Ma. Aurora Santos, 65, lawyer

On Target

By Ramon Tulfo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
02/20/2009

I mourn the passing away of Ma. Aurora Santos, 65, lawyer.

She died early Friday morning of a heart attack.

No, she was neither a friend nor a relative. Ms Santos was my landlady at 85 Timog Ave., Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City, where my staff of “Isumbong mo kay Tulfo” and I hold office.

What’s so special about Ms Santos is that she took us into her old mansion two years ago when my staff and I were looking for an office space.

After I resigned from dwIZ, where I worked as anchor for “Isumbong” for 13 years, I looked for an office space so I could continue serving the public even off the air.

I had to resign from the radio station, after being booted out of the government-sequestered RPN 9, to spare its owner, Antonio Cabangon-Chua, reprisal from a very powerful figure.

As you all know by now, President Gloria’s husband Mike Arroyo pressured RPN 9 to get my public service program off the air in retaliation for my exposing the smuggling activities of his special friends.

I realized I was up against a dreaded figure when nobody would let me and my staff rent an office space.

I went looking for an office space immediately after resigning from dwIZ. When the building owners learned I was the one who would rent their vacant office space, they turned me down.

Even two radio stations that accepted my program changed their minds later for fear – I learned later – of incurring the ire of the President’s husband.

I was about to give up and bid goodbye to my remaining staff when we chanced upon an old mansion that was parceled out for offices.

Ms Santos, the owner, not only accepted us with alacrity, she said she would stand up against anybody who would pressure her in or out of court.

So unlike another lawyer who has the same surname but not related to her who hounded me in Mike Arroyo’s behalf. The lawyer had been my friend of many years before he and I came to know Mike Arroyo.

To Ms Santos, thank you very much for your kindness.

Because of you, “Isumbong mo kay Tulfo” lives on until we find a radio or TV station brave enough to take it into its fold.

* * *

Who’s this Cabinet member who’s rumored to be in the payroll of a big Korean company in the country that’s having problems with its employees?

To earn his keep, this Cabinet official defends the company from bad publicity and government investigation.

To this fellow, money precedes patriotism.