real.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes. And
rusty. You could contact tetanus.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No, Tatay.
It’s this way…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito
held back on his words, realizing he could be revealing his magic to his
audience. He pulled Tatay Simo out of the showroom and spoke to him in a hush.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The secret
is to drive the nail through your nostrils, even down to the opening of your
throat without the nail getting snagged on flesh. Most people don’t know that
the reason you are able to breath is that there is an opening from the lungs to
the nose. Do you know that, Tatay?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If not for
anything else but a father not wanting a son to put one over him, Tatay Simo
put on an angry mien.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Enough,
Maurito<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enough of your foolishness.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
hardly was enthused by Maurito’s shining as an entertainer in the community.
His mind was on a one-track course: Maurito must concentrate on his studies,
that’s the only way he can lift their family from poverty. With his meager
talent and resources, Tatay Simo felt even then that there was nothing more he
could do to improve the condition of the family. He pinned all his hopes in
this regard on the studies of Maurito.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We should
be thankful that your Mamay Oliva is willing to finance your studies all the
way to college. Please, son. You are my only hope of a good life for your
brothers and sisters.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The words
struck Maurito hard. It was not a father’s plea; it was a mandate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The days
that followed saw him just paying attention to his studies. He excelled in
recitation in class, spent long hours at night doing his homework, did
woodworking for his vocational subject, and gardening, too, by planting pechay
on a plot among others at the back of the school beyond the track and field
grounds. On weekends he vended his vegetable harvest around town, if not the
catch of Tatay Simo from fishing the night before, or otherwise helping him out
together with Nanay Puping<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in making
hemp or copra.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maurito
failed to graduate valedictorian. He lost it to a girl who was at the
background all the while that he was shining as a campus star. The girl was
bright, too, all right, but she came from a rich family and it seemed that all
things being equal, in a world without shoes, even such things as graduation
honors are determined by one’s consistency in having worn them all the days of
your schooling. Maurito had not, the girl had, in all of those days.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This shoe
fact was illustrated in, literally, graphic terms by the braggart Ignacio who
had his parents gifting him -- right on stage for all the world to see – with a
new pair of shoes with which he replaced the ones he was wearing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But they
just could not leave out Maurito from the honors. They proclaimed him: “Most
voracious reader.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
was honor enough for Mamay Oliva, who had monitored his studies all the way.
She made sure Maurito was well provided for on his graduation day. She had sent
him a new pair of shoes for the commencement exercises.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: center; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER VI</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MAURITO </b>wore the
same shoes when for the first time, he made a travel away from home. As he
boarded the old launch that regularly plied the route to Tabaco, Albay across
San Bernardino Strait, he already felt a nascent homesickness which spread a
fiery lump in his breast on which he felt choking, but did not. He controlled
his tears and even smiled as he waved goodbye to his folks, themselves waving
on the dock. Tatay Simo was not there; he did not want to see Maurito go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
was a very reserved man, an introvert who most of the time kept his thoughts to
himself. Back at home that morning, even while Nanay Puping was profuse with
advice to Maurito about the “temptations” he was prone to encounter in Manila,
Tatay Simo kept quiet as he bundled up Maurito’s luggage consisting of a rattan
bag filled with Maurito’s clothes and another native bag containing items for
gifting Mamay Oliva with: two varieties of rice cake wrapped in coconut leaves
called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">suman</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pinironan</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kamote </i>candy
called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">molido</i>, dried fish, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kamote</i>. And when Nanay Puping grew
sentimental with her advice to Maurito, Tatay Simo feigned irritation to hide
his own emotions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ay, son,”
Nanay Puping cried now, “if we were not poor, we would not let you go away.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Enough,
Puping, will you. Maurito will be late,” Tatay Simo said, thrusting the luggage
to Maurito and then giving him a slight push. “Hurry up.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tatay Simo
walked away hurriedly</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You said
Maurito would be late. Where are you going? We’re seeing him off at the pier.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You see
him off. Take the children with you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
MAURITO was sad at the recollection. He was aboard a bus
that would take him to Legaspi where to take the train to Manila. The sun was
setting, but it was still bright enough for him to enjoy the scenery.
Mayon<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Volcano didn’t look as nice as it
was viewed from the shoreline of Calolbon. From the traveling bus, Mayon was
just a highlight in the rugged row of mountains Maurito would cross in a long,
long journey to Manila.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yonder, the
sun set…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399878177425547711.post-10841440462965186272012-03-19T01:47:00.000-07:002012-03-19T01:47:39.998-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SHOES OF THE TRAVELER</b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">By Mauro Gia Samonte</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BOOK ONE</b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE ROAD TO THE TEMPLE OF GOD</b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">PROLOGUE</b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">IF HEAVEN had a voice, then it must be no God’s word when a thunderclap rent a section of the Diliman skyline that late afternoon in early August. A man’s cry, as from agony, seemed to have risen out of the spires of the Iglesia ni Cristo temple as a sudden lightning bolt ripped through the sky. It was a cry you don’t always hear even from somebody who has gone through so much torture, but rather from a man who, having survived so much torture, is dealt with what is meant to be one final death blow but still refuses to die, and thus refusing, holds fast to his one last recourse, which is to cry out to God. So if that cry was for God’s help, why would God respond with a terrifying spectacle of lightning and thunder, and with that pall of gloom that all at once enveloped the surroundings?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> That was a time of the year when in the peculiarity of Metro Manila weather, the hotter the air becomes, the wetter it’s going to be, and true enough, as the humidity seemed to reach its hottest, the blue sky suddenly turned overcast, always the unmistakable precursor for lightning bolts and thunderclaps that send in the rain.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao dropped to the pavement on his seat simultaneously with the fall of heavy raindrops. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Aung!” he grunted just as terribly as the first cry that had filled the Diliman air.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">He was gnashing his teeth hard. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Veins were nearly bursting on his neck and on his temples.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">His hands were clutching his right leg as though the effort could stem the pain running up from his foot, which had been impaled on something on the pavement. At the same time, he wanted to keep the foot steady in order to prevent it from being ripped apart, as he felt it would be if he made a wrong movement of his body.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> He had shoes on, all right. But some sharp thing had pierced through its sole and onto his right foot, impaling it deeply so that he could not remove his foot from it without causing such terrible pain. And so each effort he made to unstuck his foot must be in such a gingerly manner as he could do to prevent the foot from getting injured further. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> No matter that the longer it took to finish the effort, the more blood he would lose. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> And his foot was bleeding so profusely that you could clearly distinguish the red fluid from the rain that joined up with the fast-swelling water of the Marikina River. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Several people were on the Tumana Bridge at the time, but under the sudden heavy rain they all must hurry to seek shelter and none could care less for whatever agony Ka Mao was suffering. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Or was Ka Mao in such a strait that only God could give him succor? So if heaven had a voice, then those lightning bolts and thunderclaps were God’s own terrible aching at the misfortune that befell a dear creation… </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER I</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">TUMANA BRIDGE is a narrow, low-lying bridge that spans the wide Marikina River, a short-cut way from Marikina City to Quezon City. For one from Antipolo City who has a car of his own, Tumana Bridge is the fastest way to the Diliman area if he wants to avoid the series of traffic choke points on Marcos Highway. Right after crossing the bridge, he drives through the winding road upward and presto, he is in Balara. A few minutes more of driving, he outs into Commonwealth Avenue, taking the UP Campus roads, then u-turns at Tandang Sora intersection, and finally ends up in the INC <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Templo</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For Ka Mao, who, though having no car of his own and thus must scrimp on transportation expenses, could hitch a ride from Antipolo to Marikina on a friendly school bus service, Tumana was just as advantageous in going to the INC temple. From the Marikina drop-off point, he spared a 7-peso senior citizen fare on a jeepney to the Tumana area, whence to make the foot journey to the INC temple. Giving a thirty-minute allowance, he made it to the temple in time for the 5 o’clock indoctrination session.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> A 7-peso cost for a journey from Antipolo to the INC Central Office! What a bargain.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> All this, of course, on non-rainy days. Any instance of heavy rain makes the Tumana travel very dangerous. The Marikina River swells up so quickly and you can never tell who among the bridge-takers could escape sudden torrents of the river, which has gained notoriety for carrying killer floods. Imagine the awesome water dropping on an entire section of the Sierra Madre mountain range spanning the provinces of Quezon, Aurora, Rizal and Bulacan and getting collected in a narrow spillway that is the Marikina River. Each time, what immediately transpires is a deluge no less catastrophic than biblical punishment.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">It was in August last year when Ka Mao started trekking the Tumana way to the INC <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">templo.</i> It came about as a result of a meeting Ka Loren and Ka Rey had invited him to, a meeting supposedly meant for taking up a film project.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao took the invitation quite excitedly, optimistically even. Henry Sy had long caused the death of the Philippine movie industry, and to a filmmaker who had been hoping against hope to get a film assignment, the invitation was most welcome,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Come, Direk,” said Ka Rey on the cellphone. “Pareng Loren will be there.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Ka” is a word appended to the name of a person you want to address with respect. Ka Mao had gone through no literature tracing the etymology of the word. The first time he encountered it was when he was engulped into the mainstream of the revolutionary movement in the late sixties and early seventies. Activists of the movement fondly called each other <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kasama, </i>Tagalog for “comrade” used in the tradition of the Communist movement in Europe, particularly the Soviet Union. To shorten Kasama, activists had grown used to addressing one another “Ka.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">In the particular circumstance of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, its members are called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kapatid</i>, Tagalog for “brother” or “sister”, hence its shortening into “Ka”. At least in this context, the Communist movement and the INC find a harmonious agreement.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">In the case of Ka Loren, the appendage is used with reverence and fondness by the lowly Obando folks who over the years have been beneficiaries of a variety of his philanthropic endeavors. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rey had been assistant director to Ka Mao in the movie “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Halimuyak Ng Babae</i>” and had grown accustomed to calling him “Direk”, short for “Director”, by which film directors are addressed with respect and affection by his subordinates in moviemaking. Over time, the term had taken on what Ka Mao thought to be an unpleasant connotation, which is that the one addressing is putting himself in submission to the one being addressed, so that Ka Mao would feel much unease at Ka Rey, actually a friend rather than a subordinate, doing it to him. As Ka Rey insisted to address him “Direk,” Ka Mao would shrug a shoulder to himself in some sort of consolation, “Oh, well, bad habits are hard to kill.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The meeting was set at three o’clock in the afternoon, but going from Antipolo to Ka Rey’s place in Caloocan City. you count five ride transfers and three long walks, first a hitch-ride on a jeepney to the MRT Terminal Station in Santolan, Pasig City which entailed some half kilometer walk from the jeepney stop, up and across the overpass to the other side of Marcos Highway onto the sidewalk along the station building before entering the lobby and joining the queue to the ticket windows, then up the stairs, or the escalators when they are functioning, after which you end up on the ramp to board the train. Aboard the train, you reach the LRT Recto Terminal Station, then walk approximately another half kilometer to the Doroteo Jose Station of the other railway line along Rizal Avenue, which you would take to Monumento and from there walk three blocks to board a jeepney going now to Ka Rey’s area near the Caloocan City Hall. But his house – actually a rented room – was not in the immediate environs but in Sitio Tulya. still a tricycle ride away or if you haven’t yet gotten tired, choose to keep the twenty pesos cost of the tricycle ride and instead do a last one-kilometer walk. All that riding and walking Ka Mao estimated to finish in two hours so that he would arrive at the meeting just in time. But approaching the place of Ka Rey, he checked his cellphone for the time and saw it reading a quarter past three.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“It’s okay,” he told himself. “Filipino time.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao had miscalculated two things. First, his travel time. He missed it by 15 minutes owing to the number of walks he hadn’t reckoned with.. Second, the discipline of the people whom he, Ka Loren and Ka Rey would be meeting. Ka Mao would shortly know that the four guys waiting who were all strangers to him were members of the Iglesia ni Cristo, a religious congregation where three o’clock meant just that, three o‘clock. When he entered the open door of Ka Rey’s place, those four were seated on a sofa and chairs around the small center table in what served as sala; they were eating what looked like a heavy meal buffet style </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The section you stepped into right after entering through the door had a double-deck bed improvised from wood, occupying that end of the three-by-six-meter living quarters. Each deck of the bed could accommodate two average-size persons, which were Ka Rey’s daughters, or three small kids, which were his youngest sons.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">With the guests already in, the place was just too cramped and Ka Mao immediately noticed that there was no more available seat; one chair, which Ka Mao thought must have been meant for him, had been used for putting two Coca-Cola bottles and several glasses on.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rey kept his plate of food firm in his left hand as he immediately rose from his seat and with his right hand moved it a little by way of offering it to Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Oh, Direk, come in,” said Ka Rey, then introduced him to the guests. “This is Direk Mao.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The man in the middle of the group seated on the sofa acknowledged him first, instinctively offering his hand for a handshake. He realized his fingers were messy from handling food and he withdrew his hand, smiling apologetically.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“How are you, Direk?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The man was past fifty, with hair well intact but for a slight recession on the forehead. There was a faint hollow each on both his cheeks which would indicate to you that he didn’t have that much fondness for eating, corroborated by his lean, frail physique, though he seemed to belie all this as he partook of a leg of grilled chicken. When he smiled, his eyes gleamed, betraying an inner happy disposition, made happier still by the sight of one lower tooth missing. A black leather bag in the genre of portfolios of business executives but much worn out stuck to his side, bulging with its contents. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Join us,” said the man to Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao nodded with a smile.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“He is Ka Rading,” said Ka Rey. “Sit down, Direk.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao hesitated, seeing no chair left for Ka Rey, who quickly grabbed a stool on which he sat, while with a gentle push prompting Ka Mao to sit on the chair he had offered. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Ka Rading is a minister in Iglesia,” said Ka Rey, referring to Iglesia ni Cristo, INC for short, or Church of Christ in English. Iglesia is the Spanish term for church, which has been adapted into the Filipino language; the phenomenal growth of INC in the Philippines had come to a point where when you say “Iglesia” you are no longer referring to the Spanish word for church but to the INC religion.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Already there, too, was Ka Loren, and it was a matter of course. Himself a disciplinarian, Ka Loren always arrived at meetings a good quarter before the appointed hour. Had there been no others to meet, Ka Mao would have missed him, because Ka Loren didn’t have that much tolerance for late comers. As usual, Ka Loren wore that stoic look in his eyes which made it difficult for anybody to say what’s going on in his mind. He threw a sullen stare at Ka Mao to acknowledge his arrival. In contrast, Ka Nilo, his driver Man Friday, who sat next to him, instantly flashed his characteristic wide grin which invariably reminded you of Joker, the fiendish but ever grinning villain of Batman.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Eat, Direk,” said Ka Nilo. “We really set aside some grilled chicken for you.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">As usual, the guy was kidding, but none of the INC people got the joke.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rey got it and gave Ka Mao an assuring smile.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Not so, Direk. We know you’re allergic to chicken. Lilia, do bring in the pork barbecue.”. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The woman Ka Rey gave instruction to had anticipated it and now entered, carrying a plate of barbecue.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Will we ever forget what you like to eat?” said Lilia, flashing her winsome, wide smile. She was pretty, even exotic, and must have been more so in her youth, which should attest to the amazing convincing power of Ka Rey; for him to have enamored such a beautiful darling, he of that diminutive size, who etched the face of a Chinese every time he smiled because it made him chinky-eyed but that his complexion should throw him back to the Austronesians of pre-historic Philippines! Or it is true that big things do come in small packages. For not only had Ka Rey gone on to sire seven children with Lilia but had also continued to nurse the ambition of writing a truly great movie. He did get a chance to do such movie, one that dramatized the Iglesia theme of being the one true religion tasked with the salvation of mankind on the day of judgment. He aptly titled that production “Sa Mga Wakas ng Lupa”, the Tagalog translation of the biblical passage “at the ends of the earth.” He spent seven million pesos for the project but failed to finish it, because his financier ran out of funds. For all you know, the meeting had been arranged by him in fact in order to advance his filmic ambition, and he had the fortune of having a gracious wife helping him out in hosting the event.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Lilia offered Ka Mao a plate with fork and spoon. “Have a good fill, Direk. Merienda is just starting.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Thank you.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Call for anything needed,” said Lilia to Ka Rey as she headed for outside the room. “”I’ll just be in the kitchen boiling water for coffee.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao put rice into the plate together with a piece of the broiled fish on which he poured soy sauce flavored with lemon. He took a stick of barbecue and munched on a piece of it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“This is no merienda.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">”Iglesia brothers are so busy they often miss meals in having to keep their many appointments. This is not just merienda really but lunch as well,” said Ka Rey.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Make it dinner, too,” said Ka Rading as he reached for another grilled chicken drumstick. Everybody got the joke and laughed..</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"> In the round seating formation, Ka Mao sat beside a man with a robust frame, broad-shouldered and good-looking. He was dapper in barong and with his grey, well-combed hair, he had the looks of a venerable solon, and he did speak with the flamboyance of a congressman engaged in empty braggadocio.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“I have made a story treatment,” the man said in-between munches at his own grilled chicken. “And I am trying to establish contacts with Hollywood directors. If we can get James Cameron, so much the better.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao just didn’t like what he heard; his reaction was impulsive. Ka Rey keenly noticed it and he thought that was opportune for him to introduce the speaker.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Direk, this is Ka Art.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Hi.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“We can work together in writing the script and when done, we present it to Cameron. If Cameron accepts, then that’s it, we get the blessing from above. Financing won’t be a problem.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">All in all, what Ka Art seemed to be saying was that Ka Mao should be thankful for being made to co-write a script for directing by a Hollywood director. Indeed that was how Ka Mao took those words and he didn’t feel honored.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">In fact, the words slighted him exceedingly. I wrote more than fifty screenplays, directed most of them. I won two best screenplay awards, one being for that grand winner “Burlesk Queen” in the 1970 Metro Manila Film Festival. My movie “Mainit… Masarap… Parang Kaning Isusubo” outgrossed “Rocky V’ during their simultaneous first-run showing in Metro Manila. I launched – at least my movies did – the careers of many a superstar, a few of them eventually becoming top political figures, two vice governors and one congressman. Lito Lapid’s career got a shot in the arm at a time he needed it most with my directorial debut “Isla Sto. Nino” in 1982 and since then he soared to even greater heights in the movie firmament onward to becoming first vice governor, then governor and finally senator, which he is until now. And if it were not for Henry Sy I would not have stopped building stars and would have continued grooming them for lucrative political careers. Now you tell me, write, no, help write, a script for direction by, oh, boy, James Cameron! And you expect me to salaam, “Thank you…Thank you… Thank you…” Gosh, the guy couldn’t even come anywhere close to my output. In 1991 I was the topnotcher, with six movies written and directed. Can Cameron match even that year’s credits of mine? “Titanic” was such a smash hit. So? So were all those six movies I made in 1991. Begin from “Bad Girl,” which catapulted Cristina Gonzales to stardom, then to her subsequent starrers “Katawan ni Sofia”and “Maiinit na Puso”, which established her as a box-office queen who went on to become the busiest star that year, making a staggering total of fifteen movies. But how ever much the grosses of those six movies could come up to, they would be just a tiny drop against the gross of “Titanic”. True, because “Titanic” had an international market, had been funded precisely to generate that much gross. But, as they say it in boxing, there is this you call pound-for-pound. Not one of those six movies cost more than seven million pesos including publicity, so the question should be, how many seven million pesos are there in the 200 million dollars budget of "Titanic"? At forty pesos to a dollar, that’s roughly 120 times, or in other words 120 movies grossing an average of 15 million pesos per for one week showing alone in Metro Manila or a total of1,860 million pesos multiplied by two to include provincial gross, the figure comes up to 3,720 million. Divide that by 40 to convert the figure to dollars you get roughly 92 million. That’s for the Philippines alone, the size of just one state in the United States of America, meaning you get 3 states or a gross of 200 million, the cost of “Titanic”, you’re break even at least, thus the take from the 48 remaining states in the amount of 4,816 million is your windfall minus taxes. That’s in dollars and for just the United States. How about for the rest of the world! Yet here you are asking me, a film director, to simply write a script for directing by someone to whom I must be superior pound-for-pound.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao never got to say those words actually. He had gone past that stage in his life where he thought matters can be settled by debates, friendly or otherwise. People, he recognized now, are prisoners of their prejudices and there is no way to sway them away from those prejudices for the simple reason that it is they who had locked themselves in and had forever thrown away the key that could unlock the prison door.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Count me out,” came Ka Mao’s words.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rading was agape. Ka Loren kept his stoic stare. Ka Nilo was unusually serious, eyeing Ka Mao as he finished his banana dessert. Ka Rey sensed Ka Mao was hurting or something. For want of something by which to divert Ka Ma’s mind, he poured Coca-Cola into a glass and offered it to Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Coke, Direk.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">But even before Ka Mao could accept the offer, Ka Art forced the issue.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“What we are going to do is an international movie. We must have an international director.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">This time Ka Mao felt his temper bursting. It vexed him even more to hear that term “international movie”, a cliché coined by workers in the movie industry to refer to cheap film projects shot in the Philippines with obscure foreign stars and directors. To Ka Mao, the term connoted Filipino subservience to anything foreign; he had come to detest it, just as he simply detested the present topic of doing a film for direction by an international director.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Count me out. I will have nothing to do with a movie that makes Filipino directors inferior to those of Hollywood. You bring Cameron here and make him do a movie for seven million pesos including promotion. Let’s see if he comes up to even half of what I have been doing.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Poor Cameron, Ka Mao told himself. Getting clobbered for an offense he didn’t even know he did. Ka Mao had seen “Titanic” and had admired its production value, particularly the stunt scenes , as well as its wealth of human touches, like the spitting contest between lead stars Leonardo Di Carpio and Kate Winslet on the bow deck of the ship, otherwise a simple scene but made big and beautiful by a breathtaking camerawork that could only be a handiwork of a brilliant director. To have had the eye to glean innocent childishness in a mundane children’s game and highlight it as a signal scene in his movie just smacks of genius. And the screenplay structure, though not new, had a charm and originality all its own. No, Ka Mao told himself, I have no quarrel with Cameron. What I have quarrel with is the thinking of people like this guy beside me who says Filipino directors are inferior to Cameron. That’s another thing and I doubt if Cameron himself would like it put that way. All directors believe they are good. Some may be afflicted with deep conceit to believe that they are better than others, but give that to them. After all, being better does not mean others are bad but rather those that they are better than are good. Besides those who dare say they are better than others usually keep it to themselves. They would sound silly if they stooped down just so they could proclaim their virtues by themselves. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">In the case of Ka Mao, he would only go as far as proclaiming: “There are no bad directors; there are only bad producers.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Beside Ka Rading sat a man who had been quiet all along, listening, observing or just eating. He was past sixty, clean-cut, clean-shaven, hair neatly combed. He, too, looked dapper in polo barong but didn’t have any of the flamboyance of Ka Art or the showmanship of Ka Rading. With his cool, calm comportment and with his polished spectacles, about his face was the aura of an unpretentious religion pastor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">He cut in softly, “This is just a brainstorming.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao looked to the man, whom Ka Rey introduced..</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“He is Ka Nestor.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"> “Let’s settle that matter about international director later,” said Ka Nestor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">That look from Ka Nestor told Ka Mao that they were on the same boat in the controversy. Ka Mao smiled. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rading realized he got the cue. He finished his Coca-Cola quick, wiped his mouth with a napkin which he used also to wipe his hands.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Well…,” Ka Rading began, rubbing his hands together. “We are thinking of a film project to commemorate the 100<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Iglesia Ni Cristo. That will be in 2014…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“It will be an epic,” butted in Ka Art. “You know, like ‘Ten Commandments’ perhaps. So we need somebody to direct it like ‘Titanic’.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">There he goes again, Ka Mao twitted to himself. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“I plan to title it ‘The Messenger’,” continued Ka Art. “It’s about Ka Felix Manalo, how on July 27, 1914 he answered the call of Lord God for him to perform what had been prophesied in the Bible.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“What’s about that date?” asked Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“That was when Ka Felix registered Iglesia ni Cristo with the SEC.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“SEC?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“The Securities and Exchange Commission.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“That was God’s call?” asked Ka Mao. “To register Iglesia with the SEC…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“First thing first,” cut in Ka Loren. “Who will produce the movie?"</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“We will be the producers,” said Ka Art, indicating everybody in the meeting.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Where do we get the money?” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ks Loren asked the question. More than anybody else in the meeting, it was he who should be most concerned about financing. He was the only one in the group who had big money, but just in case the Iglesia people were thinking of asking him to finance the film project, he thought it better to clear it up early on that he was not inclined to do so. True that he had been liberal in granting financial assistance to friends and colleagues, and even to complete strangers. who were in need, but only precisely for that purpose, financial assistance, not money making ventures. Going into such big undertakings as production of international movies was farthest from his mind.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Indeed, the speech stylist that Ka Rading was, he retorted to Ka Loren’s question, “We wouldn’t really mind if you funded the project.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Loren let out his all too rare smile, his shoulders slightly crouched as he scratched the back of his head. He always did that gesture each time he reacted with amusement, surprise or disbelief.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“I’m poor. I don’t own anything anymore.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rey came to Ka Loren’s rescue. He said, “Pareng Loren had divested himself of all possessions. Divided them among his children.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“You still own Bagong Tiktik,” said Ka Art, showing a copy of the tabloid. “Your name is still here.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“I’m the publisher. But my kids own it now.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“How’s the paper doing?” asked Ka Rading.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Good as ever. We’re in the top two.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“How many copies?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“One hundred sixty”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Thousand?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Loren nodded. “And counting.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Big.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Bigger than the circulation of the broadsheet claiming to be number one.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“You don’t have many ads.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“I discourage them.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Oh…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Ads take away precious space for reading. So you lose readership. When the ads pull out, you’ve lost readers, too. Better you retain your big readership through and through. That’s better assurance of steady big income. That is, for tabloids which have very limited space.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Just recently we passed by your building on Paso de Blas. Business there looks good,” said Ka Art.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Okay.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“How’s the club in Bocaue?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Doing fine. I have stopped intervening in its operation. My children do it all.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Your townhouses doing okay, too?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“My children know the details.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">What’s this, a CI? Ka Mao asked himself, seeing that the discussion is turning into some kind of a credit investigation. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“By the way, any progress in your treasure hunt?” asked Ka Art.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“You know that, too?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“If God would bless us with the gold, why not?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“We’ve gone to thirty feet deep and begun finding treasure signs. Stones the size of a big saucer smoothly carved into discs. Carpet of leaves layered on top of one another and compressed as in a mattress. But the most encouraging is the head of a serpent carved in wood. According to treasure books the serpent head points to where the gold is. When the wet season ends, we’ll start digging toward where the serpent head points. We’re almost there.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“I thought we’d get funding from above,” cut in Ka Nestor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Didn’t I say, if Cameron accepts, then financing from above won’t be a problem.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Some guy this Ka Art,” sighed Ka Mao to himself.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Best thing to do is get the work done,” said Ka Rey, beginning to remove the things from the center table. “Lilia, help please.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Okay, let’s get it done.,” said Ka Rading. He began taking out three versions of the Bible and other literature from his bag while Lilia helped out Ka Rey in clearing the center table. Then rising, he said., “Lets stand to pray.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Everybody rose after him. Ka Rading and his companions closed their eyes tight and hard, with Ka Rey hurrying to join in. Ka Loren and Nilo bowed their heads in apparent meditation, so did Ka Mao. <br />
<br />
"Lord God, our dear Father…,” began Ka Rading,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Yes,” chorused Ka Art, Ka Nestor, Ka Rey and the other Iglesia man in Ka Rading’s group.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“…thank you very much for bringing us together this afternoon…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Yes.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">So that’s how prayers are done in Iglesia, Ka Mao concluded to himself. The leader does all the praying and the others just answer, “Yes… Yes… Yes…” He focused his mind on the pauses Ka Rading made and confirmed the “Yes” response at each pause.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Though we have come from faraway places… you saw to it that each of us arrived in this place safe and in good health… ready to shoulder whatever task you may chose for us to do…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Having confirmed where the “Yes” response were made, Ka Mao now felt confident in joining in the chorus.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“… so that thereby we may serve you… and glorify your holy name…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Yes,” uttered Ka Mao loud and certain.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Amen,” chorused Ka Rey and the Iglesia people.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao didn’t let his embarrassment show. He thought, So that’s it, after a series of “Yes,” you shift to responding with “Amen.” He believed now he knew.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Dear Lord God Father, we implore you..”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Amen,” responded Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Yes,” went the chorus.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“.. enlighten us in our discussion this afternoon|</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Amen,” responded Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Yes,” went the chorus.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“…so that whatever decision we make…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Amen,” responded Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Yes,” went the chorus.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Now Ka Mao realized he was doing it wrong. He resolved to correct it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“…it is a decision guided by the glory of your wisdom.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Yes,” responded Ka Mao loud and certain.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Amen,” went the chorus.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao stole glaring glances at the Iglesia people, like saying, “You’re playing smart on me, eh?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">He firmed up his stance, like bracing for a fight even as he clasped his hands tight in front of him.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Finally, Lord God, Dear Father… bless this house, bless Ka Rey, Ka Lilia and their children… bless all of us your chosen ones… shield us with your love and protect us with your divine power… all the way to the completion… of our journey to the promised salvation…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">What Ka Mao did was play safe. While the Iglesia people responded with just “Yes” or “Amen” at appropriate pauses, Ka Mao responded with “Yes, Amen”, so that whatever the Iglesia people appropriately responded with, Ka Mao was always in perfect unison.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“All this we ask in the name of our great Savior Jesus Christ.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Amen,” chorused the Iglesia people.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Yes, Amen,” concluded Ka Mao, then eyed the Iglesia people with a triumphant smile.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Ka Mao has got a beautiful smile,” said Ka Rading as he sat; everybody else sat, too. “Good omen of a successful orientation.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Orientation?” asked Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Well…We’re making a film on Iglesia ni Cristo. We have to learn its history.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">What next transpired was nearly a one-man show of Ka Rading. He asked the questions, he gave the answers. But always, as he would stress time and again, the answer came from the Bible. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><b>“</b>People have the mistaken belief that Iglesia Ni Cristo was founded by Ka Felix Manalo. This is not true. Who founded Inglesia Ni Cristo? Jesus Christ himself founded Iglesia Ni Cristo as written in the Holy Bible. Here in Matthew 16:18. It says, ‘And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.’ Whose church? Christ said ‘My church.’ Therefore the Church of Christ. Iglesia Ni Cristo… For this reason, Iglesia Ni Cristo is the only church our Lord Jesus Christ built on earth. Iglesia Ni Cristo is the one and only true Church of Christ which every man should enter in order to have the right to salvation. That church however was totally apostatized by the Roman Catholic Church and, after that period of the Apostles, was dormant for close to 2,000 years until in fulfillment of a Biblical prophecy Ka Felix Manalo revived it at these, 'the ends of the earth.’”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Until then, Ka Mao had not known anything much about Iglesia. His impression of the congregation was that it was among many other churches professing to carry the teachings of Jesus Christ, aside from being a homebred religion in the Philippines. To hear now that it was actually claiming to be the one true church built by Jesus Christ himself was astounding enough. But to hear that its formation had actually been prophesied in the Bible was mind-boggling, to say the least. So long as Ka Rading was limiting the discussion of biblical verses within their historical context, it was perfectly all right. Ka Mao had made cursory reading of the Bible at one time or another and his understanding of the scriptures had not gone beyond accepting them in the context of Israel in the biblical era. Whatever implications the scriptures had upon other areas of the world after that era were, to Ka Mao, to be taken as applied lessons. In other words, if the scriptures, though written strictly for Israel, did humanity good, why not? But to actually situate the Philippines in a context meant only for Israel was just absurd, and this was Ka Mao’s frame of mind when he intervened in Ka Rading’s otherwise one-man stand-up performance..</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“How was the prophecy made?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rading beamed with a smile, like a fisherman that got a fish tugging at his line.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rading leafed through the pages of one of the bibles in front of him while he said, “That’s what I always say. God blesses us with so many wonderful things and yet we don’t know it. Like the revival of the apostatized Church of Christ. God had seen to it that it took place in our midst and thereby blessed us with the opportunity to enjoy salvation first.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“The prophecy?” Ka Mao insisted.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rading came to a particular page of the bible he was browsing through.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> “Here it is. Revelation. 7, verse 2. ‘And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God’. That angel was Ka Felix Manalo.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> “How do we know?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> “The Bible says it,” said Ka Rading as he quickly shifted to another page of the Bible. "In Isaiah 41, verses 9 to 10, we read ‘Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ The prophecy goes on in Isaiah 43, verses 5 to 6 which state, ‘Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.’”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“That ‘whom I have taken from the ends of the earth’ could be another man.” Ka Loren appeared like having just that thought, for when Ka Mao uttered the question, he faintly smiled, nodding his head.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“No,” said Ka Rading emphatically. “No other man preached the Church of Christ in the Philippines but Ka Felix. In fact, in the whole of Asia. What Ka Felix began in 1914 grew and expanded westward, beginning with the congregations in Hawaii and in California. Now we are all over Europe, including former communist Russia. Perfectly according to Christ’s own prophecy, ‘I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west… bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"> “What proof do we have that the Philippines was the one being referred to in the Bible as the country where the Church of Christ would re-emerge after the apostasy by the Roman Catholic Church?.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“Let the Bible answer,” said Ka Rading as he leafed through the pages of the Bible again. Even before he could find the page, he said, “In John 10:16 Jesus himself spoke, ’And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.’ Who are those “other sheep’ that Jesus said he had? We, the Iglesia ni Cristo.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“By what virtue?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"> “By virtue of Christ’s own prophecy. He said that in John 10:16, ‘them also I must bring.’ And in Isaiah 43, verses 5 to 6 it says ‘I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west… bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth.’ Where in the east we might ask? In Isaiah 41, verse 1 we read, ‘Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.’ In the Far East, there is no other country made up of islands but the Philippines. Some other countries may have a few islands surrounding them, but only the Philippines is an archipelago, a country of islands. How many islands, Direk?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“High tide or low tide?” asked Ka Mao, eliciting laughter from those who understood the joke, which was a recollection of the answer Charlene Gonzales gave in the Miss International contest years back The emcee, smarting at having handled the show well, walked up to Charlene in the line-up of five finalists, thinking he would be surprising her with the question: “How many islands does the Philippines have?” But instead of answering how many, Charlene shot back. “High tide, or low tide.” And the poor emcee was simply flabbergasted. Charlene quickly came to his rescue by answering something to this effect: “At high tide, the number of islands visible is 7000, but at low tide 100 other islands come into view. And that’s my answer.” And for that, Charlene won the Miss International Title.,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“And that’s my answer, too,” Ka Mao said.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Everytbody laughed again.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“With 7,100 islands, the P)hilippines is definitely the country prophesied as the ‘islands’ site of the renewal of strength of the Church of Christ, that is Iglesia ni Cristo.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“The prophesy was made when man’s perception of the earth was that it was flat. Only far up to Galileo’s time did the idea come about that the earth was round. And with the discovery of the Philippines by Magellan in 1521, it was proven that indeed the earth was round. So where is that ‘ends of the earth’ prophesied in the Bible?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Rading beamed the satisfied feeling of a teacher who knew he had gotten a pupil ready to take his words at their face value.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">“’Ends of the earth’ is not referring to geography,” he said. It was obvious by now that there was no question you could ask which he did not have a ready answer to.”Rather, it is an allegorical description of the day of judgment. Note in Isaiah 41, verse 1, it says ‘let us come near together to judgment.’ We are now in a period which we might call the eve of the second coming of Lord Jesus Christ, a period marked by natural disasters and man-made conflicts. We are at the ‘ends of the earth’ but not yet the end, because the end will come when Christ returns from the heaven to judge the living and the dead. For that second coming of the Lord, Iglesia ni Cristo was renewed not as a personal design of any mortal man but in fulfillment of God’s will as prophesied by Jesus Christ himself when he said in John 10, 16 ‘them also I will bring’ and in Isaiah 43, 5 to 6, ‘I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west… bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth’. The ‘renewal of strength’ of the Church of Christ in the Philippines in the form of Igleia Ni Cristo happened in 1914 when World War I broke out, ‘nations against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms’, perfectly as prophesied in Ezekiel…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Ka Mao enjoyed Ka Rading’s presentation seriously. He remembered his short stint at sales in the mid-sixties, underwriting life insurance and selling encyclopedia. He realized now that in both jobs, he was practically doing the work of a minister. With life insurance, he was selling benefits after death; with encyclopedia, truth. It appeared to Ka Mao now that the only difference was that, with life insurance and encyclopedia, the buyer pays money, with Ka Rading’s preaching, you pay with “Yes, yes, amen.” That was not too dear a paying.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Though with Ka Loren, the case didn’t seem quite so. The more or less one hour run down by Ka Rading of the basic Iglesia doctrines hardly made a dint on his mind. At past sixty, he didn’t seem to have outgrown the tirelessness of his youth in seeking answers to many questions lurking in the deep recesses of his mind. For him, just saying “Yes, yes, amen” was a price too dear to pay.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Not even once did Ka Mao notice Ka Loren responding in the prayer.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">His elocution over, Ka Rading propounded the question: “So, when do we schedule your indoctrination?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">No immediate response came.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Rading explained the procedure. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “It consists of 25 lessons, one lesson per session, each session lasting for thirty minutes, done four times a week, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Thursdays and Sundays are for attending worship.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Where will the indoctrination be?” asked Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Let’s have it in the Central Office,” said Ka Rading. “On Wednesdays, we can proceed to worship in the temple afterward .”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao looked to Ka Loren. It looked like Ka Loren held the key. If he said, “Go,” that’s it. Ka Loren took a moment to decide then nodded his head.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Rey could not help doing a single clap of his hands. He was exceedingly glad.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> On the way out from Ka Rey’s place after the meeting, Ka Mao told Ka Rey, “We have not discussed any mechanics of actual production.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “We can take that up later. To have gotten Pareng Loren to agree to the indoctrination was achievement enough.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “He would appear in the Iglesia records as your fruit,” said Ka Nestor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Let’s hope it helps facilitate your re-entry into the Iglesia,” said Ka Rading.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Why, re-entry?” asked Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Rey spoke hesitantly. “I’ve been expelled.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Oh…”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I’d been married to a catholic before when I married Lilia in the Iglesia.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “So you’re no longer Iglesia?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “We call it<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, balik-loob</i>, a returnee to the fold,” said Ka Nestor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “But that’s small matter,” said Ka Rading with his characteristic brag. “We’ll work it out. After all, you had long been separated from your first wife when you married Lilia.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> They reached the spot which served as plaza for the community. Here the van of Ka Loren and that of the Iglesia people were parked. It was not strictly a slums area, but many of the dwellings in the neighborhood made it look like one. Children playing here, men drinking there, women gossiping near a small stand where banana on a stick called banana cue was grilled. The spot was teeming with parked sedans, jeepneys and tricycles. The group shook hands with one another before boarding their vehicles.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “So, we start the indoctrination Monday,” said Ka Rading as he shook hands with Ka Loren.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren nodded his head.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER II</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">THAT WEEKEND, Ka Mao saw to it to visit Ka Loren and take up with him the matter of the indoctrination. Ka Loren had not been talkative during the orientation in Ka Rey’s place, a way of saying he did not agree with what Ka Rading was saying. But he had agreed to scheduling the indoctrination. Ka Mao felt this matter needed clearing up, but there was no way it could have been done in the previous meeting because after it ended, everybody went his way home.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> As usual, Ka Mao met up with Ka Rey at McDonald’s in Monumento where they took a bus to Valenzuela, then made nearly a kilometer walk to a tricycle terminal where they took a ride to Parada, the site of Ka Loren’s printing press as well as, farther down the road to a subdivision, his residence.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The house was a low-lying, austerely-designed split-level bungalow which reflected the meek character of the man who owned it. Ka Loren abhorred ostentation. But for a wristwatch – precisely to make sure he kept his appointments on time – he didn’t wear any piece of jewelry on his body. He couldn’t understand why people should pay P200 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks when he could have it just as fine at the National Press Club canteen. And though his children had bought him an Expedition, he went around in his favorite Isuzu Carrybody. And yet he wouldn’t hesitate donating thousands upon thousands of pesos for sustaining various livelihood programs of Obando fishermen and other poor folks, and funding the schooling of indigent students.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Beside the house was a bigger one consisting of two storeys. This was for the use of his daughter Guia and her family. She had taken the brunt of management of the estate of Ka Loren,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The houses were inside a small compound that left little room for maneuver. All cars of the family were parked in the motor pool of the printing press; the Carrybody, Ka Nilo brought home with him to Obando for parking overnight in a lot owned by Ka Loren, too, and for use again the next day in Ka Nilo’s performing various errands for Ka Loren </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">` Around the house was a solid concrete fence rising high and topped by steel phalanges done in the shape of a spear serving as columns for several layers of barbed wire. This, obviously, was to discourage burglars and some other such elements, coupled with the instant barking of a dog no sooner than you got near the fence. The gate was done in steel and solid, meaning you don’t see anybody in from outside nor anybody out from inside. And though there was a doorbell by the gate, it was out of order and it was the barking of the dog that indicated to those inside that there was somebody outside.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Who’s there?” asked the woman who rushed to the gate.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Rey and Mao, Rhea,” answered Ka Rey. He had recognized the voice.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The name of Ka Rey had the effect of a password. Instantly the gate door opened and revealed a fortyish lady simply clad in house duster, her hair, straight and long, partially done in a bun. She had a very fair complexion and her face made even more babyish by a chubbiness peculiar to her age appeared to shine with a brilliance reflecting an inner innocence when she smiled.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Hi, Rhea,” greeted Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Is Pare home?” asked Ka Rey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes. Come in. I’ll tell him,” Rhea said.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Rhea closed the gate door after the two then rushed ahead of them in going inside the house. It had been routinary. Ka Rey and Ka Mao minded themselves while Rhea told Ka Loren they were around. And as usual, Ka Loren caught the two taking their shoes off to leave them by the door before walking into the sala.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No, have your shoes on,” said Ka Loren.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Shoes are for walking on dirty streets of the world, not on shiny marble floors of nice, clean homes.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao said that to himself as he set his shoes aside in the corner by the door inside the house. Kay Rey did as well. Together with Ka Loren, they took seats on the sala set, about the only furnishing in the living room along with the television set opposite it. A divider separated the sala from the dining room, beyond which was the kitchen and the servant’s quarters occupying the other end of the house. A three-step stairs to the right led to the master’s bedroom from which Ka Loren had emerged. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “How are you doing, Pare,” said Ka Rey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren slightly threw his arms aside. “Is this okay?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> He was in shorts, bare from waist up.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao stared at Ka Loren’s feet. They were clean, freshly-pedicured, and the tincture of iodine lining the edges of his toenails made them look like tiny pinkish rosebuds. You’d never get to see Ka Loren without that cleanness of his hands and feet, and this was testimony to the meticulous care Rhea was giving him. If for many a woman, the best way to a man\s heart is his stomach, for Rhea it seemed it was the nails of Ka Loren’s hands and feet.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> There was nothing much Rhea could do about Ka Loren\s stomach. Doctors prescribed very limited food. Absolutely no meat. Little rice was allowed and vegetable. He was practically living on medicine and food supplement.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Rhea was a very dutiful partner to Ka Loren. On occasions like now, she knew her routine. After setting on the sala center table the things for making coffee, she hied off to Jollibee to order burger steak for lunch of Ka Mao and Ka Rey. That’s how long the discussions among the three would take place.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Your feet still swell, Pare,” observed Ka Mao as he tried to reach a cup for making himself coffee.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Let me, Direk,” said Ka Rey. He made coffee for the three of them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What treatment do you do?”Ka Mao asked Ka Loren.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Massage. Whatever it can do to help.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What's really ailing you?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Damn those doctors. All they are after is money. Without checking you up, they order heart bypass. Why? Because I have a heart ailment? No. Because that’s the real costly treatment.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What’s heart bypass got to do with swollen feet?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “They postulate a blood clot. Which is why blood can’t circulate well. It gets choked on my feet and they swell.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Then heart bypass is really needed.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No, they have not studied me yet and already they order that operation. It’s the money they need. And especially because they know I’ve got it and my children will pay no matter how much they charge. Damn those doctors.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Damn this world, Pare,” said Ka Rey as he placed before Ka Loren the coffee he had made for him. “Everybody’s rotten. Government official, police, judges, lawyers. And now you say, doctors. They are supposed to look after the people’s wellbeing yet they are the very ones causing people's misery. Indeed the world is nearing damnation.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “You said people’s wellbeing?” asked Ka Loren, then smiled, crouching his shoulders and scratching the back of his head. “The people themselves are corrupt. They are bringing damnation to themselves.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “That can be a theme in the film we’re going to make,” said Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Honestly, Pare,” said Ka Loren, “I don’t think they’re serious about it.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “They’re serious, Pare,” said Ka Rey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Do they really think they can convince the Iglesia to produce that movie?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Why not? What\s one hundred million pesos, just in case, for dramatizing the history of Iglesia. From its humble beginnings to what it is today, not just a sect but a religion that has spread all over the world.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What you have in mind is a movie they want.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Rey stared wonderingly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What we will do, if ever, is a movie we want.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Rey now stared with a dawning.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “That’s what I mean, will Iglesia finance that movie we want. Already in the meeting, we raised issues questioning the validity of Iglesia claims. For instance, what was it that you asked, Pare? About Adam and Eve speaking like civilized people right at the time of creation…”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Those claims have a hard time reconciling with the facts of science and history,” said Ka Mao. “Man had got to undergo eons of primitive existence before learning the finery of culture, including language oral and written.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I have all versions of the Bible here. I watch the major religious programs on television and listen to evangelists on radio, and I can say that the Bible makes no mention at all of a “far east” from where would take place the supposed re-emergence of the church of Christ. The “bird of prey” which Ka Rading preached as referring to Ka Felix Manalo was actually a reference to King Cyrus of Persia who caused the deliverance of Israelites back to Jerusalem. What we’re saying is that here we are, asked to do a movie that we want, we must do it putting these questions in the proper perspective, but asking the questions and answering them properly necessarily means running counter to the preachings of Iglesia,”said Ka Loren, crouching his shoulder and scratching the back of his head. “Will they allow it?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “We have to do it the way the Iglesia wants it done,” said Ka Rey, straining his speech in an effort to convince his listeners.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao saw that touch of irony in Ka Loren’s eyes as he suddenly grew silent, just staring at Ka Rey. He knew it. Ka Loren had always been that way. He’d argue with you endlessly in order to get you out of your wrong thinking, but when he realized there was no use arguing anymore, he would just stop talking. Like a doctor who would continue trying to get you out of your sickness and he would stop only when he realized you’re dead.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Free thought is our remaining wealth in life. Let us never surrender it.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Rey cringed inside at Ka Mao’s words. Like Ka Mao, he had been into the revolutionary movement and had been steeped in principles of freedom and libertarian ideals. Within those ideals religion is bigotry. It was understandable that when Ka Rey must remind about the indoctrination scheduled to take place the coming Monday his words were measured, nearly tentative and touched with apologia. Much like the feeling of a quack doctor prescribing a concoction to a patient knowing only too well that what he is prescribing might be poison. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Your indoctrination had been set,” he said.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao looked to Ka Loren, who just stared back with that sullen, incomprehensible look in his eyes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “In my case, I’d take it all in the spirit of learning by practice. In Marxist dogma, that’s concrete analysis of concrete condition. Mao Zedong puts it quite simply: learn swimming by swimming, warfare through warfare. Hence, learn Iglesia ni Cristo by being Iglesia ni Cristo.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Like I always say, there is a duality to a thing,” said Ka Loren.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Dialectics, Aristotle called it,” said Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What you are saying is a duality in a material.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Dialectical materialism, according to Marx and Engels.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Learning the theory of swimming by the practice of swimming”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Lenin said, you learn more about state fascism by spending a minute fighting the police out in the street than by spending a year just reading about it in books.”. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “But what we have been scheduled to do is not something in the material but is in the spiritual. How do you learn the spiritual by practice in the material? The two just don’t jibe,” Ka Loren said, crouching his shoulders and scratching the back of his head.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Unless duality is true only in the material so that the spiritual does not have a duality in itself but is itself just one aspect of a duality the other aspect of which is the material,” said Ka Mao, feeling he had scored a point.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No, Pare,” said Ka Loren. “If duality be universal, then it must be true through and through in all things material and spiritual. In things material, we don’t have any problem. They are there for us to see, hear, and feel, thereby completely subject to our most profound studies so as to arrive at correct scientific truths. It is in things spiritual where we have a great problem, because in themselves spiritual things are incapable of being restricted. They can take on any scope, size, shape and volume that metaphysics allows, and metaphysics allows us to dwell in infinitesimal improbable possibilities.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “That, Pare,” said Ka Mao, “was the same discovery made by Hegel when he pursued the dialectics of Aristotle. He realized that the antagonism between the thesis and antithesis of a contradiction resulted in a synthesis which in turn split into its own components of thesis and antithesis to produce its own synthesis, and so on and so forth all the way to infinity. The problem confronting your duality now is the same as the one that Hegel faced: Where is infinity?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The question excited Ka Loren. He grabbed a stick of his Marlboro and lit it with his lighter. That’s always the impulse of writers. They hit an idea but instead of pounding the typewriter immediately they light a cigarette first, as though the smoke that bellows from their mouths is the kind of charm that will cause the idea to flower. Knowing now that he was going to hear something nice, he took one good puff at his stick and blew the smoke before asking his question. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What did Hegel answer?” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao was silent for a while. He seriously worried about Ka Loren’s smoking.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Can’t you stop that, Pare?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren took another hard puff at his cigarette, blew the smoke, and smiled.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> By force of habit, Ka Rey lit a stick of his own Marlboro. He said, “You used to smoke hard, too, Direk.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes. Like you and Pareng Loren, Marlboro, too.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Why did you stop?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I stopped liking the habit. I coughed endlessly. Every day, every night. It was pestering me. And one day I was shooting ‘Machete’, I coughed so hard that I just didn’t like it anymore. I threw the stick into the floor, ‘Enough!’, and crushed it with my shoes. That was the last time I ever smoked and didn’t crave for it ever since.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I’d like to stop it if I could. I’ve been having that coughing spell lately. Trouble is, I couldn’t,” said Ka Rey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Or maybe you haven’t had enough yet. How many packs you finish in a day.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “More or less one.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Make it 2. No, 3. As in Ka Loren’s duality, the more you want to smoke, the more you would not want to anymore.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “So, what did Hegel find out?” cut in Ka Loren abruptly, smoke bellowing from his mouth. He looked impatient.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For a moment, Ka Mao appeared stunned; he did forget about the question.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Oh, yes… Weir geist.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren stared inquisitively.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “That’s German for world spirit.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren stared on, trying hard to make out in his mind the words uttered by Ka Mao. He could only take another hard puff at his cigarette.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Hegel at one time took pains to verbalize his idea of world spirit. He described it as something that had the form of a Napoleon Bonaparte garbed in immaculate regalia of conquest, astride a pure white steed galloping among the clouds up in the sky and hovering, hovering all over the world and beyond.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “That’s what I was saying, Pare. You cannot practice the spiritual on the material plane. How can you verbalize the idea of a world spirit in the mere person of Napoleon Bonaparte?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “That was the most Hegel could do about his idea. At the time, Napoleon Bonaparte was god of all Europe and any concept of divinity at the time must be in the likes of his famous person. In the first place, how did the idea of divine providence come about but when it became necessary for kings and emperors to institutionalize their rule over the world?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Poor Philippines, then,” said Rey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> He got Ka Loren and Ka Mao staring.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Rey continued, “We would have a midget woman garbed in green and red superwoman costume complete with a cape which sways with the wind as she stands victorious on top of a ballot box marked with ‘Garci’, the ballot box hovering, hovering all over the Philippines.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren added, “I’d have that ballot box borne on top of a pyramid of lean and hungry Filipino people groaning as she yells in triumph, ‘Darna!’”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “If FPJ had won, it would have been more in the likes of Napoleon Bonaparte, a swashbuckling ‘Panday’, mightily swishing his giant sword at the dark forces of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism,” said Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “It would have been worst,” said Ka Loren. He crouched his shoulders and scratched the back of his head. “Imagine the Philippines ruled by a Carlo Caparas character.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> They got a good laugh.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> ‘Ultimately, Hegel met up with the pitfall common to all philosophies.|”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Pitfall?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Metaphysics. Philosophers always reach a dead end in their thinking. Once they do they seek an inevitable surrender to a supreme creator. When Hegel reached his own dead end, he concluded that t<span style="color: black;">he march of God in history is the cause of the existence of the state and that every state participates in the Divine essence."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “And you call that pitfall?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “Yes. There’s no getting out of the pit once you fall.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “All the better for me. I’d stay in the arms of God.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “That’s as far as Hegel’s belief went.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “I believe so, too.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “Accept that every state participates in God’s essence.?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “That’s Hegel’s. Give that to him.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “And if it’s true what Lenin said that the state is the instrument of oppression used by one class against another, then it is in the essence of God that such oppression is committed against the multitudes of poor and hungry?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> ”It is in the essence of Lenin.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “Pare, let’s be rational…?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “Did God tell Hegel to make the man-made creation called state participate in his divine essence? And Lenin to turn that divine essence into an instrument of class oppression? That would be supreme blasphemy!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “All I’m saying, Pare, is that we’re free to think as long as we live. Think beyond God.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> “God is where all my thinking ends.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"> Both Ka Mao and Ka Rey felt the strong resolve in Ka Loren’s words, though he kept the low, soft tone of his voice. His eyes spoke it, too, that he meant what he said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Just now entered Rhea, carrying two packs of Jollibee burger steak. She broke that moment of quiet. .</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Have your lunch,” said Rhea. She put the food packs before Ka Mao and Ka Rey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Thank you, Rhea,” said Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What a darling you are,” said Ka Rey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Rhea smiled and walked to the dining room.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “How about you, Pare?” Ka Mao said to Ka Loren.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Go ahead.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren looked toward the dining room where Rhea was hurrying with something she was doing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “How do you manage to stand it?” said Ka Mao. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Stand what?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Not eating enough rice. When it’s past mealtime and I haven’t had rice yet, my nerves are shaking. What did Patrick Henry say? Give me rice or give me death.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren smiled at the joke.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Rhea walked back to the sala and gave Ka Loren his pills. He took them in his hand. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Man does not live by bread alone,” Ka Loren addressed Ka Mao then swallowed the pills one after another, each time drinking water to push them down his throat.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Man lives by medicine, too.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao meant that as a jest, prompted by an impulsive tendency to make light something that is heavy. Otherwise he would have expressed his concern for Ka Loren’s health in serious medical terms which could gravely make matters worse. It is in the nature of the mind that what you do not know does not affect you, so never mind if you’re dying, so long as you don’t know it, you’d go on living. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> But Ka Loren attacked the topic in his characteristic philosophical fashion.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Pare, medicine is as material to man’s corporeal existence as bread and water. They all serve the same purpose, to make you go on living out the wretchedness of life in this world till you cannot go on living anymore.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Why is it that, Pare?” cut in Ka Rey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren stared. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “We are born only to bear hardship and then die.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Aristotle would tell us now,” said Ka Mao. “Why do you insist in knowing what you are better off not knowing at all, that you are nothing and that you should not have been born in the first place and the next best thing for you to do is to die?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “By that logic, the best service you can do to a man is kill him at the very moment of his birth,” saud Ka Loren.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “For that matter,” said Ka Rey, “abort him while still in its mother’s womb.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Or best of all, don’t make babies,” kidded Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren crouched his shoulders and scratched the back of his head.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Pare, that’s another bread for the human flesh. I don’t know about you but that I cannot do without.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao and Ka Rey amused at Ka Loren’s remark</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER III</b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday to you</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday to you</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> Happy birthday happy birthday</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday Tatay</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE STRAINS</b> of the Happy Birthday song filled the air when Ka Mao arrived home that early evening. The cottage by the pool had been decorated with party timmings – balloons here, buntings there, a white cardboard on the wall bore the words: “Happy 69<sup>th</sup> Birthday, Tatay.” On the bamboo table was a small cake with the same dedication topped by a single big candle. Around the cake were plates containing food: spaghetti, sliced bread, grilled liempo and chicken. Singing the song were his sons Maoie, Paulo and Ogie and his five-year-old granddaughter Gia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Oh, a party!” exclaimed Ka Mao.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Of course, Tatay,” said Maoie. “Paulo made the decoration and bought the cake. I spent for the food.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “And I for the drinks,” said Ogie, setting a big brandy bottle on the table. “Make the first shot, Tatay.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao waved away the brandy bottle.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Wait,” said Paulo. “Blow the candle first.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes, I blow the candle,” said Gia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No, it’s Daddy who’s gonna blow the candle,” said Paulo.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No, me.” protested Gia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “It’s Daddy who’s got birthday.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “It’s my birthday,” insisted Gia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What’s your birthday?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “August 7.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What’s Daddy’s birthday>”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “August…”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “See? You don’t know.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “August 22!” exclaimed the girl, finally hitting the date in her mind.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes, today is August 22.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No, it’s August 7, my birthday.” And Gia began showing irritation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Okay, we blow together,” said Ka Mao, carrying Gia in his arms.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Okay,” agreed Gia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Paulo lit the candle and led in singing the Happy Birthday song. Gia anticipated the ending of the song and beat Ka Mao in blowing to the candle. Actually Ka Mao just let her. And everybody applauded.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao put Gia down.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Ok, darling grandchild. We eat.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I want that ” Gia said, pointing to the flower candy décor on the sides of the cake.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> “This one?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No, the pink one.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “A, this one. Okay.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao took the flower candy off the cake and gave it to Gia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Want me to make you spaghetti, darling?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No,” said Gia, licking the flower candy with her tongue.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Hey, Dad,” said Ogie, mimicking American slang. He put into Ka Mao;s hand the glass in which he had poured s shot of brandy. “You’re forgetting this.”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No, no…”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Come on, Tatay. Just one little shot. To start the celebration.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao eyed Ogie chidingly then took a sip at the brandy. He winced at the taste of the liquor, poured water in a glass and drank it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Why did you have to spend. We can do without this.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Aw, Tatay. This happens only once a year,” said Maoie as he turned to reach for something.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Stretch your earnings. I’m not sure when I could have another writing job. And whatever money we receive from Maripaz is just enough for Gia’s school expenses.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> None among his sons seemed to bother about his words. Paulo played music by which he did some rap.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Ya wanna be happy </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Find yourself a pappy</div><div class="MsoNormal"> A kind and nice daddy</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Though he got no money”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Everybody laughed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Daddy, no money,” kidded Gia, who looked prettiest whenever she smiled widely, her deep dimples appearing like cute punctuations on her cheeks.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Maoie did his own rap as he faced again to offer Ka Mao a gift-wrapped box.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “One for the money</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Two for the show</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Three to get ready</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Now go cat go</div><div class="MsoNormal"> But don’t you </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Step on my… Open up, open up…”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “And a gift to boot,” said Ka Mao, tearing off the gift wrapper and revealing what obviously was a shoe box.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Voila!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “My favorite Swatch.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “To replace the old shoes you got on.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “They’re Swatch, too, mind you.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes, Tatay,” Paulo kidded, “But look, heels just as flat as the soles. Do you realize you keel heavily to your sides every time you step?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Paulo did a walking like he were stepping with lopsided heels. Gia did likewise, amusing at the antic together with Maoie and Ogie. Ka Mao checked the heels of his Swatch which had grown flat on the exterior sides.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> ‘Swatch might just sue you for that,” said Maoie.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What’s the charge?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Slander.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Slander!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “You’re insulting the brand. Swatch is not for vagabonds. It is for wearing and walking like a king.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">` <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER IV</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">IT WAS</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SOMETIME </b>past his 69th birth anniversary in August the year before when Ka Mao started attending the indoctrination sessions together with Ka Loren and Ka Nilo, with Ka Rey, Ka Nestor and Ka Art observing. Ka Rading ministered the sessions.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> That Monday Ka Mao still wore his worn down Swatch since they were still serviceable and he saw no reason to replace them already with the new ones Maoie gifted him with. But early on in the indoctrination, Ka Rading saw to it to orient his listeners on the proper way of dressing in the Iglesia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “We wear different clothes for different occasions. For sleeping, we wear pajamas. For gardening we wear overalls. Work uniforms in our jobs. And so for facing God in his temple, we should be dressed appropriately also. What does ‘appropriately dressed’ mean? The bible says, it should be pleasing to God. Coming in t-shirt, denim pants and rubber shoes is not appropriate. It is not pleasing to God. Come in well-pressed polo shirt, slacks and leather shoes. Barong or polo barong will be nice. If you can come in coat-and-tie, that’s best. For women, look your Sunday best. Don’t get your mini skirt too high and your neckline too low.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao checked his get-up. Did he fit into the standard? He had t-shirt on, a yellow one that matched his black ukay-ukay denim pants.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “This okay?” he asked.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “It looks nice…”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “It’s Lacoste.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Lacoste also got polo shirts. They’re okay. Wear them.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “How about Swatch?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Oh, Swatch. The best. But not the sneakers, which are fit only for casual wear. The formal style is okay for facing God.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao did not ask anymore if keel-heeled though leather Swatch was okay. He lightly tapped his worn-down shoe on the floor under the table. “Just in time, Maoie,” said Ka Mao to himself.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Wednesday, the third day of the indoctrination, Ka Mao was up and about preparing for the session as early as eleven o’clock. Just ironing his clothes would take more than half an hour, because he did it on Gia’s study table cushioned with a blanket; the family’s ironing board had broken down and no replacement had yet been bought. How do you press a polo shirt on a square board? It takes the perseverance of a stream in flattening a rock over time. And Ka Mao would never be satisfied with an ironing job that left crumples on the clothes, no matter how little the creases were. He positioned each section of the polo shirt on the square board such that the adjacent sections didn’t get creased as he ran the iron over it. This method, Ka Mao did meticulously till the whole garment was well pressed. Actually he would be lucky if he finished ironing his shirt and pants in just thirty minutes. Only after the clothes were done would he hurry in cooking whatever there was to cook for lunch, otherwise take for lunch whatever food there was left over from dinner the night before. By the time all this routine was through, it was past one o’clock, time for shower. Give thirty minutes for that including that for shaving the whiskers around his mouth and on his chin, and he would he putting on the clothes he had ironed. In usual times, he would spend another ten minutes shining his shoes before taking a bath. This time however, he was wearing Maoie’s gift for the first time and it didn’t require shining. Still in his brief, he put on a pair of white socks then got into his pants. Only then did he take out from the box his new pair of formal black Swatch. He essayed the shoes before his face, even lightly smelling its aroma of newness, the smell of clean leather, and smiled with confidence, “Surely with these shoes I’d be pleasing to God.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> And Wednesday, a worship day in the INC, saw Ka Mao being regaled by what appeared to be a river of shoes, all formal and polished, many of them stylish, among them his own Swatch, streaming up the stairs of the footbridge across Commonwealth Avenue from the University of the Philippines side, down to the covered sidewalk leading to the Iglesia Central Temple which in that sunlit afternoon stood in magnificent, proud dominance. Across Central Avenue the river of shoes flowed on, joined in from the west by another stream of shoes and still by another from Tandang Sora on the north, and all of these streams converged in one mighty surge through the gates of the College of Evangelical Ministry, upward the road that wound the building, to the west of which was the main entrance of INC <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Templo.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Early on, those undergoing indoctrination were required to attend worship, and the trio of Ka Mao, Ka Loren and Ka Nilo were treated to a vantage view of the worship from the lowest bench on the third floor balcony where they got nearly a bird’s eye view of the worship ceremony They were accompanied by Ka Rey and Ka Nestor, who made the arrangement with the jaconos so they got that good spot. In ordinary cases, they would go the Iglesia way: fall in line.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> You take your seat as your turn comes. No overcrowding, no standing room. For this reason, Ka Mao would realize much later, Iglesia temples are big. The church will not tolerate unruly arrangement during worship. Men sit separately from the women, never mind if you are husbands and wives, or sweethearts; worships are not for mixing with romance. Full concentration on the songs, the biblical readings, and the prayers are required of every worshipper, and men and women sitting together offers a lot of temptation or at least distraction.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The worship hall plan was in the shape of a cross. This was strange for a church that shuns worship of any man-made object done to symbolize deity; the cross, it would be taught in the indoctrination, was a sign practiced by Catholics and described in the scriptures as the devil’s sign. There were no images of any kind, no icons whatsoever be they sculptures or paintings. It was a bare hall but for the rows and rows of benches, each the length of the floor width from the middle aisle to the side aisles on either side.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Nevertheless the worship hall cross formation seemed the best that could be made to achieve a space for accommodating no less than 6000 worshippers at a time. The leg of the cross comprised the largest section of the hall; the cross bar, the auxiliary sections to the left and right; the intersection of the cross leg and the cross bar, the ministers’ stage; and the cross head, the choir stand. This stand was made with descending levels from the backmost section, each level corresponding to a row of singers; obviously this design was made so that each choir singer was uncovered from view of the worshippers. About the only choir member unseen by worshippers was the organ player who remained covered from view by the huge organ in the middle of the stand all throughout the ceremony.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> As though to compensate for the vast barrenness of the interior, large chandeliers hung from the domed ceiling, which was of solid concrete and finished with pre-fabricated, intricately-fashioned, though unfamiliar, design The walls around the stage and the choir stand were finished with wooden panel boards embossed with carvings of impressive intricate craftsmanship. But the figures in the carvings did not appear to manifest a congruity of style for achieving a religious ambiance. The boards were done in the shape of cylinders standing upright, flat at the bottom and pointed as in a projectile at the top, which was crowned with six square figures outlined in the shape of a diamond and placed together in a manner which made Ka Mao recall the symbols for atomic structure he used to write in his Chemistry class. Placed side by side with one another, the boards in turn pictured rows of missiles with the illustrations of the atomic structure as warheads. That image was framed at the edges of the boards by straight-line carvings. In the corners of this framing were carvings of what looked like larvae or cocoons or crawling worms, it was hard to tell. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> What was congruous was the uniformity of the designs on the ministers’ chairs, on the divider between the minister’s stage and the choir stand, on the front panel of the stage, on the podium and on the chest below it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> It was this uniformity that betrayed a yearning to be like no other, and yet the carving designs, whenever they curved, cannot get away from the basics of Persian or Pakistani paisley art. Where the geometrical representations were done in straight lines, the motif was a combination of pagan Egyptian and Japanese and modern-day chemistry.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The INC temple itself appeared like some showcase of Gothic and Byzantine architecture with its use of a dome for the roof interior of the main structure and steeples and spires as much for accent as for structural statement. About the only modification on Gothic and Byzantine in the design was that the spires instead of being cylindrical in shape and form was four-cornered, tubular, though in either case sharply diminishing in their pointed thrust toward the sky, achieving an illusion of reaching for endlessness. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The ministers’ chairs were in the front section of the stage; the podium, in the middle of the front edge of the stage. The large wooden chest positioned just below the podium was done in the shape of a pyramid. What that chest was for, the three still had to find out.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> To one familiar with the amenities of a Catholic church , the absence of physical objects of worship like sculpted saints, the Crucifix and Virgin Mary, at once would instill a feeling of some kind of emptiness or of lack, made even more emphatic by the immense space of the worship hall. The seating arrangement was three-tiered. On the ground floor was the main hall which by itself can accommodate no less than 3,000 worshippers. Rising on the sides were the second floor balconies, which occupied both wings of the cross bar plan. The design was reminiscent of balconies of classical opera houses. While the third floor balcony, rising above the back portion of the main hall, was more in keeping with the tradition of modern-day auditoriums.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Where they sat, Ka Mao, Ka Loren and Ka Rey were given specific instructions uttered in whisper by a jacono.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Take care not to touch that cable,” said the barong clad man, who indicated the cable running under the floor rug and attached to the video camera that was positioned near the three. “Its taking video of the ceremony.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Only now did Ka Mao realize that what was being projected on the large video screen set up above the stage was a shot of the empty podium. Because the worship hall was so large that the speaker would appear so small to the worshippers, it needed that high-tech set up to project the speaker close to those worshippers in distant seats. Then when the singers in their immaculate gowns rose to sing a hymn, Ka Mao realized that that video screen actually served another purpose, to project the lyrics of the hyms for the worshippers to read clearly in doing their sing-along. In the locals – meaning, INC chapels in the localities – the lyrics are read from hymn books provided for every worshipper.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> A similar large video monitor hung above the empty stage of the worship hall at what actually was the first ground floor level called the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sanctuario </i>or sanctuary. Here, those in excess of the 6,000 worshippers that had filled the main hall and the balconies took positions. With the monitor, all the transpirations on the stage in the main hall were beamed to the worshippers on this level and they participated in the ceremony with just as much pious demeanor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> And the men and women of Iglesia worshipped in utter comfort: each nook of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">templo</i>, for all its awesome vastness, was air-conditioned.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Some fifteen minutes lapsed with nothing taking place but the playing by the organist of melodies meant to instill in the churchgoers an atmosphere of holy quiet. This period was devoted to pious meditation by worshippers, singers and church personnel as they sat on their benches. It is in this period that Iglesia worshippers are supposed to pour out to God all their concerns in all aspects of their being, be it health and security, livelihood and finances, every aspect of life whatsoever over which, it is preached, only God has the power to rule. Thus the soft, slow tempo of the organ music. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The music, however, tended to be so soporific that quite a few worshippers, instead of falling into communion with God, dropped into sleep. One lady member of the choir was caught by the video camera visibly, if quite hazily, napping, waking up at each sharp drop of her head, whereupon resuming her stance of meditation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Then at the organ music assuming a loud and glorious tempo, actually the intro of a song, the singers rose as one with the music folders clipped in their arms, and at once opening the folders before their faces, they began their songs. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The music folders indicated that the singers were going by the notes, meaning they were all accomplished performers. Ka Mao had seen many other religious choirs. All of them sang from memory of the tunes. So far, outside of choirs he saw in movies or on TV shows, the INC choir was the first religious singing group Ka Mao personally watched singing from music folders.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The hymns – many of which were said to have been composed by Ka Pilar, sister of Ka Erdie, son of Ka Felix Manalo and who had inherited from the latter the position of INC Executive Minister and then passed it on to Ka Eduardo Manalo, the present church head – didn't exude much religiosity in terms of structure and ambiance. If not for the lyrics which riveted one's consciousness with endless high praises to God, the Father, Jesus, the Savior, and the body of Christ which is the Iglesia, not necessarily in that order, the songs would fall more under the category of commonplace native kundiman, or even of oyayi, a genre of lullabies.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Loren and Ka Nilo didn’t appear attempting to follow the tune; the structure is so elementary that after listening to a few bars, you would be able to get how the succeeding bars would sound. And no matter how numerous the stanzas are, the melody is the same for all stanzas, varying only for the choruses. So somebody with a keen ear for music needs only to memorize the tune of one stanza to be able to sing the succeeding ones.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> But they were all just beginning their initiation into the INC, and not even Ka Mao could get on the singing, though his lips were going through the motion of singing the words. Only Ka Rey and Ka Nestor sang along.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> One song followed another. At the end of each song, the singers clipped the folders in-between their right arms and their body sides in a brisk and orchestrated manner that reminded Ka Mao of military trainees doing drills with their rifles during a formation. And when they sat, they did it with similar military drill precision, not in random order but one row after another, from the bottom of the stand to the top. Once seated, they rested the music folders on their laps and threw in seeming trance as the organ music shifted once more to its soft, slow, soporific tempo. Till the music burst in glorious strains once again to do the routine once more, on and on this way. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> At the singing of one hymn, five ministers in western coat-and-tie emerged out of an unseen chamber through one of the boards at the left that opened up. They walked into the stage and took their seats on the ministers' chairs. The song would be over before one minister would walk up to the podium and make the customary announcement.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Brothers and sisters, we now have come to the start of our worship. We will continue with our singing led by our singers.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The minister then repaired back to his chair while the choir rose to sing another song. Four or five more songs would follow, then at the middle of the singing of the last song, the main minister would come to the podium and enjoin everyone to rise.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Let's all rise.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Everybody stood even as they continued singing, finishing the song on their feet. At the end of the singing, the minister began his prayer and the worshippers responded at each appropriate pause by the minister in the prayer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Dear God, our Lord Father…”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes,” went the mighty chorus from the throng.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Amen,” responded Ka Mao, instantly realizing he had committed a miscue. But who could care less. Against the powerful chorus of “Yes” by a throng of six thousand and more, Ka Mao’s “Amen” was a lonely response.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHAPTER V</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">THUS IT HAPPENED that for twenty five days, Maoie’s gift to Ka Mao bore the brunt of foot journey across Tumana, upward the winding road to Balara, onto the roads of UP Campus, down Commonwealth Avenue, up the overpass in the vicinity of Central Avenue, down the sidewalk to the INC Central Office where in one of its air-conditioned rooms Ka Rading preached the INC doctrines Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.. And because the indoctrination process must include regular worship on Thursdays and Sundays, the shod meant for his feet came, in a manner of speaking, handy, too, on those days. That gave the Swatch only Saturdays to be switched with Ka Mao’s keel-heeled shoes or with his similarly worn-down rubber sneakers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The trip back home was perhaps a hundred times less taxing for Maoie’s gift, since Ka Loren had always been magnanimous in parting with a thousand-peso bill to each of Ka Mao and Ka Rey for transportation allowance. From the INC Central Office, Ka Mao would take a bus to Cubao, alight at the Farmers Market area, and did just a little walking up the overpass, and onto the jeepney terminal on the P. Tuason side of the Araneta Center.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Finally home from Cubao, after alighting from the jeepney on Sumulong Highway, the remaining walk Ka Mao needed to do was across the front section of his 5,000-square-meter lot to his house on a spot that sloped to the creek adjoining the 10-hectare, walled Metropolitan Management Learning and Development Center otherwise known as the Meralco Training Center.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Still, repeated 25 times that meant substantial additional aggregate wear-and-tear for Maoie’s gift.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> And, yes, all that on top of the daily wear-and-tear entailed by walking to and from Assumption School Antipolo to bring to and fetch Gia from kinder classes Mondays to Fridays. And lastly, the two-day a week walk from the tricycle parking area in the city proper to the INC Chapel behind the public market where he attended worship after that initial one at the INC <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Templo</i>..</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For Ka Mao had a remarkable regard for fidelity, be it to people, places, and things. That’s why he was very choosy with friends, of whom he could count only two or three more outside of Ka Rey and Ka Loren. The clothes he wore were those Robbie Tan gifted him with as far way back as 1993, in the decade when Ka Mao was churning out one movie hit after another for Seiko Films. Since he established permanent residence on his lot in Antipolo, he had never changed houses. Of course, he renovated his house endlessly accordingly as the family grew, from a very austere bamboo-and-nipa affair to a two-story concrete residence he loved to call four-houses-in-one for each of his four children to have a place they could call their homes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The point here was that Ka Mao was so loyal to his possessions that he wouldn’t swap them for anything. For the Swatch Maoie gave him, this proved disastrous. As he never changed shoes during the entire indoctrination process, toward its end the soles of the shoes were turning thin cardboard from sheer overuse, and he could feel the pinch on his sole every time he stepped on something edged, like gravel, or a bulge on the pavement. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> One evening he was rushing through the rain on the way home, he was surprised to feel his socks getting soaked. Stepping aside under a waiting shed, he checked his shoes and discovered that their soles already had cracks through which water could get inside.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> That same night, he complained to Maoie when he got home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Are you sure this is genuine?” he asked, pointing to the soles of his Swatch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Tatay, the label says it all,” said Maoie, indicating the stainless metal embossed with the Swatch brand name and tucked neatly in the crevice by the heel under the shoe. “Of course, it’s genuine. I won’t ever gift my dear father with something fake. How much did I buy that for? Five thousand!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “The last Swatch I bought cost me only one thousand and it never had cracks on their soles like these.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “The last Swatch you bought didn’t suffer as much torture as what you dealt my gift to you,” kidded Maoie.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao spent a moment essaying the underside of the shoes, folding it frontward to see how big the cracks on the soles were. He pressed his forefinger into the crack. It was going through, prompting him to draw his hand away, like fearing to damage it further.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Don’t you worry. Tatay. I’m trying hard to land a new job and get some big pay again.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Oh, nice to hear that. It’s been long ago since you gave me two thousand for pocket money.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Just three months, Tatay,” said Maoie, giving Ka Mao his characteristic hug around the shoulders.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Three months!” gasped Ka Mao. “And three days without food can lead a man to his grave.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Maoie laughed at what he took as a joke.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Good thing I’ve got a few friends.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Maoie realized Ka Mao was not joking.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Loans from Pareng Loren have gone past half million,” Ka Mao said with a burden in his voice. “From your Ninong Diego, almost the same if you count the sums we got from him since way way back.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Maoie couldn’t help feeling that burden. Again he hugged Ka Mao around the shoulder. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I’ll buy you a new Swatch on your next birthday.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Next birthday was a long way off, Ka Mao said to himself as he pressed a smile to Maoie. It was only nearing Christmas and it turned out that he still got a lot of walking to do.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For though the indoctrination was over, after that would follow the period of pre-screening called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pagsubok,</i> which consisted of weekly pulong panalangin or prayer meeting, done on a one-on-one basis with the INC Central Pastor or any of his subordinates. This would last for 15 weeks or three and a half months – that’s how long more his shoes would bear the punishment, because though the prayer meetings lasted no more than two minutes per session, the travels involved in attending them were exactly the same as in the indoctrination period.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> But the punishment for his shoes took a reprieve in the period from December to March for two reasons.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> First, it was agreed after the last session of the indoctrination in October that at least two sessions for inquiries would be held to clarify questions by the group, particularly Ka Loren. Those questions had been withheld for the time being just so the indoctrination sessions would proceed undisturbed; the questions would be discussed in special sessions after the indoctrination proper was over. Twice, the sessions for inquiries were scheduled and twice they were called off. Ka Loren and Ka Nilo decided to call off those sessions altogether – and whatever else would follow after. In short, forget it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao, too, was unsettled by the postponements of the special sessions; he did have quite a number of serious questions that needed clarification before he finally decided to get baptized into the INC. But in his case, a mitigating factor intervened. That period from December to February was the time of the year he had been devoting to visiting with his mother, Nanay Puping. Aside from spending Christmas with her, he stayed with her in the modest Samonte residence in Calolbon, Catanduanes until after she had celebrated her birthday, which was on February 2. The venerable Samonte matriarch would be turning 95, and Ka Mao thought he had better took occasion to spend quality time with her as long as she was in this world. Only upon his return to Manila in March did Ka Mao get the chance to entertain the importuning of Ka Nestor for him to undergo the pre-screening, which normally would follow immediately after the indoctrination process. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> And undergo the pre-screening, Ka Mao did. Thus did after three and a half months, the soles of his shoes turn into pulps where the cracks had grown into holes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Still that was not the end of agony for his shoes. After the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pulong panalangin</i>, Ka Mao must attend the final screening where it would be determined if he would qualify for baptism. The final screening consisted of questions based on the lessons taken up during the indoctrination. If you had been attentive during the discussions of the lessons, there would be no doubt that you would be able to answer the question. And once you did, you would qualify for baptism. Ka Mao qualified.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> So Maoie’s gift could now take a rest? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Not quite. After the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pulong panalangin</i> was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">panata</i>, where along with other candidates for baptism Ka Mao would attend another round of prayer meetings at the INC Central Office while being oriented on the details of the baptism. The prayer meetings would be held for five consecutive days, Monday to Friday, the final preparation for the baptism which would take place on the Saturday that immediately followed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> It was on that Monday of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">panata</i> when walking the length of the Tumana Bridge Ka Mao noticed workers breaking the concrete pavement with a jack hammer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Why break it up?” he asked as he walked by.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Repair,” quipped one worker.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> A sudden thunderclap following a flash of lightning astounded Ka Mao. The road workers glanced at the suddenly-darkening sky.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Okay, break. Do that tomorrow. It’s a heavy rain coming,” ordered one worker.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “It’s nearly five anyway,” said another as he glanced at his watch..</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Hardly had they finished their words when rain fell, prompting the workers to seek shelter. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao himself rushed for cover. He stopped as he hurt from something he stepped on. It was a tiny piece of the broken concrete pavement. He slightly grimaced as he resumed his rush for the INC <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Templo</i> whose spires held up to heaven in proud magnificence even in the rain-drenched skyline.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“FATHER, God in heaven, finally we implore you, that as you surround us with your great power and protection, fortify us with even more faith in your promised salvation that we may be worthy of finishing our journey to the baptism we will have at the end of this devotion. All this we ask in the name of Lord Jesus Christ, our great savior.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Amen,” chorused the devotees praying inside a room in the INC Central Office, Ka Mao among them. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Having concluded his prayer, the INC Minister conducting the session took time to issue instructions to the group.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Let me remind you again. You are into your five-day <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">panata</i> which you must faithfully do before your baptism scheduled on Saturday. You must never be absent. Therefore I caution you to be very careful of yourselves. Pray to the Father to keep you in good health and away from any harm so that you can complete the journey to your baptism. If anything happens to you such that you cannot complete this journey, that only means heaven does not want you to be baptized.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Roy, the Minister, was a well-built fellow, with robust physique in the mold of Franklin Drilon but ten times more good-looking. His voice had full modulation and he spoke with the authority of a military general. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “God!” gushed Ka Mao to himself. “He could not be kidding.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Guys so high up in the echelon of the INC leadership cannot kid with things so sacred as baptism, Ka Mao worried endlessly on the way home that night. What if I had fever? Dengue is prevalent in Antipolo. Or an accident? The curve of Sumulong Highway just a block away from the house has gained reputation for being a killer bend. Or a mere upset stomach, a very minor ailment which I frequently have, can stop me from coming to the Central on Saturday.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> And Ka Mao shuddered at the reverberation of Ka Roy’s voice. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “God calls you only once. Either you answer or you don't. He scheduled you for baptism </div><div class="MsoNormal">on Saturday, that’s it. Either you get baptized on Saturday or not at all.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For anybody who persevered in the indoctrination process, baptism is the pinnacle of aspirations.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For Ka Loren particularly, he would rather get baptized first after that period then undergo the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pagsubok</i> afterward. He had been concerned about his failing health and he would ask with a terrifying logic, “What if I die tomorrow, then I won’t be saved?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For, indeed, it had been stressed endlessly in the indoctrination that for anybody to be saved, he should first enter the body of Christ, which time and again had been clarified to be the Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo. And entering the body of Christ could not but be through baptism into “the church Christ had redeemed with his blood”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> No ifs, no buts, nobody outside of Iglesia ni Cristo would be saved.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Keeping in mind Ka Roy’s admonition, Ka Mao very cautiously did his usual routine the following Tuesday. He used the pedestrian lane in crossing the highway on the way to Assumption School to bring Gia to class, brought an umbrella just in case it rained, and chose food that wouldn’t cause him a bum stomach. He continued to exercise caution when he fetched Gia from school, even helping the driver of the tricycle they took in signaling to vehicles to give way as it crossed the highway to the gate of his compound.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> He found himself inwardly sighing with relief as he treaded the path to his house, carrying Gia in his arms. The rain had just stopped and he didn’t want the girl to dirty up her shoes with mud.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The footpath was made up of recycled smoothly finished concrete floor slabs so that in walking on it, you are actually stepping on wet floor. One misstep and Ka Mao’s shoe slipped, nearly causing him to fall.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Ay, Daddy,” yelled Gia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao managed to regain balance.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “It’s okay, Darling,” said Ka Mao, resuming his steps cautiously.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “You always say, ‘Careful, Darling.’ You be careful.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes, Ma’am.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao settled Gia in her room,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Fix your things, Darling. Daddy will have to attend to something important.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> He quickly proceeded to change into an attire fit for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">panata</i>.. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Ay,” complained the girl. “I’d be alone in my castle room.’</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No. Mommy is just buying something at the store. She’ll join you shortly.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Ah, okay.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Gia put her school bag aside then changed into house clothes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For a moment, Ka Mao stayed gazing at the soles of his shoes, wondering if they could still stand the journey. Then making up his mind, he began putting the shoes on. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Together we live our faith and love our mission,” Gia spoke nonchalantly, not necessarily directing the words to Ka Mao, who stared in surprise.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Who taught you that?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Teacher Kat. School theme, she said,” said Gia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Oh, Teacher Kat must be good.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes, Teacher Kat is good. Daddy is good. God is good!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Teacher Kat also taught you that?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “What?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “God is good.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “No, you. Daddy. You said, ‘God is good.’” Gia put on a preacher’s mien.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao felt a gush of nice, warm feeling inside him. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Now I can tell you a little secret.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Secret? I like,” agreed Gia excitedly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Do you know what your name means?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes, Gia.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Spell Gia.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “G-I-A.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I means ‘Is’.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I, ‘Is’,” repeated Gia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “A means ‘Answer’.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “A, ‘Answer’. But Daddy, G first. Listen, Gia. G-I-A. See? G first. What’s G?” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “G means… ‘God’.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Yes, God!” exclaimed the five-year-old, clapping her hands.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “So your name means ‘God is the Answer’”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “That’s nice. Gia, God is the answer. I love that.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao finished putting his shoes on</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">AND SO it was in that late afternoon of early August when Ka Mao, feeling he had survived any untoward incident that could bar his journey to the INC Central Office for the second day of his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">panata</i>, confidently walked the length of the Tumana Bridge. Thirty minutes more and he would be at the INC, and there appeared to be no danger or any obstacles the rest of the way.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The repair work had remained unfinished. Workers were done with piling up the debris of broken concrete on a side.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Enough. We rest,” one worker shouted.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The workers hastily packed up. They passed Ka Mao as they walked away.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Walking on, Ka Mao passed the pile of concrete debris, stepping somewhat toward the middle of the bridge. At precisely that moment, a car sped by behind him as if from nowhere so that he did not notice it coming. A loud honking of the car’s horn startled Ka Mao, causing him to leap aside in order to avoid getting hit by the car.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> His right foot landed on the sharp tip of an upturned iron bar that was part of the steel matting for the damaged pavement.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> And the steel went through the sole of his shoe and deep onto the flesh of his foot as indicated by the strong gush of blood down the rusty iron bar.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Thus did Ka Mao cry out heavenward with such exquisite pain that God must respond with his own grunt of wrathful sorrow. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Thus did thunderclaps and lightning bolts depict the flaring of heavenly rage.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao continued to grunt in pain as he dropped to the pavement on his seat, trying hard to steady his foot impaled on the iron bar, He took much effort getting back up. Each move he made seemed to cause the bar to dig into his foot even deeper. Removing his foot from the bar was made even more difficult by the shoe itself, because the ring of the sole hole would catch on the grove of the iron bar.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> But once back up on his other foot, Ka Mao gritted his jaws and gave his right foot one mighty pull.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Blood came out in spurts through the hole on the sole of his shoe.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Ka Mao gave out one terrible cry skyward.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Mauro Gia Samontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618092048596526432noreply@blogger.com0