On February 9, 1986, two days after the snap elections, thirty – five Tabulators manning the COMELEC Quick Count terminals walked out at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).
At around that time, Pro Marcos, Sri Lankan Sportswriter Ronnie Nathanielz, made NAMFREL Chairman Jose ‘Joe’ Concepcion y Santos, Jr., cry in a TV interview.
Ronnie was the host of the March 10, 1978, Face the Nation, TV interview with Laban-IBP NCR Assemblyman Candidate Ninoy Aquino.
On February 11, 1986, former (December 30, 1971 – January 30, 1980) Antique Governor Evelio Javier y Bellaflor (born October 14, 1942, at Baranggay Lanag, now Evelio B. Javier, Municipality of Hamtic, Antique, in March 1968, graduated from the Ateneo Law School and passed the Bar later on in the year, on Dec 29, 1968, married Precious Lotilla y Bello of Sibaloy, Antique), was assassinated in the provincial capitol grounds in San Jose, Antique.
His body was brought to Manila. A huge funeral procession escorted him from the MIA to the High School Covered Courts of the Ateneo de Manila University in Loyola Heights, Q. C.
I had met Evelio in the summer of 1966, when three Ateneo Law School students, he, Raul Cabrera and Jack Jimenez, were part of the original Blanco - Quintos group, that I belonged to, and was based at Loyola Heights and met once a week until the BQ group set up shop at the Guido Ver building on Espana Ave., corner Jhocson St., in front of the UST main gate in the University belt.
I met him again in the USA during most of my liaison trips to Filipino Anti - Marcos Groups and personalities in 1980, 1981 and 1982.
He used to work in Sacramento, the capitol city of California. However, he would come to San Francisco every weekend and stay at the house of Gus Ortigas in the sunset (Northwest San Francisco) district.
He had a sporty two door Nissan Datsun coupe.
In March of 1982, I went with resigned IBP Assemblyman Salvador ‘Doy’ Laurel and Cagayan de Oro Mayor Aquilino ‘Nene’ Pimentel to meet with former Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino in the Pacifica (Southwest of San Francisco) home of Lupita Aquino and Ken Kashiwahara.
It was my third meeting with Ninoy while he was in exile in the USA. The first and second times were in his Boston home in late (November or December) 1980 and September 1981.
From my first (business with a courtesy call to Senator Raul S. Manglapus and the Movement for a Free Philippines) 1978 trip, second (business and political) 1980 trip, third (family and political) 1981 and subsequent (mainly political) 1982, 1984, and 1985 trips to the States, I always made it part of my itinerary to visit both California and the east coast (Boston, New York and Washington D. C.(To be continued)