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 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 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.”
Part of the series The Ministry Years (chapter 16 of 48)
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