She earned a French government scholarship for the Sorbonne and studied in Paris for four years, where she became increasingly engaged in far-left politics.
Her then-husband, Ruben Cusipag, a journalist was among the first people arrested by the Philippine military when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in September 1972.
The couple tried to leave the country two years after her husband's release from prison; they were able to immigrate to Canada with the help of a friend.
[1] She became involved in numerous causes, including the International Association of Filipino Patriots,[1] which did educational work about the abuse of human rights in the Philippines.
[1] She also served as an executive board member of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) in Canada.