After EDSA I, President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino appointed me as BUTEL Acting Assistant Director and NTC Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner. Although media relations and public information were our forte and expertise when we were in activism and the political opposition, I knew that Baby and I would not be good and effective, apologists for the incumbent administration. Therefore, I advised Baby to look for another line of work in the new Cory Administration. She became a protocol officer in the Office of the President from 1986 - 1989. On March 18, 1987, Baby escaped death when a bomb intended for Cory during the PMA graduation on March 22, 1987, exploded four days ahead during a practice parade and graduation. It was her function to act out Cory’s role in such practices. Fortunately, she was not free to go to PMA at that time.
During my stint in the NTC, I did a lot of travelling and engaged in many battles. While my predecessor as NTC Commissioner travelled abroad nine times in a year, I only went on official trips abroad four times in three years. However, in 1988 alone, I went on official local visits to over thirty local events and venues.
There were nine coup attempts against Cory. In 1986, July and November. In 1987, January, April, July and August. In 1989, December. In 1990, March and October. During my time both as Deputy and Commissioner of the NTC, I was involved in regulating and if need be shutting down the radio and TV stations, in order to deprive the rebel coup plotters of the means to recruit supporters and demoralize the loyal military and police,
During the Cory administration, the PDP Laban was split with the organization of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino by Speaker Ramon “Monching” V. Mitra of Palawan and Cory’s younger brother, Cong. Jose “Peping” Sumulong Cojuangco of Tarlac. Speaker Mitra appointed me as the Intelligence Officer of the LDP. I took the job seriously and in November 1989, I exposed publicly the forthcoming biggest coup attempt of December 1 which lasted for almost a week. For my efforts, and after I exposed her two sons - in - law for protecting telecom monopolies, Cory fired me as NTC Commissioner. Baby voluntarily left her OP Protocol Officer position.
Her job as well as my roles were stressful to Baby. While battles, controversy and danger were invigorating for me, all of these added to her cardiac and gastro - intestinal problems. Meanwhile, the stress, the medicines, as well as high blood pressure were taking their toll on her kidneys.
In 1992, I left the LDP and joined Atty. Miriam Defensor Santiago’s People’s Reform Party (PRP) as its Congressional candidate for the third district of Q. C. MDS lost for President against President Fidel V. Ramos. I also lost but remained in the PRP working under Atty Nicasio “Jun” Santiago for MDS Electoral Protest, the reorganization of the party and preparation for MDS running for senator in May 1995. After Miriam won, Baby worked in her Senate office for six months.
On December 17, 1995, my eldest son, Pip, married Geraldine Therese “Gerrie” Cuadrante y del Villar, at San Sebastian Church on Plaza del Carmen corner R. Hidalgo St. in Quiapo, Manila. Their reception was at the inner courtyard of San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila. My parents were married on December 19, 1937, at San Sebastian. My mother lived at 1030 R. Hidalgo St. My father lived in Intramuros. Pip and Gerrie had four children, all boys. Xavier and Jose Luis Jr. were born in 1996 and 1997 in the Philippines, Jose Miguel was born in 2001 in Hong Kong and Rafael was born in Florida in 2006.
In 1996, I left Miriam, Jun and the PRP. I supported then Vice President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada and joined the campaign organization of Atty. Robert Aventejado. After a year of doing nothing, I joined the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI). It was a political party organized by Cong. Jose “Peping” Sumulong Cojuangco and Rizal Cong. Emigdio “Ding” Sumulong Tanjuatco in preparation for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) to run for President in May 1998. GMA slid to vice presidential candidate under Speaker Jose de Venecia. She won but he lost. Estrada won as President.
In March of 2000, former Ramos Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Salvador “Badong” Enriquez and Linda “Inday” Olaguer Montayre, recruited me into the “Silent Protest Movement” against President Erap and his administration. Unlike the usual noisy and obvious activist and protest groups, the SPM was designed to move and organize silently. Its objective was to be able to recruit more professionals and businessmen rather than the usual suspects. We designed a simple sticker with just an exclamation point. In late March or early April, we made a big splash with the mass media. We were riding high for about a month.
However, we made a mistake by calling for a noise barrage that flopped. Then, Erap declared an “All - out – war” against the MILF and went on to seize the MILFs camps in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. His military campaign swamped our silent protest campaign and innocuous “exclamation point” sticker.
Six months later, Erap’s co conspirator in stealing from the Tobacco Fund, Gov.Luis “Chavit” Crisologo Singson held a press conference at the Club Filipino where he exposed the fact that he had given Erap millions of pesos stolen from the tobacco fund. I was the moderator of that press con and took care of the mass media work for that expose.
In late October, I was one of those who filed an impeachment complaint against Erap. This was favorably acted upon by Speaker Manuel “Manny” Villar and was endorsed by more than the Constitutionaliy required one third of the membership of the House of Representatives. The Impeachment complaint was tried in the Senate acting as the Impeachment Court presided jointly by Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. and Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr.
The proceedings came to a head on the night of Tuesday, January 16, 2001. Opposition Senators walked out. A civilian crowd gathered at the EDSA Shrine and grew in size day by day until Saturday, January 20. By Friday, January 19, the AFP and INP withdrew their support from Erap. The latter with his family left Malacanang without formally resigning on Saturday. The Supreme Court construed this as “constructive resignation”. The Chief Justice administered the oath of office as acting President to GMA.
GMA appointed the younger sister of Chavit, Ma. Livia “Honeygirl” Singson de Leon as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. I was appointed as one of the five members of the Board. A gofer of First Gentleman and Atty. Juan Miguel “Mike” Arroyo y Tuason was appointed as the General Manager.
In December of 2002, I produced a sticker with a question mark. It was aimed at the graft and corruption of the GMA Administration but only made a minimal political impact. In January of 2003, I made an expose on graft and corruption at the PCSO. GMA attempted to transfer me to another position in her Administration but failed. Finally, she replaced me in mid - January 2004.
I then joined the FPJ/Loren Legarda Presidential/Vice Presidential campaign. Subsequently, in early 2005, three cases were filed against me before two Regional Trial Courts (RTC) and the Ombudsman. Soon after our attempts to spark another EDSA People Power Revolution in February 2006, I was arrested and then released on bail of 40,000.00 pesos. The cases dragged on for a decade. After I was able to get relief from the Court of Appeals, the three cases were dismissed by April 2016.
(To be continued)
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #YesterdayTodayTomorrow