Let me share to you an email to miss vangie telling the story of what happened to our fellow lasallians from cavite who were on their way to makati to join the interfaith rally for truth, justice, and reform.

Dear Pinsan,

Good morning!

Yesterday, though we did not reach Makati, still we considered ourselves part of that Interfaith Gathering in Makati. We were harassed by the policemen who, with their delaying tactics, stopped our two buses three times, one in Molino road, one in crossing going to Daang Hari and finally at crossing SM Bacoor. What they did was really a systematic and well planned strategy to stop us from going to Makati. The policemen asked for the licenses of our drivers and car registrations. We were the only ones being "held" for no reason at all. Br. Mario Dacanay who was with us asked the policemen why they were holding us, but the policemen replied that they did not hold us but just checking the licenses and car registrations. After many minutes of negotiation, Br. Mario clarified what our traffic violation was, but they said, we had no violation. Yet it took them almost an hour of holding us in that intersection to Daang Hari. One of our faculty members was informed that Camp Crame had a directive to stop all vehicles going to Makati. You see, how cunning this government is! They will do everything , including the guise of what they call traffic standard operating procedure, to stop people to do their civil and Christian rights:  to pray and to know the truth. What we did was we urged the passing by vehicles to blow their horns which they did. To our delight, we were allowed to pass not through Daang Hari but through that bumpy, rough and narrow road going back to Aguinaldo highway.

Aguinaldo Highway being the main thoroughfare and National road in Cavite was in heavy traffic. When we arrived crossing SM Bacoor, to our amazement, a lone policeman stopped us, again asking for licenses of our drivers and car registrations. He was just doing his job, he told our negotiators. What a pity....

When we were given the go signal, traffic became heavier. We learned from the passing vehicles from the opposite side that there were two fire trucks blocking in front of St. Dominic's Hospital with military men in full battle gear and some policemen. Private and public vehicles were asked to make a u-turn going back where they came from. If ever a vehicle was allowed to pass, it would take 15 minutes, with the policemen pretending to check the car registration and the driver's license.

But the most fearful part of our 'journey' was an FX which tried to harass us by blocking our buses. 'Panggigitgit' is the term we use as drivers. Without fear of being bumped by our big buses, the FX would block our way. Peaceful as we were, we ignored that FX but emotions flared up. One of our drivers walked down toward the FX driver, an act which all of us feared. We knew we were identified, but that FX driver was anonymous. Many of our faculty and admin went down to stop our driver for fear that the FX driver might have a gun and his lone companion, too. We decided to turn around and planned to hold our prayer rally at Imus Cathedral. The FX turned around, too, and followed us... The other bus ahead of us was blocked by an armoured car and was not allowed to go to the Cathedral. So, we decided to go back to DLSU-D and held our discussion and prayer in front of our Chapel.

We knew our effort was not in vain for we were part of that mammoth crowd in Makati. We were part and one with those who were denied of our right to free assembly. We were in unity with those who wanted the TRUTH to come out yet were refused to be given the right of way of the road we supposedly paid with our taxes.

You know, Pinsan, the only sad part of our happy experience yesterday is the fact that we were only two buses going to Makati. But hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people seemed to ignore what we are fighting for. It is really true what a quotation says: "Evil prospers in our society because good people are tired of doing good while bad people are aggressive in doing evil things/acts". But maybe, our presence in the road will help those people, who saw us and who knew what we were doing, to re-think and reflect on what's happening in our society. We hope that they will be enlightened and encouraged by our persistence that even if we were stopped we still tried our best to be part of another unfolding pages of our history.

The students with us were really mad and angry. Our hope is that they will divert their energy in doing what is good for themselves, for others and for our country. We hope that, though they were only few who had this first-hand experience of oppression and suppression of their rights, they will inspire others by telling their own stories to their fellow students, to their parents and other members of their households and communities where they belong. And for our part as educators, we will use our voices in the classrooms, our pens in our researches, in our talks and conferences how evil works in various manners. But in the end, truth will come out and justice will prevail. If evil lurks in darkness and lias, we know that the light of truth will triumph and brighten up our ways towards just, true, peaceful and honest society.

God bless the Philippines!

Thanks Pinsan. Medyo napahaba ang sulat ko sa yo! Kakainis na kasi. Isa nga pala sa mga police na humarang sa amin ay dating scholar ng DLSU-D. Nakakahiya man, pero eto ang katotohanan na hinaharap natin. Pero, naniniwala kami na meron pang mga natitirang matitino diyan. Kasi yong isa sa mga pulis na inimbitahan ng isang faculty na sumama ay medyo natinag at ang wika- "Oo nga, bakit di tayo sumama sa kanila?"

In Christ and in St. La Salle,

Pinsan

A glimpse of what the government will resort to when the people decide to fight for truth, justice and reform.