A Lawyer and
Martial Law: Been There and Back Again
He was vice mayor of
Cebu and a human rights lawyer when arrested and detained for three months
in 1972. He pursued human rights lawyering even after his release. Thirty
four years hence and three kids later, he feels that human rights work is
as urgent today under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration as it was before
because he said, “Its 1972 once more.”
BY KAREN PAPELLERO
Bulatlat
September 23, 1972
became Black Saturday for Democrito “Mokring” Barcenas, vice mayor of Cebu
and human rights (HR) lawyer, and his family when a truckload of
Philippine Constabulary (PC) soldiers stood waiting for him in his house
in Carcar, Cebu.
“When PP 1081 was
proclaimed on a Thursday, I only rushed home for the weekend that Saturday
afternoon. And there they were, waiting to take me,” he vividly recalled.
He was then
immediately arrested without warrant and taken to Camp Sergio Osmeña in
Cebu City, an hour or so ride from Carcar. Upon arrival at the police
camp, he found company in the scores of student activists and labor
leaders who were also arrested.
He was the only
elected public official in Cebu who was arrested, he later found out.
Dedicated human
rights lawyer and public servant
Even before Martial
Law was declared, the fire of activism has swept throughout the country.
Demonstrations and rallies against abuses of the Marcos government and the
military were common fare. Common fare, too, were the violence and
face-offs between elements of the Philippine Constabulary (PC) and
demonstrators.
It was not uncommon
then for Mokring as a young lawyer to become defender and counsel for
student leaders facing expulsion from universities, demonstrators charged
with illegal assembly under the No Permit, No Rally law and labor leaders
who were being arrested for staging massive strikes and organizing
pickets. He also stood in behalf of victims of police brutality and those
charged with subversion cases.
He also became a
member of the Movement for the Advancement of Nationalism (MAN), founded
in 1967, which inculcated nationalism and promoted love of country and
aims to protect the country against the encroachment of American
colonialism.
As vice-mayor of
Carcar belonging to the opposition party, he was also a vocal critic of
the administration and the military abuses happening in his town.
The military branded
him as a leftist or a sympathizer of the Left, at the least.
Three months of
detention
For three months in
Camp Sergio Osmeña, he was subjected to different forms of psychological
torture. Along with fellow detainees, the young Meinrado Paredes (who is
now Judge M. Paredes of the Regional Trial Court 7) and Cebuano historian
and professor, Resil Mojares, they were threatened to be exiled and “sent
to Corregidor anytime” where nobody will be able to visit them. They were
also told that charges of subversion were filed against them in the
military tribunal.
“Those were sleepless
nights. I had only my wife’s visits to console me since my friends and
colleagues were afraid to visit me, lest they be arrested too. My wife had
to commute everyday from Carcar to visit,” he shared.
He finally got out of
the police camp after three months, two days before Christmas, under
conditional release. The conditions being he had to report every two weeks
to the military camp; he was prohibited from issuing press releases or
giving interviews; and he was not allowed to leave the province without a
permit from the military. No charges were filed against him.
“Now, I know how
it feels…”
When asked what he
felt after the incident, he said, “ Now, I know how it feels to be
arrested and detained without knowing exactly why but knowing fully that
you did not do anything wrong other than standing up for your beliefs.”
His experience may
have caused his family troubles but nevertheless, it strengthened his
resolve to keep on working for the defense of human rights. Having
experienced the brutality of prison, he can now truly feel for the victims
of human rights violations.
It did not also
affect his profession. According to him, “I went to prison because of my
beliefs. I did not go there because I did something wrong. Now, that’s
something.”
History’s encore:
political repression and killings under the Arroyo administration
Now, 34 years and
three more kids later, Mokring is still very active in human rights work.
He never refuses invitations to speak at forums and gatherings regarding
threats on civil liberties and human rights. A FLAG member since 1980, he
is still an active HR lawyer.
As a former president
of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Cebu City Chapter and a current
member of its Board of Directors, he lends influence and credibility to
campaigns on human right issues such as the “vigilante” killings and cases
of political repression in Cebu.
He is also a convenor
of anti-Arroyo groups such as the Gloria Step down Movement (GSM) and the
Concerned Cebuanos Against Gloria (CCAG) and joins protests whenever he
can.
“It’s déjà vu.
History is redundant, in a dangerous way. There are signs that GMA is
going to perpetuate herself in power and does not hesitate to resort to
draconian measures such as the PD 1017 issued last February. Since it is
not easy for her to declare Martial Law due to the restrictions in the
1987 Constitution, she has to find more cunning ways to do what Marcos
did. It’s 1972 once more,” he said. Bulatlat
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