History of My Life - Part G: 3 - Lawyer

3. Father told me that the only way we can restore the boundaries or fences of our property on the West and North sides and to prevent our neighbor's rainwater from falling off its roof into our property on the East side is for me to become a LAWYER. But he could not send me to college after my graduation from H.S. in 1935. That year I worked as a laborer in the Bureau of public Works of Mountain Province earning P0.45 or less than $0.25 (a quarter) a day because I was below 18 years old. When I became 18 in May 1936, I enrolled as a Private in the 39th P.C. Company in Kiangan, Ifugao.

That same year I was transferred to the Headquarters, P.C. in Manila as the orderly of Gen. Paulino Santos. I went to a night school taking up stenography, typewriting and bookkeeping the next day after my arrival in Manila. Then I enrolled in the Far Eastern University in 1937, taking a course of Pre-Law.

That same year an incident that led to my uninterrupted night studies without being detailed on guard duty happened in a most unusual way. Major Dwight D. Eisenhower, Staff Officer of Gen. Douglas MacArthur came to Hq. Phil. Army for copies of a staff meeting from my boss, Major Elias Dioquino, Sec. Gen. Staff, P.A. I was the only enlisted man in the S.G.S. office charged with filing all TOP SECRET, SECRET, CONFIDENTIAL & RESTRICTED files of the Phil. Army. I was the only one holding the keys to the filing cabinets.

That day I went to sleep in my Boarding House immediately after I was relieved from Guard Duty at 6 AM. I did not wake up until noon time to take my meal, put on my uniform and walked to the APA near the Manila City Hall. Right away I was placed under arrest and brought to Major Dioquino, who gave me a bawling out for being AWOL. He said that Major Eisenhower was there to get copies of the General Staff Meeting for Gen. MacArthur and I was not there to open our classified files cabinet. I told him that I went to sleep after my night guard duty.

He called for my C.O. and told him, "From now on remove the name of Sibayan from your duty rosters, including your guard roster. He is my only enlisted man in this office and I need him every day."

My C.O. said, "Yes sir!", saluted then left.

From 1937 to 1941 when the war broke out, I was free to go to school after office hours. I got a free scholarship in the Arellano Law College for having an average over 85% in my report card. Hence, I finished my law course on scholarship because after the War I got a Veteran's Educational Benefit, including my Review Course for the Bar Examination in 1949. The results of the Exams were released in 1950.

And so, my father's wish, like that of my mother's, was fulfilled in that year when I became a full-fledged LAWYER and a CAPTAIN at the same time. Thanks be to God!

History of My Life - Part G: 2 - Mix Your Soup and Your Rice – Captains and Generals

2. Everyday during mealtime mother always said to me: "AGLABAYKA NAKKONG TAPNO AGCAPITAN KANO. (Mix your soup and your rice so that you'll become a Captain.) "Captain" at that time was the highest officer in town.

Mother's advice or wish for me was fulfilled in 1950 when I became a Captain, Quartermaster Service Group, Philippine Constabulary in Camp Crame. As a matter of fact I became a Captain 4 times. In 1950 I was promoted from 1st Lieutenant (Reserve) to Captain (Reserve) for being the Adm. O., Supply O., Disbursing O. and C.O. QMSG Company in Camp Crame, Hq., P.C.

Not long thereafter my Captaincy, which was a temporary promotion because I occupied a postion calling for a Captain's rank, I became a permanent Captain in another order when my time came to be promoted based on the Lineal Roster in the Reserve Force.

Then in 1951 I passed the qualifying exam to become a Regular Officer with a rank of qst Liet., P.C. after undergoing the Infantry Course. I was assigned in the field as Chief, Personnel O., FIRST MILITARY AREA, Camp Olivas, Pampanga. The Table of Organization called for a Captain's rank for my position and so I was given a temporary rank of Captain, Regular Army Force in 1951. Later on when my turn to become promoted according to the Lineal Roster of Regular Officers in 1952, orders were issued promoting me from 1st Lt. to Captain, Regular Force.

I doubt if anyone ever got promoted to Captain FOUR TIMES in a row! Maybe I got stuck at a Captain's rank because of my mother's wish. And so when our first son was born, Tony, I told him every time we eat: AGLABAYKA NAKKONG TAPNO AGGENERAL KANTO (Mix your soup and your rice so that you'll become a General.) God willing, Tony's rank will be Commodore or "General" as he is now a Cpt. P.N.

(This wish was fulfilled in 1993 when Tony got promoted. I met President Ramos who pinned Tony's star personally in Malacanan. When I showed him our picture in Vietnam he autographed it. PTL!)