Chapter 35 -My First Interview with a Senator in Congress

It was a privilege to work as News Editor with the French News Agency. It was a great learning process. The Press Card used with humbleness, open wide opportunities for an ordinary man like me. It open closed doors in governments, businesses, police offices, Congress, the armed forces and diplomatic offices. That’s one privilege of media people.

I remembered the first time I was assigned to interview a senator. Mr. Robin Alabastro assigned me to interview Senator Jovito Salonga. It was during the Jabidah massacre were reported to have killed in Corrigidor. Only one survivor was known. He swam, while wounded from Corrigidor to Cavite. That morning I went to Congress. I proceeded to Senator Jovito Salonga's office in the Senate. There was a name on his door. I knocked. But I stopped. My heart was beating hard. I did not open the door. I breathe deeply and hard.

Deep breathing I learned, helped lessen the tension and throbbing of hearts. I went around several offices, a distance of about 100 meters breathing hard. I came back to the office of Senator Salonga. I knocked again. I opened the door. I proceeded to the Secretary. I flashed my Press Card. I spoke slowly. I said: " Maam, Agence France Presse is requesting to interview Senator Salonga";

The Secretary looked me straight on the eyes. He took my Press Card. Then he asked me to wait. She went inside the other room. She talked to the Senator. Then, she ushered me inside the room of the Senator Salonga. The Senator was pouring on pages of letters when I came. He looked at me. I gave him my Press Card. He looked at it. Then asked me to set down.

I met Senator Salonga that morning. I said: “Senator, I| am Rudy Bernal from Agence France Presse. I would like to have an interview with 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 looked at me and shook my hand. He thanked me for the information. He said, “He was happy that the Baptists in Panay and Negros supported his candidacy.” Then the Senator sat on the other side of the table.

He was very friendly and accommodating. He asked his secretary to bring coffee. It was the first time I drunk coffee with a senator of the Philippines. 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. The interview lasted for nearly 20 minutes. I thanked the Senator. We shook hands again. I went back to our office. I wrote the story. And my job was done.

After that first interview with Senator Salonga, 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 still about the Jabida massacre incident where several Muslim trainees in Corregidor were reported murdered. It was a short interview with Ninoy Aquino, fifteen minutes with my tape recorder.

Interviews were job demanding preparation. There is 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 could not remember any more that conference in Quezon City. That was the day Sen. Robert Kennedy was shot. One of my instructions, when covering news was to call the office every 15 minutes. So, every 15 minutes I went to the telephone booth and called Agence France office. That would provide us the opportunity to get the news that came at any time of the day. When I called the office, Edgar Sebal, news editor, told me that Sen. Robert Kennedy was shot and wounded.

I shouted to other reporters that Robert Kennedy was shot. Max Edralin, a cousin of President Marcos ran to me. “ What did you say, Rudy? What happened? Robert Kennedy was shot?”. I told Max Edralin that Senator Kennedy was shot. Then, I saw all newspapermen were running to the phones that were set up that morning , trying to call their offices.

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

Under different situations, I could not shout to Max Edralin, a cousin of President Marcos. But media offered me time to be on the level with some powerful people 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 offererd 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 was.

In my brief work in the newspaper and wire service, I have seen the slums of Pasay, Tondo, San Andres Bukid in Malate, Makati, Pandacan, Pasay and other areas with the brutal living conditions of the poor in slums, a grave contradiction to the affluence of rich and powerful leaders of the country and business groups.

I learned that newspapers were the strongest forces that strengthened the elites and the oligarchs hold to power in the country. The poor have no voice and power to change their situations and lives if they will not fight for change.

I saw the struggle of the students in Metro Manila as they rallied to show the evils of the social, economic and political system in the country. I have seen the challenges of the trade unions and their call for people to organize and work for change.

The situation tinkered my mind and touched my heart and soul. God was giving me a new order. He calling me to a new life’s directions. The directions was clear. To be a labor educator and organizer. Or a pastor of a church. Or both, a labor organizer and a pastor. I prayed for God’s guidance and direction.

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

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

I resigned from Agence France Presse. I decided to join and worked with farmers and farm laborers and help labor unions in Panay. I will go back to Iloilo, the base of my future works. I would help in labor education and organizing. I would also serve as pastor in the church of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, I have decided to remain in the country and helped in the struggle for social, economic, political and spiritual change.

That night I bowed down my head to God in prayer. I asked for 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 go back to CPU and continue my study in theology. But I would involved with farmers and workers education and organizing works. It will be my life and ministry.

I went back to Iloilo. I joined Atty. Nicolas Centeno and the Philippine Association of Nationalists Employees, Laborers & Farmers Union (PANELFU) . I joined him and his Law Partner, Atty. Cesar Beloria, who was defending workers and laborers in courts in Panay and Negros Occidental. We fought with them with ideas, reasons and power.

We work with other other working sectors of society. We helped educate, organize and mobilize them to build Philippine society. Together, we stood and fought for equality, freedom, justice, liberation and social transformation.