Katok’s children Renato Jr. (Abong), German (Gerry), Catalina (Ina) and Jose III (CJ) were the guests in last Friday’s media forum “Batirulan quing Café Juan” here organized by the university’s Center for Kapampangan Studies and the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (CAMI), where they shared anecdotes on the life of their father.
Abong, a successful businessman, recalled various key personalities in Philippine history that, at one time or another, made a brief sojourn to their old house, now the site of the City Public Library, along the Sapang Balen creek (brook side) just across the Holy Rosary Parish Church in Barangay Sto. Rosario here.
He said President Ferdinand E. Marcos (FM) was a constant visitor sometimes dropping by as early as 4 a.m. just to use the toilet or have breakfast while on his way to Manila from Ilocos or in going home to Ilocos from Manila. He was just a congressman and later a senator then, Abong said.
Gerry said Marcos and Katoks were classmates in the University of the Philippines (UP) and were fraternity brothers belonging to the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity.
Gerry said even Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., President Aquino’s martyred father, briefly stayed in their house when he was just a reporter of the Manila Times.
Ina, who is based in the US, recalled that his father even made a secret visit to Ninoy Aquino while he was in Boston.
CJ recalled whenever somebody from their family graduated from college, Katoks would bring them abroad as a reward. A tennis buff, CJ said Katoks would bring them to watch the Wimbledon in Europe or the US Open in the USA.
Abong said the book’s revised edition has a new forward and new introduction which was written by Professor Randy David who is also an acclaimed columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Gerry mentioned excerpts from David’s introduction of Katoks who “made writing as a hobby and it was not his profession but was a writer most of his life than when he practiced his profession which was law.”
Abong said Katoks was very loyal to his friends despite their political affiliations.
Katoks started practicing law in 1940 and when Marcos was released from jail because of the Nalundasan case, Gerry said, it was Katoks and another fraternity brother Angel Limjoco Jr. who fetched him from prison.
Gerry said Limjoco, a Batangueño, later served as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission under Marcos.
After that, Gerry said, they formed the Marcos- Tayag Law Office at the 5th floor of Hicap Building in Escolta, Manila. Gerry said Marcos and Katoks were a perfect combination.
Marcos was the orator and debater and he appeared in court to argue his case but it was Katoks, the writer, who wrote the pleadings for the cases, Gerry said.
They were summoned to serve during the outbreak of World War II in 1942 and reported in Fort del Pilar in Dau, Mabalacat.
Gerry said when Marcos came to power he recommended and offered Katoks the Defense portfolio citing his experience with the Judge Advocate General’s School in the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor after the war.
But Katoks politely declined the offer, Gerry said. “I am an artist not a politician and I don’t know how to handle people” was his standard reply, according to Gerry, especially when asked to join politics.
Katoks was also the contemporary of noted Kapampangan journalists E. Aguilar “Abe” Cruz and Jose Luna Castro.
HAU VP and CKS Director Robert P. Tantingco said Katoks has an appeal to the younger generation of today.
“The ability of Katoks to explain and to narrate with a very limited vocabulary, not that he had a limited vocabulary, but he did not use polysyllabic words but used very simple words and yet achieved the same effect as somebody who has a wide vocabulary makes him an ideal role model for today’s young writers,” said Tantingco.
“That is the power of Katoks Tayag even if he did not use profound words his writings could still inspire and appeal to a lot of young writers today,” he added.
There is this wrong notion among young writers that you should have knowledge of every word before you could write, Tantingco said. But now it’s alright and just as effective, he added.
According to a December 3, 1990 introduction of then Pampanga Press Club president Bong Z. Lacson, Katoks is the fourth son of Dr. Jose Tayag.
He studied at Pampanga High School in San Fernando distinguishing himself as editor of the school paper and valedictorian of his class in 1933.
According to Lacson, it was also here that he earned the nickname Katoks, after the Roman orator and statesman Cato, for his oratory and argumentative skills.
Katoks had 12 children by his wife Adoracion Suarez, all graduates from UP – Manuel and Mario (both lawyers based in Manila), Carmen (Mameng) now married to international boxing referee Bruce McTavish, Abong, Adoracion, Gerry, Teresita, Abraham, Claudio (Cloud 9, also a noted writer and Philippine Star columnist), Apolinario, Ina and CJ.
