Chapter
16
Raids
& Arrests of Pastor Rudy Bernal & UIM Staff
at Cabudian Baptist Church,
Duenas, Iloilo
In February
29-March 1, 1984, Pastor Rudy
Bernal, the UIM and NFM staff, pastors, church and community leaders
who attended a 2-days seminar
held in Cabudian Bapist Church, in Brgy.
Cabudian, Duenas, Iloilo were raided and arrested by the military. The seminar
was attended by 38
participants and staffs. It was
held from 9:30 AM on the first day and
went on until about 9:30 P.M. on
that day.
Then it was to
continue at 8:00 AM -12:00 noon on the 2nd day, and from
1:30 P.M to 4:00 P.M. on the 2nd on the 2nd and last day. It was a
live-in seminar and participants
stayed in the church—the women
with some families. Some men were were living in the parsonage.
The
participants were leaders and officers of the rice farmers and
sugarcane workers associations. They were
elected officers. They
participated in labor education and were members of the sugar cane
workers associations in the villages.
They were mostly residents of the villages with wide
sugar cane plantations. Most were working as laborers in the sugar cane industry – planting sugar
canes, caring for the plants, fertilizing, harvesting and transport. They were paid very low daily pays. With there associations, they started to negotiate for a better pay, with other
benefits from the sugar planters in the villages.
During that time,
sugar cane was heavily planted in the
towns of Passi, Duenas, Calinog,
Bingawan and Lambunao. We have
already selected the most potentials
for this training. These group will served as leaders of the farmers and sugar cane
workers association, as it expanded operations in the next villages.
On the first day
of the training, Bonifacio Castronuevo facilitated the training. It started at 9:30 AM with participants
self-introductions and sharing; They shared
their activities and
involvements. The shared their
hopes for the future. At 10:30 – 12.OO noon, I led with
a “situationers" in the sugar
industry. We have lunch at 12:20. Dr.
Domingo Diel, Jr., General Secretary
joined us for lunch.
At 2:00 PM, Dr.
Diel, Jr., CPBC was the speaker.
He spoke on the need of this kind of studies among farmers and sugar cane
workers. He called on them to get organized. He shared that in Germany, more
than 90% of the people were organized – whether they were working in
factories, as farmers in the grapes and
wine industries or employed in some industries.
He told us, that pastors, priests and church leaders were organized. He shared with us insights from the
Scriptures. He continued until 4:30 PM and the Open Forum followed. It was a very lively sharing and
discussions. Down to earth studies.
At 5:30 PM, Dr. Diel left for home in Iloilo City. He was driven by Noling, the CPBC driver. The place and area around the seminar venue
that day was peaceful.
We have supper at 6:00 PM. And another study continue from 7:00 PM to
9:00 PM. The cooks, were instructed to prepare
breakfast at 4:30 AM the
following day, so that it will be ready at 7:00 AM.
But at 5:40 PM.,
or about 10 minutes after Dr. Diel
passed by, according to the report I received later, the military secured and cordoned the road from Cabudian
to the national highway going to Iloilo City. The military troops put bamboo barricades on the road. Several
military officers secured the area. All who passed were subjected to
questionings.
At
6:30 PM, Bonifacio Castronuevo, Hecor
Belloga and Hernani Bautista, who were
sent for an errand to the market of
Calinog, were stopped by the soldiers. They were riding their Honda
motorcyles, all painted red. The
military knew them immediately. They
were from UIM. They were seminar
participants. For months, they were
under surveillance.
They were stopped and questioned. Then they were brought to
the military headquarters at back of
Calinog Municipal Hall. They were held for questioning
until the following morning.
But
Hernani Bautista was separated from
the two staff. He shared with me the
hardship he suffered under the soldiers interogations. He told me later. “I was brought to a room and put
on heavy questionings. They asked me of my work in UIM. I was asked of the
villages I was working in Lambuano. After, an hour of questionings, I was
blindfolded inside the room. Then, I was
brought out, I think in the field outside of the headquarters.
" I was questioned more in the fields. A barrel
of the gun was placed on the back of my head. I was asked to tell the truth or
I will be killed. Many questions were
directed on me related to my work at UIM. I was also asked about my involvement
before with the Center for Education and Research, where I worked before.”
“I was
asked on my involvement on labor
education and organizing works. I was continuesly threatened with death. Then, my
head was submerged, with forced several times nside the
Toilet Bowl. I wept. It was very
hard. It was hard. It was torture, I
suffered under military interogations.” Hernani Bautista was held there until 3:00 PM the next day.
But at 4:30 AM, the 2nd day, on March 1, 1984, while the seminar participants were
preparing—some were taking baths and some readying themselves for the morning
devotional, two pastors came, riding
together on a motorcycle. They told me. “Bonifacio
Castronuevo, Hector Belloga and Hernani Bautista were arrested. They were held
in the military headquarters.
We do not
knew what happened to them. We learned only, they were arrested and brought to
the military headquarters at the back of Calinog Municipal Hall.” It
was only then, that I learned the 3 UIM staff were arrested and detained the
rest of the night.
I looked and
assessed the situation. I felt, with
coming of daylight, the military will strike at us. I called some of our leaders and told them of
the arrest of the 3 UIM staff. I told them to prepare and go home, going
different ways. I told them: “I
think, in an hour, when daylight comes, the military will raid the church.
It will be good if you all go home. Do not attend the seminar
now. You must go home, passing an
alternative way. Those who have
motorcycles, go home passing a different roads. I and the other staff, will
also prepare to leave.”
By 6:00 AM that morning, when the lights just pepping on the east, I and
our six
staffs were already
preparing to leave. We have cleared the area. We took all materials we
used in the study. I asked the
remaining staff and participants to join me in the Pinoy Jeepney. I started the
engine and were preparing to leave.
Then, I saw 3 jeeps
full of soldiers. They have
bonnets on their heads. Upon arrival, they jumped from there
jeeps, with their armalites
ready, surrounded us in our jeepney.
Some went around and surrounded the church and parsonage.
It was my 3rd military raid and
arrest, I experienced the last 3 years. “But,
as in the past, I really felt, some kind of fears, uncertainties and
dangers. For, facing a military with
loaded armalite rifles, their forefingers in
the triggers of the guns, brings a kind
of uncertainties and fears. For you could never
know what will happen, when a
soldier has a gun pointed on your breast.
In that moments, I only breath
words of prayer. “ Dear God, please….”
The soldiers
who surrounded the church, went inside the church and parsonage.
They tried to find other people
there. The soldiers who surrounded us,
came to me. He questioned me. They ordered us to follow them to the headquarters, which was at the
back of Calinog Municipal Hall.
We
reached the headquarters before 7 A.M. I was brought to the office of the military
leader. He made me set on the chair for quite long, nearly an hour.
Then, he returned and started to
asked me questions. “What is your
name. Where do you live? Where are you
working? What is your job at UIM? What were you doing there? You’re a Pastor doing labor education and labor
organizing. These were not your
jobs.” He asked me about UIM. He asked me about NFM.
He asked me about Sharon Duremdes. What was
she teaching. “I told Sharon was teaching and preaching the teachings of Jesus Christ.” He asked me of my inolvedments as Director of the New Frontier Ministries. I
answered all his questions softly and clearly. And in my heart, I silently
prayed. Always, asking God’s guidance as I answered the
investigators questions.
The military raids of the
UIM and NFM seminar at Cabudian
Baptist Church in Duenas, Iloilo,
at 7:00 o’clock in the morning, herding
us to the military camp, showed the
military’s wanton disregards for human
rights.
The arrest of Hernani
Bautista that night,
investigating him alone, with the barrel of a gun on the back of his head and forcing
his face inside the toilet bowl, showed the inhumanities of the military. They were
perhaps, indoctrinated by the officers of
President Marcos and Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile.
Bonifacio
Castronuevo and Hector Belloga were released
that morning. But they were not allowed to go home. They
did not know what happened to Hernani Bautista, until about 4:00 PM when he was
brought to me. I talked to him. But Hernani
Bautista, was calm and just
remained silent. He seemed to be dumbfounded. He looked at me. He
smiled.
I knew, deep in
his heart, the fears was strong. The fears remained in his mind. The threat to his life was painful. It made
him helpless. His life and rights were
violated by the soldiers, the powerful
military organizations, who were paid by the
taxes taxes we paid.
When we were released
that afternoon, the Military
Officer, made me sign a document, a weaver. I requested for a copy.
But he said, that’s not possible. It was a military document. It said.
“Released Prisoners of War”. Yes, we, the 7 UIM staffs
were Prisoners of War, released that afternoon, by the dictatorial regime.
That
night, I began to reflect. What if Dr. Domingo Diel, Jr., passed when the barricade was put and soldiers
questioned people who passed? Would Dr. Diel, Jr.. been stopped and questioned? Would he been
arrested with us? If that happened, perhaps, the church was mobilized to stand strongly against humane rights
violations in the country.
At 2:30 PM, of March 1, my wife Hesther, who
learned of our arrests in Cabudian that
morning, went to Atty. Cesar
Beloria to asked what to do. She said to
Atty. Beloria: “Attorney,
Rudy and his 7 friends were still
in the custody of the military in Calinog. They were arrested yesterday
evening, and some, early this morning at
6:00 AM. What can we do to hasten their release?”
Atty. Cesar Beloria told her, he will
prepare the needed papers that they he will bring to the military detachment in Calinog the following day.
Hesther, with her friend, then visited Dr. Domingo Diel, Jr., at home. She asked Dr. Diel, what could be
done for the early released. But at
7:30 PM. I arrived home.
I talked with my wife. I shared
with her my experiences of the last two days. Then we have supper together.
I shared with her the hardship and sufferings of Hernani Bautista and some difficulties met by
Hector Belloga and Bonifacio Castronuevo.
I told her what happened to Hernani Bautista.
His difficulties under military interogations. She listened. Then, we
prayed. We prayed for Hernani Bautista’s situations, his fears and recovery. We
prayed for his wife, Binday. We asked God’s stremgth for Hernani Bautista,
whose still carry the pains of the last two days.
Hesther never told me to quit. We prayed that night thanking God for life
and experiences that gave meaning to our lives. Our commitments remained
strong. To serve God – in service to the
poor and weak in our society.
Also that day,
our first son, Dolfus Ricthe, was
2 months old. He’s still in her mother’s womb. We celebrare the day in
our small family room. We sang
the song of life and faith.
Our trust that God, our friend, will always be with
us.
“What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear,
What a previlege to carry, Everything to God in prayer.
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.”
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