Reaction to 'Bogus son of a veteran'

Atty. Romeo G. Roxas reacted to a blind item titled “Bogus son of a veteran” (Sept. 20) which he felt alluded to. He sent a letter from which we quote salient points since we are unable to print his reply in full due to space constraints.

 “Let me set the record straight. I am a son of a veteran, my father being Santiago Roxas listed in the Master list of veterans before the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office. Santiago Roxas was a Commonwealth employee being then an Academic and Industrial Supervisor in the Department of Education covering the province of Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental in Mindanao – at the outbreak of the war between the United States and Japan and, as such US Commonwealth employee, was automatically conscripted by then President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II. My father... served as a Food and Supply Officer in Northern Mindanao under the command of Col. Wendell Fertig.

“That I am a son of a veteran has been settled in the cases of ‘ATTY. ROMEO G. ROXAS VS. BRAULIO B. BUMANLAG’ docketed as CA-G.R. SP No. 101098 of the Court of Appeals in its Judgment dated May 31, 2011 and ‘JOSE APOLINARIO AND ANTONIO P. ZACARIAS, ET. AL VS. ATTY. ROMEO G. ROXAS’ docketed as CA-G.R. No. 89002 of the Court of Appeals in its Decision dated July 26, 2010, which judgments were rendered in accordance with the Compromise Agreement: that the Filipino war veteran listed in the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office is Santiago Roxas, my father; that I am a bonafide son of a Filipino war Veteran, Santiago Roxas; and that I am therefore, qualified to be a stockholder and director of the Philippine Veterans Bank. These court decisions are already final and executory.

“...Since my father was a veteran, I took it upon myself, together with Col. De Ocampo, to help... rehabilitate the bank as it was successfully opened in 1992. Later, the bank’s status... was threatened to be downgraded... I myself was not interested in investing with the bank as it was not a profitable proposition because, by law, 20 percent of the profits thereon goes to the veterans as expenses for their welfare. However, since the stockholders refused to answer the call to invest... I was constrained to subscribe to additional shares... to maintain PVB’s commercial bank category and prevent its downgrade... This explains my current holdings.

“...The Secretary of Finance intimated his apprehension that, since I am a major stockholder of the bank, I am the biggest beneficiary of government deposits when the benefits should ideally inure to the veterans. There was a concern then that PVB’s privilege as a government depository bank would be jeopardized should the situation be not remedied. Under these circumstances, I am constrained... to divest my shares in the bank... so that the benefits from its profitable operations will be shared equally by the stockholder veterans.  

“I am happy with my contribution in rehabilitating and reopening the bank for the veterans... from out of their sacrifices, (including my father’s) of which we have a country of our own today.”

The Defenders of Bataan represented by its Vice National Commander Rafael G. Estrada however confirmed that the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office has no records to show that Santiago Galang Roxas, the father of Atty. Romeo G. Roxas, was indeed a veteran of the Second World War. The PVAO made a final determination that, while there is a Santiago Roxas listed in its records as a veteran, this is not the same person as the father of Atty. Roxas.

This was reiterated by RTC Branch 149 of Makati City in its March 1, 2007 decision in the case of Jose Apolinario and Antonio P. Zacarias, et. al. vs Atty. Romeo G. Roxas. Galang said the compromise agreement where the CA based its July 26, 2010 ruling was signed by Jose Apolinario - not by sole plaintiff appelant Antonio P. Zacarias and therefore not binding to Zacarias’ heirs and the remaining veterans including DBC members who never agreed to the compromise. Under the Civil Code, veteran status cannot be the subject of compromise. As such, the CA decision is ineffectual to declare that Roxas is the son of a veteran if his father was never one, Galang noted.

Clearly, the final arbiter regarding this issue should be the Supreme Court for the peace of mind of all the war veterans and their heirs.

Spy tidbit

— The “who’s who” in Philippine business are all in Tokyo paying their way to join P-Noy. Some of us traveled separately from the PAL 001 special presidential flight. Among those who joined us on the JAL flight were Gabby Lopez, BPI president Gigi Montinola and Rustan’s Donnie Tantoco.

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