A Tribute to Cory Aquino

mars — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:10:32 +0000

Hi everyone,

In 1985, the thought of being involved in politics was far from my mind. But after just one year, I found myself campaigning for a person that would eventually take the first steps to heal this broken country. I speak, of course, of our beloved Tita Cory Aquino. It’s her birthday today and this is my own little way of paying her tribute.

She turned out to be our Joan of Arc – an unlikely heroic figure that represents hope, dreams, deliverance from oppression, and yearning for decency in a corruption-infested government. Because of her, I took a leave of absence from my job in New York to immerse myself in a “bara bara” campaign in Iloilo and Panay Island. When I say bara bara, I mean that it was a people’s campaign. There was no money involved here. It was about the people wanting to become Cory-supporters in every sitio, barangay and town. Back then, the issue wasn’t about debt-servicing, GDP, or local industries… It was about trust. In a government that lied, cheated, and killed, here was Cory Aquino, housewife of a martyr, who said: “Enough is enough. We deserve better. And we will take our country back.”

During those days, one couldn’t help but be inspired. But even before she became Cory the President or Cory the Hero, I had the privilege of knowing her just as Tita Cory. And as many will tell you today, she wasn’t just this larger-than-life symbol on a poster. She was the kind of person who’d lead by example, who was sincere, who was credible, and who stood her ground despite the odds, imbued with a strong but humble faith. She told me once that, “people may or may not like you [for standing your ground], but they will respect you and trust you.” I’ll always remember those words.

Tita Cory was able to change the country because people respected and trusted her. She might not have been able to achieve all of her goals: partly because she stoutly refused to use her powers to the hilt, believing it was more important to give an example of restraint and propriety; and partly because healing a broken country is a work of decades, not of a few years. And it is a task for all of us… that’s why, after her term, she continued to work patiently but with a clear vision to safeguard our democracy, our values that hold society together.

She has passed on and left us this task. Today, we remember what a gift we had in her. It is a bittersweet memory for me who was privileged to know her not only as a political leader, but as a close family friend, a wise and warmhearted woman, whose death has left a painful hole in our lives. In honoring her memory, all of us are called to work for the things she held dear, to do the right thing by our conscience, our fellow human beings, and our country.

Thank you Tita Cory.

Remembering, Reliving History

mars — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:46:00 +0000

My father, Ninoy and Ka Jovy Salonga were the figureheads of the Liberal Party during the days of the dictator. In what seems to be a strange coincidence, Noy and myself are now thrust in that same boat with Ka Jovy still supportive of that never-ending fight against the bad guys. At least, I’d like to think of myself as being one of the good guys. With the recent events involving the Liberal Party and the overwhelming support it’s been getting, I’ve become a bit nostalgic, remembering tidbits of history:

My mother, of course, is a chapter all by herself. Two grenades hurled during the party’s miting de avance in 1971 caused shrapnel to scatter, hitting her leg in the process. I remember her telling me of what happened afterwards: the confusion, the screams in the background, her bodyguard scooping her up and carrying her as fast as possible away from the carnage. They ended up in a stranger’s car belonging to one Mr. Castaneda who was nice enough to bring them to Makati Med. She vividly recalls trying to find out where her wounds were, her head hitting the car’s ceiling frequently as the vehicle raced towards the hospital. My dad, also injured with Ninoy and Ka Jovy in another hospital, went to her the next day as soon as he was able.

I was 14 then. Too young to understand what it was like for my mom, my dad, Ninoy and Ka Jovy, and all the other great ones who stood against the shadow of martial law. I do remember though that my parents were constantly being pressured by Marcos to support his authoritarian regime. I equally remember how they always turned him down.

The national elections obviously did not push through after martial law was declared. Ninoy, my dad, and Ka Jovy eventually found themselves in the States, plotting to restore democracy and civil liberties in our homeland. I remember my father dying before he could see the plans bear fruit. I remember the televised assassination of Ninoy. I remember my family and the Aquinos grieving on both occasions. Ria and I were in New York during the assassination and we were one of the first to reach Tita Cory and her children in Boston. The memories of those events will stay with me forever. The nation was left to fend for itself at a time when its heroes were either dying or being arrested one by one.

And later, from out of nowhere, I remember the turning point in the battle: a reluctant housewife entering the arena against a ruthless military-run government. What’s more, the Filipino people rallying unconditionally behind a yellow banner with two-fingers raised in defiance: Laban!

Fast forward to the present: the enemies of today aren’t as obvious as the past but they still reek of that familiar scent of graft, cronyism, and corruption. History now seems to be repeating itself with a nation uniting under a worthy challenger, forced by circumstance, to overcome another tide and another kind of evil. I, for one, cannot wait for it to happen again.

In memory of my dad,
M.

The Official Website of Mar Roxas » Martial Law

A Tribute to Cory Aquino

Remembering, Reliving History