In its March 22, 1979, issue, Asian Wall Street Journal wrote about Vicente T. Paterno: “(Foreign) investors have had many disputes with Mr. Paterno, but they’ve never found cause to question his integrity or common sense…. He is known to live within his modest means as a Cabinet member and has never been smeared in the tales of corruption that Filipinos frequently and eagerly like to tell about their government officials.”
Washington SyCip on Paterno: “A man of great integrity, honesty and competence … contributed greatly to the national economy.”
Oscar Lopez paid tribute to Paterno with “A Life of Unwavering Integrity,” a video at Paterno’s farewell party in 2009 as an independent director of First Philippine Holdings and Benpres (Lopez Holdings).
Johanna Son, regional director of Inter Press Service Asia-Pacific who covered the Senate beat, said of Paterno: “He stood out … because he went about his work seriously, matter-of-factly and consistently … a man who knew he had a job to do, and so proceeded to do just that, with integrity.”