July 3, 2007
Our forgotten solons
by Restituto C. Basa
OUR National Assembly was created in 1907, one hundred years ago this year.
In the span of one century, Dagupan has produced seven solons. These seven are Deogracias Reyes (1907-1909); Rodrigo D. Perez (1912-1916); Lamberto Siguion Reyna (1922-1925); Isidoro Siapno (1925-1928); Angel B. Fernandez (1957-1961; 1961-1965) Jose C. De Venecia, Jr. (1967-1971; 1971 – overtaken by Martial Law, he came back in 1991); Benjamin S. Lim (1987-1991).
De Venecia came back to power in 1991 and has been re-elected four times and risen to become Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Of the five who deserved to be immortalized because they have gone to the other life, three have been honored by naming streets after them.
Our early solons who have been honored are Deogracias Reyes (in whose honor Reyes street has been named; this is the street beside the post office;
Rodrigo D. Perez, in whose honor Perez Boulevard has been named; and Angel B. Fernandez, in whose honor A.B. Fernandez avenue has been named.
Forgotten were Lamberto Siguion-Reyna and Isidoro Siapno.
After serving for one term as congressman, Lamberto Siguion Reyna was pressured to give way to Isidoro Siapno.
Fortunately, Siapno won the polls. Siguion Reyna, on the other hand, ran for municipal councilor. He made it. He was one of the municipal councilors during the second term of Guillermo de Venecia as municipal mayor. This was the town administration that built our municipal hall in 1926.
This is the building that we use today as our city hall.
Siguion Reyna was a brilliant lawyer. He obtained his law degree from the University of the Philippines. He was later taken as a member of the legal staff of Malacañang.
He was survived by his son, Leonardo Siguion Reyna, a top corporate lawyer of the country.
Leonardo Siguion Reyna later served as assemblyman in the Batasang Pambansa representing Metro Manila, during the Marcos era.
He is related, by blood, to the children of Florencia Tiongson Duque (wife of the late Governor Franciso Q. Duque).
A native Dagupeño, Leonardo Siguion Reyna speaks fluent Pangasinan. He is married to Armida Siguion Reyna, columnist of the Daily Tribune.
I suggest that we name Careenan Street Lamberto Siguion Reyna in his honor.
Comments
July 25, 2007
bluewedgesky said:
“Leonardo Siguion Reyna later served as assemblyman in the Batasang Pambansa representing Metro Manila, during the Marcos era.”
This is not true. Leonardo Siguion-Reyna did not run or serve as assemblyman during the Marcos era.
However, he ran and won as a delegate in the elections for the 1971 Constitutional Convention…which would turn out to be the last free elections before martial law. He served in that Con-Con until it was eventually abolished by Marcos through the declaration and implementation of martial law in 1972.