Military honor guards take the casket of the late Press Secretary Cerge Remonde to a waiting Air Force plane that will fly him to Cebu. (Photos by CANDICE LUCAS REYES)

The widow of Press Secretary Cerge Remonde on Friday expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support and love for her late husband whose remains have been flown to his home province of Cebu.

Marit Stinus Remonde extended her deepest thanks to those who journeyed with her in the saddest chapter of her life shortly after the Mass offered by President Arroyo at Malacañang’s Heroes Hall which was officiated by Abra Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian.

“I just like to thank everybody for being here and for the love for Cerge. I would like to thank everybody. I am so overwhelmed and I’m just really grateful that everybody really loved him.

“It is, of course, hard; I still don’t know what I’m gonna do,” she said in an interview.

During the Mass, there were moments when the late press secretary’s Danish wife, who sat beside President Arroyo, cried, particularly when Jaucian started blessing her husband’s coffin.

Jaucian, in his homily, described Remonde as “a very loyal soldier and a best friend.”

“He was a soldier. He fought the good fight to the end. He was our best friend,” said the Abra bishop who was among Remonde’s many friends.

The grieving Mrs. Remonde admitted she regretted “not spending time together” with her husband in Manila as she expressed belief that her husband lived a good life as a media man and as a public servant.

“I could have done better. I should have been there for him because of the decision we made nine years ago to accept that offer to become press secretary. There was a lot of sacrifice over the years. I still believe it was worth it,” she said.

“I just really wish that we had some more good years because he was looking forward to a more normal life, without pressures and more time to play golf, and be with friends and sing.

“And he was even joking to his friends that he was looking forward to be an opposition so that he could really freely and truly express opinion openly without considering that he was just not speaking for himself, but speaking for the President and the entire government,” she said.

Mrs. Remonde, who writes a column for the Manila Times, said that after her husband’s funeral tomorrow, she will return to Manila immediately “to arrange everything” including matters regarding the place they were renting in Bel Air, Makati.

She said she still has no plans to go to back Denmark even after tying up loose ends in Manila.

Holding her tears, the President led the sendoff for Remonde’s remains for the flight to Cebu at Villamor Air Base.

Meanwhile, in Remonde’s hometown of Argao, police have raised a heightened alert in preparation for the arrival of the remains Saturday and to ensure the safety of government dignitaries who will pay their last respects to Remonde.

Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Sr. Supt. Erson Digal, who personally supervised the mapping out of security plans in Argao, said he has tasked Supt. Eduardo Saavedra, the deputy provincial director for administration, to be in charge of the augmentation force assigned in Argao this Saturday and tomorrow. (With a report from Mars M. Mosqueda Jr.)