Salute To Kel Tolentino*

*TEXT OF THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE HONORABLE GABRIELLE CALIZO-QUIMPO, VICE GOVERNOR, PROVINCE OF AKLAN DURING THE TRIBUTE FOR ATTY. RONQUILLO C. TOLENTINO SPONSORED BY THE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC., AKLAN PRESS CLUB INC. AND THE AKLAN MEDIA FORUM.　 MARCH 20, 2010, HERNANI’S MIX ‘N MATCH, KALIBO, AKLAN

My predecessor in the local parliament of Aklan is my mentor, the man to whom we devote and dedicate this special night for him and his family’s honor.

I said he is my predecessor as I have immediately succeeded him as the next highest ranking public official of Aklan after the 2007 elections, as vice governor and regular presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan.

I referred to him as my mentor, because I was his student in high school in Aklan College from where and when I started to learn the rudiments of a career in journalism while I was the editor-in-chief of the high school publication with our honoree as the editorial adviser.

The very reason why I am always identified with newsmen or journalists even in my vocation in tourism business and later became a politician, first occupying the elected position of a senior board member of Aklan from 1998 to 2001, as the representative of the Lone District of Aklan in the lower house of Congress from 2001 to 2004 and very lately as your vice governor.

We both served the province of Aklan in the same capacity as Sang-guniang Panlalawigan members from 1998 to 2001, a period in the history of our local legislative body in the province when the quality of the composition was characterized with the election of several lawyers exchanging their parliamentary, legal and intellectual acumen to the highest degree, enhancing the parliamentary skills of the non-lawyer members.

No doubt, the honorable Ronquillo ‘Kel’ Conanan Tolentino then was undoubtedly acknowledged skillful parliamentarian, the capacity he has earned for himself during his student days and as a veteran local legislator of the capital town of Kalibo having served as Sangguniang Bayan member from 1980-1987.

When reality in the political party to where we both belong, meaning, we were political allies then, determined by fate to vie for a seat in Congress in 2001, which I won, Kel continued to serve the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan as a board member on his third and last term.

There was even a point when he also served as the senior board member having had obtained the highest number of votes among his peers in the local legislative body.

His last term in the provincial board signaled that he was already ripe not just as one among the members but to become one who will wield the baton of the local legislative body, and, in 2004, he handily won the vice gubernatorial post and proceeded to preside over a very prestigious body.

Unfortunately, that was the election time when I switched political party from the ruling Tibyog and formed my own Kusog. Even unfortunate, I lost my reelection bid for the lone seat of Aklan in the House of Representatives.

My political comeback in 2007 was providential, not intended, but fate and destiny determined the path for both of us.

In my honest efforts to unite the opposition against the local ruling party to where Kel still belongs, I incidentally slid down to run for vice governor and posed me in direct political confrontation with my mentor and predecessor, Kel Tolentino, who was then running for reelection.

Unfortunately for Kel, I won, but with a heavy heart fully knowing that the man whom I will succeed as vice governor is a sincere and dedicated public servant. Perhaps, the development was likewise providential. It was Kel’s time before and God willed that the student will take over from him.

But although Kel has announced his retirement from Aklan politics, he will be enshrined in the history of the province as one among those illustrious Aklanons who laid a very strong foundation for a rapid-paced social, political and economic development of the province.

He will always be remembered as a parliamen-tarian, a lawyer, an educator, socio-political leader, a historian, Aklan’s icon of community journalism.

Your stint in the provincial board of Aklan will always be remembered that you Kel was one of the architects of a provincial legislation which created the now earning Economic Enterprise Development Department of the provincial government which encompasses hospital operations, port operations, tourism economic units and the provincial academic center, among other economic units of the said department.

I remember Kel was the honorary woman-member of the Aklan parliament espousing and sponsoring measures for women empowerment and the protection of women’s rights.

We salute you Kel. /MP