I was in third year high school when Ninoy Aquino was shot and killed. My memories of that time remain powerful and vivid because of the changes it wrought for the country. Even my more mundane activities had to take a backseat to national concerns. I remember seeing the sons of Marcos cronies ostracized in school then. Some of them were friends and it was a most difficult time.In college, I was head of the Cory Aquino for President Movement for the Ateneo and the University of the Philippines. I was with some of my best friends then including my fellow Fabilioh photog Philip Sison and his brother Chim. Our respective fathers were part of the core group of the National CAPM then that made it sort of easy to put the whole group together. I remember the recruitment and awareness drives we did in both schools that was successful. We had students, staff, and faculty for both schools signing up.
We put up campaign posters all over the metro (for which we received harassment from Metrocom – as the police were known back then). I think the scariest episode we experienced was putting up stuff in San Juan and in Cubao where some cops drew their weapons on us. They confiscated all our materials but that didn't stop us because we were back the following evening.
John John Romualdez, a classmate and a friend who was on the other side once called our attention to several severed hands on top of the waiting shed that once stood between Gates 2 and 3 along Katipunan. No doubt, it was frightening. The severed hands bore signs of torture – cigarette burns, pulled nails.
In our home base at the old Colayco Hall, the phones were bugged (Butch Ampil you should remember this). I remember some of us being so worried about being thrown into jail because they could tape what we were saying especially when we relayed messages to other members during the Snap Elections where we had to send volunteers to troubled areas. I pulled duty myself (also being apart of NAMFREL; I also did some of their adverts later) at the elementary school outside Horseshoe Village.
I have two fond memories of the late President Cory Aquino. One was during a miting de avance prior to the elections that was held at UP. Before that, we discussed with UP Student Council President Chito Gascon about surprising Tita Cory with a birthday cake. There were several of us who went to buy the cake – Blue Festin, Paul Santos, Gabby Gaskell, and one more who I cannot remember because we bought the cake at the old Merced Cakes along EDSA near QA. We bumped into lawyer Lupiño Lazaro there (I still have the picture we took outside in our Cory and Ninoy shirts flashing the Laban sign. Let me find a way to scan it and I'll put it up) and he told us to continue our good work.
Handing the cake to Tita Cory and singing “Happy Birthday” along with everyone else in UP was memorable. It should be because Gascon also called my attention to my ripped jeans. It seemed some pick pocket tried to get my wallet – he failed to do so – but it left my underwear exposed. That was so embarrassing. I had to change into my track and field shorts (yes we had track training afterwards because life simply went on) and this was the time of those short shorts. Tita Cory smiled and said warmly thanks (she used to see me at those national CAPM meetings). There’s a picture of that somewheres. Should be.
The second was when my uncle, former General Thelmo "TY" Cunanan (formerly Ambassador to Cambodia and chief of PNOC now with SSS) was ambushed at Gatarran, Cagayan by some rebels. Many in his convoy were killed including the Vietnam War photog Willie Vicoy as well as my uncle’s aide de camp (great save Sgt. Lakaran). My Tito Tel was injured badly and had to be airlifted to Makati Med. As our family sat outside the operating room, Tita Cory, now President of the Republic visited. After chatting with everyone, she recognized me and came over. My uncle was better and out of danger already. She said that maybe, this is a good time to bring some cake too. Because there was something about cakes that made people smile. I nodded and later went to buy one with some of my cousins.
That was a difficult time. Five coup de etats were launched against the Aquino Administration with the bloodiest being the one in 1989. That was another unforgettable experience and will remember it to my dying day and it's best told for another time.
I have two fond memories of the late President Cory Aquino. One was during a miting de avance prior to the elections that was held at UP. Before that, we discussed with UP Student Council President Chito Gascon about surprising Tita Cory with a birthday cake. There were several of us who went to buy the cake – Blue Festin, Paul Santos, Gabby Gaskell, and one more who I cannot remember because we bought the cake at the old Merced Cakes along EDSA near QA. We bumped into lawyer Lupiño Lazaro there (I still have the picture we took outside in our Cory and Ninoy shirts flashing the Laban sign. Let me find a way to scan it and I'll put it up) and he told us to continue our good work.
Handing the cake to Tita Cory and singing “Happy Birthday” along with everyone else in UP was memorable. It should be because Gascon also called my attention to my ripped jeans. It seemed some pick pocket tried to get my wallet – he failed to do so – but it left my underwear exposed. That was so embarrassing. I had to change into my track and field shorts (yes we had track training afterwards because life simply went on) and this was the time of those short shorts. Tita Cory smiled and said warmly thanks (she used to see me at those national CAPM meetings). There’s a picture of that somewheres. Should be.
The second was when my uncle, former General Thelmo "TY" Cunanan (formerly Ambassador to Cambodia and chief of PNOC now with SSS) was ambushed at Gatarran, Cagayan by some rebels. Many in his convoy were killed including the Vietnam War photog Willie Vicoy as well as my uncle’s aide de camp (great save Sgt. Lakaran). My Tito Tel was injured badly and had to be airlifted to Makati Med. As our family sat outside the operating room, Tita Cory, now President of the Republic visited. After chatting with everyone, she recognized me and came over. My uncle was better and out of danger already. She said that maybe, this is a good time to bring some cake too. Because there was something about cakes that made people smile. I nodded and later went to buy one with some of my cousins.
That was a difficult time. Five coup de etats were launched against the Aquino Administration with the bloodiest being the one in 1989. That was another unforgettable experience and will remember it to my dying day and it's best told for another time.
The power blackouts were increasing in frequency and in length. Traffic was beginning to plague the metro streets because of the construction of the flyovers. Tita Cory’s allies – some switched sides while others were so damn corrupt as well. Honestly, I became disillusioned with her administration which I thought was slow and indecisive. But I guess, I have to credit her with dismantling the dictatorship and its symbols. Maybe we all expected miracles as people jockeyed for positions of power.
I attended the first anniversary of the EDSA Revolution and the feeling of hope still was in the air. By the third celebration, the crowds had greatly thinned out.
I remain eternally grateful to Tita Cory who ensured that democracy would live. I remember seeing our class parties end at 10 or 11pm because we had to go home unless we violated the 12 midnight curfew. Freedom is an exciting and dangerous concept. And we are currently experiencing the benefits and ills of it. While living in New York, I met many of the Filipino expats who fought the Marcos dictatorship from abroad. I even stayed with one family who Cecil Alvarez, the wife of Senator Sonny Alvarez, introduced me to while in Manhattan.
I attended the first anniversary of the EDSA Revolution and the feeling of hope still was in the air. By the third celebration, the crowds had greatly thinned out.
I remain eternally grateful to Tita Cory who ensured that democracy would live. I remember seeing our class parties end at 10 or 11pm because we had to go home unless we violated the 12 midnight curfew. Freedom is an exciting and dangerous concept. And we are currently experiencing the benefits and ills of it. While living in New York, I met many of the Filipino expats who fought the Marcos dictatorship from abroad. I even stayed with one family who Cecil Alvarez, the wife of Senator Sonny Alvarez, introduced me to while in Manhattan.
I only once read of them back in those old Mr. & Ms. magazines that were then the opposition newspaper. And now I was beside them and embarrassed because I had given up the fight. They were so concerned with what was going on back home and were doing what they could to help. I, in my shame, did not care but their love for country rekindled those nationalistic fires that once burned within me. Even today, in my own way, in my own corner of my world, I try to help as I volunteer to do work in the fight against climate change and in addressing poverty. It keeps me rooted in the ground and in touch with those roots that were sown back when Ninoy was assassinated.
I may not have agreed with Tita Cory on her views later on, but I totally respected her. Even years after public office, she had not lost her magnetism and pull among people.
I just wanted to say, thanks for everything. May you rest in peace and God bless.
I may not have agreed with Tita Cory on her views later on, but I totally respected her. Even years after public office, she had not lost her magnetism and pull among people.
I just wanted to say, thanks for everything. May you rest in peace and God bless.
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