You were wrong, Mr. President By Ronald Roy COMMENT 07/29/2010

You were wrong, Mr. President

By Ronald Roy
COMMENT

07/29/2010

Until Friday last week, former Sen. Noynoy Aquino had never been great shakes wherever we bumped into each other, whether in some pub or bistro, or even when he came to a Roy wake two years ago. The nice thing about his persona was that he always seemed an approachable guy who would be delighted to discuss with anyone the biggest sports story of the day.

He hasn’t changed much since, even if he was now the most powerful Filipino in the world. This would be evident to those who had come last Friday to the residence of the late Sen. Magnolia Antonino just five blocks from where I live in New Manila.

When an eerie hush suddenly fell upon the living room where Tita Mags — my moniker for her — lay in state, we all knew President Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino had arrived. Donned in a black T-shirt bearing that ubiquitous yellow ribbon above his left chest with a matching pair of black trousers, the President silently headed straight toward the casket to pay the traditional last respects.

After some moments, he turned around, flashed a smile at everybody, and the cameras commenced clicking away. It seemed that the picture-taking session with anonymous fans would never end, until Judy Araneta-Roxas, Mar’s mother, decided to pull him away.

I had been reminiscing with Judy for sometime in the formal dining room about our family ties — nurtured in the post-war days of Manuel Roxas, Amado Araneta and Jose Roy — when she told me not to leave my seat as she was going to sit Noynoy beside me at the huge circular good-for-twelve table where he would join a small company of six. We rose to our feet when the President moved forward to shake our hands. Somehow I knew I would enjoy a light moment with a typical Atenean..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100729com5.html