‘So long as I do what I believe is right, I can accept whatever ugly thing they say about me’

Former President Cory Aquino, more than anyone else, is aware that some people – friends as well as adversaries – were hoping that she would just keep quiet amidst the political crisis that hit the Philippines like a tsunami. Like tsunamis, most political crisis eventually subside and the waters become unbelievably calm again. And those hit by the tsunamis, resilient to a fault as most Filipinos are, just pick up the pieces, pitch new tents and get on with their lives.

And yet Cory decided to make a public stand against a particular act of a person so closely allied with her.

"Why does Lola have to say something every time?" Cory’s teenage granddaughter Nina asked her mother Pinky after Cory asked President Arroyo to make the "supreme sacrifice" of resignation. "And then she will again get all this flak!"

Cory confided this in extemporaneous remarks before she delivered a statement in reaction to the position of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines at a sweltering De la Salle Taft Chapel. To underscore the importance of self-sacrifice at this point in the nation’s life, Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC had ordered that all air-conditioners in the chapel be switched off. "For how can we ask someone else to make a supreme sacrifice if we are not willing to make one ourselves?" Brother Armin asked.

In answer to her apo’s worried query, and in response to all those who wonder why she still goes out on a limb for her convictions, Cory said: "Brother Armin of De la Salle (who, along with the religious leadership of the De la Salle brothers called for President Arroyo’s resignation) could have just kept quiet. He had a choice. Unlike Brother Armin, I had no choice. I had to say something, kung hindi, sasabihin ng mga tao, walang sinabi si Cory. Kailangan meron akong sabihin sa mga important issues of the day. My granddaughter said, ‘Why does Lola have to say something every time? And then she will again get all this flak.’ Kung minsan, naiisip ko na rin ’yon, but I really have no choice. Mula ng itinaya ni Ninoy ang kanyang buhay, ako man, tinaya ko na lahat ng aking kaya para sa ating bayan."

Cory also recalled that Brother Armin anxiously asked her if she had heard all the unfavorable commentaries about her in radio programs and read all the columns hitting her.

"So what else is new?" she told Brother Armin. "From time immemorial, I have not said many things that would command universal acceptance. But so long as I do what I believe is right, so long as I say what I believe is right for our country, I can accept whatever flak, whatever ugly thing they say about me."

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I may not agree with Mrs. Aquino’s call for President Arroyo’s resignation, but I believe that by taking an unequivocal stand on the issue of the "Garci" tapes and how they impact on the May 2004 elections, the former president is sending a strong message to all Filipinos. Have an opinion, make a stand. Not just now, but even in the future, when your opinion counts. The impropriety or necessity (depends on what side you’re on) of President Arroyo’s staying on will be debated further. And further. It will be discussed in bedrooms and boardrooms, in coffee shops and in Congress. By making a stand, Cory is urging us to make our own. We should defend our stand, and most importantly, defend the right of others to make their own.

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Sources close to Mrs. Aquino said she held a lot of consultations before she made her decision to call for the President’s resignation. But crucial to her decision, they say, was her meeting with former Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman.

A source close to President Arroyo, for her part, says Dinky’s resignation "really hurt" the President.

"Mahal niya kasi si Dinky," says the source.

Such is life. Leaving the side of someone we hold dear hurts, but sitting on the fence hurts even more.

Inspiring the next generation

Four top students represented the Philippines at the 7th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI) on July 11 to 12 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Philip Francisco Dy (Ateneo de Manila University), Mark Gregore Gloriani (De La Salle University), Pamela Manuel and Carl Nicholas Ng (both from the University of the Philippines) joined the other 20 participants from Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. They were chosen after a rigorous selection process which included a university shortlist, written essays and a panel interview.

HYLI aims to inspire the next generation of leaders and let them share their perspectives on critical issues impacting the region today. The convention’s overall theme was "Balancing People, Planet and Profit in Asia’s Future". Specific subthemes included Asian Economic Integration – Challenges and Opportunites; The Changing Role of Education in a Dynamic Asia and Translating Environmental Awareness into Action.

"With a region as diverse as Asia, developing solutions to address common issues requires an in-depth understanding of Asia’s social, economic, environmental and political landscapes," Hitachi Asia Ltd. GM Nobuaki Furuse said.

The Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative is a community relations program developed and launched by Hitachi in Asia way back 1996. It aims to identify and groom potential Asian leaders by bringing them together to discuss regional issues and establish contacts with prominent regional opinion leaders from the private, public and academic sectors.

Malaysian Minister of High Education Dr. Shafie Mohd Salleh was the guest of honor. An impressive line-up of speakers included Indonesian Minister of State for national development planning and chairperson of National Development Planning Agency Dr. Sri Mulyani Indrawati and RP’s former Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Victor Ramos. These speakers have contributed to alleviating issues in their various professions and have led their countries, businesses and organizations to greater heights.

Dy, Gloriani, Manuel and Ng will join the HYLI alumni, a strong network of potential future leaders of Asia formed by past HYLI student participants.

(For inquiries, visit www.hyli.com or call 636-2853.)

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