A Tribute to Deo Quiogue (March 14, 1950 – July 1, 2009)
Words can’t fully describe the man I’m referring to. To go back and try to capture his life within the scope of this article will only sound pretentious, like pretending to know someone whom you’ve only known for a short time.
To pick up in the middle of our friendship will not paint the whole picture, for it lacked a beginning and an end. To capture the closing chapter of his life will only bring bittersweet memories, for no one is really prepared to accept the inevitable.
This crossroad is what I was faced with when I tried to write a tribute to my friend and co-writer Deo Quiogeue, who passed away quietly last July after a brief illness.
If I am going to write about Deo I will say something along the line on how he saw himself and others in this big stage we call life. He and I shared something in common: a unique passion for writing and an endless hope for a better future for Filipinos in the Philippines.
I will say something about his life and the way he lived it, by the way he saw others lived their own lives, and his hope for a peaceful life for all of humanity. This is not only the trademark of a good writer, but also of a great humanitarian.
But instead of talking about Deo and the way I saw him, I am going to let the people who have had the privilege of knowing him remember him in their own ways. This is the best tribute we can all give him. Thank you, Deo Quiogue, for being a friend.—Julius
