BY Alex Corpus Hermoso
I took a taxi cab from the airport of Iloilo to join the motorcade
that was organized by the civil society organizations, NGOs, POs and
sympathetic political organizations to demand justice for the slain
leader, Romeo Capalla. Upon boarding the cab, I immediately started
conversation with the driver to ask about Romy. The driver was
knowledgeable about the events surrounding the assassination and made
a remark that Romy is indeed a good man that has helped so many
people in Panay for along time and during the latest event in the
relief operations in Leyte and Panay Island after the devastation of
typhoon Yolanda. He said that Romy was indeed involved with the NPA
during the Martial Law regime but that was a long time ago and he has
been involved with various social welfare projects that helped the
sugarcane workers since the time of Pres. Cory Aquino. He was quick
to say that it was the hit squad of the military that harmed him. The
same feedback was described by another taxi cab driver that I took
after the funeral. Both drivers were saying that there are bad people
out there that are left untouched yet the kind of people like Romy
are the ones getting hit by death squads that act with impunity.
I was met by Ms. Ruth Salditos, the lead founder of Panay Fair Trade
together with other community leaders and Fair Trade advocates. Later
we were joined by Ms. Gigi Labradores, founder and executive director
of the Southern Partners of Fair Trade Company based in Cebu and
representing the Fair Trade Association of Central Visayas and the
2nd Chairperson of the WFTO-Philippines . I represented the Fair
Trade organizations of Luzon and being the 1st chairperson of
WFTO-Philippines that worked with Romy and Ruth of Panay Fair Trade.
Together we joined the long caravan or motorcade around the City of
Iloilo with vehicles carrying tarpaulins and posters demanding
“Justice for Romeo Capalla”. Some people were wearing the same
campaign T-shirts and were passing information flyers.
The funeral hearse immediately proceeded after the motorcade arrived
in the town of Leon, Iloilo. It was not surprising to see hundreds of
people visiting to see their slain leader for the last time and
joined the long march to the Cathedral in the town of Leon where a
High Mass was officiated by Romy’s brother, Bishop Capalla with
another Bishop from the Visayas, the Vicar General and 5 other
Priests.
Thereafter, the funeral hearse proceeded to the cemetery with
hundreds of people marched amidst the slight rain as if the heaven is
shedding tears in sympathy with the mourners. More than 60 vehicles
followed including media groups from the National TV Networks and
Regional Radio Stations.
Our Fair Trade delegation met briefly with the wife of Romy who
arrived from the US with her daughter who is working as a Nurse in
Canada. Romy’s two other children were mature enough to understand
what their family is going through being social activists and working
with the people in poverty alleviation projects. The group assured
the bereaved family that the network will campaign for the speedy
investigation and make the issue on violence against the defenders of
human rights and pressure the government to get those responsible for
Romy’s death and those that were killed in similar situation.
On the way to the airport I met a lady who was middle aged. She knows
about Fair Trade and knows about what Panay Fair Trade is doing in
the island of Panay. She is also aware of what happened to Romy
Capalla and made a strong remark that justice must be served in order
to end the culture of impunity across the nation.
I returned to Manila immediately after the funeral.
Alex Corpus Hermoso
Programme Director
Preda Foundation and Fair trade consultant.
