Famous (or infamous) Ateneans and La Sallites

Going to these basketball games can give one palpitations, and being on both sides can be cardiac and could really induce double palpitations. But more than that, Ateneo-La Salle match-ups become a reunion of sorts with Araneta Coliseum filled with people from past to present, the oldest and the youngest alumni.

Over the years, Ateneo and La Salle have produced a lot of famous (or infamous, depending on your take) people. All my brothers went to Ateneo, and the namesake of my father, Alberto Jr. or Dr. Quasi, was the Secretary of Health during the time of Joseph Estrada. Most Ateneans are known to be very idealistic, like some of my father’s classmates who at one time or another were considered presidentiables. There was Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo, an outspoken senator who was also an ardent proponent of the Filipino language; Raul Manglapus who became foreign minister at a very young age and later distinguished himself as a senator; and former vice president Emmanuel “Maning” Pelaez.

I’ll never forget Max Soliven’s story, who himself is an Atenean, about Pelaez and Marcos when they were vying to become the Nacionalista Party standard bearer. According to Max, both Marcos and Pelaez had a gentleman’s agreement that there would be no vote buying. But the staff assistant of Pelaez came rushing to his suite at the Manila Hotel where the convention was being held, saying in a panic, “Mr. Vice President, you have to do something! Marcos is buying the votes of the delegates!” But Pelaez, being Mr. Righteous, refused to do the same saying they had a gentleman’s agreement, and that he would rather be right than be president. He was right – he did not become president.

La Sallites on the other hand are known to be pragmatic people, and many have become very successful businessmen like port magnate Ricky Razon who is now the patron of the La Salle team. Formerly it was Danding Cojuangco who is now the chairman of San Miguel Corp. Then there’s former NAMFREL chairman Joe Concepcion and his son Joey. There’s also Cesar Gabaldon, George Yang, and Titoy Pardo and Bobby de Ocampo who both became Finance Secretary.

DFA Secretary Bert Romulo is also a graduate of La Salle (BS Accountancy), and so is former Tarlac Congressman and now Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro who finished his BSC-Management of Financial Institutions in 1985. In the diplomatic circle, among the notable ones are two gentlemen from La Salle, Ambassador to Italy Philippe Lhuillier and former Ambassador to Spain Joseph “Lani” Bernardo. 

On the other hand, Ateneo counts business bigwigs in its roster like Manny Pangilinan, Tonyboy Cojuangco as well as Manolo and Gabby Lopez. Tony Meloto is also an Ateneo alumni, and he has lived up to the idealism espoused by the Jesuits, doing a lot to provide homes and livelihood for the poor in this country through Gawad Kalinga.

Of course, Ateneans proudly point out the famous and great political personalities that have come from their ranks such as Claro M. Recto, former vice president Teofisto Guingona and Evelio Javier. Like Manny Pangilinan, Ninoy Aquino finished high school at San Beda and then went to Ateneo for college. In fact, Ninoy even became a member of the Blue Babble Battalion. Ateneo has also produced a lot of famous “Joses” like our national hero Jose Rizal, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and Ignacito Arroyo who by his own admission is Jose Pidal. And of course Jose Velarde (no relation to El Shaddai’s Brother Mike Velarde).

Members of the Araneta-Roxas clan went to both schools, and as Judy Araneta-Roxas pointed out, there is a “horizontal division” in their family. Don Amado Araneta, Senator Gerry Roxas and our friend Jorge “Nene” Araneta all went to La Salle, while the younger ones like Mar Roxas went to Ateneo.

Well-known Ateneans who continue to be part of the Blue Eagles cheering squad are Dick Gordon, Gary Teves, former central bank governor Gabriel Singson, Vince Carlos. Of course, there are those who went to both schools like Doy Laurel and myself. The former vice president went to Ateneo for grade school and finished high school in La Salle, then on to UP for his law degree. They say the best school is really UP – who has produced the best and the worst presidents. 

Nonetheless, for today’s game both Ateneo and La Salle claim they have a strong team, and among the standouts are JV Casio of La Salle and Chris Tiu of the Blue Eagles who are both popular with the young ladies, just like the good old days where you had Kurt Bachmann of the Green Archers and Ed Ocampo of the Blue Eagles.

While the Ateneo Blue Eagles are considered to be llamado because they have a deeper lineup with most of the big guys of the Green Archers having graduated, basketball fans are hoping La Salle will stage a big upset so there will be one more exciting, palpitating game.

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