GARCIA & PINEDA. For the record sir could you please state your name
OPLE. I'm Senator Blas Ople. President Pro Tempore of the Phil. Senate. Chairman of the Commitee on Foreign Relations

Q. Sir, when did you start to become a newspaper journalist?
A. At the age of 16, I was already a journalist. I was the editor of the Boy Scout of the Philippines Magazine and then after that I joined the Manila Times Publishing company. I became a copy editor and columnist of the Daily Mirror, which was the afternoon publication of the Manila Times.

Q. Sir, why did you decide to become a journalist? Was it really a first choice?
A. I suppose the interest in Journalism began in school. Since I was always the editor of my school newspaper from high school to college and so eventually this became my professional commitment. Since I was not a lawyer... I was not a doctor... I was not a nurse... all i could hope to be was a journalist because i already knew some of the skills

Q. Sir, in the past were there any memorable editors or colleagues that you were able to work with?
A. Oh yes. I had a good fortune of serving under a very able Filipino editors such as Jose Luna Castro of the Manila Times, Emilio Aguilar Cruz of the Daily Mirror and these were not only editors, they were also mentors to me.

Q. Sir, again what was the first newspaper that you were able to work with?
A. Manila Times... Daily Mirror

Q. Sir, could you tell us a little about the structure of the building, the physical facilities?
A. The Manila Times building was on Florentino Torres St. and of course it housed all the members of the Manila Times newspaper chain including the Daily Mirror. If I remember right it was a four story building one wing was occupied by the Manila Times and the other was by the Daily Mirror. In other words, between the morning and the afternoon newspaper of the company.

Q. Sir, how was the people that you were able to work with?
A. Well, assorted types...for example at the editorial desk you have the editor in chief Manolo Villareal who was an old Spanish tyrant at the desk who was always shouting, barking orders at his subordinates. There was the silent intellectual Emilio Aguilar Cruz who was the executive editor and there was the indefatigable Consorcio Borje who was the chief editor. Of course I was the youngest of the editors of the Daily Mirror at that time and I had the reputation of being the fastest deskman in town. It meant that I could write very fast and I was a wizard at the typewriter keys also.

Q. Sir, how was the working condition? The hours? Were there any holidays for you?
A. There were no holidays. We work on Christmas. We work on Good Friday. Because that is the type of business that a newspaper is. There are no holidays. Whether, if you have to swim in a flood you have to be in the office because the paper must come out on time.

Q. Were there any significant events that you were able to cover during the time of Martial Law, Edsa Revolution or the coup attempts?
A. As a copy editor of the Daily Mirror, I did not go out to cover. It was the reporters who did that. I just edited their copy.