The great mothers behind presidentiables Miriam, Binay, Mar, Poe & Duterte

I wish to salute the five remarkable and great mothers who gave life to and reared the five persons who have become so outstanding they are now all qualified to become the next president of the Philippines.

I am sharing the stories of their mothers in the order of their rankings in the “Pandesal Survey” of Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City, backwards, in fairness to those lagging in the polls — Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago whose mother was a dean, Vice President Jojo Binay whose mom was a public school teacher, Secretary Mar Roxas whose mom is a philanthropist, Senator Grace Poe whose mom is an ageless movie queen and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte whose mom was an educator and activist.

I believe that behind every achiever — whether presidential or vice-presidential candidate or an accomplished artist, professional, entrepreneur — is a good mother who not only gave the gift of life and supposedly genetically 80 percent of their children’s intelligence, but also inspiration and nurture.

Legislator Win Gatchalian said at the Pandesal Forum that one of the reasons he is committed to social development and good governance is due to his mother Dee Hua Gatchalian’s deep Christian religious conviction. Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno also shared that his mother Rosario “Chayong” Domogoso of Allen, Samar worked as a labandera or laundrywoman in Tondo, Manila. Chayong taught him: “You can talk to God anytime, whatever you are doing, to ask for answers and blessings.”

What about our presidentiables, who are their mothers?

Like mother, like daughter: The smart and strong-willed Dimpna Palma Defensor is mother to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago

Miriam Defensor Santiago’s mom was a strong-willed educator

The intellectual giant and reformist Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago seems to have taken after her smart and strong-willed mother Dimpna Palma Defensor. Miriam was born on June 15, 1945 to parents of high social standing but little material wealth. Her father Benjamin Defensor was a lawyer and trial judge, while her mother Dimpna was a locally prominent educator who was dean of the private school called Lincoln College.

Miriam studied from kindergarten to grade four in Lincoln until her mother quarreled with the school president and resigned. Starting at grade five, Miriam enrolled at La Paz Public Elementary School. In an official biography of this multi-awarded senator, one passage said: “Her mother had long since instilled in Miriam a drive to fill every moment with worthy activity. This drive propelled her into a life of super-achievement.”

A champion of teachers: Loudes Gatan Cabauatan was a good public school teacher of high intellect and strength of character.  The plight of teachers is one of Jojo Binay’s favorite causes in politics.

VP Jojo Binay was nine when his public school teacher mom died

Persevering, pragmatic, caring and hardworking Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay has come the farthest in terms of personal struggle for success among the presidentiables. He started out life with adversity when his parents died when he was a child.

Binay was born on Nov. 11, 1942 to Diego “Jego” Medrano Binay, a librarian from Bauan, Batangas, and to a public school teacher mother Loudes Gatan Cabauatan from Cabagan town in Isabela province. His mother died of breast cancer in Pasay City when Binay was nine years old.

From his mother’s teacher’s death benefits, they bought a house that tragically burned down in a fire months later. His father also soon died. The boy would be adopted by an uncle in Culi-Culi, Makati, who made Binay worked.

Binay could speak his late mother’s Ibanag dialect and has inherited her intellect and strength of character. His late mother, having been a good public school teacher, probably one of his reasons for championing the plight of teachers.

His mother’s son: Judy Araneta Roxas, mother of Mar Roxas, is a formidable matriarch of the prominent political, landed and business clan. In photo are Mar Roxas standing beside his mother Judy Araneta Roxas and his sister Ria; seated are his dad, the late Senator Gerry Roxas, and his late younger brother Dinggoy.

Mar Roxas’ mom is a philanthropist

Highly educated, idealistic and well-read, ex-investment banker Secretary Mar Roxas’ mother Judy Araneta Roxas is a formidable matriarch of a prominent political, landed and business clan. Mar’s cousin, famous chef and restaurateur Gaita Araneta Fores, told me she admires her aunt and how she raised Mar so well.

Judy Araneta Roxas was a strong supporter of her late husband, the late Senator and Liberal Party leader Gerry Roxas, who had presidential ambitions but died of cancer in 1982. Her other son Gerardo “Dinggoy” was a congressman of Capiz who died very young at only age 32, succumbing to cancer in 1993.

Years ago, when there were speculations that Secretary Mar Roxas was planning to run for the Senate, I remember then Speaker Joe de Venecia Jr.’s wife and now outgoing Pangasinan Congresswoman Gina Vera Perez de Venecia half-jokingly telling Judy: “ You can sell Araneta Coliseum and easily finance your son’s senatorial bid.”

I heard from others after EDSA 1986 that philanthropist Judy was offered a slot in the administration senatorial ticket by President Cory Aquino, but she declined. She has opted to devote her time in the charities and scholarship grants of her family’s Gerry Roxas Foundation. She is also one of the bosses of her Araneta family’s Progressive Development Corporation, which has Cubao real estate and other businesses.

Judy was personally given the Papal Award in 1987 by Pope John Paul II, which is one of the highest honors a Catholic can receive from the Vatican. The late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin said of her: “Judy Roxas has remained a woman of great faith, working with and treating other people with a soul of consideration and gentleness even when tragedy touched her life.”

Gracious ladies: Movie queen Susan Roces is mother to Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares. Grace inherited her strength of character, frankness, charm, humility and professionalism from her mom.

Sen. Grace Poe’s mom is a charming, strong-willed & pragmatic movie queen

Respected, diligent and smart leader Senator Grace Poe Llamanzares has the most famous mother among all the presidentiables — the beauty and brains movie queen Susan Roces. I am certain Grace has imbibed from her mom such qualities as strength of character, frankness, charm, humility, being a good financial steward of resources, professionalism and hard work.

Born Jesusa Purificación Levy Sonora to a French Jewish mestiza mother who descended from the Levy family that founded the 19th-century La Estrella del Norte, and a Spanish-Chinese mestizo doctor father from the prominent Locsin clan of Negros Occidental province, Susan  is widow of the late “King of Philippine Movies” and 2004 presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr.

I asked Susan Roces, who co-stars on ABS-CBN’s Ang Probinsiyano drama series: How did you and FPJ raise her? Who was closer to Grace, you or FPJ? Susan told me: “She’s a papa’s girl. Grace has always been a smart, good and honest person even in her youth. She has a very inquisitive mind and she articulates her views well. Ronnie and I, treated her as an equal, even as a kid. She had the right to ask questions and we talked to her like an adult, we didn’t baby talk her. That’s how my parents brought me up, maybe that’s also how Ronnie was brought up by his mother.”

Fists of iron: Soledad or “Nanay Soleng” was the gutsy mother of Davao Mayor Digong Duterte; she was a schoolteacher, civic leader, political activist and philanthropist. Digong was reportedly a mischievous kid and his strict mother used to beat him to discipline him.

The charismatic and iron-fisted Duterte’s mom

Digong Duterte has a multi-faceted and gutsy mother, Soledad or “Nanay Soleng” Roa Duterte. She was a schoolteacher, civic leader, political activist and philanthropist. The future mayor of Davao was reportedly a mischievous kid but his strict mother used to beat him for discipline. A filial person, Mayor Digong Duterte reportedly visits the tombs of his parents whenever he needs to make important decisions.

Digong was kicked out of school as a youth, but he loves reading books such as biographies of leaders and novels. His father, Vicente, was the last governor of the undivided Davao in the 1950s.

Despite his strong and gritty public image as the iron-fist leader of Davao City who crushes crooks, Digong actually has a soft spot in his heart for his beloved Nanay Soleng. Unknown to most people, one unique lifelong habit of his is to sleep every night with a certain old ramie blanket gifted to him by his mother when he was just one year old. Duterte reportedly brings this old blanket with him everywhere he goes and cannot sleep without it. Did Digong inherit much of his courage, social idealism and intellect from his late great mother?

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