Margie Juico: Tita Cory used to sing 'I'll never run again'

MANILA, Philippines - For Margie Penson-Juico, it was a blessing to work for the late President Cory Aquino. Just how  blessed did she feel? Well, the best of the errands she did for Cory was picking up Mother Teresa from the Missionaries of Charity convent in Tondo and bringing her back.

The worst? Having to say “no” to people who demanded time to speak with the President.”Some would threaten to wait for me ouside Malacañang and do me harm.”

Margie was  Presidential Appointments Secretary during Cory’s term. The problem was that some people thought the Appointments Office was in charge of granting appointments (read: positions in government).

“As Appointments Secretary, I handled all requests for appointments as well as invitations addressed to the President . I made calls for her, especially if she needed to see someone ASAP. I prepared a daily schedule for her , I also sent out letters of regret to requests that were turned down. I did ocular inspections for out-of-office engagements or provincial visits,” explains Margie.

Outside her scope of work, Margie enjoyed doing other things for the president, such as those for the Bigay Puso project of Cory, for which Margie was luckily designated to pick up Mother Teresa.

Her boss was a president who seemed to have a hotline to heaven  (Cardinal Sin was Cory’s ferocious ally as a fighter for democracy, and the Carmelites and Pink Sisters were her co-prayer warriors). As a Theresian, Margie was bred in prayer.As a worker for President Cory, she grew even more in spirituality.

“The memento I treasure most from Cory is the crystal rosary she gave me after her trip to Fatima, I use it all the time, and feel very safe with it, especially when I travel.”

Margie has a lot more precious memories of Cory. Here are excerpts from our Q&A:

1. How did you handle all those letters and fan mail written to President Cory? Did you answer each and every letter? Did Cory personally sign each one?

For letters addressed to the Appointments Office, we used some pro forma letters. As much as we could, we answered all the letters addressed to her. Around Christmastime, Tita Cory would start writing each card she would send to the Carmelite Sisters and Pink Sisters. She would sign all of them and refused to have anyone sign the cards for her. She felt that it would be dishonest to send a card with somebody signing for her...and the recipient would be fooled into thinking it was Tita Cory who signed. She considered that a form of deceit.

2. Did Cory know who her real friends were? How did she handle friends who wooed for favors?

Tita Cory had quality friends and not quantity. Her true friends were her friends who remained with her during martial law, during the difficult times of her presidency, and after her presidency — especially when she parted ways with the present administration.

She was more at home with friends who did not abuse her friendship. And she would be wary of those who were habitual favor-seekers.

3. What about men who probably wanted to woo her?

She particularly did not like men who were too friendly with her, especially if word got out that they were interested in her. That was the surest, fastest way of alienating that person especially if there were malicious rumors that they were interested in more than just friendship. She was so careful to keep her distance that she would avoid talking to men who were purportedly interested in more than just friendship. And she would not talk to them ever.

She often said, “That part of me died with Ninoy.”

4. Who is the Cory Aquino that we don’t know?

She had a sense of humor, enjoyed a good laugh but never at the expense of another person. She neither liked to eat raw food nor shellfish but enjoyed Japanese dishes. She could not wear flat shoes but wore rubber shoes only during the coup attempt of 1989. She did not like hair dye with peroxide. Her caviar pie and chicken pâté were tops.

5. Any personal story you’d like to share with us?

During one state dinner, she called me to Arlegui so the hairdresser could do my hair and she said in jest, “People might think I am giving you a hard time, so you must look good.”

6. This is such a big issue now against the present administration, but how did Cory try to convince people that she wasn’t at all interested in reelection?

Tita Cory sang, “I’ll never run again” to the tune of I’ll Never Smile Again to dispel rumors that she would seek another term. Since she did not have a singing voice, she said maybe people will now be convinced after she sang.

7. President Cory was so particular about marital infidelity among her government officials.

Yes, she wondered how many of the members of her Cabinet were faithful to their wives. When one official mentioned a Cabinet member’s name, another said jokingly, “Who would like to be married to him anyway?” She tried her best to suppress her laughter.

8. What was the most difficult part of your job?

 Since Tita Cory assumed the presidency through People Power, everyone thought they had a hand in making her president. As a result, just about everyone wanted a slice of her time. Others would knock at the gate to ask for a job, thinking the Appointments Office was in the business of granting appointments to government positions. Still others at the gate would ask for food or money for medicines. Some people did not look too kindly on their being denied time with the President. Some would threaten to wait for me and do me harm. Some foreigners and foreign media would arrogantly demand an appointment at their preferred date and time, something you do not do when you request to see the highest official of the land. Tita Cory was very strict about people going through my office to seek an appointment with her. In fact, even her relatives had to make a request to see her.

9. And what was the nicest part about it?

I was lucky to be working with someone who, despite being the most powerful official in the land, remained detached from material possessions and power. I enjoyed working for President Aquino so much that I did not consider it work. The pleasure was really mine. It paid to work for a President who was well-loved and respected by the people. It was also a fascinating experience to be seeing in the flesh outstanding and well-known personalities you only heard or read about.

10. What were the things that made Cory really happy?

Being with her family really made her happy. Also simple things like when she got a fabric that was wrinkle-proof...when someone came home from abroad and brought her See’s Rocky Road...when her painting got a nice look after being framed...when Joshua called her to sing Ama Namin with him...when she heard a comment that she was helping improve the lot of the poor and that she was making the right decisions.

11. What made her sad?

When her good friend and jill-of-all-trades Fritzi Aragon passed away...when her faithful hairdresser Baby Bayobo was fatally sideswiped by a bus and we had to rush to Baby’s house in Cavite for the wake...when her long-time household help Teopeng passed away in her Times St. house...when she heard of rumors of co-workers in government doing wrong.

12. And mad?

When lies were told about her, as in the Louie Beltran case...when rumors were told about her lack of courage and her ineffective governance...when her trust was abused...when she was deceived and her name was invoked for financial (gain)...when she saw her loyal friends being betrayed.

13. What was the most touching experience you ever experienced with Cory? One that made you cry?

 During the coup attempt of 1989, she gave Ninoy’s diaries to Fr. Bobby Perez whom I fetched from the San Beda Cloister while the Tora Toras were flying above. She gave me a bag and when I opened the bag in the car, it had her diaries. I cried thinking I would not see her again. I was tearful because in times of great danger, these were her prized treasures , which she gave me for safekeeping. I would be touched every time I received cards with handwritten notes from her saying, “I thank God for bringing you into my life.”

14. What was her pabilin to you before she passed away?

 She had no pabilins to me. She could hardly speak when I saw her in the hospital. And the next time I visited her, she was asleep. However, for my 60th birthday in April this year, she wrote me a letter of encouragement. She said that my age means I am now gifted with wisdom and understanding. She added that I should offer my sufferings for our country and our people.

15. President Cory met with a lot of foreign personalities. Which memory did she treasure most?

She considered herself fortunate to have met Pope John Paul II during her presidency, likewise Mother Teresa whom she met in Malacañang and whose funeral she attended. After her presidency, she looked forward to meeting President Nelson Mandela, a person she admired. In what she considered one of the highest forms of compliment, President Mandela told Ballsy Aquino, “You certainly know how to choose a mother.”