Tribute to President Cory Aquino

My dear Tita Cory,

Happy Birthday to you on your 75th birthday!

Through the 22 years that I have worked with you up close and personal, I have observed what you hold dear and close to your heart. I am of the belief that people’s actions are often governed by their beliefs/principles. That now becomes the focus of this letter of mine to you.

Throughout the less than a quarter of a century with you, I have seen that your actions are basically dictated upon by your fierce loyalty to the cause you espouse, your devotion to your spouse, your commitment to your family and most important, your unwavering faith in God.

You have said that your love of country and your adherence to democracy take precedence over family. You have shown that, when you agreed to courageously take the dictator’s bull by its horns and remove the oppressive institutions so the people can once again enjoy the democratic space. You knew you had a mandate for six years. You knew your stewardship of this land was only for six years. For six years, you ruled and did what you thought was best, not popular, for this country. Your mantra was “I work with all my might, I pray with all my heart, the rest I leave to God!” Suggestions for a benevolent dictatorship were not far and few in coming, but you firmly stated you will not be a party to anything undemocratic. Some lawyers suggested you stay on for another term as your tenure of office was not covered by the new Constitution. You thought differently and on the sixth year, you left the Palace without any attachment to the trappings of power, fame and influence! You left without a trace of corruption! You went back to live in the humble home you and Ninoy built. You were happy enough to be Private Citizen Cory once again, riding your nondescript van without a back-up car but only after finally agreeing to have two military escorts, as this was prescribed by law.

After the presidency, you continued to do as you thought was right regardless of what others may say. You were bashed for marching in Batasan with people who critics thought were not worthy to be alongside you. You were right when you said you were there in your personal capacity and others were there for their own reasons. It has never been your style to force people to march, rally or demonstrate with you and you respected their individual convictions, as you wish they respected yours.  You speak your mind against threats to what you hold dear, without fear or favor.  I heard your wish that people should just stress on the good they see in their leader instead of vilifying you for speaking out against what you see is not right, is not just or is not democratic.

When I made my marital vow 35 years ago, it was ‘till death do us part’.  Your loyalty to your husband goes even beyond death. You would not want the Filipinos to forget the supreme sacrifice he made. Forgetting yourself, you want Ninoy to find a home in the heart and mind of each Filipino. You refuse to be linked to other men as the only man in your life is Ninoy, and you even said “That part of me died with Ninoy”. It gives you great pleasure when someone goes out of his way to help preserve the memory of Ninoy. You have only fond memories of him, and when the opportunity presents itself, your listeners can get a glimpse of the Ninoy they never knew.

When Noynoy hinted on running for the Senate after he completed his three terms in Congress, you turned to God for discernment. We would do our daily walks to the Glorietta Chapel for the noonday Mass and I would find you intently praying the rosary alone in your sitting room, seeking the will of God for your only son. You kept hoping that there would be a better way for Noynoy to serve the Filipino people outside of running for office which required vast resources for a good political machinery. I think you even prayed that Noynoy will have a change of heart but as fate would have it, when push came to shove, you were there as his number one campaigner. You prayed that at least he would land higher than the dagdag-bawas slots and in the afternoon of election day when you turned on your television, he was landing initially in the first top three slots and you were filled with disbelief. This prompted you to go to Church for thanksgiving, believing the good Lord came to your succor and worked a miracle.

There have been many instances when the Lord gave you more than your share of trials and you, like Job, kept your faith. In fact, you mentioned that before you gave the speech in the US Joint Houses of Congress, you asked for a small room where you could call on the Lord for intercession.  It is now history how you got such a rousing welcome and generous response from the American legislators. 

Every success you reap, you attribute it to the power of prayer. Every trial you undergo is to you a reminder that you are favored by Him; although at some point, you requested that He favor someone else.

My family and I are in awe of your courage, your conviction and love of country. I thank the Lord for this distinct privilege of working up close and personal with you and I have this to say….It is heartwarming, even inspiring, working for somebody who is no-nonsense, whose beliefs and practices are in sync with yours, whose selflessness is second nature to her and who puts a premium in values such as integrity, truth and justice, whose simplicity and detachment from earthly goods are difficult to find these days and whose care and concern for my family is sincere.

I know you do not like to live a long life but I pray that the remaining years of your life be spent in the company of people you love, painting the rosy life you wish every Filipino had, in the country you wish we could all be proud of!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND THANK YOU FOR THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH YOU!  — MARGIE JUICO