The Pimentel Institute for Leadership and Governance pays tribute to a man who was willing to share all he had for the betterment of the youth of Philippine society.
The PILG is deeply appreciative of the generosity of the late Ka Pepe Pestaño for graciously offering his sprawling farm as venue for the many gatherings of youths from all over the country for the yearly Batang Transformer.
Ka Pepe Pestaño unselfishly offered to the Batang Transformers a permanent home of their own. It is now their National Headquarters.
It is located in the idyllic Ensign Phillip Pestaño Sanctuary in Antipolo City at the Eastern edge of Metro-Manila barely 50 kilometers away.
The 16-hectare site is fully planted to trees, has natural creeks, man- made ponds and swimming pools, and the so-called obstacle courses that lovers of nature find irresistible. It is named after Ensign Phillip Pestaño, who offered his young life at 23 in defense of the ideals.
As their headquarters, Batang Transformers can converge from all over the land, Ka Pepe informed those who witnesed the inauguration, “will now be welcome to use the facilities of the Sanctuary for their functions.”
Ka Pepe Pestaño hogged the limelight and became known as the father of the late Ensign Philip Pestaño, the young idealist lieutenant killed while trying to expose corruption in the military.
Since the death of his son Philip, which he agressively argued and pursued as a murder conspiracy of rouge military higher ups, Ka Pepe never lost a breath seeing to it that justice be rendered for his son.
Authorities had dubbed his son’s death as a suicide, but Ka Pepe would’ve none of it. It was murder plain and simple, Ka Pepe would vigorously contend.
Ka Pepe showed to a younger generation how a father would and should love a son.
He dedicated his farm in Antipolo in honor of his son Philip.
He set up a museum, featuring memorabilia about his son.
In his farm one would see a vast expanse of fruit bearing trees lined up in military precision and spaced evenly from one another, just like in the military.
Every year, when PILG conducted its annual gathering of the brightest among the youth of the nation from different parts of the country, it was Ka Pepe Pestaño’s relaxing farm which made the perfect venue for the weekend seminar.
Ka Pepe Pestaño himself would introduce his farm and would bring the participants around for them to witness who the farm has evolved into a place inspired by the life of his murdered son.
During morning of the seminar Ka Pepe would invite guests to join him in picking up fruits that have become ripe enough for consumption. Nobody goes hungry in his farm; Ka Pepe would say.