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FPJ Tribute
Speech of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Philippine Senate, December 14, 2004
Posted: August 6th, 2008 @ 12:19am
MR. PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES OF THIS AUGUST CHAMBER:
TODAY, THE FILIPINO NATION MOURNS THE PASSING OF A GREAT AND HONORABLE MAN, FERNANDO POE, JR. OR FPJ, AS WE FONDLY KNOW HIM.
I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN OUR BELOVED COUNTRYMEN IN EXPRESSING OUR COMMON AND COLLECTIVE GRIEF OVER THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF THIS DISTINGUISHED MAN WHO HAD SERVED AS A MODEL AND AN INSPIRATION TO MANY GENERATIONS OF FILIPINOS, MINE INCLUDED.
HE INSPIRED HIS PEOPLE NOT ONLY IN HIS MANY FILMS THAT EXTOLLED THE TRIUMPH OF GOOD OVER EVIL, OF INTEGRITY OVER DECEIT, OF HONOR ABOVE ALL, OF FORTITUDE OVER CRISIS, AND OF OTHER OUTSTANDING VALUES THAT MANY OF US HAVE FORGOTTEN, BUT WE, TODAY, MUST CONTINUE TO CHERISH AND OBSERVE.
FPJ LIVED HIS LIFE THE WAY HE LIVED HIS SCREEN ROLE.HE WAS THE CHAMPION OF THE OPPRESSED; THE GOOD, GOD-FEARING, KIND-HEARTED MAN WHO WOULD COME TO THE RESCUE.
HE PORTRAYED AND CHAMPIONED THESE VALUES NOT ONLY IN HIS FILMS. HE OBERVED THEM AS A LIVING CREED AND DID NOT SEEK ATTENTION OR PUBLICITY IN THE MANY CHARITIES HE HAD MADE.
HE WORKED QUIETLY WITHOUT THE GLARE OF MEDIA. EVEN AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN, HE EMBARKED ON HELPING OUR LEAST FORTUNATE KABABAYANS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS, MEDICAL MISSIONS AND IN VARIOUS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCES AND DONATIONS.
INDEED, WE HAVE LOST A GREAT MAN, A MAN WHO WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO REPLACE NOT ONLY HIS HEART, BUT IN HIS CARING AND AFFECTION FOR THE POOR AND THE IMPOVERISHED.
MARAMI SA ATING MGA KABABAYAN ANG NAKAKA-ALAM AT NAKABALITA NG MGA KAGANDAHANG LOOB NI FPJ. IN LIFE, HE WAS LARGER THAN THE CHARACTERS HE HAD PORTRAYED. IN DEATH, HE HAS BECOME EVEN LARGER.
HE WAS NINONG, COUNSEL, FRIEND AND ADVISOR TO ME. I HAVE KNOWN HIM IN MY GROWING YEARS. AND TODAY, AS I LEARNED HIS LEGACIES, I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT I KNOW HIM EVEN BETTER NOW. HE INSPIRED ME LIKE MANY OTHER FILIPINOS OF MY GENERATION. HE WAS A DEAR FRIEND OF MY FATHER, AND THIS FRIENDSHIP HAS ENGENDERED BETWEEN THESE TWO GREAT MEN AND THE SAME GOAL, THE SAME VISION, RESOLUTE DETERMINATION – TO BE A HUMBLE INSTRUMENT IN LEADING THE MASSES FROM THE QUAGMIRE OF POVERTY AND HOPELESSNESS INTO THE PATH TOWARDS THE LIFE THEY TRULY DESERVE, A LIFE OF HOPE.
HE IS ALSO A FRIEND OF MY FAMILY. BUT MOST OF ALL, AN EVEN DEARER FRIEND OF THE MASSES. THIS IS WHY WE MOURN HIS PASSING DEEPLY TODAY. HE HAD LEFT AND BEQUEATHED TO US THE TRUE MEANING AND VALUE OF HONOR, OF INTEGRITY, OF A LIFE WELL-LIVED, OF GRACE AND COURAGE UNDER FIRE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE RECENT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
THERE MANY MORE THINGS TO SAY TO SAY ABOUT HIM AND MANY OF THESE MAY REMAIN UNSAID. BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE DEEP IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS.
WE WILL REMEMBER FERNANDO POE, JR. AND HIS MEMORIES WILL ALWAYS STRUGGLE FOR RECALL IN THE NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS BECAUSE HE SHOWED US THAT THE FILM, AS AN IMAGE AND MIRROR OF REALITY, COULD BE TRANSLATED INTO OUR OWN LIVES.
ON THIS OCCASION, I ASK THE DISTINUISHED MEMBERS OF THIS BODY TO JOIN ME IN PAYING TRIBUTE TO FERNANDO POE, JR. AND IN OFFERING A PRAYER FOR THE ETERNAL REPOSE OF HIS SOUL. I ALSO ASK YOU TO JOIN ME IN EXTENDING THE SYMPATHIES AND CONDOLENCES OF THE SENATE TO THIS LOVED ONES. THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY.
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