21 May 2008

Crispin Beltran's Fall



A well-known local labor leader who also happens to be a party-list congressman died yesterday.

How? From an unexpected --- and avoidable --- accident at home:
His sudden death Tuesday at 75 after an accident at 6 a.m. at the family home, a barely finished bungalow whose roof needed repair in time for the wet season, brought to full light the proletarian path he had embraced. ~ PDI, 21 May 2008

It was drizzling yesterday morning, and being a responsible man of the house, I understood that he would have wanted to fix that leaking roof. Leaks can be very annoying, you know.

Little did he know it can be dizzying, too. I understand the old man had hypertension and a heart problem, too. Six am in the morning is that time of the day when blood pressure also happens to shoot up. I do not know the details of how he died, but I can theorize what could have gone wrong. He shouldn't have gone up that roof. An old man with hypertension going up the roof to fix leaks? Wow. 'Sounds real noble and responsible, but it is also something you can avoid doing if you knew what the possible fatal consequences could be.

But the Fates prevailed, and no matter how much I discuss the could-haves and should-haves, Ka Bel wouldn't come back to life anymore.

It is amusing how one's life could end so suddenly in such a simple, avoidable manner. His daughter, in her description of her father, had this to say:
"He was able to raise all of us his 11 children. He was a labor leader, a parliamentarian, an activist, and a very good father," she said. ~ PDI, 21 May 2008

Crispin Beltran was a tough labor leader. I have heard of his name in the news since I was a kid. He joined rallies and survived tear gas and water cannon blasts from different government administrations. He might have several death threats on his head. But he did not die by being ambushed. He died fixing a leaking roof. More than his perceived vocation, I think many people do not know that his real calling was that of a "very good father," as his daughter described him.

Good night, Ka Bel. Godspeed!

1 reactions:

Anonymous said...

A congressman dies fixing a delapidated leaking roof--That's quite an unusual, if not bizarre, story here in this country. Most congressmen i know,for some reason and despite their modest salary, had gotten pretty wealthy. These honorable men might have all won some lottery or something.

I salute the man-ka Bel. He was a rare breed of a man who, I suppose, was never corrupted by money and power.