The Itinerants Path

No, it’s not a philosophical question that I am asking you. I’m just relating to you what I have read from the Wednesday news of the Philippine Daily Inquirer regarding the Fil-Am activist who was tortured by armed people. Since I was away since Wednesday for a retreat, I just came across with this shocking news again.

I can say it is shocking for me because I’ve been into an experience almost the same with what Melissa Roxas experienced in the hands of her abductors. Quoting the newspaper, “She was handcuffed, locked in a room, beaten and suffocated with a plastic bag for six days,” She was reported missing on May 19 and returned home on May 25 in La Paz, Tarlac. She was abducted by 15 armed men in civilian cloths wearing bonnets. I almost lost my temper again as I recall my own experience when I was in Gen. Nakar new years ago. I was one of those sent for exposure-immersion; to live with the people in poverty and in their usual daily activities.

Although I didn’t experience the same fate of being handcuffed and locked in or beaten, it was still a traumatic moments for me to be detained by the drunk military officers in uniform. It was not only me but also another Filipino and Indian religious brothers. I can still recall how they wanted to bring me at the back of an elementary school where there was a construction being done. I just came from fishing together with my house-parent when two armed cafgus came in to the house, went directly to the small room I was occupying and told me to get up and follow them. There I saw my other brother, anxious and quiet as if he was also silenced by this new unforgetable experience. Without saying goodbye to my house-parent, I just followed while starting to wonder where are they going to bring us.

One thing that saved me at that moment was being calm and truthful to my answers to the questions being asked. The drunk military officer started to curse and ask unfamiliar  questions like, “Na-mapping n’yo na ba ang area!” What are you doing here, are you seminarians?” You are just front of the leftests.” I got his message. He was already starting to interrogate us by giving us glass full of Tanduay Rhum and ask with another series of questions, then repeat the same questions again. I kept my reasoning consistent and honest. It was a terrible experience when I started to be anxious of “what if” statements. What if they brought us to their camp and will never come back alive? What if they started beating us to death just to admit that we are leftests? And now, waht if they also asked me, “Are you ready to die?” I was maybe ready to die, but cannot accept the way I would

die; to die in injustice. From that time one, I understood what these poor people of Gen. Nakar in Quezon province were trying to tell me about the people in power. Sorry but I can’t tell you his name and rank; I want to forget it and not to remember him and his comrades again. And so on and so forth…. Whew!

This Filipino-American Melissa Roxas experienced the cruelty of the armed people who got and interrogated her, whose right is clearly violated. Of course, the military would not admit whatever the allegations that she said in her affidavit. Whoever her interrogators, they did something that ruins our country’s degrading reputation. With all the political killings and murder of many journalists and activists in the country that are not yet given justice, it seems that our country has lost its moral dignity. I’m not really saying that it is due to poor governance, but our leaders must have done something to at least, keep our faith to our government’s effort. How could I trust the people whom I believe, the protectors of our people? How could I believe to our present government when it is full of filthy issues , alleged human right violations and traditional politicians (Con-ass, again!) It’s really a shame!

Indeed, “the God I know does not condone torture and violence;” quoting the words of Melissa Roxas. I, too, believe that.

What made me write this short reflection-opinion? I almost experienced the same fate of Melissa Roxas and I symphatize with her.