Another Tsinoy
friend gone

I must admit Sunday I found myself stunned by the death of another Fil-Chinese bosom friend from Fabrica. This was Alfonso (Angel) Yu Chua. He died young. Only 73 years old.

It was not a surprise to me. After all, Angel (as we used to call him) had long been ailing. Still, I felt bad about his demise because I never had a chance to talk to him before he died. He left behind his widow, Virginia Ong Chua and their two children – Rany and Kristine.

I wanted to rush out from the house and attend his wake at the Rolling Hills new memorial chapel at Mandalagan. Actually, it was another Tsinoy friend – Noel Lee – who notified me about Angel's death.

Although he was two years my junior, Angel was closer to me than his brother, Anton (who died a year ago). Their store was just in front of our drug store. Thus, almost everyday, I often meet with him and bantered with Angel.

Later, when he transferred to Bacolod , I found out that Angel's family had also come to the city. But for a quite while, I lost touch with the family. I was staying in Manila with my wife and family. Angel and Anton, with brothers Tito and Rodolfo also came to Bacolod .

Angel, I found out later, had married Virginia . He put up his Kanlaon Spare parts along Lacson in downtown Bacolod . From time to time, we saw each other. And Virgie knew that we were good friends with her husband. She also became a close friend of my late wife.

Now, I just wanted to point out the thing I had written about in the last week's column. Fabrica was a place where Filipinos and Tsinoys grew together with no hint of racial distinction. We treated one another just as we were. And that's exactly what we should do. We must not discriminate against one another. Thus, one time, when some sugarmen asked me to denounce the Tsinoys for having cornered the mills of the province, I just answered them that they should pool their resources and buy their own sugar central and not pillory the Tsinoys for doing what seems to be a good business proposition.

Among my good friends in Bacolod were the late Amado Dongon, the first president of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce Inc.

And of course my bosom friends among the Tsinoys are the Espinas – Reynaldo, William and the other sons of Tiyo Cente, Ty Huy Dong who are my god-brothers. We remain close. But, although we rarely see each other anymore, I know that whenever any of us are in trouble or in crisis, we would be willing all the time to extend a helping hand to one another. That's brotherhood for you.

* * *

Yesterday, I took time out to listen in on the continuation of the Senate hearing into the Jun Lozada kidnapping and the ZTE broadband deal.

I often go out of the room. So did several sugar farmers like Nene Trebol, etc. But in-between my exit and return, I caught the inconsistencies in the answers of personalities as Col. Mascariñas of the police and Ret. Gen. Atutubo of the Airport Security.

But one thing that caught my attention was that Atutubo had taken at face value the claim by SPO4 R. Valeroso that he was a policeman. It was only later, according to Atutubo that Valeroso turned out to be a member of the Aviation Security Group. That's why Senator Rodolfo Biazon asked –“you just accepted at face value the identity of Valeroso without first checking as to who he really was?”

And Mascariñas admitted that he did not know who were threatening Lozada nor where the attack against his ward would come from. In short, he was a security team that would have shot at anybody who would approach Lozada without knowing whether that person really was out to liquidate the official.

Well, those were just among the inconsistencies in the testimony of those key government officials who appeared at the Senate hearing.

* * *

And, yes, there was also the intriguing answer by Atty. Bautista that he did not have the statement of Jun Lozada notarized because the official simply asked him to note down his answers to a lot of questions about ZTE deal. Well, that brought a rejoinder from a senator that was rather strange action on the part of a lawyer.

* * *

But to go to another tack. Sunday my children and I celebrated the birthday of my late wife, Dr. Lourdes L. Espina. Actually that fell yesterday, February 11. But the children decided that we observe it Sunday since Monday was a busy day.

We all went to the cemetery to pray for her and visit her resting place which was just beside that of my late mother, Gracia Espina and of my father, Sir Knight Fulgencio R. Espina

One thing all of us remembered was that she was an ideal mother. And, for me, of course, she was the devoted wife with whom I shared 41 years of my life. And still remember those wonderful years with her.

She bore all 11 children. And all of them still are alive. We, by God's grace, never lost anyone of them yet.*

back to top