Integrity is non-negotiable

Back in 1991, I remember sitting beside PBA commissioner Rudy Salud on a Philippine Airlines morning flight from Cebu to Manila. The night before, we attended a boxing event promoted by our good friend Tony Aldeguer at the Cebu Coliseum. Out of respect, I could never call him Rudy – it was always Attorney.

I’ll never forget his reply when I asked if he could capsulize in a sentence his work policy. He said without hesitation, “integrity is non-negotiable.”

As a sports leader and corporate tax lawyer, Attorney was known for his uncompromising principles. He took no short cuts in making sure a job was done right. He never backed down from any challenge. As a sports official, he was inspiring. As a sports fan, he was passionate. 

Last Monday, Attorney passed away. Within minutes of his passage, I received several phone calls. The first was from PBA media bureau chief and special assistant to the commissioner Willie Marcial who said he died three minutes before. The second was from writer Ronnie Nathanielsz who was at Medical City. And the third was from another writer Recah Trinidad, sobbing on the phone and saying what a big loss we all must endure. 

Willie rushed to Medical City to be with Attorney’s son Chito. He accompanied the family to Arlington where it was later decided to postpone the cremation until after tomorrow’s 8 a.m. Mass at the Sta. Maria Della Strada parish along Katipunan Road.

Attorney Salud underwent a delicate three-hour heart procedure at Medical City last Feb. 28. For five years, he had a defibrillator implanted in his chest, ready to fire up whenever necessary to pump up his heart. The procedure was made to change the battery and generator of the defibrillator. His loyal assistant George Alcantara said the operation involved opening up the ribs, collapsing the lungs and taking out the heart to be wired to the reenergized defibrillator. 

After surgery, Attorney Salud was at the intensive care unit until last Friday. I visited while he was still at ICU last Thursday morning. His wife Josephine, fondly called Pampin, and George were with him. He opened his eyes and gave a thumbs-up when I said I couldn’t wait for us to get together again for a long chat about our favorite topic – sports – over lunch or merienda or whatever. His nose and mouth were cupped by a respirator. I’m sure he was uncomfortable but never showed it – it was so typical of him not to show uneasiness in front of family and friends. I didn’t realize it would be my last time to see Attorney Salud alive.

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It was only about a month ago when Attorney and I spoke for over 30 minutes on the phone about the PBA team owners meeting that his son Chito, now the commissioner, had organized. He recalled only two other previous owners meetings. The first was during pioneer commissioner Leo Prieto’s term in the early 80s when Attorney was legal counsel.The second was during Attorney’s own administration in 1990. He recalled the details of both meetings and even mentioned by name who attended. He spoke proudly of how his son had gained the confidence of team owners to set the PBA in the right direction.

We had so many more long conversations in the past. There was my visit to his home when he was recuperating from a stroke and we spoke for over an hour. And on another occasion, we had lunch at Rockwell with my niece Karen, visiting from the US. Karen is in her 30s and has an implanted defibrillator. I asked Attorney if he could spare some time to meet with Karen and encourage her to live a full life despite the handicap. He was only too willing to do it.

Last April, Attorney stood as one of the principal sponsors in my daughter Cristina’s wedding. Menchu and I have only one child and Cristina is our pride and joy. At the turn of the millennium, Menchu, Cristina and I were in Seoul with Attorney, Pampin, Chito and his wife Gretchen for Gerry Peñalosa’s fight against In Joo Cho for the WBC superflyweight title. Attorney called Cristina, who was 17 then, his “baby.” I’ll never forget welcoming 2000 in a 7-11 store eating ice cream because no restaurant was open in Seoul at midnight. We were all together for that unforgettable milestone. And 10 years later, we were all together again for Cristina’s wedding.

One of five children, Attorney Salud attended elementary and high school at the Ateneo where he finished law. He took the bar exam in 1960 and rated among the top 20. His specialty was tax law. In 1962, he married Pampin Abaya Tiu, a nutrition degree holder from College of the Holy Spirit.

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Attorney’s father Jose de Villa Salud was a doctor and retired General from San Juan, Batangas, while his mother Josefa Lainez was from Balayan, also in Batangas. Attorney was the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) secretary-general under chairman Justiniano (Jun) Montano, his classmate and best friend. When Montano was WBC president, Salud served as secretary-general and their term went from 1968 to 1971. He was also executive director of the Philippine Racing Commission under Nemesio Yabut. In 1975, Attorney was named PBA legal counsel under commissioner Prieto. He was deputy commissioner for two years under Mariano Yenko then became commissioner in 1988. 

 Once asked to describe her husband, Pampin said, “He’s very responsible...he provides what our family needs, he’s very concerned, he has a great sense of humor and when I have my low moments, he always sees to it I snap out of it by making me smile or laugh...my papa gave me away to the right guy.”

 Aside from Chito, I am also close to Attorney’s son Dr. Arnold, a highly regarded ophthalmologist. I’ve also met another son Renato or Ato, a former undersecretary during President Ramos’ administration and now a corporate executive working as an expatriate in Singapore. Attorney’s three sons and four daughters owe their success to an upright Catholic upbringing with the fine example of wonderful parents.

 Last Saturday, Attorney was brought back to the ICU from his private hospital room. His heart rate had dropped and activated the implanted defibrillator. His son Chito was not present for the PBA games at the Araneta Coliseum to be with his father last Sunday. At 12:13 p.m. last Monday, Attorney was gone. The pillar of strength of his family and friends has passed on but those he left behind are stronger because of him, because that’s how he wanted it. The values that Attorney Salud stood for will forever live in our hearts – his ethics, his generosity, his sincerity and his integrity which was non-negotiable.