Bringing back the dead

This whole weekend, Filipinos remembered their loved ones. Fortunately, this All Saints’ Day was more peaceful compared to the past, when violence would erupt due to simple traffic altercations that sometimes resulted in death. Despite the threat of typhoon Santi, millions trekked to cemeteries (with some still buried in water), offering flowers, candles and prayers to show respect for their departed friends, relatives and loved ones.

During occasions such as these, talk would inevitably go to the past, with people sometimes wishing they could bring back the dead, remembering those good old days in the company of the people they cared for, laughed with, cried with and shared life with. 

One of those whom many of us wish could come back from the dead is our dear friend, Max Soliven. How time really flies – it’s been almost three years since he died at seven in the morning (Tokyo time) on Nov. 24, 2006 near Narita airport.

Today, there are many people who would still come up to me wondering what Max would write about what’s happening in the country, and how he would interpret the current political situation. We can only hazard a guess about what he would write, and whom he thinks should be the next president.

Max was such an awesome repository of information. He knew political history so well, having met so many major players during his more than 50 years as a journalist. He was one of the most prolific writers I know, and I remember how Arthur Lopez and I would sometimes walk around Glorietta or Greenbelt in the afternoon as Max tried to stimulate his mind and think about his next column.

He would also talk about presidents especially those he knew – having covered nine presidential elections in his lifetime – and one of those whom he knew personally and idolized was Ramon Magsaysay.

Magsaysay is a president whom people would certainly wish to bring back from the dead. He was known as the “Man of the masses” because he had the common touch and could connect with the masses, no doubt because he also came from the ranks of the “common tao.”

As a young man, he knew what hard work was all about. He was not born into privilege and thus had to work as a driver to put himself through college. His compassion towards the poor was sincere, and his work as a public servant certainly reflected his belief that “those who have less in life must have more in law.”

Critics scoffed at his simple projects like artesian wells, irrigation canals and marketplaces in the countryside – but on the contrary, this reflected his understanding of the needs of the marginalized. He visited remote barrios to find out for himself the condition of the people and what they needed, listening to their complaints and acting upon them with dispatch. He knew the importance of touching base with the grassroots of society, and thus avoided surrounding himself with sycophants and people who had an agenda other than the welfare of the poor.

As Nene Pimentel himself had once acknowledged, politicians today can learn a thing or two from “The Guy”: “his sincerity, simplicity… accessibility and immediate personal attention to whoever sought his help. President Magsaysay’s style of leadership, his genuine approachability, and honest governance make his act difficult to follow.”

Just how accessible Magsaysay was can be seen by the kind of presidency he instituted, opening up Malacañang to ordinary folk via his “common man’s day” where people would line up to tell him what their problems were. Unfortunately, his presidency was cut short when his plane crashed on Mt. Manunggal in Cebu on March 17, 1957.

No question President Magsaysay’s style of leadership would still be applicable today especially because there are still so many poor Filipinos who need a leader who can genuinely relate with their condition. His son and namesake Ramon “Jun” Magsaysay Jr., who is a good friend of ours, undoubtedly imbibed the principles of his late father. Jun certainly did well as a senator. But unfortunately, as he says, he’s not cut out for politics, and has decided to attend to his business and lead a simple life.

Max would have had a lot to say about Ramon Magsaysay and the kind of leadership we need today. He described “The Guy” as someone who sincerely understood the plight of the poor because he came from there – he was simply a common man.

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