Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Speak out: Dreams fulfilled
By Casiano C. Vailoces
Retired City Fiscal
JUSTICE Jesus N. Borromeo passed away last Holy Thursday, March 20, 2008 and was buried on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008.
That was a coincidence, including his name.
Justice Borromeo, fondly called “Nene” by his relatives and acquaintances, died a good man, exemplary public servant, legal stalwart, kingmaker, legend, and what have you.
Fairy tale?
He served the government as chairman of the Civil Service Commission, deputy minister of justice, judge of the Court of First Instance, provincial fiscal of Bohol.
After his retirement, he was legal adviser of a succession of House Speakers in Ramon Mitra, Jose de Venecia, Arnulfo Fuentebella, and Manuel Villar.
He was a bar examiner in 1986 and was a practicing lawyer.
Among those who attended his wake were Justice former minister Ricardo C. Puno, former ambassador Benjamin “Cocoy” Romualdez, Judge Auxencio Dacuycuy, Rep. Tony Cuenco, former congressman Efren Herrera and his wife, now a city councilor of Lapu-Lapu, former RTC judge Ireneo L. Gako, Jr. former judge Antonio Paraguya and his wife, lawyer Isaac Darcera, etc.
Then there was the bereaved family: his wife Florenda Saguin-Borromeo and children Mercy (and husband Gerry), Nonong (and wife Annie), Peter (and wife Joy), Paul (and wife Grace) and Carmeli, together with his grandchildren including his brothers and sisters Angelita, Benjamin, Merceditas, Rev. Fr. Rafael, Zella, Amparito, Paquito and Zony and his nephews
and nieces, and other relatives and friends in the whole country and abroad.
Gako, in his eulogy during the necrological rites, said that, “Sir Nene’s brothers and sisters owned big business empires and establishments but he had more because having been in government service he had the power to exercise, which is something that money cannot buy.”
Cuenco joked, “Numerous persons who entered heaven received no applause but comes the first lawyer with thunderous applause. That lawyer was Nene.”
When Nene arrived from abroad years back, he told me he visited Ripley’s house and read this line, “This man saved 83 persons from possible drowning, but believe it or not, only three came back to give thanks.”
That is a truism, for he has helped several lawyers who were appointed as judges or fiscals, including myself.
Persons from all walks of life also received favors from him.
Some of them might have forgotten to give thanks.
He knows however, that the Divine One up there settles up.
Sir, you dreams fulfilled!
And you have lived forever!
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 14, 2008 issue)
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