YR 47 Issue 1 2011
Faces
Heeding the call of public service
By ZARA JANELLA M. CACHA AND ELYSSA CHRISTINE A. LOPEZ
From an active student leader during his days at the University, Jose “Joey” Lina, rose from the ranks and ventured into the complicated realm of politics armed with his vision to bring service to Filipinos.
LIBERAL thinking and his determination to stand by his principles have always fueled Jose “Joey” Lina, Jr. to heed the call of public service.
As an advocate of change, Lina has always possessed the attributes of a Thomasian leader. From an active student in his younger years, he emerged into the ranks and entered public service in fulfillment of his vision to help citizens in need.
However, Lina’s younger years were not easy for him because he had to support himself in order to finish
LIBERAL thinking and his determination to stand by his principles have always fueled Jose “Joey” Lina, Jr. to heed the call of public service.
As an advocate of change, Lina has always possessed the attributes of a Thomasian leader. From an active student in his younger years, he emerged into the ranks and entered public service in fulfillment of his vision to help citizens in need.
However, Lina’s younger years were not easy for him because he had to support himself in order to finish
college. Just like how a leader responds to his people in times of need, Lina emerged as one of the noted student activists in the University when martial law was declared.
Student activist
When he was still studying at the University Lina became the chairman of the Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets) student assembly. He founded the Artlets Economic Society and earned his degree in Economics
in 1975.
According to him, he was at the Central Student Government office when Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972. The presence of the military personnel outside radio stations and studios triggered his sensibilities that something must be done in response to the declaration of martial law in the country.
“I was a very active student activist at that time,” he told the Flame.
Fueled with desire of spreading the truth, he wrote a manifesto informing others about the arrest of Chino Roces, Jose Diokno, Ramon Mitra, and other activists.
“This is the time where students were asking for a copy of the manifesto. You do not have to distribute copies,” Lina said, adding that such instance served as a call for students to rise against the dictatorship.
At one point, Lina admitted that he had to abate his attack on the administration because of the threats against him. But this did not stop him and his allies from fighting the dictatorial rule of the administration.
“Some of our friends even went to the mountains to hide and to avoid arrest,” he said. Clandestine meetings and discussions of the situation were continuously held.
Despite the accomplishments of the late president Ferdinand Marcos during his first term, Lina noted that the declaration of Martial Law made all those accomplishments futile and instead ensued an era that impeded the country’s chance for greater progress and development.
“Some people were misled into thinking that our country was progressing when in fact, during those 14 years that we were under Martial Law, the magnitude of corruption increased,” he said.
The suppression of information and freedom of the press were also some of the great concerns of the activists during Martial Law. For him, it was an“anti-democratic era.”
Thomasian days
Looking back, it was the late University Rector Fr. Frederik Fermin, O.P whom Lina owed so much for his stay at the University. He recalled that he was not officially enrolled when Martial Law was declared.
According to him, his name was blacklisted and was part of those who cannot enroll because of their continuous support for the University administration’s Filipinization. He appealed his case and to his surprise, Fr. Fermin addressed it.
“I owe him a lot,” he said.
The clamor for Filipinization sprung as a result of the Spanish officials’ continuous domination of administrative positions in the University.
He even remembered doing walk-outs in line with the student body’s demand for Filipinization. Despite this, Fr. Fermin, who according to him was a Dutch, still accepted and reconsidered his appeal.
“There was a strong Filipinization movement in the campus and I was a leader of it,” Lina said.
Aside from being a student activist, Lina was also part of the Flame where he was a news editor. When he studied law at the University of the Philippines, he became the chairman of the College Editors Guild and later on managing editor of the Philippine Collegian.
After finishing his law studies from 1983 to 1987, he became an active member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, the opposition party that fought against Marcos’s presidency and supported Corazon Aquino in the 1986 snap elections. From then on, Lina never stopped venturing the path trailed by public officials.
Being a public servant for 25 years, he became governor of Metro Manila and Laguna, senator for two terms, and Secretary of Department of Interior and Local Government during former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration. He authored more than 338 bills and resolutions and passed 31 laws.
After all the twists and turns Lina has gone through in the field of politics, he is grateful for having surpassed all of the challenges that came his way. “Life then was fought with danger. After years of living dangerously, I survived,” he said.
According to him, it was faith that guided and kept him to where he had been and where he is now. “That is the formation in the University. Thankfully, I have not lost it,” Lina said.
As for Thomasians aspiring to become public servants in the near future, he gave one advice, “Hold on to your dreams, keep the faith and you will never go wrong.” F
Student activist
When he was still studying at the University Lina became the chairman of the Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets) student assembly. He founded the Artlets Economic Society and earned his degree in Economics
in 1975.
According to him, he was at the Central Student Government office when Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972. The presence of the military personnel outside radio stations and studios triggered his sensibilities that something must be done in response to the declaration of martial law in the country.
“I was a very active student activist at that time,” he told the Flame.
Fueled with desire of spreading the truth, he wrote a manifesto informing others about the arrest of Chino Roces, Jose Diokno, Ramon Mitra, and other activists.
“This is the time where students were asking for a copy of the manifesto. You do not have to distribute copies,” Lina said, adding that such instance served as a call for students to rise against the dictatorship.
At one point, Lina admitted that he had to abate his attack on the administration because of the threats against him. But this did not stop him and his allies from fighting the dictatorial rule of the administration.
“Some of our friends even went to the mountains to hide and to avoid arrest,” he said. Clandestine meetings and discussions of the situation were continuously held.
Despite the accomplishments of the late president Ferdinand Marcos during his first term, Lina noted that the declaration of Martial Law made all those accomplishments futile and instead ensued an era that impeded the country’s chance for greater progress and development.
“Some people were misled into thinking that our country was progressing when in fact, during those 14 years that we were under Martial Law, the magnitude of corruption increased,” he said.
The suppression of information and freedom of the press were also some of the great concerns of the activists during Martial Law. For him, it was an“anti-democratic era.”
Thomasian days
Looking back, it was the late University Rector Fr. Frederik Fermin, O.P whom Lina owed so much for his stay at the University. He recalled that he was not officially enrolled when Martial Law was declared.
According to him, his name was blacklisted and was part of those who cannot enroll because of their continuous support for the University administration’s Filipinization. He appealed his case and to his surprise, Fr. Fermin addressed it.
“I owe him a lot,” he said.
The clamor for Filipinization sprung as a result of the Spanish officials’ continuous domination of administrative positions in the University.
He even remembered doing walk-outs in line with the student body’s demand for Filipinization. Despite this, Fr. Fermin, who according to him was a Dutch, still accepted and reconsidered his appeal.
“There was a strong Filipinization movement in the campus and I was a leader of it,” Lina said.
Aside from being a student activist, Lina was also part of the Flame where he was a news editor. When he studied law at the University of the Philippines, he became the chairman of the College Editors Guild and later on managing editor of the Philippine Collegian.
After finishing his law studies from 1983 to 1987, he became an active member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, the opposition party that fought against Marcos’s presidency and supported Corazon Aquino in the 1986 snap elections. From then on, Lina never stopped venturing the path trailed by public officials.
Being a public servant for 25 years, he became governor of Metro Manila and Laguna, senator for two terms, and Secretary of Department of Interior and Local Government during former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration. He authored more than 338 bills and resolutions and passed 31 laws.
After all the twists and turns Lina has gone through in the field of politics, he is grateful for having surpassed all of the challenges that came his way. “Life then was fought with danger. After years of living dangerously, I survived,” he said.
According to him, it was faith that guided and kept him to where he had been and where he is now. “That is the formation in the University. Thankfully, I have not lost it,” Lina said.
As for Thomasians aspiring to become public servants in the near future, he gave one advice, “Hold on to your dreams, keep the faith and you will never go wrong.” F
tJose “Joey” Lina, Jr
Year 47 | Issue 3 | 2011
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