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Manypeople ask why I left my home in Hawaii for Asia? Simply put there wasn'tenough work available for me to pursue my career as a photojournalist. Ialso didn't want to end up shooting high school portraits or little leaguesports for the rest of my life. So instead ofspinning my wheels in the sandI took off for the Philippines on Sept 1,1985.I landed in the Philippinesnot knowing anyone, except a contact at the Associated Press Manila bureau.I followed student demos, labor strikes and the peaceful Peoples Power Revolutionthat forced Marcos and company to flee (ironically for me) into a Hawaiianexile. In the years that followed I continued on covering the reconstructionof the country and the several coups that erupted during the Aquino administration.The last coup (#7) and bloodiest being a major milestone in my career.

On Dec 1,1989 rebels troops seized radio stations, Ninoy Aquino International Airportand other important civilian and military installations. During the firstthree days Manila was held captive by the disruption caused by the coup.I as well as the rest of the press corpwere running around the city goingfrom one hotspot to the next trying to document the rapidly changing stringof events that would decide the fate of who would be in control of the government.On Dec. 3, rebel rangers had moved into the unsuspecting and undefendedMakati business district setting up snipers and machine gun nests throughoutwhat is now the bustling Ayala shopping center complex.

Rebel rangers during the Dec 1989 coup in Manila settle in the
business district of Makati.
©Patrick Nagaishi Lucero

I hadattached myself to a platoon of loyalist troops from the Philippine Constabulary(PC) going on a night patrol probing rebel lines in Makati.Everyone wasscared and troubled about the prospect of fighting against a well defendedrebel force, but more so no one wanted to fight against their brother soldiers.The patrol ended without incident and we camped out on the sidewalks ofHerrera St. out of site of snipers who had already taken a toll againstcivilians and government troops. Despite the sporadic machine gun firingaway like thunder a few blocks away I managed to get a fitful sleep.

The nextmorning, dirty and tired I made my way to the front lines to abuilding onthe corner of Paseo de Roxas Ave. and Pasay Road where a squad of PC troopswere actively engaged in counter sniper fire.

Constabulary soldier loads a rifle grenade to suppress sniper fire
moments later I was wounded and he was killed by the same sniper.
©Patrick Nagaishi Lucero

Onthe rooftop I joined five other photographers and took cover with them behinda brick wall.Our position came under increasing sniper fire from rebelswho held positions in higher buidings nearby. It wasn't the best place tobe and I decided to leave after a ricochet bounced off the wall behind usand the spent slug plopped down between my outstretched legs.

Just asI was to crawl out of my position and head downstairs to safety a grenadierbegan loading a rifle grenade on his M-16. With someone to photograph weall got out from behind our wall and started to sequence the grenadier'sactions.I managed to get off a few shots on my F-1 when everything blackedout on me and time slowed down. All I could hear were my colleagues shouting,"He's hit! He's Hit!" I couldn't make out what was going on andkept wondering who got hit? As my vision returned I could feel I was flaton my back with my arms raised above me with blood from my wounded handsdripping on my face.

In the fewseconds after I was hit the grenadier had taken his shot and stood up lookingback to see what the photographers were screaming about.He was killed instantlyby the same sniper that had shot me. Everyone began to panic after our buildinggot hit by a recoilless rifle round that raised a lot of dust. Of his squadonly two remained to tend to his body while the rest ran downstairs in panicshouting for everyone to take cover before we get hit by mortars. Afterthe dust settled I managed to crawl out on my own and run down to the groundfloor.

Essentiallythe sniper had singled me out as I was in the middle of the pack of photographerstaking pictures to draw out any government soldier into the open. Luckilyfor me the aim was centered on the center of my lens and hit the aluminumbarrel of my Canon 100 mm FD lens and began deflecting theround down into my auto winder. The bullet smashed through the alkalinebatteries and was deflected to the right exiting through the flesh of myright palm and right side of my face. Miraculously the photographer crouchedbehind and slightly above me was also out of harms way. I can't help butfeel blessed whenever I think about it as I could have been dead or woundedseverely.

I wouldalso like to give my thanks to Arnold Jumpay a very good photographer whodidn't run away in the panic and did what he could to tend to my wounds.

After thecoup Canon's regional office in Hong Kong bought my cameraand replaced my camera system with new equipment. Every once in awhile Canonbrings my camera out for display in photo exhibitions. I am currentlyusing the EOS line of photo equipment which is superior tocompeting brands, but I don't think I would want to test my cameras underdirect fire again!

Since thenI have continued my photography doing photojournalism, travelogue and increasinglybusiness stories. Although not as exciting can be technically demanding.My travels have taken me all over Asia seeing and doing things I would neverhave been able to do if I was just a tourist trekking around. The closestI've ever been to Europe has been the former USSR almost a year after gettingwounded in Makati.

In lateJuly of 1990 I caught the Trans Siberian train from Beijing to Moscowtotally on spec without any firm commitment from any magazines. Afterthree uneventful weeks in Moscow I took the overnight train toLeningrad. Gorbachev was on vacation in the Crimea and many of theforeign press also left town during this slow news period.The next morning on arrival in Leningrad my Russianfreelance guide Victor Voitenko and I were greetedwith the news that Gorbachev had resigned. Victor's reactionwas, "Shit nobody resigns in the Soviet Union! This must be acoup.!"

The firstthing I did was to call the Time bureau in Moscow and arranged tosend my work to them. Aside from myself there was only twoother members of the foreign press in the city. A Germanphotographer shooting for Stern and a writer on vacation fromthe Detroit Free Press.

One thingthat always amazes me is how different people will handle a high stress situation. Being scared in situation is normal becauseself preservation cannot be guaranteed. Every actionhas its consequences. Photographers have to be rightwhere the action is otherwise where's the picture.The writer however wanted to go to Helsinki and cover the coup fromFinland!

With Victor'sguidance we covered the rallies being held at Mayor Subchak's officeand learned about the big rally set for the next morning at the HermitageSquare.

Gettingto the Hermitage Square was an event in itself as the entire cityseemed to be walking to the large square for the rally. Thesquare itself was standing room only. A towering platformwas built for the speakers but couldn't be used becauseof it being poorly constructed. For the photographersit was a great vantage point to photograph the speakers exhortingthe crowds from the back of a flatbed truck with a sea of peoplein the background. In a way it has similarities to the famousphoto of Lenin speaking to the crowds in almost thesame spot during the Russian Revolution in 1917. Timeliked it and used it as a double page spread for theircoverage of the first Russian coup attempt.

I stilldo photojournalism, but it isn't my main focus as it used to be.The following pics in this portfolio has a little bit of everythingthat I like to do. Have a look through and if you haveany comments or questions please contact me throughmy feedback link.

Cheers,

Patrick Nagaishi Lucero

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