INTO THE END OF MARCH 1973

02 Sept 07

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

Towards the end of March 1973

Jolo was transformed into a political hotbed when Nur Misuari took up the arms and formed the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) purportedly supported by Malaysia thru’ it’s financial umbrella---the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC). There were mounting recruitment campaigns in the local colleges as well as in the various mosques throughout the island.

Towards the end of 1972, the political atmosphere in Jolo at that time was getting more and more tensed with rumors of military’s imminent house-to-house search and the imposition of dusk-to-dawn curfew. For the first time also, the traditional Midnight Mass of the Catholic Church was re-timed three hours earlier and all night revelries in December came to an abrupt halt!

By early March, we were already informed that there would be no commencement exercise for us. Some of our classmates who came from the hinterlands stopped going to school and those who were from the South were already asked by their parents to leave Jolo. Our parents also kept on sending people to bring us back home to North Ubian, Pangutaran, Sulu. I don’t remember having a formal farewell to our teachers and classmates as the start of summer approaches.

There were already a number of naval boats stationed at various vantage points in the Sulu Sea, just as few fighting planes were constantly hovering above us. The common sight of choppers and tanks was like the harbinger of something catastrophic and the presence of the military jeeps rambling around the town made you feel as if you were in the middle of Hollywood’s war movies. Somehow rather the intrusion of the military in our town didn’t stop the people from doing their daily business. There were still boats plying Jolo water, just as PAL was still flying to full capacity. At 15, I was not even aware of the adverse implication and had no idea what it was meant to be under martial law. Like I said we were still doing what we were supposed to be doing.

Among our group, only Francis Cid had a full picture of what was going on since he had older siblings studying in Manila. He could even talk about ‘Habeas Corpus’, Martial Law’, ‘Freedom of Speech’ and ‘Civil Liberties’ with ease and we only listen. And when I looked back, I was wondering whether or not I was interested or just tried to impress the group and looked interested! For those who have relatives in Manila, we were told the situation was worst, especially for those students who were actively involved in ceaseless and senseless protest, picketing and political rallies. I wonder also if that was the reason why our teachers or even the Brothers didn’t bring the issue to us for fear of being branded as instigators if not as undesirable rebels. Curfew had been declared throughout Manila and the neighboring cities.

Like I said earlier, we didn’t have a chance to bid farewell to each other, all I knew we were told not to report to school anymore. I still kept in touch with Engelberto Marfil, Felix Marfil, Leonardo Wee and Kenny Tan. I didn’t see Danilo Gonzales ever since.

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For the past few days, my thought went back to time when we were just emerging as senior students at Notre Dame of Jolo for Boys. Remember the time when Brother Michael O’Keefe punished all the senior boys for staging an aborted strike? Leonard, Thomas and few others who were summoned to the office couldn’t even make a remark let alone a straight answer to Brother.

Of course a few in the B section where I was in were so mad of the antics the A section did. I was the most vocal among the group and we didn’t have any idea what was going on until we were huddled into the office.

Do you also remember when we had our educational trip to Notre Dame College mini-museum where all the antique coins were missing from the display and we had to be frisked one-by one? Embarrassing as it might seem to be at that time that it even reached the Girls Department. Nobody admitted but it was finally found neatly placed where it was. Anyway, looking back at what we could possibly do, we can now laugh at our insolence and blunders that went with it.

EdLim Signing off