Brushed with Death
In his long life my father had brushed close to death on several occasions. For example once, while still at high school, he was in a car that ran off the road and over the cliff somersaulting several times before it came to rest. He was not even bruised.
It was his belief that God was protecting him on each occasion, “saving” him for some important task.
Another occasion was when he was taken by the Japanese to Fort Santiago. We knew then that his chance of coming home was very slim. I asked him why the Japanese let him go and this was his answer;
“I really don’t know, because whenever they ask me what was my profession, I always answered that I was a lawyer, but one time I said I was a law professor. The officer asking question was very surprise, and he asked me where I was teaching. I told them the law schools and universities where I was teaching and they must checked them. When they realized that I was telling the truth, after a few days they let me go home. I guess the like law professors than a mere lawyer, he said with a little smile”.
On March 7, 1957 then President Magsaysay took off from the airport in Cebu. He was at the height of his popularity. A few minutes later, his plane crashed into the side of the mountain. All on board, with the exception of one newspaperman were killed.
It was not until breakfast time that he told us that he was invited to that trip of President Magsaysay.
My father said:
- “I had been going with the President on Provincial trips because the President wanted to introduce me to party leaders and rural electorate for possible candidacy as a senator in 1957. Normally he would go to series of towns briefly speaking in one before proceeding to the next. I would start my speech immediately after he had finished, then follow him as soon as mine was over.
- On this occasion however I was committed to a speaking engagement in Manila even though I had been scheduled to accompany Magsaysay. I explained my predicament to the President who was very understanding, who gave my seat to the Education Secretary then, who perished with the others on that ill fated flight.