A Meeting with the Secretary of the President's Cabinet

Two days after finishing my bike-tour I find myself back in Manila. I took the plane early this afternoon and I am staying here in Baclaran. Tomorrow I fly to Bangkok with two other Redemptorists to attend a meeting.

One of the most frequently asked question is whether the President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, responded to my letter which I delivered to Malacanang during my bike-tour last April 28. This evening, I had a dinner-meeting with Mr. Ricardo Saludo and Fr. Frank Pidgeon at a Japanese Restaurant in the Mall of Asia. Mr. Saludo is the Cabinet Secretary of the President. He had been asked by the president to respond to my letter. He asked Fr. Pidgeon - an Australian Redemptorist who happens to be his friend - to set the meeting with me.

While eating, I listened to Mr. Saludo explain the president's side which is based on a document he had prepared entitled: "Briefing Materials on National Issues."

He focused on two main issues:

1. The NBN-ZTE controversy in which the president and her husband are involved as alleged by Jun Lozada and Joey de Venecia.
2. The Hello Garci controversy in which she had been accused of cheating in the elections.

According to Mr. Saludo the charges of overpricing and bribery in the NBN-ZTE are unproven. Jun Lozada was not abducted but protected. He insisted that the rule of law and due process of should be observed in the investigation of the NBN-ZTE controversy.

Regarding the Hello Garci controversy, there is no evidence that the president ordered Garcillano. The only evidence are the tapes which are illegal and inadmissible in any court of law. No case has even been filed against Garcillano.

In brief, the accusation of corruption and cheating in the election are unproven. There is no hard evidence that would link the president to these scandals or controversies. Therefore, the perception that the president is corrupt and power-hungry is without any basis.

Since he did not discuss the appeals I made in my letter regarding the resumption of the peace negotiations, investigation of extra-judicial killings, and the protection of the environment (total log-ban and repealing the mining act), I asked him what the Arroyo administration is doing about this. He answered that the NDF has set some preconditions which give the impression that it is nor really interested in the peace process. He also said that most of those in the list of the so-called victims of extra-judicial killings are fictitious. Regarding the environment he said that the government would like to promote "responsible mining."

After over two hours, Mr. Saludo brought us back to Baclaran. I was grateful that a cabinet secretary of the president went out of his way to meet me and explain the president's side. Mr. Saludo is a decent man. Of course, it was expected that he would defend the president especially against the accusations against her. Yet, I was not fully satisfied with his explanations.

Although, it is true that there are no hard evidence that would link her to corruption and rigging the election, what cannot be denied is that under her administration, the culture of violence, death and corruption persist. Her government has pursued an all-out war policy against the NDF/NPA which it hopes to defeat in two years. The extra-judicial killings and forced disappearances continue. The destruction of the environment by logging and mining continue. Corruption continues to affect all levels of society.

Mr. Saludo is right when he says that it is not enough to just denounce the government for perceived evils. We must present hard evidence rather than just dwell on generalities. At the same time, we must learn to engage in dialogue to search for ways to address the problems and concerns that affect our nation. This is a role that the Church must seriously pursue.

Day 56: Nabunturan-Davao City

When I woke early this morning, my left knee was swollen and stiff. I was wondering if I could still bike the last leg of my journey. Bending it was so difficult and painful. I limped all the way to the altar as I concelebrated and preached at the 6 am mass in Nabunturan.

During breakfast, a 71 year-old biker named Amancio came in and told me that he would bike with me all the way to Davao if no one else would accompany me. 8 more people arrived and told me they would bike with me within the town and up to Mawab which was 12 km away.

Riding the bike was so agonizing - with only the right leg pedaling and the left leg still very stiff and painful. Amancio assured me that after a while, the pain would go away. So we pedaled at a very slow pace wishing the pain would go away. After an hour, I could easily bend my left knee but my left leg didn't have enough strength to pedal. When we reached Mawab, the other bikers returned to Nabunturan. As we crested the second hill, a truck with seven bikers stopped. They were led by Luis - the owner of the 3 MJ bike shop. He placed some ice on my knees and instructed another biker to ride beside me and push my back. As we reached Tagum, more bikers were waiting for us and joined us. We dropped by the Tagum city hall where a bicycle-circuit race was in progress. My arrival was announced and the bikers gave me a warm applause. We continued our journey and this time there were over 50 bikers accompanying me. Several bikers took turns in assisting me so that I didn't have to do much pedaling. Upon seeing that I wouldn't be alone, Amancio decided to return to Nabunturan.

We arrived at the Redemptorist church grounds at 2:15 pm I was welcomed home by our parish staff and youth. When I looked at my cyclocomputer, I saw that I have already biked a total of 5164.7 km in 56 days. In spite of the pain and thanks to the support of the bikers I have finally finished my journey.

Day 55: Cateel - Nabunturan

At 5:30 in the morning, I was on the road again crossing the Cateel mountains. This used to be a forest that has been denuded by the logging companies which have paid off the local government officials, the DENR checkpoints and even the NPA.

There has been a lot of fighting in this area over the last few weeks. Some tribal peoples have already evacuated to Compostela valley. After 20 km of biking, I met heavily armed men in uniform along the way. I wasn't sure whether they were army men or NPA guerrillas. After a while, two helicopters were hovering in the sky.

When I reached Barangay Maglahos, I look at my cyclocomputer and saw that I had already reached the 5000 km point. I celebrated this moment by eating a piece of bread and drinking gatorade.

After 30 km, the road became more and more rough. I did a lot of steep ascents and descents over loose sharp rocks which reminded me of the Abra-Kalinga road. It was around noontime when I crashed. As I fell to the ground, my head hit a rock and I was lucky my helmet protected my head. My left knee was badly bruised. I felt a pain in my shoulder. I checked my clavicles and was glad nothing was broken. I had another crash ninety minutes letter and this time my right knee was bruised. I decided to walk down everytime I made a steep descent.

I reached Compostela Valley at 4:45 pm and bought some fried bananas and pineapple juice. I continued biking until I reached Nabunturan at 6:10 pm after biking for 97 km, I was welcomed by the parish priest -Fr. Medel - and his assistant - Fr. Edwin. I took a shower and then dressed my wounds before dinner. My left knee is still very painful. I hope I will be well enough to bike the last leg of my journey tomorrow.

Day 54: Mangagoy-Cateel, Davao Oriental

At 5:00 am this morning, Fr. Florio brought me to the radio station where I was one of the guests for the program entitled: "Kisaw." The other guests were the leader of the PICOP labor union, the head of the parish social action and the parish disaster committee. Immediately after the program we went back to the parish where Gabby was already waiting. So we departed at 6:15 am. Gabby biked with me as far as Lingig - 24 km away from Mangagoy. We did a lot of climbing along rough road. We reached Lingig at 8:30 and after breakfast Gabby went back to Mangagoy and I continued my journey alone. After an hour of biking, I stopped by an store in a remote barrio to buy some ice. A woman run to the store to greet me and told me that she just saw me featured on the ABS-CBN TV patrol early this morning. That must have been the footage and the interview done in Butuan a few days ago. A few hours later, two more people riding motorbikes also greeted me - they must have also seen me on TV. I am just amazed how mass media has been a big help throughout this journey for magnifying my "life and peace" advocacy.

The road between Mangagoy and Cateel reminded me of the Kalinga road in the Cordilleras. There were a lot loose sharp rocks and steep climbs. The heat contributed to the exhaustion that I began to feel. I could feel the beginning of cramps on my legs. I had to do a lot of walking especially in the uphill sections. I reached Cateel at 4 pm after biking for 78 km. I was welcomed by the parish priest - Fr. Darwey - and his parochial vicars - Frs. Jojo and Bingbong. I presided and preached at the 5 pm mass. We had dinner of lechon afterwards.

The main issue in this area is logging. Fr. Darwey has been denouncing the logging companies in the area that are denuding the forest. It appears that some local government officials are protecting these logging companies.

Day 53: San Francisco - Mangagoy, Surigao del Sur

I left San Francisco before 6 am this morning. The first 40 kilometers was a very easy and leisurely ride along a paved highway and cloudy sky. I was averaging 17 km per hour. But the difficult part began after Tagongon. Over 30 km of biking on very rough and hilly terrain which reminded me of Northern/Eastern Samar. My speed was reduced to an average of 8 km per hour - slower than a jogging pace. The rocks were very sharp and I had a flat tire at 11 am as the heat became unbearable. I was able to change the tire tube in 20 minutes. As I entered Mangagoy, a cyclist named Gabby biked alongside me and we talked for a while. After some refreshment he guided me to the convento and told me that he and some of his friends will bike with me up to Lingig tomorrow. I met Fr. Erwin, the parochial vicar, who invited me for lunch. Later in the afternoon, I met Fr. Florio Falcon - the parish priest.

Fr. Falcon and his fellow priests had courageously denounced PICOP for damaging the environment though the years. The forest have beeb denuded due to its logging operation. The sea, land and air had been polluted due to its mining operation and its use of hazardous chemicals. Fr. Falcon received some death threats and was even charged in court for libel and for damaging the reputation of the company. He won the case. He continues his crusade against the company.

In my homily during the 5:15 pm mass, I will focus on the environmental destruction through logging and mining as part of the culture of death. While it may have provided employment to some and enriched the company and some politicians, it has destroyed the environment and has become a threat to the health and life of the people now and the generations to come.

Days 51 & 52: Surigao City-Butuan-San Francisco, Agusan Sur

It was raining when I left Surigao City at 5:30 yesterday morning. I decided to put on my Northface Jacket to keep myself dry. I didn't want to catch cold again. I maintained a fast pace as the rain and wind caressed my face. What a pleasant sensation. I only slowed down as I began my ascent along the mountain overlooking Lake Mainit. The rain stopped by 9 am after ascending the mountain. With only 60 km to go, I increased my pace to 25-30 km per hour. As I reached the bridge before Butuan City, the ABS-CBN TV camera crew aboard their pick-up was waiting for me and took some footages. When I reached the Cathedral rectory at noon time after biking for 121 km in 6 hours, the ABS-CBN newscaster interviewed me. I was welcomed by Fr. Nene Caldoza, the rector of the cathedral and immediately had lunch with some of the priests.
I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and preached at the 5:30 pm mass.

After morning prayer, I left Butuan at 6 am and biked at a leisurely pace across the mountains of Agusan del Sur. San Francisco was only 84 kilometers away so there was no need to ride faster. The weather was perfect for biking - cloudy and cool. There were a lot of climbing but also some descents. Along the way I saw this sign which I found very meaningful: "We are judged by what we finish, not what we start." As I reach the end of my journey, I can only agree.

I reached San Francisco at noontime and was welcomed by Fr. Allen, the Carmelite who is the new parish priest. After lunch with the members of the Carmelite community I spent the afternoon washing my clothes and then resting. I am scheduled to preach at the 5:30 pm mass.

So far, I have already biked for more than 4,800 km.

Some people have been asking me if the president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has read my letter. Now I can answer that she has and is taking the letter seriously. The other night, I received a call from an Australian Redemptorist priest based in Baclaran and he told me that an old friend who happens to be a member of the president's cabinet has contacted him and wants to set a meeting with me to discuss the letter. I agreed to meet the guy next week in Baclaran, the night before I depart for Bangkok. So I'll write about it after the meeting takes place. Well, it seems that delivering the letter to Malacanang was not in vain. Of course, I can thanks the media for covering the event and disclosing the content of the letter to the public.

Another day of solo biking tomorrow. I am once again a hermit on a bicycle, meditating and praying as I pedal. Yesterday and today, I prayed in a special way for a biker - Eric Reyes - who is dying of cancer. He texted me yesterday before he was put on a medically induced coma. His friends thought he was lying when he claimed he had cancer.

Days 49 & 50: Hilongos-Liloan-Surigao City/Rest

Yesterday, I concelebrated and preached at the 5:30 mass this morning at the Hilongos parish church. Being Pentecost Sunday, I emphasized on the role of the Holy Spirit as the source of empowerment, courage and wisdom as we carry out the mission of proclaiming the Gospel of the risen Lord. I have experienced this throughout my bicycle journey around the country as I preached the Gospel of Life and Peace amidst the culture of death and violence.

After the mass I changed into my cycling outfit and then continued my journey accompanied by over 40 bikers from Hilongos belong to the various cycling clubs: Hilongos Cycling One led by Mr. Ceniza, Team Pedal Trekkers led by Jun Lavides, Hilongos Unified Bikers and Team Boysua. When were reached Sogon, we were joined by over 10 bikers belonging to the Sogod Bay Biking Club. Knowing that the ferry boat was leaving Liloan at 11 am, we biked at a very fast pace - averaging 25-30 km/hr. I was flanked and helped by two very fast bikers whenever we climbed the hills. We reached the Liloan pier at 10:30 after biking 81 km in 3 hrs and 30 min. I got on the ferry boat while the bikers went back to Sogod and Hilongos. The boat left at 1 pm and reached Lipata pier in Surigao after 4 pm. As I biked towards the city I felt the exhaustion and hunger setting in. I stopped by a store for refreshments. I arrived at the cathedral rectory after 5 pm. Good thing I called the day before since they weren't expecting me. The priest I wrote to had been assigned to another place and he didn't inform the new parish priest about my coming.

So today being my rest day, I woke up later than usual - at 6 am. After morning prayer I had my breakfast and then did my laundry. The rest of the day I just relaxed.

This is the 50th day of my bike-tour and so far I have already biked 4614 km. I am back in Mindanao. I still have six more days of biking before I reach Davao. The next five days, I will probably be biking alone - going through some areas that have been devastated by logging and mining, and where the fighting between the NPA and the Government forces continue to rage. I have some apprehensions especially biking along Mangagoy, Cateel, Compostela Valley and Nabunturan roads. Aware of the risks, I continue my journey for life and peace. I am confident that I will reach my destination safe and sound.

What have you accomplished so far? This is the question that I know a lot of people are asking. There are some who probably think that I am just a modern-day Don Quixote riding a bicycle, charging against some windmills and dreaming the impossible dream. I am aware that this bike-tour will not accomplish much - it won't end abortion, the war, the extra-judicial killings, the destruction of the environment, corruption. I don't expect the letter for the president I delivered to Malacanang will make a big impact. All I can hope is that somehow, I have touched the hearts of some people and convinced them that there is something that we can do, no matter how small, to change our society.

On a personal note I have achieved what I thought was impossible at my age and with my heart condition (myocardial ischemia). I will have established a Philippine record which will probably take a long time to break - biking over 5000 km alone from Davao to Aparri and back, going through the toughest roads in Cordilleras, Northern & Eastern Samar and passing by Malacanang without any back-up. This is route that have not been completed even by a motorized vehicle. And I have lost probably over 20 pounds.

Of course, although this has been a journey that I did alone. I had the support of so many people: my fellow Redemptorists, friends, parish priests, bishops, biking clubs, individual cyclists, motorbike escorts, the media, etc. Above all, I have felt the presence of the One to whom I owe my existence and whose call I have answered. God has been good to me. During those moments when I felt alone, when I crashed in the Cordilleras, or when I was threatened by sickness, I was never alone for He was with me.