Liberation Theology is far too rich a subject to attempt in even a series of entries, let alone two or three paragraphs. For the sake of brevity AND background though I will merely note that this facet of the Catholic Faith grew out of the awakened social consciousness of 1950s Latin America and the parallel phenomenon of rank nationalism only then just coming into vogue all over the under-developed world. By 1964 at a conclave in Brasil's Rio de Janeiro the philosopher Gustavo Gutierrez framed the nascent theological stratum as Catholicism serving as a "praxis of liberation," a guidebook for the socially aware. By 1968 the Medellin Confrence in Colombia articulated the emergent theological and political ideology quite well, in a manner that perfectly reflected the times. Clergy and laity outside of the Western Hemisphere quickly caught on so that even by 1970 Liberation Theology had become a worldwide phenomenon.
It was in the 1970s that other Christian Churches joined the fray. Most popular in under-developed nations the creed found a ready made home amongst Christian Filipinos of all faiths. At the head of the pack was the homegrown United Church of Christ in the Philippines, or UCCP. Rooted in the American Colonial Era when wholesome American Missionaries shouldered the White Man's Burden and began twisting arms of Catholics and Animists alike in the furious race to save Filipino souls. Officialy founded in 1948, by 1972 the UCCP was holding its Second Constitutional Convention. A child of the times no less than the Liberation Theology it espoused the Convention concentrated on UCCP's most pressing needs: A way in which to navigate the recently enacted Martial Law and the government excess that went along with it.
Just as in Latin America a decade before, the Philippines was undergoing a cultural awakening. Just as in other nations the Philippines had been seriously shaken up by the tumult of the late-1960s. Leftist intellectuals held sway in the nation's institutions of higher learning and forged a Leftist-nationalism imbued with social consciousness, in other words, Communism became the flavour of the month. From 1972 onward the UCCP sat at the forefront of the various religious organisations that collectively formed one of two major wings within the multi-sectoral front that itself served as a conduit between Philippine society and the Communist underground. The UCCP became an incubator of sorts for CPP/NPA inductees, one of several ways in which the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) seduced people into joining the "armed struggle."
If joining the UCCP was one of the most seductive of CPP/NPA avenues of recruitment, how much of a chance would someone born into the UCCP leadership have of NOT being sucked into the vortex? Dennis Paradero Rodinas was the son of a UCCP pastor from the municipality of Magpet in North Cotabato Province. Though reluctant to join his father Felixberto at the pulpit Rodinas did join UCCP as a layman working with one of the Church's environmentally-focused programmes. Assigned to a UCCP parish in Misamis Occidental Province in the Spring of 1998, at age 24, he was quickly recruited into the NPA's Western Mindanao Regional Committee, or WMRC. WMRC is the weakest of the five Regional Committees on Mindanao. Unlike the other four Committees WMRC commands only a single Front, or guerilla element, with an AOR (Area of Responsibility) encompassing all 3 provinces on the Zamboanga Peninsula:
1) Zamboanga del Norte
2) Zamboanga del Sur
3) Zamboanga Sibugay
as well as a sliver of Misamis Occidental Province immediately bordering the Zamboanga Peninsula. By the Summer of 1999 Rodinas had had enough of his day job, left the parish sponsoring the environmental programme he had worked with and joined his comrades in the jungles and mountains of Northwestern Mindanao, and adopted two noms de guerre, "Ka Dondon" and "Ka Demz." WMRC only maintains a single Front because the Zamboanga Peninsula lacks the large mass base of support seen in most other parts of the island. To better utilise its minimal manpower the single Front is divided into individual Sections, each with a given geographical AOR and thereby enabling the WMRC's small number of guerillas to operate over a vast amount of territory.
Eventually Rodinas proved himself capable enough that he was made Section Leader of Section Joji, with an AOR extending from WMRC's sliver of Misamis Occidental Province and into Zamboanga del Sur Province as far as the municipality of Molave. Indeed it was in Molave's Barangay Simata that Rodinas personally killed for the first time when he executed CAA, or Civilian Active Auxiliary Arnold Sacares on May 17th, 2009 (for an explanation about what a CAA is, please refer to my previous entry, "NPA Armed Contacts for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part II"). Almost a month to the day later, on June 15th, 2009 Dennis Rodinas led his Section on an attack of a CAFGU post in the municipality of Clarin's Barangay Penacio, in Misamis Occidental Province. During that firefight he is said to have personally killed CAA Ernesto Gumilid (CAFGU is also explained in that aforementioned entry).
The June 15th killing would be Rodina's last taste of battle for awhile. On June 29th, 2009 Rodinas was a passenger in a car driven by a fellow guerilla when they approached a PNP, or Philippine National Police checkpoint in Tagub City's Barangay Villaba in Misamis Occidental Province. Unfortunately for Rodinas the car's driver had failed to bring his driver's liscence. Even more unfortunate was the fact that the checkpoint was manned by the provincial PMG, or Police Mobile Group, the one entity benefiting from the arrest of unliscenced drivers. Most any other element couldn't be bothered to arrest someone for such a trivial offence. Upon searching the automobile the police found enough questionable materiel to perform more than the usual cursory search and proceeded to scour the car from top to bottom. According to the police they found IED, or Improvised Explosive Device (as in "bomb") components as well as a laptop, a flashdrive, compact discs, and five cellphones. Virtually every confiscated item held a wealth of NPA intelligence corroborating the initial sucpicion of the officers on duty.
The officer in charge, Inspector Alwin Baclao allowed Rodinas to use the only one of the five cellphones devoid of intelligence to contact his wife Deanna Febra Rodinas and inform her of his arrest. After calling his wife Rodinas informed Inspector Baclao that his cousin was also a PNP officer. As courtesy dictates, Baclao asked Rodinas to call his cousin so that Baclao could inform him of his arrest. Not having that particular cousin's phone number Rodinas instead phoned his cousin Marilyn Jueves informing her of his circumstances and asked her to have their cousin call him immediately. When the second cousin called Inspector Baclao took the phone and informed him that he would be bringing Rodinas into the Tangub City CPO, or City Police Office for processing. Rodinas' cousin thanked Baclao for the information and informed him that he would meet them at the at the station.
The cousin, along with second cousin Marilyn Jueves and a Catholic priest she had picked up for good measure arrived at the Tangub City CPO only to find that Baclao and Rodinas had not arrived. Moreover, Shift Supervisor, Inspector Mumulgan informed the three that Baclao was still in the field and had made no arrangements to process Rodinas at the CPO. It was at this point that the three began worrying about Rodinas' safety. Extra Judicial Killings, or EJKs, known locally as "Salvagings" are not uncommon with regard to NPA guerillas and their supporters. Leaving the CPO the cousins dropped the priest off and joined Rodinas' wife Deanna in trying to locate her husband by telephone. It was there that Deanna received an SMS (text message) late that same afternoon from PPO, or Police Provincial Office Director, Senior Inspector German Doria, under whom Inspector Baclao served informing her that Inspector Baclao had in fact NOT taken Rodinas to the Tangub City CPO as he had originally intended but had instead turnred Rodinas over to the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines 55IB (Infantry Battalion) at its headquarters in the municipality of Calamba's Barangay Langub in Misamis Occidental Province for interrogation.
Quickly phoning 55IB Headquarters Deanna was told that her husband was not there and that the battalion had no record of him whatsoever. Still Deanna tried calling back every hour on the hour but without success. More determined than ever Deanna made her way to the Tangub City CPO the next afternoon, June 30th. As she approached the police station on foot though she was both shocked and relieved to spot her husband shackled in the rear of a PNP pickup truck, the sort with a cap on the bed and benches in it for the transport of prisoners. Relieved to find him in PNP custody after all her relief quickly changed to horror when she realised that the truck was being closely guarded by 4 AFP soldiers in full combat array. Desperate to speak with her husband Deanna asked one of the soldiers guarding him if she might have a quick word with the prisoner, explaining that she was his wife. The soldier on duty refused and advised her to ask his superior for permission. With no officer in sight and knowing that the truck might leave at any moment Deanna switched gears and began demanding the opportunity to at least ascertain her husband's condition. As she bordered on hysterics the beleagured soldier relented and finally granted Deanna her wish. Finally face to face with her husband Deanna had barely managed to ask him how he was before the truck's engine sprang to life and soldiers brusquely moved past her to climb into the back of the truck with the prisoner.
Returned to 55IB headquarters Rodinas was held another night before being brought to the Tangub City Jail, on July 1st after 36 hours in military custody. Spending barely a day in Tangub City Rodinas was quickly transferred to the more secure Ozamiz City Jail in the same province of Misamis Occidental. Here he would spend nearly two years as his case wound its way through the lethargic Philippine Courts. Shedding both murder charges for the killings of the two CAAs in 2009, he was convicted in July of 2011 of Possesion of Explosives Components and bound for transfer to the Davao Penal Colony. Recently re-named the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, or DPPF, the facility is located within the municipality of Santo Tomas in Davao del Norte Province.
Late at night on July 20th, 2011 the Warden of the Ozamiz City Jail, Inspector Murphy Tudyog joined 8 of his staff members on the jail's van to transport 9 prisoners, including Dennis Paradero Rodinas on the long ride to Davao del Norte Province. Along for the ride was Warden Tudyog's colleague, Inspector Erico Llamazares, a senior staffer from the Cagayan del Oro City Jail in Misamis Oriental Province, returning home by way of DPPF.
By 330AM, July 21st the van was on Davao-Bukidnon National Hiway, in Bukidnon Province but still several hours away from its destination. In the municipality of Kitaotao's Sitio Maloos in Barangay Sinuda the van reached yet another AFP checkpoint. In a line of 6 vehicles the van slowly inched its way forward until finally, it was their turn. As the van driver lowered his window to show his credentials but before he could open his mouth two well armed men drew down their M16s. Quickly the van was surrounded by equally well armed NPA guerillas dressed in AFP uniforms. After divesting the jail jail staff of its weaponry and capturing four M16s, seven 9MM pistols, one 38 revolver, and one 45 caliber pistol the lead guerilla asked for Dennis Rodinas by name. Rodinas answered himself and asked if they were here for him at which point the lead guerilla instructed jail staff to unshackle and release Rodinas. Not bothering with any other inmates the lead guerilla then demanded IDs from all 10 staff members. Quickly examining their ID cards he instructed Warden Inspector Tudyog, his colleague Inspector Llamazares, and two low level guards:
1) Senior Jail Officer 2 (SJO2) Rogelio Begontes
2) Jail Officer 1 (JO1) Rolando Bajuya
to move to the side of the road where the 4 disappeared along with Dennis Rodinas and 70 other NPA guerillas. The van was then divested of its ignition keys and left on the hiway's shoulder as the remaining guerillas disassembled the checkpoint and disappeared into the jungle.
On August 8th the NPA announced that the 4 prisoners were being granted POW, or Prisoner of War Status. While the Government has loudly screamed bloody murder, the move actually benefits the 4 captives. By affording them this status the NPA has publicly vowed to uphold the Geneva Convention with regard to POWs as well as all other applicable International Humanitarian Law and Law of Armed Conflict statutes. Of course it also allows the NPA to milk the situation for propaganda value by correctly noting that its members in the custody of the PNP, AFP, and BJMP, or Bureau of Jails and Management of Prisons never come close to gaining reciprocal recognition. The Government miserably fails to even consider awarding that same status to NPA prisoners in ITS custody.
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