Wednesday, August 19, 2009

R.I.P. Auntie Ellen

My Grandma and my Great-Aunt Ellen had been friends since my grandfather died over 35 years ago. Everytime my Grandma would come to the U.S. to stay with us for a bit, Auntie Ellen would take care of matters in the P.I. for her and for my family. I remember every year on my birthday, she would send a boxful of my favorite Pili-nut candies (you can't get them anywhere else except for the town where my mother grew up) that she would have handmade and hand packaged just for me.


Her son and my mother grew up together in a little town in the Philippines. My grandfather was the Mayor of this town for two terms and since his own father had died when he was young...my Uncle followed his footsteps and became Mayor a few years ago. My Uncle is up for re-election this month. And yesterday, in broad daylight, as she was heading off to my Uncle's campaign headquarters to help out, someone shot my Great-Aunt Ellen thru the forehead. One shot.


My mother just came home and told me about this 5 minutes ago. And now she is left with the hard task of telling my Grandmother that her best friend of 4 decades is dead. Not because she was hated. Not because she was a bad person who deserved it. But for the simple fact that she had birthed and raised the man who just happened to become Mayor.


I don't write this just for me...I write this so that all of you may understand that in places like the Philippines, this kind of vigilante guerilla "warfare" still exist. Where it doesn't matter if what you stand for is the right thing or the wrong thing. Where even in a tiny, almost inconsequential little town up in the mountains, people take issues into their own hands and to hell with the government. I'm no good at this stuff...talking about things I don't know. But I do know this, the next time you decide to complain about the government, the next time you complain about the President and whether or not you like them. The next time you decide to complain that this country is on it's way to hell and back, remember that it is for the simple fact that you live here...in this very country that you are a citizen of...that you are given the right to voice your opinions as much as you want without fear of repurcusions much less of being gunned down in the middle of the street.


I will be accompanying my family to a special memorial here in the States for her this Sunday. Her nephew, another Uncle of mine, is a priest at a local church in a city close by. Please pray for her soul, even if you don't believe in prayer. And please pray that whoever did this will be brought to justice (as much justice as possible given the nature of things down there).


R.I.P. Auntie Ellen....



from left to right: my Grandmother, my Uncle the mayor, Aunt Ellen, my dad, my mom, the Vice Mayor...

16 comments:

SkylersDad said...

My heart aches for you E, hugs...

J.J. in L.A. said...

I'm SO sorry, sweetie!

I hate when people here complain about the U.S./government because they don't "get" how good they have it.

Chris said...

Words ring hollow.

Thoughts and prayers are with your family.

Felisa said...

I am deeply, deeply sorry for this loss, E. I know exactly what you mean about people not realizing how good people have it here. Not at all saying that we shouldn't say anything or that we should turn a blind eye on the problems here but I do wish people could be more grateful for the freedoms that they have here.

My prayers and thoughts are with your family and your Auntie Ellen's family.

The Unbearable Banishment said...

My Lord! I am SO sorry to read this. I don't know what to say, E. All good wishes from the Left Coast to you and your family.

Cora said...

~E, again let me say how very, very sorry I am to hear what happened. My prayers go out to you and your family.

(((BIG HUGS)))

Some Guy said...

That's so awful, E. My thoughts are with you and your family.

Sassy Britches said...

Oh, ~E. Whenever I read this, I realized how naive we are here in the States about what really goes on elsewhere and what we take for granted. I just said a prayer and will continue to do so because there just aren't any words. Hugs to you.

Dr Zibbs said...

Sorry to hear the news.

NMOS said...

Just left you a voice message and hoping you're alright. I'm sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to you and your family. I'm here if you need anything, like if you just want to talk.

Sid said...

Shit honey. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Anonymous said...

thank you for sharing this story. it's heartbreaking... condolences to you and your family.

Anonymous said...

I am so very so.

Eryl said...

I actually couldn't believe what I read, I had to read it again a few more times. And words fail me now.

Condolences to you and your family.

tennysoneehemingway said...

That is just awful. Usually here in Australia, we hear this sort of stuff from Indonesia, but not much from the Phillipines. I can't say anything but sorry.

Mary@Holy Mackerel said...

Oh my god. I am SO SO sorry for you. Wow. I've been away for awhile, just starting to look at my fave blogs again, and I saw this. How terrible and unbelievable.
Big hugs to you and your family.