Wykes,59
Our good friend and Kennedy School of Government alumnus Reynaldo “Wykes” Wycoco (Director of the National Bureau of Investigation) passed away last Dec 19. He was only 59 years old, humble, thoughtful, and honest. No matter how busy he was, or the problems he was facing at work, he was always cheerful with friends. When I told friends that he passed away, they all said he was a good person.
Women’s rights advocates remember Wykes best for helping them set up the women’s desks in the Philippine National Police (PNP) then PNP General WYcoco. Countless women and girls now benefit from the women’s desks.
When women’s rights lawyer Arbet Yongco of Legal Advocates for Women, Inc. in Cebu was assasinated by a follower of Ruben Ecleo, who was the defendant in a parricide case being prosecuted by Arbet, I called Wykes for his help. He kept his promise that he would arrest Ecleo, and as soon as the NBI arrested him, Wykes called me up and I reported his call to the lawyers in Cebu.
When the NBI was “holding “a defendant( whose father was a former immigration official) in the rape with homicide case of a woman who was rape and killed (28 stab wounds) in her condominium, I asked Wykes why the government was spending money guarding a rape and homicide suspect. Although he said that the suspect surrendered to the NBI, he agreed with me that it looked like he was being given special treatment. A day after my phone call, Wykes called that the suspect was no longer in the custody of the NBI and the police can serve the warrant against him when it is ready.
After the NBI raided the printing press that printed the posters “President Evil” with Gloria Arroyo’s picture with snakes on her head, I and three other lawyers, alumni of the Kennedy School of Government, met with Wykes and other alumni. One was a Fil-Chi business lawyer, another a lawyer in a government institution, and another, a former government officials. We were all unanimous in our view that the government is getting repressive, and it would be unfortunate if the NBI is going to be used as its (in my own words) “running dog.”
Wykes listened to us, and though he said that the NBI had a warrant, he said that he will make sure that it doesn’t happen again. He said, ” I am also responsible to the group,” meaning the Kennedy School alumni. He was vice president of our alumni association.
