ATTY. Lyndon P. Caña is a highly regarded member of the legal profession in Bacolod City who was faithful to serve God and his fellowmen.
Caña sadly joined his Creator on November 4, 2021, at the age of 56. He tested positive for coronavirus but he has already recuperated from it before his death.
Caña served as councilor of Bacolod City from 2001 to 2007. He was enlisted in the country's Top 10 Most Outstanding Councilors.
Before his demise, Caña was a nominee of the Citizens' Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) Party-list and one of the staunchest campaigners of Bro. Eddie Villanueva when he ran for president.
On his biography, Caña is the third of six offspring of former Regional Trial Court Judge Abraham D. Caña and Racquel Pizana Cana.
The Cañas originally hail from Cauayan town, Negros Occidental, while the Pizanas are from Quezon City, though the patriarch, Dalmacio Pizana Sr., was born and raised in Bohol.
Lyndon’s mother, Racquel, was born at Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. Lyndon's father, the late Tatay Abraham, was a working student in his pre-law studies at Central Philippine University (Iloilo City) and Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU), where he took his law degree.
On the other hand, Racquel finished her nursing course from the University of the Philippines-Diliman on scholarship, finishing cum laude.
During the Martial Law Years (1972 to 1986), Lyndon's mom was granted a scholarship for masteral studies at Columbia University in New York, USA. This led to a steady stream of migration of the members of the family to America. Lyndon, however, by firm personal decision, opted to stay put in the Philippines.
After finishing high school at what is now known as St. Joseph's School La Salle, Lyndon took the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (Upcat) for the Visayas campus.
Though he made it, his father decided that he better stay in Bacolod City, as he was fond of attending rallies as a young man.
So he went to the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos to take up A.B. Political Science.
In college, Lyndon enjoyed, at first, partial academic, then later, full scholarship when he became Editor-in-Chief of the official student publication, which became the best campus publication in Western Visayas during his time (magazine category).
He was the founding President of a student political party, which fought for the rights of working students, worked out a solution to the no payment no exam policy, and many other student concerns.
The party-Causa, is still active in UNO-R today.
Lyndon also became an extemporaneous and impromptu speech champion and was a coach of the Political Science Club debating team.
He finished his baccalaureate course with honors, receiving a Certificate of Academic Proficiency (not cum laude because he had one grade below 80 in Spanish) and a Leadership Award, an award that the school seldom gives.
Although he passed the Ateneo Law School entrance exam (after finishing one year in the UNO-R College of Law), he completed his law degree in UNO-R. Reviewing only in his home (that is, without taking formal pre-bar or pre-week review but only relying on God's grace as he self-reviewed), he took and passed the 1989 BAR exams and took his oath as a lawyer in 1990.
For a time, he taught Political Science and law subjects at the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod. He also served briefly as Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental.
He also worked briefly as an Associate Researcher for the Institute for Social Research and Development (ISRAD)-La Salle, which was given a grant by the Ford Foundation for research on decentralization for local government units, the results of which were submitted to then Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. as inputs for his work on the Local Government Code (now RA 7160).
Later, in 2001, Atty. Caña ran as an independent candidate for Councilor of Bacolod City and landed on the 7th spot in a field of 69 candidates. He ran for re-election in 2003, landing on number 3.
As a councilor, he posted the most number of resolutions and ordinances authored and passed and had perfect attendance in his first term.
In his second term, except for a leave of one month to visit his dying father in the States, he also did not miss a session of the Sangguniang.
He was known as a fearless member of the Council when he chaired the six-month-long review of the highly controversial port contract in Bacolod City.
It was this record that caused the judges of Junior Chamber International (JCI)-the Philippines and the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), in partnership with the Office of the late Senator Edgardo Angara, with a distinguished board of judges coming from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the Asian Institute of Management, to choose him as one of the Ten Outstanding Councilors of the Philippines (TOCP) in 2006.
Atty. Cana's first love is God, His Word, and the work of the Kingdom. He went to a Bible school and later to a seminary-extension school for audit study of God's Word. He has an active Bible study ministry and is part of the Philippines' 24-7 prayer movement.
Atty. Cana is happily married to Mary Ann Aguirre de Leon of La Carlota City, Negros Occidental. Manong Lyndon, as we fondly call him, is also a Negros Regional Board member of the Center for Community Transformation (CCT), the Share An Opportunity (SAO)-Philippines, Kalipay Negrense Foundation, Christian Foundation for Persons with Disabilities (CFPD), and Negros Island House of Prayer (NIHOP).
Message of condolences
Brother Eddie Villanueva, founder of Cibac and now deputy speaker of the House of the Philippine Congress, conveyed his deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Atty. Lyndon Caña.
His name alone evokes fire and passion in my spirit as Atty. Lyndon was a true fighter for the cause of God. "It has been my genuine honor to carry the Bangon Pilipinas and Cibac flag in advancing the Lord's national agenda alongside a brilliant man of integrity and uncompromising godliness.
Atty. Lyndon will forever be missed. May the Lord raise and call more Filipino Christian lawyers and leaders to become like him -- compassionate to the lost, zealous for justice and righteousness, and unstoppable in voicing the Biblical worldview in the public square. Again, my deepest sympathies to Atty. Lyndon's family. We will be with him again when Christ comes. Maranatha!"
Former Senator Joel Villanueva, son of Brother Eddie, also commiserated with the family of Atty. Cana.
“We join Cibac Party List in mourning on the demise of its 3rd nominee and former Councilor of Bacolod City, Atty. Lyndon Caña. Atty. Caña devoted his life and professional career to helping Cibac wage war against corruption by promoting good governance and making transparency and accountability absolute in the government,” the senator said.
“He did not stand quietly amid immorality, indecency, and the utter disregard for Filipino values in the many facets of our society,” he added.
Since the founding of Cibac in 1997, Atty. Caña served as one of its volunteer legal counsels. He spent more than two decades helping Cibac advance its legislative agenda and educate our communities about the evils of corruption, and even running the party's political campaigns, especially in the Visayas region.
As the President of the Party List, "we are incredibly saddened by his untimely demise. He was not only our partner in the advocacy but also our mentor and a bosom friend. The death of Atty. Caña will only deepen Cibac’s cause to pursue its uncompromised and independent stand against corruption. In our grief, we take consolation in how he exemplified the ideals espoused by Cibac for clean, honest, and efficient service to the people. Our deepest condolences and prayers to the Caña family, especially his wife, Mary Anne," Senator Villanueva in a statement said.
Wowwie Orola, who considered Atty. Cana, as his mentor said, "It breaks my heart to see this man of God departing too soon. He's a man who's known to have a heart so close to God; he fearlessly fought for righteousness and justice to rule the land of Negros and the entire nation. Through the wisdom of God entrusted to Him, he had uprooted so many strongholds in our city and planted eternal things that last forever. I will be forever grateful to witness the miraculous work through his life as he brought a massive impact on the realm of public service and service to God. Atty. Lyndon P. Caña, thank you so much for welcoming me inside your home before I decided to run for public Office. Even though you were very busy, you spared an hour to counsel me with your knowledge, experience, and passion for the Word of God. Even before during my youth days in high school, you gladly took me as one of your ‘bata-bata’ with open arms. You have touched my life with your encouraging and wise words, pure heart, and strong leadership. The legacy that you have shared with us shall live on. You will forever remain in my heart, Sir!"