FOOTNOTES ON HISTORY
Pastor Samuel
Antonio, Baptist Convention Pastor in
Negros, Joins the National Democratic
Liberation Movement
By Rudy
Bernal
Pastor Samuel Antonio of Baras Diutay, Kabankalan, Negros Occidental is
Baptist Convention pastor who
joined the New People’s Army. He decided to
go to the hills, after his house was raided several times, during the darkest years of President Marcos
martial law regime.
He was a committed and courageous Baptist
young minister. He led the youth of his time to fight
and build a just and fair life under a political l system that was
unjust and controlled by the rich and powerful. He showed his determination to
contribute in the struggle a demcratice
society thru the people’s revolution.
Early in life, he felt God was calling him to the ministry.
The call was persistent. He enrolled at
the Convention Baptist Bible College
(CBBC) one of the Bible Schools, under the Convention of Philippine Baptist
Chuexhwa, He finished his studies in
1971.
He was called by La Granja Baptist Church in La Carlota City
to serve as their Pastor. There he worked
as pastor and evangelist. Pastor
Sam Antonio has a gift as an
evangelistic preacher. He often held evangelistic meetings in the churches and do
Bible Studies with evangelistic under tones in the sitios. He worked in the church for several years, During
dry seasons he held evangelistic meetings. He worked there for several years.
Then he was called
Puti-an Baptist Church in Cuartero,
Capiz where he pastored the
church, whos members were mostly farmers and farm workers in the mountains. He ministered at Puti-an
for several years. But the desire for further studies continued to pester his
mind. He want sto succeed in the ministry and serve the needs of his members.
His desire of further education, pushed him to study as a
working student at Filamer Christian College, a Baptist College in Roxas City,
Capiz. He took Liberal Arts and finished two years. But he decided to quit due to the very
difficult financial situation as a
working student and pastor of Puti-an Baptist Church at the same time.
During this time, in
Capiz, martial law made life very
misserable for many Filipinos in the countryside. After another year in Puti-an Baptist Church,
he went back to his home town in Upper
South Negros. There he worked coordinating minister for some 20 small local Baptist congregations in 4
munipalities in Upper South Negros.
It was while working in this small village congregations in
upland towns, that Pastor Samuel Antonio saw and witnessed the hardship and sufferings of ordinary
farmers and farm workers living under
the martial law regime. They were constantly harassed by the military and para-military
units operating in the area. There were many times, when farmers and farm
workers were shot wihtoug provocations.
When a person was
suspected as a rebel or an NPA, they were just
shut. Their was no justice. Their was tyranny. And people continue to
live in difficult situations, most often suspected by the military. living
under a difficult situation, most often suspected by the military.
About 1979, the situations in the upland villages of Upper
South Negros became more harder,
unbearable and intolerable. During this time and onward, he
was questioned several times on his connections with the NPA. He told the
military that he was not an NPA. He is a pastor working with poor farmers and
farm workers, teaching his members in the churches of the teachings of
Jesus in the gospel. But the military suspicion persisted and continued.
Pastor Samuel Antonio kept on his work. The members of the
churches he served as Coordinating Minister needs his spiritual guidance and his
counsel. They need the spiritual strength in this very delicate and dangerous
time of martial rule.
He faced the military and explained to them the situations. He told the military
of the sufferings of the poor people under pressures from both sides of the
warring group, the military on one hand
and the NPA on the other hand. But
military’s orientations were
different. They want to sow fear in the mind and hearts of
the people. They want the people of the
upland and mountain villages to cower in
fear, and just kept silent. Perhaps, they want the people to kneel before them.
The people have began to be wary and afraid of the military.
The people of the
hinterlands began to respect the NPA and
those working in the revolutionary movement.
Sometimes in 1982 Pastor Samuel Antonio’s house was raided the military several times.
He began to worry for his life and the life of his wife. With raids, he believed the military was now after his life. It was now dangerous for him to continue serving as Coordinating Pastor of the 22 churches in Upper South Negros.
He said, after praying for
his situations, he made a very, very hard decision. He will join the New People’s Army. Under the situations, their was no other recourse for him to take. He cannot continue to live in the mountain villages of
Upper South Negros anymore. He must stand and fight for his life and the life of his wife. He said, it was the
hardest decision he made in his life.
Through a friend, he sent me a message. He wants to see me. I was in Aklan, when his message
reached me. I went home to Iloilo
City. I passed by my house and have a
talk with Hesther. my wife. I told her, I will have to go to Bacolod. It was an urgent
matter to do.
I met Sam in Bacolod City.
Allan Sy joined me. Allan was a respected Baptist leader. He was the
former President of the Baptist church
leader. Allan Sy was former president
of Central Negros Baptist Conference. I
talked to Pastor Sam Antonio. He told me: "Pastor Rud, I have no other choice. My life is in danger. Under this situations, working as Coordinating Pastor of churches in Upper
South Negros is now nest to impossible. I am deeply suspected as an enemy
by the military."
I asked Pastor Sam to go and join me in Iloilo. This keep the political heat colder for some
months. I asked him to Iloilo until the hit of political situation lessens. I told him we can find some work for him Iloilo, so he need not join the NPA.
But he told me
military raids were going on in different
places also in Iloilo. And all
over Panay Island. It will be more
dangerous for him to live and work in a place where he is quiet alien. He will
be working in Iloilo alone, with new friends. It will be more dangerous for
him. I thought, Pastor Sam Antonio was right.
We also experienced raids by the military. And in every
military raids, were on the balance, between life and death.
I told Pastor Sam Antonio,
in situations like this, his own decision is right and
respected. Every one of us, one time will make a life and death decision. He will make a very important decision for his life.
Perhaps, it is a decision that is not between life and death but, a really hard
decision. I told him, I respect his
decision.
We hold hands
together. We bowed our heads to seek God’s will and guidance. And to seek his
blessing for the decision that will be made.
I prayed for God’s strength and wisdom. I told the Lord that Pastor Sam was making a hard decision for his life and
future. He have decided to join the New
People’s Army, as a way to protect his life and his wife. I prayed God to guide Pastor Sam in his decision. I prayed
for God’s protection for his wife. I asked God to guide them, wherever they are
and what ever work they will br doing. I asked it in Jesus name. I asked Brother Allan Sy to pray for Sam. He prayed for him and entrusted him, his wife and children to God's care. It was a hard and solemn moment for us three.
Then I talked to Pastor Sam. I told him, with his decisions, the situations
has now changed. Perhaps, I will not have the chance to meet and communicate
with him again. But we will reached each other thru prayer.
I assured Pastor Sam that we
will be with him. If in the future,
he decides to go back to the folds
of the law, and fight his cause thru legal
means and processes, we will be there to be with him and work with him.
As I reflected on this decision, I thought perhaps. joining the NPA was a new ministry God opened for Pastor
Sam Antonio. In my prayer, I have entrusted him to our Saviour’s hands. And I
said, a similar decision as Pastor Sam,
I could have also made. Except, that I have asked the Lord, if possible
I will not fight with guns and bullets. I have asked the Lord,
that I will fight our cause with the
legal and at most para legal means. I have closed avenues for armed struggle in my work and ministry with God.
Before we parted,
Pastor Sam gave a piece of paper. It was a name. I was his alyas in
the in the underground. But Pastor Sam said, he always listen to mo
on Hour of Discovery. Often, when I gave a Bible reflection and a prayer, I
know Pastor Sam was listening somewhere in the hills of Central Negros Island. He said, he
always listened to me on the radio.
I also reminded him of
Hour’s of Discovery program in Station
DYRI & GMA Bacolod Ahd GMA Iloilo. He may listen there for some insights, guidance and our prayers. Then, we leave each
other back to our works and ministry.
Pastor Antonio Antonio joined the NPA together with his wife.
He cannot leave his wife back. It will be very dangerous, if he leave
him and be away. He will not be able to protect her.
Pastor Sam
started his new journey in life. It was also a new
directions of his Christian
ministry, as member of the New People’s Army.
After his re-orientations,
he was assigned in education and training works. Then he was assigned in building the united fronts. Later he was assigned
as full time member of the NPA. He was now
with the fighting force. He said:
Pastor Rudy, mine was a journey that was delicate and dangerous. It was a
journey I decided to travel to help in the salvation and deliverance of
our poor people from the powers of the
elites and Pharaohs of our time.”
I sat down and reflected on the life of Moses, many
centuries ago.
That was a long and dangerous
journey he and his wife made for some 11
years. There 3 sons and a daughter
were born while they were in the armed struggle. His decision to serve the
people and fought there causes, not only with ideas, but with guns and bullets, and led them in the journey for peace, freedom, justice and liberation.
He said: “I often cry when I saw my four
young children away from us and cared by our friends, in the masses.
It was painful seeing them, left few days after their birth. It was a sacrifice we have to make for the future –
the liberation of our people from deep poverty and hopeless live, in the midst
of the vast tracts of lands and resources
that were owned by the rich and
elites in our land”
He thought, the will be fighting all their lives. But there were life’s circumstances that came along.
During President Fidel Ramos time
in the 1990’, he called for a National Reconciliations. The President invited those who were fighting the government
to in the hills to join him in a
reconciliations process for change.
Pastor Sam Antonio and
his wife, Leonila studied deeply and reflected on the reconciliation call of the President. He decided to accept the
call. He decided to come back to the folds of the law and start a new
struggle, the parliamentary, the
peaceful struggle with farmers and workers in the in Central Negros Island.
He wrote the President, stating his decision to join him in his call for reconciliation .He told the President why he
want to go back to the folds of the law.
He told me:: “I was already getting old. My 4 children were now growing and started going to school.
Soon, they will be in high school. We
want them to continue their studies in college. We need to be with them and
guide them.”
They were not able to guide them in their early years. For they were always away and absent from
their children, in their growing days. He need
to find work. And he feels ,there was a
time for everything.
He said: “There was a
time for everything. A time to fight and a time
to stop fighting. A time for war
and a time for peace. A time to plant and time water the plants”. In his letter, he told the President Ramos, he did not surrender. Yes,
he said. He did not surrender. He
accepted his call for reconciliations.
He said, he was going
old. The struggle will be taken over by the younger generation. He was
called by God for another job. A work
God prepared him to do. And new
fight for equality, freedom and justice.
Pastor Sam talked with his officers in the revolutionary
struggle. They understood his decision. They gave him the go-signal to decide the course of his life and action that was good for him and the people.
When he decided to go back to the folds of the law,
Convention Baptist leaders in Negros came to assist him. CPBC President Wilson Guanzon Sr., Vice President Thor Famillaran, Pastor Fred Jacildo and other Baptist leaders
in Bacolod and Kabankalan were around
together with ecumenical church leaders. They fetched
Pastor Sam Antonio and his wife Leonila
Antonio from the mountains in Kabankalan
to Bacolod City.
In Bacolod City, with radio stations interviewing him of his coming
back, Pastor Sam Antonio asserted that he did not surrender. He joined the call of President Ramos for a “national
reconciliation”. He continued the struggle and his fights….but on a
different level and different methods. A legal means of fighting for change..
He told me one day: “To be holy is to be separated for the cause
of Christ and protected by His power. Therefore,
those who were for the Lord’s purpose will be reformatted and protected by Christ the Lord. “
Today, Pastor Sam
Antonio was committed to led in the revival of the churches but
also building and transforming communities
in the hinterlands of Central Negros Island.
After he left the NPA,
and joined the Reconciliation Process of President Fidel Ramos, Pastor Sam Antonio, started a strong legal
efforts to bring peoples developments in the mountain villages in Upper South
Negros towns and villages thru education, organizing, advocacy works, organizing
the masses – farmers, workers, farm labourers
and fishermen and organized them into farmers associations and
cooperatives.
He reached out to different government agencies and mobilized
resources– cash, seeds, seedlings, farm implements for the people of the countryside, who were left
behind in development and trained them
to be productive and have the strength and courage to stand and assert their
rights.
He dreamed and
pray that a tractors will be provided by the government to
their associations and cooperatives, together with
cows and carabaos
needed by the people of the
hinterlands for their works . Slowly, their dreams
began to flower. And one of
the strength in their service and ministry is a
song, they often sung, to give power
their dreams, the Philippine National Anthem –Bayan Magiliw (Dutang Bilidhon) that he translated in Ilonggo, the song of
our people. They usually sing this song with the people,
before their meetings, and as they start
their works:
DUTANG BILIDHON
` 1. Dutang Bilidhon, nga amon natawhan
Sa may kaisog kami naga-ambahan;
Dutang balaan
sang mga baganihan
Ang manlulupig, amon
pamatukan.
Sa kalangitan mo, sa
dagat,
kabukiran, amon ginapaabut
Ang pag-apin Mo sa kahilwayan,
Sa Imo hayahay, makita ang
bituon
Gasiga, indi malupig kag
Mapintasan ang kadutaan nya.
Matahum duta, duta ka sang
kapawa
Mangin sa imo ang kalipay.
Amon
kabuhi, tanan gid ginaunong
Kon luiban ka sang kaaway.
(Translation: Pastor Sam Antonio
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