SOMEONE ELSE’S WINDOWS | Alex and Bobet: Two dreamers who died young

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 16 June 2026) — Before basketball standout Rene Clert “Bobet” Baterbonia, the last time Dabawenyos went out of their work and homes and lined both sides of the city streets was during the funeral march for slain labor leader Alexander “Alex” Orcullo, in November 1984.

Alex, still in his thirties, was killed by the Marcos dictatorship in a manner so brazen and in broad daylight, his killers emboldened by the atmosphere of impunity characteristic of any authoritarian setting. There is no denying that he was murdered for his political conviction.

On the other hand, Bobet, 18, died under circumstances the whole picture of which remains unknown. Was he hazed or subjected to something not even remotely related to basketball? The Ateneo de Manila University has yet to make a proper accounting of the tragedy.

Alex fought for the liberation of the working class, while Bobet wanted to uplift his family’s economic condition.

Alex was old enough to understand society’s ills and prescribe what he believed to be the cure, while Bobet only understood that his family is poor and thought his talent on the court was the way out of hardship.

Alex fought the system, and was silenced with bullets — helpless and unarmed.

Bobet was made to undergo a kind of training that borders on the suicidal, if not homicidal, under a system that seems obsessed with titles and trophies.

Alex knew his dream for a just social order could get him killed anytime but was prepared to meet such a violent end.

Bobet, I presume, had an idea that life as an Ateneo Blue Eagle would be much more demanding compared to being a high school athlete, but didn’t mind, the welfare of his family being his topmost concern. He, however, never had the chance to flap his wings and soar.

Alex is remembered as a martyr for his contribution to the anti-dictatorship movement. His name is inscribed in the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, a memorial for those who fell during one of the country’s darkest periods.

Bobet is missed and loved for his talent, humility, and love of family, and because his dreams in life are shared by many of those who mourn his loss. Ateneo de Davao University has decided to immortalize his memory by naming its covered courts, where he played basketball, after him.

Alex chose commitment over convenience, finding meaning in challenging the full might of the Martial Law regime.

Bobet, consistent with his role on the court, chose to be the family’s “go-to guy” in the economic sense of the word, although I’m sure his parents didn’t pressure him into it.

Both died for the choices they made, one not less noble than the other.

One witnessed the suffering of a nation in the clutches of repression, and became a prominent figure of resistance.

One shared the hardships inside a humble home in a virtually unknown town in a province that ranks as among the poorest in the country, and took it upon himself to improve his family’s lot.

Two different individuals coming from two different eras. But both are victims of unjust power relations, although one may be considered as just a microcosm of the other.

If Alex and Bobet shared one thing, it’s the respect and salute that they got from Ateneo de Davao University.

The necrological mass for Alex, concelebrated by, as far as I can remember, at least 15 priests, was held at the Ateneo de Davao Grade School campus in Matina.

Bobet’s remains were brought to the Ateneo de Davao Senior High School campus in Bangkal for a three-day wake and public viewing before being brought to Talacogon, his hometown.

I covered and took photos of Alex’s funeral march but lost them in a fire. Those were images of grief, rage, and courage.

As for Bobet, I could not cover his funeral to take images of what would surely be a massive outpouring of grief for his passing. But anybody can imagine the sense of loss and depth of sadness for someone who was plucked in the spring of his youth.

But just like Alex and all the good men and women who have gone ahead, your story, Bobet, will never end, for nothing ends, not even in death. The flesh rots to again become elements, rejoining the earth from where it came. Just as your body nourishes the earth, the memory of your goodness fills the souls of those who cherish them.

Maayong Pagpanaw.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at boymords@mindanews.com.)