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'A true patriot': Hontiveros recalls Biazon's warning and call for unity amid China's incursions in WPS
Philippines
National
'A true patriot': Hontiveros recalls Biazon's warning and call for unity amid China's incursions in WPS
'A true patriot': Hontiveros recalls Biazon's warning and call for unity amid China's incursions in WPS
Published Jun 12, 2023 08:23 am
Together with the nation, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros mourned the passing of former Senator Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon whom she described as a “great soldier, statesman and a solon.”
"He passed on this Independence Day, June 12, a reminder of his formidable, lifelong fight for our Inang Bayan (our motherland),” Hontiveros said.
“Indeed, much can be said about all that he has done for the Filipino people, from his time as a Philippine Marine to his years in Congress, but what remained true all throughout was his unwavering love for the Philippines,” she emphasized.
“A true patriot, Sen. Pong always answered the call of duty even when he was no longer in office,” the senator reiterated.
Hontiveros recalled the time Biazon called out the Duterte administration for its “confusing approach” on China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Biazon had warned that China might end up assuming the Philippines had already given up the pursuit of its interest in the contested maritime territory. The former Armed Forces Chief of Staff had pointed out that the “confusing” approach of the Duterte administration to China’s militarization of the WPS poses a great risk for Filipinos, and is “dangerous.” “We are not only confusing ourselves; we are also confusing potential allies in our pursuit of our national interests in the area,” Biazon had said in an interview last May 2021. The former senator had then urged then President Rodrigo Duterte to convene the National Security Council (NSC) so the country can come up with a “clear, united, national position” on the WPS. “When the former administration could not express a clear stance vis-a-vis China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea, Sen. Pong did not hold back from calling on our top officials to take a united position against China,” Hontiveros recalled. "Time and again, when he saw that our nation was in peril, he stepped out from his private life and gave us public servants clarity and a sense of direction,” she pointed out.
"Long before I met him in person, I read about Sen. Pong in an 1981 Who magazine feature about his being a Marines commander in Davao. I remember being taken by his critical mind and his respect for human rights, qualities essential for an officer and a gentleman,” the opposition senator said. "Years later, I finally met him at the EDSA Shrine just when EDSA Dos was unfolding. It was unforgettable not only because he had a crushing handshake, but also because it was the start of the many struggles we fought together,” she said.
“That was the Sen. Pong I knew — never afraid to stand up and speak out for what is right even when others wouldn’t,” she said. “Paalam, Sir (Farewell sir). Maraming salamat sa walang hanggang pagmamahal sa Pilipinas (Thank you so much for your ending love for the Philippines). My snappy salute. Ooorah!” she further said in her statement.
"He passed on this Independence Day, June 12, a reminder of his formidable, lifelong fight for our Inang Bayan (our motherland),” Hontiveros said.
“Indeed, much can be said about all that he has done for the Filipino people, from his time as a Philippine Marine to his years in Congress, but what remained true all throughout was his unwavering love for the Philippines,” she emphasized.
“A true patriot, Sen. Pong always answered the call of duty even when he was no longer in office,” the senator reiterated.
Hontiveros recalled the time Biazon called out the Duterte administration for its “confusing approach” on China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Biazon had warned that China might end up assuming the Philippines had already given up the pursuit of its interest in the contested maritime territory. The former Armed Forces Chief of Staff had pointed out that the “confusing” approach of the Duterte administration to China’s militarization of the WPS poses a great risk for Filipinos, and is “dangerous.” “We are not only confusing ourselves; we are also confusing potential allies in our pursuit of our national interests in the area,” Biazon had said in an interview last May 2021. The former senator had then urged then President Rodrigo Duterte to convene the National Security Council (NSC) so the country can come up with a “clear, united, national position” on the WPS. “When the former administration could not express a clear stance vis-a-vis China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea, Sen. Pong did not hold back from calling on our top officials to take a united position against China,” Hontiveros recalled. "Time and again, when he saw that our nation was in peril, he stepped out from his private life and gave us public servants clarity and a sense of direction,” she pointed out.
A sense of direction
In a statement released today, Hontiveros said that long before she met the former military general-turned politician, she had already read about his exploits as a Marine commander in Davao."Long before I met him in person, I read about Sen. Pong in an 1981 Who magazine feature about his being a Marines commander in Davao. I remember being taken by his critical mind and his respect for human rights, qualities essential for an officer and a gentleman,” the opposition senator said. "Years later, I finally met him at the EDSA Shrine just when EDSA Dos was unfolding. It was unforgettable not only because he had a crushing handshake, but also because it was the start of the many struggles we fought together,” she said.
A women’s rights advocate
Hontiveros also said that even before she became a senator, Biazon was a steady source of strength for Filipino women and women’s advocates in the fight for the passage of the Reproductive Health Law. “Regarded as macho due to his military background, he challenged stereotypes to stand not just for, but with women,” the senator said.“That was the Sen. Pong I knew — never afraid to stand up and speak out for what is right even when others wouldn’t,” she said. “Paalam, Sir (Farewell sir). Maraming salamat sa walang hanggang pagmamahal sa Pilipinas (Thank you so much for your ending love for the Philippines). My snappy salute. Ooorah!” she further said in her statement.