Opinion: Ang Pagbabalik Ng Lawin

Contributed by Archie Macapantay

On Sunday, February 7, 2010, a front page article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer entitled “This Stateside Macapagal is campaigning for Aquino” came out regarding former Olongapo City Mayor, Teddy Macapagal, who came out of political retirement to campaign for Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino for President and Senator Mar Roxas for Vice President respectively.  The article further talked about the eventual return from the United States of his eldest son, Michael, who is now President and CEO of one of the largest Title Companies in California, to campaign together with his father reviving the old PDP-Laban group of the family in Olongapo.

It will be remembered that Teddy Macapagal, a Human Rights Lawyer who is a member of FLAG (Free Legal Assistance Group), was once elected a top councilor of the city in the early 70’s.  During martial law, he led the local opposition against the Marcos dictatorship.  He is one of the original founders of PDP-LABAN in Central Luzon, which was formed following the assassination of martyred Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.  In 1986, when Corazon Aquino became president following the original People Power revolution, he was appointed Mayor-OIC of Olongapo City.

The former mayor supported his “distant cousin”, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when she ran for senator, vice president and later president of the country.  But when the “Hello Garci” scandal erupted, Teddy, who was disappointed with the president, withdrew from politics.

All this time his eldest son, Michael, who left the country to live in California, has all but retired from politics.  The article mentioned about his (Michael’s) marriage to Kate Gastrock, daughter of Mike Gastrock, who was former President and CEO of United Laboratories, aka UNILAB.  They have four children aged 5 to 21, all still in school.

As a student of History in the University of the Philippines, Michael was involved in regional politics. At U.P., he joined the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity, which counts Ninoy Aquino as one of its members.  I remember meeting him in the 80’s when they were campaigning for Cory Aquino and later for his dad.  He was the leader of the Pagasa Youth Movement, Olongapo’s yellow soldiers who went head to head with Marcos’ Kabataang Barangay.  Michael pursued continuing education in the United States, learning Paralegal Studies at Merritt College and then Human Resource Management at UC Berkeley.  I googled his name and found out that he is a board member of the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce and a founding director of FAREPA (Filipino American Real Estate Professional Association).  His career in the title insurance industry includes serving as Area Manager for Alliance Title, County Manager for Stewart Title and Division President for First Southwestern Title.

When the younger Aquino announced his intention to run for President in the May elections, Michael felt that the need to plunge back into politics.  With other leaders in the Filipino American community from the United States such as businesswoman Loida Nicolas-Lewis, Lawyers Ted Laguatan and Rodel Rodis, they formed “US Pinoys for Noynoy-Mar”, whose main objective is to rally support behind the Liberal Party candidates.

Michael is coming home in February or March to join his father campaign for Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas in Olongapo City.

I sent him an e-mail inquiring if he still remembers me, to which he answered “of course”.  He even remembers where I live in Olongapo to this day.  My feeling about all these, well, the saying “Ang Pagbabalik Ng Lawin” has finally come.