CNN ireport Posted September 16, 2013 Marcos message to Mrs. Aquino | Posted September 16, 2013 | Manila 13K Share CNN PRODUCER NOTE CNN is currently investigating this iReport. It has not been verified. - Jareen, CNN iReport producer From the lips of a dying President By Salvador H. Laurel Former Vice President of the Philippines Chairman, National Centennial Commission Manila Bulletin Tues., Oct. 21, 1997 The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the House Committee on Good Government are now conducting separate investigations on “Operation Big Bird,” a cloak and dagger operation undertaken eleven years ago to bring back the alleged “hidden wealth” of Ferdinand Marcos. The investigations were called in response to President Ramos’ request for specific congressional authority to settle the Marcos issue once and for all. Mr. Ramos was quick to add that the hidden wealth issue could have been resolved earlier by the Cory administration. I can attest to that. Weak and already on his deathbed when I visited him in Hawaii on February 3, 1989, Marcos personally asked me to convey to Cory Aquino his offer to give up 90% of his earthly possessions to the Filipino people, through a Foundation which he had set up, but Cory only would allow him to die in his own country and be buried beside his mother. I related this incident in a book “Neither Trumpets Nor Drums,” published in 1992 right after I ended my term as Vice President of the Philippines. Pertinent portions that book I now quote for the benefit of those who have not read it. “One of the most unforgettable trips I took as Vice President was my visit to Honolulu on February 3 and 4 1989. “On February 2nd, at about 5 p.m., I received an urgent call from Mrs. Imelda Romualdez Marcos in Honolulu. She was sobbing on the phone. “ Doy, pwede ka bang makapunta rito? Masama na ang tayo ni Ferdinand. Gusto kang kausapin. Baka hindi na siya magtagal. (Doy, can you come here? Ferdinand is now in bad condition. He likes to talk to you. He may not live longer). Please, please come,’ she pleaded. “I’ll have to cancel my appointments. Maybe I can go in few days?” I asked. “She interrupted me, ‘Baka hindi mo na siya abutin. (You might be late). Please come as soon as possible!” “I thought about it. The cases filed against the Marcoses had been pending for three years, yet nothing had happened. And the nation remained fragmented. Perhaps, if I tried the Lincolnian approach – ‘With malice toward none, with charity for all’ – we might be able to settle the issue and unite the nation. “Then I remembered Imelda’s plea: ‘Gusto kang kausapin. (He likes to talk to you)’ Maybe there is a chance – maybe he is ready to settle? “She first briefed me about President Marcos’ condition – that he was very weak. The doctors who were attending to him told me he had a less than 50 percent chance of surviving, that he might not even last three months. “Then they took me to the Intensive Care Unit. “I could not recognize Ferdinand Marcos when I saw him. The Marcos I knew was athletic, active, and articulate. The man I saw was skin and bones. About eighty-five pounds. Imelda announced cheerfully: ‘Andy, Andy, narito na ang Batangueño, narito na si Doy. (Here’s now the Batangueno, here’s Doy)’ “His eyes opened. He recognized me. He tried to talk. But only his lips moved. There was no sound. “He signaled the nurse to remove the tube imbedded in his throat. “The Nurse pulled out the long tube and asked me to bend closer so I could hear. Finally I heard his voice, very faint, almost a whisper. “Salamat, brod, nakarating ka. (Thank you for coming, brod). I have something to tell you.’ “I interrupted him: ‘Before you start, Mr. President, may I ask just one question? “He nodded. “Why did you call me, Mr. President? Why me of all people? I vehemently oppose you. I was probably one of those responsible for your ouster Why Me?’ “He signaled me to stop. “Say no more, brod,’ he said. ‘I never held that against you. You did what you had to do as leader of the opposition for many years. You opposed me on principle, never on personality. You were against martial law but you were noble about it, unlike some people. Besides, I cannot forget your father. I owe him my life, not once but thrice. Let me talk now. I have very little time.’ *** “Please tell Mrs. Aquino to stop sending me her relatives. They are proposing and asking so many things. All I want is to die in my country…I will run over 90 percent of all my worldly possessions to our conversation to our people. I ask only 10 percent for my family.’ “Just let me die in my own country. I want to be buried beside my mother.’ “His breathing had become more labored. The nurse stopped our conversation. ‘He has to rest not,’ she said. “Before leaving I told him: ‘Mr. President, I do now know if Mrs. Aquino will listen to me, but I will try.’ “I hurried back to Manila to transmit Marcos’ message to President Aquino. I asked for an appointment but Cory would not see me. Here I was, her own Vice-President, asking only for three minutes of her time to convey an important message from her predecessor, and she would not see me. I was told by her Executive Secretary (Catalino Macaraig) she was busy. I learned later that she had allocated an hour to Tom Cruise, an American movie star. “In view of her repeated refusal to see me and hear what I had to say, I wrote her a letter dated February 5, 1989: “Since my arrival yesterday, I have been trying to get an appointment with you… *** “I hope you will find time to listen to the highly confidential message of Mr. Marcos considering its serious import and far- reaching consequences upon your administration and the nation as a whole.” The next day, Cory replied: “As to the highly confidential message from former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, I feel that in the light of your representation of its ‘serious import and far-reaching consequences upon your (my) administration and the nation as a whole,’ such message should be disclosed to the public rather than kept confidential. This is in accordance with my announced policy of utmost transparency in the management of the affairs of the country.” On the same day I wrote back: “ I am still hoping that you will change your mind and receive the message in a private, non-political, direct, and unfiltered manner, beyond any personal and partisan consideration. “As to your published suggestion that I share with the public the highly confidential information, I am afraid I am not yet at liberty to do so considering that the message was entrusted to me in confidence to be delivered to you personally. Only you and former President Marcos can declassify or disclose this message. “Let us give national reconciliation and national stability every chance to succeed for the sake of our fragmented people.” (Neither Trumpets Nor Drums, at pp 104-111, 1986 ed, Second printing) I never received any further reply from Cory. Cory’s refusal to receive Marcos’ message was perhaps her biggest mistake. Had she studied it carefully, she could have settled the Marcos wealth issue eight years ago. Perhaps we could have paid off our foreign debt! TAGS: politics, reconciliation, submission, wealth What do you think of this story? Select one of the options below. Your feedback will help tell CNN producers what to do with this iReport. If youd like, you can explain your choice in the comments below. Comments (40) Log in to comment iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport. aivilo0409 1 hour ago Thank you for this information! Even before we believe that Mr.Marcos was not that bad just like what the Aquinos want to instill in peoples mind. Maybe thats one of the reasons why we experienced the most extreme calamities/disasters under their administrations until now because of their unforgiving hearts. Kung tutuusin mas may puso pa nga si Marcos dahil during their ouster in Malacanang di nya... Read more … Report violation Jenny82 12 hours ago Words dont have the power to hurt you unless the person who said them means a lot to you...thank you for this article..i am neither a PRO nor a CON but my personal view from this aged chaos is giving every single one a CHANCE,who are we to judge after all...goodmorning Report violation omeroscar November 19, 2013 thebarrens: what do you mean by:seriously? even here? like seriously!? Report violation omeroscar November 19, 2013 k4n4d4: I love your personal view on this very delicate issue. Yes, Mr. Marcos was not too bad as others perceive him to be. Report violation thebarrens November 19, 2013 seriously? even here? like seriously!? Report violation k4n4d4 November 19, 2013 Thanks for the info. Now we know that President Ferdinand Marcos is not that bad at all and I dont that he was the one who instigated that Benigno Aquino assassinated. Marcos rule during the Martial Law which I was opposed to like Doy, was better than today though it curtailed our freedom. But then, there was rape and murder, no drug pushers and snatchers and tandem motor bike killings. I will push for... Read more … Report violation omeroscar November 19, 2013 wezly: Nice proposal! But with the kind of politics we have in this country, where the hoods outnumber the heroes, possibility is remote. Report violation omeroscar November 19, 2013 omliwanag: Well said! But I want you to know that Mrs. Aquino was not part of RAMs original plan when it launched the February 1986 bloodless revolt. Politicians, who hungered for power, requested RAM leaders to install her as president when chaos threatened to divide the nation. Report violation wezly November 19, 2013 If this is true then there is no truth to what Imelda has been saying that FM wanted to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani since he just wanted to be buried beside his mother. Now lets bury him beside his mother and get the 90% of the possessions at nang matapos na ito. Report violation omeroscar November 19, 2013 barok94: A dead mans tale or not, theres something beyond this you should discover to add more to your knowledge. Thank you for dropping by! Report violation omeroscar November 19, 2013 ryandecastro: I respect your personal view on this political issue that has become the talk of the town. Report violation ryandecastro November 19, 2013 even in death they are not dead serious, if they could have gave the 90% of their wealth first and then maybe they could ask later to let him die in his home land. Its their loot anyway. They have no right to ask for any condition before they return it to us. Now, i dont think marcoses have a appetite to give-up their wealth, they are back in power in fact. darn us...Take over USA....It is a wrong move that... Read more … Report violation barok94 November 19, 2013 Looks like dead mens tall tale to me Report violation omliwanag November 19, 2013 I think even if this indeed true, the characters of that era have already passed away. Even if Mr. Doy Laurel was right all along, this is water under the bridge. Cory was not exactly the most proficient President. I bet she had made big mistakes as a leader. What can you expect from a housewife? But then again, the position of President is really a difficult position requiring... Read more … Report violation omeroscar November 19, 2013 To CCZN2013: Youre right! Very right! Report violation omeroscar November 19, 2013 To weddinginjun: Mr. Marcos was just waiting for his end when the late vice president Salvador Laurel talk to him in Hawaii as requested by Madam Imelda. Marcos plea was for him to be buried in his homeland with a deal: Hell return 10 percent of his alleged ill-gotten wealth should the Cory government agree. f the Marcoses are back in power, its not their fault, but the people who brought them to the... Read more … Report violation weddinginjun November 19, 2013 Assuming without conceding that this is true, there is no telling as to whether Marcos would really do as he said. It took long bloody years before the Filipino people were able to depose him, and the US governments intervention to get him out of the country. Who knows what Imelda could have done if Marcos and his family were allowed to go back to the Philippines considering how volatile the situation then... Read more … Report violation CCZN2013 November 19, 2013 Now that the wealth again of marcos brought out.. this is the time to resolve once and for all to use the millions of funds to donate for the housing for those who are affected by the natural disaster recently (typhoon-Yolanda) and to invest to more high tech equipment to lessen such incidents happened. Report violation omeroscar November 18, 2013 To cidvalencia: CNN is so independent that it hits anyones wrongdoings. The Romualdezes in Tacloban are close to the Marcoses because of affinity. Political observers view the recent event transpired between Anderson Cooper and Korina Sanchez as part of their job as journalists. Now, the question is: Who was misinformed? Was it Sanchez or Cooper? The CNN man was at the site reporting live what was happening... Read more … Report violation omeroscar November 18, 2013 To aj03evol: Yes, reconciliation and not anger! But am sad because it seems the word unity does not exist under this government. Report violation omeroscar November 18, 2013 To dbonifacio: I could just say: Kudos to your intelligent, interesting and powerful comments! You sided with no one, but the truth! Please, try to discover more things this and then let me know. Thank you for your nice comments! Well said! Report violation omeroscar November 18, 2013 To netzskie: Tama ka! Burying Marcos in his own land will not harm anyone. Isa pa, naging presidente pa rin siya kahit naging diktador din. Kaya nararapat lang din marahil na ibaon sa Libingan ng mga Bayani ang mga buto niyang nginatngat ng sariling konsensiya. Nung nabubuhay si Tita Cory ninyo, rosaryohan ang laging hawak niya. Ibig sabihin, maka-Diyos siya at takot magkasala. Ngunit bakit
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 00:38:29 +0000
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