From Harvard to the Philippine Senate
FROM THE STANDS By Domini M. Torrevillas (The Philippine Star)

There is a saying in Islam that the “ink of a scholar is holier than the blood of a martyr.” At least one of its sons has taken this proverb to heart, and has made academic excellence among his principal advocacies — apart from exemplifying it in his own life.

The first thing that strikes you upon meeting Attorney Adel Fadel Abbas Tamano is how down-to-earth and approachable he is. Indeed, when a group of people came to our table at a dinner in a restaurant to greet him and extend their support for ‘Attorney Tamano,” he shook their hands one by one, clapped them on the shoulders, and politely replied, “Please call me Adel po”. Right then, it was obvious that this line was born out of genuine sincerity rather than months of practice.

So then, if Adel Tamano conveys an air of being just a regular, ordinary guy, what makes him so outstanding? It is precisely because he is anything but regular and ordinary, yet still remains firmly grounded. His credentials could turn almost anyone into an intellectual snob: the first Filipino Muslim who earned a Harvard scholarship to study at the premier law school, the youngest (and consequently most dynamic) university president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), and president of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ACLU). Armed with an economics degree from Ateneo, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of the Philippines, his juris doctor from Ateneo, and a master’s in law from Harvard, Adel nonetheless believes that the most impressive qualifications are meaningless unless they are used to benefit others.

True to form, he has taught subjects ranging from economics to human resource development and constitutional law. “It’s quite over-used, but it all goes back to ‘giving a man a fish’ versus ‘teaching a man how to fish.’ The problems facing our society — particularly our youth — are deeply-rooted and multi-faceted, yet education still remains the starting point in finding solutions to these challenges,” Adel told an admiring group of academics.

This talented lawyer and public servant has caught the attention of the public, from his highly successful efforts to transform the PLM into a world-class center for learning, to his high profile clients such as Ruby Rose Jimenez and Dr. Victoria Belo. “So many people have said that the work we have done in PLM is nothing short of amazing. Others have even called it a miracle,” Adel said in reference to the university’s dramatic improvement in modernization, efficiency, and facilities. “There’s an important lesson to be learned here, however. If available funds are used solely for their intended purposes, and administered by a team that is bound by transparency, integrity, and accountability, then even the most difficult task becomes easier,” he explained.

I learned later on that as university president, Adel oversees an annual fund of P300 million for the benefit of nearly 12,000 scholars, staff and faculty. “It all begins with the official budget. The entire amount — and I mean to the very last centavo, in black and white — has to be used for the university, its scholars, and its staff. By doing that consistently, you send a strong message to civic-minded business leaders and organizations: ‘This guy heading the PLM is not on the take. He’s clean. If we support PLM advocacies or make donations, we are assured that 100 percent goes where we want it to go, and not to his pocket.’ That’s how the synergy of the public and private sectors should work,” Adel further emphasized.

On the other hand, most people remember Adel as the be-dimpled and unflappable spokesperson of the United Opposition during the 2007 senatorial elections. Several analysts actually pointed to him as one of the key reasons why the opposition won overwhelmingly in the Senate that year. Indeed, his witty repartee, confident poise, and logical arguments were in stark contrast to the appalling circus antics of his counterpart.

It is not surprising, therefore, that Adel has once again been tapped as a spokesperson, this time for the Nacionalista Party. Likewise, he has been very vocal about his passion to serve the public in a greater capacity as a member of the Senate. Someone asked him what he thought about his chances of winning, and his reply was as candid as it was disarming: “I submit myself to the Filipino people — no pretensions, no agenda — what you see is what you get. It’s entirely up to them to decide. But it sure would be nice to have a Muslim back in the Senate.” As you probably remember, Adel’s father, the late Mamintal Tamano, was a senator.

It sure would be nice to have an honest, intelligent, and upright non-trapo in the Senate.

Source: www.philstar.com