Cabletow 4th issue - GM Ebdane - Grand Lodge of the Philippines

The Cabletow
GRAND SECRETARY
REYNOLD S. FAJARDO, PGM, GMH
by MW HERMOGENES E. EBDANE, JR.
Death diminishes us especially if our departed Brother is a stalwart in our mystic
tie. When good men die, they leave a painful void in our hearts. Past Grand Master
and Grand Secretary Reynold Smith Fajardo is a leader with a mind few can match.
Given to a lot of reading, our Bro. Rey was a walking Masonic encyclopaedia. Ask
him about Freemasonry and he will regale you with insights that only a well- read
person can share.
PUBLIC ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
As a civilian law practitioner, Bro. Fajardo was a poor man’s lawyer.
After a short stint as a legal practitioner, Atty. Fajardo joined the legal staff of
the Court of Agrarian Relations in 1957. In 1971, he transferred to the Department
of Justice as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Justice.
Atty. Fajardo was appointed Chief of the Citizens Legal Assistance Office (CLAO),
now Public Attorney’s Ofiice (PAO).
The Citizens Legal Assistance Office was created to extend assistance to the
indigent sector of Philippine society so that the poor might have equal protection
under the law in their legal struggle vis-à-vis the affluent in our society.
When Atty. Fajardo retired in October 1997, he left the biggest legal office in
Asia. He had over a thousand lawyers and more than 260 offices located in the
various centers in our country.
The CLAO or the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) is now a permanent fixture in the
legal landscape of our country. Thanks to Atty. Reynold S. Fajardo.
FREEMASONRY
The brethren most welcomed Past Grand Master Reynold S. Fajardo when he
was elected Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge in April 1998. With his rich legal
knowledge, Bro. Fajardo provided the brethren with his legal insights and Solomonic
wisdom.
19 Cabletow