D: You had to hire lawyers?
L: Yes, but later on when FLAG became active (in 1989-90), they took over my defense. But prior to that, for example, when Judy and I were arrested, we (our families) had to get lawyers on our own. Our families had to hire them.
D: So your families bore that burden?
L: Yes, they carried the heavy burden. Since 1990 I was a student, graduating in 1995. That was the time when the debates were fierce.
D: Between RA and RJ? You were RA?
L: Yes. According to military files, I was RJ. [Laughs.] Even in the past I’d declared my opposition to left adventurism, but I’ve associated with reaffirmists. The irony is that in the military files I’m supposed to be RJ. How they got that confused, I do not know. [Laughs.]
D: This label “Commander Posa.” You became a legend, didn’t you? Do you think that had an effect on women then, especially since you were in Makibaka? Does this have an effect on women today?
L: [Laughs.] This is only my impression, and I can’t really say for sure because I’m not that involved in work with women at the moment. My impression is that in UP and in other circles around here, if they need someone brave to speak up…whenever they need to call on someone they consider “courageous” [laughs] to speak, they invite me. I have opportunities to speak to various sectors like women, the urban poor, and peasants. I’m not sure [long pause], but probably people’s initial impression is what they’d heard about me. Maybe once they see me, they realize that the myth of Commander Posa is hard to believe. [Laughs.]
You see, the women who up to now have remained legends in Iloilo are the combatants; for example, Teresa Magbanua, Waling-Waling.
D: But that was an earlier era. For the current period, it’s you.
L: But as for women like myself, maybe the people can see for themselves that we’re not really capable or up to that. [Laughs.] Maybe it’s just a matter of durability, that I spent more years of my life inside the movement than outside.
I joined at age 16, and now I’m 44. So the greater part of my life has been in the movement. Even in my family that’s the same impression. In the beginning they were just tolerating my participation in the movement because they couldn’t do much else. They couldn’t convince me to quit. They were simply waiting for the time that I’d tire myself out. But in time I think they began to see that since I remained resolute, maybe that drew even just empathy with the cause. My guess is that if I weakened, the effect on them would have been different.
So maybe that’s the same effect on other people. It’s probably not so much the “legend” they’ve heard about, but what they see in you, that you still keep on going. Recently the military arrested Cabales. They were “warrant hopping.” The warrant they used didn’t have his name until the third warrant.
Since I’m with Selda and Kapatid, of course we want to help. The news came out that since “Commander” visited, therefore Cabales must also be a Commander! I told them that’s not fair to blemish or mar an innocent visit that way.
D: Why was Cabales arrested?
L: We can’t understand why, because he’s often here. They filed a habeas corpus charge against him but they couldn’t present any substantive charge. After him, they arrested two members of RPA (an RJ group). RPA lately has had many cases of highway robbery because the military has been hot on their case. But what we notice is that the military is picking up on arrests. Over the radio we’ve heard that there’s an RPA organizer who’s been in jail for two weeks. This is after the highway robbery in Kalibo.
As for Reaffirm…that Cabales arrest has no basis whatsoever.
D: Are things getting hot again?
