I Didn’t Really Know Cory Aquino
I’m 27 years old, I come from a political family, and yet I don’t really know much about former President Cory Aquino. All I know was that she succeeded former President Marcos through EDSA in 1986 and that she’s been criticizing the Arroyo administration for the past few years. When I heard she passed away this morning, I was really surprised to be genuinely saddened by the news. I did some soul searching while driving along Ateneo (meeting a colleague) and then it struck me why. This post is for my generation and the next generation of Filipinos who never really knew Cory.
“I don’t have any formula for ousting a dictator or building democracy. All I can suggest is to forget about yourself and just think of your people. It’s always the people who make things happen.” – Corazon Aquino
Price of Democracy
Former President Marcos clamped down on the Philippines like an iron vice. He shut down media stations and other companies when he declared martial law. Freedom then, according to my more “experienced” friends, wasn’t free. Fear ruled the streets – and not because you were afraid you’d get mugged. You were afraid that someone from the military would pick you up and kill you. It was a really different time back then. One that we can’t even imagine happening these days.
However, there was one woman who picked up the fight when her husband died. Former President Cory Aquino made the decision to stand up, represent, and fight for the Filipino people. It is because of former President Aquino and the people who backed her up that we were able to break free from Marcos’ reign of terror. The Philippines today wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t have EDSA 1 and President Aquino.
What you owe to her
We owe a lot to President Aquino. The little things that we take for granted everyday wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her sacrifice and courage. If she didn’t step in and give back the media outfits to the original owners, we wouldn’t be enjoying all the TV shows that we are watching now. Journalists would still have their hands tied by fear and we wouldn’t be able to read, hear, or watch any credible news network. The truth would become relative, told only by those on the payroll of a dictator gone mad.
How about the internet? I’m willing to bet that if the Marcos era extended to today, we would probably be like China or Iran in the sense that the government is cracking down on bloggers, writers, and other new media publishers. Websites like Youtube would be banned. Now that would totally suck right?
Back then there was also curfew. You won’t be able to go out and drink with your friends, or maybe even watch a last full show. You’d have to be home, bored to death.
Integrity and Prayer
A lot of critics say that President Aquino wasn’t able to handle the economy well when she was in charge. However you really have to take into account that she wasn’t really qualified in the first place. She’s not a hardcore economist or a genius. However she had the best chances of taking down the Marcos regime and we are all blessed by her decision to go for it.
President Aquino wasn’t your perfect leader. She didn’t know all the numbers. But she did one of the best things in the history of this country. She gave us back our freedom. I believe that it’s because of her that we’re all enjoying life so much these days. In fact, without Cory, I don’t think former Presidents Ramos, Estrada, and even Arroyo would be able to perform as they did in their terms.
The next time you go out and enjoy a night with your friends, or you’re surfing for videos on the internet, or even just watching your favorite TV program… pause a while. Remember President Aquino and just thank her for her sacrifice.
Maraming maraming maraming salamat President Aquino. May you find comfort and peace in the loving arms of our Creator.
Random Posts
6 Responses to “I Didn’t Really Know Cory Aquino”
Leave a Reply
About Me
Connect with Carlo
[...] I Didn’t Really know Cory Aquino - Carlo Ople [...]
[...] I don’t know whether to treat former President Cory Aquino as a hero of the country or just another self-gratifying, media-hogging nuisance; but what I’m sure about is the fact that she was a pretty good graphic designer. (On a side note, you might want to see Carlo Ople’s take on the matter.) [...]
[...] my generation/future generations, I feel that my cousin Kuya Carlo summed it up quite nicely in his recent blog post. An [...]
The freedom that we enjoy today, is but a fruit of her sacrifice.
I hope more people can really appreciate what she has done for our country. I have one officemate who had the b*lls to actually tell us thay he doesnt care about cory and that she didn’t have any effect on his life whatsoever.
[...] former President Cory Aquino passed away, I wrote a blog about how I felt like I didn’t actually know her at all. I only realized how much I owed her [...]