During the Marcos regime, Ramon Mitra Jr. became such a symbol of the opposition that even his beard became a political statement against the dictatorship. Mitra was among those arrested, jailed and persecuted by the Marcos regime, but he was not one to back off from a fight. Together with the other leaders of the opposition, Mitra pursued freedom against great odds, and was rewarded with the peaceful revolt that drove away the dictator.
Last August, Mitra announced he had terminal cancer, bidding his friends farewell and saying he wanted death to be a celebration of life. And what a life it was. In this land where millions of people live in poverty, Mitra's story is a source of inspiration. Born in Palawan 72 years ago, Mitra lost his mother before he was a year old. An illegitimate son, he was reared in poverty by his grandmother, receiving support from his father only when he was about to enter law school in Manila.
His upbringing shaped Mitra's interests in life. He loved the soil and the sea. He had an affinity with the poor and believed politics could help alleviate poverty. After a brief stint in the diplomatic service, Mitra won a seat in the House of Representatives. In 1971, he survived the bombing of Plaza Miranda and became a senator, only to find his term cut short by martial law. Thrown into a detention center with the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., Mitra refused to be cowed by Ferdinand Marcos, becoming a member of the opposition in the national assembly.
After the EDSA revolt, Mitra was appointed as agriculture secretary but resigned to become a congressman, eventually winning election as speaker of the House. He set his sights higher but was in for a series of disappointments. Mitra lost the presidency in 1992, and lost bids for the Senate and the House of Representatives in subsequent elections. In 1998, he was plucked from obscurity to head the Philippine National Oil Co. Despite the setbacks in the final years of his life, Mitra will be remembered as one of the nation's best and brightest. We mourn his passing but celebrate his life.