EULOGY BY SENATOR GREGORIO B. HONASAN II
Necrological Services for the Late Hon. Senator Eva Estrada Kalaw
June 1, 2017

I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE OFTEN OVERRATED FOR THE GOOD AND NOT-SO-GOOD THINGS THAT THEY THINK, SAY, OR DO.

EVA ESTRADA KALAW--SENATOR, STATESMAN, PATRIOT, REBEL, WIFE, MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, OUR TITA EVA--WAS UNDERRATED.

I FIRST MET TITA EVA AFTER MY GRADUATION FROM THE PHILIPPINE MILTARY ACADEMY IN 1971. SHE HAD NOMINATED ME FOR ADMISSION AS A PMA CADET AFTER I PASSED THE ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS IN 1967. MY FATHER ROMEO, A FORMER SOLDIER, EMPLOYED AND ADOPTED BY THE ESTRADA CLAN AFTER HIS RETIREMENT, ASKED FOR AN AUDIENCE WITH TITA EVA FOR ME TO PERSONALLY THANK HER AND EXPLAIN THAT HER SUPPORT WAS NOT SQUANDERED, BUT DESERVED AND HONORED.

SO YOU SEE, DEAR FRIENDS, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, TITA EVA WAS PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW I TURNED OUT, AS A SOLDIER, REBEL, AND LEGISLATOR.

ON OCCASION, I WOULD MEET TITA EVA DURING GATHERINGS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS, DIALOGUES AMONG CAUSE-ORIENTED GROUPS BEFORE THE 1986 PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION, AND CONSULTATIONS WITH LEADERS OF THE REFORM THE ARMED FORCES MOVEMENT OR RAM.

OVER THIS PERIOD, I REALIZED THAT HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH TITA EVA ONCE WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH. EVERY SUCCEEDING MEETING WITH HER WOULD THEN BECAME REDUNDANT, BECAUSE ALMOST NOTHING HAD BEEN LEFT UNSAID. THESE RARE INTERACTIONS ALSO DEVELOPED INTO PREPARATIONS, TRAINING, AND DRESS REHEARSALS FOR THE MORAL BATTLES THAT WE WOULD SOON WAGE AND HOPEFULLY WIN IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE WE HAD CHOSEN TO SERVE. THAT'S HOW SPIRITUALLY FOCUSED AND MENTALLY EFFICIENT TITA EVA WAS.

TITA EVA LISTENED MORE THAN SHE TALKED. SHE NEVER PREMATURELY OR UNNECESARILY PUSHED FOR ANY COURSE OF ACTION, BUT INSTEAD UNDERSCORED THE RESPONSIBILITY AND DUTY THAT WERE PART OF THE CRUCIAL DECISIONS CITIZENS AND THEIR LEADERS MADE.

SHE ELOQUENTLY SPOKE BY CLEAR EXAMPLE, DECISIVE ACTION, AND REFLECTIVE SILENCE, DRIVEN BY RATIONAL AND RESPONSIBLE CHOICES THAT MOTIVATED HER TO DEMAND THAT ANY GOVERNMENT MUST, ABOVE ALL, PROTECT LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PROPERTY.

TO A FAULT AND WITH PASSION, SHE CALLED OUT THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL DAMAGE THAT RESULTED IN SOCIAL INJUSTICE, POVERTY, HUNGER, IGNORANCE, HOMELESSNESS, SICKNESS, TOO MUCH PARTISAN POLITICS, AND ARMED CONFLICT--AND HELD THEM LIABLE FOR MAKING VIOLENCE NECESSARY.

TOGETHER WITH THEN SENATOR AND LATER VICE PRESIDENT DOY LAUREL, SHE ARTICULATED THE DILEMMA THAT WAS PUSHING THE LEGAL OPPOSITION TO THE PRECIPICE OF THE MORAL HIGH GROUND THEY HAD TRIED TO OCCUPY.

I BELIEVE TITA EVA WAS IDEOLOGICALLY AND POLITICALLY COLOR-BLIND, REACHING OUT AND FINDING COMMON CAUSE ACROSS THE IMAGINARY PARTISAN POLITICAL DIVIDE, WHILE CALLING FOR PRINCIPLED UNITY AMONG THE FRAGMENTED OPPOSITION.

ASKING OTHERS TO DO THE SAME, SHE WAS CONSTANTLY RE-CALIBRATING HER MORAL COMPASS, MAKING SURE THAT THE MOVEMENT FOR MEANINGFUL CHANGE SHE WAS HELPING NAVIGATE STAYED THE COURSE, KEPT THE FAITH, AND JOURNEYED TOWARDS THE TRUE NORTH OF UNITY, LASTING PEACE, AND A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.

AFTER CELEBRATING TITA EVA'S BLESSED AND MEANINGFUL LIFE TODAY, I SUPPOSE WE SHALL BE TALKING ABOUT HOW SHE PASSED AWAY INTO OUR LORD'S BOSOM, WHERE SHE NOW LIVES, WHILE REMAINING FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS.

BUT WE NOW HONOR HER BY SHARING HOW SHE LIVED AND TOUCHED OUR LIVES.

I THINK TITA EVA WOULD HAVE WANTED ALL OF US WHO LOVE HER, AND WHOM SHE LOVED, TO REMEMBER AND READ THROUGH THE PAGES OF OUR CONTINUING STRUGGLE TO BUILD A STRONG NATION.

SHE WOULD WANT US TO TAKE CARE OF OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE, OUR NEXT GENERATION OF DISCIPLINED AND DEPENDABLE CITIZENS AND LEADERS, OUR CHILDREN.

TITA EVA, WE WILL MISS YOUR PHYSICAL PRESENCE, YOUR SMILE AND CHARM THAT CAMOUFLAGED, ALBEIT UNSUCCESSFULLY, YOUR INNER STRENGTH AND COURAGE.

BUT THEN AGAIN, I DON'T THINK WE WILL MISS YOU THAT MUCH. BECAUSE AS LONG AS WE ALL BREATHE THE AIR OF FREEDOM TO WHICH YOU AND YOUR GENERATION DEDICATED YOURSELVES; AS LONG AS ONE FLAG WAVES OVER OUR BLESSED LAND, AND ABOVE A PEOPLE YOU ENVISIONED TO BE STRONG, SAFE, AND TRULY FREE; AND AS LONG AS WE ARE GIVEN THE PRIVILEGE OF CONTINUING WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO--YOU WILL BE WITH US FOREVER.

GODSPEED, TITA EVA.