Saturday, December 02, 2006 Lee: Missing Max By Kelvin King Lee Babble On
UNLIKE others who have written tributes to dearly departed Max Soliven, I never knew him. Not personally at least. But I read him, everyday and every column that he wrote, 6 days a week in a national broadsheet.
I never missed it. His column was the first thing I read every morning when I opened my newspaper. He was always insightful, well researched, and he never pulled punches with his words. He wrote what was on his mind and in the process influenced millions of readers, myself included.
It is perhaps no coincidence that I have begun to share many of his views, though I strongly disagree with his opinion of lawyers. As a reader of his columns since my formative days in elementary and high school, his influence on me is perhaps to be expected. He was actually the one who inspired me into the field of column-writing.
Reading Max's column was often a quick crash course in various other fields. He would write about politics, and history, philosophy and many other varied topics which would always pique the reader’s interest.
And somehow, his columns would always go to the heart of any matter. His analysis of a situation rivaled the experts in the field, and he is arguably the only columnist in the country whose columns were required reading for every government leader, visiting dignitary or ambassador and big business honcho.
He has directly influenced many a high-level decision, like his columns on the mosque in Greenhills, or his column on the Philippine Navy boats which were to be sent to Lebanon to "save" our citizens. Both projects were subsequently scrapped or put on hold after he wrote scathingly against both.
He was also perhaps the only columnist left in the Philippines who had such high-level access to leaders and politicians in the country. He knew virtually everyone who mattered in Manila and the country, and he was often able to parlay these good relationships into excellent column topics.
One of my favorite columns was the one where he talked of Davao's own Mayor Duterte. Mr. Soliven admired and respected our mayor for his ability to get things done, for his two-fisted gun actions when needed and the peace and security he created in our fair city.
Another column on Davao which I remembered was his feature on one of its most influential residents from the Bangayan clan. The fact that he, as a Manila resident, knew and wrote about something that only Dabawenyos knew showed his insight into Davao society.
And perhaps it was this insight that caused the City Government to make Max Soliven an honorary son of Davao, an honor very few people have received.
Your "fellow" Dabawenyos will miss you Mr. Soliven. I know I miss seeing your column everyday already. And I know I will forever regret not having met you in person. Good-bye Sir Max. Rest well.
