Carlo's Site

Five years ago, at the night of my birthday on January 16, 2001,
my friends and I walked to Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, in
front of the Ateneo.  NO, we weren't there to celebrate our UAAP
basketball championship over La Salle -- we were still one year
away from it.

That night, class mates and friends were spreading text messages
that we hold demonstrations in front of the campus to show our
dismay to what has happened at the impeachment trial of then
President Joseph "Erap" Estrada hours before -- senators from the
administration, who held the majority, voted in favor of hiding
evidence against Mr. Estrada.  We all agreed that the impeachment
trial of the multi-billion peso plunder charge against the former
actor was a sham, as the senator-judges would just vote to acquit
Mr. Estrada.

After we had eaten the cake and other food that mom had bought me
for my birthday, we had agreed that we'd go to Katipunan for
billiards.  But we decided to join the protest.

We were at Katipunan when I noticed then-congressman Michael
Defensor.  I did vote and campaigned for this guy when he ran,
but lost, for senator in 2007.  I would vote for him -- he 
performed outstandingly as current president Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo's secretary of housing -- for president should he run in
the future.

When a contingent from our neighbor school University of the
Philippines-Diliman came, Mr. Defensor prodded us into marching
towards the streets of EDSA.  With my schoolmates and close
friends Mark Ernest Dizon and John Paul Dujon, we agreed to walk
to EDSA which I think was at least eight kilometers away.  Past
12 midnight, we were shouting "Erap Resign!" or "Patalsikin si
Erap" while walking at Aurora avenue then towards EDSA shrine.

For two or three days everyday and every night, we had joined the
anti-Erap rallies at EDSA shrine.  I did bring some placards
insulting the pro-Erap senators with me like "Ramon Revilla May
Agimat, Walang Bayag"; "Jaworski No Balls"; "Micropono ni Oreta
Kinain ni Osmenya," among others.  

The Ateneo was clearly anti-Estrada as the school allowed us to
skip classes and offered buses for EDSA.  Though ERAP, did study
in Ateneo in grade school or high school, we had hated him for
accepting money from illegal gambling, and stealing money from
the government's coffers, among others.

We felt the goosebumps and felt victorious on January 21 or 22
when ERAP resigned and then vice-president GMA was sworn into
office to succeed ERAP.  But then we never felt contented as ERAP
and his mistresses have kept the billions pesos, and he still had
the Filipino people to answer to.

Real victory came when the Sandiganbayan Special Division found
him today as guilty of the crime of plunder and sentenced him to
reclusion perpetua or 40 years in prison.

My grandparents had shared their stories about joining the fight
against the Japanese during World War II.  My parents had told me
about how they fought against Martial Law and the dictatorship of
Ferdinand Marcos (Dad was sent to prison during that time).  At
least now, we have our own stories to share.  =)