What former Sen. Saguisag regrets: I never got to thank my wife before she died

“Perfect.”

This was how former Senator Rene Saguisag described his wife, the late Dulce Saguisag, a Social Welfare Secretary during the administration of former President Joseph Estrada.



In an interview with Powerhouse's Mel Tiangco, Rene recalled how he met Dulce.

They crossed paths in the United States – the land of opportunities  – while Rene was studying in Harvard and Dulce was in Boston College.

“From the time we met ang bait bait na [ni Dulce],” Rene recalled.

The former senator said that it was not love at first sight for him but he felt he was already “half in love” with Dulce.

“Noong makita ko siya ang buhok niya hanggang tuhod sa likod. And then something about her ay talagang [nakapagpa-] half in-love [sa akin] immediately,” he said.

In time Rene and Dulce's relationship blossomed from being friends, best friends, lovers, and finally husband and wife.

They were blessed with five children, all professionals in their own field.

Putting up with me

Rene mentioned that he had his quirks, describing himself as an eccentric and a weirdo.

He remembered one time when he told Dulce that they had to break up if he found out that she was rich or had wealthy relatives.

“Kaya kitang buhayin, hindi ko kailangan ng kayamanan mo,” was what he told Dulce that time.

Rene said he was conceited in his younger years. His pride dictated that he wanted to be the sole provider for Dulce without having to rely on anyone else.

Despite his quirks, Dulce remained by his side in good and bad times.

Rene said his wife was sweet “99.99 percent” of the time, adding in jest that “minsan lang [may pinag-aawayan] pag may irrationally pinagseselosan.”

“And maybe [she's] the only one who could put up with me all those years kasi I'm not the easiest person to get along with,” Rene said fondly.

Tragedy

On November 8, 2007, the couple was on their way home from a social event riding their van together with a dance instructor and their driver.

Rene did not know that this would be the last time he would be with Dulce.

On that fateful night, a dumptruck slammed their van putting Rene in critical condition. Dulce, unfortunately, was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Rene said his wife did not show any manifestations that night that she was going to die soon.

However, he remembers that during that night, he urged Dulce to gome home 15 minutes earlier than their usual 1:00 a.m. departure. He uses this reason to blame himself for the accident.

Devastated

Rene was confined to the ICU for three weeks after the accident.

During that time he says he had no recollection of what happened although friends and relatives said he gave signals and hand gestures to confirm their presence during their visits.

He was informed of the passing away of his wife after his confinement in the ICU.

“Paglabas ko sa ICU I was told biyudo na pala ako by my relatives,” Rene recalled, adding that he asked them “Nasaan si Dulce?” 

“Gone to a better place” was what they told him. Rene was devastated by the news.

“Kasi pag talagang ganoon na all your life you had to rely on someone, pag nawala talagang kakawag-kawag [ka],” he said.

Never got the chance

The memory of Dulce will always remain in Rene's heart and mind. However hard he tries, he knows he won't be able to bring back the other half of his life.

As they say, “you know the value of what you have only if you lose it” and Rene has fully realized the meaning of this proverb.

Rene wishes that he was more open, more vocal, on the things that Dulce has done for him which he seemingly took for granted through the years.

“I did not really praise her. I did not say thank you. Ang hirap dahil sa normal na ganoon may last iilness, nakapagpaalam, nakapagpasalamat,” he said.

“I never got the chance,” Rene regretfully concluded. - Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News