YESTERDAY, the nation buried a great lady. We are privileged to have had her in our midst during turbulent times – the political turmoils which accompanied the change in government during Edsa 1 and 2 and in recent times when the country was again at the crossroads. The few statements she had made before she passed away showed her unwavering conviction towards Constitutional processes and the protection of people’s rights, especially their authentic participation in governance.
Last Friday, members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission, together with the trustees of the Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Foundation (AAQPA) and the Concerned Women of the Philippines (CWP) paid tribute to Justice Palma at a necrological service. Of the 23 surviving members, 14 had come to honor her memory. The others had paid their respects earlier or were out of the country. The 10 commissioners — Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, Atty. Napoleon G. Rama, SC Justice Adolf S. Azcuna, Atty. Rene V. Sarmiento, Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas, Mrs. Teresa F. Nieva, Bishop Teodoro C. Bacani, CA Justice Regalado E. Maambong, Atty. Chito Gascon, and myself who gave the opening remarks — shared recollections of their experiences and personal interactions with Justice Palma during the drafting of the Constitution.
Former Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide Jr., who was also present, had earlier delivered a eulogy at the Supreme Court necrological last Thursday. Ambassador Howard Dee, speaking as co-president of the National Peace Conference, Dr. Jose V. Abueva, as former chairman of the AAQPA, and Ms. Rizalina Boncan, trustee of CWP, recalled her contribution in the pursuit of peace and human rights, especially in the fight against the forces of the Marcos regime. Some recalled her brilliance as shown by her having excelled in many fields of endeavor where she was a "first" and a trailblazer, her integrity, and her being true to her ideals of public accountability.
Fr. Bernas recalled her moral courage and her "trying" moments. One was when she was about to be appointed to the Supreme Court and was informed that the appointment was made on condition of her showing "absolute loyalty." After a talk with Fr. Bernas, she decided to accept the appointment as a call to perform a mission. The second crisis was when she produced a draft of her dissenting opinion on the habeas corpus petition of Jose W. Diokno. She felt compelled to go into hiding because of the tremendous pressure from her colleagues. The draft was leaked and Diokno was released before the decision was released. SC Chief Justice Zaldivar joined in her dissenting opinion and Justice Fernando called her the "heroine of the hour." Of her leadership, Atty. Rama describes her as a great leader not only in the country but of the entire world, citing many of her sterling virtues and accomplishments. If the Constitution has given centrality to the family, it is because of Justice Palma’s advocacy, Dr. Villegas noted, as he acknowledged by name all the 14 grandchildren who will be the future stewards in the strengthening of the Filipino family.
Justice Azcuna recalled how the provision on "the equality of women with men" was approved — after Justice Palma threatened the male commissioners about impending boycott of the six women commissioners if it failed to get their approval. I added that Justice Palma had made a veiled threat – asking their wives to "boycott" them if the provision did not get through. All the others recalled her fairness, her life of selfless service, her sensitivity to people’s feelings, her modest life, her having enshrined "love" in the Constitution, and many examples of her passion towards adherence to the rule of law. I read portions of the tribute made by peace and human rights advocate Paulynn Sicam who also edited her "Mirror of My Soul" where she recalled an interview with her as one of the heroes of EDSA for the book commemorating the 20th anniversary of the event this February. Here, she noted that Justice Palma’s mind was crystal clear, her convictions firm, and her memories of events hampered only by her loss of words. Like many of us, she thanked the late justice for the gift of her intellect, her virtue, her warmth, and her fearless and unshakeable convictions.
Another peace advocate, Ambassador Howard Dee, who was co-president with Justice Palma of the National Peace Conference (NPC) presented the Synthesis of Seventeen Sectoral Visions of Peace which was drafted by the NPC in 2001. Following are the two visions and concluding statement of the NPC: "We will pursue justice and peace, two commitments which must be one. This oneness, expressed in belief and life, must form our Muslim, Christian and indigenous people’s spiritualities: The core of our collective conscience and the source of our strength…. Our quest for peace is one and the same as our striving towards a civilization of truth, love, justice, and freedom, where the Filipino is truly maka-tao, maka-bayan, at maka-Diyos…. That is our vision of peace — peace by ways of peace grounded on justice, imbued with truth and freedom, enlivened by love and strengthened in solidarity. For that peace, we struggle. To such peace, we commit ourselves.
After the death of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru said: "He has gone and there is a feeling of having been left desolate and forlorn. And yet together with this feeling there is also a feeling of proud thankfulness that it has been given to us of this generation to be associated with this mighty person. Let us be worthy of him." We also regard the late Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma in this light. We feel orphaned but we also feel privileged to have known her and to be beneficiary of her legacy. Please comment at florbraid@yahoo.com
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