Crisis in Tehran

In 1989, around 20 years ago, hundreds of thousands of young students and workers gathered in Tianamen Square. Nobody would really know how many got killed or hurt in the Tianamen Massacre. Thousands probably?


These days Iranians are making their presence felt in the streets of Tehran. Reports say that police have fired tear gas and water cannon to the protestors who are openly defying the government. Witnesses claimed some marchers were beaten with batons or metal pipes and heard protesters also shout "Death to Khamenei!" Photo by REUTERS/Farhad Rajabali.

Tehran University was also cordoned off by police. It is the oldest and largest university in Tehran. But not as old as my alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas. It was officially opened in 1934.

This is the most serious presence in the streets of Tehran, specially, around the Revolution Square, since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Tehran is the largest city in the Middle East with a population around 7 million. The city dates back 6000BC and has rich historical and religious sites of mosques, churches and synagogues.

The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had already warned of a bloodshed. Tehran Province Police Chief Ahmad Reza Radan had said, "Police forces will crack down on any gathering or protest rally which are being planned by some people."


Reports say that the streets also are marked by the presence of police and plainclothes security personnel, plus fire trucks. Supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi have continued to increase their presence, calling for the government cancel the results of the recent June 12 elections which declared victory for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Photo by REUTERS/Farhad Rajabali.


Opposition leader Mousavi , who served was prime minister during the 1980s, says he won. But many feel he is after the collapse of the Islamic system? A statement on his website says “He and his supporters were not seeking to confront their "brothers" among Iran's security forces or the "sacred system" that preserves the country's freedom and independence. Photo shows Mousavi speaking before a crowd. Courtesy of AP.

President Barack Obama has also urged Iranian leaders to halt "all violent and unjust actions against its own people." “The United States stands by all who seek to exercise" the universal rights to assembly and free speech,” says Obama. Please note there is little news coverage coming out of Tehran and protestors are using technology and Internet sites like Tweeter to get news out of the country.

Let us hope and pray that what is happening in Tehran doesn’t end up like Tianamen. People’s right to a peaceful assembly and free speech is an inherent right for all human beings, irregardless of country or culture.

Will this presence in the streets of Tehran lead to people power?

Lakers Celebrate

Watching the last minutes of Game 5, between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic, fans in Los Angeles had already started celebrations. Many cheered in their homes as the Lakers celebrated in Amway Arena. My dad had teased me, through Chief, for a blowout! And I teased my friend, Neal Tieng, knowing he is a Celtics fan.

Finally, Kobe emerged from the shadows of Shaq and Coach Phil Jackson earned his 10th ring.

There were news that amidst the recession and tough times, there would be no victory parade for the Lakers. A six-figure budget was expected to spent on such a parade. But finally, the city and the Laker organization shared financial resources to celebrate the championship.


An estimated 150,000, many in purple and golf, made their presence felt along the parade that started at the Staples Center, down Figueroa Street and ended at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Photo by Mark Boster.

The Laker Girls made their presence in the packed Coliseum. Maybe, one day, I will watch a Lakers Game at Staples Stadium.


Kobe Bryant said, "We feel this championship. We feel the energy of the city. We want to do this thing again and again. So you know we'll be back next year ready to go." Photo by Mark Boster of the LA Times. Am sure many fans saw Kobe share the championship trophy with his wife and two kids on TV after Game 5 at the Amway Arena.

Did you know that the hardwood floor from Staples Center had been disassembled and then, reassembled inside the Coliseum.


"We've got an amazing young group of people here," player Pau Gasol told the crowd. "We're still hungry. We're not done yet. We want more. We want more. . . . After experiencing what we experienced in the parade coming here and being in this beautiful stadium, we want to definitely offer you more. So be ready for it." They definitely would not have won without Gasol! Photo by Mark Boster.

The celebrations was generally peaceful except for a few guys whose presence caught the attention of CHiPs along the 101 Freeway. Suddenly, I remember Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada.

In my own way, I was celebrating, proudly wearing my old blue “take it to the hoop” Laker T-shirt.

Media Presence at Con-ass

Not only where the religious, students and professionals present at the recent rally against the constituent assembly, but media also made their presence felt.

Here are a few pictures of media as they pursued their responsibility to report the truth about the Filipino presence in the “parliament of the streets.”


Photo shows photographers taking a good view of the crowd from one of Makati's high rise buildings. Wish I was up there to capture a panaromic view of the rallyists the corner of Paseo de Roxas and Ayala Avenue.


Other photographers are high on this make-shift photographer's platform. But I couldn't get up here as I came in late for this rally. I do remember covering Ninoy Aquino's burial and I riding a long flatbed truck that followed the main truck carrying Aquino's casket.

Firefighters' Presence at Campos Rueda fire

On our way home last 09 June 2009, coming from Manila, where we had secured our NBI clearances for adoption, we got caught into some traffic along Buendia Avenue.

Why? There was a fire at the Campus Rueda Bldg, along Urban Avenue. This is walking distance from the Makati Medical Center or just behind the Tropical Hut Hamburger Restaurant, front the Makati Post Office.

The earliest firemen dates back to at least Ancient Egypt. During the times of the Romans, firefighters were privately organized and funded groups. They were really more a business than a public service, until Julius Caesar Augustus called for the creation of trained firefighters. He equipped and paid these men. They also were the early police force. Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire. He ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. Here is an 1878 illustration of early firefighters.

Wished I had my Canon Rebel XTI with me? Still, I snapped a few pictures with my iPhone. Other pictures were taken by Chief as I still had my hands on Shaq.




I remember this building much from my old Manila Bulletin days, when I was assigned at the Makati Peninsula Branch. We had a couple of advertisers held office at Campos Rueda. Wow, that was back in the early 80s and there was still the Rizal Theatre, where the Makati Shangrila now stands.

The Campos Rueda is relatively an old building. It is probably made of flammable materials such as wood which is different from so called "fire-resistant" buildings we see in a modern metropolis. These "fire-resistant" buildings can be designed to limit fire to a small area or floor, thus giving occupants the time to evacuate the building.


It was quick presence of the firemen that prevented the fire from spreading to the other buildings. The firemen had to be on the spot easily as the Makati Fire Station was just across the street, at the back of the Makati Post Office.

The Makati Fire Department (MFD) has often won the search for Best Fire Station in the National Capital Region (NCR) and is recognized as a multi-awarded firefighter in the country today.

No way for any Constituent Assembly

Constituent Assembly?

No way for all these Filipinos present at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas last June 10, 2009!

Yes, I snapped these pictures of Filipinos who oppose the House of Representatives being set as a constituent assembly. Many see the passage of HR 1109 convening a Constituent Assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution as a step for PGMA to become prime minister, thus extending her stay in Malacanang. All 23 senators signed a resolution expressing their opposition to a Senate-less Con-Ass. They claim it is unconstitutional.

Am sure even Senator Trillanes would have, if allowed, make his presence felt in these street protests. Groups like Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Kilusang Mayo Uno, Gabriela, Kabataan, Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines, Pagbabago! movement and Artists Revolution are making their presence felt. They believe that HR 1109 was intended “to strengthen” President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s “hold on the reins of power."


A joint statement by the United Opposition, civil society and militant groups says, "We believe the resolution is intended to change the Charter in order to strengthen Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s hold on the reins of power either through term extension, a shift to parliamentary system or any other underhanded device.”


Even the religious made their presence felt in this last rally. “Hindi democratic ang ginagawa nila sapagkat sinosolo nila ang pagpapalit ng ating konstitusyon. Kahibangan na yan," said Jaro archbishop Angel Lagdameo. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is taking a stand. "What happened last night... it’s like they are betraying the people. When power corrupts, it corrupts absolutely," the CBCP president added.


Many of us, including media, have been through this road before. The parliament of the streets. From the days of EDSA 1, back in February 1986 to these days, when recession and swine flu share headlines in con-ass!

Mabuhay ang malayang Filipino!

Tiananmen Presence

Where were you last June 4, 1989?

Late 80s, I was probably teaching at UST CFAD and working at the House of Representative. June 1989? Honestly, I can’t remember.
The Internet was at its infancy. And we hadn’t heard of YouTube or Google or Yahoo.

Everybody got their news from newspapers and CNN. And around those days from April to June 1989, young Chinese students, intellectuals and workers were making their strong presence felt at Tiananmen Square. Yes, it has been 20 years since the Tiananmen Square protests that led to the death persecution of many Chinese.

The demonstrations were fueled by the sudden death due to heart attack of Hu Yaobang, who was seen by the protestors as pro-democracy and anti-corruption official. Around the middle of April, civilians had gathered at Monument to the People's Heroes in the middle of the Tiananmen Square to mourn his death.

Students from Peking University and Tsinghua University also expressed their sorrow and sympathy for Hu Yaobang by posting eulogies inside the campus. 500 students from China University of Political Science and Law marched to the Great Hall of the People.

Their numbers increased as 3,000 students from Peking University and hundreds more from Tsinghua University joined the growing protestors. Their presence increased to 100,000 towards the eve of his funeral on April 22, 1989.

Days turned into weeks. Protests evolved into petitions, known as the “seven demands” which the students wanted to give to government officials. While no officials came out to meet with the protestors, some officials were sympathetic to the protestors. The numbers grew as news about the dispersal spread and People's Daily issued a front-page editorial that accused "extremely small segments of opportunists of plotting civil unrest.” This was far from the real presence in Tiananmen Square. There were also marches in the streets of Beijing demanding that government renounce the “official statement.”

While there was pushing and shoving as the police tried to clear access to government offices, the protest was generally peaceful until the tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square which resulted to the death and injuries of civilians. This is a famous photo by Jeff Widener of AP.

No one outside China believes the exact figure has ever been given by the Chinese government. Only 241 dead and 7,000 wounded, including government soldiers. Unidentified sources from the Chinese Red Cross gave a figure of 2,600 deaths.

There was a widespread crackdown of other protestors and their supporters. Media was suppressed (even today), as it has always been gagged.

Students and workers demanded a dialogue with government. Hundreds of students also went on hunger strikes. General Secretary Zhao Ziyang went to the Square on May 19 and made a speech urging the students to end the hunger strike. This was his last public appearance. The government declared martial law on May 20. Members of the Communist Party who were sympathetic to the students were purged, meaning stripped of their official duties and ties with the government. General Secretary Zhao Ziyang was placed under house arrest

Students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts had carved and erected "The Goddess of Democracy" at Tiananmen Square towards the end of May. This became a symbol for the protest and widely seen on TV around the world.

Protestors had hoped that “glasnost” policy by Mikhail Gorbachev would happen in China. They wanted economic, political and democratic reform. Very much like in the country during those years under Proclamation 1081.

Today, we remember and honor their presence that hoped to bring change in China.