Congressman Eduardo R. Gullas’s eulogy

Delivered by Congressman Eduardo R. Gullas On the occasion of Necrological Service and Honor of Bohol 2nd District Cong. Erico Aumentado at the Plenary Hall of the House of Representatives

Congress of the Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 27,2012

Early in my freshman college years at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas , I learned from the erudite, brilliant, learned and holy very rev. Fr. Angel Blas professor , writer, author and Fr. Rector that man is made up of body and soul.

The body dies, but the soul is immortal. No truer and more valid knowledge and truth than this scholastic philosophy teaching can man find.

Therefore, though the body of my Dearest Friend dies, his soul lives on.

It would be too much to ask, it would be too un-human to expect commadre Greenie and the children. The grandchildren and great grand children and the brothers and sisters of compadre Rico not to grieve. Human as we are, the only recourse is to cry.  Tears are our only refuge. For after all they are mandated by heaven to fall.

But we must pray as we cry, we must ask the Lord as we grieve, to receive his soul in Gods Bossom.

I am aware of my inadequacy to extol cong. Erico but let me try.

Graduated Valedictorian in Elementary and High school. Working student throughout college at the University of Bohol, he graduated Bachelor of Arts, Magna cum laude and LLB, cum laude.

Elected and served as Provincial Board, then went on to serve as Vice Governor, elected congressman in the 9th, 10th and 11th Congress spanning 9 years from 1992- 2001. Elected Deputy speaker for Visayas middle of the  11th congress. Served as Governor of Bohol from 2001 to 2010. Elected Regional Development Council Chairman region 7. Elected again as member of the House of Representatives in May 2010 and chaired the House Committee on Ethics.

In all of these positions that he occupied- as a student scholar. A lawyer, a public servant, Congressman Erico did it with the greatest of skills, with utmost devotion, and with honor.

Time is truly fleeting, and swift it was only as if yesterday, Compadre Rico I found ourselves fellow workers in the Regional Development Council of Region VII, I as chair and he as one of the province of Bohol‘s young brilliant leaders.

At the end of the year, we vow the star- symbol  of excellence, among all RDCs in the country we crafted the 1st Regional Development Investment Program. So impressed, the world bank adapted RDC-7 and the Central Visayas Regional Project came into being.

And then he went on to conquer more stars.

250km paved Bohol circumferential road, 3 huge dams to irrigate barren fields in Ubay, Pilar and San Miguel, Power inter connection thru submarine cable for Leyte and energize entire Bohol, Panglao International Airport Bohol, friendship bridge- Getafe Bohol to Cordova, Cebu.

The kindest words we can muster, and the most heartfelt paeans of appreciation we can offer him today also sound  so hollow, and are so ruefully inadequate  to honor his memory.

The people of the whole province of Bohol and the constituents of the 2nd district whom he served so humbly yet so honorably and so brilliantly pause to do honor and homage to a real servant leader.

I thank you Compadre Rico and the whole family for your friendship. Indeed you shall be missed!

Your monument  need not to be erected in marble. For it is enshrined in the hearts of every Boholanos.

And finally, May I conclude with the very inspiring prayer of the Great Saint of Assisi St. Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument  of your peace, where there is Hatred, Let me sow Love; where there is Injury, Pardon; where there is Doubt; Faith; where there is Despair; Hope; where there is Darkness; Light; and where there is Sadness, Joy.

Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as To Love.

For it is in Giving That We Receive; It is in Pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in Dying that we are born to Eternal Life, Amen.

Other Funeral Orations Delivered By: Amelita A., former Deputy speaker Ma. Amelita Villarosa, Minority Leader Danilo E. Suarez, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte