BELOW THE LINE By AMBASSADOR JOSE ABETO ZAIDE Ambassador José Abeto Zaide I said a prayer for Ambassador Gregorio Abad,whose death anniversary is today. When I first called on him in Bonn, he had given up his cigars, leaned his six-foot frame on a cane, and looked older than his years.  He was on doctor’s prescription to live a more sedentary life. The next time I saw him on my cross-posting to Bonn, he had dispatched his cane, held his signature cigar in hand, sported a lightly tinted Clark Kent glasses, and the spring had returned to his step. He told us his own unexpurgated prescription of self-medication.

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Those who knew him, followed him. Greg Abad was “Bagyo!”, the Filipino equivalent of Man for All Seasons.He drew good men and worked on the job as a political ambassador  -  his crowning glory!. He did not claim credit, but generously credited his officers. Greg invited Supreme Court Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee, the supreme commander of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, to induct the founding members of the German chapter of the fraternity. Greg used the KoR as a tool of diplomacy, as he did in Australia where he also founded the order. He had zest and brio. We would work in the day with officials and parliamentarians, and unwind to piccolo nights in Cologne. Our pointman was Labor Attaché Chito Brillantes; the others were Minister Tante Alvarado, Captain Don Guzman, Consul Rene Valencia, commercial attachés Romy Donato and Rudy Ella, BIR attachés Panyong Ona and Teo Alcordo, Paeng Baylosis, Celso Lacuna, and me. Greg said we were “Consuls by day and ’kanto boys’ by night!" On nocturnal haunts, he liked to be introduced as “cultural attaché” to frauleins. (Although there was no mistaking from the way everyone deferred to him who was Capo di Tutti). Greg inducted one of our finest honorary consuls Karl Heinz Stockheim -- blond, Teutonic good looks and heir to the Stockheim restaurant and patisserie which he would build up as a pan-German chain. Greg and Karl had instant chemistry as Capricorns and recidivist ladies’ men. Karl was a Medici who sponsored the first Ateneo Glee Club concert at the Germisch Schloss in Dusseldorf, and every Filipino cultural fare in the region.

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When Greg returned from Manila sporting a new hairpiece, everyone avoided noticing the toupee and looked at his own shoes or up at the ceiling. Greg broke the ice, “I bought this toupee because I did not want to be thought of as a dirty old man…dirty, yes… old, no!” He regaled us with tales of wild oats in Tokyo, when Japanese war reparations were cornucopia. He gifted munificently --  buying half a dozen Mikimoto pearl necklaces for fair ladies with individual dedication, “Anatadake.” (“To my one and only”).  Greg was generous beyond compare. He treated visitors to lunch, bringing in tow whoever he could pull in from the embassy. Or he would invite his officers and staff to merienda with a good serving of Schweinehackse. At one lunch, a guest offered another a delicacy on her plate, saying she “did not fancy it, anyway.” So he gently corrected that absent-minded gesture -- reminding to offer only what you want for yourself.

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Bonn and Hamburg cost-of-living indices were always the highest in Europe. Whenever DFA neglected us, Greg reached above the bureaucracy for the President’s signature to improve our lot. Greg also opened doors at the highest levels in Germany. After serving titans in the Philippine Senate, he was not intimidated by high office. After the First Lady Imelda Marcos one-upped the visit of German President Walter Scheel in Vienna with her Mercedes Benz 600 limousine, her party cavalierly thought that Vienna was just a short hop to Bonn. Could Greg arrange a visit?  Greg explained to Governor Kokoy Romualdez German protocol, and why visits at highest level had to be well anticipated.  The Governor persisted, suggesting to Greg to tell the Germans how important this visit could be, adding, “Tell them that you can be helpful to them (the Germans)… that you can even go to the bedroom of the President.”  Greg did not bend to the flattery, but stuck to the protocol drill.  To end the conversation, he said, “Kahit ikaw man ang ambassador dito, Kokoy, hindi nati nmagagawa iyan.” (Even if you were the ambassador here, Kokoy, we cannot swing that.”)  Raul Rabe, one of the whiz kids, said, “Ambassador, kayo lang ang nakapag sabi ng ganyan kay Governor.” (“Ambassador, you are the only one to say that to the Governor.”)

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I wrote drafts for Greg Abad, which he read verbatim.  But the best piece I ever wrote was the one that he forgot to bring. Greg was to address the Bremen Chamber of Commerce as the chairman of the Bonn ASEAN Committee.. “Joe,” he asked, “do you have a copy of our speech?” “I have one at the hotel.  I can run back for it.” “No, never mind,” he held me back. “I read it anyway. I can work around it.” He began with an Asian apology…that he forgot to bring his speech. He groped, searching memory for some of the figures and figures of speech… like when he used the Four Musicians of Bremen as metaphor of the original five ASEAN members.   (I prompted from audience to lip-synch the last animal, “Roooster!”)  Haltingly, but surely, he waded through and weighed in. He brought the house down delivering so much more powerfully, extemporaneously, and improving on it with his inimitable ad-libbing. So much so that his ASEAN colleagues later asked me if he really forgot to bring a copy of his speech!

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Greg dearly wanted to be included in a Philippine delegation to the UN.  And General Carlos P. Romulo, knowing Greg's easy access to President Ferdinand Marcos, promised to include him. Several UNGAs after, the promise still unkept, Greg wrote to remind the general, adding, “…I do not worry for your longevity, but for mine…”   Greg said that Bonn (“A Small Town in Germany”) is an excellent capital because you can move with ease from ministry to ministry. “If you wanted bright lights you are only 30 minutes from Cologne... If you wanted brighter lights you are only one hour from Duesseldorf... And if you wanted really bright lights, you are only five hours from Hamburg!” Greg always remembered those who served him; and there was always wisdom in his humor. He counseled us to be patient with Portillo, his loyal driver, “…because if Port were any brighter, we would all be working for him!” He saw to it that Portillo ate the same food we had. His kindness begat consummate loyalty. Once, when Greg came home in the wee hours, the embassy's First Lady Pepita Abad accosted the driver, ”Port, saan kayo nangaling!” (“Port, where did you come from?”) “Ewan ko Ma’am kay Ambassador…”(“I don’t know, Ma’am, the Ambassador”), was the reflex evasive reply. We may never see the likes of Greg Abad. FEEDBACK:[email protected]