Leni Robredo & Leticia Ramos-Shahani

Ms Leni, columnist Rigoberto D Tiglao says today, is as good as dead (05 April 2017, manilatimes.net):

(Teaser: Social media reports so, but traditional media is oblivious.)

IF the Yellow Cult still believes that Vice President Leni Robredo is their great hope for recapturing power, they should squarely face the facts. When they do so, the inescapable conclusion is that she is politically dead, and what we see now is a mere ghost who cannot accept her demise.

Ms Leni as good as dead? If you believe the fake social media news, yes. The traditional media are the ones as good as dead, or should I say the traditional journalists like Mr Tiglao? – They are not serving their country, only their own interests. They are only after exercising their own power.

On Ms Leni, I disagree with Mr Tiglao. Ms Leni is a survivor; she is one woman who is her own man. And so was Ms Leticia. She is dead but she is very much alive – she lives in the causes she fought for: women's rights, women's livelihood, West Philippine Sea, and political integrity, among other things, here and abroad.

It is only today, Wednesday, 05 April 2017 that I notice Vice President Leni Robredo has been silent on the death of former Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani on 20 March 2017, more than 2 weeks ago, except for these words: "Former Sen & Career Diplomat Leticia Ramos-Shahani was a true public servant and an inspiration to many. May she rest in peace" (ovp.gov.ph). (Image from politics.com.ph) Why is that? Ms Leticia was somebody. I can only ascribe it to lack of creativity of Mr Leni's ghostwriter(s). So, here's a lesson for ghostwriters: Just in case you have not been watching, or if you are not aware of open access, with the Internet at my type and call, I don't have to know anything about a subject before to be able to write much about it now. If you didn't know or didn't do that, you're intellectually lazy.

It doesn't matter if nobody asked Ms Leni; as the 2nd highest government official in this country, and as a lady, she should have had much to say about an exemplar of womanhood named Leticia Valdez Ramos-Shahani. You ignore a national icon at your own risk.

Like Ms Leni wanting to be referred to as Leni Robredo, as the wife of the late great Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, Ms Leticia was not ashamed of showing that she was married and being referred to as Leticia Ramos-Shahani.

Like Ms Leni, who was sister to Antonio Gerona Jr and Maria Lourdes, Ms Leticia had 2 siblings: former President Fidel V Ramos and US Consul Gloria Ramos-Rodda.

Like Ms Leni, who does not stand in the shadow of her husband's greatness, Ms Leticia did not stand in the shadow of her brother FVR's ascendancy to the presidency of the country. She stood out by herself alone, a well-accomplished woman of great service to her countrymen and to the world.

Unlike: Ms Leni studied locally BS Economics at the University of the Philippines (Quezon City), Master in Business Administration at San Beda College (Manila), and Law at the University of Nueva Caceres (Naga City). Ms Leticia studied abroad, finishing her Bachelor of Arts degree at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, her master's degree in Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York, and her doctor of philosophy at the University of Paris. No offense meant; schools don't make a woman; the woman does it to herself.

Like Ms Leni, Ms Leticia supported the Bangsamoro Basic Law, saying that "as a nation (we) should think of unity and undivision" (as quoted by Rappler, rappler.com). Ms Leticia said, "I think the passage of the BBL will show the political will of the Filipinos – who are Christians by religion – that we are one with our Muslim brothers and sisters in making one nation." (I disagree with both ladies, but that's another matter altogether.)

Unlike: Ms Leni was honored with the award "Most Influential Filipina Woman Of The World" by the Filipina Women's Network, a non-government organization (Wikipedia). Nonetheless, if you ask me, Ms Leticia was the most influential Filipina in the world at least in the last 30 years, from the time she became Senator in 1987 until her death last month.

Like Ms Leni, who was a key supporter of HB 3432, "Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Bill" aimed at prohibiting discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sex, gender, sexual orientation gender identity and expressions, language, disability, HIV status, and other statuses, Ms Leticia was anti-discrimination, and wrote the draft of the Convention On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women, or CEDAW; the UN General Assembly adopted the CEDAW and it became the international bill of rights for women (rappler.com). Both have been women fighters fighting for women with and against the men.

Ms Leni even before becoming VP was focused on women, founding in her hometown Naga City the Lakas ng Kababaihan ng Naga Federation with the concentration on "giving women training and livelihood opportunities" (juan-republic.com). Similarly, Ms Leticia set up the Danggay Ti Pangasinan Foundation and built the Pangasinan Crafts & Production Center at the town plaza of Asingan, Pangasinan, her hometown, dedicated to the production of loom-woven products and garments with their own handlooms and sewing machines in place. We refer to the building as Danggay House now; it was also a training and display center in Ms Leticia's time. (It was marketing that failed the women's project, no reflection on Ms Leticia.)

Ms Leni defied a powerful political dynasty in her home province, Camarines Sur, by running for Congress against the Villafuerte clan, and she won. Ms Leticia defied the powerful Martial Law President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, who was her cousin and whom he denounced, and forthwith supported the rival presidential candidate Corazon "Cory" Aquino in December 1985 (punch.dagupan.com). She won.

Ms Leni is described by Ms Teresa S Abesamis in these words (07 October 2015, BusinessWorld Online, bworldonline.com):

Leni Robredo struck me as an extraordinarily strong-willed woman who thinks deeply and carefully before she speaks. Leni Robredo strikes me as nothing if not authentic. In our media-oriented political culture given to showmanship and sound bites, she is truly counter-culture.

I can say the same of Leticia Ramos-Shahani. Authentic: What you see is what you get.

Ms Leni, in response to the President's demeaning demeanor of ogling the VP's legs and his remarks, said (25 November 2016, esquiremag.ph):

When President Duterte made inappropriate remarks, I deliberately chose to ignore these. There are larger and more urgent issues we confront as a nation that demand our collective attention… Tasteless remarks and inappropriate advances against women should have no place in our society. We should expect that most of all from our leaders.

Unlike Ms Leni, though, Ms Leticia would have shut him up right there and then! I'm speaking from personal experience. @

06 April 2017. Total word count, excluding this line: 1165