LAST Nov. 18 was the 90th birth anniversary of the late former Vice President Salvador H. Laurel. Families, loved ones, and friends organized a musical tribute featuring talented members of the Laurel family led by Cocoy Laurel. The tribute, which also served as a fund-raising event, was a fitting remembrance to the legacy of a Filipino statesman fondly called “Doy.”
I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to know the man. I remember our discussions about the future of the country and more specifically the future of the Nacionalista Party (NP). When he got sick, these discussions became more frequent and serious.
One time during our yearly family vacation to the US, I decided to drop by the Stanford Hospital in San Francisco where Doy was undergoing treatment for lymphoma. We had a long conversation over lunch about his idea of my assumption to the NP leadership.
We made plans to meet again in Manila so we could formalize what we agreed on and so we could publicly proclaim our agreement to strengthen the future of the NP. I remember receiving a call from Doy weeks later. He told me, “Pasensya ka na, Manny. I don’t think I can make it back to Manila in time for your election as NP president. Masama na pakiramdam ko.”
I considered it an honor to lead the Nacionalista but it was doubly significant because of the stature of the man who was passing the baton.
Doy was a defender of the Filipino people, especially the poor. As a legislator, he championed the rights of the marginalized by authoring “Justice for the Poor” laws, including one that allowed legal services to be accessible to those who do not have the capacity to pay. The fundraising event was meant to benefit the University of the Philippines Legal Aid Program whose advocacy mirrors that of the lifelong mission of Doy.
Doy Laurel was a defender of the poor. As a lawyer, Doy spent his life defending the marginalized and ensuring that they were treated equally in the eyes of the law. According to popular accounts, in 1966 Doy decided to take up the case of the family of a man who was found stuffed in a garbage bin. Doy stepped in, pro bono, and got the perpetrators convicted in a trial that riveted the nation.
Doy understood that poverty is not simply the lack of money or food or shelter. It also means lack of access to justice. Consequently, he believed that there can be no progress if there is no justice for the poor. This, I believe, is his legacy. As a lawyer and public servant, he dedicated his life, talent, and energy to protecting the rights of the poor, those who do not have the means to protect themselves.
This would be the impetus for the establishment of the Citizens Legal Aid Society of the Philippines (CLASP), for which he was cited as Most Outstanding Legal Aid Lawyer of the World in 1976 by the International Bar Association.
Doy Laurel was a defender of Philippine democracy. He valiantly fought for freedom. He understood what the Filipino nation needed, which led him to make the ultimate political sacrifice as he ran and won the vice presidency in 1986. In a political world where capturing power was the top priority, Doy’s sacrifice was the height of political audacity.
Doy told me he wanted to restore the glory that was the NP. He wanted the party rejuvenated to become an effective instrument of national transformation. It was a daunting task. But now that the NP is very much alive and kicking, I hope Doy is smiling in heaven knowing that the party he led is continuing the vision he spent his life pursuing.
