FIRST PERSON: A night field op, dirty magazines, and a hug from a pretty journalist 

Story A
 

I was still in the private sector selling shrimp feed, a month before being asked to join the Cory government in June 1989. In one selling sortie to Negros where the big-time prawn growers were, the town of Tolong on the Oriental side was included in my itinerary. That's where my story took place.

 

At the sugar central owned by the Teves family was a company of PC-SAF (then commanded by Lt. Col. Sonny Razon), led by Capt. Noli Taliño. I think his Intel staff officer then was Lt. Benigno Durana. In this trip, I was tipped off that Capt. Talino would invite me to a field op, so I was mentally prepared for it.

 

My sales manager, Jun Alayon, and I were busy selling when a team from SAF came over to inform me that I was invited to a "party" that night. At the end of the selling mission that day, I proceeded to the company's hqs. where a briefing shortly took place. We had a spartan dinner and then lights out at 2000H to catch some rest.

 

By that time all weapons were cleaned and oiled; combat loads issued; all communications equipment were working, and extra batteries were fully charged. At 1130H we rose and prepared for the party. I had a black BDU and floppy hat, and blackened my face. Said a prayer for our safety and success of the mission.

 

The target was an NPA base camp in the mountains of Siaton. Jump off was 0001H. The raiding party would convoy to a rendezvous point. Once there, the party would be split into two - the main effort and the blocking force. The main effort would go on foot led by two scouts, and the blocking force led by the mayor would proceed in their vehicles to designated points. 

 

I was assigned to the mayor's vehicle. At our designated blocking site, we caught more shuteye except for the sentries who stood guard at various vantage points. A fat bodyguard of the mayor was snoring viciously, and told the mayor that his man was a natural early warning system for the NPA. He smiled and kicked his guy so hard that he kept silent the rest of the time.

 

By 0700H the main effort, a reinforced platoon led by Capt. Taliño began canalizing the base camp from their perch above. It took about 30 minutes of directed fire around the enemy to force the squad-sized cadres to surrender the base camp situated at the foot of two mountains. 

 

A stream ran through it. There was a rice paddy, some carabaos, and huts for quartering, lecturing and medical treatment. Their captured lookout points had a good 360 view of its surroundings, the lowland and the sea. I made a mental note that NPA knew how to pick the best tourist spots and could make lots of money guiding tourists around.

 

By 0900H all the NPAs were arrested, the camp was taken over, and we began the descent back to our line of departure. SAF contacted Jun to be there. When I alighted from the mayor's vehicle, he didn't recognize me as I was dressed in black fatigues, armed with a rifle and still had my other gear on. He thought I was an American that was part of the operation. Even the regional commander, then Chief Superintendent Dick de Leon who arrived in a chopper, thought that I was an American soldier.

 

There were handshakes, pats on the back and smiles all over. I asked for an escort to ensure I reached Dumaguete's airport on time in one piece for the flight back to Manila. It was June 10, my first born's birthday and I couldn't miss her party or there would be hell to pay. I arrived in Manila with time to spare. My family had no idea what I did and this is probably the first time if they read this, after more than 20 years, that they’ll get to know what happened.

 

I always thank the Good Lord for that successful mission and zero loss of life to either side. I also pray for the day that our collective efforts to restore ethics, morals and social justice would erase armed conflict from our lives.

 

Story B
 

The first combat outpost I visited to boost the morale of the troops was located at the forward edge of the battlefield, so to speak, in the Cordilleras. If I recall correctly it was Bugias, the site of repeated firefights between the PNP's mobile forces and the NPA. Although the town's women put their foot down and brought both sides to a "bodong" or ceasefire that they held in trust, danger lurked from tensions ready to erupt in violence any time.

 

I brought with me new boots, uniforms, equipment replacements, food and water supplies, AM-FM radios and magazines that were aboard two Huey helicopters. Field trips always required that two choppers help each other in case of trouble. Considering that we were flying over battlegrounds, our machine gunners on both Hueys were at the ready, as with my security detail.

 

If my memory serves me right, then Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr., OIS-OSEC head, was with me, as well as then Major Rommel Gomez SFR(A), who hitched a ride and jumped out over Benguet or Mt. Province to parachute down to his village. Best way to travel I thought. We refueled in Loakan airport in Baguio before moving on to our landing zone.

 

Upon landing I was met by the women who held the "bodong." I praised them for their commitment to peace and sought their views on how to resolve the lingering problem of insurgency in their area, which was being complicated by in-fighting within the NPA for power and money. After that, I met the officers and men stationed in Bugias, about 60 of them, to give them a pep talk before distributing the sought after goodies.

 

When I got to distribute the reading materials, I noted that these were the local pornographic magazines one finds being sold at the entrance of the domestic airport. I shot a hard look at the officer who was holding the magazines and whispered from the side of my mouth WTF I was holding. He whispered back that they couldn't find any decent magazine being sold at the bangketa so they just grabbed what was available. 

 

Caught in a tight bind, I recalled what Brother Andrew Gonzales, FSC, once taught us in school: "When you're thrust on stage, or in a tough situation, without warning, just perform!" So, I got one magazine and waved it at the men. I told them that we were distributing magazines that were destroying the morals of society and that they had better know what to confiscate when they saw those being sold in public. "Do you understand?" I yelled.

 

They instantly responded with a loud, "Sir, YESSIR!" I swear, I never saw happier faces than on that day. And I don't recall reading reports of renewed violence in Bugias afterwards either. Probably those magazines found their way to the other side that kept them busy doing other things.

 

If there's a lesson to be derived here, it's that shared benefits could turn fluid situations into peaceful outcomes!

 

Story C
 

On my way back to Zamboanga City from Ipil, the day after it was attacked by jihadists that inflicted about a hundred casualties, burned the public market and ransacked the business center, the Huey helicopter I was on and its escort was fired upon from the ground by fleeing attackers hotly pursued by army and police elements.

 

I was at the open right side of the Huey. Aboard were my security team from the PNP-SAF (others were in the second chopper), and a TV crew from Ch9 led by the very pretty and daring Cielo Villaluna. Suddenly, my headphones crackled as the pilot, Major Banjun Genuino, informed me that we were being fired upon. I looked out my side and saw tracers coming our way but we were too high to get hit.

 

Maj. Genuino requested permission to return fire and provide close support for our troops. I gave the go-ahead and, soon, four (4) .30 cal. machine guns from the 2 choppers opened fire. That startled Ms. Villaluna who promptly hugged me for safety and security. Worried that the unexpected could happen and force a landing, I ordered my security team to ready their weapons just in case.

 

I did the same as I carried my own weapons whenever we went to the field and ventured into danger zones. In a tight fix, every man counted. When Ms. Villaluna saw the preparations the more she hugged me in fright. Then Maj. Genuino asked for my orders as his firing sortie was done. Given my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity amidst adversity, I asked him to attack a second time and, like manna from heaven, got hugged tightly once more.

 

I tried hard to put on a straight face while my security team had wide grins on theirs. Ms. Villaluna caught on and said that was very naughty of me, but all in good, clean fun. We all had a big laugh and went on to Zamboanga without further mishap. I could only sigh, “The things we gotta do for God and country.”

---