At dawn on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, President Arroyo visited the wake of her confidant, late Press Secretary Cerge Remonde whose remains lie in state at the Heritage Memorial Park in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Arroyo was received by the 44-year old wife of Remonde, Marit Stinus who was fondly talking to media shortly before the President’s arrival.

The President hugged Mrs. Remonde, peeked into press secretary’s coffin and had a 30-minute chat with Marit tackling “all the happy memories that we have,” one of which was the birthday party hosted by the President and her family for Remonde in Hong Kong last December.

During the minutes-long visit, the President, accompanied by her son, Camarines Sur. Rep. Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo and his wife, sat beside Marit in the front row seat.

The President said she has myriads of fondest memories with Remonde, who was a journalist before joining the Official Family.

“He got along very well with my grandson, Diggy because Cerge has no children so he was very fond of my grandson,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

Diosdado Miguel Luis "Diggy" Arroyo is President’s first grandson from her son, Dato and Kakai Manotoc-Arroyo who also attended the funeral wake.

Before leaving, the President told a small group of reporters that “proper citations” will be given to Remonde, one of her longest serving Cabinet members who died of cardiac arrest on Tuesday.

“I'll discuss with Secretary Ermita what are the proper citations that we can accord him,” she said.

The President admitted that her Official Family lost a most competent, faithful and loyal member. “He will be sorely missed.”

Before boarding her shuttle, Mrs. Arroyo also took opportunity to ask the media whether or not they are in favor of her recent appointment naming Secretary Conrado ‘Dodie” Limcaoco, head of the Philippine Information Agency, as acting Press Secretary.

“In the mean time, I asked Dodie Limcauco to be OIC. Is that okay with you guys?,” she asked.

When answered that the new appointment was up to her, the President insisted that Remonde’s successor “has to be someone you can get along with.”

“We were planning to have lunch with the Malacañang Press Corps supposed to be Thursday. Anyway, we will push through with it, but maybe during the (necrological) because we are all going to the wake,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

Remonde, who hailed from Argao, Cebu, was appointed by Mrs. Arroyo in January 2001 as her Press Undersecretary in charge of broadcast.

In October 2006, he was named as head of the Presidential Management Staff, three years after he assumed as Mrs. Arroyo’s Press Secretary.

He earned his limelight from his initial days as a radio reporter and commentator. He was the anchor of the highly-rated DYLA Interaction, a primetime show that set the benchmark for public affairs programming.

In an interview, Marit, who was fondly called by Remonde as “Mrs. Governor” of Kiwanis International, said it was not his husband’s favorite lechon (roasted pig) nor his lifestyle that caused the cardiac arrest, but “it was stress.”

“I noticed he was not really smiling so much and not so happy. I think he was really tired he was not getting enough rest,” she told the reporters.

She said her husband, whom she called “Mr. Secretary” has not been able to play golf since he became press secretary.

“In PMS (Presidential Management Staff), it was like regular work hours, but as press secretary he was on duty even on Sundays,” Marit said.

She said her husband was often times “frustrated” by media reports, noting that “no matter how much he explains, it gets twisted.” Among these reports were the alleged lavish dinner at the posh Le Cirque Restaurant in New York and the President’s controversial augmentation mammoplasty at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Alabang, Muntinlupa City which was exclusively published by the Manila Bulletin.

“He learned his lesson not to give categorical statements,” Mrs. Remonde said.

She said amid the busy schedules, her husband, a Sto. Niño devotee, always found time to praise and thank God.

Though their marriage cannot be called perfect, she said she has no regrets, but “sometimes I think I should have spent more time with him, and been with him more often but this is how we live our lives.”

Because of their hectic work schedules, they rarely see each other.

Apart from writing columns for the Manila Times, Marit is also the consultant of the National Electrification Administration (NEA). She is also part of radio broadcast industry.

She said her last serious conversation with Remonde was last Saturday where they talked about what happens after June 30, the day which the term of Mrs. Arroyo expires.

“He says he will leave it to God,” she said even as he disclosed a job was offered to her husband in a national daily.

“He had a very good life. It was time for him to move on...He had been in media for long and it challenged him. He was really fulfilled,” Marit said.