Ka-Blog!

I stared at the TV unbelieving—Niel Tupas Jr flying and sprawling to the floor, being mauled by the police. While his body guards tried to protect him, armalite rifles were aimed at him like he was a nobody.

     Niel is Jun-jun to family, friends and constituents. Namesake of his controversial father, Iloilo governor Niel Tupas Sr., he is a provincial board member of Iloilo. He is a lawyer, an Ateneo Law school grad. Had his undergrad at the UP but was a freshman at San Beda. Everyone thinks he is being groomed to carry on their political dynasty. Why not? So what if it’s unconstitutional? In this banana republic, other political families do it all the time. At least, Niel is not another dumb Atenean in the mold of dato arroyo who’s running for congressman of Camarines Sur!

     Back in 1988, San Beda freshman APL class was arranged alphabetically during the first day of school. I found myself seated beside this bearded teenager who wore tight fitting designer shirt, jeans and sneakers. We were college freshmen who had to endure the elementary school “procedure” of introducing ourselves to the entire class. I would never forget how Niel introduced himself. “Niel Tupas JR. Tupas with an ‘s’. From Iloilo.” He expelled the name “Niel Tupas JR” from his chest like it wasn’t his own. I also wondered why he had to emphasize Tupas was spelled with an “s”.

     I came to know why a couple of weeks later. Niel emphasized the “JR” because the “Sr” was and is somebody in Iloilo. Congressman pala noon si Papa. I also found out there is a surname spelled “Tupaz”, with a “z” (presumably not family and not well-known or well-off).

     Although the entire class became tightly knit after some time, it can’t be help that we had closer friends. Mine was fellow Ybanag Gilbert Mendoza who became corps commander of the ROTC in our senior year. I did not know if Niel had any. I did not dare become his. He always had a bodyguard with him. Besides, he really did not mingle much with us. His favorite hang out was the library, making sure he had good grades to be able to transfer to the UP on his sophomore year. (Actually, I do not now understand why transferring to UP was and still is a big deal. I also had a taste of UP and Ateneo [and a sprinkling of Paulinian–gasp!] education and I saw no gaping difference. My wife would say, kasi DLSU-di lumusot sa Upcat-so they took the only route left.)

     Next thing I heard of Niel was when I read his engagement on the papers’ society pages. I also learned he is a lawyer and a budding politician in old Iloilo. When CERV was in the province, I planned on paying him a visit and proposing a partnership with the provincial government. I somehow failed to do it until events overtook us.

     Then the TV clips of the police assault and the subsequent interviews. He told off interior secretary Ronaldo Puno with righteous anger. And being the lawyer and politician he is, Niel’s vitriol was laced with legalese and politicese (is this even a word?).

     Here is an unsolicited advice to my former classmate:

     Niel, p’re, the entire country already knows your father’s dismissal by the Ombudsman is gloria’s payback for Niel Sr’s support of the 2005 impeachment complaint. Cease being a lawyer all the time when you want bigger public empathy to your cause. Stop belaboring this point. If you keep on blabbering about the legality of your father’s hold on to power, the government will just come out with its own interpretation of the law. In a country like ours, it is never about the law. It is always about who is in power.

     Rather, the bigger and more damning accusation against gloria is her wanton violation of the people’s human rights. The Ombudsman’s order is no longer the bigger issue. The assault is. It is not about who is governor. It is about you and your fellow Ilonggo’s human rights being violated. That’s the issue that will turn you from a being a simple lawyer and politician to a public defender. That’s the issue that will ensure that you do not only have legal power on your side but, more importantly, people power.

       If police brutality and state repression could be perpetrated against a Tupas with an “s”, chances are it can even be more brutal and repressive against a Tupaz with a “z”.

      Welcome to this end of the police stick and gloria’s armalite rifle.