RIP Corazon C. Aquino

Reprinted from Flipland

On Wednesday, August 5th, former President Corazon C. Aquino, will be laid to rest. After suffering from colon cancer for the last year-and-a-half the lady in yellow, “Tita” Cory, quietly passed away at 3:18AM. She was the embodiment of peace, change and hope for millions of Filipinos. That was in 1986 – the year when Filipinos woke up from their complacency and took to the streets for their rights and for their freedom.

I was away at university at that time. I was sitting in my room with the television set glued to CNN as images of the Philippines’ snap elections were being broadcast. I saw images of my friends taking to the streets, some rallying the crowds with fervent speeches and some acquaintances being taken to the emergency rooms after being beaten at the polling stations. It was with frustration and excitement that I sat there with my American friends watching history transpire.

She delivered a magnificent speech to the US Congress in 1986. It was written by now House of Representatives member Teodoro “Teddy Boy” L. Locsin, and she made it greater with her simple, humble and sincere delivery. The members of Congress loved it, and their respect and awe for her was manifested by their outstanding and equally sincere welcome of her to their home.

Cory and her administration will be criticised for their shortcomings in instituting economic and political reforms. But it was her honest resolve to return freedom to her countrymen that gave Filipinos inspiration and hope. These are two conditions that today are seemingly in short supply.

Click here for the speech’s video links

Marine Stand-Off at Fort Boni

It’s been a busy week-and-a-half or two for the Philippines. First, there was the Guinsaugon landslide in Leyte. Then a week later President Arroyo puts the nation in a “state of emergency”. Then this afternoon at about 5PM as I was about to enter pre-prod Giana rings me to ask if I had heard about any troop movements at the Marines HQ in Fort Bonifacio. I made some calls and nothing could be confirmed. A few hours later, all hell broke loose and everyone and their mothers were being called for another “People Power”-like gathering, or heading out to Fort Boni in the hopes of being part of what could possibly be another historical turn of events in the Philippines.

Was there a coup? Did PGMA lose her military backing? After the meeting Martin and I headed out to Fort Boni to see for ourselves. I was advised to take the Pasong Tamo route into Fort Boni, but by the time we got there that had been blocked by EDSA. I headed out down the McKinley way and was blocked from getting no further than Essensa, so I parked the car at the guest parking lot beside one of the residential buildings and walked down to the barricade a few blocks away.

No way was I going to get in. I found a few other photographer buddies waiting it out, having their cigs and contemplating a drink or two. Around 10:30 we decided to call it quits and headed for the Makati Shangri-la in search of fresh fruit juice.

Guinsaugon , then the "coup"

The night before I decided to get out of St. Bernard. A lot of noise was being heard about rallies being held and another coup possibility. The 20th Anniversary of People Power/EDSA I was this weekend and I decided to cover it, in case something happened. Capt. Parmer and Gunnery Sgt. Ray, US Marines PAOs for the Balikatan exercises, came through and arranged for me to be on the first chopper flight out of St. Bernard. I then rang up my Air Force contacts to check if there was another C-130 transport plane I could hitch a ride on. Unfortunately not. It was 10PM and I still had no idea how to get back to Manila from Tacloban. Patrick and Marites were nowhere to be reached, but finally Trina rang back and I begged her to get me on a PAL flight out the next day. Thanks to her, this solved the logistical problem of my “Amazing Race”-like trip to Leyte.

While still at St. Bernard we heard that Col. Danilo Lim was arrested and that a coup had been “thwarted” in Manila. In the meantime, the Taiwanese rescue team, as well as the US and Philippine troops were mobilizing at base camp to head out to the site to try and search for the ever elusive school house. The rains may have washed away the earth burying the school house roof making it visible, but at a location estimated to be approximately 330 metres from its original site. By this morning, it was decided that the terrain leading to the original school house site was too dangerous and recovery operations were to be restricted to the lower elevation of the disaster area.

It was about 10:30AM when we finally touched down at the Tacloban airport. The Spanish K-9 rescue team had flown in one chopper, and I was in the second one with Red Cross volunteers who had spent the entire week at St. Bernard tirelessly searching for the lost residents. I immediately ran to the PAL ticket office to get my ticket and while waiting in line watched President Arroyo declare a “state of emergency”. Well, at least I was in Tacloban. I checked in my backpack with K&K’s sopping wet tent attached to its bottom bound by duct tape, then went to lunch. The “Amazing Race” travel bit was nearing its end, but I still had to figure out how to get to Villamor Air Force Base where I left my car parked in front of Base Ops. Manila was on heightened alert. I was pretty sure that base security would not have let in stinky, gear-laden moi with her mud-caked Gortex boots set even her big toe into its perimeter.

While waiting for the luggage carousel to disgorge my duct taped backpack, SMS messages came flying in that the EDSA rally had been dispersed and that Cory was the Paseo de Roxas triangle. I was able to get a taxi relatively quickly, headed for Villamor and was lucky to get in touch with my contact there to get me in. Leyte was done. Now it was time to check out the rallies and figure out what was going on.

Click here for photos.

Related Links

Guinsaugon Landslide 01

Guinsaugon Landslide 02

Guinsaugon Landslide 03

Bicutan Jail Break

In the early morning hours of 14 March 2005, 10 members of the Abu Sayyaf group (ASG) detained at Camp Bagong Diwa overpowered jail guards and took over the facility. They had taken over a building housing 129 Abu Sayyaf members. The group had demanded for a) rights to speedy trial; b) more visitation rights; c) to speak to actor Robin Padilla, a Muslim-convert, and a Mindanao congressman; and, d) access to the media among others.

Although police authorities had agreed to the demands, the stand-off continued. At approximately 9AM the following morning, Secretary Angelo Reyes of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced to the media that the group would be given 15 minutes to peacefully surrender. With no signs of complying with the ultimatum, flash bombs were exploded at approximately 9:15AM to signal the start of the assault. Tear gas was deployed and fire trucks were brought into the jail yard to hose down those affected by the tear gas.

After nearly two hours of gunfight, 23 people died in the assault. Among those killed were 3 top Abu Sayyaf leaders — Galib Andang, alias Commander Robot; Alhamser Limbong, alias Commander Kosovo; and Nadjmi Sabdulla, alias Commander Global.