Back in September, she had been suffering from cancer for at least six months, had undergone chemotherapy, and was only making rare public appearances, let alone sit-down interviews. She just didn't have the strength.
Our television public affairs team at the time was producing a special program called Newsmakers, featuring all the living Philippine presidents past and present. Cory Aquino, of course, had to be an integral part of the show. But she was ailing, and our producers had the delicate task of trying to arrange for her to still be part of the show, if it was at all possible.
After her three daughters Ballsy, Pinky and Viel were interviewed together for the show, they promised they would try to convince their mom. Sure enough, Ballsy -- the daughter who was also Cory's right hand during her six years in Malacanang -- texted a day later to say her mother had agreed to be interviewed.
According to program manager Ella Evangelista-Martelino, who conceived of the project, the interview was initially set to take place at her office in the Cojuangco Building in Makati, but "Cory decided to see us at Times instead as this might be more convenient for us. How considerate could she be!" Martelino recalls.
(Times refers to the home on Times Street in Quezon City that Cory shared with husband Ninoy and their children.)
In the living room of the Aquino family home on Times Street, from left to right, program manager Ella Evangelista-Martelino, cameraman Jason Dimbla, and Jessica Soho.Cory finally sat down on September 3 with Jessica Soho for her last full-length interview. Frail but smiling, and summoning a still-sharp memory, she gave us more than an hour of reminiscence, insights, and just the down-to-earth goodness that endeared her to the nation. None of us dared talk about it at the time, but all those who were at the shoot knew this would be one of their final encounters with her, if not the very last.
"I still have great hopes. Tayong mga Pilipino, sasabihin, 'Ano ba naman, bakit hindi tayo umangat katulad ng iba nating kalapit bansa?' Sabi ko, darating at darating din iyon."She herself talked almost matter-of-factly about soon joining Ninoy, with the tone of contentment of someone who felt she had already accomplished her life's mission on earth. Even as she neared death, her calmness served as a lesson for us all.
She was interviewed in the living room within sight of a portrait of her as a young attractive woman by national artist Fernando Amorsolo, a gift from Ninoy early in their marriage.
She struck her interviewer Jessica as "a woman so secure with herself and her place in history."
Alas, our airtime for Newsmakers could only include a few minutes of that conversation with Jessica. But we felt that Cory agreed to speak not just for the show but as a way of leaving some parting words for the nation.
"I realized I have so much to be grateful for." The paintings in the background are by the former president. She took up painting in her retirement.In the video embedded near the top of this page, and in the previous one we uploaded while she was still alive (Cory Aquino: Woman of our time), we chose some of her most revealing soundbites, the ones that moved us most, and the nuggets of wisdom and encouragement that we want future generations to take to heart. This is one of her farewell gifts to us -- to those of us at GMA News and Public Affairs who were fortunate enough to be part of that production... and to the Filipino nation that she loved unconditionally.
Thank you, Tita Cory.
-- Howie Severino
From the interview, recalling her campaign against Marcos in early 1986:
Doon sa isang pineapple plantation sa Mindanao, nagsasalita na ako tapos nakita ko, may isang bucket na pinapasa-pasa doon ng mga taong nakikinig sa akin.
Sabi ko, ano kaya ang ginagawa nila? Pero sige pa rin ako doon sa aking talumpati.
Noong natapos ang aking talumpati, umakyat iyong barangay captain, binigyan ako ng isang bilao ng saging at pineapple at nagpasalamat naman ako.
Pagkatapos, mayroong nag-abot sa kaniya nung plastic bucket na nakikita ko, sabi, “Para sa iyo ito."
Nung tiningnan ko, mga piso, bills at saka coins. Alam mo, parang gusto kong maiyak dahil ang hirap na nila, yet they were giving whatever they had to me.
Transcript of last interview with Cory Aquino
JS: Kailan po kayo nag-decide and what made you decide to run?
Marami nga ang nakipag-usap sa akin na sinasabing kailangan ikaw [ang tumakbo] dahil ang hinahanap ng tao ay isang kandidato na para bang opposite of Marcos. Siguro akala nila ako na nga iyon. \
Sabi ko, “Pumili na lang kayo ng iba, tutulong na lang ako.” Iyong ibang mga kaibigan ko roon, sinasabi na, “Huwag mo nang sabihin na hindi ka kakandidato kung hindi, mawawalan ng pag-asa ang mga tao at hindi na sasama rito sa ating mga rally.”
Sabi ko, “Oo, sige” at ang tanong sa akin ay, “Will there be any conditions that you will be agreeing to run?” Naisip ko, siguro kung dalawang bagay ang mangyayari- na magkakaroon ng snap elections at kung magkakaroon ng one million signatures.
JS: Ma’am ito na, you’ve thrown the towel so to speak. Wala nang atrasan. Suddenly, your life is turned around. From being a private person, you’ve suddenly become very public, from running for president hanggang nanalo kayo. What was that like for you?
Talagang ibang-iba ang buhay ko noon at sinabi ko sa mga anak ko, “Lahat ng pwedeng magtalumpati, magtalumpati kayo dahil imposibleng malibot ko ang buong bayan,” dahil 60 days, wala naman tayong mga sasakyan, kung minsan nakakahiram ako ng eroplano o helicopter.
Doon sa isang pineapple plantation sa Mindanao, nagsasalita na ako tapos nakita ko, may isang bucket na pinapasa-pasa doon ng mga taong nakikinig sa akin.
Sabi ko, ano kaya ang ginagawa nila? Pero sige pa rin ako doon sa aking talumpati. Noong natapos ang aking talumpati, umakyat iyong barangay captain, binigyan ako ng isang bilao ng saging at pineapple at nagpasalamat naman ako.
Pagkatapos, mayroong nag-abot sa kaniya nung plastic bucket na nakikita ko, sabi, “Para sa iyo ito.” Nung tiningnan ko, mga piso, bills at saka coins. Alam mo, parang gusto kong maiyak dahil ang hirap na nila, yet they were giving whatever they had to me.
JS: Ma’am, they say that your victory as president was the best revenge sa mga Marcos. Did you feel that way?
Hindi naman iyong revenge ang hinahanap ko eh. Talagang gusto ko, ituloy natin ang laban ni Ninoy. Ang laban nga niya ay upang maibalik ang ating demokrasya.
JS: Ma’am, do you remember the highs and the lows nung president po kayo?
Well first, iyong makita mo ang mga mamamayan na talagang nagpunta sila sa EDSA at sinisigaw iyong pangalan mo at talagang nakahanda silang ialay ang lahat, pati ang kanilang mga buhay, upang maibalik ang demokrasya. Siguro the highs, I have to admit, when I went to the United States.
JS: Naalala niyo po ba that moment when you entered Congress and there was a standing ovation?
Ay talaga. Parang wow, wala akong kanerbiyos-nerbiyos noon eh. Sabi ko, bakit ganito ang feeling ko? Everything just went well at talagang wow, is this all happening to me?
Nakakagulat nga na kilala pala ako. Noong araw, asawa ako ni Ninoy or ngayon naman, mommy ako ni Kris. Then of course, making it to the cover of Time Magazine.
It was so unbelievable. Me on the cover of Time Magazine? Tapos nagpadala na nga ng photographer dito and she followed me around everyday for a week or two.
Basta sabi niya, “Please don’t pay any attention to me. I just want to take all these shots.” Parang after that, I can die now.
JS: Naalala niyo rin ho ba iyong mga hindi magandang nangyari?
Actually, the worst was 1989. Akala ko, baka ito na iyong goodbye, but I was determined not to leave Malacañang.
Maski iyong mga cabinet members ko sinasabing, “Ma’am, siguro umalis na kayo dito.” Sabi ko, “Hindi. Tingnan niyo si Marcos, umalis. Anong nangyari sa kaniya? And no, no, I feel it’s my duty to stay here.” And anyway, I’m prepared.
JS:You didn’t mind when people were saying, “She didn’t have the experience, housewife lang siya. She’s just the widow of Ninoy.”?
Pero sino ba sa kanila ang nag-appear before the US Congress? Sino ba sa kanila ang nalagay sa cover ng Time Magazine? Sino ang Woman of the Year? It’s not all experience.
I’m just so grateful to all the Filipino people who were so supportive of me dahil they took me for what I was and they did not expect more.
JS: Nowadays, people also refer to you as a moral compass for the Philippines or for Filipinos.
Kasi I can face anybody, and I was very strict about not using my position to further my own interests or the interests of others who were close to me. Sabi nga nung iba, sobra ka naman eh. But I felt na when I leave Malacañang, nobody can point a finger at me
JS: Ma’am palagay niyo, saan pupunta itong bansang ito?
I still have great hopes. Tayong mga Pilipino, sasabihin, “Ano ba naman, bakit hindi tayo umangat katulad ng iba nating kalapit bansa?” Sabi ko, darating at darating din iyon.
Kaya nga I am so glad that it was at the suggestion of some people that we try to revive iyong “being like Ninoy,” that the Filipinos are like Ninoy, ready to sacrifice and to give their all for the sake of the country.
I also realized I have so much to be grateful for. I always tell my children, “Siguro 90% of the population have it so much worse. We really are so privileged so we have to show and return all these gifts that have been given to us.”
source 1, 2
