Skip to main content

‘Schizo’ destiny

“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example”. Mark Twain’s remark is apt for September 9. That’d be 135th birthday of Sergio Osmeña. As fourth Philippine president, he led a war-shattered country into a new republic.

President Osmeña once prohibited Sergio Jr. from accepting honoraria for lecturing at UP. You see that same delicadeza in Commission on Audit Grace Pulido Tan. Without raising her voice, she documents massive funneling of pork barrel into spurious NGOs.

Senators Bong Revilla, Loren Legarda, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ladled P10 million each to two Bataan towns, a 2012 Commission on Audit report states. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada sliced P5 million. Five other senators and 24 plus congressmen were similarly tagged earlier

Marcos Jr. declined to comment on “until investigation is completed”. Legarda denied knowing bogus NGOs. Jinggoy fiddles “the innocent injured” dirge. El que da escusa, acusa asi mismo, Chavanco-speaking folk in Zamboanga snort.  ”He who excuses himself accuses himself”.

Is Don Sergio just a line-etched image on the P50 peso bill? Or is the man who was journalist, bar topnotcher, legislator to wartime exile and President relevant—even to NBI stool pigeons?

Our grandchildren hardly know Don Sergio. Educator Antonio Calipjo Go blew the whistle on error-studded textbooks in public schools. He’s been pummeled by publishers who cashed in miseducation of our youngsters.

Come September 9, officials will pay lip service to President Osmeña. Day after, it will be business as usual. Is this schizophrenia destiny? “People will not look forward to posterity who never look back to their ancestors,” Edmund Burke wrote.      
Don Sergio graduated, in 1892, from Colegio de San Carlos. In law school, he met a student that’d shape his whole life: Manuel L. Quezon. After topping the bar, he was elected governor of Cebu. He founded the newspaper, El Nuevo Día. From 1907 to 1922, he served in the Philippine National Assembly where he rose to become Speaker. For 13 years, he represented the 10th Senatorial District—and played key roles in major issues like the Tydings-McDuffie Act on independence.

As Japanese troops rampaged in World War II, Quezon, Osmeña, Gen Douglas MacArthur and officials slipped into Cagayan de Oro. They were to be evacuated to Australia, on the US President’s instructions.
MacArthur took one look at the shabby B-‘17 that landed midnight at Del Monte airport  and blew a fuse, recalls William Manchester in his book: “American Caesar”. The “decrepit aircraft”...would endanger the party,” he cabled the US Secretary of State. “I could not undertake such responsibility.” He demanded the three best planes. The cable worked and two of three new B-17s managed to make it.   

“We were roused in the dead of night and drove to the airfield where two Fortresses waiting,” say, unpublished memoirs of Manuel Quezon Jr. “We were in one plane and Vice-President Osmeña in the other… My father and mother sat on a mattress on the floor. My father was given oxygen during the night....”

Osmeña’s Fortress did not land after us. My father announced that we would not continue until the Vice-President arrived… The following morning, the search DC-5 returned followed by the missing Fortress. Finally, Don Sergio was able to continue with us, to Adelaide.  

One of Don Sergio’s finest moments came during World War II’s government-in-Washington exile. The 1935 Constitution mandated the ailing Quezon’s term would lapse 30 December 1943. Quezon dug in over this constitutional crossroad. President Franklin Roosevelt stayed aloof from this “local issue.” Quezon presided over an inconclusive cabinet meeting.

Osmeña offered a way out: US Congress suspend succession, until after the occupation ended. Congress agreed on 1O November. He gave up his own ambitions to ensure unity. Would a Jejomar Binay or a Marcos Jr. dub Don Sergio an idiot?

After restoring the Commonwealth, Don Sergio refused to campaign in 1946. Filipinos knew his record. Like Winston Churchill after the war, he misread our fickleness. Manuel Roxas won 54 percent of the vote. Without rancor, Osmeña retired in Cebu. We still recall the silvered haired statesman taking afternoon walks—without bodyguards. He died October 1961, aged 83.

On Monday, tributes will resonate for Don Sergio, led by his descendants. “From our ancestors come our names,” Bertrand Russell wrote. “But from our virtues come our honors.”

Take grandson former Rep. Tomas Osmeña. His sole contribution to the 15th Congress was a bill to extend Christmas holidays. As Cebu mayor, he turned a blind eye to 183 summary executions by faceless vigilantes. UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston and US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone Jr.  noted these killings  were unsolved.

A   less-than-firm   Regional Ombudsman hasn’t resolved charges over two donated Dodge Charger 2009 vehicles.  Dolled up as city police cars, topped by “wang-wangs” or sirens, these were “not donated to the city, Osmeña claimed. They were “gifts.” He added: “Sure, the Anti-Graft Law bars public officials from soliciting or accepting gifts.”  But “there is always a police officer inside when the cars are used.” He had them repainted. “Got a problem with that?” Osmeña fumed.  

Yes, his ancestor’s fine ethical sense would never tolerated boarding a bogus car. Fake is fake. But then “mules always boast their ancestors were horses.”

juan_mercado77@yahoo.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd  of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become an annua

PIDS expert says income tax cuts justified; warns gov’t of revenue loss

Proposals to amend the personal income tax schedule appear to be well-justified. However, these proposals should include measures that will allow government to recover the revenue loss from lower income taxes. Dr. Rosario Manasan, senior research fellow of state think-tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), said at a seminar sponsored by the Philippine Senate, that government should look for new revenue measures to compensate for the projected revenue loss that will arise as a result of the implementation of any of the various proposals to restructure the personal income tax. Currently, there are several income tax reform proposals pending in both houses of Congress. All of them, according to Dr. Manasan, have the same objective of addressing the phenomenon of bracket creep, which results from “non-indexation to inflation of personal income tax brackets”. Simply put, bracket creep occurs when employees’ income increases over time as a result of inflation. Th

PGIN honors Ilocano heroes of past, present through Heroes Walk

SPO1 Allan Lampitoc Franco of Banna, Ilocos Norte and PO2 Jovalyn D. Lozano of Adams, Ilocos Norte receive a resolution of commendation, a certificate of college scholarship grant to their family members and a P20,000 cash incentive each from the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte represented by Governor Imee R. Marcos and Vice Governor Angelo M. Barba in recognition of their bravery and heroic acts in the Mamasapano clash in Maguindanao on January 25. Mr. Franco and Mr. Lozano were recognized on March 10 in time for the unveiling of the second batch of Ilocano heroes at the Heroes Walk located along the Sirib Mile in Laoag City.  (Lei Adriano) By Jennifer T. Pambid PGIN-CMO In honor of the heroes who brought freedom, fame and glory to the province as well as to the country in the past century, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Education Department and Sirib Youth Office launched the second batch of Ilocano Heroes Walk on March 10, 2015.