Chapter 29 – Military Raided and Arrested /Invited Pastor Rudy Bernal at Cawayan, Carles, Iloilo, Brought Him to PC Headquarters in Sara
Life often have challenges and uncertainties.
It was sometimes in November 1973, about 4:30 A.M. when elements of the Philippine Constabulary arrested me, rather invited me, to go with them to their headquarters in Sara, Iloilo. I was informed later, by a neighbour, they secretly surrounded our house, about 200 meters from the road side, in Cawayan, Carles, Iloilo. They stayed there silently, without any one of our family knowing they were there, from 11:30 in the evening until 4:30 that morning. The constabulary were there, silently waiting, despite too many mosquitoes, to wake- up that day.
That morning, I came down from our house; It was still bit dark. I was , carrying a small home made lantern fired with kerozen. I usually carry a lantern in the nights to guide my way and helped drived some mosquitos away. I went directly to our vegetable gardens, a hundred meters from our house. I have planted some 16 plots of Spring Onions, 1 meter wide and 40 meters long in our gardens.
My father, mother and younger brother has planted other vegetable plants – amargoso, eggplants, string beans, pechay, alogbate and pepper leaves. We plant vegetables and sell it to neighbors,
It was still bit dark. I was pulling weeds, when I saw a man, standing beside a coconut tree, on the eastern side. He was about 20 meters away. He came slowly towards me. He was dressed in black Jacket and black pants. He was holding a 45 caliber pistol.
About 3 meters away, he greeted. He said “Good Morning”. I answered him. “Good Morning, Sir.” And I stood slowly. He came nearer me. We talked. He asked my father. I told him, father was still sleeping. He asked my name. I told him my name. He Then, slowly, from around, I saw soldiers, in battle gears, emerging from besides coconut trees, bamboo trees, banana trees, abocado & trees that surround our home. I realized 12 soldiers, all ready for battle, have surrounded our home, while we were sleeping.
Twelve soldiers surrounded me. Two soldiers emerged from the coconut tree, where there officer who came me came from. Another two groups came out from the bamboo tree on the south side. Another group came from the side of the small hut, on the western side, where we often rests during hot times of the day. Two soldiers came out of bamboos planted near our house. They have effectively and silently surrounded our house that night.
The soldiers came near us. They were holding their armalites. Some with their barrels pointed up. Some guns muzzles were pointed on the ground. The 11 soldiers just stood there silently surrounding us, as I and their officer talked.
The officer asked me some questions. “Where you from UP?” I said no. “I am from the Lyceum of the Philipines in Manila”. “What course did you take there? I told him, “I took Political Science.” “When did you arrived in Iloilo?” I told him, I’m in Iloilo for nearly two years” He asked me, “ What is you work in Iloilo?” Then he said: “Let’s go up you house. Let’s have coffee with the Capitan.”
My father, Restituto Bernal, Sr. was the Barangay Captain of Cawayan. He served four terms as Barangay Captain,
We went upstairs. I called my father. I told him he has visitors. The officer and 6 soldiers followed us inside the house. The 5 other constabulary soldiers stayed down, on different places near the house.
After shaking hands with the soldiers, my father requested my younger brother to help brew coffee. My father gave coffee to all the soldiers. Then, the officers told my father, their Commander was inviting me to their headquarters. This was in Sara, Iloilo, some 40 kilometers from our village. My father asked: “What is the problem? What crimes have my son committed? The officer told my father, their Commander would like to see me. He was inviting me to the headquarters.
My father asked the officer, why? “Rudy is just invited by our Commanding Officer. He wants to see him in the headquarters.” The name of the Constabulary officer, I learned later, was Captain Montano
I dressed myself. I said to myself. “I will join the soliders. I was invited by the Commanding Officer. I will go. For it was an invitation that I cannot say , No.”
Then, we go. We walked to the place where jeepney was left the night before. I joined them. We rode on their vehicle. It was long way to their headquarters, some 40 kms away. After we left, my father sent a relative to the Carles Chief of Police, Felipe Bernal, his cousin , to inform I was picked- up by the constabulary.
We left about 7:30 AM. On the way to Sara, in the area with heavy sugar cane plantations, the jeepeny stopped. The constabularies went down the vehicle to urinate. One officer asked me to go down and urinate. But I did not. I told him I am not urinating. But my stomach seems to burst. I want to urinate.
But I have heard stories in some places, here in Panay and Negros, many activists were picked-up by the military and gunned down while they were urinating in the bush. The military always said, he was gunned down for trying to grabbed his gun or trying to run away.
At the Constabulary headquarters, I was ushered to one of the houses – the home and office of Captain Montano. I was introduced by the soldiers to him. “ Sir, Rudy is here now”. Captain Montano talked to me. Then left and went to the other room and talked with several people who came to his office. Three soldiers stayed around near me. They were all working. One was sweeping the floor. Another was preparing breakfast. Another soldier repairing the door. Perhaps, they were watching and observing me.
They did not talked to me. They just do their own thing. At about 10:30 AM, the soldiers served food. This were fresh fish from Carles and Estancia. Merchants gave fresh fish to the camp for the officers food. I eat with them. Captain Montano later joined, as we eat. He talk about his work. “Damu problema di sa North Iloilo. Damu inaway” ( Many problems in North Iloilo. Many fightings). He asked me some questions. “ Diin ka nag-esuela sa Manila? San-o ka di nag-abut sa Iloilo?. Diin ka gaobra subong? Ano ang ginahimo mo sa Cawayan?”
(Many problems here in North Iloilo. Many fightings. Where did you study in Manila? When did you arrived here? Where do you worked here? What are you doing in Cawayan?” I anwered softly and clearly all the questions of Captain Montano. I tried to make sure that he could get clearly my answer. I think it good, be honest and tell him, all what he wants to know about me.
He told me, he heard I have been in Sara, San Dionisio and Concepcion. He asked me about some conflict among farmers and land owners in San Dionisio. I told Captain Montano, that I am an official of the PANELFU, a labor union. I said, I led in seminars on labor unionism and organizing. I told him the problems between the farmers and the landowners. But this problems were legal. But the farmers were pushing for Land Reforms.
I told him that was a peaceful action of the farmers to protect their rights, called for by the new Land Reform Law. After listening for sometimes, Captain Montano left again. I was left setting for another hour. It was a hard experience setting alone, waiting for the Officer, and not knowing what was in his mind.
About 1.30 PM we were served lunch. I told the soldiers, I’m still full. I will not eat lunch. Thanks them for the offer. When he returned, Captain Montano asked me what organization I am a member. I told him PANELFU. And I am Pastor of Cawayan Bapist Church. I told him also, I am the Chairman of the Education Committee of PANELFU, a labor union duly registered by the government. That our Legal Counsels were Atty. Nicolas Centeno and Atty. Cesar Beloria. Then he left again.
Captain Montano went to the other room again. He met with the other soldiers. Only one soldiers was left in a room near me. He was doing some works around. Later, in the afternoon, at about 3:00 PM, Captain Montano came back. He talked to me again. He told me I can go home. But I will come and see him every end of the month. He said I can go now. He offered me some money for my fare. I politely said, I have some amount for fares. He extended his hands and shakes with me.
When I arrived home, the officers of our association and the church have met. They said, they will send some members in the camp, if I did not return.
And at the end of the month for two months, I go to the PC headquarters. It was to say, to say hello to Captain Montano. We often talked for some minutes and he told me, I can go home.
According to Teresita Villanueva, the store owner, she was in her store, the night when the constabulary came. Miss Villanueva said: “The constables left their vehicle about 40 meters away from my store. The soldiers arrived about 11:30 PM and went direct by foot towards our home about 250 meters away.”
That means, the soldiers have surrounded our home secretly from 12:00 midnight until 4:30 AM, when I went down, with a lamp to my garden. The constables were really patient waiting, with their guns ready with so many mosquitos around during the nights.
The following month, I did not report to his office. On the 2nd month, on the 6th day, a constabulary officer came, Seargent Subron. He’s a friend. He came and told me Captain Montano was asking that I come to the headquarters. He wants to see me again.
I visited Captain Montano again. He asked why I did not come. I told him, I have a conference with the leaders of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches in Camp Higher Ground in Barotac Viejo. He told, me in case I cannot come to see me, to send him a note. I can just write a note and gave it to the Conductor of Garnet Express. Then he told me, he wants to see me every 3 months. I went home and continued with my ministry, as Assistant Pastor of Cawayan Baptist Church. I am almost under custody of the Philippine Constabulary.
One day, I went to Carles Municipal Hall. One hallway, I met the 3 soldiers who, several months ago, picked me in Cawayan. We have started some conversations. And as we were talking, one told me that I was allowed to go home that day. He said, they plan was to arrest and sent me to the stockade in Camp Delgado. But they observed me, while setting in the room. Theywere studying me and my reactions.
They said: “ You are calm. You are not angry. You seemed not afraid. We thought you were a peaceful person. And, if we released you, you wil not run away. We recommended you to Captain Montano, to send you home and report at the end of the month.”
As I looked back into this experiences, I think, prayer and trust in God was the strength of my involvement. I have committed myself to a peaceful, but strong and militant struggle in defence of our people’s rights. And I have surrendered my life to God. He will take care of me. I will just do the best of my life and leave all other in His care. That was my 2nd arrest. It was a hard experience, being picked-up, arrested or invited by the military.
After working at Cawayan Baptist Church for about two years, I resigned. I want to see some new challenges in the ministry that will reached out to the wider communities in the Baptist Convention and the country. And, I am looking forward, that I will not be raided, arrested or invited by the military to their headquarters, again.
Reflecting on the night our home was silently surrounded by the soldiers, waiting for me nearly the whole night to come out, there was a certain kind of feelings that I can’t understand. It bothers me. It was my helplessness under suspicion by powerful a government and military forces, meeting unarmed civilians.
For a little mistake, made during military or police raids, can send one out-of-this world forever. It was during times like this, when human rights where often violated, and a human life costs only a single bullet, that we all must worked for the defense of human rights. The principles of which were guarded by the Philippine Constitution and the constituions of almost all countries of the world.
But my experiences made me admit, that some police and military officers and men have also of good hearts and mnds. The worst soldiers has a heart. Except for some who were really trigger happy, police and military people moved with calculated risks. Civilians, I think must move under that circumstance with calmness and soft confidence.
In momets like this, we need the presence of God. He guided and taught me what to think and say. He taught me how to stand calmly with faith, even my hearts has fears. He whispered to have confidence, in moments of difficulties. And it helped.
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