SENATOR VICENTE “TING”PATERNO A Tribute from a hitch rider By Hio Tiao W. Lim Senator Vicente “Ting” Paterno was my backyard neighbor in San Juan City, Metro Manila for 11 years before I made my homecoming here in Davao City. He was a simple man, so down to earth, travelling around town with only his official driver with him on his ever faithful Mercedes Benz. His official body guard? No other than the Holy Bible. I remember fully well that fateful night when I decided to try my luck to meet and talk with him even for a few minutes. It was past 8PM when I arrived in the venue at Sta. Ana District, Manila., I was barred from entering the venue for the reason that the meeting where he was speaking, was a very private and exclusive affair. Well, I got to talk with his driver and he said he will just ask the Senator if he could accommodate me for the trip back home., and when Senator Paterno willingly obliged to accommodate me, I felt like going to Heaven! Imagine, I was hoping only for a FEW MINUTES to talk with him., but I got a 20 MINUTE interview without spending transportation money on my way home. It was just days after the first of a series of uprisings against then President Cory Aquino, and naturally the organizers were caught flatfooted and immediately verified about my identity and tracked Senator Paterno after 25 minutes if he was really home. A MAN WITH A VISION : In that ride, we shared our common sentiments about how we perceive the government, looking from with the government, or looking from outside. We shared about the Power Crisis which we saw coming after the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was mothballed. Senator Paterno told me then, that my vast knowledge in the Power Industry will be a big help for Mindanao which was still abundant in Hydro Power Resources, for that early, Global Warming and Climate Change has been topic of discussion. I was able to open with him the possibility of opening Wendy’s and 7-11 here in Davao, in the same way I persuaded and challenged the management of Jollibee to open their very first outlet in 1990 ( Which they did in November 28 1991 ). When he learned that I came from Davao City, he was very happy and being a visionary, He said ; “ Time will come that we will meet again in Davao City “ That time has come, ironically today November 24, 2014, as you specifically stated in your last will and testament. Goodbye Senator Paterno, see you in Heaven soon, in His Time..
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 08:55:42 +0000
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