Like Family
SINGLES by Karenina Yaptinchay
Manila Standard, P. B13, 21 January 2001

Once again, we have shown the world that united the Filipino people can change the course of history. Never again must we allow anyone to trample upon our rights!

"Lord, kunin mo na sila!" my friend Bum yelled at the top of his voice at the police barricade just outside the Senate grounds.

On Tuesday night, while still in a meeting, my colleagues and I received numerous text messages and calls about the resignation of Aquilino Pimentel Jr. as Senate President. We were all shocked and hurriedly left the meeting to catch it on TV. I felt bad I missed what happened and had to rely on the replays on the news and analysis. My stomach turned inside out when I heard the news. I tried to hide my tears upon seeing Senator Loren Legarda, reduced to tears, as she hugged Senator Pimentel. It became difficult for me to breathe or even utter a single word.

When I finally got to courage to say something, only two words came out of my mouth and these words were words that every mother would hate to hear, especially if directed to her. I started texting the same two words to all my friends who I think would care. The text message flow never stopped. A real killer was "Kung makikita mong nalulunod si Tessie Oreta at may choice ka sa dalawa, ano ang pipiliin mo? Manonood ka ng sine o kakain ka sa Jollibee?" (When you see Tessie Oreta, what will you do? Watch a movie or eat at Jollibee?)

We then decided to go to the Senate, honking the car horn along the way, only to find out that the roads to the public building was sealed off by cops.

Through the cellphone, friends constantly kept me abreast on the events unfolding at Edsa. The people gathered in front of the Film Center apparently all got the same message that Cory and Cardinal Sin were asking people to go to the Edsa Shrine. So we proceeded to Ortigas, honking all the way to the tune of "Erap resign! Erap resign!" All the other cars were also doing so.

When we arrived, we saw more people. They multiplied by the minute.

In the commotion, we were caught by surprise that the Archbishop of Manila was only seven feet away from us celebrating the Holy Eucharist near the sidewalk. There was no microphone so we could not hear anything. But we would shout out the responses, "Lord, hear our prayer!" Senator Raul Roco and Senator Franklin Drilon stood beside Cardinal Sin.

Sonia Roco was behind us with the rest of the Roco family. I also spotted near us Congressman Roilo Golez, former Finance Secretary Ramon del Rosario, model Tweety de Leon-Gonzalez as well as artists Jim Paredes, Mitch Valdes, Lea Navarro, and John Lesaca. I also saw Atty. Katrina Legarda, Randy David, Senator Tito Guingona, former House Speaker Manny Villar, former Bureau of Internal Revenues Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, former Congressman Peping Conjuangco and Hernani Perez.

I was amazed at the show of force displayed by thousands of disappointed Filipinos, who quickly made their impromptu posters and display streamers to show their dismay at impeachment moro-moro!

Nobody cared what the crowd was yelling, no matter how so unbecoming the chants sounded, so long as it expressed how they truly felt. As the crowd harmoniously chanted "MIRIAM, BALIW!" or "TESSIE, AMPON!", I felt I was with my brothers and sisters, those who truly cared about the nation and those who knew that gathering here was the only was to get the message through the thick skulls of those in power. And we acted like a family that shared the same beliefs, united against one common enemy.

No one was forced me to race to EDSA that night. By going there, I am not supporting anyone's political career or trying to destroy another's.

I know this article today does not talk about a single person's life but it does talk about how I, a single person, reacted to events that recently affected the country. There are indeed more important things to write about than the issues surrounding the life of a single person.

But being single sometimes also has benefits in these events. First, you can afford to just go to wherever you want to go without asking for anyone's permission. You don't have to worry about anybody else's safety but your own. And, you get the opportunity to see your old flames or spot cute guys in a crowd, and, if you get lucky, you even get the chance to meet, exchange smiles, or talk to them.

But I can’t finishing this article without saying two words I had been dying to tell the whole world: Ang kapaaaaaaaaal! All's well that ends well. Who would have thought what started last Tuesday on the street would end in less than four days? The new president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has much to do. But that's another story.

Comments? E-mail me at [email protected].