Joins Agence France Presse (French News Agency) Manila Burea, Learns a Bit of News Editing and Writing

M E M O R I E S:Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, his Glimpses on History &

                       The People’s Struggle for Freedom

Chapter 20– Joins Agence France Presse (French News Agency) Manila Bureau, Learns  a Bit of News Editing and    Writing

It was in 1965 that  I joined and worked with  Agence France Presse (French News Agency), an International news agency’s Manila Bureau. During that time, there were  four international news agencies    in Manila, providing  national, regional and world  news  to the Philippines and  Asia –  United Press International (UPI), Associated Press (AP) both from the United States,  Reuters from  Great Britain  and Agence France Presse (AFP), from France.

I have a  limited  training on news works.   And I am not good in English.  Writing was always a struggle and hard work.   I’m working as Proof Reader of the Philippines Herald.    Herald was the oldest newspaper in the country. It was  one of the newspapers closed by  President Ferdinand Marcos   when he declared martial law in September 1972. Other national newspapers-  The Manila Times, Manila Chronicles, Manila Bulletin and Philippine Evening News, re-opened  and published again. But   Philippines   Herald decided to close  forever.

While doing proof reading works,   a friend  from  Agence France Presse, Ed Magtoto  visited me. We had a good conversations. Then he said, "Rudy, there is vacancy at Agence France Presse. Only one vacancy. We are looking for another News Editor. Kid Tatad, the Senior Editor has resigned two days ago. Mr.  Vincent Lateve   asked me find someone to replace him. I have not told yet anyone of the opening. If you want, you apply tomorrow. Bring all your needed documents."  

 "If you would like to apply,  come to the office tomorrow at 11:00 AM. I will  introduce you to the manager."  The job was news editing.  I thought, the job offered was   was much  better  than proofreading. He told me, aside from news editing, I will have more opportunity to cover news,  news for international audience. 

 I went  the following day  with my application letter  and  other  documents.   Agence France Presse office was at the 2^nd Floor of the Manila Chronicles building in Intramuros, Manila. On the Ground Floor was  the    Chronicles Printing Press. Manila Chronicles was  owned and ran by the Lopez family.  Fernando Lopez was active political leader He served as Senator and Vice President.  Every national  and local elections, the Chronicles Printing Press was  busy producing  elections  propaganda materials, including Sample Ballots for distribution during election campaigns.

At Agence France Presse (French News Agency) that morning,   I was introduced by Mr. Magtoto to   Mr.  Vincent Lateve. He  was    a toll,  middle aged  Frenchman. He came to  Manila  as  Correspondent of AFP.  He took  the place of Teodoro (Teddy) Benigno, AFP Manager, who went  to Paris  on  scholarship.  After he returned, Teddy Benigno was appointed   Press Secretary by  President  Cory Aquino.

I have a pleasant conversation with Mr. Lative. He accepted me as the newest editor of AFP.  One thing I remembered of  him.  After some discussion during my interview,  he said,  “You have a good voice.  It will be important when you make  interviews”. I smiled and extended my hands for a handshake.  I remembered his words. ”You have a good voice.”  I thought my practiced  of deep breathing  has paid off.  For  I have a squeaky and effeminate voice when I was younger. Then, he  referred me to Mrs. Trinidad, Assistant Manager to  give me  further instructions and  details of my work.

Mrs. Trinidad  gave me   needed  instructions.  She gave me information of the other AFP  News Editors. The time and assignments.  She said, if possible I must start work in  three days. I am needed."    I immediately resigned   from the   Philippines Herald. Three days later, I was already with  Agence France Presse. And   started  work as News Editor.

I feel I cannot believed my  luck.  I am now  News Editor of an International News Agency. Soon, I will be assigned to interview top people in government, diplomats and politicians. What, if I did not decide to study in high school. Or, if I did not pushed myself hard  to study in college as work student - washing dishes of student interns?  A new opportunity has opened. I thanked God for his help and guidance. 

We were seven  AFP staff.   Mr. Vincent Lateve, International Correspondent and Manager.  Mrs. Trinidad, Assistant  Manager and in charge for Philippine Features  write-ups  for national and  international release. Ruben Alabastro, Senior Editor and Assistant Correspondent,  Edgar Sibal, Assistant News Editor,  Mr. Ed Magtoto,  News Editor and of course now, Rudy Bernal, News Editor.  

There were  3   Teletypists that mans the receiving  and  transmission of  news. The 3  teletype machines  worked   24  hours a day receiving news from around the world. There  was also an installed Telegram Machine, that can sent messages, very fast if needed.   We looked  at all the incoming  news. Those that were  of interest for Southeast Asia,  were transmitted to  Singapore, where they were  distributed to Southeast Asia cities.  Here, I discovered the power of Teletype and Cables machines.  Every minute the, the Teletype machines  spews news items  coming from all over the world, and transmitted   to Newspapers and Radio & TV Stations in the Philippines. These were wonders of mass communication, I never thought of this things, while taking care of our carabaos when I was in grade school.   

Mr. Vincent Lateve and Ruben Alabastro prepared and wrote news for international release three times a day, in the   mornings, noontimes  and  in the  afternoons.

News  service  works  was   exciting job.   When  news broke with  international interests we have to work fast,  so we can  transmit it faster   than other news bureaus for a  few minutes. It's a highly competetive  job. A  minute  ahead of other news  agencies means business.   It was a work that carries discipline, fast action  and  challenges.

 The news editor,  I replaced  at Agence Frence  Presse  was Francisco (Kit) Tatad.  He resigned from AFP and joined  Manila  Daily Bulletin as Columnist.  Kit Tatad was a very good writer and columnist. On many occasions while covering diplomats who arrives or who were leaving  Manila,  Kit Tatad  was always  there.  I only come when  Ruben Alabastro, Senior News Editor was  busy and sent me to cover the event. We were often at the Press Lounge  of  Manila International Airport  for  Press briefings  I  listened always carefully, as    Kit Tatad   asked questions during interviews. I tried to study and learn his style and methods of questionings.

 Kit Tatad continued  working as  Bulletin columnist, until  President  Ferdinand Marcos  appointed him  Press Secretary/  Secretary for  Public Information. He  was the official spokesman of  President of Ferdinand  Marcos.   He  transformed himself, from a columnist, to the    powerful voice of the President of the Philippines. 

 When  President Marcos declared martial law,  Secretary Francisco   Tatad,  read the Martial Law declaration on  television and radio.  I remembered, It seems  to me,  his   lips  and  hands  trembles  a bit, as  he reads the Martial Law declaration.  For that was a defining moment in the Philippines. In other countries, a similar situation have brought upheaval,  that  toppled governments. 

It was privilege to work  with  Agence  France Press. It was a great learning process. The Press  Card, used with humbleness,  opens  wide opportunities  for an ordinary man like me.  It  opened  closed doors in governments,  business and diplomatic offices. That’s one power of media.

I have  learned that work, any kind of work was  great if you love the work.  And any work is hard, if you think it is  hard.  I learned reading news, a thousand news reports daily  was  also hard. It  was    hard as  a farmer who  plows    the  rice field with his carabao the whole day. Or  nurses who attend to patients need every hour of the  day and often stands as they work.  A lawyer who go to court    doing almost the same kind of legal  works  every day. It was   a job as hard as the works of  policemen who stand guards to protect citizens lives and properties  the whole day. 

 I remembered the first time I was assigned to interview a Senator. I was  assigned by Mr. Robin Alabastro to  interview Senator Jovito Salonga.  I went to  Congress. I proceeded to his office.  There was a name on his door.  I knocked. But I stopped. My heart was beating hard. I  did  not open  the door. I stopped for a moment. I breathe   deep and hard.  Deep breathing lessen the tension and  throbbing of my heart.  Then, I went  again to  the door of his office. I knocked. I opened the door. I proceeded to the Secretary. I flashed  my  Press Card. I spoke slowly.  I said:   "Agence France  Presse  is  requesting to      interview the  Senator."

The Secretary  looked  me straight on the eyes. He took  my Press Card. Then he asked me to wait.  He will talked  to  the  Senator.

She ushered me to  the  room of the  Senator Salonga. He was  pouring some  pages on   his file when I came. He looked at me. I gave him my Press Card.  He asked me to set. With quite a quivering voice, I told him: " Senator, I| am Rudy Bernal from Agence France Presse.  AFP  would like to interview you.  I am from Iloilo City and formerly with CPU.  I am a Baptist.   I was at Central Philippine University, several months ago, when  you  spoke at CPU students and faculties." Senator Salonga extended his hand for handshake. He  thanked  me for the information. He said, he was happy that the Baptists in Panay  has supported him in his senatorial candidacy. He  sat  across me on the other side of  the table.

 He was very friendly and accommodating. I know Senator Salonga was a Protestant. I readied my tape recorder. And  I began  my interview.  I  asked him several questions that we prepared at Agence France Presse.   He answered clearly and lengthily.  And the interview lasted for  nearly 20 minutes.  I thank the Senator. We shake hands again.  I   went    back to our  office.  I wrote the story. And my job for the day was  done.   After that first interview with the Senator,  covering news  and doing interviews with    government leaders, political leaders, military leaders  and diplomats  became  more easier and a  challenge.

I  made an interview with Ninoy Aquino. It was about the Jabida massacre case, where several Muslim trainees in Corregidor were reported massacred. There was only  one survivor. The wounded  young man, who swam from Corrigidor to Cavite. He said, they were told, they will be sent to Sabah. It was a short interview with Ninoy Aquino. Fifteen minutes with my Tape Recorder. 

 Interviews were jobs that needs  and  demands preparation. The need for background checks and former pronouncements of the persons to be interviewed. There were always invitations for press briefings and press conferences. These jobs offered me   opportunities to rub shoulders   with those in power, knowledge   and wealth.

One time, I was  covering a conference. I cannot remember  any more that  conference  in Quezon City. That  day  Sen. Robert Kennedy was shot. One of my instructions,  when covering  news, was to call the office every 15  minutes. That  will  provide us the opportunity to get news that came any time of the day.    When I called  the office,   Edgar  Sebal, news editor, told me that Sen. Robert  Kennedy was shot.  I shouted to  the reporters  that Robert Kennedy was shot. Max Edralin, a cousin of President Marcos  ran to me. “ What did you say?  What happened? Robert Kennedy was shot”.  I said  told him Senator Kennedy was shot.  Then, I saws all  newspapermen were on the phones calling their offices.

There were  no cell phones  then.  Big news were hot events. The competitions in news business were  great.  Edgar Sibal, transmitted Robert Kennedy assassination  barely a  minute  ahead of other news group in Manila. Transmission of news fast, even for a minutes, was an achievement.

Under a different situations, I cannot shout to  Max Edralin, a cousin of  President Marcos.  But media  offered me time to be on the level of the powerful in our country, even for just a few minutes.

After working  a year and a half  at AFP,  I  began to feel that  news  editing and  writing  was  not the  job I would like to do all  my life. The job offers good salary. Most of the snacks and meals were free. But I felt, I could not live my  life, telling the stories of the people in the news, what they do and how they do it. I thought, perhaps, when I am old, I can just write stories of people’s lives. But at this time,  while still young, I must  be  part of the actions, whatever that action is. 

 In my  brief works in the newspaper and wire service, I have seen the slums of Pasay, Tondo, San Andres in Malate, Makati, Pandacan and other areas   with the brutal living conditions of the poor in the slums, a  grave contradictions to the  affluence and  rich and powerful we say  in newspaper's Society Pages.

And I have seen, that the newspapers were part of the strongest forces that strengthen the elites and the oligarchs to maintain their power and strength. The poor, has no voice and power to change their situations and lives.

I saw the  struggle  of the students in Metro Manila as  they rallied to  show the  evils of the social, economic and political  system of the country.  I have seen the challenges of the trade unions and their call for  people to organize and  work for change.  This tinkered  my mind and  touched  my  soul.   God was  giving me  a new  order. He calls me to a new life’s   directions. The directions was clear. To be a minister of the gospel. Or be a labor labor and organizer Or both, a pastor and labor organizer. I prayed for God’s guidance and  direction.

A few days later, I heard that Mr. Curaming, a Herald reporter who  covers   National Defense and the Philippine Constabulary resigned. He stopped from his newsparing work. He will  study in the seminary. He will be a  Catholic priest, and served his people. I have not heard  from him since then. I do not know if he became a priest.  But I  have, somehow followed the same decision he made, with  a little difference. My decision was to be a pastor and  a labor leader.

 That night, I decided to  join the groups that were working for social, spiritual, economic and political change.  I will   join hands with other sectors of society and helped   empower the poor and weak, unite and help fight for the needed structural and political change in our country.  

Several months later,  I resigned from Agence France Presse.  I   decided to join and work with  farmers and farm laborers and help labor union in Panay. I will go back to Iloilo as  base of our  works.  I have decided to remain in the Philippines and work in the country and helped  in the struggle of our  change. That night I bowed down my head to God  in prayer. I asked God’s guidance.  I know,  it will be another long way.  But God will open my way, the needed way, as I  go  in service to Him. I will study again as pastor,  but will involve myself in the people’s movement, with labor education and people’s  organizing  as part of my  ministry in life.

When I joined Kabataang Makabayan (KM) in Manila, my mind and decision  was clear.  I will not join the armed struggle, though I’ll respect the stand of those who believe.  I will  not  fight with bullets.  I will fight with    ideas and reasons. I will  involved and worked  with other  sectors of society, in helping educate and organize  the  laborers, workers, peasants, fisherfolk and  urban poor,   the weakest sector of our society. Then, they can stand and fight  for equality, freedom, justice and social transformation.