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Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Malilong: Death of a decent man
By Frank Malilong
The Other Side
I couldn’t agree more with former city administrator Gerry Sta. Ana. Ronnie Duterte was a very decent person. The already vanishing tribe of gentlemen-politicians has become smaller with his demise.
I remember Ronnie during his days as city mayor. He was firm but not discourteous, decisive but not arrogant. In my book, he was the best executive Cebu City ever had. Too bad, people like him don’t go very far or last very long in politics.
Ronnie resumed his law practice after his stint in politics and I would bump into him every now and then in the courtrooms. He held a master of laws degree, which he earned abroad, but he never flaunted it. He was always courteous both to the court and to the opposing counsel. I cannot recall having heard him raise his voice. Managing my temper has always been a problem and I often marveled how and where Ronnie found his serenity.
The end is always unthinkable, said the commentary on the entry in the Bible Diary that I read yesterday. Death is unthinkable although not necessarily terrible. The last time I saw Ronnie, looking dapper as always in his suit, I never thought that he was or would be gravely ill.
But no death is untimely because it is part of the divine plan. We therefore do not question why decent men die early. We just say we are poorer with Ronnie’s loss.
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Colleague Maribelle “Gingging” Navarro has asked me to make this public service announcement in behalf of the Cebu Lady Lawyers’ Association (Cella): The association will hold, in cooperation with the Cebu Jaycees, free legal consultations on Monday, Nov. 28 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the SM Conference Hall, 3rd Level, SM City Cebu. What sets the event apart from other free legal clinics is that the lawyers will not just give advice; they will also do documentation such as preparation of affidavits and contracts, on the spot.
The free clinic, which is expected to attract between 200 to 300 clients, is one of the activities marking Cella’s 18th anniversary on Nov. 30. It was formed in 1987 by retired Regional Trial Court Judge Exaltacion A. Navarro to “bring the law to as many people as possible,” involve lady lawyers in socio-economic activities and “promote the ideals of integrity and morality among lady lawyers.” The association’s incumbent president is Sylvia Almase Suarez.
One of its most recent projects was the poster-making contest held last week to promote solid management awareness. It was an enjoyable experience watching budding artists turn recyclable, biodegradable and environment-friendly waste materials into works of art, Gingging gushed, adding that their association hopes to have the contest, as well as the free legal consultations, done regularly.
(fmmalilong@yahoo.com)
(November 23, 2005 issue)
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