“How can you find fault in a public official who sticks to his principles and remains uncowed by influential opponents, and who maintains a self-imposed frugality over the funds allocated to his office?

“Do all the good that you can, and make as little fuss about it as possible.”

This best describes how the late Ernest Leung lived his life — fully committed to his work as a public servant in a career that spanned close to four decades.

On 19 November, his family, colleagues in government and friends filled the Christ the King Church in Green Meadows to bid farewell and to honor his service to the country.

Recruited by former prime minister and Finance secretary Cesar Virata to join the Finance department, Ernest was eventually deployed as the Philippines representative to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC during the period of the country’s debt crisis. His principled but tough-as-nails approach helped in the negotiations for the moratorium on the country’s debt payments. After his stint at the IMF, Ernest resumed his work at the Department of Finance (DoF). Together with a fiscal team that included the late Victor Macalincag, Romeo Bernardo and Juanita Amatong, he helped shaped our fiscal and monetary policies and “provided the continuity and stability in our public finances and external payments situation through the tumultuous political and debt crisis in the ’80s to early ’90s.”

At the church service, the attribute commonly recalled was his passion for his work, which always elicited strong reactions from those who dealt with him. No insipid, namby-pamby emotions — “You either loved him or hated him,” his wife of 51 years, Edwina Nepomuceno, remarked.

Staunchly committed to the policies he deemed appropriate, Ernest would remain adamant, to the point of inflexibility, often drawing the ire of other officials. He treated his office as a public trust, a trust he strove to keep inviolate.

This characteristic remained unchanged throughout his career in government. In the various posts he held, Ernest continued to live simply, opting to remain in the background, rarely making any public relations appearances unless needed for policy clarifications. Really, no fuss, no glory-seeking.

True to his name, Ernest was honest and frank. It was second nature to him to dish out the unvarnished truth, no couching in polite terms. This innate character trait I had occasion to witness.

Ernest was my first boss at the DoF. I later found out I was the only one of his staff that he did not reduce to tears — a rarity. Maybe because we shared the same interests in literature and the English language. Or maybe it was just because I did not stay long enough as his staff, as I chose to focus on my studies at law school. Or maybe because I found it amusing to hear him modulate his voice to a lower pitch whenever he had to answer a call from PM Virata. It would seem that to Ernest, a low timbred speaking voice would make his points more credible.

Then again, it may be because of his extreme frugality. Even though he had been allocated funds for representation and other expenses, in all his foreign trips on official mission, Ernest would keep a tight hold of his travel expenses, never overspending, but rather keeping his expenses to the bare minimum. How can you find fault in a public official who sticks to his principles and remains uncowed by influential opponents, and who maintains a self-imposed frugality over the funds allocated to his office?

Even though I was no longer part of his staff, I still managed to keep connected with Ernest and Ed through my sister Amina and her husband Romy. Whenever we did meet, through the occasional lunches and dinners, and the forums organized by the Foundation for Economic Freedom, I would listen with awe at his thrill-seeking escapades with Ed in exotic places, or his efforts in farming. Earlier on, I already knew of his hobby of growing bromeliads. Amina and I used to look for rare species that would be a welcome addition to his collection.

I recall a Chinese proverb that says, “Be not afraid of growing slowly, but be afraid of standing still.” Ernest, in all phases and aspects of his life, never stood still and was always in the middle of something, whether as an intrepid adventurer or as a sports enthusiast. His physical agility constantly kept us in a state of bemusement and awe, from the humdrum badminton, to more extreme scuba diving, whitewater rafting, rappelling, to name a few.

What a full life Ernest led — whether in his years as a public servant or as private citizen. Last time I saw him was at a function organized by the Foundation for Economic Freedom, a nonprofit which he actively supported. He looked spry and limber for an 80-year-old. I always thought he would live to a ripe old age of 100.

Farewell Ernest. You belong to a rare breed — an honest and principled public servant. Thank you for leading such an exemplary life. May all our public officials emulate you — minus the intransigence.