BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised…” (Hebrews 10:35-36, the Holy Bible).

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    WHY DID REYES COMMIT SUICIDE? Why did Angelo Reyes commit suicide? What was it that made him choose death rather than facing his accusers to prove them wrong? Whatever it was, Angelo Reyes was widely believed to be someone who was strong enough to not even think of taking his own life, even in the face of the greatest adversity.

    Unless, of course, Reyes thought that killing one’s self is a manifestation of supreme strength, or a deliberate act intended to put one’s self beyond the reach of one’s enemies.

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    REYES WAS A SICK MAN WITH A HEART CONDITION: But, if I am to believe former Navy Commodore Rex Robles, a leading figure in the EDSA I Revolution, Reyes was a totally sick and frail man as he faced the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in connection with investigations on the plea bargaining agreement entered into by former Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.

    Unknown to many of us, Robles said, Reyes had a heart by-pass operation, from which he was trying to recover, but which was apparently aggravated by his Senate appearance and the grilling he received as a result of the testimony of Lt. Col. George Rabuza, a former budget officer of the AFP who claimed Reyes got P50 million upon his retirement as AFP chief.

    This delicate heart condition caused Reyes to stutter and stammer while answering questions by senators, and caused his uncharacteristic inability to cross-swords with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who cut him with a statement that the former general had no reputation to speak of in the first place.

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    IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, TURN TO GOD: What happened to Reyes gave rise to many lessons, but the one lesson that appeals to me the most is this: in the face of adversity, when everything seems lost, and when everyone seems to have deserted you, turn to God.

    This was in fact the message given by a daily spiritual meditation shared in the Internet by Bobot Apit (www.batasmedia.com) as I was writing this column. For whatever it is worth, here is a part of this meditation:

“Having faith can be difficult, can’t it? If you ask yourself if you truly believe what you say you do, it can sometimes create a tension inside of you. The reason for that is the world today says that you should live your life for the here and now and certainly not for something you can’t physically see.

“Though it may sound contradictory, it’s so important to have faith in God even in the midst of doubt. So when disbelief rears its ugly head, kill it by trusting God and by obeying his call on your life!”
           
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Sakit sa puso ni Reyes, pinalala ng Senado


INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “…Kung ganoon, huwag ninyong aalisin ang inyong pagtitiwala, na siyang magbibigay sa inyo ng malaking gantimpala. Sapagkat kailangan ninyo ng katatagan, upang matapos ninyong gawin ang kalooban ng Diyos, matatanggap ninyo ang ipanangako…” (Hebreo 10:35-36, Bibliya).

                    -ooo-

    BAKIT NAG-SUICIDE SI REYES? Bakit kinitil ni Angelo Reyes ang kanyang sariling buhay? Ano ba ang nag-udyok sa kanya upang piliin ang kamatayan sa halip na harapin ang kanyang mga taga-usig at patunayang mali ang mga paratang sa kanya?

Anuman ito, marami ang naniniwalang matatag si Reyes at hindi nito kailanman iisiping kitlin ang sariling buhay, kahit pa sa harap ng mga pinakamabibigat ng problema, puwera na lamang kung ang pagpatay sa sarili ay pagpapakita ng lakas, o tuwirang pagkilos upang mapaglalangan ang mga kaaway.

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    MAY SAKIT SA PUSO SI REYES: Pero kung paniniwalaan ko si Navy Commodore Rex Robles, isa sa mga nanguna sa EDSA I Revolution, malala ang sakit at lubos ng mahina si Reyes noong humarap siya sa Senate Blue Ribbon Committee ukol sa isyu ng plea bargaining agreement na pinasok ni dating Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.

    Marami ang di nakakaalam sa atin, ayon kay Robles, na sumailalim sa heart by-pass operation si Reyes, at nagpapagaling pa lamang siya noong humarap siya sa Senado, pero lumilitaw na lumala ang kanyang sakit, lalo na noong gisahin siya sa testimonya ni Lt. Col. George Rabuza, dating budget officer ng AFP na nagsabing binigyan ng AFP si Reyes ng P50 milyon matapos itong magretiro.

    Ang maselang sakit na ito ang dahilan kaya nauutal at patigil-tigil ang salita ni Reyes sa pagsagot sa mga senador, at sanhi din ng kanyang di-pagsagot sa sinabi ni Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV na wala namang reputasyon si Reyes.

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    SA HARAP NG PROBLEMA, TUMUNGO SA DIYOS: Ang nangyari kay Reyes ay nagdulot ng maraming aral, pero ang pinaka-maganda para sa akin ay ito: sa harap ng matitinding suliranin, kung tila ba nawala na ang lahat at iniwan na tayo ng ating mga kaibigan, bumaling at tumungo tayo sa Diyos.

    Ito ang mensaheng nakita ko sa isang pang-araw-araw na pagpapaliwanag ukol sa kabanalan mula sa Internet na ibinabahagi ni Bobot Apit habang isinusulat ko ang kolum na ito. Naririto ang ilang bahagi ng pagpapaliwanag na ito:

 “Mahirap ang magkaroon ng pananampalataya di ba? Kung tatanungin mo ang sarili mo kung tunay bang pinaniniwalaan mo ang sinasabi mo, nagdudulot ito minsan ng hapis sa dibdib. Ang dahilan ay ito: ang daigdig sa ngayon ay nagsasabing mamuhay tayo ngayon na, at hindi para sa isang bagay na di natin nakikita pa.

 “Bagamat parang di magkatugma, mahalagang magkaroon tayo ng pananampalataya sa Diyos kahit sa harap ng mga agam-agam. Kaya naman kung ang pagdududa ay nag-uumpisa, patayin agad ito sa pamamagitan ng pagtitiwala sa Diyos at pagsunod sa Kanyang mga utos.”