MY UNCLE FISCAL FELIX CABADING

In loving memory....

Atty: Felix T. Cabading June14,1948 - May 13, 2008

As a little girl, I thought his name was Fiscal. People call him that and I did too. Which, my Dad often corrects me, "Its Uncle Felix...!". But, I grew up calling him, "Uncle Cabading", and still was corrected to say, "Uncle Felix".

It was his beautiful eyes with the shade of brown so light or hazel sometimes, aside from his mestizo looks, made me want to be related to him. Its what we are NOT that we want to become, I convince myself on this part hahaha...

Wednesday morning, I received a text message from my sister that Uncle Fiscal is gone. May 13, 2008, he was called by the Greater Fiscal above. He was 60 years old.

I want to knock myself off for not writing this piece while he was still around to read it. He deserves to be "written". Not because he is my Dad's cousin from my grandmother's side of Buguias Benguet but for being a fair, honest, humble good hearted public servant. The ideal traits of a lawyer - a judge, that this world needed in more amount.

"Sig-ato bangat e Fiscal a agbinmak-baknang"(HE IS THE ONLY FISCAL WHO DID NOT GET RICH), my father often tells us and with that I often doubt if he is really a lawyer. Back when I was in college, our cousins from Trading Post in La Trinidad had to "pass the hat" to collect money for his medications. He had a heart surgery back then.

One thing I remember most was when my Dad came home after his visit from the hospital. He said, "Ay apo numan si Felix, maasyanak ngay. Naalambrian ima napugsat a tsinelas tu. Enak intunggalan adi."(How I pity Felix. His slippers(flip-flops) were tied with wires. I went to buy him a new pair). Then my Dad said he feels embarrassed for my Uncle Fiscal when great lawyers and politicians see him with those old and "wired" 'tsinelas'.

Maybe he is the only Fiscal who doesn't have a car. My Dad often ends up to be his driver and also our many other cousins with their vegetable hauling vehicles. From trucks, to elf and jeeps. Uncle Fiscal too, believes its cheaper to have friends than to own a car - just like my father in law.

My sister's husband was swindled with a car-napping scam and God knows, in clear conscience, he is absolutely innocent. Her Aunt who's helping him had already paid almost half a million for this case. She went to Uncle Felix and told him, instead of paying those corrupt "public servants", why don't he get the money and help fix the mess himself. " 'Padrino' system will surely help", she added. Then my uncle said, "Natken taku met ngamin aramid sa. Pasensya."(That's is not what we are used to. I'm sorry.) and gave her legal advices instead.

I hurt for my Dad. losing a cousin who is more than a brother is heart wrecking. For the passed two months, Uncle Felix had been tagging along with my Dad every Saturday and goes everywhere my Daddy goes. He texts or calls him saying, "Dagasen yu ak a"(come and fetch me). Now we know, it was his way of saying his farewell.

So much more to tell but it all leads to a person who died a poor man who is wealthy of wisdom and good principles. Still, he leaves my father feeling small during my uncle's wake, "Piman si Felix, his house was not even double walled and its not painted."... And for all these, I am more than proud to be related to him.

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Fiscal's body lays at their residence at Kesbing, La Trinidad Benguet. He will be finally laid to rest in his hometown, Kapangan Benguet on Wednesday, May 20, 2008