Evelio B. Javier and his ‘impossible dream’
It was high noon on February 11, 1986 at the plaza of San Jose, Antique.
A sudden outburst of gunfire broke the usual silence of this tranquil capital town of Antique. These shots were heard not only all over the town but echoed throughout the province, the nation, the world. Because—they snuffed life out of a good man Evelio B. Javier.
When he died... his goodness was praised to high heavens. He gave his all to the people of Antique when he was their governor for nearly nine years (1971-80). The poor occupied a very special place in his heart, he was true to his friends and fair to his foes.
No wonder why a hundred thousand people from all walks of life joined his 3-kilometer funeral procession (the largest and the longest ever in West Visayas) despite the searing heat of the noonday sun.
When he died... his humble beginnings were recalled. Evelio was born in the countryside at Barangay Lanag, Hamtic, Antique on October 11, 1942. His parents were Everardo Javier and Felisa Bellaflor. After finishing his elementary grades at San Jose Central School, he pursued his high school and law course at Ateneo de Manila University.
He taught law at his alma mater after passing the bar in 1968 and gained many friends in Manila. That is why when his remains were flown to Manila where they were laid in state in Baclaran church, Manila Cathedral and Ateneo chapel, around a hundred thousand friends joined his family in sorrow.
When he died... his public achievements were remembered. Evelio made history when in 1971 he got the highest number of votes ever given to a gubernatorial candidate being pitted against a politically entrenched opponent. At 28, he was the youngest governor in the entire country then.
As governor he pursued relentlessly his economic program of cooperatives, upland development and reforestation. He loved the poor that his favorite book is Schumpeter’s best seller “Small is beautiful”.
In 1974, he initiated the Binirayan – a colorful pageant with a cast of more than a hundred reenacting the historical landing of the ten Bornean datus in Panay hundreds of years ago to establish the first barangay ever in the country at Malandog, Hamtic.
For all these, the province of Antique expressed their profound gratitude. When his remains were flown back from Manila, it was escorted by a funeral caravan of more than a hundred cars and trucks passing through the entire length of the province from north to south. For 20 hours, the funeral motorcade passed Libertad to San Jose stopping briefly at the church of every town passed. All along the 120-kilometer route, the streets were lined with thousands of grieving Antiqueños.
When he died... his noble ideal of justice, truth and democracy pealed throughout the land. Disagreeing with martial law regime, Evelio B. Javier did not run for re-election in 1980 despite being unopposed. Instead, he went to the United States with his wife, Precious Lotilla and two children, Gideon and David, to study at Harvard University.
However, in 1982, he returned to run as opposition candidate for the lone Batasan Pambansa seat of his province. He lost though he believed he won. At the time of his death, his election protest was still pending with the Supreme Court which later declared him the winner.
Javier died in defense of his noble ideals. Recognizing this, no less than Pres. Corazon Aquino herself said: His meaningful death is a sacrifice of the whole nation. On the other hand, Mrs. Javier quipped: The demons succeeded in taking my husband but not his spirit.
His people accompanied his funeral to the tune of his theme song “The Impossible Dream” and tied yellow ribbons on posts, trees and windows along the way.
Two months later, the public plaza, where he was shot, was renamed after him. Still later, Congress passed a law declaring February 11 as Javier Day in Panay.
Ironically, few days after Javier fell, the People’s Power Revolution took place at EDSA on February 25, 1986. The good man died at the threshold of his impossible dream—freedom and justice for his people in Antique.
