E·N·Q·U·I·R·Y
DEMAREE J.B. RAVAL
DEMAREE J.B. RAVAL
When Right is Might
Sunday, 07 29, 2007
The Sigma Rho is a national force. Thus goes the raison d’etre of this fraternal organization whose members have pledged themselves to be Seekers of the Right. And nowhere was this most evident than during the testimonial for the winning candidates of the Sigma Rho in the May 14 elections.
They were all there, from all camps of the political divide, with nary the tension and hostility that usually accompany the wide divergence of their personas. Ed Angara of LDP, Johny Enrile of PMP, Frank Drilon of LP, Luis Villafuerte of Kampi, Lipa City Mayor Oscar Gozos of Lakas, Pasay City Mayor Peewee Trinidad of GO, and Ed Escueta of NPC. Name the political party, and you could be sure there is a Sigma Rhoan leading it or carrying its colors. The party list organizations were well-represented too, led by Ogy Yabes of Asahan Mo, Butch Mauricio of Batas, Sal Panelo of UMDJ and Raffy Baylosis of Anakpawis.
The Commission on Elections - already done with the counting and the proclamation and, therefore, can no longer be faulted for gracing a purely social affair of politicians - was represented by Sigma Rhoans Boy Tuazon and Nic Ferrer.
Together with CA magistrates Vic Roxas and Romy Barza, Justice Tony Carpio was judiciously silent and silently observant, lest he gets compromised for any of the cases that could eventually land on his lap in the high court.
Panky Agloro, currently bidding to take the presidency of the Philippine Judges’ Association, was seen talking to judges Pol Barraquia of Las Pinas and Manolo Carpio of Davao.
Sim Datumanong, who is expected to head (again) the Justice Committee in the Lower House to successfully fend off another impeachment complaint against the sitting president, regaled the Sigma Rhoans with colorful anecdotes on the much-debated Maguindanao votes.
Sonny Angara, now on his second term as congressman representing Aurora, was unusually quiet, perhaps contemplating what committee he will demand that he must head, now that he has by rights become a senior member of the House.
And with every one in attendance trying to outdo the others in telling all the others how the election was won or lost, House Majority Leader Art Defensor had a hard time putting order to the proceedings.
Raul Daza of Samar gave an inspiring speech on how, despite a very low budget, he managed to snare the governorship of Samar, where he is now on his third term. Performance, he said, makes all the difference.
My partner Rolex Suplico, now the vice-governor of Iloilo, assured his colleagues in the House of Representatives that he will make a comeback to the national scene three years hence. With his past exposés of corruption and cover-ups in the government, Rolex was easily one of the more colorful members of the House in the 13th Congress. In the provincial board that will be presided over by Rolex will sit another Sigma Rhoan present at the affair: young Arthur Defensor, Jr.
Provincial Board Member Peter Calderon, the rising star in Cebu politics, who came with Cebu City councilor Jun Davide, earned a hearty round of applause in justifying the overwhelming votes of Ed Angara in Cebu.
Antipolo City Mayor Vic Sumulong promised everyone that his city is open to any Sigma Rhoan, allowing even his farm to be the venue for the annual rites of brotherhood.
Luis Villafuerte was overheard talking about a young Sigma Rhoan’s presidential ambitions for 2010, but prudence prevents me from disclosing details now. It is much too far into 2010, but given their far-reaching objective of living up to their raison d’etre, you can bet that the Sigma Rhoans are cooking up something,
And there was JBC’s Jay Castro, who has led the Sigma Rho Council after Ronnie Cosalan resigned to reclaim (unsuccessfully) his congressional seat in Benguet. He will continue to manage (together with young lawyers Jovy Bernabe, Pancoy Saavedra and Angelo Valencia) this fraternity - many call it a multi-factional political party - that will make good the promise of its founding fathers Sanchez Roman and George McLure, et al. to establish a corps of seekers of the right that will lead our nation to greatness.
Tony Meer, the grand old man of the Sigma Rho, was obviously delighted with the accomplishments of the young generation of Sigma Rhoans, And Jovy Salonga, the legislator non pareil, sent a message exhorting all fraternity brothers to always live what the Sigma Rho stands for, no matter what political shade they belong to.
Ed Angara, who shepherded the Opposition in its fight for the truth in the May 2004 elections, and now on his last six-year term in the Senate, enjoined the assembled Seekers of the Right: “As a Sigma Rhoan, you will never go far from leading that kind of life if you put country above self, a virtue that is enshrined in our Hierarchy of Loyalty. I fought for truth in 2004; I will always fight for what is right for the country.”
The testimonial is an event much awaited by every Sigma Rhoan every three years after an election. So there they were, movers and shakers of the land - enthused with the vivacity, the joie de vivre, the verve, the energy to head out to divergent terrains in the political divide - taking stock of what happened, and planning again for the next engagement where Right is Might, and like Tennyson’s Ulysses, always “strong in will/ To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
For comments about this website:Webmaster@tribune.net.ph
No comments:
Post a Comment