15 SECONDS OF FAME

Back in college I was already quite known to most of the Students in Silliman. I mean, being a writer of the Weekly Sillimanian and an active Student Leader (among many others), most of the students and teachers alike have already known me.

But this picture and the story behind it made me an instant celebrity of Silliman University during my time.


I wasn't really expecting the kind of reaction of the Silliman community when the lampoon issue came out. When I agreed about the story I was only there for the fun of it. You know, being part of the big joke. Then, I never thought that it could make me "famous".

Phines Patalinghug was insisting that it was part of my scheme to be able to win the Vice Presidency of the SU Student Government. Of course, the story made an instant name recall, but that wasn't the purpose, it wasn't even on my mind when Dinah suggested my story of killing someone would be the banner story of the lampoon issue.

The story started one day when Ritchie (the Business Manager, forgot his family name) was taking pictures of the people in the tWS office. I was so tired from editing the news stories when he took a picture of me. So when the photo was develop (these were the days when digital photos were not yet staple), with a haggard face I look like I was on a big trouble. Dinah was laughing when she saw the picture and a bright idea came into her mind (as always!). She suggested that the said picture would be published with a story that I am a murder suspect. Excited about the idea, I agreed.

Unfortunately, a week before the the publication of the lampoon issue, the said picture could not be found. But the story was already there. So instead of still looking for the said picture. I suggested that Sheila Campomanes will take a picture of me that would look like a mug shot for crime suspects. And thus the picture above.

That wasn't an easy picture to take. Sheila might have wasted 3-4 negatives and countless "takes" to capture that image. I was laughing when she was taking picture. The idea that I have to act and look like a goon for the photo shot was very funny for me. But eventually the actor in me came out. And from an innocent looking (ehem! walang kokontra), I was transformed into a hoodlum-looking-killer.

Well, that was behind the story of how I killed Michael Cornito with a metal hair brush in Boltz Hall and how the Piapi National Police (PNP)discovered that I was the prime suspect.