CPR's Dramatic Flair, 1946

Sidney Roger’s Voice of America broadcasts to the Philippines encouraged the anti-Japanese resistance in WW2. In an interview with Filipino guerrillas, Roger commented that “the Philippines is the number one moral factor in all of Asia . . . [because] the Filipinos are the only people [who] rose up when they knew it was for independence.”*

Romulo was a tiny man, but big in his generosity. At one point he became General Romulo. I knew he was in San Francisco with his aide and sidekick, whose name was Jose de la Cruz, which I was told is like saying Mr. Everyman. He was a colonel and had fought as a guerrilla in the Philippines. Romulo had not been in the Philippines during the occupation.

I figured I would take my original notes and I would see Romulo at the Palace Hotel, and I would describe my situation. The lawyers had said all I have to prove in this libel suit is that what I wrote when I quoted Tomas Confesor was said in good faith. That's all.

So, I went to see him. Right away it was, "Oh, hi, Sid." He was all charm and smiles as he gave me a big hug. I want to tell you something about Filipinos I have known and loved. Boy, they are eloquent and vocal. They don't just say things in one sentence, they can really string them out. When they speak, they speak pure poetry sometimes. Romulo was the best of them.

I said, "Here's the situation, General." I called him general because he looked marvelous in his uniform. And I called Jose de la Cruz, colonel. So I said, "Here's the situation at PM." He said, "Yes, I read it." I said, "I'm being sued by Aguinaldo." He said he'd heard that too. Something like that. He acted a little surprised, but obviously he knew.

I said, "I'm not here to ask you to tell anybody what a good guy I am, but I do know that you know the things we've done together and all the broadcasts I've done to the Philippines. I've always done things in good faith. I want very much for you to write a short little note to me—to tell me, 'I believe you wrote this article in good faith. I may disagree with you but I believe you wrote in good faith based on the material you had.'"

Romulo, always theatrical, ever the consummate actor said, "Wait a minute, Sid." He took off his Sam Browne belt. He took off his jacket with all the stars and bars and medals. Took off his hat. He draped the jacket on the back of a chair across the room. He said, "Now I'm no longer a general. I'm somebody you know. So you don't have to call me general. You don't have to treat me except as an old friend."

Romulo looked me in the eyes and said, "I want to tell you this. You can salute the general on the chair there. With me, we just talk." He said, "My president now is Mr. Roxas. I am not going to say anything good or bad about you; but I'm not going to write a letter to you about good faith even though you may have acted in good faith." He said, "I can't do it, Sid. I am the representative of the Philippines for my president. So, now you're talking to me. You don't have to think of me as a general. You can call me names." That's why he did that, and so dramatically, I admired his acting. I remember he said, "You can talk to me man to man. I'm telling you this, man to man."

I looked at Jose de la Cruz, or whatever his name really was, because I think it's a pseudonym for a man of the people. He seemed a bit upset. We'd met before and I had a feeling he liked me. I had a feeling he thought maybe Romulo should do something, but he just smiled. I said to him, "What do you think, Jose?" He answers, "That's my general." [chuckles]

“Sidney Roger: A Liberal Journalist on the Air and on the Waterfront.” Volume I. Labor and Political Issues, 1932 – 1990. International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union. Oral History Series. The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley. Interview conducted in 1989 and 1990. Pages 139 – 140.

Text under photo is from “Interview with Filipino guerrillas”. Cassette in Sidney Roger Collection, Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University. This interview is also recalled in A Liberal Journalist p78, p141 and p188-189.