The narrative takes us through Lean's social awakening while a student at UP and continues on to his rise as campus activist, his growing prominence in national politics, his incarceration and his tragic death from the gun of an assassin. As his life unfolds we take our own trip back to the past. Marcos in Malacañang, Ninoy Aquino's death, the Snap Elections, People Power at EDSA, Cory Aquino, the massacre at Mendiola. And we hear those near forgotten words and names again. Aktibista, rally, demo, kapit-bisig, makibaka, huwag matakot, arbitrary detention, Ka Tanny, Pepe Diokno, Cory, Cory, Lando Olalia, Eman Lacaba, political detainees, mandaraya, sinungaling, manlilinlang, tuloy ang laban para sa sambayanan.
- Baby A. Gil, Sounds Familiar, The Philippine Star, 4 September 1998
You need no further proof than this that the Filipino is a rather forgetful people. It is no longer amusing to note how, almost 20 years after EDSA, the words mandaraya, sinungaling, manlilinlang still remain significant in our lives.
Hawak ng iilan ang ekonomiya
Hawak ng dayuhan ang ating pulitika
Ang ating kultura ay sa interes nila
Ang ating kaisipan ay nababaog pala!
- Iskolar ng Bayan
I will leave you with Granada's rather militant version of UP Naming Mahal, which even non-UP students would find very stirring.
UP Naming Mahal
Pamantasan ng bayan
Tinig ng masa
ang siyang lagi nang pakikinggan
Malayong lupain
Di kailangang marating
Dito maglilingkod sa bayan natin
Dito maglilingkod sa bayan natin
Silangang mapula
Sagisag magpakailanman
Ating ipaglaban
Laya ng diwa't kaisipan
Humayo't itanghal
Giting, tapang at dangal!
Mabuhay ang lingkod ng taongbayan
Mabuhay ang lingkod ng taongbayan
