Accents
By Julia Carreon-Lagoc

Memories that strengthen

1972 and thereafter—those were the Marcos years when dictator Ferdinand Marcos made his every action “legal” with his proclamation of Martial Law on September 21, 1972.  Those were years of living dangerously when you won’t know what a knock in the night would bring, when anyone’s life could hang by a thread, when today could be your last.  One man had arrogated unto himself the power of life or death over another and trampled a people’s innate, inalienable, human rights.

That was 33 years ago.  Why remember?  Why should we not throw into the dustbin of history the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship?  Why do we commemorate an infamous day in our lives?  Because remembering strengthens us.  Memories give us the strength to summon, muster all courage to declare NEVER AGAIN to Martial Rule; to cry out, shout, defy, fight the encroachment on our basic liberties.

And so last Sunday, Sept. 18, preparatory to the Sept. 21 commemoration, ex-detainees and their relatives gathered at Biboy Hollero’s place.to remember and, thereby, reaffirm their commitment to the cause of the great masses of our people: freedom from want, oppression and exploitation.  It was a day of recollection for the members of SELDA (Samahan ng mga Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at para sa Amnestiya), MARTYR (Mothers and Relatives against Tyranny), and Panay Alliance-Karapatan.  Gladly welcome were the delegation from Capiz.  Human rights lawyers from ILAC (Iloilo Legal Assistance Center), Attorneys Janne Baterna, Sol Gamosa, and Rudy Lagoc were around and offered their service in case of legal entanglements.  The gathering was a potluck, but the sumptuous meal was mainly courtesy of ex-detainees Louie Posa and Romy del Prado, new arrivals from the U.S. of A.

The same group graced the Sept. 21 blessing of the MONUMENT for HEROES and MARTYRS in the STRUGGLE of the FILIPINO PEOPLE at Plaza Libertad, Iloilo City.  Unveiled in the monument was the newly embossed SERVE THE PEOPLE, the edict by which the dead heroes and martyrs had given up their lives, the same edict that the living have vowed to continue struggling for.  Fr. Anthony Samuel officiated the blessing he coupled with encouraging and uplifting words.  The roses were crimson red, the candles aglow as we sang the nationalist song, Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa.
 
The same group joined by hundreds of demonstrators converged at the Freedom Grandstand for a bigger day of remembrance—of the pain and sacrifice wrought by Martial Law.   Highlight of the program was the short play, Waling-waling, written by UP Prof. Tomas Talledo.  The late Coronacion Chiva, came alive with Evelyn Saavedra playing the role of the legend in the hills that is Waling-waling.

Again, Jojo Pineda of Ambon made us misty-eyed with his rendering of Bayan Ko.  At the Plaza Libertad commemoration, we ended singing “Bilin: May balangaw pagkatapos sang bagyo.”   The closing song we will carry with us as we continue to remember, uphold, work for the cause of the great masses of our people.  Repeat: freedom from want, oppression, and exploitation.  Yes, at the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky and the sweet silver song of the lark…  (To be continued:  Never again!)