By Gonzalo Duque

 

LAST week, I traveled to Northern Luzon to visit my brods and friends in that area. You know, the Duque clan originated from Paoay, Ilocos Norte. On my way to Ilocos Norte,  I had a stopover in Vigan City where I and company had a nice conversation with Dr. Lisa Nicolas of Northwestern University.

Then I proceeded to Batac to visit my cousin, Tita Duque Pablo. I found it hard visiting her because Atty. Boying Estabillo of Pinili got lost along the way. Ang sabi ko sa kanya, “mukhang minumulto tayo”. In Batac, the Marcos’ mansion was just a neighbor of another comadre, Chona Verano Yap.

We spent the night in the house of Boying Estabillo, who consented to be our guide. The following day, we visited our old pal way back in 2016, Mayor Aldrin Garvida of Nueva Era, where I was given a briefing on the progress of his town, I wanted to go to Pagudpud but they said I and companions would have to turn around to reach that town because of landslide that blocked its usual route, affecting the flow of tourists to that famous diving site. But I promised to go there in my next visit.

On our way back, I visited an old friend in Vigan City, Edwin Querubin. He was our classmate in Political Science at the San Beda College. He recalled a lot of stories about us and our friendship in our conversation. The space in this column would not be enough to contain what he said. Mind you, Edwin is more than a brother to us.

Also in Vigan, we visited Judge Noli Argel, commissioner of the Social Security System (SSS). With his lovely wife, we attended the SSS regular meeting where I was allowed to speak by SSS president Michael Regino, a known fan of Manny Villar.

From there, we proceeded to Manila (by-passing Pangasinan) and arrived there 12:30 a.m. at the wake of Lorna Fajardo, my former chief of staff when I was at the SSS.

Lorna was formerly the chair of the Philippine Maritime Training Council, a position which should have been given to me but was not because she was better at it. Hoping that I could still deliver my eulogy which I composed in Ilocos Norte, this however did not happen because my Florsheim shoes of 10 years ago, suddenly dissolved sa harapan ng kanyang kanyang kabaong.

I presumed that Lorna may be asking me a favor. Alam po ninyo, si Lorna asked me to stand as godfather of her granddaughter Rena during her wedding. But five days before the wedding, Lorna asked her people to call me up to say I should not attend the wedding anymore because the mother of the future bride has died. I phoned her by saying I could not do that anymore because I already bought a pair of shoes and Barong Tagalog. That time, I had a  surreal feeling that I will be attending a wedding celebration and mourning at the same time for the death of a member of the family of a very close friend.

Just the same I attended the wedding, accompanied by my son, Gonzalito Duque. For the first time in my life, I witnessed a wedding that made me feel good and bad.

I hope I do justice to everybody by telling that Lorna was a real professional. She did not care about what party one belongs and was a fan and supporter of Fil-Am anti-Duterte leader Loida Nicolas. By the way, Lorna’s final words to the Duques, especially Dr. Francisco ‘Pingkoy’ Duque III: “I will not work for anyone except for a Duque”.  That says everything of our relationship. May the soul of our dear faithful departed Lorna Fajardo Rest In Peace!

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Next week, let’s talk Dagupan politics 2025. What could, might and can happen!

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