Ka-Blog!

It may seem to my benefit that I only get to hear about
violent dispersals of rallies these days.

     It is not that I
do not want to attend rallies. I remain an
activist and although I am no longer as swift on my feet or as stupid to buddy
up with Tonchi Tinio in rallies, I long for the days when I could attend them
regularly like I used to.

     Radio work keeps
me from the streets nowadays, however. It
was my regular boardwork at DZRJ-AM today. I only got to hear about the dispersal from a news report by Ruth
Cervantes during the program—they were violently dispersed at Mendiola. Again.

     Kodao people were
reviewing their tapes when I got to the office after the program. They told me not to see them or I might get
too agitated and say things I shouldn’t say when I do boardwork again
tomorrow. But I can’t help myself.

     There were three
scenes and persons that struck me most:

a. RC Constantino
on the front line, being struck by police shields which are being used more as
weapons now than for defense. He braved
the goons, linked arms with comrades and plowed on to Mendiola. He is his father’s son today.

b. Fr. Joe Dizon,
getting a bit physically infirm but still ideologically solid. Wearing his immaculate habit, he was not
spared from police brutality. But Christ
himself was persecuted by Roman soldiers, di
ba?

c. Rep. Satur Ocampo, whose shirt got torn
by the police goons. While his
bodyguards protected him, Ka Satur himself was embracing a comrade to keep him from
being carted off and mauled further by the police. Sinong
Congressman ang hindi man lamang nagmura sa mga hamak na pulis kahit na siya ay
dinadahas?

     As I was viewing
the tape, I vowed to attend the next rally in Manila. I wanted to be at the forefront again and use
my considerable bulk to push back the goons and sneak in a few punch if I
could.

     But come to think
of it, I have other tasks to perform. And if I ever attend rallies regularly again, will I be like those
policemen or will I be like Red, Joe or Satur?

     No brainer, the latter. Isa pa rin
akong taong lansangan at hindi namin ka-level ang impostor sa Malakanyang.