An Open Letter on the historical Tinawagan Spillway

98 Albatross St., RJ Village

Haring, Canaman, Camarines Sur

19 March 2025

Mayor Pamela Rinah B. Fuentebella

Municipal Hall, Caraycayon

Tigaon, Camarines Sur

Dear Madam Mayor,

Greetings of Peace! We met briefly once at the Nueva Caceres Heritage Movement, Inc. lecture forum on “Revisiting La Ciudad de Nueva Caceres” with History Prof. Danilo M. Gerona at Crown Hotel, Naga City on 15 October 2023. As you were leaving after the forum, I approached you outside the hall to introduce myself as the author of a new book TIGAON 1969: Untold Stories of the CPP-NPA, KM and SDK (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2023) and said I would send you a copy, which I did shortly after. I recall also saying that I was a fellow UP alumni (in my case A.B. History ’75).

Anyway, to get to the point, my above-said book featured the historical Tinawagan Spillway encounter between the NPA and the old Philippine Constabulary (PC) on 18 December 1971, wherein Kumander Tangkad was seriously wounded. (See herewith TIGAON 1969, pp. 98-103; and Naga Times, December 25, 1971, pp. 1, 10, “What Happened Really in Libod”) This was the beginning of his end which came only 12 days later on 30 December 1971 in his shootout with the PC again this time in Naga City at his Tigaon relative Clavecilla’s apartment along Ateneo Avenue where he was recuperating from his wounds. Recently, a new bridge is being constructed beside that old Tinawagan Spillway. Please help ensure that it is preserved and even given its due historical marker. Dios mabalos.

Sincerely yours,

Judge Soliman M. Santos, Jr. (Retd.)

Tel. 881-7672, Cel. 0920-2903602

gavroche23@gmail.com