Yesterday, December 31 marks the 39th death anniversary of one of the greatest men I knew and admired the most, Hon. Leon Sa. Aureus.

        I affix the word Honorable before his revered name without hesitation: he was the first elected mayor of Naga City, an authentic hero who risked his life many times over during World War 11 when he printed and circulated anti-Japanese leaflets right under the very noses of the enemy; most of all he was a politician of the old school to whom honor, honesty, morality and loyalty are values that are inseparable and intertwined. He was as fiercely loyal to his political party and friends as he was faithful to his wife. Nowadays politicians flaunt the number of children they have with different women.

        To the reader to whom Tiyo lyon, as we fondly called him, is just a tiny picture on the editorial box of this paper that he founded, may I share one of many fond memories I have of the man.

        I was fresh out of high school when I landed my first job as cub reporter of the Bicol News, then published by Carlos Moran Sison and edited by Nick T. Enciso in Manila and Alfredo R. Tria in Naga and printed by Dean Antonio M. Sison’s AMS Press.

        I was on my way to classes when Pons Ocampo Bicol Mail editor, called me to his office. There he told me that BM was conducting an essay contest on “Christmas in Bicol.” He said they had entries from school paper staffers of the Ateneo de Naga, Colegio de Sta. Isabel, Naga College, Southern Luzon College, St. Anthony’s Academy, Mabini Memorial Colleges. St. Agnes Academy, Legaspi College, etc. but there was not a single entry from UNC. Since I was editor of the Nueva Caceres, Pons asked me to submit one. Despite my protestations, Pons gave me some newsprint bond paper, pointed to a battered Underwood typewriter and said my essay must not be more than 500 words, that it was the last day for submission of entries.

        The three judges were English instructor Eusebio General; the poet Luis G. Dato, who rated me first and second, respectively; and the chair was a nationally known short story-writer who did not rank me at all. I won third prize, a free subscription to the Bicol Mail and P50 cash prize. The first and second placers were from the Ateneo, and one from CSI was honorable mention. Aside from the free subscription, they got P100, P70 and P20, respectively, a princely amount in the mid-50s.

        During the awarding ceremonies, Tiyo lyon offered me a job at the Bicol Mail, for double my salary of P40 a month at the Bicol News. It appeared that the old man wanted me to get the first prize, but when Pons went to the judge who was then teaching in Iriga, she would not change her mind about not ranking me even fourth, because she was so incensed by the untidy copy of my manuscript; at the frequent underlining of non-English words and the crossing out of deleted words with “xxxx.” Pons told her that’s how reporters write their copy, the underlines were instructions to the linotypist or typesetter that the word should be printed in italics, and the deletions were due to the rush but she would not budge; she said the underlines distracted her, and even in theme writing neatness counts.

        Much later, when I became editor of the Bicol Mail, I had an exclusive interview with then Senate President Marcos during his campaign in Naga City and wrote a glowing account of that one-on-one in my column, The headline was all caps: MARCOS WOWS ‘EM, with two cuts of FM and the huge crowd at Plaza Rizal. As a result, Bicol Mail lost regular advertising from popular brands in the country, and Tiyo lyon, a stalwart LP, got “hinanakit” calls from his partymates Attys. Ramon A. Diaz. and Luis Contreras.

        Not once did Tiyo lyon, call my attention to that incident. He even defended me when I wrote scathing editorials against his compadres Gov. Juan F. Triviño and Vice Gov. Jack Arroyo, Naga Police chief Maj. Elias Pama and Tiyo lyon’s townmate Capt. Rito Dilanco. Both wanted to sue me for libel but when told by their lawyer that they had to include the publisher, they demurred. So did a prominent Bicolano businessman whom we sharply criticized for the lousy service of the only landing barge that ferried buses to the PNR train to Manila, which he operated.

        In 1969 I cried rivers when his son, Leon Junior (who recently hosted me at dinner in his home in Canada where he works as engineer), called me up by phone and told me Tiyo lyon died at a Manila hospital after a long bout with asthma. I lost a second father.

        I am privileged to have known Tiyo lyon in my youth. That is why when his nephew Nilo Aureus asked me to write this column again, I dusted off my old typewriter at once, with all the under-linings and punctuation marks and “xxxx” that still scars my copy by force of habit. As you must have guessed, I am computer illiterate, and this column goes via email thru the courtesy of my grandson, 13-year-old Jiro.