Carmen Diokno
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
November 11, 1923
Carmen Diokno | |
|---|---|
 Diokno with her husband Ka Pepe | |
| Born | Carmen Reyes Icasiano November 11, 1923 Mindanao, Philippine Islands |
| Died | August 26, 2011 (aged 87) Quezon City, Philippines |
| Other names | Ka Nena |
| Organization | KAAKBAY |
| Known for | Democratic activism |
| Spouse | Jose W. Diokno |
| Children | 10 (including Maris, and Chel) |
| Relatives | Pepe Diokno (grandson) |
Carmen Reyes Icasiano Diokno (November 28, 1923 – August 26, 2011), also known as Ka Nena, was a Filipino activist. Her campaigns contributed to the United States withdrawal of its military bases from the Philippines and the push for democracy during martial law.[1]
Carmen Icasiano was born in Mindanao on November 11, 1923. She studied at Far Eastern University, taking up accounting, and was on her last term when World War II broke out.[1] After the war, she worked as a waitress and was seeing American soldiers, as her parents wanted her to marry a Filipino politician named Belek Madrigal, whom she rejected. In a party hosted by Arsenio Lacson, the future mayor of Manila, she was on a date with an American colonel when she met Jose W. Diokno. The coupled talked for hours then started dating at The Aristocrat.[2] Carmen acquired tuberculosis and frequently called Diokno while he was vacationing in the United States. Diokno found out and flew back to marry her. They married on May 28, 1949, at Ermita Church.[3]
Activist career
When her husband was imprisoned at Fort Bonifacio, she was forced to sell the house at Margarita Street, Makati City to William Tieng, then purchased the family property at 55 Third Street, New Manila, Quezon City. She found out her husband was arrested after the police arrived at their home in Makati to take her husband, then returned throwing his toothbrush, glasses, and clothes on their front yard without any explanation, which infuriated Diokno.[4] While visiting her husband, her family and the Aquino family were frequently harassed and groped by the soldiers and para-military soldiers of the dictatorship for frisking in and out of the compound.
She joined the Kilusan sa Kapangyarihan at Karapatan ng Bayan (Movement for People's Sovereignty and Democracy) Organization or KAAKBAY, which was ideologically independent of beliefs like Marxism but was joined by fellow Marxists and Capitalists. KAAKBAY influenced the public and fought hard against the Marcos administration using non-violent activism or "pressure politics."[5] KAAKBAY was the leading coalition of the larger coalition, the Justice for Aquino, Justice for All or JAJA, the main coalition formed to represent the anti-Marcos opposition after the Assassination of Ninoy Aquino, the senator who opposed martial law.
