Remembering Andrew
TODAY, two years ago, my husband of 42 years, Andrew, passed away. Allow me to commemorate his departure by quoting from some of his writings. Andy was an international civil servant who worked with the Food Agriculture Organization of the UN and other organizations in the field of cooperatives and rural development . But he was also a man of many interests. He played the bagpipe, wrote poetry, essays, and plays, and was active with the Quaker or Friends, which as some may know is a movement that is active in the areas of peace, religious diversity, climate change, and human rights.
While going through his files, I found this article which he had written for the Friends Journal in 1987. In the light of the ongoing move to amend our Constitution, I thought I would share portions from this piece, entitled “A Quakerlike Constitution.”
“The framing of the 1987 Philippine Constitution seemed to be more spiritual than a political exercise, partly a response to the evils spawned by the previous regime. Each morning, a member of the Commission would open the session with a prayer. A foreign visitor listening to the proceedings remarked that the constitution seemed to be “of God, by God, and for God.” This was understandable, for while most provisions were on the structure and functions of government, many more dealt with redressing inequities, civil rights, and promoting the spiritual and cultural values being undermined by external influences. The new Constitution contains many provisions which should interest Friends. The Preamble implores “the aid of Almighty God in order to build a just and humane society.” Other provisions “renounce war as an instrument of national policy” and “adopt and pursue a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory and ended the occupation of the bases by the United States. Recognizing the right of conscience, the government may call on the people to render “military or civil service, and that “civilian authority is at all times, supreme over the military. It created an independent commission on human rights, recognizes the role of women in nation-building, the right to life of the unborn, and reflects values held dearly by the Filipinos. There is a provision for freedom of expression and religion, and one that mandates the State to “assign the highest budgetary priority to education. No doubt Friends, Amnesty International and similar concerned bodies will welcome the provisions against torture: “No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means which vitiate the free will shall be used….nor shall there be the use of substandard or inadequate penal facilities under subhuman conditions.” There was much debate on the provision prohibiting the death penalty. Many members anguished over the question, torn between their deeper sentiments and an appreciation of the prevailing realities shown by murders, abductions, and rape. In the end they arrived at a compromise – that “neither shall the death penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes. It was therefore left to the lawmakers and the Supreme Court to determine would be regarded as “heinous.” One commissioner suggested that trafficking of drugs by syndicates that ruin the lives of thousands, particularly the youth, should be regarded as “heinous.”
Other provisions which would appeal to Friends include the “protection of the ecology, agrarian reform, labor, housing, and meeting the basic needs of the underprivileged, local autonomy for indigenous tribal communities and the Muslims of Mindanao. One finds frequent reference to the importance and inviolability of the dignity of the individual. The Commission was composed of persons of different religious persuasions, and can therefore be viewed as an ecumenical triumph. The Constitution can be regarded as a model for those yearning for spiritual uplift, peace, and freedom.
The President of the country, Corazon Aquino, has been accorded international recognition, not on account of political acumen but because of her courageous struggle in the restoration of democracy. Under her leadership, the country is undergoing a much welcomed transformation.”
Let me end by quoting this verse that Andrew, in one of his reflective moments, had written:
“What do I love? I love Nature in its many manifestations…I love the spark of human kindness that one can find in the richest of homes and in the slums…I love the laughter of children in the days of their dawning…I love to see the tenderness between husbands and wives…And I love the power that makes all these possible…Let us for the sake of simplicity call that Power by the name of God.”