to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy… and to laugh along the way
Just some episodes in my life that have contributed to who I am today
Fifteen years earlier, during EDSA I, I had been a part of the military contingent that was sent to effect the turnover of Malacanang. This time, in 2001, I was going back for essentially the same purpose – but under an entirely different set of circumstances.
One of the unique adventures of my life. I walked right into a NPA camp with hundreds of armed rebels and supporters. For once in my life, I had managed to play the role of a staffer/news reporter – without anyone knowing that underneath those civilian clothes was an olive-drab heart of an Army officer.
Working with GMA was an intellectually challenging, yet fulfilling task. She could be demanding, impatient and occasionally intimidating, but she was always willing to listen. If a point raised made sense, she could certainly change her mind.
It is not enough that we know how to wage war. We must never forget that the ultimate purpose of war is to achieve peace. And for that peace to endure, we must also learn how to build and nurture it.
Buldon taught me that peace is not always won by defeating an enemy. Sometimes, peace begins when you give people enough reason to stop being enemies in the first place. Winning the war, I learned, is not always what matters. What matters more is winning the peace.
Many questions were seeking to be answered: Could the memory of years of fighting simply be erased? Could we bury the suspicion between Christians and Muslims? How do I deal with the prejudice among my veteran soldiers – or the fears of the former rebels? Could we be certain of their loyalty? And, perhaps most difficult of all, how could we erase the invisible, yet almost tangible divide between “them” and “us”? Ultimately, the question was simple: How does one welcome a man who may once have been shooting at soldiers like us – and now ask him to become our brother-in-arms?
