Transcript of Sen. Pia Cayetano's manifestation: Expressing the Profound Sympathy and Sincere Condolences of the Senate on the Death of Former Senator Rene Saguisag

Thank you, Mr President.

Mr. President, I was in UP in the 1980s and like every UP student, we know of the name Rene Saguisag. I was not even in law school yet when we would hear about the fights that he took upon himself. And obviously, during those times, Mr. President, there were many opportunities for students to look up to men and women that they could admire and emulate.

And then I became a law student, Mr President, and the more I had a deeper understanding of the kind of work that men like Rene Saguisag did, men and women like Rene Saguisag. He used his knowledge of the law to protect the oppressed. In fact, Mr President, one of his family members was quoted as saying, "He used his expertise in the law as a means to serve the poor and the disenfranchised.

Mr. President, I am reminded of the biblical passage that is very close to my heart. It is a passage that I struggled with as a young child because it spoke of a master, the story is, it's a master who was leaving and he gave his servants, in some versions it says coins, in other versions, it says talents. So he gave his three servants these money, coins, talents, also referred to as mina. And then he left, and then when he came back, he asked his servants, "What have you done with what I left you?" And the first servant actually invested what he was given by his master, and he was able to return tenfold the talents or money that his master left him. The second servant was able to return fivefold what his master left him. But the third servant said, "I was scared so I buried what was given."

So as a child, I always wondered, ano ba yun? Hindi ba dapat itago mo nga, i-preserve mo kung ano yung binigay sayo? But as I got older, I learned that what this parable really meant is that we are supposed to use the talents that God gave us. And so I was reminded of this when I learned about the death of the former senator and heard the words that his family left, that he used his talent to help the oppressed.

Mr President, we in the Senate are all given an opportunity to use our talents for the Filipino people. And we look at the men and women who were senators before us. Rene Saguisag was a senator in 1987-1992. That's about the time I and the Minority Floor Leader were in law school. And I never had the chance to work with him. But when I became a senator in my late 30's, I then met him and I was so surprised because the image I had of him was feisty, matapang, matalino, walang takot. Kasama syempre doon sa matalino, mayabang, kasi you have to believe in yourself, you have to have that courage and confidence that you believe in what you are fighting for. But when I met him, and I met him many, many times, he was always so kind and humble. And I realized that a lot of great men have humble spirits, but they need to rise above this sense of humility to be able to fight for the things that they believe in.

So the late Rene Saguisag was a man I truly honor for the kind of humble person he truly is, but the fighter he has to be when he needs to be a fighter. I pray for his family, that they may have the peace of heart during this difficult time knowing that they had a great man for a father, a grandfather, a father-in-law, for his staff who are also here, that they worked with such an honorable man, and I pray that this will give them strength in the days and years to come. And rest assured that we will always remember these kinds of people who fight for the Filipino people. Thank you, Mr. President.