THERE are various paths to discovering the calling for truth. For a young Virgilio Ojoy, who was a seminarian and associate editor of The Varsitarian (“V”) during Martial Law, his campus journalism experience taught him the importance of writing and speaking the truth, deepening his appreciation for Dominican values along the way.
As Martial Law tightened its hold in the Philippines under dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., student publications—usually vibrant platforms for free expression—turned into battlegrounds as student journalists faced threats, intimidation, and government surveillance.
Among those journalists was Ojoy, who experienced the difficulties of writing under a regime that aimed to silence opposing voices. Despite most national newspapers being shut down during Martial Law, the “V” continued publishing.
UST officials had warned the student publication against expressing anti-Marcos views, yet the “V” persisted in urging Thomasians to resist the repression of the Marcos dictatorship.
Ojoy said his Dominican values empowered him to confront the terrors of Martial Law head-on.
“We were not afraid. Because we thought then that as journalists, especially as Dominican journalists at UST, it was our duty to spread whatever truth we have acquired through our research,” he said.
In 1981, the editorial board of the “V,” with Ojoy as associate editor, published an editorial questioning: “Can Aquino ‘Light a Fire’?”
It challenged the narrative surrounding the “Light a Fire” movement, which alleged that former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. orchestrated bombings to undermine the Marcos dictatorship.
The issue containing the editorial was a sensation, Ojoy remembered, with copies quickly vanishing from the small boxes that served as makeshift newsstands outside UST buildings. Unfortunately for Ojoy, the paper also quickly caught the attention of the police.
“They came to the ‘V’ office looking for me, but fortunately, I lived in the seminary, which was well-protected,” Ojoy recounted, remembering how he had to “sneak into the V” and then “surreptitiously go back to the seminary and pray” so he would not get apprehended.
The harsh reality of political unrest in the country was steadily becoming apparent, yet the “V” staff, including Ojoy, retained their courage, inspired by their adviser, veteran journalist Felix Bautista.
“We were young, we were daring, and we took risks,” he said. “So we just wrote what we thought.”
“When you’re at the ‘V,’ you cannot afford to be timid; you cannot afford to be fearful. You have to have that drive to share whatever thoughts you have when you know that it is good for the society.”
Joining the “V” was never part of Ojoy’s original plans, but he was encouraged by a young Rolando de la Rosa, who would eventually serve three terms as UST rector, to use writing as a form of protest.
By 1980, a year before Martial Law was lifted, Ojoy had ascended to the role of Witness editor of the publication, a position previously held by De la Rosa.
Both De la Rosa and Ojoy later emerged as two of the publication’s most distinguished alumni in the priesthood, with De la Rosa becoming rector in 1990 and Ojoy serving as vice rector in 1992.
Ojoy said he discovered the importance of truth-telling through Dominican ideals and that his campus journalism experience significantly contributed to his development as a priest
“I’m a Dominican, and as a Dominican, we are encouraged to speak the truth whenever we are able to find it,” Ojoy said. “Our motto as Dominicans is ‘the contemplation of the truth,’ and the sharing of that contemplation. That helped very much in my daring to write about controversial ideas.”
During Martial Law, the “V” was forced to suspend publication for more than three weeks in 1972. However, with the approval of then-rector Fr. Leonardo Legaspi, O.P. and Francisco “Kit” Tatad—a “V” alumnus part of the Marcos Sr. cabinet as minister of public information—the paper was granted permission to resume.
Ojoy concluded his time with the “V” in 1981, the same year Martial Law had been lifted. But even as his time with the student paper came to an end, he carried with him lessons learned from the publication about the significance of truth-telling in an era when speaking out was daunting.
“My being a journalist helped me very much,” he said. “That’s why now, with my many commitments—saying Mass, giving talks, conferences, retreats—I owe it all to my time at The Varsitarian.” Ashley Valkyrie E. Bueno
