by Sara O. Siguion-Reyna
(This article appeared in the Learning Section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer today. Sara is the daughter of filmmaker Carlitos Siguion-Reyna and movie/TV scriptwriter and actress Bibeth Orteza.)
I grew up on Mama’s stories of the anti-Marcos days and her activities: running in her clogs to flee truncheon-wielding Metrocom soldiers, bringing home the red flag of the Diliman Commune after a Makibaka march (she wanted it draped on the window, my grandmother turned it into a pillowcase) and, after Sept. 21, 1972, distributing underground newspapers, attending underground political discussions, doing this and that in the name of democracy.
Papa, light years away from his own “awakening,” got arrested one night for violating curfew. He would not tell the arresting policemen that he was the defense minister’s nephew, so he and his friends weeded the vacant lots of Camp Crame.