‘12 Apostles’ rise for faith and flag

NOT QUITE DOING IT ALONE Eleven other protesters, most of them seniors, joined Wilfredo Villanueva at Don Chino Roces monument on Mendiola to defend God against verbal abuse from President Duterte. —AIE BALAGTAS SEE

He does not consider himself an activist, financial adviser Wilfredo Villanueva said, but  “good parenting” compelled him to hold a one-man picket to protest President Rodrigo Duterte’s harsh statements against God and the Church.

“I don’t know how I would face my children and teach them good manners when I could not even fight for those values,” Villanueva said.

As it turned out, his wasn’t a voice in the wilderness. On June 26, days after the President made his controversial remarks about a “stupid God,” 12 protesters braved the rains to gather at the Don Chino Roces (formerly Mendiola) bridge to defend their faith.

Clarion call

Being devout Catholics, they jokingly called themselves “the 12 Apostles.”

Villanueva first posted his clarion call on social media after waiting in vain for Church officials, particularly Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, to rally the flock and make a stand against what many consider as the President’s blasphemous statements.

“Why are Catholics not out in the streets yet? Ako, kahit mag-isa, (Even alone at) 3 p.m. tomorrow Tuesday, sa Mendiola bridge. May dala akong (I will bring an) angry emoji and Philippine flag. Sama na kayo. Rosary tayo  (Let’s go, let’s pray the rosary),” Villanueva had posted.

Hours later, he made another post. “Walang nagtatawag ng (Nobody’s calling for a) show of outrage. I won’t wait. God requires heat.”

Creaky joints

His followers spread the word and soon enough, Villanueva found himself with 11 other protesters, most of them in their 60s, who found their creaky joints and unsteady knees the main challenges at the impromptu rally. But there they stood in the pouring rain, this scraggly group of seniors who prayed the rosary and shared similar views about the country’s political landscape.

“[The President] had crossed the line,” said 68-year-old former journalist Maria Socorro Naguit. Marvin Zapanta, a history professor at the University of Santo Tomas, expressed the same sentiment.

The others in the group were Annie Kimseng, 69; Junie Sanchez, 68; Charie Reyes, 69; Esther Rombano, 59; Nilda Fullon, 59, and her husband;  Maria Yvonne Guerrero, 52; and Daniel Marin, 38, the youngest in the  group.

The 12th “apostle,” a Doctor Valencia, joined them briefly.

Deepest cut

“[The President6’s remarks] are enraging,” said a teary-eyed Kimseng.  “He had done some things in the past that made my blood boil, like what he did to Sen. [Leila] de Lima. But this one against God cuts the deepest.”

The monsoon rains did not deter them, said Reyes. “It’s such a small sacrifice,” added the full-time homemaker.

The motley gathering felt “like conquering a summit after a long trek,” said Villanueva, who had expected to pray the rosary by his lonesome at the foot of the Don Chino Roces monument.

“Instead of a pity party on Facebook, we stepped out of our digital caves and braved the June drizzle,” he added.

But joining protest rallies was nothing new to the seniors who had joined Villanueva.

“During the snap elections under [authoritarian President] Marcos, we were one of those who sat on the ballot boxes to ensure that [the dictator] could not steal the elections,” Reyes said.

“The difference now is that we can’t walk and stand for long periods anymore,” Sanchez quipped.

No room for fear

The gathering turned out to be a peaceful prayer rally, with the protesters clutching their rosaries on one hand and gesturing emphatically with the other, about fighting for things they hold sacred.

It was not only for democracy and accountability, Naguit said, but for the “most sacred” cause, which is faith in God.

Agreed Marin: “You know what’s sad? It’s when the Catholics could not even defend their faith yet they keep asking the Lord to bless them.”

All the while, Villanueva waved the Philippine flag. “When I wave the flag, it’s like I had climbed the tallest mountain and claimed it as a conquest. A conquest of despair, uncertainty and fear,” he said.

“There’s no room for fear,” Guerrero said. “Some people have gone blind, but we can’t allow them to do these things. Even if 99.9 percent of the population say it’s okay, when you know it’s wrong, then be that 0.1 percent. The end does not justify the means,”  she said.

On July 5, Thursday, the group met again at the same spot, before proceeding to St. Jude Church to hear Mass. This time, 14 protesters turned up.

It wasn’t a critical mass just yet, but Villanueva is undaunted.  “We will do it again because we can’t let this pass,” he vowed.