Saturday, June 30, 2007 Libre: Bomb scare and an oratorical piece By Mel Libre Seriously Now
IN the aftermath of 9/11, airport seCurity was overhauled. Thus, when Marcelo Galang joked that he had a bomb in his bag while onboard Cebu Pacific, nobody laughed. Instead, the joke caused panic and stress among the passengers. Now the airline company has charged Galang for violation of Presidential Decree 1727. Galang will face five years’ imprisonment or will be fined P40,000, or get both should he be found guilty by the court.
Galang’s line, “There is a bomb in my bag,” reminds me of an oratorical piece I was to deliver in the “Voice of Democracy” contest in the last quarter of 1972. As a senior student in Abellana National School, I signed up for the selection of the school’s representative to the annual competition, which was sponsored by the Jaycees.
It was a long shot, actually, as most of the aspirants belonged to Section 1’s crème of the crop while I was from Section 2. I delivered a narrative before the screening committee about my most unusual experience that summer when I saw a green cloud that looked like an eye in the sky. I was surprised of the outcome because the committee picked me to be the school’s contestant.
I was given the difficult task of writing the piece to be delivered. I did try to my best, having been trained in journalism by Mr. Echica, the adviser of the official school organ, Light of Lapulapu. I gave the draft to my father, Angel Jr., who in turn asked his kumpare, Jess Vestil, who was manager of ABS-CBN at that time, to critique what I composed. I cannot recall most of the speech’s contents, but one of Vestil’s contributions is still etched in my mind. The line was, “There is a bomb in one of the seats of this auditorium!”
I thought it would catch the attention of the audience and the judges. With proper phrasing and a worried facial expression, I could bring instant fear on the listeners. But that also required a well-timed caveat: “That bomb is the precarious situation that threatens our country today.”
The succeeding paragraphs touched on the violent demonstrations by student activists, the attacks by the New People’s Army, the expose of Constitutional Convention member Eduardo Quintero, the bombing of Plaza Miranda and rumors that then president Marcos would declare Martial Law. It was not difficult for a 15-year old youth like me to talk about these, as our family had a weekly subscription of the Philippine Free Press.
I rehearsed my piece over and over again as the contest date neared. I delivered it before my mother, Milagros, as well as before some of the teachers in the school. Nobody remembers, though, how I fared in the competition. Why? I did not go to the contest, not because I didn’t want to. The contest was overtaken events.
Marcos did declare Martial Law on Sept. 21, 1972. He closed media companies that were critical of him, detained those opposed to his rule and ushered in a “New Society.” Since people were not allowed to meet in groups during the early days of military rule, it was improbable to have a “Voice of Democracy” competition when democracy had just been murdered.
While Galang said his line as a joke, I would have delivered mine with much seriousness. In both instances, the effect would be the same. Listeners would feel uncomfortable, stressed out, if not angry.
The “bomb joker” will not forget this episode in his life, especially if the court finds him guilty. For my part, I may have forgotten most of the words in my “bomb” speech, but thinking about it, I can deliver it again today with but few changes. The Philippines now has almost the same problems like the country had thirty five years ago.
