Cory Aquino is both human and a symbol, and I see value in both of these that she was and has become
I associate August with Taylor Swift, National Heroes Day, and the Aquinos (Ninoy and Cory); all of them due to obvious reasons.
I add to that Lino Rivera, my colleague in Ateneo de Manila and friend of many years.
Swift has a song called august in her album folklore.
National Heroes’ Day is celebrated in the same month.
And two Aquinos, the wife and husband, died in August as well.
Lino passed and left us last August 3, 2023
Cory Aquino’s anniversary comes first in literal terms.
She passed away on August 1 of 2009.
The fact that that is now more than a decade ago baffles me.
When she died, many lined up to see her at the wake.
Over 150,000 people marched to Bayan Ko during her funeral procession.
Filipinos admired her and kept her close to their hearts even far after her presidency – the widow-turned president.
Cory Aquino was far from perfect, especially as a leader.
After months of presidency, the Filipinos started doubting her capabilities as we appear to float in the wreckage of the dictatorship.
For example, there was a lack of support for martial law survivors seeking justice after the dictatorship was toppled.
In fact, many military offenders, the ones who had the most blood on their hands, were left running free.
In the entire span of her administration, Aquino seemed to have a very loose grip on the military, allowing them to remain hostile.
There was the infamous Mendiola massacre, the assassinations of Rolando Olalia and Lean Alejandro, and the collapse of peace talks with the communists.
However, despite these flaws, many Filipinos still saw her as a leader with honesty and integrity.
She tried with the best that she could.
After all, she was a widow-turned president.
For one, she made sure to take care of the transition from a dictatorship to a democracy.
Marcos Sr. was barred by the 1935 Constitution from seeking a third term in presidency.
Because of this, he declared martial law, abolished the then-current Constitution and replaced it with the 1973 Constitution.
This allowed him to be president for longer and gave more state power to him.
As one of Aquino’s first Proclamations as president, she abolished the 1973 Constitution and immediately assigned people to work on a more democratic Constitution.
This led to the 1987 Constitution.
She put human rights safeguards back up as well and the Philippines finally saw a decrease in human rights violations.
She did good things while also failing to meet other expectations.
It is undeniable that Cory Aquino was an imperfect president.
But I think what is so important to keep in mind is that while Cory Aquino is flawed, she tried.
In fact, she must have tried hard.
Before she finally decided to run for president, she responded to Benjamin Brown who was convincing her to consider,
“What do I know about being president?”
And yet, even with the largeness of the challenge, even with the glaring fact that she could fail, she took it on.
It is inspiring to think of how we can try even though we are flawed.
And this act of trying can do so much more than we can imagine.
Trying to be good and do good is a choice we constantly have to make; our mistakes do not ever erase these attempts.
Another thing I would like to remember as we look back on Cory Aquino’s life is that she has become more than a person.
When she decided to run against the dictator, she became a symbol.
While putting human beings on pedestals only leads to disappointment, I also acknowledge the importance of the image she evoked.
To a people who has been oppressed, violated, and exploited, she became a potent image of hope.
And to a people who has gone through more than a decade of suffering, a potent image of hope is not only valuable, but vital for survival.
Cory Aquino’s life serves as a reminder that one, we can be flawed and yet try to be good, and two, when adversity is swallowing a people, a symbol of hope can topple a dictatorship and keep them going.
Cory Aquino is both human and a symbol, and I see value in both of these that she was and has become.
In this regard, I would like to honor Lino Rivera, who was inspired and closely associated with Cory Aquino.
They had a shared vision and mission for the country and were faithful to that until the end of their lives.
I have followed Lino’s struggle with illness through decades and always wondered where his commitment, energy, and hopeful demeanor come from.
Being a younger “classmate” of Lino in struggling with illness, he was the model, the North Star for how to live meaningfully and productively while burdened by physical limitations.
I pray that I will be able to live the same way in my remaining years.
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