Remembering Cory Aquino

Yesterday, the 9th anniversary of her death, brought back memories of an icon of democracy.  

Born on Jan. 25, 1933, Maria Corazon “Cory” Aquino was the sixth of eight children of Jose Cojuangco and Demetria Sumulong. She attended grade school at St. Scholastica’s College, then went to the US for her high school education. She continued her studies at Ravenhill Academy in Philadelphia and Notre Dame Convent School in New York. Cory graduated with a bachelor’s degree in French and minor in Math. Returning to the Philippines, she took up law classes at Far Eastern University, but discontinued this when she married Ninoy.

After her husband was assassinated in 1983, she was seen as the person that could unify the opposition. She was eventually prevailed to be the opposition’s presidential candidate and run against Ferdinand Marcos during the 1986 snap election thereby challenging his two-decade rule. After numerous protests and rallies  against the violence and fraud in the elections, the defection of military officers from Marcos. And the mobilization of religious, political, cause-oriented, students and civic groups who went to EDSA, and the success of the non-violent People Power Revolution in 1986, Cory was sworn in as the 11th president and the first woman president of the Philippines.

Although qualified to run again as she was not inaugurated under the current Constitution, she opted not to do so. After her term ended in 1992, Cory remained a powerful voice during consequent attempts at revising the Constitution as well as abuse of power by certain politicians.

After battling cancer for over a year, Cory Aquino passed away on Aug. 1, 2009. Her wake at La Salle Greenhills on Ortigas Avenue, San Juan City was a homecoming of sorts. Indeed, she was on familiar grounds.

It was not just because of the campus’ physical proximity to Edsa, site of two People Power uprisings in which she played a key role. A prominent fixture in the gym that continues to stand proud – today draped in yellow – is the large tally board in operation quick count, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free elections (NAMFREL) project that recorded the final update for the 1986 presidential snap election, its original chalk figures lacquered with a fixative and preserved for posterity as a testimony to a historic moment: Cory Aquino’s clear lead in the NAMFREL count.

Even before Cory’s passing, the familiar yellow ribbons had made their appearance, fluttering from trees, homes, building, vehicles, fences, and road railings. Two text messages had gone the rounds, calling for a show of citizen support for the ailing Cory, who had been hospitalized for loss of appetite since June 23, 2010. One read: “rekindle the flame of democracy that Cory began. Believe that the Filipino is worth dying for. Tie a yellow ribbon today: Cory, hindi ka nag-iisa!”

The other text message was also an exhortation: “As a final tribute to Tita Cory, let us display yellow ribbons in cars, homes, offices, fences from a grateful people from every corner of the world!”

Yellow, Cory’s symbol of struggle against the dictatorship, had become the poignant expression of her battle with physical disease – colon cancer, the very same illness that her mother, Demetria Sumulong Cojuangco, had been afflicted with. Who could hold back tears at the sight of the façade of the Makati Medical Center draped in yellow to honor its esteemed patient on the ninth floor? There lay a woman who had risen to rescue us from the dark years of martial rule. Why couldn’t we similarly come to her rescue now?

Ayala Avenue sprouted yellow again, a nostalgic reminder of countless rallies past. Tied to the road sign of Quezon City’s Times Street, the street where Cory and her family lived, was a solitary yellow ribbon. The Cojuangco ancestral home on Palm Avenue, in Dasmariñas Village, Makati – the venue of many planning meetings and countless celebrations for Cory’s January 25 birthday, Ninoy’s November 27 birthday, not to mention more trivial excuses for her family, friends, and former cabinet members to get together – bore its own yellow ribbons,but looked especially desolate this time around.

It was easy enough to heed the call to display yellow ribbons, though stores were soon running out of stock of that suddenly in-demand commodity. Still,it was painfully difficult to accept the finality of such a gesture. How could one accept that everyone’s favorite icon of democracy was vulnerable to mortality? Yes, there may have been chinks in her armor, and she herself accepted that fact. But how to let go when even the most indifferent of citizens begrudgingly concede that she, whose integrity remains intact, is a symbol we are in need of? And we are shamelessly selfish in saying that we earnestly need her as we continue to fight for democracy and a progressive Philippines for all classes of society.

In his homily during the concelebrated mass on the first day of the wake, Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes related that Mother Teresa of Calcutta had also given her own rosary to Cory, something the Nobel Peace Prize recipient-nun did only with individuals she considered worthy. This was again another unalloyed tribute to Cory. Bishop Reyes wondered where that rosary was now, as he only heard of the rosary from Sister Lucia.

The rosary that Cory held in the casket was said to be from Fr. Sonny Ramirez, OP. Creative writing classes for kids and teens Young Writers’ Hangout on August 4 and 18, September 1 and 15 (1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.; stand-alone sessions)  at Fully Booked BGC.  For details and registration contact 0945-2273216 or   [email protected].