It is with sincere
regret and sorrow that we must inform you that our Classmate, Ty Cunanan,
Company A-2, passed away on January 16, 2011, after a lengthy battle with
cancer. Ty is survived by his wife, Belinda, children Christine and Keiichi,
Buddy and Ming, and Conrad and Myra, and grandchildren Tamako and Christopher.
Condolences may be
sent to the family at 15 A. Luna Street, Phase V, AFPOVAI, Fort Bonifacio,
Taguig City, Philippines.
Well done, Ty. Be
thou at peace
Remembrances:
Class Memorial Pages\A-2 Ty Cunanan.pdf
Thelmo Cunanan
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
With a boyish grin and a twinkle
in his eyes, he transported himself back to the late 50's as he narrated
how he excitedly hopped from airbase to airbase, from one military
transport plane to another, to get to Europe.
Thelmo delightfully told me his story of hitchhiking all over Europe
before joining his class at West Point. Prior to crossing the Atlantic
and on his first plane rides (as his youngest son, Conrad, revealed to
me today), this young man from Bacolod (Negros Oriental, Philippines)
embarked on an adventure, thumbing his way around a strange land. Just
before that he was a plebe at the Philippine Military Academy.
Thelmo's adventures only stopped when he succumbed to cancer on January
16, 2011.
Thelmo was our ambassador in Phnom Penh when we first met during the
parliamentary elections in Cambodia in 1998. With him in Phnom Penh and
I in Manila, we assisted Joecon (Concepcion) set up the 10-member
National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) delegation,
which alongside the Joint International Observer Group (JIOG) monitored
the elections. With his usual efficiency, Thelmo had arranged meetings
for Joecon with Cambodian leaders, including the ones with King
Sihanouk, Prince Ranariddh, Sam Rainsy and Hun Sen.
We learned that Thelmo had secured information about which provinces we
would be deployed and inspected each hotel where we were to be billeted.
He flew and traveled by land for the inspection to help ensure that we
would be able do what we came out there to do. I am sure that his plan
included details on how we would be moved to safety in case the
situation went south. I observed in Battambang; the elections were
orderly; and we came home pleased with our little contribution to
strengthening democracy in Asia.
Namfrel again had the honor of being served by Thelmo in Indonesia in
the 1999 presidential polls. The 100-member Namfrel delegation of pemantau
pemilu, largest of the observer groups, saw the landmark election
that handed power from Mr Suharto to Ms Sukarnoputri. Exhibiting the
same due diligence, attention to detail and professionalism, the
observer mission under his watch went smoothly and was a success. We
went home inspired by the peaceful and orderly way the Indonesians had
conducted their elections.
I will remember Thelmo by his fatherly care and attention. He had his
trademark of steadfast professionalism -- as a true soldier would, in
all the things that he had done for us and with us, at all times. I
thank God for the privilege to have served alongside him and for his
inspiration for adventure.
Godspeed, Thelmo.
Telibert Laoc -
http://telibert.blogspot.com/
 |
Changing of the
Guards |
My earliest recollection of Ty was a
rectiation that he gave in Mathmatics class when we were plebes. He was good
with the numbers. During a break in our summer training at Camp Buckner, I once
challenged Ty to a friendly game of Chess, only to have my king forthwith set up
and checkmated by a better player who knew how to use his pawns and could see
well the big picture on the board. With his keen intelect and likeable manner,
it is not surprising that Ty rose to the rank of general officer. I feel that I
have lost an old friend.
Russell
Cornelius '61
This is a
YouTube link of the special tribute of the Global News Network to the late
Lt. General Thelmo Y. Cunanan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J719RhTDkJc
Since we were in the same weight class,
I often found my assigned competitor in boxing and wrestling classes to be Ty
Cunanan. Although a serious competitor, Ty was always gracious, kind, and
sensitive to others. We also shared time in the same math classes where Ty's
sharp intellect was apparent. I am blessed to have experienced, ever so briefly
as a West Point Classmate, the friendship of a man who contributed greatly to
the life of his native land.
Holland
(Dutch) Coulter '61

This is a link to photos taken
during Ty's funeral.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?
aid=100269&id=1044803612&l=b925bdbe4a
My dear friend,TY, I know you had met
and encountered illogical,selfish,jealous.self-centered people who had tried to
destroy what you built.But your success is testimony to your effort to build
anyway, to give your best anyway, and to do good anyway, as God wanted you to.As
Mother Teresa's admonition goes. . . "In the final analysis, it is between you
and God;it was never between you and them.
Rest now my friend, after a job well done,Be Thou At Peace.
Roger Luis, USMA '62
Life
Worth Living
Tuesday, 25 January 2011 BY BUDDY CUNANAN
Last Saturday, under overcast skies, with family, good friends, and relatives,
and a phalanx of Philippine Army officers and honor guards, I laid to rest a
truly remarkable person—a man who never wavered in service to the nation, who
lived his life with honor, integrity, and courage. A brave soldier and patriot,
diplomat, corporate executive, and loving father and husband. He was my Dad,
Thelmo Y. Cunanan.
A veteran of many battles, Dad fought a long struggle against cancer. Yet, in
the end, although he finally succumbed to the illness, it was still his victory,
as he saw his dreams fulfilled and his spirit carried on in the good work he
left behind and his contributions to society.
When Dad died, there was a massive outpouring of grief and support. We received
condolences from thousands of people whose lives he touched. Employees at the
Heritage Memorial Park, where he lay in state, said they had never seen so many
flowers arrangements at one time—a testament to Dad’s character and person. In
the days that followed, hundreds of people trooped to the funeral home to pay
their final respects. Dad spent his entire life in government and had a very
interesting career. From the time he graduated on the Plain at West Point, he
would rise to become a Lieutenant General, Ambassador to Cambodia, President and
CEO of the Philippine National Oil Company, and Chairman of the Social Security
System.
Dad was one of those rare individuals blessed with the ability to excel at
anything he put his heart and mind to, whether on the battlefield or corporate
boardroom. With a front row seat to his life and career, I was amazed at his
seeming effortless transition from combat commander to distinguished ambassador
to shrewd business executive and chairman. In all his positions, Dad brought
the same principles of excellence and uprightness that governed his life. That
was the secret of his success.
During the memorial services, officials from the military, PNOC, SSS, and the
Department of Foreign Affairs extolled on Dad’s many achievements. However,
Dad’s shining moment was in the Army, which he loved the most and where he did
what he did best—leading men into battle.
The late 1980’s were unsteady times, with numerous coup attempts by then Col.
Gringo Honasan against President Cory Aquino. However, the most serious threat
to Cory came in December 1989. In that coup attempt, her government found itself
virtually defenseless as key military units chose to “fence sit” or had
otherwise, already defected to the rebels. At that time, Dad was commander of
the 2nd Infantry Brigade in Laguna province, which was strategic as it was just
outside Metro Manila. On November 30, he received orders to reinforce military
headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo, after Marine Brig.
Gen. Rodolfo Biazon, who was then commander of the capital, discovered that all
his troops—Marines mostly—had joined the mutineers.
Knowing that Honasan had been trying to recruit officers to participate in the
putsch, my dad gathered all his officers and told them these exact words:
“Gentlemen, we’ve been ordered to reinforce Camp Aguinaldo. We are going to do
our Constitutional duty to defend the government. If there are those of you who
don’t support this, let’s part now as friends. But if you join me and later
waver in battle or try to defect, I’ll shoot you myself and I’ll shoot you
face-to-face and not from behind.” There were a few moments of deafening silence
as Dad waited for someone to speak. Not a word. Then he said: “Very well
gentlemen. Let’s go. It’s time to save The Republic.”
Dad led a convoy of troops and armored vehicles 6-kilometers long that came to
the defense of Camp Aguinaldo and risked his life, personally commanding his
soldiers in the firefight. Active and retired military officers agree that
without my father and his troops, Camp Aguinaldo and, consequently, Cory’s
government would have fallen.
In his last days, Dad fought one final battle—to clear his good name. Allies of
the current administration like Senator Franklin Drilon and columnist Jarius
Bondoc openly branded Dad, who had brought honor to public service and saved
Cory’s government, a thief and criminal. My mother even personally called
Drilon, whom she had once considered a good friend. In tears, she asked why he
was spreading malicious lies about Dad, who was terminally ill and dying. Drilon
just hung up the phone. In my entire life, I never heard Dad speak ill of
anyone—not even of Drilon and Bondoc. To the very end, he lived his life with
the guiding principles of his alma mater: “Duty, Honor, Country”. This was the
kind of gentleman Dad was and the kind of person I try everyday to become
Obituaries:
THELMO YLLANO CUNANAN (April 14, 1938 - January 16, 2011)
THELMO YLLANO CUNANAN, Ambassador & Lieutenant General, Former President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine National Oil Company, Former Chairman
of the Social Security System. Brave soldier and loyal patriot to the end,
passed away on January 16, 2011, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was born
on April 14, 1938 to Carlos and Marcela Cunanan, in Minglanilla, Cebu. He was
one of six children. Thelmo was married to Belinda Olivares of San Pedro,
Laguna.
After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1961,
“Ty”, as he was affectionately referred to by his classmates, joined the
Philippine Army as an infantry officer and had a long and distinguished career
in the military. Thelmo received many decorations for bravery and gallantry and
held numerous important positions, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant
General and chief of the Southern Command, the biggest area command of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines.
In
1986, Thelmo nearly died during an encounter with communist guerillas in Cagayan
Valley. In that firefight, he sustained 27 bullet and grenade wounds. Thelmo
spent nearly three months in the hospital but, after fully recovering, headed
back to the field and, as commander of the Second Infantry Brigade based in
Laguna, was instrumental in the defense of the administration of then President
Corazon Aquino against several coups d’etat. In the most serious threat to the
Aquino administration in 1989, Thelmo led a convoy of troops and armored
vehicles 6-kilometers long that reinforced Camp Aguinaldo, which was under siege
by rebel forces.
In
1993, under Thelmo’s watch as the military’s top commander in Mindanao, the
Philippine South enjoyed relative calm and stability. But there were notable
peace and order operations. In one highly publicized case, Thelmo worked closely
with then Vice President Joseph Estrada for the successful release of American
bible translator Charles Walton, who was being held hostage by Muslim extremists
in Sulu.
Thelmo’s work also involved coordinating closely with local governments on
security matters as well as reviewing cross-border defense programs with his
counterparts in Indonesia.
After retiring from the Army in 1994, Thelmo was appointed Ambassador to the
Royal Kingdom of Cambodia, where he led regional efforts to end civil strife in
that country, ensure clean and orderly elections, and usher Cambodia into the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He represented the Philippines with
honor and excellence until 1998 and fostered good relations with many Cambodian
leaders—ties that exist till this day.
Upon his return from Cambodia, Thelmo got involved in cause-oriented endeavors.
In the late 1990s, he headed a National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections
election monitoring team in Indonesia and later, was chief operating officer of
a humanitarian relief effort, sponsored by Jaime Cardinal Sin and Mrs. Aquino,
to civil war-ravaged West and East Timor.
In
2001, Thelmo was again summoned back to government service. He was appointed
president and chief executive officer of PNOC, where he actively promoted and
championed the use and development of renewable energy. He also led the company
and its subsidiaries to record levels of profitability. In 2004, he was
appointed chairman of the SSS, a post he held with distinction until August
2010. Through wise and prudent fiscal management and policies, Thelmo and his
fellow commissioners were credited with bringing back the SSS from near
bankruptcy.
In
his many different positions and capacities, Thelmo will always be remembered by
those who were fortunate to work with him as a man who was honest, kind,
principled, a friend to all, and a brave soldier, brilliant field commander, and
public servant who gave his best in service of the people.
Thelmo leaves behind his loving wife Belinda; children Keichi and Christine,
Buddy and Ming, and Conrad and Myra; and grandchildren Tamako and Christopher.
There will be a wake at The Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City, Metro Manila,
from Tuesday, January 18, to the morning of Friday, January 21, and a Mass by
Father Tito Caluag on Thursday at 6 p.m. The burial will be on Saturday, January
22. For more updated information, call Rachel at 813-8400. To reach the family,
call Christine at 0917-813-8400.
Taps Memorial Article:
Thelmo Y. Cunanan 1961
Cullum No. 23429 • Jan 16, 2011 • Died in Quezon, Philippine
Interred in Heritage Memorial Park, Ft. Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila,
PI
Thelmo Yllano "Ty" Cunanan,
Ambassador to Cambodia & Lieutenant General in the Philippine Army, former
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine National Oil Company,
and former Chairman of the Philippine Social Security System, was a brave
soldier and loyal patriot to the end, passing away on Jan 16, 2011 after a
lengthy battle with cancer. He was born on Apr 14, 1938 to Carlos and Marcela
Cunanan, in Minglanilla, Cebu, Philippines, and was one of six children. Thelmo
was married to Belinda Olivares of San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines.
Thelmo joined the Class of 1961 in July 1957 as a member of 6th New Cadet
Company. It was there, in the Old South Area at West Point, that the Class of
1961 began its journey. From the beginning, "Ty"—that is how most classmates
knew him—received Beast Barracks awards, because he had already been a cadet for
a year at the Philippine Military Academy, as a member of PMA ’60. He was always
well prepared; could assemble weapons in a flash, and dress in a minute. In
fact, from that time and forever, Ty always reminded his USMA classmates about
the superiority of PMA over its U.S. counterpart. Company A-2 welcomed him as a
member, and during four great years he excelled academically and as a fun-loving
member of a wonderful band of brothers.
Following graduation in 1961, Ty joined the Philippine Army as an Infantry
officer and had a long and distinguished career in the military. Thelmo received
many decorations for bravery and gallantry and held numerous important
positions, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant General and Chief of the
Southern Command, the biggest area command of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines.
In 1986, Thelmo nearly died during an encounter with communist guerrillas in
Cagayan Valley. In that firefight, he sustained 27 bullet and grenade wounds.
Thelmo spent nearly three months in the hospital but, after fully recovering,
headed back to the field and, as commander of the Second Infantry Brigade based
in Laguna, was instrumental in the defense of the administration of then
President Corazon Aquino against several coups d’etat. In the most serious
threat to the Aquino administration in 1989, Thelmo led a convoy of troops and
armored vehicles that was six kilometers long to reinforce Camp Aguinaldo, which
was under siege by rebel forces.
In 1993, during Thelmo’s watch as the top military commander in Mindanao, the
Philippine South enjoyed relative calm and stability, but there were notable
peace and order operations. In one highly publicized case, Thelmo worked closely
with then-Vice President Joseph Estrada for the successful release of American
bible translator Charles Walton, who was held hostage by Muslim extremists in
Sulu.
Thelmo’s work in the Philippine South also involved coordinating closely with
local governments on security matters, as well as reviewing cross-border defense
programs with his counterparts in Indonesia.
After retiring from the Army in 1994, Thelmo was appointed Ambassador to the
Royal Kingdom of Cambodia, where he led regional efforts to end civil strife in
that country, ensure clean and orderly elections, and usher Cambodia into the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He represented the Philippines with
honor and excellence until 1998 and fostered good relations with many Cambodian
leaders—ties that exist till this day.
Upon his return from Cambodia, Thelmo became involved in cause-oriented
endeavours. In the late 1990s, he headed a National Citizens’ Movement for Free
Elections by monitoring election teams in Indonesia, and later was chief
operating officer of a humanitarian relief effort, sponsored by Jaime Cardinal
Sin and Mrs. Aquino, to civil war-ravaged West and East Timor.
In 2001, Thelmo was summoned back to government service. Appointed President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine National Oil Company, he actively
promoted and championed the use and development of renewable energy. He also led
the company and its subsidiaries to record levels of profitability. In 2004, he
was appointed chairman of the Philippine Social Security System, a post he held
with distinction until August 2010. Through wise and prudent fiscal management
and policies, Thelmo and his fellow Commissioners were credited with bringing
the Social Security System back from near bankruptcy to a position today of
fiscal strength.
In his many different positions and capacities, Thelmo always will be
remembered, by those who were fortunate to work with him, as a man who was
honest, kind, principled, a friend to all, and a brave soldier, brilliant field
commander, and public servant who gave his best in service of the people of the
Philippines. Ty’s presence as a USMA Cadet continued the tradition begun with
the Class of 1914 of quality Philippine citizens learning from their time at
West Point and serving their country with distinction, and receiving much
praise.
Thelmo leaves behind his loving wife Belinda; children Keichi and Christine,
Buddy and Ming, Conrad and Myra; and grandchildren Tamako and Christopher.
At The Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City, Metro Manila, a Necrological
Service was held the evening before Thelmo Cunanan’s internment, with
acknowledgements in words from Senior Philippine military officials, and flowers
from throughout the world, with special acknowledgement from Company A-2 and the
Class of 1961. Both the PMA and USMA Alma Maters were sung to honor Ty Cunanan.
Military burial was Jan 22, 2011.
—Son "Buddy" Cunanan and A-2 classmates from ’61
|