Writer’s note: This is a translation of the article “Kagimbal-Gimbal na Pasko” which this writer found on the Facebook page “Mga Laki sa Bulakan Bulacan.” It was written by “Admin Yeoj”, based on research by “Col. Bert Morelos.” I am from Bulakan, Bulacan. My grandfather and mother told me this story in my childhood. I believe it really happened.
As we explore the records of the past in Bulakan, Bulacan, a grave Christmas story emerges.
During the tumultuous period of World War II, on the evening of December 24th, 1944, the Church of Nuestra Senora Dela Asuncion was filled with parishioners eager to celebrate Christmas at the Misa Aguinaldo (midnight mass).
Altar servers took their places, young girls dressed as angels awaited their cue, and the choir was ready to fill the air with hymns. The entire congregation was filled with anticipation for Father Emilio Gutierrez, the parish priest of Bulakan, to commence the service.
Fr. Emilio Gutierrez
However, the atmosphere shifted abruptly when thirty members of the Hukbalahap—the armed communist group that held sway in Bulakan—stormed into the church. Their objective was to arrest Father Gutierrez, a former chaplain of the Philippine Army, and a veteran who had bravely fought alongside Filipino-American forces in Corregidor and Bataan. The priest was under suspicion of being an American informant.
Upon confronting Father Gutierrez in the sacristy, the Hukbalahap insisted on his immediate capture. The priest, with a plea in his eyes, requested to first finish the Holy Mass, even if it meant abbreviating the ceremony. After a brief consultation, they acquiesced to his plea but kept a vigilant watch to ensure that he couldn’t escape.
As the church bells tolled, marking the commencement of the mass, the congregation, despite the looming threat, sang hymns with a resounding spirit. Father Gutierrez warmly wished everyone a "Merry Christmas" and, with deep emotion, went on to read the Gospel and deliver his sermon.
However, as time wore on, the Hukbalahap's patience waned. Mid-ceremony, they decided it was time to apprehend the priest. Their decision was resolute, and no pleas would sway them now.
Fr.Gutierrez was taken by force from the altar, and he bestowed one final blessing upon his flock as he was led away. Fr. Gutierrez and his communist abductors walked down the church's center isle as the congregation watched, fearful and trembling.
The resulting grief among the gathered Bulakeños was profound. Tears flowed freely as the congregation, paralyzed by fear, mourned the loss of their cherished parish priest. Once the Hukbalahap had vanished into the night with their captive, the parishioners hurried home, haunted by the harrowing events.
The tragic conclusion to Father Gutierrez's tale transpired in the dense woods of Babangad, a sitio of Barrio San Nicolas. When he was about to be killed, the caliber .45 aimed at him miraculously did not fire. In utter anger, the executioner repeatedly struck the priest's head with the malfunctioning pistol.
That Christmas morning, Bulakan, Bulacan bore witness to the death of God’s devout servant at the hands of its own. That Christmas Eve of 1944 is etched in Bulakan's history forever.
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