Jose W. Diokno a.k.a. Ka Pepe

Nationalist Lawmaker

February 26, 1922 - February 27, 1987

Jose W. Diokno , better known as Ka Pepe was born on February 26, 1922. His parents were Ramon Diokno  and Eleanor Wright , an American.

Diokno finished high school as class valedictorian at De La Salle  in 1937 , where  he also finished  hi Commerce course in 1940, summa cum laude. He garnered the highest grade  in CPA board examination that same year , in 1944, without a Bachelor of Laws Degree, he was allowed to take the bar examination s and got the highest grade of 93.5.

Because of his reputation as a good lawyer, he was appointed in 1961 as Secretary of Justice by Pres. Diosdado Macapagal. He was fearless in  facing many legal battles in court, even against American friends of the President.

In 1963, he ran and won  in the elections for  Senator. He supported laws helpful to the Filipino Businessmen.

In 1968, he did not vote for the Philcag Bill , which would send Filipino soldiers  to the war in Vietnam. he believed that the money to be spent by the government in the Vietnam conflict  was better spent for the upliftment of the Filipinos. As lawmaker he supported laws on taxes favoring the masses and commensurate  for large income of the rich.

He revealed in his investigation that the oil companies in the Philippines were owned a nd controlled by foreigners. He fought for the rights of the Filipinos. When Martial Law was declared  by President Ferdinand Marcos on September 21, 1972, Ka Pepe was the first to be arrested by the military.

In 1974, Ka Pepe was freed  and formed a group of lawyers  who gave free legal service  to victims of the abuses of the military. He attended rallies against Marcos  dictatorship fell and Corazon Aquino became the new president. Ka Pepe was appointed  head of the Presidential Committee  on Human Rights. he was also appointed as head of the panel assigned  to communicate with the rebels  and to encourage them to return to the folds of the government.

In 1987, Ka Pepe resigned as head of the panel assigned  to communicate with the rebels as a protest against the Mendiola Massacre where many farmers died  during the rally in front of the Malacañang palace .

Ka Pepe was voted as best senator  from 1967  to 1970. He was Married to Carmen icasiano who bore his ten (10) children . He died of cancer  on February 27, 1987.


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(Tagalog Translation)

     Si Jose W. Diokno, mas kilalang Ka Pepe ay isinilang noong Pebrero 26, 1922. Ang magulang niya ay sina Ramon Diokno at Eleanor Wright, isang Amerikana.

     Si Diokno ay sa De La Salle nag-hayskul, valedictorian noong 1937 at nagtapos ng Commerce, summa cum laude noong 1940. Nakakuha ng pinakamataas na grado sa CPA board examination. Noong 1944,  kahit walang Bachelor of Laws Degree, pinayagan siyang kamuha ng bar examination at nakakuha ng pinakamataas na gradong 93.5.

     Dahil kilalang magaling na abogado, hinirang siyang Secretary of Justice noong 1961 ni Pangulong Diosdado Macapagal. Walang takot siyang humarap sa korte kahit ang kalaban ay mga Amerikanong kaibigan ng Pangulo.

     Noong 1963, siya'y kumandidato at nanalo sa pagka-Spagka-Senador. Inayunan niya ang mga batas na pabor sa negosyanteng Filipino. Noong 1968, tinutulan niya ang Philcag Bill na magpapadala ng mga sumdalong Filipino sa giyera sa Vietnam ay makabubuting ilaan sa mga Filipino. Bilang mambabatas ay ayon siya sa pagpataw ng buwis na pabor sa mahihirap at tapat sa malalaking kita ng mayayaman. Ibinunyag niya sa imbestigasyon na ang mga kompanya ng langis sa Pilipinas ay ari at kontralado ng mga banyaga. Ipinaglaban niya ang mga karapatan ng Filipino. Nang magdeklara ng Batas Militar si Pangulong Marcos noong Setyembre 21, 1972, si Ka Pepe ay unang dinakip ng mga militar.

     Nang makalaya noong 1974 ay agad niyang binuo ang lupon ng mga abogadong mag-aalay ng libreng serbisyo sa mga biktima ng pang-abuso ng mga militar. Sumali siya sa mga rally laban kay Marcos at sa Batas Militar. Nang bumagsak ang diktadorya ni Marcos at naging presidente si Corazon Aquino, si Ka Pepe ay hinirang na puno ng Presidential Committee sa Karapatang Pantao. Naging puno rin siya ng lupong makikipag-ugnayan at hihimasok sa mga rebelde na bumalik sa pamamahala ng gobyerno.

     Ngunit si Ka Pepe ay nagbitiw sa posisyon noong 1987 bilang protesta sa Mendiola Massacre na ikinamatay ng maraming magbubukid na nagrally sa harap ng Malakanyang.

     Si Ka Pepe ay piniling pinakamahusay na Senador mula 1967 hanggang 1970. Kasal kay Carmen Icasiano at may sampung anak. Namatay siya sa sakit ng kanser noong Pebrero 27, 1987.