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BY LUIS BUENAFLOR JR.
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Feeling ‘Sister Stella L’…
DO YOU really think it was the alleged abuses and atrocities supposedly committed by the Marcos regime that inspired some nuns to leave the quiet contemplative life to join the masses protesting in the street?
Nope, you’re wrong; it was Vilma Santos. Yes, Ate Vi was the inspiration that moved these nuns to roll up their sleeves, wear comfortable walking sandals, and take the streets.
Before you start protesting too, it was not Vilma Santos playing a stripper in “Burlesque Queen” but Ate Vi playing a militant nun in “Sister Stella L”.
For those who were not around during the martial law years and also for the uninitiated, “Sister Stella L.” is a film by Mike De Leon that talks about a struggle of a nun against injustices and government oppression.
This movie was released by Regla Films and features “Star for All Seasons” Vilma Santos and the late Jay Ilagan. The film was released in1984 at the height of the Marcos regime.
Marcos had been in power for 12 years since he declared martial law in 1972 and talks of abuses and disappearances of activities abound yet not a peep from the nuns and priests. In fact, Ateneo de Manila even expelled student activists. One can say that the nuns and priests were complacent about martial law. Although there were talks and reports of priests that joined the resistance against Marcos, the nuns were awfully quiet.
That was until the film “Sister Stella L” was shown in theaters nationwide; a transformation of sorts happened to the nuns, particularly those running the exclusive girls schools i.e. St. Scholastica and St. Paul’s.
Lo and behold, the nuns had an epiphany from Vilma Santos.
Now the nuns had no role model or someone to emulate that was relevant to the times; all they had at that time was Julie Andrews in the film “The Singing Nun” and a whimsical nun carrying a guitar and singing silly songs is not at all a heroic or feminism symbol.
At least today they have the feisty Whoopi Goldberg in “Sister Act” now on its 3rd sequel.
Take note people, although they’re celibate nuns, they are still women and need to find meaning in their existence aside from being married to the Church. Gabriela Silang and Theresa Magbanua just won’t do as these two true-to-life revolutionary heroines were earthy and had very active sex lives and were also not known to be religious. It had to a militant nun fighting an oppressive government exploiting workers; it had to be “Sister Stella L”, never mind that Vilma Santos was a stripper in “Burlesque Queen.”
I was a schoolteacher in one of the Catholic schools in Iloilo City and I have seen the transformation of “Sister Mary Elephant” to “Sister Stella L” and it was quite remarkable. There were seminars and dialogues on political and social issues relevant to martial law. Students were encouraged to join protests and rallies in support of the opposition.
I have nothing against nuns or priests expressing their political stand as citizens of the republic. I find it healthy; in fact I support it even if I may disagree with their stand, it’s still a democratic country.
What is not proper is when these priests and nuns are using their religious platform and ascendancy to impose their political agenda on their parishioners and their students, most particularly the minors.
This is not only in bad taste but an abuse on the innocent and minor students. A particular case in point is what the nuns of St. Scholastica College Manila headed by their president, Sister Mary Francis Dizon OSB, have done just recently.
They required students, particularly girls from the elementary department, to join a rally initiated by Sen. Risa Hontiveros against President Rodrigo Duterte.
Here is in toto a letter from a concerned parent from one of the elementary students forced to attend Risa Hontiveros’ rally:
OPEN LETTER TO ST SCHOLASTICA’S MANAGEMENT
July 18, 2017
Sr. Mary Frances Dizon, OSB
PRESIDENT
St. Scholastica College
2560 Leon Guinto St.
Malate, Manila
SUBJECT: RALLY AGAINST PRRD HELD TODAY
PUTANG INA NAMAN……
Ano na naman yang katarantaduhan ninyo? Bakit mga bata ang ginagamit ninyo sa pagra-rally? Bakit hindi kayong lahat ng teacher, admin staff, madre ang magpunta sa Mendiola at mag-rally?
Bakit mga anak namin ang ginagamit ninyo” PUTANG INA NINYO, WALA PANG 18 years old mga anak naming, 15 and 14, anong alam nila sa politika? Tapos may media agad? Hindi ba well-planned and organized?
Hindi ba ninyo naisip na baka ma-bash sa social media ang mga bata o yung political interest lang ninyo ang inisip ninyo?
Pakisabi kay Sen. Hontiveros na siya ang mag-rally mag-isa, wag na niya isama mga anak namin.
Tayo ngayon ang mag-debate, hindi ‘yung mag-iimbita kayo ng sino-sinong mga resource persons para magsalita sa stage at bilugin ang ulo ng mga anak namin.
Bakit hindi ninyo imbitahin lahat ng mga magulang ng estudyante ninyo ngayon, sulatan ninyo lahat para malaman ninyo kung ano ang sentyimento naming mga matatanda.
Extrajudicial killing – Do you have any proof that PRRD instigated the killings of so-called victims?
If yes, then go ahead and file a case against the administration.
If none then let’s go back to the moral law, hindi ba masama ang magbintang sa kapwa?
Did you know what the are implications with this kind of exposure to our children? If not then I suggest you organize another rally with all your relatives for you to know. I also suggest that you march all the way from St. Scholastica to Malacañang Palace to release your sentiments and POLITICAL POSITION about the current administration for all I care. Pero wag ninyo isama mga anak namin putang ina ninyo!
Bakit hindi ninyo kami ininform na magra-rally pala mga anak namin at pagkatapos pala namin manggaling sa trabaho ay mapapanood na namin sa TV. Sino ba namang magulang ang matutuwa?
Oh siempre wala akong maririnig na reply sa inyo at holy holy nanaman kayo. Or magre-reply nanaman kayo with the nicest and holiest words available in the dictionary.
Kung alam ko lang na ganyan kayo hindi namin inenroll mga anak namin sa inyo.
I am an educated individual, I also graduated from a Catholic school, but my school protected us from politics, they only taught us the values of life, they only gave us the tools, the knowledge, that in the future we will know how to decide on things.
Do not taint the minds of our child with politics. Your act was not spontaneous, it was planned and organized. You only circulated a letter to allow our child with a certain “YOUTH SONA 2017” thinking that it is just an ordinary school activity. You maliciously misinformed us. Putang ina kung ang nilagay ninyo eh magra-rally ang mga bata may media ho at ma-TV mga anak ninyo eh putang ina pipirma ba mga magulang doon?
I will not ask for a public apology, I know it will not come. But I challenge you to do the rally by yourselves at 100 percent attendance from your admin to all the teachers and staff.
Mr. Rylan Alingarog
A CONCERNED PARENT
Eto number ko baka sabihin ninyo bahag buntot ko
09478998715
So there, I have no more comment. This letter says it all. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
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