Francisco "Soc" Aldana Rodrigo (January 29, 1914 – January 4, 1998) was a Filipino playwright, lawyer, broadcaster, and a Senator of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
from 1955 to 1967.
In honor of in the struggle against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, his name was inscribed on the Wall of Remembrance at the
Bantayog ng mga Bayani
The Bantayog ng mga Bayani (), sometimes simply referred to as the Bantayog, is a monument, museum, and historical research center in Quezon City, Philippines, which honors the martyrs and heroes of the struggle against the dictatorship of for ...
in 1998 - the year in which he died.
A national cultural award named in his honor, the Gawad Soc Rodrigo is given by the Philippines'
Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
, logo =
, logo_width =
, logo_caption =
, seal = Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF).svg
, seal_width =
, seal_caption =
, formed = 1937 (first formation)1991 (reformed)
, preceding1 ...
(KWF) and
National Commission for Culture and the Arts
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining, ceb, Nasodnong Komisyon alang sa Budaya ug mga Arte) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. ...
(NCCA).
Personal life
Rodrigo was born on 29 January 1914 in Bulacan,
Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Metr ...
, to food vendor Marcela Aldana and horse-carriage driver Melecio Rodrigo. He was a relative to the Filipino heroes
Marcelo del Pilar
Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitán (; ; August 30, 1850July 4, 1896), commonly known as Marcelo H. del Pilar and also known by his pen name Pláridel,.''Filipinos in History: Volume II'', National Historical Institute, 1990, p. 101 was a F ...
and
Gregorio del Pilar
Gregorio Hilario del Pilar y Sempio (; ; November 14, 1875 – December 2, 1899) was a Filipino general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American War.
As one of the youngest generals in the Revolutionary Army, he ...
.
In 1937, Rodrigo married his childhood sweetheart Remedios Enriquez. Prior to this, he took Law at the University of the Philippines, which he finished in 1938.
[http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk270/kofranks/BluebloodSoc1.jpg ]
Education
Rodrigo received his elementary education from the Bulacan Elementary School, and moved on to secondary school at the
University of the Philippines High School. He earned his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Education degrees from
Ateneo de Manila
, mottoeng = Light in the Lord
, type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution
, established = December 10, 1859
, religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits)
, academic_affi ...
and
University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel ...
, graduating magna cum laude and valedictorian. He was captain of the debate team at university. He then earned His Bachelor of Laws degree from the
University of the Philippines Diliman
, image = University of The Philippines seal.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = Official Logo of UP Diliman
, motto = Honor and Excellence
, established = February 12, 194 ...
.
Career
Literary works
Rodrigo was a playwright in English and
Tagalog, with works described as those that distilled within the Filipino soul. His most celebrated play was ''Sa Pula, Sa Puti'' while his most popular ''Kuro – Kuro sa likod ng mga Balita'' had also won legions of admirers throughout the country. Some other famous works include Tagalog translations of works of Martyr of Golgotha and
Cyrano de Bergerac
Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist.
A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...
.
Rodrigo was also known for his ''
tanaga
The Tanaga is an indigenous Filipino poem, traditionally in the Tagalog language.
Format
The Tanaga consists of four lines with seven syllables each with the same rhyme at the end of each line --- that is to say a 7-7-7-7 Syllabic verse, with a ...
''.
World War II
During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II, Rodrigo distributed anti-Japanese propaganda materials together with
Raul Manglapus
Raul Sevilla Manglapus (October 20, 1918 – July 25, 1999) was a prominent post–World War II Filipino politician and songwriter. He co-founded the reformist Progressive Party of the Philippines and the Christian Democratic Socialist Movement i ...
and
Manuel Fruto. In his book ''Mga Bakas ng Kahapon'' (''Traces of the Past''), Rodrigo reflected on the fate he and his family of four may have suffered had he been implicated by Manglapus and Fruto during their capture. In 1945, he moved his family to the underground basement of the
Philippine General Hospital
The Philippine General Hospital (also known as University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital or UP–Philippine General Hospital), simply referred to as UP–PGH or PGH, is a tertiary state-owned hospital administered and operated ...
in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, where they survived the building's destruction.
Postwar Law and broadcasting career
After the war, Rodrigo resumed his law practice by joining the law firm of Francisco Delgado and
Lorenzo Tañada
Lorenzo "Ka Tanny" Martinez Tañada Sr. CCLH (, born Lorenzo Tañada y Martínez; August 10, 1898 – May 28, 1992) was a Filipino nationalist, lawyer, solicitor general, senator, national athlete, and human and civil rights defender best known ...
. Then, he opened the Rodrigo Law Office in 1946. Rodrigo authored Philippine Modern Legal Forms and Handbook on the Rules of Court.
In 1951, Rodrigo became the president of the Ateneo Parent-Teacher Association, then became the president of the Ateneo Alumni Association in 1953. In 1953, Rodrigo and
Bob Stewart ran an unprecedented 48-hour coverage of the entire proceedings of the
1953 Philippine presidential elections.
Rodrigo was awarded by President
Ramon Magsaysay
Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr. (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino statesman who served as the seventh president of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953, until his death in an aircraft disaster on March 17, 1957. An automo ...
a Legion of Honor due to this marathon broadcast.
Philippine Senate service
In 1955, Rodrigo won a seat in the Philippine Senate under the
Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party (Filipino and Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista''; ) is the oldest political party in both the Philippines and in Southeast Asia in general. It is responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th ce ...
of President Magsaysay. One of Rodrigo's speeches, ''Catholics in Politics'', delivered on 7 September 1957, is included in the
Anvil Press
A multi-anvil press, or anvil press is a type of device related to a machine press that is used to create extraordinarily high pressures within a small volume.
Anvil presses are used in materials science and geology for the synthesis and study th ...
book ''20 Speeches That Moved a Nation''.
Awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Senators of his time, he was a much-invited guest of foreign governments such as the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
and
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
, among others. Rodrigo was also awarded a U.S. Government grant under the terms of Public Law 402 (Smith - Mundt) for observation and travel under the auspices of the Governmental Affairs Institute (Nov. 20, 1959 - Jan. 20, 1960).
For the
1959 midterm elections, Rodrigo ran an unsuccessful campaign for the “Grand Alliance” counting as candidates
Emmanuel Pelaez
Emmanuel Neri Pelaez (November 30, 1915 – July 27, 2003) was a Filipino public servant and politician who served as the 6th Vice President of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965.
Early life and career
Pelaez was born in Medina, Misamis (now ...
,
Raul Manglapus
Raul Sevilla Manglapus (October 20, 1918 – July 25, 1999) was a prominent post–World War II Filipino politician and songwriter. He co-founded the reformist Progressive Party of the Philippines and the Christian Democratic Socialist Movement i ...
and Jorge Vargas, among others. Then in 1961, Rodrigo got the third-most votes to win a second senatorial term as a
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
candidate with
Diosdado Macapagal. He sought a third term in 1967 but lost. From 1970 to 1972, Rodrigo hosted the
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast broadcast network, network tha ...
program ''Mga Kuro-kuro ni Soc Rodrigo''.
Martial Law activism
For his dissent against President
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
, Rodrigo, along with
Ninoy Aquino
Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr., (; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aquino ...
and many others, was incarcerated during upon the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. During this time in jail, Rodrigo kept the faith of fellow detainees alive as he led nightly prayers of the rosary. Aquino would treasure of the crucifixes that Rodrigo gave him during this time.
Rodrigo was released after three months but was detained two more times. In 1978, for writing Tagalog poems attacking the Marcos dictatorship, and in 1982, for his anti-Marcos poems in the newspapers, ''
WE Forum
The WE Forum was a fortnightly newspaper in the Philippines founded by Jose Burgos Jr. in 1977, while Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos was still in effect. It was known for its hard-hitting coverage critical of the Marcos administration, which ...
'' and ''
Philippine Star
''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, M ...
''.
In August 21, 1983, Rodrigo was one of the first people allowed to look at the remains of the assassinated Ninoy Aquino. Rodrigo felt distraught over this incident since he was one of those who advised Aquino to return to the Philippines from exile in the United States.
End of the Marcos dictatorship and service in the 1986 Constitutional Commission
After the
People Power revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
that sent Marcos to exile, Rodrigo was chosen by President
Cory Aquino
Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...
to be a Commissioner of the 1986 Constitutional Commission. Many of Rodrigo's children were against his being a member, preferring instead to see him in the Senate one more time. Instead, he joined the commission as he turned his back on politics forever. The new Constitution was ratified by the people in February 1987.
Retirement and death
![NCHPjf9433 29](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/NCHPjf9433_29.JPG)
After his service in the Constitutional Commission, Rodrigo largely retired from public life, preferring to spend time with his family. Until just before his death, though, he wrote columns for the newspapers
Malaya (1980–1989) and
Philippine Star
''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, M ...
(1992–1997).
On January 4, 1998, Rodrigo died at the age of 83 due to complications from cancer.
Legacy
In November 1998 - the same year in which he died, Soc Rodrigo's name was inscribed in the Wall of Remembrance at the
Bantayog ng mga Bayani
The Bantayog ng mga Bayani (), sometimes simply referred to as the Bantayog, is a monument, museum, and historical research center in Quezon City, Philippines, which honors the martyrs and heroes of the struggle against the dictatorship of for ...
in Quezon City, to honor his role in the struggle against Ferdinand Marcos.
The Gawad Soc Rodrigo is an award named after him given by the
Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
, logo =
, logo_width =
, logo_caption =
, seal = Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF).svg
, seal_width =
, seal_caption =
, formed = 1937 (first formation)1991 (reformed)
, preceding1 ...
(KWF) and the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining, ceb, Nasodnong Komisyon alang sa Budaya ug mga Arte) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. ...
(NCCA).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodrigo Francisco Soc
1914 births
1998 deaths
Filipino dramatists and playwrights
Tagalog-language writers
English-language writers from the Philippines
Nacionalista Party politicians
Writers from Bulacan
Politicians from Bulacan
Senators of the 6th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 5th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 4th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 3rd Congress of the Philippines
Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians
Filipino journalists
20th-century dramatists and playwrights
Ateneo de Manila University alumni
University of Santo Tomas alumni
University of the Philippines alumni
Individuals honored at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani
Marcos martial law victims
20th-century journalists