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13
years later
Remembering Atty. Caloy Ollado and Atty. Bob Gana
By Rochelle "Bibing" Mordeno, Posted 15 February 2011
(On Feb. 2, 1998, lawyers Bob
Gana and Caloy Ollado boarded Cebu Pacific Flight 5J-387 from Manila
to Cagayan de Oro. They were on their way to Sumilao, Bukidnon to
discuss with the Mapalad farmers their case that was then lodged at
the Supreme Court. The plane did not reach its destination.)
It was through Atty. Kaka
Bag-ao that I got to know lawyers Bob and Caloy.
I remember when Kaka once
showed me her space at the office of the Sentro ng Alternatibong
Lingap Panligal (SALIGAN) at the Ateneo de Manila University campus.
She introduced me to someone whom I thought was the security guard.
Turned out it was Caloy Ollado!
Caloy was very accommodating,
very friendly, and from the way he talked, I could sense he was a
very down-to-earth person. It was the first time I got to know him,
but it was as if we’d been friends for long, sharing some
commonalities. He was then preparing a pleading on an eviction case
against a group of slum dwellers who were pre-judged as or
associated with squatters. He was very cool; he was walking here and
there as he was consolidating his theory of the case. Once in a
while he hummed a familiar melody, which I later learned was sung by
Joey Ayala and Bayang Barrios in different renditions – “Walang
Hanggang Paalam.”
He grilled me as to why I
decided to work for an NGO, and as to how I would describe an
alternative lawyer. In my reply, my voice shrilled and I perspired
even in the cool air of the early morning. Maybe sensing I was
having a hard time grasping for answers, Caloy, with all humility
and with a smile, silently went back to his table and busied himself
with his thick books, case files and other documents.
What struck me most about
Caloy was Kaka’s story about his being a working student, an urban
poor who was very determined to finish law school. Kaka pointed out,
too, why Caloy would consistently prefer living in a small two-story
abode near a lamp post – to save energy, and thereby save money.
What a humbling story to tell to everyone, especially those who
dream of becoming a lawyer.
The next time I was with
Caloy and Kaka was in a dinner. Afterwards, both of them proceeded
to go stargazing in a nearby lawn approaching Ateneo’s Gate 3. I'm
sure they weren't lovers, but they dated just the same, maybe as a
way of celebrating their friendship.
Twice, after the crash, I was
able to go to Caloy’s place in Pampanga, together with the staff
of PESANTech (Paralegal Education, Skills Advancement and Networking
Technology). We had an impromptu program, each one sharing about how
Caloy had touched one’s life, in the presence of his siblings and
other relatives. There I saw and heard how his brother was very
proud of Caloy. I just couldn’t remember it right if it was his
father or lolo who shared that he was very happy upon knowing that
so many people loved Caloy, surprised at the pleasant stories shared
about him that they heard for the first time. From their house, we
then proceeded to the cemetery for a community prayer.
Atty. Bob Gana, on the other
hand, was surprisingly the very opposite of what I first imagined
him to be. Knowing he was from a very affluent family, I thought he
was a very elegant, very well-dressed lawyer. I was wrong! He was so
simple and very shy even though he was a bar topnotcher. He usually
gave his lectures in a very simple, yet effective, way – with
flashcards and drawings. I knew that no one could easily forget Bob
with his most comfortable attire, the checkered polo and blue jeans.
I was lucky to have the
opportunity to hear him strategize a case in one of those paralegal
clinics, sing his most favorite icebreaker (“May palaka sa may
sapa”) with the dance steps that he himself introduced, as
well as present his case in favor of the women, farmers, and urban
poor people, among others, before national gatherings and forums.
Always, of course, with standing ovation.
Caloy and Bob, they were two
people coming from the opposite sides of the economic strata, and
yet worked together for the causes they believed in – for a more
meaningful agrarian reform, urban poor-friendly legislations,
transparent and accountable governance, and for all women and
children to be free from all forms of violence. In pursuing these
causes they died together.
Even Nong Rene Penas, the
icon of the Mapalad farmers who had also joined them now in the
heavens, in his speeches and in his mentoring sessions with us, had
always cited Caloy and Bob as his continuing source of wisdom and
inspiration as they waged their claims for land rights nonviolently.
Nong Rene would always refer to them as young, vibrant and brilliant
lawyers with hearts so simple, without pretentions, grounded, and
peace loving.
Caloy and Bob’s lives, for
me, are a legacy worth learning, worth reflecting, deserving of our
respect and meaningful action. Their genuine love and bias for the
poor, deprived, oppressed and exploited – which was the reason
they boarded that ill-fated Cebu Pacific flight – is a continuing
challenge for all of us to use all our talents the way the two
lawyers used theirs.
Finally, thanks to Kaloy
Manlupig for always ensuring that these good memories of Caloy and
Bob be treasured through the years by every colleague in Balay
Mindanaw.
Yes, it’s been 13 years
ago. And as one of Balay Mindanaw’s most cherished institutional
memories, it means another climb up the shrine built for all the
Cebu Pacific Flight 387 victims in Claveria, to once again remember
Caloy and Bob.
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