Remembering Vinzons’ legacy

Those who set foot in the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City, would hardly miss noticing Vinzons Hall, which has a monument of Katipunan founder and revolutionary Andres Bonifacio, a sculpture symbolic of the courage of the man after whom the building was named.

Wenceslao Q. Vinzons, a legendary hero during World War II, was honored by UP during the postwar period with a building erected in his honor, and inaugurated in 1958 in its Diliman campus. Despite his preeminence in the academe and politics, his name is less heralded these days. Which explains the title of the book written by Prof. Efren Yambot of UP, “Wenceslao Q. Vinzons: The Hero the Nation Forgot.” Vinzons’ birth date on Sept. 28, 1910, is annually commemorated as a public holiday in Camarines Norte, where he was elected governor in 1940.

Vinzons exhibited a love for learning early on. His cousin, Fr. Pepino Asis, recounted how the young Vinzons preferred books to childhood games. Such passion for learning led to an excellent academic performance. Vinzons graduated valedictorian in high school, and cum laude at the UP College of Law. He placed third in the Bar exams of 1933.

Such pursuit of excellence translated to outstanding leadership as well. He became editor in chief of UP’s student publication, the Philippine Collegian, while also serving as president of the UP Student Council.

Notwithstanding his academic distinctions and brilliance, Vinzons chose to champion the cause of the underprivileged and the downtrodden by lawyering pro bono for the mine workers in Camarines Norte.

Vinzons’ admirable background in college carried him to political prominence when he became the founding president of the Young Philippines Party, which attracted into its fold the likes of Lorenzo Sumulong, Arturo Tolentino, and Diosdado Macapagal, among many others who made it big in national politics. At 24, Vinzons became the youngest delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention. He was elected governor of Camarines Norte at age 30, and a congressman at 31.

While being punctilious when it comes to accountability and responsibility in public office defined his sterling character, Vinzons’ armed resistance and guerrilla forays against Japanese forces during World War II marked his courage and patriotism.

Alas, with the collaboration of a Filipino informant, a dragnet set up by the Japanese captured this guerilla leader and his family. During his captivity, he was asked to pledge allegiance to the enemy in exchange for his life. This he roundly rejected. Vinzons, who was bayoneted to death in 1942, chose to be killed rather than betray the cause of freedom for his country. It was a heroic feat for a young man who had everything to lose—his family and a promising political career, among them.

Today, when we are in dire need of patriotic leaders and citizens, Vinzons’ legacy continues to challenge us to be righteous and ethical, and to have genuine rectitude in our intentions.

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Abel C. Icatlo is a long-time cultural worker in Camarines Norte, and an occasional writer, lecturer, and promoter of the life and legacy of Wenceslao Q. Vinzons.