Press Release
February 19, 2009

Gordon leads Olongapeños in commemorating
James L. Gordon's 42nd death anniversary

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon will lead tomorrow (Feb. 20) the people of Olongapo City in commemorating the death anniversary of his father, the late Mayor James Leonard Tagle Gordon, who became Olongapo's champion from the excesses of the United States military rule and the oppression of local politicians.

Gordon will lead a simple ceremony at the Gordon College with his wife Katherine and brother Mayor James "Bong" Gordon Jr. to commemorate the 42nd death anniversary of his father whose private and public life had immortalized him as, in the words of former Sen. Jose Pepe Diokno "He was born to an American father, chose to be a Filipino, raised his children as Filipinos, served his country as a Filipino and died a Filipino hero."

"The call to 'choose to be Filipinos' should make our countrymen think about how Filipino they really are. We cannot blame thousands of countrymen for choosing to leave the country to work or live abroad - whether it is because of frustration or ambition," Senator Gordon said as he welcomed the tribute to his father.

"We however have greater admiration for those who choose to stay, those who dare to find hope, and those who devote their lives selflessly to improve the conditions in their homeland," he added.

With the excessive military restrictions and regulations imposed on Subic, where the largest American military facility outside of the United States was located, then Deputy Governor James Gordon led the move to free Olongapo from US military rule.

When the US Navy authorities could no longer ignore the concerted resistance to military rule, talks were initiated to formalize the turnover of Olongapo to the Philippine Government on Dec. 7, 1959. On the same day, President Carlos P. Garcia signed the Executive Order making Olongapo a municipality of Zambales .

After the turnover, appointed provincial politicians moved in and ran the municipality of Olongapo . Corruption became rampant, the municipality was marginalized and the political disease of turncoatism was very evident.

The years succeeding the turnover of Olongapo to the Philippine Government saw politics at its devious worse with party-hopping politicians motivated by the advantage they could get from the party and not by the principles that the party stood for.

Prodded to run for Municipal Mayor during its first election four years after the turnover, James L. Gordon, though a reluctant candidate, won and was finally at the helm of his town on December 30, 1963.

After succeeding in freeing Olongapo from US rule, James Gordon and the people of Olongapo had another fight in their hands - against well-entrenched provincial politicians - for widespread corruption. During his administration, the mayor turned full blast with his campaign against corruption in his municipality.

However, the situation has deteriorated to the extent that Mayor Gordon, together with Olongapo residents, struggled hard to be free of the provincial government. He lobbied in Congress for the passage of a bill to convert the municipality into a City.

Amidst strong opposition from the provincial government, Republic Act 4645, the Charter of the City of Olongapo , was signed by President Ferdinand Marcos on June 1, 1966. In simple but impressive ceremonies, Olongapo City was inaugurated on Sept. 1 of the same year.

His father's fight against corruption in Olongapo and his struggle to bring development to the municipality spawned most of Senator Gordon's political beliefs and started him on his quest to be a good leader and his fight against corruption.

Following his father's footsteps, Richard Gordon became mayor and he succeeded in turning Olongapo into a highly-urbanized city. He also started acquiring his reputation as a graftbuster, embarking on a campaign to eliminate corruption in the city government.

And even when he was elected to the Senate, Senator Gordon proved that he is a graft buster. He proposed measures that are aimed at improving laws to prevent corrupt acts.

Senator Gordon later on took over as chairman of the Senate blue ribbon panel and proceeded to exhibit his unyielding anti-corruption stance. With him at the helm, the blue ribbon panel has proven unrelenting in ferreting out the truth from the witnesses.

The panel was able to get a defined picture of the scheme of corruption employed in the fertilizer fund scam and initiated the filing appropriate charges.

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