Apartment sa Dapitan

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Donato Continente

I still remember him. And I am happy for him.

Six years ago, I visited this man, Donato Continente. Fellow writers and editors of the Philippine Collegian interviewed him. It was my first time to go inside the Muntinlupa Jail, or inside any jail for that matter. He was wearing an orange shirt, meaning he's on maximum security. Unknown to many, Kuya Donat was a staff member of the Philippine Collegian in 1989.

He served 14 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He was the alleged assasin of U.S. Col. James Rowe. If I'm not mistaken, he's been recommended twice for Presidential pardon, but the U.S. White House blocked these moves.

That day in 1999 when we went to visit him, the air was unusually hot. But when we got to the prison, the walls were cold, but Kuya Donat was hot like the sun, cheerful and his smile was soft, subtle but honestly happy and hopeful. He told us how his life was in prison. He said that he'd been organizing co-convicts inside the prison cells. They talked about the ails of Philippine society and how systemic the crisis is in the country and all over the world.

I will never forget what he told us. That even if he's in prison, he's not gloomy, because that prison is just a miniature prison of a bigger prison we're all living in.

I am happy for him. Much happier now that he'll be able to continue his political struggles with all of us. He may not remember me or recognize me, but it doesn't matter. In this political struggle, faces and names become one, become sublimed and subversive.

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!

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