May our departed colleagues rest in peace

Someone e-mailed to me the complete text of a speech by a presidential wannabe. Quite kilometric but I made time to read it between the lies, er, lines.

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Text scam: "Our presidential aspirants make up an interesting menagerie. There's a lame duck and a bald eagle. Please pass." I didn't pass.

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Sen. Chiz Escudero has resigned from the NPC saying he did not want to be controlled by his party or another party. Many people have used all kinds of unpalatable terms to describe his decision.

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Me, I want to call it guts. Yes, guts. Escudero has the guts to make mincemeat of his promising political career. Yes, guts. I have not yet come across a politician, no matter how promising, who has the guts to be an island onto himself.

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But Chiz says he's not really without a party. He called the Philippines his party. And the Filipino people his constituents. The last person I heard talking something like that was Pascual Racuyal.

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Racuyal once said that if elected President he would change the Philippines to Rizalippines and the capital he would call Racuyalippines. Many times he ran for President as independent.

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   I read PhilStar columnist Isagani Cruz's column last Thursday (Oct. 29) where he listed prominent friends of his in media who have gone to the great beyond. He does this every All Saints’ Day. I read every name and found out that many of Sir Isagani's departed friends were also my friends.

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 One name that readily caught my attention was Concesa Baduel, mother of a good friend and legal luminary Dodong Baduel. Inday Concesa (I called her that) was a good writer and wrote many articles for The Freeman, mostly about her travels abroad.

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Another name that drew my attention was Jose "Joe" Quirino, the very prolific writer and tv host. Joe was a good friend who always phoned me for breakfast or lunch everytime he was in town ... And Lina Espina-Moore, who used to pay me a visit at the old TF building. We often talked not about journalism or literature but about good old Cebu which she proudly called "home sweet home."

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Today is All Souls’ Day. I invite fellow journalists to join me in praying to the Saints for the eternal repose of the souls of our departed brothers and sisters in the media profession. Eternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

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