Saguisag wrong on Doy Laurel

I was taken aback by Rene Saguisag’s letter (Inquirer, 7/1/11) which was supposedly meant to correct some points in Boy del Mundo’s June 23 Special Report, but instead made snide comments against Doy Laurel and his family. Doy has been dead for six years and, therefore, cannot answer Saguisag.

To say the least, in reviling the memory of Doy, Saguisag acted cruelly and unchristianlike. As Doy’s longstanding friend, allow me to answer Saguisag on at least three of his claims, specifically that Doy was not (1) Ninoy Aquino’s counsel; (2) with Saguisag’s group in politics and human rights in the 1970s; (3) there for Cory in the various coups launched against her by the military; in view of which Saguisag asked: “Was (Doy) hoping President Cory would be deposed as he was next in line?”

1. Doy never personally claimed to have been Ninoy’s counsel in the court martial hearings simply because Ninoy never invited Doy to be his counsel. Considering Doy’s stature as a lawyer, he could not have been expected to act like an “ambulance chaser” running after a high-profile case to gain media exposure as a “knight in shining armor” out to rescue a friend in need. That was not Doy!

2. Just exactly who was Saguisag in politics in the 1970s that Doy should be with him? Does that detract from what he did in the process of dismantling the Marcos dictatorship? Until Doy organized and put together the various elements opposed to martial law, Saguisag and company were just like headless chickens wasting their time in the streets, strutting around like they were the only patriots in town. Their politics of boycott made it easy for Marcos to remain in power. But the Unido of Doy and his friends greatly changed the political equation; it forced Marcos to cheat in order for his KBL to win the elections which did not escape the people’s notice; and thus started the drastic decline of Marcos’ appeal and popularity.

The Laurels did not go to bed with Marcos. It was Marcos who, needing a political party, ingratiated himself with then Speaker Jose B. Laurel Jr. to become a “Nacionalista” and ultimately became its candidate for president. When Marcos realized he couldn’t have the full backing of the Laurels in his unconstitutional ambition to become president-for-life, he organized the KBL which led to the political estrangement of Marcos and the Laurels. In other words, when public interest demanded it, the Laurels booted Marcos out of the convenient bed and went opposition.

3. Saguisag knows pretty well that Doy could not be in Malacañang for Cory during the coups—he and his We Bulong Brigade made sure of that, through intrigues and calculated moves. Doy was an ilustrado with a high sense of pride and dignity; thus Saguisag was wrong to expect him to grovel at the feet of temporary power for a piece of the spoils of war or politics. By insinuating that Doy was hoping that President Cory would be deposed and the putschists would put him in power and not themselves, Saguisag insulted the intelligence of Doy and the military.

—MANUEL Q. MALVAR,

2044 CM Recto Ave., Manila

c/o PRTC CPA Review