GMA reporters remember PNoy's sense of humor: 'He could hold a crowd, he liked to joke'

The late former President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III will be remembered in many ways, but GMA News reporters will always fondly recall his sense of humor.

In an interview on "The Howie Severino Podcast," Tina Panganiban-Perez, who covered Aquino back when he was still the congressman of Tarlac, shared an anecdote from a memorable coverage: the impeachment of former president Joseph "Erap" Estrada.

"I was pregnant, around eight months. My baby bump was huge. I was running around in Congress, finding congressmen for the live interviews of our newscast, then I would run back to the Session Hall to look for my own interviews," she said in Filipino.

It was during one of these instances that Aquino noticed her. He had burst out laughing and told her, "Mukha kang pato (You look like a duck)."

"[I said], Sir, I'm busy, wait," Tina said, laughing at the memory. "I was holding my stomach and he said, 'You really look like a duck.'"

"He's hardworking and serious when it comes to issues, but he had a sense of humor," she added.

Lei Alviz, who covered Aquino's presidential campaign all the way to his presidency, meanwhile said that the former president knew how to hold a crowd.

Recalling his campaign rallies, she shared, "He liked to joke. He would insert jokes in his speeches. So the people, they were happy."

Sandra Aguinaldo, who also covered the rallies, echoed Lei's sentiments.

"He once said he was looking for a girlfriend," she said with a laugh. "And the ladies all screamed."

She added that a testament to Aquino's popularity back then was how the crowds would react to meeting him.

"Did you know, he was the type people liked to kiss?" she said. "He was like a celebrity. In campaigns, people usually touch candidates, shake their hands. But when it came to Aquino, people would grab his face to kiss him."

"And people would cheer for him. You'd sense that he was very popular that time because of their reactions," she added.

Aquino, the 15th President of the Philippines, passed away on June 24 at the age of 61 due to renal disease secondary to diabetes.

He was laid to rest June 26 at Manila Memorial Park beside his parents, former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino and Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. —JCB, GMA News