MEMORIES: Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal — Chapter 31: Lyceum: Struggles for Social, Economic & Political Change During my

Chapter 31 -Lyceum: Struggles for Social, Economic & Political Change

During my 3rd and 4th-year college at Lyceum of the Philippines. I met student leaders. peasants and workers leaders, like Ignacio Lacsina of the labor movement and Professor Jose David Lapuz who always spoke at student demonstrations. I also met and talked with Professor Pedro Lava,who taught at Lyceum. Prof. Lava is the brother of Jesus Lava, Chairman of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) who is in prison. His other brother, Jose Lava, was member of Political Bureau of the PKP.

In 1965 I met at Lyceum Prof. Jose Maria Sison, Chairman of Kabataang Makabayan (KM). I applied for membership and became a member of Kabataang Makabayan (KM) with Joe Sison as chairman. After classes at Lyceum where he taught, we often stood on the street at Plaza Lawton, discussing issues that were hot political issues and of interests. I visited him sometimes at their home, where his wife Julie de Lima Sison was editing some books and periodicals. Joe Sison allowed me to browse and read some books in his library.

Later, when I was working as News Editor of Agence France Presse (AFP), Joe Sison sometimes visited me with his article for international release. We did not met for several years after that. A few years later, I heard he went underground and helped re-organized the Communist Party of the Philippines. It was believed, he wrote ”Philippine Society and Revolution” the bible of Philippine revolutionaries under a Pen Name, Amado Guerrero. Joe Sison and his wife, Julie de Lima lived today in the Netherlands.

By the middle of 1966, Kabataang Makabayan (KM), which was founded in 1965, became the strongest student movement in Manila. KM mobilized rallies in Malacanang, Congress and the US Embassy, demanding end of feudalism, US imperialism and bureaucratic capitalism, the three biggest evils of Philippine society. The shout of the demonstrators, “Down with US Imperialism” reverberated in the corridors of Malacanang Palace for years.

In the mid-‘60’s opposition to the US war in Vietnam reached a high crescendo in the latter part of President Diosdado Macapagal’s rule in 1965. It reached far with President Ferdinand Marcos presidency starting November 1965 with hard implications in the life of Filipinos and the Philippines in the coming years.

During rallies, I saw at a distance Nur Misuari, a prominent student demonstrator at that time. He went abroad and became the Chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). I did not meet Nur Misuari personally. But I saw him as a potential Muslim leader for our people.

Other student activists that I met were Carlos del Rosario, a militant classmate who went missing during our student days. Alberto Espinas was one of the leaders of the rally at Lyceum, when most of the glass windows of Lyceum were broken with stones hurled by the students. The demonstrations and breaking of university glass windows reached most of the colleges in the University belt in 1966.

Alberto Espinas, who was an Ilonggo, went back to Iloilo and helped organized Kabataang Makabayan (KM) in Panay. He also helped organized “Masang Prop” an organization of professionals in the struggle for social transformation. Alberto Espinas, was leader of the KM in Iloilo. But he was killed in early 1973 by the military together with several students activists who were branded by the military as subversives and rebels. Alberto Espinas was part of the activists’ movement that shaped the political horizons of the revolutionary movements for Panay Island and Negros Occidental.

During this time in Manila, the opposition to the US war in Vietnam became stronger in the latter part of President Diosdado Macapagal’s rule in 1965. I was in a students rally in Malacanan that students asked President Macapagal not to send Filipino soldiers to Vietnam. President Macapagal was planning to send Filipino soldiers to Vietnam. On the other hand, Senator Ferdinand Marcos who was running as contender for President, promised. If elected he will not send Filipino soldiers to Vietnam.

When President Marcos won the presidency in November 1965, one of the first decisions he made was to send PHILCAG to Vietnam. It was part of the efforts of United States to defeat communism in Vietnam. But the US failed. The United States, using all their skills and powerful war equipment, killing more than 2 million Vietnamese lost the war. The US and the allied forces lost to a ragtag army of Ho Chi Minh, the hero of the Vietnamese proletarian revolution. Vietnam defeated France and the United States for communism.

I took the opportunity and privilege to enroll as a student of former President Diosdado Macapagal. Some months after his defeat by President Marcos, President Macapagal was persuaded to teach at Lyceum of the Philippines. I took two subjects under him that semester in 1966, Philippine Foreign Relations and Far Eastern Relations and Problems. My background at CPU taught me to stand, even my knees were shaking and speak on issues that needs to be discussed.

I developed my mind to formulate questions to ask my professors. One of my professor told me, “Bernal, you have an analytical mind.” Often, I have some question raised on President Macapagal’s lectures. He liked to be asked any question under the sun. I enrolled in two subjects under him. I want to see at close range and view closely how the mind of a former President of the Philippines thinks and works.

Lyceum students came from different parts of the country, from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Many of my classmates continued in advance studies. They took courses in Foreign Service, Journalism, Public Administration and Law. In Iloilo during that time, these courses were not taught.

1Wilson D Guanzon

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Chapter 30– Went Down to Manila & Enroll at Lyceum of the Philippines

In May 1965 I left Baguio and went down to Manila. It was raining slightly in Baguio City when I took the bus about 6:00 a.m. On the way down Cannon Road, I felt the winds and rains were getting stronger. Along the Pangasinan road I saw some fallen trees . More trees have fallen down along Tarlac highway. A typhoon was hitting northern Luzon.

It was 2:00 p.m. when I arrived in Manila. The city… See More

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Part of the series Memories - Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal (chapter 58 of 71)

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