Arrest of Pastor Rudy Bernal at CPU College of Theology.

M E M O R I E S:

Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, his Glimpses on History &

              The People’s Struggle forFreedom

Chapter 26 –Arrest of Pastor Rudy Bernal,  at  CPU College of Theology 

I cannot remember the date I was arrested by a joint forces  of the Philippine Constabulary and the Iloilo City Police at the College of Theology, Central Philippine University. I cannot remember even the month of that incident.  I think it was after, President Ferdinand Marcos has suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Philippines.  It was, perhaps,  in 1971.

We felt uncertain of the possible situation,  with the Suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus. Together with Atty. Nicolas Centeno, we went to Hipgos, a mountain village in Lambunao, Iloilo.  We  stayed several days, studying the situations and possible impact of the Suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

Atty. Centeno went back to Iloilo City after a week, when the situations remained normal.  I decided to stay in Hipgos. We organized  the Hipgos chapter in Lambunao. . Jessie Pagdato, a former rebel  fighter in the army of Guillermo Capadocia, the communist revolutionary in Panay.  After, organizing Hipgos, we  organized several PANELFU chapters in Lambunao.  I  stayed there for 6 months.

One morning, I decided to go back to Iloilo City. But on reaching the town, I decided to pass by at Lambunao Baptist Church. I tried  to  met Rev. Floripe Herradura, the pastor.  It happened that  Lambunao Circuit of Baptist Churches   was  holding a 2-days conference there. Rev. Herradura asked me to take his part  that evening and preached.   I accepted.  I  stayed for the night  and preached the Closing Celebration message. The following  morning,  I went to Iloilo City.

On the  afternoon, I  called Dr. Johnny Gumban on  telephone.  I  missed my Dean. I called him to extend my greetings.  I have  not  enrolled on the 2^nd semester.   Dr. Gumban seemed   happy that I called him. He asked me to visit him and have breakfast with him the next morning. I accepted his offer. I went on with my planned activities for that afternoon.

By this time, the  rebel movements has become strong in different part of Panay.  Abelardo Hortada, a former student at the College of Theology,  from Capiz  stopped his studies at CPU. He  joined the New People’s Army. He rose in the rank of peoples revolutionary army,  operating in Tapaz and expanded to the hinterlands of Central Panay.

Charles de la Fuente, a brilliant student at CPU  president of the Convention Baptist Youth Fellowship of the Philippines (CBYFP), left his work in a bank in Iloilo City. He went underground  and joined the New Peoples Army. 

The following  morning,  about 8:00  AM, I went to CPU and proceed to the College of Theology at Johnson Hall. Some Theology students,  met me. They asked me about Abelardo Hortado. “Where was he? Did you met him?  We  heard, he was  in  Tapas. We heard you also visited PANELFU  chapters in Tapaz?”  I told them, I have not met Pastor Hortado, since he left CPU. And I never met him since then.  

 Dr. Gumban greeted me at Johnson Hall.  He said,  he had prepared breakfast for us. He asked me to wait for a while.  He left me at the Dean’s Office. I sat at the side of the table of  Mrs. Teves, Secretary of the Dean’s Office. While I was at the  Dean’s  Office, I saw the head of a military officer,  detailed with CPU ROTC office. He was  outside the window of the Dean’s Office. He was looking at me  setting inside the Dean’s Office.   When he saw me, he slowly  walked away, trying to hide his face. I feel something was  wrong. 

When he came back, Dr. Gumban invited me to go up to the 2^nd Floor of Johnson Hall. He said, breakfast will be  served there. I went up. Breakfast was ready. I joined  Dr. Gumban  j for  breakfast.

Then, Dr. Gumban went  to the other room to receive a call. When he returned  he had a strange message for me.  He   told me  the military were  looking for me. They were coming. They want to see me.   I asked him. “Why Sir? Why are they looking for me?  I have not done anything wrong?”   He said he received information that the military were looking for me. They suspected me,  I am an  NPA. But he said, that was  only  there  suspicions. But  my mind was clear. I have  not committed any crime.

Dr. Gumban repeated that the  military would like to see me. “I said, okey. I will met them.”  A  few minutes later,  I saw two  jeepneys  filled with  uniformed soldiers,   entering  the grounds of Johnson Hall.   I stood up and  looked  at the window.  I saw soldiers jumped out of  vehicles and surrounded  Johnson Hall. From the 2^nd Floor, I tried to come  down to the Dean’s Office.

But before going down   the Dean’s Office, I stood at the railings on the 2^nd Floor for a short moment.  I prayed. It was a silent prayer. “Lord, please help me.  Please give me strength and courage.  And  please teach me to give the right answers,  without fears.”  

The leader of the   military officer came to me  at  the Deans Office.  He was courteous. But  his face was stearn. He said, he was inviting me to the   headquarter. Their  commander  would like to see me. He has some  questions  to  ask  me.  I asked him why?   What  crime did I commit?  He just said, their commander  would like to see me.

 I was not investigated at Johnson Hall.  I was escorted out of Johnson Hall and we walked towards  CPU Administration building.  Dr. Gumban said: “ You must not worry. I will send you a blanket and a pillow”.  That caused me a little   worry. I asked myself. “Why will Dr.Gumban send me a blanket and pillow”.

Dr. Gumban told me that I must not worry. They will just asked me  some few questions.  But I felt,  with some 20 soldiers  coming to get me, they were  not going to ask me a few questions. I was escorted out of CPU, walking until we reached the Administration building.

Some  soldiers walked ahead of me  Some    walked beside. Some were at the back, following me. I have a strange feeling, escorted by some 20  uniformed soldiers, with high powered guns.  I could hardly explain how I felt.  It was a strange feeling in my heart.  “I was arrested. But  my arrest was  made soft, by  telling me,  I am ‘invited’ to the headquarters.  It was an invitation,  that I cannot say no.  It was a command.  I  was ordered to   go with the soldiers to the headquarters.”

The road from Johnson Hall to the CPU administration building  was about 120 meters. But I felt it was a long road. It was a long and  hard road to travel.  The road has many students, some standing on the road side, some walking. They were all  looking at me, escorted by  uniformed and stearn faced soldiers.  

Some students, I knew.  Some were friends. They raised their hands, acknowledging me.  I don’t knew If I feel proud with soldiers escoring me. Or I must be ashamed with   soldiers escorting me?  It was  just a strange feeling.  I told myself,  I must faced  this  with  courage and strength.

 I  looked staright at  the faces of the students standing beside the road.  I tried to stand  straight.  I tried to stand as toll as  possible. I  smile to some whom I knew. Some raised  their hands. They extended me their friendly gestures.  One thing, I remembered. When your mind was clear, when your conscience is clean,  you do not  have feelings of  fear. 

I rode in the  jeepney flanked by the   police officers  I was brought to a room in the police headquarters af General  Luna Street.  I was asked a few questions. Then, I was left alone in the room.  I was left for about an hour. I just set there alone inside the room.  It was a hard feeling to be arrested, brought to an empty room and left for an hour.

 Then, another officer came. He asked me of my involvedment with PANELFU. I told the him, I am Chairman of the Education Committee. We handle the training of the members on labor education and organzing. We help farmers and workers gain strength thru organized and peaceful works.

The investigator asked me the case of Rex Betita, a student of Iloilo City College who was killed. His assailants remained  unknown.  He asked me what happened to Rex.  Why was he killed. I told him I do not know.  Rex Betita was my relative from Carles. He also studied at Lyceum of the Philippines in High School.  We have worked together in PANELFU.  But for almost a year,   before  he was killed, we have no communications.  More questions were asked. I answered him softly and clear. Then, he left the room. I stayed alone in the room, again for  an hour.

Then another officer came.   He was  quite  hard and stern.   No friendly smiles.  He asked me  some questions again.  I answered him softly and clearly.  He asked of my studies and involvement in Manila. I answered him of my work there. I told him,  I worked before with the  Philippines Herald newspaper in Manila. I told him,  I was News Editor of  Agence France Presse, an international news agency.  That I am in newspaper works for some years.  The officer looked at me.  His stern faced lossened.  His face seemed to loose  its stearness.

 He asked me some other questions. But his words were  now soft and mild. It was only then, that I realized the power of words and  communications. It was at that moment, the 3^rd Investigator, that I  was able to tell who I am, and what I represent then.  It was there, that my being a newspaper man before,  put me on an equal putting with  a military officer.  I think, he saw me, not a  student  only, nor only a farmer.

Then, the Officer left again. He was away for about  15  minutes.  I sat again alone inside the office. When he returned, the  officer, told me I can go home. He asked me for my address in the city. He said, if they need  me, they will send a message.  That I will come..

I went home that afternoon to Jessie Pagdato’s hut  near La Paz market.  I took a bath.  Then, rested for some  minutes

About 4:30,  I went to the College of Theology. But  in a  restaurants at the front of CPU,   Bernard Hervias, also a Theology student saw me. He went  straight  to me.  He ordered soft  drinks  and we sat on a table. He was puzzled   I came back fast  after  my arrest. He thought  I will  stay  in prison for sometimes.  He asked me what happened.  He asked me why I was released.     Bernard Hervias,  can’t believed.  I am free.  Then, he said.   Rudy, perhaps you are a “double agent”. He be He thought,  I am an  NPA.  Also attached to the  military.  That’s Bernard Hervias.

In May 6, 2017, during the College of Theology Alumni Reunion at  Ancheta Hall, at the Registration Desk, we met. We have not met for many years.   Pastor Bernard Hervias,  in jest, said.  “Here’s the  ‘double agent’.  He was arrested by the military in the morning.  Then in the afternoon, he’s  released and sent back home.”   We laughed  again together.  

 It was quite a good experience in life.  It was the 2^nd arrest I experienced. The first, when I was arrested in Manila and have  to slept for  some  hours of the night  at the Police jail. I was  released when a friend, after my call, telling him I am in police custody. He came at 2:00 AM. He knew the  desk  officer. He asked him to release me.

Military and police arrests, are  not easy experiences in life. You can die,  without knowing it.  A  wrong  move, can send an arrested person, to  the other side of life. But, prayer, taught me something. Prayers change situations in life.