No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main . . . any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and, therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. –  

John Donne (1572-1631)  

There is a rumor going on in the Filipino Internet world that some Filipino-American leaders who hail from Samar and Romblon Islands are forming what they tentative call the “Union of Socialist Samar and Romblon Republics” (USSR2).

To read this particular work of John Donne, please click on this link http://incompetech.com/authors/donne/bell.html

So, armed with the quote from John Donne, I called up a former University of the Philippines professor, Cesar Torres, who is the acknowledged leader of the Samarnon community in Northern California. I lifted the words of John Donne, who happens to be Professor Torres’ favorite writer and tried to convey the message that “no man is an island,” etceteras, etc.

I said to Professor Torres: “Is the USSR2 a Donne deal, oops, done deal?”

The former UP faculty member actually evaded the issue. He replied that I better get hold of Doc Simp, the venerable leader of the Romblon-American community, who commutes from Chicago to Romblon on a regular basis. I said that I have actually e-mailed Doc Simp but he referred me in turn to his alter ego, Antonio Bulog, who appears to be the supremo of the Romblon faction in the USSR2 movement.

So I phoned Mr. Bulog – in a three-way hook up with Professor Torres – and I got an earful of his much-vaunted Bulogisms. Both the professor and the pundit said that the words of John Donne do not apply to the Philippine scenario because the homeland is an archipelago and not a continent. And secondly, Mr. Bulog said that some men are like the Sumo wrestlers of Japan or the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and they are like continents in bulk and height.

And so, without admitting anything, both Professor Torres and Pundit Bulog hinted that should the Arroyo Dispensation move for the outright grant of independence to Muslim Mindanao, the islands of Samar and Romblon might follow suit. And declare their own independence? All they replied were hypothetical answers.

Like when Professor Torres said that how could the bells toll in Samar when Wyoming has not returned the bells to Balangiga town of Eastern Samar?

This writer asked Professor Torres if it were true that the initials of the PPP, the OFW-led political party that he was forming, actually stood for the “Pulajanes Political Party”?

Professor Torres laughed at the idea, although he said that the Pulajanes was a religion-based rebellion and not a political advocacy.

(Editor’s Note: To read more about the Pulajanes rebels, please go to Paul Dimayuga’s article, http://www.bibingka.com/phg/religious/default.htm.)

 
I inquired from Pundit Bulog if he realized that the Philippine ambassador to the United States, H. E. Willy C. Gaa, is a distinguished son of Romblon? I asked if the position of Ambassador Gaa might be compromised by the formation of the USSR2? He answered that Ambassador Gaa has nothing to do with the movement. Mr. Bulog said that in reality the movement would want Mr. Gaa to become the first USSR2 president.

(To be continued . . .)