A tribute to Ninoy – Part 3

This was the privilege speech of Cong. Tony Cuenco, South District, Cebu City, November 27, 2007, in memory of Benigno S. Aquino Jr.

(Continued from previous article)

“And so Mr. Speaker, the lessons we have learned from his heroism can be measured only in astronomical proportions. Such is the magnitude and meaning of his sacrifice. That it triggered a succession of events leading to the liberation of our people, surely this was no ordinary man or leader and his assassination was no ordinary murder. Surely he was of Himalayan dimensions. And surely he was a hero, undeniable and complete, and deserving of the highest honor within the gift of our people.

“Mr. Speaker, I close by quoting the last lines of an elegy written by a Filipino poet, Nina Puyat, just before Ninoy was buried 24 years ago:

“What shall we offer him tomorrow

“When they return him to the waiting earth,

“To where all tyrants and all slaves,

“All rich and all idiotic,

“All brave and all cowards,

“All elegant and all ungainly,

“All enlightened and all deceived,

“All men without exception, must return?

“What?

“Shall we send him a gold-plated plastic wreath?

“Or the meaningless prayers of our meaningless lives?

“Shall we drop into his coffin

“Our cowardice, our compromises,

“Our frightened silences, our sanctimonious justifications

“And clever explanations for our cupidities?

“Shall we send him an unredeemed national shame?

“To take with him to eternity.

“And to place at the feet of our Lord?

“Or shall we be united with his spirit, at last free.

“That spark of God within us;

“Our concern for our neighbor, no matter how distant and

“Unknown,

“The purity of our motivations,

“The unswerving faithfulness of our commitments,

“Our patriotic visions and stouthearted resolutions.” (To be continued)