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Response
of Jovito R. Salonga
Madam President, Members of the Board of Magsaysay Award Foundation, My Fellow Awardees, Distinguished Guests: I was cited by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation for "the exemplary integrity and substance of (my) long public career in service to democracy and good government in the Philippines." I am humbled by the award and I accept it, with humility and gratitude. But what separates me from other political leaders is not known to many people here in the Philippines. It is the fact that I do not separate my religion from my political beliefs and from public service. As Mahatma Gandhi, the great teacher of peace and non-violence in a non-Christian nation, said many years ago: "Those who say that politics and religion do not mix do not know the meaning of religion." In my own case, because of my own religious upbringing-my father was a Presbyterian pastor and my mother was a woman of faith and spirituality-it was inevitable that my Christian beliefs and values should motivate and influence my thinking and my acts every day and every hour. I would be less than truthful if I assert I was not attracted by the cash award of $50,000.00. But I have decided not to claim it for my own benefit. I plan to give the cash award to three entities-the first two are the foundations that I founded and organized to serve the interest of our poor, marginalized people. Both of them are independent, non-profit and non-partisan-Kilosbayan (People's Action), a people's organization and Bantay Katarungan (Sentinel of Justice), an NGO which harnesses the talents and idealism of qualified law students in the best law schools in Metro Manila, who monitor the performance of our Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and the Anti-Graft Court and important quasi judicial tribunals. These two foundations, especially Bantay Katarungan, are dependent on donations, which are dwindling. Kilosbayan Foundation which is well-known for its many activities nationwide, is in a similar financial predicament, despite the fact that since the beginning, the trustees of these two foundations, including myself, do not get any salary or allowance-we serve gratis et amore. The third is an educational institution in Dumaguete City-Silliman University-where my elder brother Benjamin Salonga, now deceased, finished in BS in Chemistry. He passed the Civil Service Examination and was employed in the Bureau of Science. I had been a self-supporting student during my years of basic law studies in the University of the Philippines, but my brother Ben supported me so I could devote more time to reach my senior year in law school and ultimately serve our weak, marginalized people who needed legal help. Thank you for the Magsaysay Award Foundation and for the privilege of serving our poor, forgotten people. Salamat po. (from rmaf.org.ph) |
