Did Cory Aquino really have lunch with Tom Cruise when he was in the Philippines filming Born on the Fourth of July back in 1989? Why even ask? Because this event is used by Marcos revisionists to paint Marcos as a saint who wished to give 90% of his wealth to the Filipino people and Cory as an evil woman who spurned that offer. Let's take a look at this strange tale.
This story originates in former Vice President under Cory Aquino Salvador Laurel's book Neither Trumpets nor Drums. Laurel was summoned by Marcos to visit him in Hawaii on February 3-4 1989. During that visit Marcos had a confidential message he wanted given to President Aquino.
“Please tell Mrs. Aquino to stop sending her relatives to me," he continued. "They are proposing so many things. I have already established a foundation and I am turning over 90% of all my worldly possessions to the Filipino people. Enrique Zobel has all the papers. He and the Papal Nuncio, Msgr. Torpigliani, will sit in the Board to see to it that 90% of all that I have are properly distributed to our people. That is much better than what Mrs' Aquino's relatives have been proposing. I am leaving only 10% for my family."
p. 108
Upon his return to the Philippines Doy went to visit Cory in order to relay the message but she refused to see him. He notes that she "allotted an hour to Tom Cruise."
I hurried back to Manila to transmit Marcos' message to President Aquino. I asked for an appointment but Cory would not see me. Here I was, her own Vice President, asking only for three minutes of her time to convey a very important message from her predecessor, and she would not see me. I was told she was busy. Later I was told that she allotted an hour to Tom Cruise, the American movie actor.
p. 108
Laurel then wrote Cory a letter imploring her to receive Marcos' message.
"I hope you will find time to listen to the highly confidential message of Mr. Marcos considering its serious import and far-reaching consequences upon your administration and the nation as a whole"
Cory replied:
"I have since Friday, February 3rd, received a copy of the letter of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. As to the highly confidential message from Ferdinand E. Marcos, I feel that in the light of your representation of its 'serious import and far-reaching consequences upon your (my) administration and the nation as a whole, such a message should be disclosed to the public rather than kept confidential. This is in accordance with my announced policy of utmost transparency in the management of the affairs of the country."
p. 108-109
He writes a reply hoping she will change her mind and receive the message directly from him but she refuses. He then assesses this situation calling her refusal to receive the message "her biggest mistake."
Cory's refusal to receive Marcos' message was perhaps her biggest mistake. Had she received the message openmindedly, and studied it carefully, she might have obtained enough money to pay off half of our foreign debt and only 20 percent of the budget would have to be set aside for debt service. The other 20 percent would have freed billions of pesos for infrastructure, roads, peace and order, education, etc.
p. 110
He then cites an unnamed commentator who had this to say about Cory's refusal to receive Marcos' message.
"With the decision of the Hawaii court that victims of the Marcos' martial law atrocities, brutalities and inhumanities are entitled to payment
"How much would 90 percent of Marcos' money be? If he had squirreled away $10 billion, the top figure mentioned bu those who speculated on Marcos' wealth, the government would have received $9 billion.
"How much shoring up of a faltering government could have been done? Unless Marcos had specified as condition that the money he was returning would be for specific purposes like paying the foreign debt, it is possible that Cory would have channeled most of it to her favorite projects like the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). She would probably not have turned the money to the treasury to be appropriated by the Congress. Perhaps, unless Marcos has specified the uses of his money, it might have been dissipated in other favorite projects of Cory.
"But if the $9 billion would have been utilized properly, the country would have been lifted from its status as a beggar nation. With wise planning and honest spending, the Philippines might have had a chance to become one of the tigers of Southeast Asia.
"There is nothing sadder than what might have been. It is even sadder than being the basket case of Asia-Pacific. To have had $9 billion on hand and squandered it on favorite projects, the tragedy would have been double. So, the way things actually turned out might have been better than becoming suddenly a rich nation that did not know how to make its riches permanent. Under Cory, there would have been very little chance that matters would have materially improved.
"The biggest error of the Cory administration was to spurn Doy and the message he carried from Honolulu."
p. 111
Whoever wrote that commentary is a real piece of work. He starts off saying so much good could have been done had Cory received the message and the money from Marcos. Then he says Cory would have wasted it anyway so its probably better the money was not received. Then he finishes by saying her biggest error was to spurn Doy and his message and thus not receive the money. Pick a scenario please! Either Cory would have wasted the money or she would not have wasted the money. If it was her biggest mistake to not receive the message and money then that assumes she would not have wasted it.
Of course these scenarios rest on the assumption that Marcos would actually have given 90% of his wealth or $9 billion to the Philippines. But did you know that there is more to the story? Imelda Marcos was dead set against the idea.
Anyway. Doy Laurel was approaching the core of his conversation with Ferdinand Marcos. The dying ex-president chose his words carefully: "I have decided to donate to the Philippine government and the Filipino people 90 percent of the Marcos wealth. We the Marcos family will get only 10 percent and no more. I want that to be very clear. I want you to communicate that to President Aquino. We will take care of the details later." Laurel was dumbfounded. The amount of wealth was not mentioned but the estimate at that time was about 10 to 15 billion US dollars. In any language – fantabulous!
But right there and then in the hospital, Laurel realized the whole thing, the proffered donation, what seemed to be the last will of the dying ex-dictator, wouldn’t work. Imelda, according to Laurel, heard the whole conversation. And she told Doy as he left Marcos’ bed – this according to Doy – that they, the Marcoses, particularly she, Imelda, would only agree to 70 to 75 percent going to the government, while they would retain 25 to 30 percent. "Ten percent is out of the question," she said. Imelda held dominion and that was that. The empress dowager had spoken.
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2001/12/05/142497/doy-macoy-yorac-corner
Why did Laurel not include his exchange with Imelda in his book? Her refusal sheds more light on this situation. Knowing that Laurel knew this offer would not work reveals that there was nothing for Cory to refuse in the first place because Imelda would not have let it happen. So, why paint a picture of him pleading with Cory to a receive a message which he knew would ultimately be fruitless?
But did Marcos actually say he would give 90% of his wealth to the government? No. He did not say that. Here is his message:
I have already established a foundation and I am turning over 90% of all my worldly possessions to the Filipino people. Enrique Zobel has all the papers. He and the Papal Nuncio, Msgr. Torpigliani, will sit in the Board to see to it that 90% of all that I have are properly distributed to our people.
Marcos said he had ALREADY established a foundation and he said, "I AM TURNING OVER 90% OF ALL MY WORLDLY POSSESSIONS TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE." There is no offer here. There is nothing contingent about his turning over 90% of his wealth. This is a pledge. Marcos said he had already set up a foundation to distribute his wealth. The Papal Nuncio and Filipino businessman Erinque Zobel were appointed to the Board to oversee this distribution. There is nothing said about giving a one time lump sum to the government. From the sound of it the foundation would have distributed the money to the people directly.
The real issue in this situation is not that Cory refused the message and thus the money. The real issue is that Marcos did not follow through on his promise to set up a foundation through which he would distribute his money directly to the Filipino people. Doy and the commentator are both wrong in their assessment of this event. Even Wikipedia gets this story wrong referring to Marcos' pledge as an offer.
During the meeting with Laurel, Marcos offered to return 90% of his ill-gotten wealth to the Filipino people in exchange for being buried back in the Philippines beside his mother, an offer also disclosed to Enrique Zobel. However, Marcos's offer was rebuffed by the Aquino government and by Imelda Marcos.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcos#Death_and_burial
At least this article mentions Imelda's refusal to go along with her husband's plan.
What happened to the foundation Marcos claimed he had already established? The roots of this pledge extend back to the end of 1969. On December 31, 1969 Marcos wrote in his diary that he had planned to set up a foundation to distribute all his worldly goods to the Filipino people.
I have today given away by general instrument of transfer all my worldly possessions to the Filipino people through a foundation to be organized known as the Marcos Foundation.
Moved by the strongest desire and the purest will to set the example of self-denial and self-sacrifice for all our people, I have today decided to give away all my worldly possessions so that they may serve the greater needs of the greater number of our people.
It is my wish that these properties will be used in advancing education, science, technology and the arts.
This act I undertake of my own free will, knowing that my need of material possessions will, having always been a simple man, my needs will always be lesser that those of many of our people, who have given me the highest honor within their gift, an honor unshared by any one of my predecessors and not likely to be shared by any one else in the future no other Filipino leader.
Since about a year ago, I have asked my closest some of very my closest confidants to study the mechanics of this decision. Today studies have been completed, and a foundation will be formed to administer these properties and all funds that may be generated therefrom.
My wife, Imelda, is in agreement with this decision. Provisions will be made for my children, so that they shall be assured of satisfactory education and be prepared to meet their lifetime duties and endeavors.
For the moment, my most sincere hope is that this humble act shall set the example and move to greater deeds of unselfishness and compassion, many of our countrymen whose position in society gives them a stronger duty to minister to the needs of our less fortunate brothers and countrymen.
It seems that he never did establish the foundation he had dreamt of in 1969 as it was Enrique Zobel who in 1989 suggested that he establish a foundation to distribute his wealth.
From Zobel's deposition before a Blue Ribbon Committee in Hawaii on October 27, 1999 we read the following about the genesis of this foundation:
THE CHAIRMAN. All right. You also indicated in the same affidavit, paragraph 10, that you suggested to him the establishment of a foundation for the interest of the Filipino people. Can you tell this Committee what his reaction to that suggestion?
MR. ZOBEL. He said, that was an excellent idea and, in fact, he has--if I do this, would you please be the chairman. I said, Mr. President, if I am the chairman, I will be sued right and left by the people in Manila for envy, so please why don't you choose someone Filipinos will not sue. Then he asked me who? I said, well, the Vatican. So, he said, excellent idea. Could you please arrange to talk to Papal Nuncio in Manila, who was Torpigliani then.
The foundation was ultimately not put into force.
THE CHAIRMAN. All right. Now, let's pursue the question of the establishment of a foundation. Can you tell this Committee whether or not the foundation was, in fact, formed?
MR. ZOBEL. It was not formed. The Papal Nuncio, I was able to talk to him through Father Alarcon who brought me to his residence in front of La Salle, and he went to Rome. He first came, talked to the President and the President made a confession with him but he can't tell to the priest. But he went to Rome and he got the foundation but instead of the Vatican, it was Torpigliani, which was the--he had the title changed in Rome. It should be the trust of the Vatican. That was the only thing. Otherwise, everything was in order.
Zobel had set everything up with a lawyer.
THE CHAIRMAN. It will have more weight. Now, regarding the formation of this foundation, did you have to employ the services of a lawyer?
MR. ZOBEL. Yes. I employed the services of Mr. Mike Garcia, who is a lawyer in Honolulu. In fact, he charged me the bill because Marcos died so I have to pay the bill which is 4,000 dollar. I have the receipt here.
Zobel then testified that Marcos was unable to sign any documents because the local doctor would not allow him to since he was not mentally competent. Two Filipino doctors were summoned to certify Marcos' lucidity but they were barred by the Bureau of Immigration from leaving the country.
THE CHAIRMAN. All right. Now, regarding your meeting with Vice President Laurel, can you tell this Committee what was the tenor of your conversation with him?
MR. ZOBEL. Yes. There were two things--two important things came about. One was to send two doctors, I forgot the names, and I have the record of their flight, everything was arranged. To check if Marcos could really talk or not, because the doctor here said, he could not and so we could not establish the foundation. But at the airport, then health secretary Bengzon stopped them at Immigration, didn't allow them to board, upon orders of Cory.
Zobel testified that Vice President Laurel told him that the two doctors summoned to certify Marcos' lucidity to sign the documents establishing the foundation were prevented from leaving the country on the orders of Cory.
Why does Salvador Laurel not mention this fact in his book Neither Trumpets nor Drums? He mentions that Marcos said he set up a foundation but he neglects to tell us that he was not lucid enough to actually sign any legal documents and needed two Filipino doctors to give the ok and that they were prevented from leaving the country on orders of Cory Aquino. Why? That is very pertinent information which makes his analysis that Cory's biggest mistake was her refusal to receive Marcos' message just plain wrong. By February 1989 Marcos was in no state to be setting up a foundation or making any decision about what to do with his wealth. It also raises the question of why these doctors were prevented from leaving. Did Cory know that they were going to certify Marcos as being lucid so he could sign documents establishing a foundation? But that would mean she knew the content of Marcos' secret message before Laurel returned from Hawaii and asked for an audience. Something is missing here.
The deposition continues:
SEN. FLAVIER. I see. In sum, the foundation never really got born, so to speak?
MR. ZOBEL. Because the doctors did not allow him to sign. But you see that foundation of his gold was revocable until the government had agreed on the two conditions, that would be come automatically irrevocable.
SEN. FLAVIER. I see. And so it was that illness that prevented the final signing of the foundation papers?
MR. ZOBEL. No. His health, the local doctor would not certify....They would certify that he was capable of knowing he was signing.
SEN. FLAVIER. I see. It was the certification that he was lucid and able to sign that document?
MR. ZOBEL. Correct.
SEN. FLAVIER. Those two doctors I happened to know, then Dr. Sawit and Dr. Alano were notallowed to come?
MR. ZOBEL. Were not allowed to leave Manila Airport when they had the tickets on hand.
SEN. FLAVIER. Did you get an inkling of why?
MR. ZOBEL. Well, according to Doy, he told me that the doctors were stopped by an order to Immigration from Secretary of Health which was Bengzon. Bengzon ba?
SEN. FLAVIER. Yes.
MR. ZOBEL. Bengzon. That's what the Vice President told me.
Zobel says that the foundation was revocable until the two conditions, being buried in the Philippines and his family protected from government prosecution, were met which gives weight to this being an offer and not a mere pledge. But coupled with Marcos' exact words to Doy Laurel and his desire in 1969 to set up a foundation to transfer his wealth to the Filipino people it would seem that it was more of a pledge than an offer. If Marcos had signed the documents it would be hard to imagine him suddenly revoking the whole thing because two conditions were not met. At least if he were serious about helping out his countrymen it would seem unlikely he would revoke the foundation.
Here is how the foundation would have worked:
THE CHAIRMAN. All right. I think we can resume.Mr. Zobel, will you kindly tell this Committee if you remember the terms of that--the term of sharing of the wealth of Mr. Marcos as put into the foundation agreement?
MR. ZOBEL. It's in the Vatican trust. But if I recall right, 10 percent would go to the Marcos family, the wife and children.
THE CHAIRMAN. Ten percent.
MR. ZOBEL. Ten percent would go to the Vatican for the poor people and in the missions.
THE CHAIRMAN. And in the...
MR. ZOBEL. In the missions for the Vatican to dispose of. One percent to the people in Hawaii that were loyal to him. And then I don't know. But the rest would go to the foundation to be used specifically or schools, hospitals and infrastructure and agriculture.
This set-up would leave only 79% for the Filipino people which is less than the amount Marcos promised to Laurel. Note that none of that money is going to the government coffers generally but is specified to be used in certain sectors. It is not clear that the money would even be distributed through government agencies though that is likely.
Even if Cory had agreed to what Marcos had planned the foundation would never have been a reality. In the first place Marcos was in no state to legally consent to such a plan as he was bedridden in the ICU and he could not even talk due to a tracheotomy. Local doctors would not approve of his signing any legal documents so Zobel was reduced to hiring two Filipino doctors travel to Hawaii so they could clear Marcos. Even if they had been allowed to travel by the BI their decision to clear Marcos as being lucid would have been highly unethical and likely have been challenged successfully in court if anyone cared to do so. Second of all Imelda was dead set against this idea as she told Doy Laurel she wanted to keep 30% of the wealth. With these very real factors considered (Marcos' incapacity due to poor health and Imelda's resistance) one cannot blame Cory Aquino for keeping Marcos from distributing his wealth to the Filipino people by "rejecting his offer." Marcos had ample time to set up the foundation he had first proposed back in 1969. Marcos would remain in the ICU until his death on September 28th, 1989.
These facts do not even take into account the question of just how much wealth Marcos had and how much of it was his lawfully. If Zobel's testimony is to be believed Marcos had amassed much more than $10 billion dollars.
THE CHAIRMAN. So, are you telling the Committee, Mr. Zobel, that there is basis for this figure of the amount of Marcos wealth running to several billions of U.S. dollars?
MR. ZOBEL. Yes. I would take gold, assets and dollars over all comments even bank certificates, I would say 100 billion.
That is Zobel's estimate of the value of Marcos' fortune. Truly a mind-boggling sum in every way.
Several foundations were set-up by Marcos but none of them were for the purpose of transferring his wealth to the Filipino people. They were all used to hide his assets. These include the Xandy Foundation, the Trinidad Foundation, the Azizo Foundation, the Rosayls Foundation, the Charis Foundation, and the Rayby Foundation. See more at this link.
But what about Tom Cruise? Did Cory meet him? From Doy's account it would appear she met with him for an hour. The South China Morning Post greatly expands on this story.
Actually, Doy was the last Filipino politician to talk to Marcos before he died in Hawaii. Marcos gave him a final message to deliver to his nemesis, Cory Aquino, but when Doy arrived at Malacanang Palace to see Cory he was told that she was unable to see him because of a pressing engagement (which turned out to be lunch with Hollywood star Tom Cruise).
Lunch with Tom Cruise sounds pretty awesome. But did it really happen? No. The appointed visit was scheduled a few days before Doy Laurel returned from Hawaii. Tom was late and Cory did not want to wait around for him.
Despite pleas from her daughter to wait for a 'chance of a lifetime' meeting with actor Tom Cruise, President Corazon Aquino went home Monday when the Hollywood star failed to appear on time.
'Hey, Kris, I waited for them.
Just tell them I waited,' Aquino told her daughter before departing the presidential palace. Aquino is known for her punctuality -- a trait uncommon among Filipinos.
'Please mom, it's a chance of a lifetime,' said Kris, an aspiring actress who will turn 18on Valentine's Day.
Presidential palace aides said Aquino was as excited as her daughter in meeting Cruise.
Kris Aquino had invited Cruise to the presidential palace before his departure for the United States after filming the Vietnam War film 'Fourth of July' in the Philippines.
Cruise, accompanied by his wife, Mimi Rogers, strolled into the palace wearing a black air force cap, printed polo shirt over blue denims and rubber shoes long after the president had left.
'I am sorry you missed my mom,' said Kris to Cruise.
A later article says Cruise was 5 minutes late so Cory left.
How do we reconcile this with Doy's account? It's not very hard. Doy was told by someone else that Cory had allotted an hour to meet with Tom Cruise. He never says Cory actually met with Tom Cruise. But the way the book is written it appears that Cory would not meet with Doy BECAUSE she was meeting with Tom Cruise. That is exactly how the SCMP frames the event. In fact they even expand the narrative calling it a lunch. Only Kris Aquino knows for sure what happened but I do not have the privilege of being able to ask her. I bet she has pictures.
