A small town boy meets the big wide world

Fishing life, and other food More on the election:

At the same time, a gentleman from Manila, a Mr. Antonio, announced that he was running for Governor. There was a residence requirement for candidacy for governor, and Antonio obviously did not meet it. He established, however, that the Suzuki dealership was his, and in its establishment, he had established residency. There were no lawyers ready to contest this as he was, apparently, the Marcos candidate!

As the election drew closer, the Bishop of Batanes expressed concern that there was going to be trouble on election day. (In the Philippines corruption around elections was expected. All over the country candidates were shot and killed, but Batanes had never seen any of this. The Governorship really passed among one or two families, and never was an outsider, who didn’t speak Ivatan, considered. This year it was different.) The Bishop called a meeting of town leaders and discussed his worries. I had been included in the meeting, I guess, out of courtesy as everyone, by this time, knew me. We decided that we would have poll watchers at each town along the island on Election Day. Plans were made as to who would drive, etc.

On Election Day, as we climbed into cars, we heard that the airport had been blocked by Antonio’s plane and another, parked in the middle of the runway. Each of the cars had about five people. Early on trouble arose. The cars going to Itbud and Uyugan were stopped by “Suzuki boys” and Constabulary soldiers and were not allowed to proceed. They were told that there was trouble, and shooting, in each of the towns and were being kept out for their safety. They were to return to Basco. In Ivana, when we heard the news, it was decided that the cars would return to Basco. I, however, disembarked and headed into the fields around Ivana. It wasn’t long before I heard gunfire, and, as I walked back toward the edge of town, I saw, just outside the polling place, a man dump the ballots from the ballot box onto the ground and attempt to set fire to the ballots. I had a little camera with me and tried to take a picture of this. As I was taking the pictures, one of the men saw me and fired a shot my way. I quickly hid the camera in a tree trunk and was off like a rabbit back into the fields, soon disappearing from view. I must say I was somewhat terrified. Guns were not my thing, and I did not wish to be buried in Batanes. I ran as far as I could, heading south, and tried to get to the US Coast Guard Loran station, thinking that, as fellow Americans, they would protect me and smuggle me out on their next flight. Hahaha! I managed to make it to the Loran station after several hours. They told me that they would have to contact Sangley Point to get permission for me to fly on their plane. The answer came back-and this was a learning experience I would carry with me--that not only could they not bring me out on their plane but that I should go to the Constabulary and tell them what was happening and they would protect me. Though I tried to explain that the Constabulary was complicit in the plan, they did not believe it and told me I had to leave the station. I knew several of the men as they often came into Basco on Sundays to play softball against the local team, for which I played. In any case, though they sympathized with me, I had to leave. Back I went into the field, heading back to Basco. I couldn’t travel on the road, so it was all through paths, back and forth, always trying to head north. It was just after dark when I arrived back in Basco. I showered and fell into bed, really exhausted, and not knowing what was to greet me the next day. I was scheduled to fly out of Basco on a newlyestablished Philippine Airline flight three days hence. At the same time, a gentleman from Manila, a Mr. Antonio, announced that he was running for Governor. There was a residence requirement for candidacy for governor, and Antonio obviously did not meet it. He established, however, that the Suzuki dealership was his, and in its establishment, he had established residency. There were no lawyers ready to contest this as he was, apparently, the Marcos candidate!

As the election drew closer, the Bishop of Batanes expressed concern that there was going to be trouble on election day. (In the Philippines corruption around elections was expected. All over the country candidates were shot and killed, but Batanes had never seen any of this. The Governorship really passed among one or two families, and never was an outsider, who didn’t speak Ivatan, considered. This year it was different.) The Bishop called a meeting of town leaders and discussed his worries. I had been included in the meeting, I guess, out of courtesy as everyone, by this time, knew me. We decided that we would have poll watchers at each town along the island on Election Day. Plans were made as to who would drive, etc.

Continues Wednesday