Melita Trinidad-Carvajal: A Beacon of Militant Women’s Movement

Unlike the traditional politicians who put themselves on a pedestal, with their usual dirty politics and rent-a-mob gimmicks, activist Melita Trinidad-Carvajal who was felled by assassins’ bullets two weeks ago, worked and lived among the masses.

BY DENNIS ESPADA
Bulatlat

It was serendipitous that Melita Trinidad-Carvajal, or Tita Mely to her friends, was born on International Women's Day -- March 8, 1953. She grew up in barangay (village) Labas in Santa Rosa, Laguna and completed high school at the Santa Rosa Educational Institute. She finished a medical secretarial course at the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) in Manila in 1976. 

Years later, she married Pedro Carvajal Jr., a local businessman. Husband was however killed in 1992, allegedly by policemen. The tragedy not only left Tita Mely alone to bring up their three children but signaled her political awakening to the realities of an unjust society. 

Political awakening 

Tita Mely thus became deeply involved with issues faced by urban poor communities in Laguna.

For example, there were violent demolitions in Barangay Pulong Santa Cruz between October 22, 2002 and mid- 2003, affecting hundreds of shanties. Andasol Finance Corporation supposedly owned the land, and the urban poor dwellers either accept eviction or fight back. Tita Mely, who owned a small hardware shop that had already been bulldozed, chose the latter.

Many times, local officials promised to provide a relocation site for those evicted but the promise always turned out to be a hoax. The dislocated families thus resort to building shanties by the road where life for them even became more miserable and dangerous. But they continuously reported harassments by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) personnel, Black Hawk Agency security guards, Andasol's civilian agents and members of the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Santa Rosa, particularly against women and children.

Last January 21, Tita Mely, along with nine other urban poor women, was arrested and illegally detained at the municipal jail. She was being released ahead of the others but she refused to leave the others behind, remaining in prison until all her fellow detainees were set free.

Whenever the victims felt afraid of confronting the perpetrators, she would tell them, "O sige, ako'ng magsasalita pero kailangan nasa kilod ko kayo” (All right, I will do the speaking but I need all of you to back me up). She thus became an organizer of the local urban poor group called Pilside Neighborhood Association (PNA).

Politics of the masses

Tita Mely’s family is known in the area for being neighborly and charitable. In fact, some members of her clan won in past local elections through honest means and without using the traditional guns, goons and gold. 

It was only natural then for Tita Mely to become politicized, which was amplified with her involvement with women and workers’ causes.

Before she became the spokesperson of the local multi-sectoral alliance, she worked as legal assistant for a law office that advances workers’ rights. Later, she joined Gabriela Women's Party-list (GWP) as city coordinator.

In May this year, she decided to run as an independent candidate for municipal councilor.

Her public service continued beyond the electoral campaign. Among the issues she fought for were free hospitalization for poor citizens and greater assistance for small and medium-scale entrepreneurs. She also figured prominently in the campaign to oppose Santa Rosa's conversion into a component city, a plan that she feared would burden the people with new tax measures.

Tita Mely earned the wrath of local officials because of her fearless exposition of corruption and irregularities in government.

Hero's final rest

Early morning of Aug. 27, Tita Mely was waiting for a jeepney ride in front of her house in Santa Rosa on her way to a meeting with colleagues. Suddenly, a man poked a gun into her head and fired. Tita Mely fell down on the road but the man fired two more shots into her body. The assassin, together with another gunman who served as a lookout, walked away casually and boarded a Suzuki X3 motorcycle toward Cabuyao town.

Neighbors rushed Tita Mely to a nearby hospital but she died along the way.

The news of her murder spread instantly, inducing grief from her comrades and friends, and countless villagers whose lives she had touched.

"Sobrang bait niya," (She was such a good person) 29-year-old Dr. Abbygail Carvajal, Tita Mely's daughter who is a medical doctor told Bulatlat. "Gusto ko sanang sumama sa pag-autopsy sa katawan niya kaya lang pinigilan ako, baka daw 'di ko kayanin” (I wanted to join the autopsy but I was stopped. They thought it would be unbearable for me).

Helen Asdolo, GWP-Southern Tagalog secretary-general described Tita Mely as “good-hearted” and “approachable” particularly to poor people who needed help. She said Tita Mely also assisted victims of abuse and violence.

Tita Mely’s remains were cremated at the Eternal Gardens Memorial Park in Biñan town last Sept. 3 evening. More than 1,000 people gathered in front of the Santa Rosa public plaza earlier that day where leaders of militant and civic organizations paid tribute.

Even Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal had something to say about Tita Mely. He said, via phone patch, that Tita Mely's “sacrificial death will not be wasted” and that "the people themselves will move to achieve justice that is due them." Bulatlat

Link here to previous story on Tita Mely’s killing

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