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Friday, March 29, 2024

Everyone a Ninoy and Cory Aquino

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Last Saturday, I wrote a column on Ninoy Aquino and his legacy. Today, I pay tribute to his wife Cory Aquino who, more than anyone else, helped restore our democratic rights after the Marcos dictatorship. Next Saturday, to complete a trilogy of columns on the Aquinos, I will write about the presidency of Noynoy Aquino, the son of Ninoy and Cory. All of these are written in tribute to good, even if imperfect, public servants. I write about them also in the context of the national situation, of what has become a narcotic (according to President Duterte) and in many ways a lunatic (my description) state. How did the country of Ninoy, Cory, and Noynoy get to be in such a bad state in terms of human rights? What happened and what do we do to get out of this darkness?

But first a tribute to Corazon C. Aquino.

Cory was a simple wife of a prominent politician. Her simplicity was such that she remained behind the shadows even as her husband was constantly basking in the glare of the spotlight, being at the forefront of the struggle against the tyrannical rule of a dictator. When her husband was imprisoned, she dutifully took care of the children and did everything to keep them insulated from the topsy-turvy world of politics. She was thrust to the political arena when she became the leader of the opposition after her husband was assassinated on August 21, 1983 upon returning to the Philippines from exile in the United States. Marcos, thinking that he could soundly beat a woman in the polls, called for a snap election. He grossly underestimated his “plain housewife” opponent when, in the midst of accusations of massive fraud in the elections, Corazon Aquino, affectionately called Tita Cory, called for civil disobedience. Defections in the military and the support of the local Catholic hierarchy led to the peaceful People Power Revolution that ousted Marcos and secured her accession on February 25, 1986.

Cory’s legacy as the 11th president of the Republic is characterized by her initiatives to restore democracy in the country. After more than 20 years dictatorial rule, the institutions of government were practically destroyed. The military, Congress and the Supreme Court were highly politicized. Some of her achievements include the promulgation of the 1987 Constitution which limited the power of the executive to declare martial law, the creation of the Presidential Commission on Good Government which ran after the billions of dollars stolen by the Marcoses and cronies. Cory gave strong emphasis and concern for civil liberties and human rights, to exorcise the wanton disregard of the rule of law and liberties of the people by the previous administration.

In addition to many challenges facing her administration, natural and man-made, Cory’s toughest challenge came from disgruntled segments of the military led by the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) and Marcos loyalists which almost toppled her government in a coup d’etat staged on 1 December 1989. With the help of Fidel Ramos, who himself succeeded her to the presidency, and her loyal generals she survived seven coups.

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Her administration, often tumultuous, was characterized by her fidelity to the democratic principles she passionately espoused. She declined all requests to run for reelection to demonstrate to all that the presidency is not for life. Her integrity remained irreproachable all throughout and not a single accusation of corruption was hurled against her person because everybody knew how honest and incorruptible she was. With nothing more to accuse her of, her enemies attacked her supposed incompetence which the Marcos loyalists repeated in irritating, albeit ineffective, refrain. She was even accused by one journalist that she hid under the bed during the coups which she herself belied. This was an accusation which found no resonance; for if anything, Cory was an epitome of courage.

Cory was a humble and principled woman. Even in her retirement she chose to shun the limelight. She gracefully left politics and devoted her time to civic work like organizing aid projects such as rural credit schemes and funding for victims of disasters. She rarely made herself felt by the public unless it involved her children. Once when her youngest daughter Kris Aquino gave birth to a son by a 47-year-old divorcee, Cory pleaded for privacy, but then faxed every national newspaper a prayer for Kris she had penned for St Valentine’s Day.

An unassuming woman thrust by destiny to become the leader of a country of around 60 million during her time, her lack of experience in government could not be her fault. Yet with all her shortcomings, Cory Aquino demonstrated virtues that are rarely present in a national leader. She was humble, deeply religious, bestowed with ample amount of moral fortitude, courage under fire and willingness to take on challenges of the presidency that she knew would upend her normal life. In the end, she left a legacy of restored democracy; she brought democratic institutions from the ashes and breathe life in them.

Her body wracked with cancer, Cory passed into eternal life on August 1, 2009. For all her imperfections, including her inability to transcend her class origins (the failure of land reform during her tenure can be directly attributed to this), Cory was, in the words of Conrado de Quiros, in life and in death one damn good person.

Today, seeing the path this country is heading and the threats to democracy and its institutions that she helped restore during her time, will perhaps be turning in her grave. But maybe not. Because there was one thing Cory Aquino shared with her husband, Ninoy: the Filipino is worth fighting for, even dying for. As long as many of us believe this, then this is a temporary state, this darkness will pass, and our children can be safe from murderers.

In the days to come, to stop the massacre of the poor, may we all have the courage and love of our people that Ninoy and Cory had. Let us set aside indifference and conquer our fears, Everyone a Ninoy and Cory is what is demanded of all of us.

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/deantonylavs/ Twitter: tonylavs

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