Rufino “Ruffy” Manaligod

July 22, 1961 – April 18, 2013

Ruffy, was the first in a brood of three boys who enrolled in UP through the initial batch of the Experimental Democratization for Students (XDS). Under the term of the then-UP President Onofre Corpuz, the XDS was designed to allow entry of intelligent students, mostly valedictorians and salutatorians from different provincial high schools. To further expand the beneficiaries of this program, the cut-off grades from the regions were a bit lower compared to that of the National Capital Region (NCR). The XDS also gave financial assistance to families from these areas of the country that do not have the capacity to shoulder the cost of education in Metro Manila. Ironically, as one of the programs that were established under the Presidential Center for Strategic Studies, it was intended to stem the tide of opposition against the Marcos dictatorship.
With the influx of students from many provinces, the UP population grew and led to the burgeoning of student regional organizations, fraternities, and sororities. Ruffy was recruited in Scintilla Juris (SJ) Fraternity where his fellow frat men fondly remember his toothy smile, jolly personality and ready handshake. In Area 2, a place in UP where many food stalls are located, the eyeglasses-wearing Manaligod brothers were known record-holders of unli rice eating to sustain their tall and brawny bodies, the typical built of frat men in those days.

Soon enough, SJ also recognized Ruffy’s leadership capability. He was designated as a permanent representative to the Alliance of Concerned Fraternities (FratAl), composed of 13 fraternities from various colleges of the university that support SAMASA. The FratAl became a venue to educate members about students’ rights and welfare (STRAW) and national issues. During rallies, FratAl members served as marshals and always positioned themselves in the frontline. They also provided security personnel to SAMASA student leaders and staff in their political sorties in and out of the campus. Later on, when UP administration created the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) as a preventive action against campus violence, Ruffy remained as the representative of SJ to the IFC.

After graduating from UP, Ruffy worked with the Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace (EMJP) where he collaborated closely with the so-called middle forces composed of the middle class, professionals, the business and religious sectors who were stirred by the assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.  Ruffy became a fixture in many meetings on campaigns that included the election boycott in 1984 and caravans of the peasant and other sectors from the provinces to Metro Manila dubbed as Lakbayans. 

In a rally held on September 27, 1984, Ruffy was included in an iconic picture of opposition leaders (Corazon Aquino, Ambrosio Padilla, Nemesio Prudente, Senator Lorenzo Tanada and his son Wigberto who also became a Senator, Nini Avancena, Behn Cervantes, and Etta Rosales) that was published on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It is frequently used by media when Martial Law is commemorated after the Marcos years.

It was in this same rally, one of the biggest that EMJP helped organize, that state forces assaulted the crowd with tear gas, water cannons, and guns. Two bystanders were killed and scores of protesters were seriously wounded including Fidel Nemenzo, Jr., the current UP Diliman Chancellor.

Ruffy was arrested, along with four others. They were brought to the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) office in Bagong Bantay where they underwent questioning and torture. The next day, 10 dead bodies of rallyists tagged as armed sparrow unit members were dumped at the Liwasang Bonifacio. Ruffy was spared of this horrible salvaging/extra-judicial killing, with the help of his defense lawyers, all of excellent caliber and reputation: Rene Saguisag and Joker Arroyo who were both later elected as Senators; Bobbit Sanchez and Fulgencio Factoran, who served as cabinet secretaries for labor and environment, respectively, during the Cory Administration.. Saguisag and Sanchez ensured Ruffy’s safety by trailing the vehicle where Ruffy and four other activists were shoved until it reached the MIG.

It was normal for Ruffy not to go home every day because of his work. The night of his arrest, his brother was not even aware that he was in the custody of the military. The following day, his fellow human rights workers informed his brother about his arrest and advised him to “sanitize” their home. It meant destroying reading materials and other things that might be used against Ruffy. Several days later, he was transferred to Camp Crame where his father visited him after a long trip from their home province.

His father sent feelers to family friends who had strong connections with Marcos. However, they told Ruffy’s father that he would be released but his four companions would have to remain in jail. His father rejected this condition and pursued the release of all of them. Ruffy was eventually freed after 6 months in jail. He refused to reveal the details of his imprisonment and torture even after many years saying, “These are the memories I want to forget.” 

After his release, Ruffy took a vacation and was still motivated to return to his work at EMJP. However, Saguisag met him again at the National Press Club (NPC) and convinced him to join as a staff writer of Malaya. He accepted the offer and became friends with Jose Burgos, another prominent journalist in 1985. Later on, Joe Burgos appointed him as the city editor of the newspaper.Ruffy transferred to Manila Standard in 1987, and at the same time, worked as the editor of the magazine Political Monitor.

When Saguisag became the Presidential Spokesperson, he invited Ruffy to be a staff in Malacanang but Ruffy declined the offer and recommended his brother, who also turned down that opportunity. When Saguisag was elected as a senator he offered Ruffy work at the House of Representatives. Ruffy became the Committee Secretary on Human Rights and Political Affairs and worked with Congressmen Bonifacio Gillego, Andolana, and Garduce until 1998.
When Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was catapulted into power, Ruffy resigned from the Congress and chose to pursue his personal peace. With his wife and three children in tow, they moved out of the hustle and bustle of Manila and settled in his wife’s province.

In 2010, Ruffy became active again in the political arena as a consultant of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) under then-Commissioner Leila De Lima to be a part of a European Commission-funded program. He also had other political consultancies but at this time, he also became very involved with Couples for Christ and the Knights of Columbus (KofC). His leadership and organizing skills became very valuable again in establishing several councils of KofC. As a Grand Knight of the 4th degree, the KofC national council sent Ruffy to two international conferences abroad.