If there’s one person among our ranks who is deeply hurt by the sad incident — it is I. For four years (1981-85), I was a university recipient of the Ateneo Scholarship Fund (ASF) which is granted to students who, because of their family’s financial position have little, or nil, chance of studying at the elitist and expensive Ateneo de Manila.
After completing university studies, I became an active organiser of fundraising activities during our first batch reunion which happened after 10 years. We were able to raise P150,000, a record at that time for ASF.
As a further sense of gratitude, I became actively involved in quite a few of its activities, and until late last year, had given regular contributions, albeit a small amount, to ASF. (I stopped contributing when the Napoles list issue came out, but that’s another story).
I have always been proud of my Jesuit education, and prouder of the Jesuit spirituality. But to say the least, I am really disappointed and disgusted that the President of Ateneo had to compromise its values with someone who played a major role in prostituting and robbing the Philippines, and who even after so many years, has not even shown, or attempted to show any remorse.
Mrs Marcos instead lives in a hallucinatory world that she was a saviour of the Filipino people. That for me was hard to accept. I am wondering why the Ateneo leadership did not see the incident from that light — and it was just too late to apologise.
In the end, I guess it has something to do with money. The Ateneo “men and women for others,” have suddenly died.
Ronald Manila
Barden Ridge NSW