“Julian Makabayan” composed by Lutgardo Labad, from the movie “Julian Makabayan” (1979), later performed by Patatag in a live concert in 1984, recorded several years after that in the album “Nagbabagang Lupa” (“Smouldering Earth”, my translation w/ apologies), uploaded in the “Patatag” site in soundcloud; image derived from the same album, all used here non-commercially for academic purposes. This song plays automatically… and you should be hearing it right about now…
“Human rights stalwart Romy Capulong passes away. September 16, 2012 8:16pm by HS/BM, GMA News
Caption from gmanews.tv: “In his long and colorful career, human rights champion Romeo Capulong defended notable political figures such as Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., leftist leaders such as Satur Ocampo, and thousands of the downtrodden, such as Flor Contemplacion, World War II comfort women and the victims of Martial Law. Photo by Charlie Magno,”
“Human rights lawyer Romeo “Romy” Capulong died Sunday afternoon after a lingering illness and a long and colorful career defending leftist leaders but also the downtrodden likes of Flor Contemplacion and World War II `comfort women’. He was 77.
“His death was confirmed by Rep. Neri Colmenares, chairman of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, of which Capulong was a co-founder and chairman emeritus.
“Capulong was counsel on nearly all major human rights cases in the country, including the landmark class action suit against former President Marcos that produced a $2 billion dollar judgment in favor of thousands of victims of the Marcos dictatorship.
“He was a private prosecutor during the impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada, and counsel to such varied clients as the victims of the massive Payatas garbage slide in 2000 and the families in a remote Batangas cove threatened with eviction by a golf course developer.
“He was a defense lawyer for promiment political personalities Jose Maria Sison, Satur Ocampo, and Crispin Beltran. During peace talks, he was counsel for the negotiating panel of the National Democratic Front, which represented the New People’s Army.
“ ‘Primacy of the political struggle’
“In a blog post, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. mourned Capulong’s death, saying Capulong did not live to see the 40th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.
“According to Reyes, Capulong had been confined for some time at the Medical Center Manila.
“ “Alam kong marami ding kwento ang mga Marcos victims kaugnay ng papel ni RTC (Romeo T. Capulong) sa laban para sa katarungan. Oo nga pala, yung mga migrante, may mga kwento din sila sa naging papel ni RTC sa kaso naman ni Flor Contemplacion. Ang daming kwento talaga,” he wrote.
“Reyes recalled he met Capulong at the Public Interest Law Center office in Makati some time in the late 1990s, when Reyes needed to consult him on the case of student activists from Lyceum who were facing sanctions from the school administration.
“ “At the get go, Atty. Capulong clarified that whatever legal tactic that would be employed, that would be secondary to the political movement. He told us of the primacy of the political struggle, that this was the most decisive, and that the legal tactics should serve the political tactics,” he said.
“Seven-year exile in US
“Capulong was a member of the 1970 Constitutional Convention. He was jailed upon the declaration of Martial Law. He went into exile in the United States in 1979 where he practiced public interest law until he returned to the Philippines in 1986 after the fall of Marcos.
“Towards the end of his life, some called Capulong “judge,” after he served on the International Criminal Tribunal trying war criminals in the former Yugoslavia. — HS/BM, GMA News”
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“Farewell, Atty. Romeo Capulong, beloved people’s lawyer and fighter for national freedom and democracy By: Renato Reyes Jr., secretary general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
(Linked by gmanews.tv / gmanews.com and published by interkaksyon.com) September 17, 2012 2:15 AM
“It is with great sadness that we learned today of the passing of people’s lawyer, human rights defender, international jurist and founder of the Public Interest Law Center Atty. Romeo Capulong. He had been confined for some time at the Medical Center Manila. Last August, Beng and I went to the hospital to donate blood as he needed transfusion. We were not able to visit him at the room but his grateful daughter was there to meet us at the blood bank.
“I first met Atty.Capulong at the Public Interest Law Center office in Makati, sometime in the late 90’s when we needed to consult the case of student activists from Lyceum who were facing sanctions from the school administration. We were still with Anakbayan at the time. At the get go, Atty. Capulong clarified that whatever legal tactic that would be employed, that would be secondary to the political movement. He told us of the primacy of the political struggle, that this was the most decisive, and that the legal tactics should serve the political tactics.
“That conversation stuck with me. I was fortunate to get a chance to see up close what he meant, and to appreciate the correctness of his words.
“Atty. Capulong would provide important legal inputs in the Estrada impeachment, and led the walk out of private prosecutors when the Senate refused to open the second envelope related to the Jose Velarde account.
“Atty. Capulong would also be visible as a legal counsel for the negotiating panel of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. He would be present, along with some government officials, during the releases of prisoners of war .
“Ka Romy would play a leading role in the legal battle for the release of the dropping of the charges of rebellion against the Batasan 6 and other accused. We won that fight and the rebellion raps were dismissed. This paved the way for the release of Ka Crispin Beltran who was still under arrest at the time. The Supreme Court decision junking the sham rebellion raps filed against activists during Gloria Arroyo’s state of emergency in 2006 is a major legal victory for human rights, especially at a time when the regime used the non-bailable crime of rebellion to detain activists.
“I had the opportunity to see Ka Romy visit Ka Bel at the Philippine Heart Center before the decision came out. Bukod sa lawyer-client, magkumpare yung dalawa. Ka Romy assured Ka Bel of the correctness and necessity of the pursuing the case before the Supreme Court, even if it meant being under hospital arrest for some time. I saw how Ka Bel had full confidence in Ka Romy.
“I saw Ka Romy stand before the Supreme Court for several hours arguing the case of Ka Satur Ocampo when the later was arrested in 2007 on the trumped up charge of murder. Ka Romy ably answered the queries of the justices as he pointed out that not only were the charges fabricated, they should also be subsumed under the charge of rebellion which Ka Satur at that time was already facing and which the SC had yet to decide. Ka Satur was granted bail as a result of that legal action.
“Ka Romy would again play a leading role in the legal defense of the Morong 43 who were arrested in February 2010. It was his idea to bring the case both to the Supreme Court and the Commission on Human Rights. When the writ of habeas corpus was granted, it was Atty. Capulong who stood before the Court of Appeals to argue the case and to condemn the failure of the AFP to bring the detained health workers to court. He stood up to demand that the handcuffs of the detainees be removed while they were in court. He spoke eloquently on how the rights of the 43 health workers were violated from the moment the warrant of arrest was issued up to the time they were arrested and detained without access to counsel, and made to go through a bogus inquest proceeding.
“Atty. Capulong also spoke before the Commission on Human Rights, then chaired by Leila de Lima, on the violations of the rights of the health workers.
“There were times when doubts crept in regarding the legal tactics employed by Atty. Capulong. Some though there could be a more convenient and expedient way out. But Ka Romy pointed out that what appeared convenient or expedient at first would turn out to be more problematic in the end. During the struggle to free the Morong 43, there was a suggestion to explore the possibility of the detainees posting bail. Posting bail however would mean going through arraignment and thereby legitimizing the illegal proceedings that the health workers were subjected to in the first place. It would eventually compound the problems of the detainees. Ka Romy pointed out that we should give primacy to the efforts with the Supreme Court and the ongoing DOJ review. He explained to the detainees the need for patience, for determination, and for the intensification of the political struggle, even as the lawyers pursued the agreed upon legal tactics. But he never imposed his views on the detainees. Bail was a matter of right after all. He presented the two sides of the story and asked his clients to decide based on the presentation.
“He was proven right though. The health workers were released on the strength of the mass movement after the DOJ concluded its review and withdrew the cases filed against the Morong 43. He was right that the health workers not go through arraignment. He was right in pointing out the primacy of the political struggle even as he upheld the correct legal tactics.
“During these times of doubt, he himself would go to Bicutan and explain to the detainees of why such was the tactic employed and its relation with the political struggle. But before he started with the legal briefing, he would first make a self-criticism on why he and other lawyers could not visit the detainees as frequent as possible. Such was the humility of the man.
“I last spoke with Atty. Capulong, on the phone, during the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona. He gave important tips on what the mass movement can do in relation to the Senate trial. “Di tayo pwedeng bumitiw dyan,” he told me. He also correctly predicted that the Supreme Court would not allow the opening of the Corona dollar accounts and that the Senate would not defy the Supreme Court on this. He told me of the influential forces such as the big banks, the big business interests embroiled in the Senate trial as well as foreign interests that would be affected.
“Madami pa akong pwedeng maikwento tungkol sa abogadong ang tawag ng marami ay RTC. Nagmartsa din sya nung panahon ng CPR ni GMA. Laman din sya ng kalsada sa maraming mahalagang pagkilos. Sigurado akong marami ding kwento kaugnay ng mahalagang papel niya sa usapang pangkapayapaan.
“Pag si RTC ang humawak ng kaso, parang kagyat na panatag ang loob ko. Ang dami na nyang dinaanan, at nakitang pakikibakang legal, at pag nagsalita sya, sigurado sya sa sinasabi nya.
“Sayang, hindi na rin sya umabot sa 40th anniversary ng Martial Law sa September 21. Alam kong marami ding kwento ang mga Marcos victims kaugnay ng papel ni RTC sa laban para sa katarungan. Oo nga pala, yung mga migrante, may mga kwento din sila sa naging papel ni RTC sa kaso naman ni Flor Contemplacion. Ang daming kwento talaga.
“Sa mga bago at nakababatang abogado ngayon, mainam na makilala nyo sa Atty. Romeo Capulong, abogadong naglinkgod sa bayan hanggang sa huli. Napakahusay na huwaran para sa mga future lawyers.
“To RTC, our most militant salute, and most heartfelt appreciation. Salamat, Sir. Isang, karanganlang makilala at makasama kayo. We honor you by carrying on with the unfinished struggle, until victory.” ****************
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From the WordPress publishers today: Weekly Writing Challenge: Stylish Imitation by Erica on September 10, 2012 (or imitating the style of an iconic writer without losing your own voice):
“ xxx Better yet, you can tell us about your favorite writer’s tone, or you can take it a step further — after all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Highlight a particular element of your favorite writer’s style, and incorporate it into a post of your own. xxx If you go this route, try writing about what you’d normally discuss on in your blog: personal musings, your favorite artist, your sports team’s wondrous victory. The only catch is that you’ll need to discard your own style temporarily in honor of the wordsmiths who’ve inspired you.”
xxx xxx xxx
Based on those, here is the blog post for the WordPress Weekly Writing Challenge: Stylish Imitation.
The iconic writer i chose is: J.D. Salinger. The style is: stream of consciousness. It’s been described as a “disjointed form of internal monologue” “characterized by associative leaps in syntax and punctuation that may sometimes make the prose difficult to follow”.
When i first wrote the post below, it didn’t have any punctuation marks, but i thought i should aid the readers by putting some commas. What do you think? Unwieldy? i should have done a traditional narrative? (Yes! stop experimenting — we like structured!)
A large part of J.D. Sallinger’s narratives rely on this. Alas, i don’t have it, maybe I’m just rambling on in this post below with no sense or coherence.
Anyway.
Ridges
While we were driving on a newly paved road, the senior law office partner mentioned that when he was a law student, these balmy acacia trees were just sapling. i was once told that the roots of a fully grown acacia tree were wider than a 200-square-meter house, its vast network underground was a labyrinthine of a city spread farther than its canopy of branches and leaves above. Years ago, in a meeting i had to babysit as legal counsel, there was a debate on what to do with the trees that have been uprooted by the typhoon, now just lying around, not breathing, in the expanse of the grounds, some of the trees were half-a-century old, and the botanist-consultants said there was a procedure to reconstruct them and bring them back to life, but it was a laborious and expensive procedure; the engineer-consultants said this was not cost-effective, and so, therefore, the board gave way to the chainsaw workers, carpenters and utility staff, the felled giants were sawed off and sold as lumber, the money earned was reported as profits, and therefore in the balance sheet of things it was shown that we did not lose anything. i watched them saw off the trunks, you could see the rings inside them, each ring equivalent to a year or two, the ridges equivalent to generations. Once we took a street inside a residential area and my colleagues at the backseat tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hala, ba’t ka dito dumaan, magagalit si Sir” (“Hey watch out why did you take this road, Sir will get angry.”) “Sir” being the senior partner, he was seated in front. And “Sir” of course said no, it was alright. i said it was a short cut – why, what’s wrong. And my colleagues said that when martial law was declared, “Sir” who then had a thriving law career in a prestigious law office and who had unprecedentedly won in a local election, one of the youngest, was going to get arrested by Marcos. He had to go on self-exile abroad, had to sell his house and all his properties, had to start from scratch all over again, study again, take the bar exams again in that foreign land and pass, eke out a living while helping in the anti-dictatorship movement in the Philippines. He bought this house because there were many trees, it was in the middle of the city, he and his family lived here and he had planned on raising his children on that porch, on this road that my colleagues have been avoiding as a route. i asked if this was true, and “Sir” said, well, yes, but it was a long, long time ago no sweat it was alright i didn’t do anything wrong, and my impertinent colleagues said, see – pretty soon tears would well up his eyes, they were ribbing him, and he was of course alright and he just said softly that he was sad that he never got back that same house because he liked living here. Before i learned to drive, i used to ride home with friends, and the usual designated driver, the executive director, always made the mistake of making a right turn at a certain crossroad when we were supposed to go left, everytime, he never corrected, he always turned there. We had to maneuver a U-turn in the middle of that road to go to the other side. Finally, i asked why are you always making a right-turn here, this is the hundredth time. And my friends, the other passengers, said maybe, maybe it was an old habit, see that bend, it led to a building where his ex-wife worked decades ago, he was detained when martial law was declared, they never got back together after that, even after he was released when the dictatorship fell, a new government took over. We think we know someone just because we work with them everyday. Everybody has an anthology of stories, in their trunk, at their core. Just like these trees.
