A Tribute to the Late Atty. Allen Salas Quimpo

When my brother informed me that Nong Allen passed away last December 14, I was moved to sadness. Why? Though Nong Allen belonged to a different or opposing political party, I have never heard him saying nasty things against our family who supported his rival candidate for congressman of Aklan. In fact, he was even smiling and exchanging friendly conversation with us. His act of kindness later won the support of our family for him as a political leader. It was only when I became a priest that I learned that the nature of Nong Allen’s kindness was not just because he was a politician but because he is a true Christian.

In 2001, it was during my 1^st celebration of the Mass that I saw him actively participating in the liturgy. After the mass, food and beverages were served but people had to fall in line first. Nong Allen, a former congressman, together with the late Diego M. Luces, a former mayor, humbly joined the people in the queue. They were courteously asked to get out of the line and be given priority for food and beverages but they preferred to stay and wait for their turn to have their food and drinks. He was a Congressman of Aklan but he never imposed his distinction over the people. He chose to be one with the ordinary people and be treated equally with them.

Sometime in 2002, his son was a graduating student of the seminary where I was assigned. Nong Allen, as a parent, approached me for confession. I was hesitant to hear his confession because I knew he was a congressman. I wanted him to go to other priests who belonged to the senior clergy for his confession. Yet, he insisted. He wanted me to treat him as one of the penitents and not as a congressman. He wanted me to be aware that he belonged to the laity no matter what his title was and I belonged to the clergy. He showed his respect to the Church’s hierarchy. He never questioned the Sacrament of Confession by humbly asking for God’s forgiveness through the ministry of the Church.

Sometime in 2006 or 2007, I was at the Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in BF Homes Parañaque when he fetched me to visit his mother Nay Carmen. He wanted me to hear her confession, give her communion and anoint her with oil. Though they brought their mother to Manila for her medical check-up, Nong Allen never forgot to take care of his mother’s spiritual health too. If Nong Allen’s act of kindness was not that genuine, then he could not have thought of calling a priest to visit his mother. It was because he knew what his mother needed spiritually, he initiated everything just to have his mother received the sacraments.

In citing all these, I cannot do anything for his kindness now but to pray that may God treat Nong Allen with kindness and give him the reward of eternal life in heaven. I also thank the family for allowing Nong Allen to serve us even after he retired from the public office. Nong Allen could have spent his time with you his family totally but you let him pursue his passion to show kindness to all. His passion to serve the people, I believe, is not rooted from just being a politician but above all, it is rooted from being a true Christian. Because of this, may God see in Nong Allen the sign of a true Christian and give him eternal rest like all the true believers. Amen.