ILIGAN City ― Attorney Camilo P. Cabili was mayor of this city for 28 years.

Ha? Twenty years? One would wonder. And in the early ‘90s, his term ended. Or a few years after EDSA. After that, he disappeared from public view. Meaning he could not be seen in public gatherings. Although he still could be seen going about his private transactions. Like going to the banks or other establishments.

It is said that he was not involved in matters of corruption. Even in his long years in the service of this city. But too, the perception was that he “did not do anything to improve the city.” And this, in an interview with some media practitioners, he was asked that. And his prompt reply was: “I did not do anything? How about the National Steel Corporation? That’s mine!.” And he proceeded to name other manufacturing plants here, like the cement plants, the other plants, and so on and so forth.

He was right of course. It was during his watch that this city came to be called the “Industrial City of the South.”

Yes, those were the days when people would come here to work.

Now years after, people here call this city in jest “the industrial city nga nasawot.” Cabili, it was said, left the city with the city funds intact. Though they too say that “infrastructures weren’t improved.” Like the roads or many of the government buildings.

And he had a peculiar way of making speeches. His hands seemed to tremble somewhat. Although he was not aware of it. His concentration was on the words he was saying.

But one citizen here, in a group gathering, would imitate his body language. Complete with his “trembling hands,” he moved them about with one shaking hand placed inside or outside his pant pocket, while the other equally trembling hand about him to stress some points in his speech.

We in the audience would have a good laugh. And every time we had a gathering in a Cebuano gathering called “Ludabi” this fellow whose family name was Ledesma, would be called to do the “Cabili speech.” The guy would always oblige. Although, “reluctantly.” Although, I would wonder whether that “reluctance” was just a “put on.”

Now Cabili is dead, and it came Sunday, last week. He was 92; he would have been 93 come September 24. Almost the same age as former President FVR. Though half-forgotten, there were many news, and several posts on social media, of “Condolences.”

His wife, Leni, the widow, was a member of the then famed Bayanihan Dance Troup

We have another Cabili, a close relative of Camilo who was just not involved with corruption. Arnold Garbanzos, also a “sometimes” opinion writer of this paper in a recent column related that Tomas Cabili was a former senator and close aide of then well-loved President Ramon Magsaysay. The two of them died in the 1957 airplane crash in Mt. Manunggal.

It was said, per the narrative of Garbanzos, that Magsaysay had offered the Vice Presidency to Cabili for his coming candidacy for a second term. They would put that one “in a contract.”

But Tomas Cabili answered that it was not for them to do that. Because it was “the people” who’d decide.

There, those are the Cabilis, the incorruptible politicians. May their tribe increase many times in this perceptibly "corrupt" political world of ours.

(Email: norasorino2@gmail.com)