Death came early for Ambo and Cris. And all they wanted was for things to change.

I was in the middle of cramming academic requirements when I came upon this photo of Ambo (left) and Cris (right). It looks as if they were discreetly exchanging wisecracks in the middle of an educational discussion. What the photo captured seemed like a happier time; a time none of them can ever revisit.

It may seem strange, but I felt a stab of nostalgia. For what, I'm not sure. Maybe I'm just saddened by the fact that they're dead. People so close to my age are being killed violently, in broad daylight, in the presence of their loved ones. These are, indeed, brutal times.

It was at this point that I found myself pausing from schoolwork, and, not knowing what else to do, I opened Adobe Photoshop and started putting together this mundane piece of condolence. Funny, I think, that my indignation initially and instinctively takes the form of graphic design. How petit-bourgeois.

There are other ways to mourn for the deaths of those who chose to resist. And the best ways involve no tears or sadness. The time to mourn is over; we must continue where they left off.



Rie Mon "Ambo" Guran

Ambo was a 4th year Political Science student and League of Filipino Students spokesperson in Aquinas University, Legaspi City, Albay. He was also an active member of the UCCP-Christian Youth Fellowship of the South Bicol Conference.

Ambo was shot dead inside a passenger bus at 6:15 AM last Monday. He was on his way to school with his aunt and younger sister. According to witnesses, the gunman escaped on a motorcycle, with companions waiting outside the bus.

On the same day, another activist and a journalist were also murdered. The day before, Ambo celebrated his 21st birthday.

^{Download and reproduce the poster condemning Ambo's murder. View photos and videos on Ambo from Arkibong Bayan. Or read a news article on the Monday killings from the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Photo of Ambo's memorial service organized by the LFS at the University of the Philippines - Diliman on August 11 by ~ispayk.}


Cris Hugo

Cris was a 4th year Journalism student at the College of Arts and Letters of Bicol University in Legaspi City, Albay. He was the regional coordinator and a national council member of the League of Filipino Students. Cris was also the elected Grand Chancellor of the Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity chapter in his university.

On the evening of March 20, while walking home with his professor, Cris was shot dead. He was 20.

<sup>Download Cris Hugo, 1986-2006: Bayani ng Sambayanan, a short documentary by Sine Patriyotiko, in .wmv format. Or read an article on Cris from Bulatlat.com.


Original photo of Ambo and Cris taken from Arkibong Bayan.</sup>