Robredo says history will give Noynoy his due, recalls 'Betcha By Golly Wow' moment with him

Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday said despite the criticisms hurled at the late former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, history will be the one to give the former leader his due. 

“The past 5 years have been painful for us because we saw, first hand, how wrongful accusations and disinformation were spewed to diminish his legacy. A lot of people were made to believe them but facts and numbers don’t lie. I have no doubt that history will give him his due,” she said in a post on her personal Facebook account.

More than being a friend to her family, the Vice President acknowledged Aquino as an example of an ideal public servant.

“Today, we lay [Noynoy] to rest. Many of us who saw him up close are in grief. He was not just a friend. He was a public servant we all strive to become,” she said.

Robredo made the remark hours before Aquino’s inurnment.

In the same post, Robredo looked back at her good memories with the former president.

Making a trip down memory lane, she recalled how Aquino had “showered” her family with goodness.

Remembering these times, she said, is her family’s way of coping with the grief brought by the former leader’s demise.

Robredo mentioned Aquino’s passion about music and his love for singing.

“Last night at the Gesu, when Jaya sang one of his favorite songs, Minsan ang Minahal ay Ako, I remember him letting me listen to this on his headphones and when I said it was so beautiful, he gave me a copy of Aiza Seguerra’s CD with this song,” she recalled.

Seguerra now goes by the name Ice.

Robredo also recalled how Aquino asked people, including his former Cabinet secretaries to sing Betcha By Golly Wow— a song that she associated with her late husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

“I remember one time we were in Naga, in one of his visits, while we were eating lunch at The Park restaurant, he suddenly played Betcha By Golly Wow from his Spotify and asked our tablemates to sing for me,” she said.

“While we were walking from the Basilica Minore to Jesse’s cremation, a band was playing My Love Will See You Through. He asked me if it was really Jesse’s favorite song. I told him that was his favorite karaoke song. Then he started singing with the band,” Robredo further narrated.

Moments after Aquino’s burial, Robredo posted photos of her with Rear Admiral Adelius Bordado, Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy, and retired Admiral Alexander Pama, who also held the same post in the Navy.

The former and incumber Navy officials attended the inurnment of the former president at the Manila Memorial Cemetery.

On Friday night, Robredo reminisced how Aquino was “very careful with his words” and how he was “reassuring” when they were waiting for updates on the day that the plane carrying her husband crashed in Masbate.

She recalled Aquino telling her that he will make sure that her children— Aika, Jillian, and Tricia will finish their studies.

Robredo also recounted Aquino giving her a brown envelope which can only be opened once her husband’s body was found.

After they found Jesse’s body, Robredo found out that Aquino had given her papers containing a proposal that her husband can be interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“I told him, that knowing my husband, he would  prefer to be buried in Naga which was home to him and he would always want to be with his people. He said he would respect my decision but advised me to still give it some time and think it over. He did ask me again about two days after and my answer was still the same,” Robredo said. -MDM, GMA News