Chapter One: Home coming

Lorenzo Larry Esteva, Jr. was a Filipino balikbayan from the United States who was a lawyer by
profession. There, he saw that America was like home in a certain sense. He also saw that the Filipinos there were
clinging to each other for strength, but at the same time the victim of each other`s intrigues. However, after 2 years,
he realized that he really wanted to stay in the Philippines. And so, he was coming home .When he reached the plane
door, he saw that it was drizzling, and remembered the When he reached the plane door, he saw that it was drizzling,
and remembered the day when his father congratulated him for passing the 1969 bar exams, for it was drizzling too
on that day. In the airport, he was welcomed by the Customs police, employees of his father. The Customs police
asked him what he had, and Larry said that he only had his personal belongings. Then, he saw his father, whose eyes
were filled with happiness. His father brought along a classy Mercedes Benz too. In the car, his father told him that
some U.S official was coming to the Philippines, and that the President was going to sign away afew decades of the
country`s sovereignty. After telling him the news, he looked with disapproval at those staring at the Mercedes.
Among those staring was Martin Gatdula, a member of the Sanduguang Bayan, oneof those activist groups formed
because of the chaos and desperation of the country. Hewas worrying for they did not have any fund for that night`s
rally. No placards, no soundsystem, no everything. He thought of going to Lichengco (David Lichengco,
the Secretary-General of the Philippine Business Federation, an organization giving fund for small-scalebusinesses)
but realized they weren`t that desperate yet. He went instead with RamonLimzon, his friend from the National
Congress for Freedom, and together they scraped upsome paperboard with what was left of a senator`s 1971 political
campaign. SenatorValdellon donated some money which paid for the sound system and some paint. Then,they
borrowed some wooden placards from the NCF. So, the said rally went on as planned.As the presidential party
was on its way back to the palace, the rally participantschanted the familiar Makibaka! Huwag Matakot! and
shouted Diktador! Hitler! Thepolice came to do what they thought the activists deserved, like gunshots
and all.Fortunato, his assistant, told Martin that they gained nothing with what they were doing-they were nowhere
near to their goal. But Martin thought otherwise, and told Fortunato tocome with him to Sapang Bato, for people
were waiting for them there. Apolonio Santos was a farmer who was going to visit his son Edgar in his
boardinghouse. He definitely wasn`t used to the sights of the city, fuming as he crossed thestreets, clutching his bag
tightly. He glanced apprehensively as he was met with a studentdemonstration. He thought that life at the city was
definitely different from life at thefarm.He remembered how he and his wife, Pepang, struggled to send Edgar to
LaguardiaHigh School. But with the both of them working hard in the farm and in selling rice cakes,Edgar was able
to finish his 4-year course. However, Apolonio found himself hesitating toask Edgar to do the farmwork. He also
noticed that Edgar became uncommunicative.Nevertheless, he still sent his son to study college at Asia University.
He knew nothingabout the bad teaching there- all he worried about was how he was going to finance hisson`s second
semester, knowing that he had asked Pepang`s sister for money a lot of times already. Pepang proposed that they
go to Senator Arsenio de Chavez, the landownerof the farm they were working on.However, when he arrived at the
senator`s office, the senator was not around. Hissecretary did not tell him when the senator would be back, so he just
left what he hadbrought from the farm with her. Gone were those days, Apolonio told himself. He was ableto pay for
Edgar`s second semester by selling their share of the rice crop. Now, Apoloniowas in Edgar`s boarding house,
and was welcomed by his landlady. A few minutes after,Edgar arrived, received his father`s blessing, and partook of
the rice cakes his father hadbrought. He was excited of that night`s Sapang Bato meeting. Workers and students
willbe attending, so Edgar told his father to come with him. Sapang Bato was a community of fisherfolk and urban
workers. Its waters used tobe clean, but now they are filled with urban waste. The people here lived in squalor
andneed. In the community stood a chapel without walls, with a Sto.Nio about a foot high inthe front. One day, a
typhoon whisked away the roof of the chapel, but with the help of some nuns, some devotees, and the Student
Catholic Association of Francis XavierUniversity, the roof was rebuilt. Every first Sunday, a priest would come to
say Mass.It was here in Sapang Bato that Fortunato Dimagiba resided with his wife. He triedhis luck here in Manila
to pay his father`s debt. His father had to borrow a large sum of money because his wife`s parents wanted a proper
wedding for their daughter. He, hiswife and his infant son rented a room. To pay for what they needed, he hired
himself as aworker in Divisoria. But what he earned was not enough for his family.One night, Salvacion,his wife,
told him that she was pregnant. This made Fortunatomad, for he could not provide the needs of his growing family.
His temper did not subsideafter a few weeks. Then came Martin Gatdula, a troublesome neighborhood thug on
hisway to becoming a police character, met him. The two men immediately became friends.Martin took him to his
college sorties, and eventually Fortunato became his assistant.A few months before Fortunato met Martin, Mang
Cecilio Borja, the barrio chief of Sapang Bato, called a meeting, bearing some news from a letter that the

governmentsent. It said that the government, specifically the Department of Social Welfare andDevelopment, was
going to build a water system. It also said that they, the people of Sapang Bato, might be relocated to provide a
healthier living environment for them. Therewere those who did not want to leave. Two days after, the barrio chief
received a letterfrom the said department, saying that they were to be relocated to the outskirts of Dasmarias,
Cavite. When he informed the people of this, there were mix reactions of anger and despair. They agreed to settle this
issue once and for all through a meetingwhich influential people such as the barrio chief`s cousin (who was a lawyer)
and Martin Gatdula would be attending. Salvacion wrote to Leon Dimagiba, Leon`s father, asking for help for their
familywas dying of hunger. Leon, coincidentally, had 10 gantas of rice, which he packedimmediately in his bag and
set off to Manila. Salvacion was happy to see her father-in-lawwith the rice. When Fortunato came home, he was
indeed happy to see his father, andthey all slept with their stomachs full. The day of the meeting came, and Leon had
no intention of attending. He was onlyworried for his son and his family. He sat beside Mang Bestre, and Mang
Bestre told himthat Fortunato was friends with Martin Gatdula, a professor in UP, which would be attending. Then,
Mang Leon saw Mang Apolonio, his fellow farmer at Kawilihan, and hisson Edgar, who was in college. Then,
Fortunato and Martin Gatdula arrived. Martin told thepeople that they can petition to the DSWD by writing a letter.
He added that they had theright to remain there, for it was their home. This aroused cheers from the crowd.
Chapter Two: Happy Hour
Don Lorenzo Esteva and Larry went to the Francis Xavier University alumnigathering. In this gathering,
influential people such as senators, congressmen, businessexecutives, Cabinet secretaries, doctors, engineers and
military men attended. DonLorenzo met up with his friends, Judge Celestino Limzon (who brought along his
daughter,Ligaya) and Senator Arsenio de Chavez. Then, they greeted Fr.Michael Oliver, their oldteacher in
Literature. When he taught Don Lorenzo and his batchmates, he was young,maybe only a few years older. Now, he
was in his 60s, and taught Larry Esteva, RamonLimzon and Andy de Chavez, the sons of the oldies. Fr.Oliver said
that he was teachingthe same old people from the same families, and this had its ups and downs.As Larry waited for
his batchmates, he reminisced those times that he spent atFrancis Xavier University. He remembered those times
when he and his friend RamonLimzon would cut Spanish class to watch the latest Elvis Presley movie, and drink a
beer ortwo. He missed the city so much that he decided to wander around a bit and visited theplaces that he used
to visit as a child, like Quezon Boulevard, Quiapo, Makati, Manila,Plaza Sta.Cruz, Avenida Rizal, Escolta and Calle
Dakota. He remembered his father`s oldlaw office in the Escolta. Then, he went to Botica Boie for a sandwich. When
he came back, he spotted Ramon, his best friend since grade school. Theyonly drifted apart in law school,
when Ramon got really involved in politics. After 2 years of much activity, Ramon was finished with law school and
was now awaiting the results of the bar exam. This made him remember Connie, to whom he was somehow
attracted, buthis feelings were unclear. Then, Fr.Jim, their former teacher, joined them and introducedLarry to Martin
Gatdula, a known protester. Then, they had a little talk about Sapang Bato. Martin soon found out that SapangBato
was going to be turned into a container plot, and this ignited his temper. Larry alsosaw Ligaya, and some other
people. He was happy to see them all, but not as happy as hewas to see Connie.Then, he and Connie had a talk, in
which he told her that her sense of politics wasdifferent from that of her father`s. Connie told him about her
excursion in Sta.Monicawherein she met Jenny, a girl who was learning how to read but did not have books, towhom
she gave her encyclopedia set, her father feeling angry toward her afterward. It wasthen that she began to question
the government and why it had to spend so much on itsso-called cultural programs and others, when there were
people like Jenny around. Then,Larry confessed his love for Connie, and Connie did so likewise. When it was time
to gohome, Larry and Connie stayed out for a while. Then, Connie dropped Larry off [to his home) Their fathers had
a talk about the lands that they owned, and the Land ReformCode, which made way for the tenants to finally own the
land that they were renting. Nomatter how Senator de Chavez objected the said bill, the bill became a law. Don
Lorenzosaid that it would be best if they drove the tenant away and taught him trade. However,the new President
vetoed the said law, which closed the issue. Meanwhile, Larry and Connie`s friends were talking about their political
plans.Ramon planned to establish a law office that ran 24/7 that would assist those victimizedby the police and
military. Six months before this reunion, the writ of habeas corpus wassuspended and there had been countless
warrants of arrests, even if the offensecommitted was just jaywalking. Martin was thinking of an armed revolution as
the way toend the rotten political regime, but Ramon said that let us use the law first as weapon. Then, Fr.Jim hitched
a ride with Larry and Connie and was dropped off to his parish housein Cubao. While in the car, he reminisced of
how his circle of friends got bigger and how heknew Sylvia & fell in love with her. Meanwhile, Sylvia was with
Clyde, her lover, as shereminisced her sister who was raped and killed by the guerillas.

Chapter Three: New Revolutionaries

Martin was with Minda, and they were jubilant about how the panel responded toMartin`s masteral thesis,
which was all about the folk history and social organization of thePokdol Itas. They knew each other for they were
both teachers at the University of thePhilippines- he in History and she in Anthropology. Minda was also an active
member of the Sanduguang Bayan, and even spearheaded a project wherein they would build schoolsin the
depressed areas of Metro Manila that solely depended on volunteer workers. Theyhave already built one
in Pasay,specifically in the squatter community along Leveriza.Theyplan to do so in Sapang Bato, Tondo.It was
Minda`s Ate Lydia`s birthday, and she and Martin would give her a treat. Thismade Martin remember his family- his
mother who died when he was grade 6, and gavehe and his father a hard time. A month after, their house got burned.
Two years later, hisfather was met with a truck accident, and he was sent off to live with his mother`sbrother. His
aunt and uncle, who had 8 children to feed, enrolled him in Torres High Schoolfor, according to his aunt, he did not
need to experience the same privileges that herchildren had. He often accompanied his uncle in his work as a labor
leader, and there hesaw how the poor suffered. He then dreamed of becoming a doctor to help the poor. Whenhe was
of legal age, his uncle gave to him the 20-hectare rice field and the 7-hectaremango orchard that he, Martin Gatdula,
rightfully owned.
He managed his lands successfully, and eventually went to the University of thePhilippines for college. He
found himself more interested in history and economics thanbiology, so he gave up his dream of being a doctor and
pursued Philippine Studies instead.He had finished college at the age of 22 when his uncle died. He was distraught
when hisuncle`s time came, but realized that he was free. So, he gave the 20-hectare land to thetenants and became a
professor at U.P. Diliman.Minda and Martin left Diliman at twilight and stopped by at a Chinese restaurant tobuy
food. At last, they arrived at the little apartment in Guadalupe where Ate Lydia andher family lived. Since Martin
rarely saw his aunt and her family, he treated Minda`s familyas his own family. And he was with them in that night,
celebrating Ate Lydia`s birthday.Ramon Limzon successfully passed the bar exams, and the Limzons held a party
fortheir second son, something that they don`t usually do for they were a thrifty family. Theirfamily lived simply
even though both mother and father were in the judiciary [and therewere many bribes]. They had a lot of expenses,
too, like the tuition fees they paid whentheir eldest son, Teddy, who was now in New Jersey, went to med school. The
girls hadbeen talking about how they did not like the education at Holy Spirit, with the boyslistening in. Then,
Senator de Chavez came, congratulated the new lawyer, and asked him what he wanted to do next. Ramon did not
give a specific answer of whether he wanted togo to politics or not.Meanwhile, Minda was planning to organize
a women`s congress which would tackleissues that involved women, rich or poor. She tried to convince a lot of
women, SalvacionDimagiba (Fortunato`s wife) included, and she was successful at it. At last, the day came.Ramon
Limzon originally warned her that the issues may be too diverse, and indeed hewas right. However, she thought of
organizing them into committees, which did the trick.She also thought of their first mass action already, which
should capture the attention of everyone. She spotted Connie de Chavez, her friend, and thought of how their
friendshipblossomed. She also remembered how she doubted her when she found that Connie wasthe daughter of a
senator, but those days were over.Connie saw Salvacion, who displayed hostility toward her. Connie wondered
why,and tried to be friendly. When she saw that this only led to more hostility, she did notcontinue. Connie suddenly
reflected on her environment now: how she was exposed to adifferent kind of politics, how she and her dad rarely
talked due to her dad`s busy politicallife and how her older brother, Andy, became friends with Larry, the man she
loved. Shealso remembered her mom who was in the U.S., loving another man, a drunkard to beexact. She also
remembered her mother`s plans for them, a few of which she objected.She also remembered when Andy, her brother,
wanted to become a priest, and no matterhow much their father objected, he cannot be stopped.Suddenly, a
confrontation aroused between Salvacion and Connie. Salvacion told allof them that Connie was the daughter of
Senator de Chavez, the man who wanted SapangBato demolished. Connie, after a few moments, discovered that
Salvacion was the wife of Fortunato Dimagiba, one of the tenants of the land that the de Chavez owned. Then,
wheneveryone had left, Minda explained to Connie what was up, since Connie insisted, sayingthat if it involved her
father, it`s her business. After, Connie went to her car and left. Less than an hour after, Connie arrived, and
confronted her father about what wasup at Sapang Bato. She called him a scoundrel for taking advantage of the poor
andoppressed, even though it meant giving his daughter a privileged life. Her father defendedhis actions by saying
that it was for the government, but Connie thought otherwise- it wasfor his own personal interest. Then, she was
gone.Sylvia prepared an all-Filipino feast for her friends, to the delight of Ramon andMartin. Clyde asked how

the women`s congress was, and according to Sylvia it wassuccessful. Clyde also offered Ramon a research post,
something that Ramon wasreluctant to accept. Then, they all ate and were satisfied. Just when everyone was worried,
Connie showed up at the Esteva residence. Then,she told Larry of what happened a while ago. Don Lorenzo told
Connie to just forgive her father for, according to Larry`s father, no matter how much money and power he had,
theSenator would be nothing if he lost Andy and Connie.
Chapter Four: The Forces of Government
Lt. Vicente Magtibay, an officer in the Special Operations Command of the PhilippineConstabulary (the name
of the PNP before), was restless and had nothing to do in hisoffice. So, he went out and bought himself a drink. The
Special Operations Command was organized to attend to the President`ssecurity when needed. The unit was three
years old already, and it was composed mostlyof officers who came from the northern part of Luzon. Lt.Magtibay
wondered why therewas such a unit the President had the whole army and police at his command.Nevertheless, he
performed his duties, even if it pisses off his wife (he had to be officer of the day at weekends, and his wife was the
type who wanted to go out on weekends).Lt.Magtibay was working hard for a promotion. His wife supported him in
this goalby serving the colonels` wives and playing mahjong with them. She would also go withthem when they
shopped for chocolates and other imported goods, sometimes evendiamond jewelry. Her husband disapproved of
this, growing up in a poor and frugal familyand having experienced a lot of hardships One Saturday, the couple had
their breakfast together, in which Josie filled him in onthe latest gossip, to which he replied indifference. Then, she
asked him for some money tobuy jewelry, but he said no, saying that they needed the money for their
daughterAdeline`s tuition fee for kindergarten. She confronted him about the gambling issue,telling him to collect
money from gambling houses in exchange of allowing these gamblinghouses to operate, like what Major Ditan was
doing. However, Lt.Magtibay said that hewould never do that.When he went to work, he saw the papers that were
given to him by Major Ditan.One was the mass action that was going to be sponsored by the Convent School of
theHoly Trinity, to be held next Sunday. The other paper was a street demonstration by theSamahan ng Kababaihang
Malaya, a party led by Maria Concepcion de Chavez, theSenator`s daughter, and thought to himself that some
people, like the Senator`s children,did not appreciate what they had. Or so he thought.Meanwhile, two old friends
were having a good time in their happy hour at TheLotus Eater, with free beer and a bowl of peanuts. Larry asked
Ramon how life wastreating him in Carraczo, Gana and Associates, the law company he joined. Ramon saidthat he
had been getting traffic violation and ejectment cases because he was new. Then,Ramon filled him in on how the
National Congress for Freedom (NCF) was turning into anational movement because the youth were not satisfied
with the government, and feltthat the 1969 elections (wherein the President was re-elected for a second term)
werefilled with too much propaganda and blackmail. After which, Ramon reminisced on thenumerous
demonstrations that they did on the streets. One, he said, even ended up inMalacaang, wherein the soldiers opened
fire at them. Many died here. Larry asked if Connie was involved in any of the demonstrations, and Ramon
repliedyes, particularly after her dad sent this memorandum saying that the students (Connieincluded) must be
blamed for the deaths caused by the demonstration. Ramon then askedif Senator de Chavez was going to be his
father-in-law, and Larry said yes, grimacing. Then, all of a sudden, the drunken son of one of the Judiciary accused
Larry of picking a fight on him. Then, Larry was arrested. Ramon insisted to come with him as his lawyer, butthe
bodyguards who came with the Judiciary member`s son said that this was not needed.Ramon did not know where
they took Larry. He tried the police headquarters inMakati and Pasig, but he wasn`t there. Not knowing what to do,
he called Larry`s fatherand Connie for help. Little did he know that his best friend was taken to Camp Crame.Larry
did not know why he was taken there, too. Nevertheless, he followed them. Thedriver said that there`s always room
for negotiation, but to that Larry replied nothing. They finally arrived at Crame. A police officer named Lt.Magtibay
asked him whathis charge was, and the bodyguards said assaulting an officer of the law, for Wilfredo Teotico was a
member of the Intelligence and Investigation Force. Then, he asked himwhat his name was, and Larry said nothing.
They eventually found out his name andwhere he lived. Because he lived in High Ridge Park, a posh village, they let
him go. ButLarry refused, to the surprise of the policemen.In the air-conditioned room beside the cell, Lt.Magtibay
fumed because of thebehavior Larry was showing. He knew that Wilfredo Teotico was nothing but a bully whoused
his father`s influence, but he still fumed at how Larry behaved. Just then, Senator deChavez called, ordering the
release of his future son-in-law. Larry did get out, but first hegave Lt.Magtibay a taste of his own medicine and made
him realize that everyone was andmust be equal in the rule of law.
Then, Senator de Chavez arrived, with Don Lorenzo, Ramon and Connie. Aftergetting mad at Lt.Magtibay,
the Senator headed off with Don Lorenzo, Ramon, Connie andLarry. In Greenhills, Ramon and Larry had to retell

what really happened. Then, theSenator said that there was no need to file charges against Wilfredo Teotico for Larry
wasreleased. Then, the oldies left, and the young ones stayed. The experience made Larry decide that Ramon`s
proposal of a 24/7 law office thathelped the poor and oppressed was a great idea. Connie told him that the work was
hardand often frustrating. Ramon said that you have to be provide the funding, theinvestigation and sometimes you
have to find the victim. Larry said that he was ready forthat kind of thing, and Ramon took his word for it. The next
Monday, Senator de Chavez and Judge Limzon ate lunch together. Theirmain topic was what happened to Larry.
Then, they talked about how the opposition wasencouraging the student activists (or so de Chavez thinks) and the
cases that was beingpresented to Judge Limzon. Senator de Chavez himself said that arrogance againstauthority was
part of being youth; and he pleads guilty in behalf of Andy and Connie, hischildren. Then, Senator de Chavez asked
the judge if he would like to be Undersecretaryof the Department of Justice. The judge asked who was offering this
position to him, andthe senator said the government, specifically he and the President. The judge told thesenator that
he would need a few days to think about it. But it only took him a few hoursto realize the true motive of this offer,
and he resolved that he will not take it. Two days after the meeting in the previous paragraph, the Samahan
ngKababaihang Malaya had its street demonstration, with Connie very visible. They startedin Plaza Miranda,
Quiapo, and ended in the Manila Hotel, the destination of the beautypageant. The march was uneventful, though
there were some parts wherein they wereclosely monitored by the Special Operations Command. They were only
around 500women, but according to Minda, this was a start. They caused a riot, of course, when they got past the
hotel guards and entered the hotel. And that was enough to make the frontpage. The said demonstration incurred
different reactions from the people in Connie`s life. The Mother Superior of the Holy Trinity said that she was a
disgrace to the school andmust be expelled. Don Lorenzo found a grudging respect for his future daughter-inlaw,but told Larry to tell Connie to keep it down. But their reactions were nothing comparedto the Senator`s. He
was very angry, seeing his daughter participate in such an activity.He was also worried because not only was he
going to tell the President that Judge Limzonturned down the offer- he also has to explain why his daughter did such
actions.A few days after this demonstration, Connie and the others went to Urduja Garden,their venue for their
protest graduation. The main objective of this activity was to tellMother Superior and the administration that they
were against the school`s elitistorientation. A lot of people supported them, some alumni and their lay teachers
included. They did not tell their parents of this because of fear that they might tell Mother Superior.Instead, they told
them that Mother Superior had yet to decide when they will graduate,which was true. Then, Peachy Herrera, whose
family owned a printing press, bribed thetypesetter and personally supervised the printing for fear that her mom
might find out. The parents found out, anyway, and many of them went to see Mother Superior.Mother Superior`s
reply was stay away or your daughter won`t get her diploma, whichmade the parents stay away. The day before the
graduation, Connie`s father called thepolice and asked them to withdraw the permit of the said event. However, the
policethought that even though the permit was to be withdrawn, one of the usherettes of thesaid event was the
daughter of the mayor of Manila, so they still had a permit. Theyresolved the issue by passing on the matter to the
Special Operations Command.It wasn`t your ordinary graduation. The parents were conspicuously absent. Most of
the guests were from the youth. The press was well-represented, too. There wasn`t goingto be any conferment of
degrees for there was no one in the DepEd to do so. Instead, theywill read an Act of Faith and swear an Act of Fealty
to God and the Republic. Then, theguest of honor, Justice Joe Luna, delivered his speech. He ended with this:We
don`t have to fight revolutions to get that freedom we should get. We only have to betruly vigilant with our rights as
free men, and never take for granted the rights andobligations that govern the relationship of men and the society
which they elect to live. Beyond the entrance, a black Cadillac was parked there, and Connie was certainthat her
father was inside. But when Justice Luna`s speech was over, the car was gone.
Chapter Five: End of an Idyll
Connie headed off to Laguardia, and told the maids that if her father asks about herwhereabouts, they just
have to tell that she`s in Laguardia. It was in Laguardia that shefelt at home the most. She also had ample childhood
memories with her brother and Larry.As she struggled in the midst of the traffic, she remembered those times when
Larry`sfather would take them to Kawilihan and show them the Esteva and de Chavez properties.She remembered
how Mr.Esteva was warmly welcomed every time he would go to the deChavez properties for he and her father were
like brothers.It was noon when she arrived at Laguardia, and Nang Pilar asked her if she can wait,for she was not yet
done cooking lunch. As Connie waited, she remembered her childhoodmemories with her brother Andy and his
friend Larry. Then, she looked at the famous rice fields of Laguardia, a portion of which they owned. The people said
that as long as theLaguardia rice fields were there, the country would never go hungry. However, shethought why

was it that Salvacion and her family went hungry?It was late afternoon when Larry arrived, flushed and smiling for
he had beatenAndy in getting to Laguardia first. Andy arrived a few minutes later, and asked Larry if hewas sleeping
in. Then, they remembered that summer when Don Lorenzo taught them theMorse code and how Andy and Larry
couldn`t get what Connie was trying to say. Little didthey know that Connie was trying to tell Larry her feelings for
him. When they were finallyengaged, Connie told Larry about the mirrors and together they laughed at Andy at
hisaccusation that Connie did not get the codes right. Then, Larry asked Andy how long willhe be staying in
Laguardia, and Andy replied about a month. Andy added that he had togo to Pook Esparanza, a slum area in Sta.
Cruz.While Connie and Larry were busy in Laguardia, Minda was busy attending to thePaaralang Malaya ng Bayan,
or the Malaya schools. Though there were only a few studentsduring school days(because parents feared that it might
not be accredited by the DepEd),there were a lot of students in the summer for parents thought that this was the best
wayto keep the children from trouble and at the same time learn about being nationalistic,quite unlike the DepEd`s
curriculum which focused on teaching Filipinos to serve theAmericans. There were already 2 schools, and Minda
was planning to build another one inPook Esperanza.One day, in the Malaya school in Sapang Bato, the children
were taught how to singBayan Ko. Then, Minda told the story about how Bathala made the first people, and
howwe Filipinos were the beautiful ones for we were not too pale and not too burnt. Then, sheasked the children to
draw what they thought was beautiful.Then, the malnourishedchildren playing outside caught Minda`s eye. She
thought of teaching the mothers propernutrition and hygiene, but she then remembered that the mothers could not
provideproper nutrition and the waters were not clean, so it was no use.When class was over, Minda told her fellow
teachers that she was meeting PeachyHerrera, whose printing press was supplying the schools with reams of paper.
She wasalso going to Laguardia, for she promised her friend Connie de Chavez that she would bethere. She told
Paula to just keep teaching them songs, for that was one thing she cannever teach them. Paula teased her in reply,
saying that Minda would learn how when shehad children of her own. The next day, in Laguardia, Nang Pilar and the
servants were preparing for Connieand Larry`s pamamanhikan. Right after lunch, the guests from Holy Trinity
startedarriving, complaining that they almost couldn`t make it because they weren`t allowed. Joselito, Ate Ason`s
son, was listening in to their conversations and thought they they alllooked pretty, most especially the Seorita
(Connie), and no wonder Seorito Larry wantedto marry her. Just then,Nang Pilar told him to hurry up and do
something productive tohelp. Joselito was one of the tenants of the Esteva and de Chavez rice fields who
wasrecruited to help in the pamamanhikan. A lot of tenants were needed for the guests werestaying overnight and
they needed attending to.At last, the pamamanhikan started. A lot of distinguished guests were there, thePresident
and his wife included. When Martin and Minda saw the First Couple, they feltweird for they were protesting against
them. Senator de Chavez introduced them to thecouple`s friends, and the First Couple shook hands with everyone.
After some words to fields of Laguardia, a portion of which they owned. The people said that as long as
theLaguardia rice fields were there, the country would never go hungry. However, shethought why was it that
Salvacion and her family went hungry?It was late afternoon when Larry arrived, flushed and smiling for he had
beatenAndy in getting to Laguardia first. Andy arrived a few minutes later, and asked Larry if hewas sleeping in.
Then, they remembered that summer when Don Lorenzo taught them theMorse code and how Andy and Larry
couldn`t get what Connie was trying to say. Little didthey know that Connie was trying to tell Larry her feelings for
him. When they were finallyengaged, Connie told Larry about the mirrors and together they laughed at Andy at
hisaccusation that Connie did not get the codes right. Then, Larry asked Andy how long willhe be staying in
Laguardia, and Andy replied about a month. Andy added that he had togo to Pook Esparanza, a slum area in Sta.
Cruz.While Connie and Larry were busy in Laguardia, Minda was busy attending to thePaaralang Malaya ng Bayan,
or the Malaya schools. Though there were only a few studentsduring school days(because parents feared that it might
not be accredited by the DepEd),there were a lot of students in the summer for parents thought that this was the best
wayto keep the children from trouble and at the same time learn about being nationalistic,quite unlike the DepEd`s
curriculum which focused on teaching Filipinos to serve theAmericans. There were already 2 schools, and Minda
was planning to build another one inPook Esperanza.One day, in the Malaya school in Sapang Bato, the children
were taught how to singBayan Ko. Then, Minda told the story about how Bathala made the first people, and
howwe Filipinos were the beautiful ones for we were not too pale and not too burnt. Then, sheasked the children to
draw what they thought was beautiful.Then, the malnourishedchildren playing outside caught Minda`s eye. She
thought of teaching the mothers propernutrition and hygiene, but she then remembered that the mothers could not
provideproper nutrition and the waters were not clean, so it was no use.When class was over, Minda told her fellow
teachers that she was meeting PeachyHerrera, whose printing press was supplying the schools with reams of paper.
She wasalso going to Laguardia, for she promised her friend Connie de Chavez that she would bethere. She told

Paula to just keep teaching them songs, for that was one thing she cannever teach them. Paula teased her in reply,
saying that Minda would learn how when shehad children of her own. The next day, in Laguardia, Nang Pilar and the
servants were preparing for Connieand Larry`s pamamanhikan. Right after lunch, the guests from Holy Trinity
startedarriving, complaining that they almost couldn`t make it because they weren`t allowed. Joselito, Ate Ason`s
son, was listening in to their conversations and thought they they alllooked pretty, most especially the Seorita
(Connie), and no wonder Seorito Larry wantedto marry her. Just then,Nang Pilar told him to hurry up and do
something productive tohelp. Joselito was one of the tenants of the Esteva and de Chavez rice fields who
wasrecruited to help in the pamamanhikan. A lot of tenants were needed for the guests werestaying overnight and
they needed attending to.At last, the pamamanhikan started. A lot of distinguished guests were there, thePresident
and his wife included. When Martin and Minda saw the First Couple, they feltweird for they were protesting against
them. Senator de Chavez introduced them to thecouple`s friends, and the First Couple shook hands with everyone.
After some words to everyone in general, the President and his wife couple left. The First Couple gave Connieand
Larry silverware with their names engraved on it. Then, the men slept in at the Esteva house, most of them drunk.
Martin was askingRamon for advice on the issue between he and Minda, while Andy was telling him howmuch he
loved this girl. Andy had a hard time falling asleep afterward. The next morning, Andy left for Pook Esparanza. Pook
Esparanza was a communityof scavengers for they were near the garbage dump. Each family scavenged for a
differentkind of recyclable material. Andy went to see Mang Greg, his friend who lived there. Heand his family
specialized in cans. Compared to paperboard and other recyclablematerials, cans earned a big profit for Mang Greg
and his family, which earned him someentrepreneurial standing.When Andy finally arrived there, he was welcomed
by Mang Greg and his family. Then, he was given some slippers by Mang Greg and together they went with his sons
tothe dump. For the first few hours, Andy could not handle the stench of the dump. But aftera while, he got used to it.
After a long day, a supper of rice and dried fish boiled in vinegar.While eating, Mang Greg asked him what his father
did for a living, and Andy settled withreplying with a half-truth: He works for the government. He also said to
Mang Greg thatthe tuition at the seminary was free. Mang Greg thought of sending Willy to the seminary.After
which, Andy and Eddie, Mang Greg`s son, had a bible study with 4 others. One afternoon, Connie went to visit the
church in Laguardia. She would often gothere whenever she was a sagala in their Flores de Mayo. Now that she was
going to getmarried, she wished that she and Larry would get married there, even though her fatherpreferred the
Manila Cathedral for its social importance and his father wanted San Agustinfor its historical importance. When she
arrived at the church, she prayed. As she wasabout to leave, Mang Leon Dimagiba approached her and asked for
forgiveness for whathis daughter in law did to her. Mang Leon went on and told her about the large debt thathe had
to pay because Salvacion`s family wanted a grand feast.Connie reassured him thather family will not take away the
land from Mang Leon. Mang Leon gave her a bow of thanks, and told her that he shall never forget her.After that,
Connie told Larry that she wanted a wedding with no frills, unlike whatmost wanted for the two of them. Larry asked
Connie if she was sure of this, and she saidyes. She then told him of Mang Leon`s story, which made him agree all
the more. So, theygot married at Fr.Jim`s little chapel, with Sylvia and Andy as the sponsors. Ramon andMinda were
in-charge of the veil and cord ceremony. Their parents were in for a surprise.
Chapter Six: Confrontation
The rain came after school started at June, and it wouldn`t stop as the month cameto a close. By July, the
President announced that schools would be closed until the weatherimproved. By mid-August, the city had become a
calamity area and the food trucksstopped operating. It reminded Ligaya Limzon of Noah`s forty days and nights. Just
then, Chedeng Limzon arrived from Divisoria. Her children asked her why shehad gone there, and she said in reply
that their father needed healthy food for he wasworking too hard. Ramon told his sister that the Sanduguang Bayan
meeting was to beheld tomorrow at the Student Union Center. Chedeng, in turn, told he son that SenatorValdellon`s
secretary called, inviting him to the Senator`s house for dinner. This promptedher to remind her children to be
careful, for the President might declare martial law. Ramon said in reply that if that news came from Senator de
Chavez, that was nonsense.Chedeng chided her son for doing so, but Ramon retorted that even Connie was mad
ather father, to the disbelief of Chedeng. Ligaya also mentioned the ashtray incident, whichmade Chedeng wonder if
that was why Connie went ahead and got married. No one spokeafter that. Judge Limzon came home at last. He had
a really stressful day at work, what withanother call from Senator de Chavez and another from General Mayo, who
told him to tellRamon to be less visible on the streets [demonstrations]. When he came home, Ligayaprepared beef
stew for dinner. After a few minutes or so, dinner was served. There was anexchange of news, particularly about the
bombings in Divisoria and National Airlines. Then, Judge Limzon told his son what General Mayo asked him to. The

time came for Senator Valdellon`s dinner, in which Ramon was invited. So, hewent to the Senator`s bungalow house,
which was rumored to have an undergroundarsenal. Many influential people from the press and politics went to the
said dinner. Here,Senator Valdellon told them that he heard from a very reliable source that the Presidentwas bent to
declare martial law, which meant that military authority would be higher thancivilian authority. The Senator then
went on to explain what may happen under martiallaw: military courts, countless arrests, violation of human rights.
Congressman Mateoasked what they can do to protect themselves, and Senator Valdellon could not give himan
adequate answer.When dinner was over, Senator Valdellon told them that he felt that it was his dutyto confer these to
them. He added that he wanted to bring up the issue to the medi. Whenthe people would hear of this and get mad, the
President might reconsider declaringmartial law. In reply, the people who attended expressed their support and put
themselvesat his disposal. The Senator expressed his thanks, and started making plans. Then, whenmost had left, the
Senator invited Ramon and Justice Luna to his basement, which was notfull of Armalites at all, but instead it had a
library, a weightlifts room, a music room- thingspurely related to entertainment.It was the last Wednesday of August,
and Paula Lacanilao was leaving for Antipoloto visit some family. Before she left Sapang Bato, she prayed at the
chapel. Just then, shenoticed that the container of the Sto.Nio seemed empty, and went to have a closer look.When
she came closer, she saw that it was empty, and alerted everyone of the loss. Thepeople had different speculations as
to where the statue was right now. There was onething that needed to be done, however: They needed to report this to
the newspapers. They were really angry, and they swore that they would do anything just so they can getthe statue
back.Edgar Santos was in his Botany class, and he, with 80 classmates, was about to seethe cross-section of a leaf
through a microscope in the laboratory. He drew what he reallysaw in the microscope, to the anger of the teacher,
who told him to copy the illustration inthe book.Edgar was on his third year in Asia University, and he asked himself
if it was reallyworth it. He was learning about the effect of the U.S. bases` presence here in thePhilippines, about the
nature of multi-national companies and how they affected theeconomy, and about why people were poor. And no,
these were not taught by his Historyand Economics teachers. This prompted Edgar to think that the school itself
waspreventing him from getting educated He then remembered the students that were having their rally today, asking
thePresident to lower the tuition fees and increase the wages of workers. There were otherissues raised by the other
sectors, such as making the education relevant to the country`sneeds, and the issue of the military bases, but these
affected his life remotely. All hewanted was some decrease of tuition fees so that his father won`t have to work so
hard inthe fields.Fortunato thought of a crusade wherein a phalanx of children would lead it. Acrusade led by the
children, whatever the issue, would catch everyone`s attention. Ramonand the others were reluctant to do this, but
Martin argued that the children were also partof the country, and they had the right to do so. So, what started as a
march for the lostSto.Nio statue in Sapang Bato became a Children`s Crusade, wherein children weremarching on
the streets, fighting for freedom, justice and equal opportunity. It caughteveryone`s attention, indeed. But Ramon was
sure that no matter how much attention itcaught, the President will still not listen for he was arrogant in his seat of
power.Sylvia was one of those joining the crusade, though at first she took Ramon`s sideon the issue for she did not
want to gamble the lives of the children for such. However,she was not able to prevent the Children`s Crusade from
pushing through. So, she just didher share by preparing sandwiches and drinks for the children. When she got home,
shefound out that her twins, Gary and Paul were participating in the meeting, which shockedher. She asked the help
of Fr.Jim and together they looked for the kids.On the first day of September, Connie went out to the bookstore to
see if there weregood buys. After her marriage to Larry, she found herself conceiving. Thus, she lived aquiet and
uneventful life. She heard of the Children`s Crusade that they were having, anddonated some money for she cannot
join them [because of her delicate pregnancy). Shewondered if it really had to be that way. When she was done
shopping already, her drivertook her load of books and they went away.Mang Greg`s son, Eddie, planned to play
basketball with his friends when his fathertold him that they won`t be going to the dump today. However, he saw that
his friendswere planning to participate in that rally. Though Eddie felt a rush of fear go through him,he still went
with them.It was 4:45 pm already, and evening was drawing nearer. Ramon advised thechildren, together with Sister
Mary Joseph, a Maryknoll nun and Brother Joey, to go now.He thanked them for what they did. Then, the others
went on and marched toMalacaang. They were able to cross Mendiola when gunshots were fired, hitting
people.Eddie was one of these people. He was dead on the first shot, his blood staining the shoes that Andy gave
him. Edgar Santos was one of the demonstrators that sought refuge in one of theshelters nearby-specifically, Rose
Beauty Shop. It seems that some of the soldiers saw, sothey went inside and forcefully inquired the proprietress if
she was hiding an activist in thevicinity. She forcefully told them to go look for their activist elsewhere for she was
hidingnobody. For this, Edgar was most grateful to the woman. The woman told him that it wasnothing, for they
were on the same side. She also told him of her daughter who was withher relatives, and if she were to become a

teacher, life might change and they may getout of that area.Edgar was indeed lucky, but Ligaya Limzon was not. In
the midst of the chaos, shetried escaping, only to find a soldier pursuing her. She tried hiding in the dark San
Sebastian Church, but the soldier still found her. She tried escaping from his grip, but hewas too fast for her. When
she was in his embrace, he shut her mouth and put her insidethe confessional box.Unknown to Ligaya, she caught the
eye of Lt.Magtibay. He followed her, thoughmore discreetly than the soldier. He was supposed to stop when she got
to the church, butsomething nagged him to follow her even when she went inside the church. Unknown
toLt.Magtibay, Fortunato Dimagiba was following him as well, keeping a close eye on him forfear that the lieutenant
might do something to Ligaya. They met at the confessional andsaw Ligaya, half-naked, half-mutiliated, with the
soldier towering over her. Lt.Magtibaykilled the soldier, attempted to cover her nakedness, and ordered Fortunato to
take Ligayaaway.Meanwhile, Sylvia and Fr. Jim were looking for Gary and Paul in the midst of thecrowd. When
they finally found the twins, a bullet shot Sylvia and killed her. Sylvia died inFr.Jim`s arms.
Chapter Seven: Tiempo-Muerte
Andy was woken up by his classmate, Dingo Cruz, who was occupying the roomadjacent to his in Ignatius
House. Mang Greg was there, waiting for him since 10 in themorning. It was eleven in the morning already. Andy
woke up that late because he neededthat beauty sleep after that chaotic Friday, and the events afterward, particularly
Sylvia`swake and his visit to Ligaya Limzon, who was in a stupor. That Friday, he hurried through with his exam
with Fr.Treichler, for he could notescape [because Fr.Treichler had already threatened him]. But when he got to the
cornerof Morayta and Espaa, the crowd had already been dispersed by the military. He went toFr.Jim`s house, but
he wasn`t there. So, Andy slept at Fr.Jim`s house until he was rousedby Fr.Jim, blood-stained. One look and Andy
knew that tragedy had struck. They got drunk,then he asked Fr.Jim if he was in love with Sylvia. Fr.Jim cussed, then
said that it`ssomething he can`t discuss. The next day, Andy became drunk again, this time with Martin. Martin told
himabout what happened to Ligaya and how Lt.Magtibay saved her. He also talked withRamon,Minda and Connie,
but he couldn`t remember anything that they said. When Andycame back to Ignatius House, he was really tired. So,
the director told him that he did nothave to get up early the next day.And now here was Mang Greg. Andy asked him
what the matter was, and MangGreg told him of Eddie`s death. He went to Pook Esparanza and saw that everyone
wassad, most especially Aling Chari, Eddie`s mom. Mang Greg and Aling Chari told him thatthey could not bury
him until Andy knew, and that Andy was so special to him, like anotherson. Andy said in reply that we may not know
now why these things are happening, but intime, they will know. After eating some noodles the couple gave the
guests, Andy left,asking them to notify him when the burial will be. On his way back, he saw Willy, whoasked him if
he can have the rubber shoes Andy gave Eddie. Andy said yes, adding thateverything depended on him
[Eddie].Meanwhile, Major Ditan was getting mad at Lt.Magtibay for his performance,specifically for rescuing
Ligaya Limzon and killing the soldier. According to him,Lt.Magtibay was a shame of the force. Then, the lieutenant
was showered with questionsregarding his relationship with the girl. He answered the questions with indifference.
Then, he spent the night in the headquarters. The next morning, his wife came becauseMrs.Ditan called her and told
her that he was going to be court-martialed. He wasshowered with more questions regarding the matter. He spent the
rest of the weekend atthe quarters, and was going to until further notice.Ligaya was still not recovering, and Ramon
was really worried. He still had a lot of work to do, but he could not focus. Moreover, he needed to be with his
family in this crisis.He asked Alex Montero to take care of those who died and got injured in thedemonstration. He
looked at his father and saw his father was not really grieving less- itwas just that he was a stronger man and knew
what war really is. This prompted him toget a move on with his daily duties.Andy had been visiting Ligaya everyday,
but Ligaya wanted to see nobody. Oneday, Andy gave Ramon a letter from the Sugar Harvesters` Union [in
Bacolod], who hadbeen appealing for help because two of their members have been killed and two othermembers
disappeared. Since Ramon was so busy, he appealed to his friend Larry if he cango to Bacolod in his stead. Larry
agreed.Larry deplaned at Bacolod but he had to take a long and dusty ride to Himablosan.He followed Ramon`s
instructions and finally arrived at the place. The men there looked athim apprehensively, most especially when he
looked for Mamerto Lozada. MamertoLozada thought that he was one of Vizcarra`s men, and ordered him to get out.
But whenLarry mentioned Ramon, Mamerto, or Merto, welcomed him and asked him to eat withthem. They ate fish
boiled in coconut milk with their hands, in banana leaves. This madeLarry remember Sylvia. Merto thought that
Larry did not like the food, but Larry explainedthat that was not the case. Soon, Merto found out about Sylvia`s
death, and told him thatthey`ve had their share of losses, too. Then, Merto told Larry their story. The migrants came
to Himablosan during harvest time. Their Cabo, Juanito Salas,liked working with Merto and his group for they were
dependable and not too demanding. Then, they joined the Sugar Harvesters` Union, which somehow displeased him.

Lastseason, there were complaints about the scarcity of water in the huts. This year, there were complaints about the
wages, which made Juanito Salasannoyed. Then, they had agreed upon seven-and-five for the daily wages-seven
pesosfor the seasoned ones and five pesos for the new one. Larry made a mental note tohimself that there was a law
wherein agricultural workers must be paid at least 8 pesos aday, but he allowed Merto to continue. At the end of the
day, Merto said, they were onlygiven 6 pesos and the new ones were only given 4 pesos. Juanito Salas said that that
wasall Vizcarra would pay, but he would talk to the landowner and see what could be done.On Wednesday the
following week, the workers lined up for their sacada, a salaryadvance that they made every week against their
weekly wages. But they were told thatthis week there would be no sacada for them. This was a matter of life and
death for theworkers for the sacada was their only way of getting food for Thursday, Friday andSaturday. Then,
money came to Juanito Salas and Merto Lozada. It wasn`t much, but itwas enough to get by a day or two.On
Saturday, when their pay was distributed, they discovered that they had beencharged twenty percent interest for the
salary advance of Thursday, and they were toldthat, henceforth there would be a one peso charge for every five pesos
of the sacada they made at midweek. There was mayhem in the paymaster`s office, and Vizcarra called in hisprivate
army to disperse the laborers. That night, there was a commotion in one of the huts, which may have been causedby
a drunkard. The next morning, they were surprised to find Rufino Mahilom and his sonManuel, gone and nowhere to
be found. Knowing that this was the work of Vizcarra and hismen, the laborers declared a strike and went to the gate
of the hacienda, demanding thatRufino and Manuel be produced by Vizcarra. Some of them even threw stones at the
gate.However, at noon, the private army was called, and they shot the laborers, killing two of them. The next day,
they found Manuel dead, and saw that he had been tortured & hisbody parts have been mutiliated. They still cannot
find his father up to this day. They wentto the head of the Sugar Harvesters` Union, who accompanied them to the
ProvincialFiscal. The Fiscal told them that they did not have enough evidence, and this was whythey wrote to
Ramon.Larry checked in the hotel after that, and sought an appointment with Vizcarra. Itturned out to be Benny
Vizcarra, whom he met at the Francis Xavier reunion. He agreed tomeet Larry in his villa. Larry objected, knowing
that he would be bound by his host`shospitality. Vizcarra pressed on with his advantage and his insisted. Larry had
no choicebut to agree.When Larry was in his house, he could not believe that he, Benny Vizcarra, reallyhad a private
army who killed his laborers. Benny admitted so, and told Larry that it was aprecautionary measure. Larry told him
that his laborers were underpaid, unarmed anddefenseless. He added that regarding the wages of the workers, Larry
must go to JuanitoSalas, the labor contractor, for he only cared about Salas providing him with workers. Atdessert,
Larry told Benny that it was the owner`s job to see that his laborers were beingpaid fairly. Benny said in reply that
when business decrees that they have to cut costs, thelaborers must go with the flow. Larry wanted to argue, but he
did not, and allowed Bennyto taste some victory. Then, after an invitation from Melinda Vizcarra to explore the
citywith her in her new Jaguar, which he declined, Larry left. The soldiers came to Sapang Bato when the men went
to work. One of the soldiersaccidentally bumped Aling Lydia and messed up her clothes, and instead of
apologizing,picked up the ones that were not trampled and started grinding them under his shoes. This prompted
Aling Lydia to attack the soldier, but the soldier ducked. Then, the leader of the soldiers told Mang Cecilio Borja, the
barrio chief, that they were giving the people onehour to pack and leave Sapang Bato. Some of the people went with
the government to berelocated in a new barrio called Bagong Pag-asa, outside Dasmarias, Cavite. However,there
were those like Paula who were staying, for they knew that Martin and Fortunatowould help them.Salvacion called
Ramon and asked him to locate Martin and Fortunato, but Ramonknew that he would have a hard time locating
Martin and Fortunato in the jeepney strike.So, Ramon headed to Sapang Bato with Andy. Andy felt responsible for
this was hisfather`s doing. No matter what they said about filing suit against the demolition group, thedemolition
group did not budge.The people of Sapang Bato who refused to leave saw theirprivate property being destroyed.
Paula tried to stop them from destroying her house tothe point of attacking them, and she was shot in reply. Andy
met the same fate when thesoldier was about to shoot Albert and Andy saved him.Meanwhile,Larry was done with
the affidavits that charged Benny Vizcarra, JuanitoSalas and some others with murder and kidnapping. Then
suddenly, Connie called, telling him what happened to Andy, and his current condition. Larry promised her that he
wouldcome there as soon as possible. Then, the next Monday, Larry went to the Fiscal`s officeand filed the
complaints. The Fiscal told him that this was an internal matter, but Larryargued, asking him if murder and
kidnapping were an internal matter. The Fiscal had nochoice but to accept the papers. Then, Larry went to the airport,
to find all planes fullybooked. Larry realized that Benny Vizcarra was that influential there, to the point that hecan
manipulate the fiscal and the people in the airport. Larry threatened Benny and gothis seat in one of the airplanes for
Tuesday evening.

Chapter Eight: Death by Fire

Life indeed had its ups and downs. Though Sapang Bato was being demolished, the jeepney strike that Martin
and Fortunato organized was successful. Martin was jubilant,and he looked forward to the demonstration (which did
not have a police permit) that theywere having at Mendiola to seek justice for the deaths caused by the demonstration
lastSeptember 1. The military tried to disperse the people with tear gas and bullets, but thedemonstrators were
prepared with invented precautions and home-made bombs. The government took a rigid stand: no police permit, no
rally. The people stuck totheir demands, too. The students continued to boycott their classes. The farmers did
notharvest. The jeepney strike and went on. The industrial laborers did not work. Indeed, matira ang matibay. One
Saturday night, the President was on TV [in all TV channels], announcingimportant policy announcements. The
President said that the country was in a state of emergency, but the government is doing everything it can to prevent
chaos. He said thatthe buses will continue to operate, beefed up by military support. He also said that shouldthe
farmers still refuse to harvest, the soldiers will do the harvesting. As expected,members of the opposition such as
Ramon and Fortunato reacted violently, Ramon in hisroom and Fortunato in Aling Mary`s house in Bataan, wherein
he and his family werestaying due to the demolition of Sapang Bato.Fortunato and his friends came to Laguardia to
convince them to join the farmers`strike. But, the Laguardia farmers refused to do so, and asked their co-farmers
fromBataan and Zambales to join them. They added that if they work in shifts [day and night],they can finish the
harvests in no time. Fortunato and his friends left, disappointed.Senator Valdellon, though physically and
emotionally tired, could not sleep. So, hewent down to his study and turned on the aircon there. He thought of the
President`splans to declare martial law, and he wondered what the right thing to do was. Soon, herealized that he
needed to warn the people of the President`s plans. Then, he went backto his bedroom and in a vision, he saw how it
will all end. Though Fortunato and his friends left Laguardia disappointed, they still had plan B-burning the rice
fields of Laguardia. That night, they had to be in Dos Santos toreceive the things that they were using for the fire.
Fortunato knew that this was adangerous plan, but he had great faith in his friends and he was sure that his family
andfriends in Laguardia would benefit the most from this.Mang Leon got up very early and set out to choose the
choicest grains in the fields.When he came home, Fortunato was gone. Consorcia, his wife, told him that their
sonwent to San Isidro to meet his friends. It was quite late when Fortunato came back, and hewas quite surprised to
see his father still awake. Mang Leon told his son to leave his bitterness in Sapang Bato. Fortunato said in reply that
they [the government] took awayhis home. He added that he would rather work in a land that was his. He also said
that nomatter how bountiful the harvest was, only a small portion of it belonged to them, and hewould not allow the
military to take away that small portion, for the military was going totake away the landlord`s crops, and they were
leaving nothing for the tenants. Then,Fortunato left for Dos Santos. Leon knew that his son was planning to burn the
crops, andhe wondered what he can do to save his.Connie did not leave her brother`s side. Though she blamed her
father for whathappened to her brother, she was surprised at herself for being kind to the Senatorwhenever she would
see him silently sobbing. When Larry still would not come back, shewept and told her father that she would like to
go to Laguardia. Her father called for MangAmbo to take her to Laguardia and told Nang Pilar to keep her in
bed.Nang Pilar cooked a lot of food for her, but Connie said that she just wanted amango and some coffee. Then,
Nang Pilar informed her that Mang Leon came and boughther some bananas. She also told her that the tenant would
be back at noon. Mang Leoncame just as Connie was finishing her lunch. He told her about Fortunato`s plans to
burnthe Laguardia rice fields. Connie told him to tell his son that she would like to meet andtalk to Fortunato at six
pm. Mang Leon pleaded to her to not hand over Fortunato to theauthorities if the talk fails. Against her better
judgment, Connie agreed. The talk did indeed fail, and Connie had no choice but to go back to Manila, to theEsteva
residence. When she arrived there, Larry and his father were watching the latebroadcast. Senator Valdellon was on
TV, revealing what the President really was intendingto do. Then, Connie told Larry of what Fortunato was planning
to do. Larry assured herthat Fortunato was just threatening her, but Connie was not altogether reassured.
Larrythought of calling the military and stopping Fortunato, but he realized it was too late.Leon awoke to the smell
of kerosene and the sight of the Laguardia rice fieldsperishing in flames. In their residence at High Ridge Park, Don
Lorenzo woke Larry up andtold him about the tragedy that struck in Laguardia. According to Don Lorenzo, the
firestarted at around midnight simultaneously in the varied barrios, and no doubt these wereworks of
arsonists.Ramon Limzon came to Laguardia for his family also owned some of the land and hewould like to inquire
the present condition of those who he knew. But, the military told himto get out. Then, he and Fr.Barredo planned on
how to evacuate the people of Laguardiaby using Francis Xavier`s university buses and the help of other sectors. The
evacuation happened as planned, but not without incident. The evacuees werethreatened by the soldiers and
subjected to body searches. Beyond the eyes of thevigilant students, there were shots, and there were women and

children looking for theirmale relatives. The students told them to get in the buses for they will look for the malefolk.
Through the night the buses rumbled, fleeing from the fire trucks and the soldiers,because to them, they became the
arsonists, dissidents and NPA people.One late Wednesday night, the buses soon arrived to what the media called
TentCity, located at Francis Xavier. Many people came to help, Connie included. She preparedsandwiches at the
counter with Edgar Santos preparing the drinks. Connie got to knowEdgar a bit and discovered that Edgar`s parents
were tenants at her father`s land. Surely,Connie could not get out of her father`s world. Connie asked him if his
family was here already, and he nodded. He told her that he was not cut out for college, and he wanted togo back to
the fields with his father.Among those who helped the refugees were Martin and Minda, who did not havemuch to
do. The jeepney strike Martin organized was still on-going, although not so muchanymore for the jeepney drivers
had to earn, too. Transportation was still a problem foreven though the military trucks were there, there were still
those who depended on jeepneys for transportation. They haven`t heard much from Bagong Pag-asa, so they went
there one morning tosee the place in a devastated state. Some nuns were distributing pan de sal to the peoplewho
were still in shock. They saw Salvacion and asked her how Fortunato was, but she toldthem that Fortunato had not
come home since Sunday, and it was Thursday already.Meanwhile, Ramon and Larry set out for Laguardia to see if
all of the residents havebeen evacuated. They had a talk about how much chaos has been going on, and how
themilitary was fuming ready to blame the jeepney strike for everything. He added that therewere some groups that
weren`t related to the jeepney strike that were involved inviolence. Larry said that there were too many things going
on, and wondered if some, if not all, were just Malacaang`s actions (which they would use as reasons to
declaremartial law). They arrived at Laguardia and saw that some people were still there, Mang Leon`sfamily
included. Mang Leon did not want to leave Laguardia. Then, suddenly, someoneshot Ramon in the back and Ramon
was dead in an instant. Larry and Mang Leon triedreviving Ramon, but Mang Leon was suddenly shot, as well.
Then, Larry saw Fortunato,hesitating to approach the lifeless body of his father, but Larry told him to flee, which he
did.
Chapter Nine: Into Night
Pacita Valdellon could not sleep. She reminisced the good times that she had withher husband, and how sad
she felt when her husband had to respond to the duty of beingSenator of the Republic. Dave, her son, could not sleep
too. Thus, he accompanied hismother in her room. Then, they received a call from Congressman Mateo, asking
whereSenator Valdellon was. They told him to come with her husband, who was picked up ateleven-thirty.Larry and
Connie had a long day yesterday. Connie and the others were in FrancisXavier university, making a census of the
people there when Larry arrived, bringing backthe dead bodies from the tragedy in Laguardia. They brought
Ramon`s casket to theFrancis Xavier chapel, and Fr.Jim said a Mass for the dead. This was why Larry wassurprised
to see Connie dressed up at 7 in the morning. Connie told Larry that she wouldcome visit her brother, Andy. Connie
told her father-in-law that she and Andy wereplanning to leave on Friday for Andy`s neurosurgery procedure in New
York. Suddenly,they found out that the President declared martial law.Saturdays were usually easy for Minda, but
this Saturday wasn` t going to be forshe had an exam to attend to, refugees to take care of, and a wake to visit. She
wasthinking of the unusually large number of casualties that were happening when Martin toldher that martial law
had been declared, and the government had been arresting membersof the opposition from different sectors, even
senators like Senator Valdellon and congressmen like Congressman Mateo. Suddenly, the Spop-Com went to arrest
thetwo of them and the other teachers of the UP.Bert, the husband of Minda`s Ate Lydia, was a teacher at Guadalupe
ElementarySchool. He heard from Mrs.Marcelo, the principal, that the government was now arrestingthose who were
vocal in the rallies, those like Minda. Minda`s family was really worriedabout her.Martin and Minda were on the run.
They took a jeep and stayed there for a longtime. They saw that the streets were unbelievably quiet and the people
who participatedin the demonstrations before were nowhere to be found. They saw some teachers of theMalaya
school, Raquel Duran and Perla Gondoy being escorted in a military van with 2teenagers named Mando and Cesar.
Then, Martin decided that it was time that he andMinda go to Ragsac, Isabela, away for the city for they needed to
continue their planseffectively [without them getting hurt]. They decided to leave and go there separatelytonight. Joe
Merino should have denied that he was there, thought Attorney Emily Azada.(Joe Merino was one of the professors
of the University of the Philippines who gotarrested.) Then, she thought of the country at its current state, and asked
herself if therewas still any hope. Just then, her daughter Rochie, who was studying in the United States,called her
and asked how the country was. She told her daughter that she would call assoon as possible, for telephone
conversations might be wiretapped at the moment. The next morning, Atty.Azada went to Prof.Merino`s house, and
assured his wifethat they were doing everything that they can to get her husband out of jail. Then, shetold herself that

she needed to go to the Dean and propose that Joe Merino`s salary becontinued.It was 3 in the afternoon, and Connie
finally arrived at the Esteva residence afterher visit to Andy. She came home to see Minda Diluan waiting for her. So,
they had a latelunch. Minda asked her how Andy was, and then told her that she and Martin were on therun, and they
planned to go to Ragsac, Isabela. She also told Connie about the arrests of Raquel and Perla. Connie told Minda that
she can always stay with Connie, where shewould be protected, but Minda told her that it`s best if she leaves the city.
She asked if she can stay at the Estevas for a while, and Connie agreed.Larry came home at 6, and invited Minda to
go with them to Ramon`s wake. Mindarefused for it was a public place, and she had to say good-bye to her family.
Larry soonfound out of her plans of going to Ragsac, Bataan. Larry informed them that they need tocheck their
books for the government is arresting people who own certain books, such asAgoncillo`s Revolt of the Masses
.Minda went to her Ate Lydia`s house, thinking of how she and Martin would spendtheir lives together. When she
arrived there, a black car was waiting, and a man asked herif she was Luzminda Datuin. She said yes, and the man
said that she was under arrest.Before Lydia realized that it was Minda, the black car was gone.
Chapter Ten: The Human Cause
When the President declared Martial Law, Senator de Chavez wondered why he wasnot consulted by the
President by such a sensitive matter. He thought that the President was going to do so in December, but it seems like
plans have changed. So, he went toMalacaang Palace immediately.When he arrived there, he was not allowed to go
inside the President`s office- onlycertain members of the Cabinet and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces were
allowedinside. Occassionally, a Cabinet member or two would go out and acknowledge the peopleoutside, like
Senator de Chavez. The Senator felt bad. He was one of those bigwigs whohappened to be close to the President.
Why was he being left out?Not knowing what to do, Senator de Chavez went home. Soon, he realized, thatbecause
he had worked so closely with the President, he failed to nourish his relationshipswith his children. He also realized
that because of this close relationship with thePresident, what he thought he was doing for the Republic, he was
doing for thePresident`s personal interests. He found the house empty, and went to the hospital to findAndy alone.
Andy reminded him of Ramon`s wake, and the Senator told his son that hewill go there immediately.Meanwhile, in
Ramon`s wake, everyone was still mourning and talking in hushedvoices. Clyde asked Larry how they manage, and
Larry said in reply,Well, we havealways been used to an abusive colonial government. And we pretend meeknessin
order to survive.Then, after a brief pause, he continued, Like the bamboo, wedon`t fight the wind, we bend with it.
That way, we never break.After he and Minda parted ways at Pasay, Martin went for a quick visit to Ramon`swake.
Then, he asked Fr.Jim if he could stay in his house for the night. Fr.Jim had noobjections, though his house was just
near the military camp, for they would never thinkthat he would be hiding there. The next day, when it was time to
leave, he ran intoLt.Magtibay.Lt.Magtibay was having a hard time recently. His colleagues have ignored himbecause
of what happened in San Sebastian. Then, Major Ditan decided to give him achance- to capture Martin Gatdula.
Flashes of his childhood with Martin entered his mind. Then, suddenly, he saw him in the wake of Ramon Limzon.
However, he did not capturehim, and Martin realized that Lt.Magtibay had embraced the human cause.Meanwhile,
Connie was already informed of Minda`s arrest. Not wanting to wakeLarry up, she went to Mrs.Azada and asked for
help. But, Mrs.Azada could not do anything.So, Connie went home and talked to Larry about it. The next day, she
went to visit herfather, and he expressed his concern & gave her some advice. He told her to go toGeneral Mayo in
Camp Crame and ask for help. General Mayo gave her a slip to theSpecial Operations Command. When she went
there, she saw Lt.Magtibay. Then, she wentto the major, and the major told her that he did not even know that his
men picked upsomeone named Luzviminda Diluan. Connie went to Camp Aguinaldo and Fort Bonifacio,but got the
same treatment.Andy felt anxious when he learned about what his sister did and was relieved tofinally see her when
she visited him that night. He told her that that was the ABC of Martial Law: Aguinaldo, Bonifacio and Crame.
Then, the family was gathered around thetelevision set. After a few minutes, the President went on TV, telling them
that he declaredmartial law for the country`s benefit, but the Senator knew how insincere the motiveswere. The
President also informed them all of the curfew that was being imposed from 12am to 4 am, and that travel was being
banned unless it was related to the government. This prompted the Senator to think of a way to allow Andy to travel
for his operation. So, the Senator was once more in the Palace, ready to beg, bribe or battle for apermit. He was
ready to do whatever it took. His presence was addressed by Col.Felino,who told him to talk to Gen.Salida.
Gen.Salida told the Senator that he cannot promiseanything for Andy`s case was a special one and Andy was one of
the people that was onthe wanted list. This Monday morning, Connie woke up to find the phone ringing, with the
voicetelling her to go to the camp hospital that instant for Minda was there and might be takenaway again. The voice
added that he took Minda to the hospital at 2 in the morning, andhe knew that Connie was looking for her because he

recognized her. Connie realized thatthe voice was Lt.Magtibay`s. So, Connie went there, and saw that Minda`s body
wasbleeding and full of bruises. The nurses mistook her for Minda`s sister and told her thatMinda jumped over the
window and that was why her body was like that. They added thatthey better not make too much fuss or else they
would have to send her away. Then, Connie went to the bathroom and collided with a captain, who told her to getout
because Minda was due for questioning, adding that he can send her away, and hedid not care whether she was
pregnant. So, she got out for a while. When she came back,she saw Minda`s bruised & bleeding body hanging from
the shower, a stout electrical cordtied around her neck.Larry awoke to find Connie gone, and the maids told him that
she went to CampCrame. When he got out of the shower, he found out that Connie had fainted and wasadvised that
he take her to some private hospital. Larry called an ambulance and took herto Makati Medical. The doctors said that
Connie was ok, but they had to see if the babywas, too. After the tests, the doctors said that the baby was ok. Both
Don Lorenzo andSenator de Chavez were scolding Connie, Don Lorenzo with his mouth and the Senatorwith his
eyes. Then, Don Lorenzo and his son had a confrontation about the land in Laguardia,about who rightfully owned it.
Larry, in his efforts in trying to make his father realize that itis better if they give the land to the tenants, was
mistaken by his father for a subversive. Afew hours after their confrontation, Larry asked for forgiveness, and his
father said in replythat all Larry was saying were new ideas to him, and all he wanted was to give Larryeverything he
had when he died. Then, Larry kissed him good night.It was Tuesday morning, and Col. Felino called Senator de
Chavez regarding thepermit. Col.Felino told him that Gen.Salida would only give the travel permit if the sharesof the
Senator in the Container Port Corporation be transferred to him. The Senator repliedthat he would do so. That
morning, Andy and Fr.Jim were reminiscing and reflecting on the things thathave happened and were happening.
Andy was sad for his father could not obtain thetravel permit, and realized that freedom of movement was something
that they neverreally appreciated. Then, Fr.Jim made Andy realize how much his father loved him, nomatter what
they went through, for his father was ready to bow down to the tyranny, justto get him the permit. Andy realized this,
and remembered his father with kindness. That afternoon, Larry and Connie were reminiscing as well. Larry
remembered thatmoment when the soldiers came and took off the flag from Ramon`s coffin, leaving JudgeLimzon in
tears. Connie told Larry how envious she was of the common folk, for they hadmore freedom and fewer burdens.
She added that everything was changing. So, the Senator was once more in the Palace, ready to beg, bribe or battle
for apermit. He was ready to do whatever it took. His presence was addressed by Col.Felino,who told him to talk to
Gen.Salida. Gen.Salida told the Senator that he cannot promiseanything for Andy`s case was a special one and Andy
was one of the people that was onthe wanted list. This Monday morning, Connie woke up to find the phone
ringing, with the voicetelling her to go to the camp hospital that instant for Minda was there and might be takenaway
again. The voice added that he took Minda to the hospital at 2 in the morning, andhe knew that Connie was looking
for her because he recognized her. Connie realized thatthe voice was Lt.Magtibay`s. So, Connie went there, and saw
that Minda`s body wasbleeding and full of bruises. The nurses mistook her for Minda`s sister and told her thatMinda
jumped over the window and that was why her body was like that. They added thatthey better not make too much
fuss or else they would have to send her away. Then, Connie went to the bathroom and collided with a captain, who
told her to getout because Minda was due for questioning, adding that he can send her away, and hedid not care
whether she was pregnant. So, she got out for a while. When she came back,she saw Minda`s bruised & bleeding
body hanging from the shower, a stout electrical cordtied around her neck.Larry awoke to find Connie gone, and the
maids told him that she went to CampCrame. When he got out of the shower, he found out that Connie had fainted
and wasadvised that he take her to some private hospital. Larry called an ambulance and took herto Makati Medical.
The doctors said that Connie was ok, but they had to see if the babywas, too. After the tests, the doctors said that the
baby was ok. Both Don Lorenzo andSenator de Chavez were scolding Connie, Don Lorenzo with his mouth and the
Senatorwith his eyes. Then, Don Lorenzo and his son had a confrontation about the land in Laguardia,about who
rightfully owned it. Larry, in his efforts in trying to make his father realize that itis better if they give the land to the
tenants, was mistaken by his father for a subversive. Afew hours after their confrontation, Larry asked for
forgiveness, and his father said in replythat all Larry was saying were new ideas to him, and all he wanted was to
give Larryeverything he had when he died. Then, Larry kissed him good night.It was Tuesday morning, and Col.
Felino called Senator de Chavez regarding thepermit. Col.Felino told him that Gen.Salida would only give the travel
permit if the sharesof the Senator in the Container Port Corporation be transferred to him. The Senator repliedthat he
would do so. That morning, Andy and Fr.Jim were reminiscing and reflecting on the things thathave happened and
were happening. Andy was sad for his father could not obtain thetravel permit, and realized that freedom of
movement was something that they neverreally appreciated. Then, Fr.Jim made Andy realize how much his father
loved him, nomatter what they went through, for his father was ready to bow down to the tyranny, justto get him the

permit. Andy realized this, and remembered his father with kindness. That afternoon, Larry and Connie were
reminiscing as well. Larry remembered thatmoment when the soldiers came and took off the flag from Ramon`s
coffin, leaving JudgeLimzon in tears. Connie told Larry how envious she was of the common folk, for they hadmore
freedom and fewer burdens. She added that everything was changing.

Azucena Grajo Uranza

(27 January 1929 11 March 2012)

Personal Background:
Uranza was born in Sorsogon, Sorsogon. She graduated from the Far Eastern University of the Philippines
where she acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 1952 and then an MA in English in 1969. Apart from being a
writer, Uranza was also an associate professor of Literature and the Humanities at Far Eastern University. As a
playwright, she wrote for the theater, radio, and television. Her plays were produced by Channel 4 (television),
DZRH (radio), and the Far Eastern University.

Achievements:

Uranza was the recipient of the Philippine Centennial Awards for Literature,
the Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature,
the Focus Philippines Literary Awards,
the Pama-as,
the Gintong Bai Award (National Commission for Culture and the Arts),
The Green and Gold Artist Award (Far Eastern University).

Body of works:

Bamboo in the Wind (1990)

A Passing Season (2002)
Feast of the Innocents (2003)
Women of Tammuz (2004)

Voices in a Minor Key, a volume of 22 short stories,

Book of plays entitled Masks and Mirrors.
Wrote a coffee table book entitled Arbol, An Etnographic Record of a Family.