Jose B. Lingad Museum, Lubao Pampanga

Just a few meters away from the Museum of President Diosdado Macapagal is the Jose B. Lingad Museum. We made our way on foot under the scorching sun. 

Entrance is FREE.

Jose B. Lingad, a lawyer served in the cabinet of former President Diosdado Macapagal. A former governor of Pampanga, he was the representative of Pampanga's first district when former President Ferdinand Marcos abolished Congress upon the declaration of Martial Law. A member of the opposition, Liberal Party he was jailed for 4 months.

In 1941, when Japan invaded the Philippines, JBL as he was fondly called, joined
the armed resistance in Bataan. He survived the Bataan Death March and 
was a part of the guerrilla movement against the Japanese army.

During the administration of his good friend, President Diosdado Macapagal, Lingad served
as the Commissioner of  Internal Revenue, then as Commissioner of Customs and ultimately
as Secretary of Labor.

In the January 1980 local elections, he was coaxed out of retirement by opposition leader Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. to run as governor of Pampanga. JBL was defeated by staunch Marcos associate Estelito Mendoza. Lingad filed a protest with the Commission of Elections, claiming incidents of electoral fraud and cheating, calling for new election to be held in their district.

On December 16, 1980 while his electoral case was still pending, Jose Lingad was shot dead by a gunman as he stopped by a roadside gas station to buy cigarettes in San Fernando, Pampanga. His assassin, a Philippine Constabulary sergeant died in a vehicular accident before he could be tried for the murder of Lingad. Until now, the case is still unresolved and the mastermind was never identified.

I found it very interesting that several of the visitors to the museum were elementary and secondary

students from nearby schools. They had just finised their exams and decided to drop by during their

free time. It warms my heart to know that the youth are socially aware and make a conscious effort 

to learn about the past.