The Philippines lost a few days ago Public SERVANT-Leader RENE SAGUISAG, a San Beda Lawyer. He was courageous legal eagle, servant-lawyer to the poor and to the critic-fighters of the brutal Martial Law regime of Dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr, staunch defender of human rights, member of the Magnificent 12 Senators who voted for the removal of American military bases in the Philippines, Rene Saguisag was a humble yet a fearless advocate of truth and justice for every Filipino in his capacity as Senator and public official.
What a gargantuan contrast to a fellow San Beda alumnus, a former president, the head-of-state. He is a lawyer who served as a prosecutor bragging about making up evidence, became a city mayor taking pride in ordering his police officers to kill thousands of suspected law violators, such as drug addicts or pushers and small-time criminals. And as president, he pursued the same program nationwide calling it “Operation Tokhang” with his Police Director Bato de la Rosa, resulting so far with more than 30,000 EJKs now the subject of investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC). For a campaign gimmick he lied about riding a jetski to express sovereignty over an island within our territory. He lied about the existence of a former senator’s bank account in another country. He also lied as a campaign promise about bringing down the price of the Filipinos’ staple food, rice, to P20 per kg. Along with his DOJ Secretary Aguirre, and his cronies in Congress, the likes of Congressman Alvarez and Congressman Farinas, and others, he jailed for trumped-up charges a former senator for almost seven years. He armed himself with more than 300 firearms, kowtowed to the president of a foreign country by mentioning in public about our country becoming a province of China. Worse, he made a secret traitorous “Gentlemen’s Agreement” that practically allowed the Chinese to fish and exploit our maritime resources in the West Philippine Sea at the expense of our fishermen losing their main livelihood of fishing freely and safely.
These are two alumni of San Beda College of Law with contrasting public accomplishments, or type of “service to the people.” The people are wondering how the current Board of Trustees and Top Management of San Beda University taking the track records of public service of these two alumni, especially at this time of the country’s loss of a genuine SERVANT-LEADER who heroically held a position of “Public Trust.” Is it possible for an academic institution to officially expunge an erring alumnus from its role of alumni, or even publicly announce that its alumnus has shamelessly betrayed the school’s Vision and Mission? Or for that matter, may an academic institution do this to preserve its integrity and honor as “a builder of responsible citizens who will help build a just and humane Philippine society”?
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonColumn #ColumnbyBoniMacaranas #PoliticsIsLife