Mar, 1974 – An Ateneo Freshman

I first met Mar in day one of first year college in Ateneo. Mar was one of the student managers of my team mates from the Ateneo juniors team. From that first day, there were many surprising revelations about the future Senator, his true character of fairness and fondness with everyone, whether rich or poor.

Being classmates, having a mutual fondness for basketball, as well as coming from the same region (we’re both Ilonggos), we immediately became friends. What made it easier to be friends with Mar was his simple, friendly and unassuming ways. He was one of the boys, in spite of coming from the “royal blood” Roxas-Araneta lineage. There was no gap between him being wealthy and me being ordinary.

One day he dropped by my house at around lunchtime and asked me if I wanted to watch a movie. I naturally invited him to lunch with trepidation because the food on the table consisted of very ordinary “gulay and isda”. His simplicity and demeanor changed my uneasiness to honor, for having him as guest and eat the very ordinary food with gusto.

After lunch, I assumed we would be riding his chauffer-driven huge car (Lincoln Continental I think it was) to Quezon theatre (formerly located in what is now the Gateway).  Again my second surprise was that we were going to walk (from my home in West Point St.). I did not expect him to be walking with ordinary commuters in Cubao.

When we got to the theater, he paid for his ticket and I paid for mine. This gesture meant two very important traits; 1) Mar was not spoiled and abusive, to get us in free (since his family owned all of Cubao); and 2) He was not going to buy one’s loyalty and friendship, by paying for my ticket, or act patronizingly. I was a co-equal regardless of our differences in wealth.

The third most revealing character of Mar was when we were enjoying the movie. While seated in the cinema house, our legs were extended so that it hit the back seats in front of us (the place was half-empty). A person who was 5 seats away (pretty far from us), moved close to where we were, and pushed Mar’s feet out, saying we were disturbing him. Immediately I said to myself, this is the end for this guy. Mar was going to have him kicked out of the theater by the guards.

Mar’s subsequent actions however really caught me by surprise. He castigated the much older (bullying) man saying loudly, “Why don’t you mind your own business, we’re not disturbing you and like you, we are also paying customers.” This shows Mar’s fairness by reasoning out (giving the person a chance to redress his stupid action) as well as his inherent toughness as an individual, by not calling on the guards nor even asking me to gang up on the guy.

There are many more anecdotes I’d like to share… but what is striking is that then and now, Mar is still the same guy with the same traits and character. A leader, a friend, and hopefully, our soon to be Vice-President.