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Gabriel L. Cardinoza

I had a chance to see former Gov. Oscar Orbos when he came to Dagupan City last week as guest of a business forum organized by a Christian group. It was one of those rare meetings we had since 1998. When he finished his term that year as Pangasinan governor, he had stayed in Manila most of the time, especially when he decided to pursue his television hosting of “Debate” over GMA 7. He would call me once in a blue moon but our conversations did not go beyond exchanging of hellos and how-are-yous. Then, he would hang up with his signature remark, “Anusan yo labat, a (Just be patient, okay)?”

I had only known of Manong Oca’s presence in the city that Monday morning when a friend, who happened to be one of the event’s organizers, called me. Mondays are usually busy days in the office and I had initially decided not to see him anymore. But I decided the last minute to run to the astrodome shortly before the lunch break just to take a short glimpse of him and maybe to shake his hands.

Manong Oca has hogged the headlines in the immediate the past days because of what Malacanang called a coup attempt and the take over of a transition council, where he was supposed to be one of the members who had asked AFP Chief of Staff Generoso Senga to withdraw his support from Pres