MEMOIRS OF AN ’85 BATCHMATE

 By Judge Divinagracia “Princess” G. Bustos-Ongkeko

UP LAW, Class of 1985

  

We graduated in 1985, one year before EDSA, where then housewife, Mrs. Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino rose to become one of the most popular and beloved Presidents of the Republic of the Philippines, propelled by the peaceful EDSA People Power Revolution.   Proudly, we from the UP College of Law were very much a part of the EDSA People Power.   Most us from the Batch of 1985 were in our early to mid twenties then. Most of us were studying for the September bar examinations.  

During the EDSA Revolution, I was living alone at our home in Cubao, Quezon City.  I was born late in life to an elderly couple:  a menopause baby and only child.   Both my parents were gone during EDSA.  They both died before I could graduate from law school.  I thank God that I was even able to graduate with my dearest Batch.

When the normal law school load was around 15 to 18 units per semester, I remember that I had actually enrolled in 27 law school units during my last semester at UP LAW to catch up with Batch 85 and be able make up for the units I could not take when I was busy taking care of my dying parents.

  My mother was a dentist who had breast cancer ever since I was a child, but fortunately, her cancer went into remission for many years.   I was still in school when my father, a practicing lawyer, had a debilitating stroke and was bedridden for some time.   Mama and I took turns taking care of him, but he passed away not long after his stroke.  Mama’s cancer eventually metastasized and she died soon after Papa.   I was not exactly living alone by choice.  

My house was (and still is, yes I still live there today with my darling hubby of twenty two years and our four fantastic teenagers) only three streets away from Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue in Cubao, Quezon City.    At the start of the EDSA revolution, I decided to lock up my house and join the rallies in the streets.   I walked to EDSA by myself, not really knowing what I would see.  During those times, I was especially brave and “astig,” after all, I could not afford to be faint hearted, not in the situation I was in.   I did not expect to see so many of my friends from the UP College of Law at EDSA so soon.   One of the first people I saw at EDSA was Gao Pronove from the Law Student Government.

I asked where the people from the UP College of Law were based.   Nowhere, I was told.  I readily offered my house to be the base of the UP College of Law for the people manning the streets of EDSA, after all, no one was staying there except myself.   I lead my friends as we walked back to my house and boy did they come with me.  

If   memory serves me right,  I remember seeing Sig Fortun, Salma Rasul, Gwen Pimentel, Luigi Gana, Ogie Narvasa, Popoy Pilando, Pope Solis, Jojo Fernandez, J Castro, Jack Racela, Butch Sebastian, Rose Amatong, Cindy Lorenzo, Alma Fernandez, Gabby Roldan, Eric Mallonga, Leman Lagmay, Mon Tinio, Raffy Lucena, Lily Cayabyab, Jane Baculi, Dave Laurel, Steve Salonga, Dot Balasbas, Au Vega, Georgia Ventanilla, Wally Bayhon, Gigi Dizon, Rocky Reyes among the multitudes at my house during the EDSA Revolution.  (Sorry kung hindi ko na matandaan kayong lahat kasi ang dami dami nyo talaga.)  So many people came to my house in droves.  UP LAW Dean Bart Carale was also there.  It was really something.   The Philippine Flag and the Flag of the UP Law Student Government were hoisted in front of my gate.  We called ourselves the UP College of Law Revolutionary Forces.  

At first I did not know how to feed all the people who kept coming in and out of my house to man the barricades at EDSA, White Plains and Libis.   There was a bank holiday then and I had very little money with me.   But you know, food donations from all over just kept on pouring in.    Suddenly I found several sacks of rice delivered to  my doorstep.   So many of us took turns cooking and cleaning the house for the UP LAW revolutionaries. 

Lunchtime would have several boxes of food like pre-packed Lasagna arriving.   I think the Lasagna came from the family of Anton Peralta who was there along with us.  For dinner we all would have steaks from Alfredo’s through the courtesy of Liza Araneta, who was busy helping us clean and the scrub floors with Gwen Pimentel and myself.  At night I put out all the blankets and mats I could find to sleep on.   There were just so many people, so many had to sleep on the floor.

When the Revolution was over, we flocked to the streets rejoicing and singing our hearts out, drinking beer and giving beer away to whoever wanted one.   Finally, we were free.  Finally, our gags were lifted and we could laugh again.   Finally, we had won a peaceful revolution that so many of us had worked for.   And it was all worth it.*****