December 29,
2013
Dear RONIE, ROCKY, RICA, RICKY, ADLAI and RACQUEL:
In an address to
the Bar Association of Boston on March 7, 1900, Justice Oliver Wendell Homes
said:
“We cannot live our dreams. We are lucky enough if we can give a sample
of our best, and if in our hearts we can feel that it has been nobly done.”
Your Papa
Reynald may not have lived all his dreams, but we, his true friends know so
well that he has given his best, and I can confidently say that he has nobly
done so.
Reynald who I
fondly called ROLEX just as he called me by such name, which was our bond of
friendship and brotherhood, seemed to be ordinary. But in my book, he was a great
father who loved you so very much and had consistently been proud of all of you
his children.
Every time I asked
how you, his children were doing, his eyes always had a twinkle uncommon to
ordinary parents. I surmised that it may be because at your very young ages,
you lost your Mom Mila, and he never remarried but poured all his love for you
in ways only he could have mustered.
He may have had
flings and relationships as you all know. But never in his life did he ever
exchange you and substitute his love for you for another being after your Mom
was gone. What a father he was!
He may not have
been materially wealthy, but he was so rich with care, with concern, with
dedication and specially with love for you his children, so that he would do as
he did, anything to make sure that in whatever time or circumstance, you have
something on the table, and that you get the education you want within his
humble means.
ROLEX was never
proud, arrogant or haughty. Everyone knew he was for many years in the corridors
of power, but he never bragged about it, nor did he enrich himself even when
opportunities beckoned him. He fed you
with what he earned bythe sweat of his brow.
I cannot recall
or even think of anyone I know who has a grudge against your Papa. I know of
some who may be envious, but not a soul could ever say that he was corrupt,
because he never was.
Along with many
of his true friends, I take pride and will always be proud if I deserve to be
counted among them.
Many times we were together, spending time until the wee
hours of the morning. He would doze off, but never did he leave me or anyone he
was with. That was the friend I had in him. His ears were always open to
serious as well as to light matters, and he was quick to share his counsels as
he dug from the richness of his experiences.
You know that in
my first job, he was my Station Manager of DYXT.
He made that radio station
great and was number one when he was at its helm.
DYXT was the conduit of
ABS-CBN in the 1971 National PRISAA held in Tagbilaran, and we were heard all
over the Philippines.
Your Papa was
our leader, guide, planner, adviser,
teacher, and stylist all rolled into one. He did not even hold a microphone,
but he knew what he was talking about and he was the one who assigned each of
us to our respective chore, either as radio announcer, field reporter or
commentator.
Allow me to name
members of our team; The late TibsBullecer; Tommy Abapo, Timmy Cabatos, and
myself who now are all lawyers. Proc Maslog
who later became a Professor of journalism of Siliman University, Ladies Sol Amisola,
Lyle, and Liz Gonzaga who was our librarian.
These were the men and women under your Papa, but he never treated us as
his subordinates or his employees. He treated us like family.
I was the
youngest then, yet he treated me as a brother and an equal much to my amusement
and pride.
Among others, he taught me how to eat the fat of pork which I hated
before, and to eat as many chicken eggs during the evenings after we had our
fill of alcoholic drinks when there was nothing else to eat.
I never regretted these even if they say they’re
bad for the health. I enjoyed them because your Papa taught me how to. In all honesty, I succumbed to high blood
pressure and Dodong Gonzaga and your Papa had their big laugh when I amicably
blamed ROLEX for teaching me to “devour” those cholesterol.
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| as Linda Garcia's partner while Pres CPG & the First Lady watch |
Your Papa was
always sought in gatherings among friends. No party whether in music sessions
and specially in dancing could be complete and as enjoyable without your Papa.
He was loved by everyone because he was who he was…. a man of all seasons and
not only for all seasons.
He was
God-fearing, and had many short but sharp comments exhibiting his gratitude and
love for our God. He hated hypocrites and did not hide his contempt for
cheaters and those who use people for personal gains. He can be trusted with any
secret and held friendship sacred, most precious and priceless. These were just
a few of his assets.
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| with a very young Dominic Butalid & Dodong Gonzaga |
The last time we
were together, was in July of this year, in Ormoc City, with Dodong Gonzaga,
Joe Torralba, Rene Relampagos & PopotMarapao.
Your Papa, Pare Dodong and
myself shared one room for two days. Our conversations were as always varied,
funny, and sometimes serious but always honest.
From Ormoc, the
two of us flew to Manila via Cebu City while the rest returned to Tagbilaran on
different schedules. We were together at lunch and together in going to the
airport. Unfortunately, he left his plane ticket in the bag he asked your
Auntie Mameng to bring back to Tagbilaran. He was worried. I helped him check
into his Cebu Pacific flight first, before I checked in my PAL flight, because
he had no ticket to show.
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| An audience with Carlos P. Romulo |
We later had a long
hearty laugh at that funny adventure. We had a long chat before he took his
flight for Manila. When he was boarding, he gave me a salute with his usual
exceptional smile only he had. He said: “See you ROLEX” . “See you”, I replied.
That was the last….
Now that he is
with our Father in Heaven and with your Mama Mila, no one can fill in his
shoes. There was only one Reynald Gatal,
and he was your great and beloved Papa.
I mourn his passing, more so because I could not be in his wake and burial.
I wept in the stillness of my room, and I will always say a prayer for him and
to him.
My consolation
is that, with his passing, he left behind beautiful children like you all are. By
your deeds, keep his name honoured, respected and loved. Help and love each
other like what your Papa taught you.
You are the
children of REYNALD GATAL, and no one can snatch or steal that honor from you.
Like the last
time we were together, and since he had taken an earlier flight for God’s
kingdom, it is my turn to salute him, with a tearful smile longing for a friend...
I say: “ROLEX, see you in heaven!”
Please accept my
most sincere condolences... and my endless gratitude for sharing your Papa with
us, his friends...his brothers.
Very sincerely
yours,
ROLAND B. INTING
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| Atty. Roland B. Inting |
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