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Former Senator Vicente T. Paterno
passes away
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Former Senator Vicente T. Paterno passed away
this morning, November 21, 2014, at 8:36am. The wake starts tonight at
9:30pm at Santuario de San Antonio, Forbes Park, Makati City. We were
informed by the family that in lieu of flowers, donations be given
instead to Phil. Seven Foundation, Inc.
Mr. Paterno was a member of the NAMFREL National Council from 1986, when
he was also NAMFREL chairman for the National Capital Region. In the
run-up to the 1986 election, he was instrumental in turning branches of
fast-food chain Wendy’s into NAMFREL assistance centers, where volunteer
sign-up sheets were distributed, and where donations for NAMFREL
volunteers were received. On February 8, 1986, he was a member of the
NAMFREL panel during the infamous interview on national TV, which
defended the continuation of NAMFREL’s historic parallel count, despite
vicious opposition on-air. The incident fueled more support for the
organization.
He was Founding Chairman of Philippine Seven Corporation, the local
franchise holder of the 7-Eleven chain of stores. In 1986, he became
Chairman of the Makati Business Club. From 1987 to 1992, he was Senator
of the Republic of the Philippines, during which he was also Chairman of
the Committee on Economic Affairs. A graduate of Mechanical Engineering
from the University of the Philippines, he was chosen by UP in 2010 as
one of the 100 Outstanding Engineers of the Century.
From 2008, Mr. Paterno became one of the prime movers of FSGO, or Former
Senior Government Officials, an expert group of Filipinos who had served
as senior officials at Cabinet and sub-Cabinet levels of the Philippine
Government, and who speaks out against corruption in government and
advocates a more professional conduct of government affairs. To quote
their mission statement, “We propose actions marked by the discipline of
managed effort with sound planning, efficient organization, and good
execution...We want politics to serve our people, not just the
politicians, so that our government truly becomes the servant of our
common welfare and well-being, not the instrument of our oppressors and
exploiters.”
On November 10 this year, NAMFREL honored him with the 2014 Bantay ng
Bayan Award, “for his significant contribution towards the strengthening
of the NAMFREL volunteer movement at its most crucial time; for his
leadership not just in the business sector but also in government; and
for continuously serving as a role model not just for ordinary citizens
but also to those who aspire for public office.”
Mr. Paterno was a true statesman, and his passing is a significant loss
to the country that he continued to serve until the very end. |
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