Colleagues, Friends Celebrate ‘Tagaytay 5’ Victory in Poetry, Music Night

Published on September 13, 2008

Kumupas at kumupis ang kalendaryo
Kumalampag at ipininid ang kandado
Kumupad at bumilis ang oras
Nagasgas at numipis ang rehas
Dumatal at umalis ang lamig
Sumagad at umibis ang init
Nangutya at tiniis ang inip
Nanuya at nanikis ang inis

Walong daaan at limampu’t siyam na araw
Paulit-ulit, paikid-ikid lamang na galaw

Dalawang taon at apat na buwan
Pabalik-balik, paikit-ikit lamang na kawalan

Ninakaw, inagaw ang kalayaang inakalang
Maitatangkal sa kalaliman ng kadiliman
Ng libingan ng mga buhay at matatabunan
Ng tambak ng batas na butas
Na nauna pang maagnas at ipag-aguniyas
Ang kamatayan ng sirkerong testigo na di-bihasa
Sa kinabisang panulayan at panimbangan.
Ay! Nagkandudulas sa lubid ng kasinungalingang
Ibinuhol ng buhong na piskal, nagkandabulol
At nagkandahulog ang katwiran
Na nagiging mahika-blanka
Sa tuwing kabulaanan ang bumubulagang
Sorpresa sa kahon ng ebidensya at hindi
Kunehong puti na sana’y mabilis at malinis
Na lilinlang sa namanghang mga
Mamamayang bantay sa katarungan
Sa sala ng Hukom na nagmistulang karnabal.

Walong daaan at limampu’t siyam na araw
Paulit-ulit, paikid-ikid lamang na galaw

Dalawang taon at apat na buwan
Pabalik-balik, paikit-ikit lamang na kawalan

At sa isang iglap, walang nakakurap,
Tapos na ang palabas!

He also gave an account of their abduction.

Other poetry performers for the night included Gelacio Guillermo, Noel Sales Barcelona, Rustum Casia, Dennis Espada, and this writer.

Casia recited Pinpin’s poem “Liham sa Anak” (Letter to My Child*), which was written for the latter’s son, Jamjam. The poem’s persona is a jailed father who tells his son to be strong in the absence of his father, to care for the peasants to whose service his father’s life was devoted, and to beware of those who took his father away:

Anak, walang magkukwento sa iyo ngayong gabi,
Mag-aalumpihit ka sa kama nang walang katabi;
yapusin’t dantayan mo ang unan na huli kong ginamit
Yakap rin kita rito sa matagal kong pagkakapiit.

Anak, walang magluluto ng iyong almusal bukas,
gigising kang walang tsokolate at pandesal;
gamitin mo ang tasang huli kong pinagkapehan
Kasalo rin kita rito sa panglaw ng bilangguan.

Anak, tahimik ang bahay sa iyong pagdating,
mabibingi ka sa lungkot ng silid nating madilim;
isalang mo ang musikang huli nating pinakinggan
isinisipol ko rin dito ang paborito nating tugtugan.

Anak, kabisaduhin mo ang kwento ng pangamba’t pag-iisa,
unawain mo ang gutom ng ipinaglaban kong magsasaka;
Pag-aralan mo rin ang mga musikang ng paglaban’t paglaya
at lagi kang mag-iingat sa mga dumukot sa iyong ama.

Pinpin could hardly hold his emotions as the poem was being recited.

There were also musical performances by Malabanan, a compadre of Pinpin’s and a high school Filipino teacher based in Cavite; and Bobby Balingit, front man of punk band The Wuds.

Malabanan performed his “Awit kay Macario Sakay”, a song dedicated to a revolutionary leader who refused to surrender to the US occupation forces even after Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and his allies had capitulated. Balingit performed, among other numbers, a musical version of a poem that Malabanan had written for Pinpin shortly after the abduction of the “Tagaytay 5”.

The mood was jubilant all throughout, with conversations frequently being “interrupted” by firm handshakes and tight bear-hugs with colleagues and friends of Pinpin and Custodio who had not seen both in a long time, or who had last seen them when they were behind bars. Though they were literally in the dark for about half of the program, the audience and participants were determined not to spoil the mood. (Bulatlat.com)

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