Spending the curfew by the street party
My mom used to tell me this story about her experience during the dawn of Martial Law.
That fateful day of September, my mom and her officemates were concentrating on their respective jobs that they did not notice something was amiss until they went home.
The streets were empty, she said.
She only knew about the declaration when she got home. That day, the curfew was also imposed.
I’ve always thought about what if I was there, what if I got to experience the same thing my parents did during Martial Law. Little did I know that I’d be as close to what they felt then.
When I had lunch with my dad at home, I didn’t bother to open the TV. I only knew of Trillanes’ "walkout" when I met my officemate this afternoon, at about 3PM.
By about 4PM, we turned on the TV as text messages of an alleged takeover was received (good thing there’s TV in the office). We watched the footages on ANC, Channel 2 and Channel 7.
Freaky, even BBC and CNN was covering the news simultaneously. Nakakahiya, we went international!
Trillanes, with a host of supporters, were at the 2nd floor of the hotel. Civilians were requested to leave the area; even a bride having her wedding preps at the Pen was told to leave.
We also saw on TV the APC ramming against Manila Pen’s front door and the news people running, ducking, and covering their faces against the tear gas.
‘Ika nga ni Guingona, upon seeing the international press, "we are being tear-gassed". Never knew it was a verb already…
Going back, Trillanes then announced his surrender (haay, di man lang panindigan ang pinaglalaban) followed by the "arrest" of the media people by the military. Then the announcement of a one-day curfew from 12MN to 5AM next morning.
Wait… first of all, our shift ends at exactly 12MN. Second, there is a street party going on.
With this situation, we choose to stay in the office until morning. Plus I heard that the Ortigas street party was given a leeway, meaning they are exempted from the curfew.
Swerte talaga ni Danding…
So we’re here at the 9th floor, sitting in front of our computers, finishing our work (and me blogging), listening to the noise down there, just after relishing the fireworks display that was just exactly at eye level. Since the crowd at the party was told that they will be safe in the area notwithstanding the curfew, we might go there later.
This is such a thrill.
