FINDING ANSWERS
Since former Senator Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon passed away last June 12 as our nation celebrated Independence Day, tributes and accolades have poured in attesting to his distinguished reputation as military man and public servant.
There’s no doubt he was a great and outstanding Filipino, an officer and a gentleman, a warrior and statesman, a devoted public servant whose integrity and compassion for the people are truly worth emulating.
And all throughout his life in the service of the Filipino people, he was the epitome of humility, simplicity, and decorum.
That’s how I fondly remember the military general turned senator who became my colleague at the Senate in the early 1990s when he first served as senator in the 9th Congress.
Although he was much older than me with a wealth of experience, and had already achieved every soldier’s dream of rising to the pinnacle of success as chief of staff, he still found it necessary to seek counsel when he entered the world of politics.
I was the youngest senator at that time, and yet he considered me a senior politician. For him to give much value and defer to whatever advice I gave him certainly speaks volumes on his profound humility amid all his accomplishments then.
Of course, his accomplishments as a highly decorated military general were tremendous. Among his greatest feats was crushing the deadliest coup attempt against the administration of then President Cory Aquino in 1989. He certainly played a pivotal role in defending democracy and the integrity of our armed forces when he was commanding general then of the NCR Defense Command.
In his transition to politics after retiring from military service, Sen. Biazon had no qualms in showing his eagerness to learn new things. And that’s when I began to feel deeply honored by his willingness to readily accept advice from me whom he deemed a “senior” politician.
He quickly realized the wisdom of having to shed off the strict demeanor he used to exhibit as a military man, and give way to more expressions of compassion, understanding, tenderness and other pleasing traits of an exemplary public servant to be able connect more effectively with the people.
When we were together at the campaign trail during the 1992 elections, Sen. Biazon also quickly realized he had to change his manner of speaking — all the serious talk he was accustomed to in the military had to be put aside. He knew he had to spice his talk with humor and something light, to be more effective in getting his message across to voters.
When he first won a Senate seat, his humility remained intact, he was open-minded, not argumentative, and he always had his feet on the ground. I witnessed first-hand how he always conducted himself with decorum not only during plenary proceedings but also in committee hearings, including the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement where he was chairman and I was vice-chairman.
As Senator for three terms, he had accomplished a lot. Many bills he authored became laws. Among them are RA 9208 or Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, RA 9161 or Rental Reform Act, RA 7835 or Comprehensive and Integrated Shelter Finance Act, and RA 7898 which provides for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
When he retired from politics, he continued to be an inspiration to many Filipinos who looked up to him as a statesman who exemplified the virtues of patriotism and love of country. Every now and then, he would share his invaluable insights on recurring issues concerning our country’s sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, and the need to be united against foreign aggression.
For being a paragon of humility, decorum and honor, there’s no doubt that Senator Biazon was a truly an outstanding Filipino who will be sorely missed. But I’m sure his legacy as a great Filipino will inspire many others. My deepest condolences to his loved ones, and may God grant our beloved Sen. Biazon eternal peace! ([email protected])