brave men

Two brave men stood before me yesterday, brave enough to make heads turn that day. One of them we are all familiar of, Sen. Trillanes. When I heard the news of his standoff while I was unconsciously eating at Eastwood, a mixture of panic, fear and humor filled my body. Panic and fear since I immediately thought of my parents and if they have heard the news as well. I was scared they’d be alarmed and panic as well. Humor for the fact that it was so much like Trillanes to do such an act. He’s a man full of anger, integrity and thoughtless actions. Nonetheless, I admire him, yes admire, for what he did yesterday. He once again proved how strong his belief is that a coup d’ etat is the only solution to the problem the country now faces. I am not with him about the coup idea, but I believe on how one must hold on to his principles and beliefs even under critical situations. He may not have succeeded in his plan, this is because, in my belief, he chose to sacrifice for the good of many.


The other man in my story is a man I am more familiar of, a man who proves his courage not in reckless actions but in his striking words. Sir Yapan will always be Sir Yapan, in spite of his Best Production Award or his National Book award. He never pointed out his greatness, nor even spoke of them, during our Filipino class. He looked like an ordinary professor who carries with him the passion for literature. But the love he was fooled of flowered into the book he now properly launched. Without the persuasion of his fellow profs, Sir Yapan would not have wanted to launch it in the first place. It was so Sir Yapan, the writer and director hiding in the closet. There was never a hint of boastfulness in him, even as he speaks in front of the podium of Escaler Hall or in front of our 1:30pm class in Kostka. This was something to be loved about Sir Yapan, his simple personality. But the physical impression can prove to be deceiving. His works, if you were to read, seem innocent at first, but as you read on can prove to be otherwise. His novel Ang Sandali ng mga Mata, although I have not read yet, seemed interesting enough that it has received praises long before it was publicly launched. Sir Alvin Yapan proved his courageousness in his greatest attempt to combine the real with the unreal. He believed that there was little difference between the two, that it was possible for readers like me, to hardly recognize the fiction from the fact. He is, I believe, braver than others I know.


How many brave men do we know? How many Sen. Trillanes and Sir Yapan exist now? If there were more men (or women) who are as brave as these two men, the country would have been more complicated, and yet more intellectual.