Playing with Fire
Rizal stayed in Dagupan, Lingayen
By Gonzalo Duque
WE were in Canada when we wrote this.
You know, wherever we were in this super cool country, we missed the warmth and sizzling scenes back home.
Just before we took off for Manila last week, we bumped into a history discussion group with members the likes of Arabel Arcinue, fellow columnist Virgie Pasalo, Sonny Villafania, Erlinda Estravo and Melchor Orpilla.
They were swapping views about our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, whose birthday is on June 19.
Informative ang discussion especially nang dumating si Jun Velasco, who was Knights of Rizal commander of Quezon City.
We remember Bel Arcinue, who is Pangasinan Historical Cultural Commissioner, passionately arguing a point, that Rizal used to visit his girl friend/cousin Leonor Rivera in Dagupan.
The daughter of the late Delegate of the Constitutional Convention, Juan Ventinella, mentioned family relatives who were in the company of the lovers (Rizal and his Leonor) during their dates in Dagupan and Lingayen.
Ano ba yan, Ka Pepe, may gwardiya sibil pa ha? Paano ka maka score niyan kay Leonor?
Btw, we came across a Sunday Punch item maybe 3 weeks back that said there was no record in the National Historical Commission that Rizal stayed in Dagupan.
Kill joy naman! By the way, the group led Arabela will hold a symposium at Bombo Radyo on June 19 at 9 a.m. with Bogs Toribio and Jun Velasco moderating.
But Bel, whose ancestry has a bloodline to the Quintos family (Rizal’s maternal side), insisted Jose Rizal made several visits to Dagupan and Lingayen.
Hmmm…. how about the wedding of Leonor and Carlos Kipping in a Dagupan Church? Dami nakakaalam noon!
Mukhang may malaking punto si Bel a, kasi if you read the late Resty Basa’s book, “History of Dagupan,” we are told that some names in Rizal’s Noli were Dagupan personalities like Villamil, Zarate, Crisostomo, etc.
We will not affirm Bel’s take on Rizal’s alleged Dagupan visits, for that would just wallow in sentimentalism, which the hero might belittle being a global man. What’s relevant is to situate Rizal in the headlines these days. What would he do vis-a-vis the question of terrorism?
Rizal was a pacifist, hated cruelty in all its forms, and an advocate of world peace and brotherly love.
Talagang lover si Bossing an, Lover of country, we mean.
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