Reyes family now ‘at peace’

In an exclusive interview by GMA News’ Mariz Umali aired on “24 Oras" Friday, Reyes’ widow Teresita said the family is now "at peace", even as she recalled how her husband gravely rued having been invited as a resource person in the Senate hearing on the controversial Garcia plea bargain deal. "Pagkauwi niya galing sa Senate, malungkot na malungkot. Inakap ko siya. I know kung anong agony niya noon, at that time noong sinabi niya ‘yun. Biglang napaupo siya nang patalikod. Masakit na masakit sa kanya. From that time on, malungkot na siya," Mrs. Reyes told GMA News. (He looked very dejected when he got home from the Senate. I hugged him. I knew the agony he was going through at that time. He slumped down on his seat. It was very painful for him. From that time on, he was despondent.) Knowing how the retired general must have felt, the family tried as often as possible to be by his side, she said. Mrs. Reyes told GMA News there were hints then pointing to her husband’s decision to end his life, but she could not fully comprehend them. “Iha, sabi niya, alagaan mong mabuti si Carlo at saka si Judd. Oo naman, inaalagaan ko naman, sabi ko. ‘Hindi, alagaan mong mabuti’. OK, sabi kong ganun. Tapos after that, sabi niya, sa master's bedroom patulugin mo ‘yung dalawa. Sabi ko, Bakit? Sabi niya, ‘pag natulog ka sa taas, kasama ‘yung dalawa. Sabi ko, bakit nga? ‘Eh sinabi ko eh,’ sabi niyang ganun. OK. Ganun lang," Mrs. Reyes narrated. ('Baby,' he told me, 'take good care of Carlo and Judd.' I said, ‘Of course I’m taking care of them.’ He said, ‘No, take really good care of them.’ And I said OK. And then he said, ‘Ask the two to sleep in the master’s bedroom.’ I asked why. He said, ‘Whenever you go to sleep upstairs, be sure the two are with you.’ I asked again why and he said, ‘Because I said so.’ I said OK. And that was it.) “Nagtaka ako. Akala ko aalis siya, magtatago. Sabi ko, bakit naman ito magtatago? Wala namang kasalanan ito," she said. (That got me thinking. I thought maybe he’d leave and go into hiding. I said to myself, why would he hide? He didn’t do anything wrong.) “Inakap ko siya, inakap niya ako. Sabi niya, be strong, Iha, be strong. Sabi ko, oo naman, kaya natin ito," Mrs. Reyes added. (I hugged him and he hugged me back. He told me, ‘Be strong, baby, be strong.’ I said, yes, we’ll get through this.)
Mrs. Reyes declined to confirm reports that former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo indeed called him the day before he killed himself, and if there was indeed someone powerful behind the move to pin the blame on Reyes, as what his close friend retired Navy officer Rex Robles said. “We are at peace. Lahat-lahat ng may sinasabing hindi maganda sa amin, pinatawad na namin," she added. (We have forgiven everyone who have been saying negative things about us.)—Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMA News