By Bobby Mercado-Reyes

‘Delicadeza’ is a Spanish derivative, which means a sense of propriety, sensitivity and responsibility to resign from a position of trust when proof is shown that the office holder has committed a violation of law or abuse of power.—Bobby Reyes

T his writer, who is not related to Angelo Tomas Reyes, defined “delicadeza” again – as quoted above – when he wrote this article in October 2010 about the California gubernatorial election:

Meg Whitman Must Abandon Her Candidacy If She Has “Delicadeza” Left In Her

Sad as his story ended, Angelo T, Reyes did not die in vain. Philippine history will probably remember him for reviving – to its extreme – the art of the delicadeza.

Since there is a presumption of innocence in the Philippine criminal-justice system, Gen. Angelo Reyes did die an “innocent man” and more so, since he was not yet indicted in any court of law of any criminal misconduct or any crime.

This writer was introduced twice in Los Angeles, California, to Angelo Reyes, then a member of the Cabinet of then-President Gloria M. Arroyo.

Then I met then-Secretary Angelo Reyes for the third time when I bought a dinner ticket to a reception for him in a four-star hotel near the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). At that event, I managed to talk with him and said that I nearly became an honorary member of his Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1966. However, I “passed on” the invitation from one of Angelo Reyes’ classmates to then senatorial candidate, Renito (Rene) A. V. Saguisag, whom I served as his campaign manager for the Bicol Region and a volunteer coordinator for the Samar-Leyte Region in 1986.

Secretary Reyes and I exchanged business cards and he signed his at the back. He said that I could use his card as “reference” if and when I get into trouble with the Philippine military or police. Or I could call him at his office when I get to Manila.

In the three occasions that I met Secretary Reyes in Los Angeles, I did not join the crowd of very-eager (and/or publicity-hungry) Filipino-American community leaders and media practitioners that wanted so many “Kodak moments” with the visiting dignitary.

Somebody asked me why I refused to be photographed with Secretary Reyes. I said that I belonged to the political opposition and delicadeza – even at its colloquial but limited meaning – dictated that I should not take part in the photo-op part of that gathering. I remarked also that there would be better photo opportunities in the future.

I never realized that day that Angelo Tomas Reyes took very seriously the practice of delicadeza. I wonder if my Ateneo de Manila College of Law acquaintance, Mike Arroyo, and/or my other classmates at the Padre Faura campus (who became top government officials) know the meaning of the word.

So, hail and farewell to a fellow Ateneo student. May you rest in peace and find solace in the Blue Yonder.

H ere is the sad news about former Gen. Angelo Reyes:

Angelo Reyes commits suicide
By Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 08:53:00 02/08/2011
 

M ANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Former Armed Forces Chief and Defense Secretary Angelo Tomas Reyes on Tuesday morning committed suicide by shooting himself in front of the grave of his mother at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City.

A close friend of Reyes called the Philippine Daily Inquirer to break the news, while Colonel Boogie De Leon, a former administrative officer of Reyes when he was AFP chief, said Reyes was rushed to the Quirino Hospital at about 7:45 a.m. to revive him. Members of his family could not be reached for comment.

De Leon said that Reyes’s son Jett called him up to inform him of the incident.

Reyes, who earlier suffered a mild stroke before the congressional investigations on the alleged AFP financial irregularities, said he could not take anymore the smear campaign against his name and his family.

“Not my family,” he said.

Reyes, who loved his mother very much when she was still alive, earlier told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview that he would never do anything that would besmirch the name of “my good mother.”

Reyes, a graduate of Philippine Military Academy Class ’66, was AFP chief under President Joseph Estrada, and secretary of defense, interior and local government, and energy during the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from 2001 to 2003. He graduated as the class valedictorian in high school and was among the top ten graduates of the PMA.

He went on to obtain two masteral degrees, namely: Masters in Business Administration from Asian Institute of Management in 1973 and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1991. He also took up International Defense Management Course in Monterey, California, in 1983.

In 1987, he graduated No. 1 in Trust Operations Management Course conducted by the Trust Institutes Foundation of the Philippines at the Ateneo Business School which eventually earned him a scholarship to the Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. # # #