ANGEL THOUGHTS “The Filipino is worth dying for.” – Ninoy Aquino (Continued from Saturday with apologies to Fernando Pena, president of the Timor-Philippines Business Council for failing to mention him. He was responsible for Pres. Jose Ramos Horta’s visit here.)

Timor Leste is a predominantly Catholic country and Horta also paid a visit to the crypt at the Manila Cathedral of Jaime Cardinal Sin , another one of his Filipino heroes and that of our own peaceful People Power Revolution. There are about four hundred Filipinos in Timor, most of them in important government positions.

Horta, through his request to Nando Pena--who is Filipino by the way--was also visited by former president Cory Aquino on his last day. The two are practically old friends and chatted amicably after the photographers had their fill of snapping away at the beginning of the one-hour call.

Initially, President Horta had expressed the desire to visit Cory at her home but it had been set at the Imperial suite of the plush but functional (for heads of state) Sofitel Philippine Plaza by DFA protocol so it was there that Cory went with daughter Ballsy.

Senator Noynoy Aquino was to have been there too but he had a very bad cold and her doctor had asked him not to go near his mother. It is important that Cory, at this point in her chemo sessions, be isolated from people who might be carrying a cold or other viruses.

She felt well enough for the trip to the hotel where marketing director Rose Libongco and Michael Saratan of public relations welcomed her. She still looked pale but otherwise, she was strong enough to walk through the lobby. She gave Horta a small framed painting (a pot of flowers, a favorite subject ) of hers and Horta remarked that she was a better painter than his prime minister, Gusmao.

Then he presented her and the cabinet secretary in charge of him during his visit(agriculture’s Arthur Yap) with a traditional hand-woven cloth. Horta gave a narrower cloth traditionally worn around the neck for special occasions.

Talk between the two icons flowed easily with Horta narrating how he escaped death from one of the rebel officers with whom he had been having reconciliation dialogues.

The brazen attempt was made as Horta was taking his morning walk on the beach in front of his house to the Cristo Rey statue. That was only in February this year and he was lucky that there was an Australian peace-keeping medical hospital nearby where he was rushed. When he was stabilized, he was flown to Australia for more treatment.

The gun-wielder has since been caught and is awaiting trial and Pres. Horta will be testifying in court. Horta admitted to Cory that he still feels the pains of the bullet wounds but is determined to govern his tiny country and lead it out of poverty. It has potential big gas and oil reserves but it has it be managed well. His government plans to send students to study here too. Horta also expressed interest in making a movie on his life and Timor’s struggles and so talk turned to Cory’s daughter Kris Aquino.

Horta also told her he had plans to come back early next year for another visit. Cory said she would make sure to invite him to visit the Aquino museum in Tarlac City where Ninoy’s mementoes are, and that pleased him very much. Cory shared that her first grandson Jiggy Cruz’s tribute to his grandfather was a compilation of intimate stories on him. The book, "Ninoy," launched last Sunday after the mass at the Ateneo, was snapped up by fans and collectors as the story tellers (with illustrations) are family members like his lola Cory, tita Maur, sister Viel, her son Kiko, and so on. There will be copies of the book on sale also during the mass in Don Bosco parish church in Makati this Thursday at 10 a.m.

The Timorese president also told Cory how he had an impromptu lunch at the home in Tondo of Manila vice-mayor Isko Moreno whom he met at the wreath-laying ceremonies at Rizal’s monument.

He was fascinated by Moreno’s very humble roots as he is known to have a soft spot for street children. Having met the vice-mayor, yes, I can relate with Horta on the nice impression that the still-humble and sincere Isko makes on people.

The visiting head of state also again broke protocol when he walked Cory down to her car, sending his aides and the PSG assigned to him scrambling after the two dignitaries.

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Yesterday, Ninoy Aquino Day, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo showed she was above partisan politics and officially installed the bust of Ninoy which was commissioned by the Vic Cheng family of Piatco as their tribute to him. Cheng had been a victim of the oppressive policies of Martial Law and he left the country to return only after EDSA l.

The bust, depicting a smiling Ninoy was supposed to have been installed at the NAIA Terminal 3, after Cory unveiled it and Bishop Socrates Villegas blessed, it back in Aug. 20, 2001. But since the ownership issue of the terminal was disputed, it was placed in storage. Cheng had it turned over to Cory last Friday for the installation rites on the 25th anniversary of Ninoy’s sacrifice.

With the commemoration of the hero’s death anniversary, his bigger-than-life bust done by artist Arcilla has come to rest in its proper place at the terminal 3’s departure lobby.

Notes…Happy Quezon City Day to all residents of Quezon City and to my youngest son AJ who also indulges me occasionally and takes photos for me for this column, (for free under his monicker Hobbes). Happy Birthday today!