Carmen Aguinaldo-Melencio | Daughter of Emilio Famy Aguinaldo and Hilaria del Rosario Aguinaldo
Published by the Philippine Free Press on 3 August 1939
He has no vices to speak of. He does not drink, does not smoke, and does not gamble. There are no movies for him if he can avoid them. Since our return from Europe six years ago, he has been to the movies only two or three times.
He never loses his temper. No cuss words for him at all. His only exclamation when somewhat angered is “Tinamaan ng kanin iyan,” literally, struck by a grain of rice.” He controls his feelings remarkably well.
He is, I often think, too compassionate. When veterans or relatives come to him and plead for aid, they almost invariably get it. Even in the midst of his present financial hardships, he gives ten pesos here and twenty pesos there, unmindful of his own tomorrow. If he himself cannot do the thing asked him, he goes around and requests someone to help.
An American visitor at Kawit remarked that General Aguinaldo’s house is the only house where the figure of a carabao can be found right in front of it facing the street, and he asked the General the reason for putting it there. In a humorous mood, the answer came: “It is because the carabao is the animal that best typifies my character; patient as long as things can be borne, when the limit is reached, I charge.”
The Bonifacio and Luna incidents for which he has been so severely criticized by his enemies are affairs he does not want to touch upon if he can avoid them. His invariable response to inquiries is that there are truths which as yet have not been made public, and that history will surely reveal those truths some day. Some of the persons who know the truth are still alive.