I once wrote about Justice Romeo Capulong as one of my favorite lawyers. (Ka-Blog! April 2006) I also remember writing I was not really close to him; I just admired him from afar. Serving him coffee or bringing him papers while I was NDF-JS PIO do not count, do they?

     Today, I finally got to know him up close. We are making a tribute video documentary about him and we spent some hours with him and his family.

     He and his partner welcomed us into a humble house they are staying at present. I noticed the many antique furniture inside the house they obviously like to collect. This was confirmed when we were taken to their real home. The house is nowhere near as big as one would be excused to assume a top notch lawyer like Ka Romy would own. But therein are many furniture (mostly second-hand and acquired cheap) that are as beautiful and tasteful as those that could be seen in a palace. (Atty. Capulong had to leave his house because of threats against his life by gloria’s dogs of war.) Molave, apitong, narra, yakal—name all treasured Philippine hardwoods, Ka Romy and wife have them as cabinets, chairs, floors and chests. How I wish we both had time to talk about all of them but we had a video to produce.

     This day is one of the most enjoyable times I have spent with a real celebrity. He took us where he does his morning walks. He prepared us capuccino. He instructed us on his health regimen, including the benefits of drinking wild yellow ginger tea. There is so much to this man than just being the best human rights lawyer this country ever had.

      Two things I like most about being with Ka Romy today.

     For breakfast, the couple took us to the nearest wet market where they do their regular shopping. He said the market is where he feels most acutely the people’s pulse. The market is where he can easily belie the government’s rosy economic forecasts. Atty. Capulong treated us to goto or rice gruel (ten pesos) and lumpia or deep fried veggie wrap (five pesos each). His easy repartee with their suki carinderia, suki fish vendor, suki vegetable vendor and the jueteng kobrador or collector (not suki) say so much about Ka Romy’s humility. They all consider him their friend though they often see him on TV. “Lagi naming napapanood si sir. Sikat na, mabait pa!” they said.

     We talked about Ka Romy’s roots extensively. A shared tenant farmer’s son, he narrated his humble beginnings. But he is aware of his family’s noble history. “Muslim kami, galing sa Tondo. Ninuno namin si Lakan Dula.” (Lakan is a Tagalog and Pampango word for “king.”)

     As my personal tribute to Ka Romy, I researched the following (okey, cribbed from the book “Manila, My Manila”):

 

Before the palefaces arrived in these shores, Metro Manila was of two kingdoms—Maynila and Namayan. The former is where Fort Santiago is now; the latter had its capital where Sta. Ana is now. Namayan’s territories include familiar places—Quiapo, San Miguel, Sampaloc, Santa Mesa, Paco, Pandacan, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati, Pasay, Pateros, Taguig and Parañaque.

     According to Manila historian and National Artist for Literature and Journalism Nick Joaquin, the high point of Namayan history was the marriage, sometime in the 13th century, of Namayan princess (later Empress) Sasaban to Madjapahit Empire crown prince (later Emperor) Soledan (orAnka Widyaya). They ruled Indonesia.

     The imperial couple had a son, Prince Balagtas. Because he was to become King of Namayan, he married Lady Banginoan. Banginoan was the daughter of Lord Lontok and Lady Kalangitan, princess of Pasig. Her grandfather was Archduke Araw.

     One of King Balagtas’ descendants was Lakan Takhan who had a bastard son named Pasay. Takhan bequeathed to his son the kingdom we now know as Pasay City.

     After Takhan, Namayan was ruled by his son Palaba, who was in turn succeeded by his son Laboy. Laboy was succeeded on the throne by his son Kalamayin. It was Kalamayin’s sad fortune to be the sovereign when the palefaces arrived. When Kalamayin’s son was baptized a Christian, prince Martin, the Kingdom of Namayan was no more.

     The Kings of Maynila, Tondo, Namayan and others were originally Borneans. It was therefore natural for them to embrace Islam as their religion.

    As an aside, Joaquin wrote about El Kapitan Juan de Salcedo falling in love with a local Princess—the Lady Candarapa. Salcedo was Legazpi’s nephew while Candarapa was Lakan Dula’s niece. Both Legazpi and Lakan Dula frustrated the love affair. Salcedo was sent to conquer Ilocandia; Candarapa died three months after her lover sailed north. Salcedo christianized the Ilocos and the Cagayan Valley regions; Candarapa gave us the word that means “hopeslessly in love.” (Shades of Captain Smith and Pocahontas and Romeo and Juliet.)

    From the seeds of King Balagtas sprang such Tagalog-Pampango dynasties as the Soliman, the Lakandola, the Gatbonton, the Gatchalian, the Gatmaitan, the Gatdula, the Malang and the Kapulong or today’s Capulong. In fact, in later times, if a person has distinguished himself, his name is preceded by a “Gat” like Rizal and Bonifacio.

     It should be remembered that Rajah Soliman, along with his uncle, Rajah Matanda (Rajah Laya), Lakan Dula, and the great Lakan Macabebe from Pampanga were the brave kings who fought Legazpi in the battle off Bangkusay in Tondo. They lost, Lakan Macabebe killed. But there were lost battles that inspired wars of liberation at some later date (Alamo, Texas; Moncada, Cuba; Tet Offensive, Vietnam).

 

Five hundred years later, one of these kings’ descendants fights his battles and wars defending the Filipino. His name is Romeo T. Capulong.

 

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1-23-2007

I stared at the TV unbelieving—Niel Tupas Jr flying and sprawling to the floor, being mauled by the police. While his body guards tried to protect him, armalite rifles were aimed at him like he was a nobody.

     Niel is Jun-jun to family, friends and constituents. Namesake of his controversial father, Iloilo governor Niel Tupas Sr., he is a provincial board member of Iloilo. He is a lawyer, an Ateneo Law school grad. Had his undergrad at the UP but was a freshman at San Beda. Everyone thinks he is being groomed to carry on their political dynasty. Why not? So what if it’s unconstitutional? In this banana republic, other political families do it all the time. At least, Niel is not another dumb Atenean in the mold of dato arroyo who’s running for congressman of Camarines Sur!

     Back in 1988, San Beda freshman APL class was arranged alphabetically during the first day of school. I found myself seated beside this bearded teenager who wore tight fitting designer shirt, jeans and sneakers. We were college freshmen who had to endure the elementary school “procedure” of introducing ourselves to the entire class. I would never forget how Niel introduced himself. “Niel Tupas JR. Tupas with an ‘s’. From Iloilo.” He expelled the name “Niel Tupas JR” from his chest like it wasn’t his own. I also wondered why he had to emphasize Tupas was spelled with an “s”.

     I came to know why a couple of weeks later. Niel emphasized the “JR” because the “Sr” was and is somebody in Iloilo. Congressman pala noon si Papa. I also found out there is a surname spelled “Tupaz”, with a “z” (presumably not family and not well-known or well-off).

     Although the entire class became tightly knit after some time, it can’t be help that we had closer friends. Mine was fellow Ybanag Gilbert Mendoza who became corps commander of the ROTC in our senior year. I did not know if Niel had any. I did not dare become his. He always had a bodyguard with him. Besides, he really did not mingle much with us. His favorite hang out was the library, making sure he had good grades to be able to transfer to the UP on his sophomore year. (Actually, I do not now understand why transferring to UP was and still is a big deal. I also had a taste of UP and Ateneo [and a sprinkling of Paulinian–gasp!] education and I saw no gaping difference. My wife would say, kasi DLSU-di lumusot sa Upcat-so they took the only route left.)

     Next thing I heard of Niel was when I read his engagement on the papers’ society pages. I also learned he is a lawyer and a budding politician in old Iloilo. When CERV was in the province, I planned on paying him a visit and proposing a partnership with the provincial government. I somehow failed to do it until events overtook us.

     Then the TV clips of the police assault and the subsequent interviews. He told off interior secretary Ronaldo Puno with righteous anger. And being the lawyer and politician he is, Niel’s vitriol was laced with legalese and politicese (is this even a word?).

     Here is an unsolicited advice to my former classmate:

     Niel, p’re, the entire country already knows your father’s dismissal by the Ombudsman is gloria’s payback for Niel Sr’s support of the 2005 impeachment complaint. Cease being a lawyer all the time when you want bigger public empathy to your cause. Stop belaboring this point. If you keep on blabbering about the legality of your father’s hold on to power, the government will just come out with its own interpretation of the law. In a country like ours, it is never about the law. It is always about who is in power.

     Rather, the bigger and more damning accusation against gloria is her wanton violation of the people’s human rights. The Ombudsman’s order is no longer the bigger issue. The assault is. It is not about who is governor. It is about you and your fellow Ilonggo’s human rights being violated. That’s the issue that will turn you from a being a simple lawyer and politician to a public defender. That’s the issue that will ensure that you do not only have legal power on your side but, more importantly, people power.

       If police brutality and state repression could be perpetrated against a Tupas with an “s”, chances are it can even be more brutal and repressive against a Tupaz with a “z”.

      Welcome to this end of the police stick and gloria’s armalite rifle.

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1-18-2007

 

First off the block in the race to submit certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections were the usual, uhm, suspects.  Unlike racehorses though, they have rounded the mental bend long before the first day of filing of certificates.

If the elections are held today and I am left with no choice but these “gentlemen”, the first on my ballot would be Daniel Magtira.  He has after all submitted an impressive bio-data.  According to him, he is married to former presidential daughter, actor and talk and game show host Kris Aquino and is nominated by Rep. Imee Marcos and Boy Abunda.  And I guess being an “automative electronic Pinoy rock singer composer” carries a lot of weight in these parts.  He even brought a guitar with him.

Second on my ballot would be Rummel Pinera, a “small businessman” from Laguna who in his interview sounded like he made half a sense.  He said this country is rotting and something must be done with it.  So he runs for the Senate and betrays his mental state.

Theodore Aquino is a waste management engineer based in the US.  His years dealing with American crap may have gotten to his head though.  His candidacy is his way of fulfilling his promise to his uncle Ninoy Aquino, he said.  I am not surprised.  The dead vote in the Philippines, don’t you know?

I would never vote for Atty. Oliver Lozano.  This guy admitted he forestalled the impeachment complaint against gloria in 2005.  He even asked executive secretary Eduardo Ermita to include him in the adminstration’s line-up because of “services” rendered for Malacañang.  Nagkabukuhan na.   The Palace is not beyond using crackpots just to save gloria’s hide!

These early birds may be comic relief to some.  But one thing can be said about them—they sure have the right idea about the Comelec, this country’s electoral system and of the institution they want to become members.

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1-15-2007

 

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQrK2aEYv8U

 

No to gloria’s cha-cha!