Muni-muni ng Isang Gala

The November 23 Maguindanao massacre have shaken many of us. I was in a place with the only access to the outside world is through a 2-channel television when the news of the carnage broke out. Thus, the magnitude of the incident only sinks in the next day when I read it on the papers. A colleague had to make a trip to the City to buy the papers. Scanning the news, a victim’s name from the media caught my attention. A chill ran through me, it was one of our Council of Peoples’ Representatives from the Bagobo tribe, Mr. Napoleon Salaysay, from a local community paper in Cotabato City. I did not have the chance to get to know him fully, but I feel a deep sadness, not only for him but also for the rest of the massacre victims and their grieving families. Like other ordinary citizen, I also felt outraged with the callousness and impunity shown by the perpetrators. When the call from Atty. Harry Roque of CenterLaw Philippines came that his organization is planning to bring in forensic ...

A year ago, I had the chance to be at  site of the infamous Ampatuan massacre. It was a few days after the bodies of the victims have been cleared, yet, the stench of death still clung to the air and the general area as observed by the foreign forensic experts whom we were assisting. I don't have to see the littered bodies of the dead journalists, lawyers, the women of the Mangudadatu family and those other civilians who just happened to be in the convoy on that fateful day of November 23,2009 to not be able to imagine the terror and fear that the victims felt as they rode through the narrow road leading to the hill of Masalay to their deaths. Standing at that hill, I can almost hear the terrified cries and pleas of the victims as they beg for their life as it feel on deaf ears. The barbarism and atrocity were beyond comprehension, yet, the massacre happened. That all too painful day happened. The crime was beyond our wild imaginings and it jerk us to a very harsh re...

Ika-23 ng Nobyembre. Ito’y araw na nakaukit sa ating madilim na kasaysayan sa isang bansang tinaguriang isang demokrasya.  Ang petsang ito ay nakabaon sa kamalayan hindi lamang ng mga pamilya ng biktima ng karumal dumal na krimen ng binansagang “Ampatuan Masscare” kundi pati na rin ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan na naghahangad ng katarungan.  Isang taon ng pagdadalamhati at pagluluksa. Isang taon na pakikibaka upang makamit ang minimithing hustisya, subalit bakit sadyang napakailap nito? Limampo’t walo (58) ang naging biktima ng masaker na ito, mga manunulat, peryodista, brodkaster, abugado, asawa,kapatid, ina at ama. Sila ay walang awang pinaslang ng mga taong halang ang kaluluwa. Isa dito ay hanggang ngayon ang katawan ay hindi pa rin natagpuan. Ang mga primerong akusado sa nasabing krimen ay kasalukuyan nasa piitan at kinakaharap ang iilang bilang ng kasong pagpatay. Sabi nga ng iba ito’y isang kapanalunan na sapagkat hindi na rin mabilang ang kasaong pagpatay s...

Masalay,Ampatuan,Maguindanao Malaparaiso ka kung tingnan Napapalibutan ng luntiang kabundukan Datapwat kabahagi ka rin Ng lupaing ninuno ng mga tribung Teduray-Lambangian Napakalawak ng abot ng paningin Habang nakatayo sayong bulubundukin Tila hinihele sa mapang-akit na sayaw ng mga talahib At malamig na samyo ng hangin- Subalit noong Nobyembre 23,2009 Pinunit ang iyong katahimikan- Ng mga hiyaw at palahaw ng pagsusumamo Ng ratatat ng mga makapangyarihan na armas Ng mga saksak na tumatagos sa malambot na laman Na hatid pawang walang kasintinding sakit At kamatayan Katawan dito. Katawan doon. Ng mga peryodista,brodkaster,mamahayag,abogado, ina,ama,asawa,kapatid at anak Walang awang pinagtatapon. Ibinaon. Karumal-dumal na krimen Pilit pinagtakpan Ng mga buwitreng Nag-aastang panginoon Kaya- Paano ko titingnan Ang iyong kabundukan Na hindi marinig alingawngaw Kanilang mga hiyaw? Paano maibalik Dating kata...