MikeLigalig.com

‘What’s happening to our country, son?’

By Doris C. Bongcac
Cebu Daily News
Sunday, September 22nd, 2013

Fifty to 80 military personnel surrounded the home of the Daluz family in Sun Valley in Banawa shortly after sunrise in 1981.

Former Cebu City councilor Jose Daluz III said soldiers climbed over the concrete fence and broke into the family home to arrest his mother, radio commentator Nenita “Inday Nita” Cortes Daluz.

President Ferdinand Marcos was still in charge despite declaring that martial law was “lifted.”

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He said this was one of the “darkest” moments of his life.

Inday Nita was arrested and detained in Camp lapu-Lapu for covering the Freedom March on Sept. 21, 1980.  That started her political activism and she became the most influential voice on the airwaves where she castigated  Marcos administration abuses. She was arrested twice in 1981.

She spent three months in jail along with other Cebuano martial law critics, including  Antonio Cuenco and  Ribomapil Holganza. She was later released and was elected assemblywoman in 1984. She, along with Cuenco and Marcelo Fernan were part of the 56 members of the Batasang Pambansa who filed a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Marcos on August 13, 1985.

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Daluz said he was among those who were mauled by the military and sent to detention at Camp LapuLapu for two to three weeks.

“I thought then that I would be in prison for a lifetime,” he said.

As the only surviving son, Daluz said it was his responsibility to accompany his mother in public events and political gatherings.

He was also exposed to victims of military abuse  who would come to their Banawa residence and seek Inday Nita’s help.

There were also several instances when he accompanied his mother to visit human rights victims at the hospital.

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Tired of Edsa

He said his mother, Inday Nita, stood up and told the group that she would not hide.

Instead, she brought her son to her radio station booth and went on air to call Cebuanos to go out of their homes and join anti-Marcos protests.

Reflecting on the Sept. 21 anniversary of Martial Law,  Councilor Daluz said public discontent is seething again with reports of massive corruption through the abuse of the pork barrel system in the House of Representatives and Senate.

But he said it would take more than another Edsa People Power Revolution to resolve this.

“Corruption in the country is getting even worst.  But people are already tired of Edsa.  We already had two Edsas and nothing much has changed. I don’t think there will be another Edsa,” he said.

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She was calling the nation to boycott crony companies of President Marcos.

“I was  the emcee at the rally  and Cory was about to deliver her speech but it did not happen,” he added.

Mrs. Aquino’s brother Jose “Peping” Cojuangco told Cuenco to end the rally.

“Tony, we should stop this, it is not safe anymore. I think  a revolution  is already happening,” Cuenco recalled Cojuangco telling him. This happened soon after Marcos’ Defense Secretary and military aides had withdrawn their support for Marcos.

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Cuenco admitted he was so tense that he walked into a glass door, smashing his glasses and wounding his forehead.

Nevertheless, he carried out his role as the assigned driver with wife Nancy by his side and the Aquinos and Cojuangco in the back seat of a new red sedan owned by Cebu businessman Lito Osmeña.

At Peping Cojuangco’s request, nobody else knew where they were  going.

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In the morning, US Consul Blaine Porter visited the monastery.  He confirmed that her security was at risk but Aquino insisted on returning to Manila where the People Power Revolt was unfolding.

“He offered to send Cory back to Manila on a submarine. She declined and went ahead with her plans to return on a private plane of the Ayalas,” Cuenco recalled.

On the morning of Feb. 25, or four days after the Edsa Revolution broke out, Corazon Aquino was sworn in as the first woman president by the late chief justice Claudio Teehanke in simple rites at the Club Filipino in Greenhills. Correspondent Michelle Joy L. Padayhag

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it seems like only yesterday...

i was at that rally at fuente osmeña... too many foreign correspondents, i thought.  this must be very important.  the last time i saw that many foreign correspondents was during the papal visit.  then i chanced upon a young military intelligence officer, a boholano, in civilian clothes taking the whole thing in.  oh, well, he was just doing his job.  he's now in the u.s. and is quite active in a boholano organization. 

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