[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E35]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE LIFE OF MARTIN OLONDRIZ TUASON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DARRELL ISSA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 13, 2026

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in both tribute and sorrow for 
the life and loss of an outstanding man, an extraordinary innovator, 
and a great friend. We lost Martin Olondriz Tuason late last year, and 
the news is as difficult to fathom today as it was then and every day 
since.
  He was larger than life and a person of boundless energy, but those 
who had the privilege to spend time with him out of the spotlight saw 
the rest of Martin: his warm smile, compassionate heart, unwavering 
kindness, and indefatigable spirit.
  He commanded the heights of his business and was a trusted advisor to 
government leaders around the world, yet he was available, accessible, 
and the easiest man to talk to. As consuming as his career was--as 
President and CEO of Armscor/Rock Island Armory--he made everyone else 
his priority. Martin was a singular force but also a loyal teammate, an 
enterprise leader but also an industrywide advocate, a decisive 
decision-maker but also a patient consensus builder.
  He had an unwavering belief in doing things the right way, and he 
kept faith with more than a century of his family's history and legacy 
by protecting the values of his father and grandfather: respect, 
integrity, craftsmanship, and service. These are the hallmarks that 
made his company the largest privately owned firearms and ammunition 
manufacturing company in Southeast Asia with exports to more than 60 
countries, including the United States and Australia, as well as 
nations in Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia.
  But Martin's most proud role--as he would unhesitatingly tell 
everyone--was not in the C-suite, but as a loving husband to Tammy and 
a fiercely devoted father to Nate, Olivia, James--and as so many have 
shared--a father figure to many more. Outside of his family he left an 
indelible mark on every life that he touched--and for one man, he 
managed to touch so many lives around the world.
  Those who knew Martin best have shared what was best about him: he 
carried his charge willingly, graciously, and without complaining--out 
of duty and love in his big heart. He truly cared for others. He was 
smart, fearless, gentle, and kind.
  There is a void to fill in our world, and that is the challenge for 
the friends of Martin Tuason: those of us who knew him, who admired 
him, and who will always miss him.

                          ____________________