Mathoms, etc.

News of Tita Cory's demise triggered many memories. Growing up in the Philippines circa 1970s, I remember my parents talking about Martial Law, Marcos, curfews, Communists. The government had their own TV channel, and there were only a few newspapers around. I remember relatives in New York, dissing Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, branding him a Communist. (Interesting how the same aunts would be singing Ninoy's praises after Marcos fell from grace.) I wondered why we had a Prime Minister and a President, and no elections like other countries. The word 'salvage' got a new meaning during the Marcos era. Because of the government controlled media, I wasn't aware of the abuses or excesses of the Marcos regime. In highschool, the newspaper Malaya (Free) became this subversive source of information. The song Bayan Ko (My Land) became an anthem.

August 20 is my sister Cecile's birthday, and we had a party for her in 1983. The next day, we found out that Ninoy Aquino was assassinated on his return to the Philippines. The massive outpouring of grief and support blew me away. We watched the funeral procession, saw the man still wearing the clothes he was shot in. We lived close to Santo Domingo Church where the memorial service was held; I wanted so bad to go there and be part of history. As far as I knew, my dad supported Marcos and wouldn't have let a 13 year old girl go. I mourned Ninoy, a journalist and politician who knowingly went to his death and changed the world. In the midst of it all, his family, led by his grieving and gracious widow, Corazon. Tita Cory in her yellow protest outfits, who became the unlikely heroine and reluctant leader of a disgruntled people. We lived near her, we'd pass by her house on our way to National Bookstore or McDonald's. Even her house showed signs of her faith and religiosity: an image of Jesus and the Blessed Mother outside her door.

And events snowballed the next 3 years: Agrava Commission findings, civil disobedience, snap elections, opposition rallies, the courageous walk-out of COMELEC workers, NAMFREL's declaration that Cory Aquino won, the Catholic Church's weekly pastoral letters, Radyo Veritas. On the fateful night of February 22, 1986, Ramos and Enrile broke from Marcos. Cardinal Sin dropping all pretense of impartiality, calling on the people to take to the streets. The rest is People Power history. (Again, my parents wouldn't let us join the masses on EDSA.) The Filipinos never had a prouder moment. It still makes me teary-eyed recalling the images of nuns handing out flowers to the soldiers, ordinary citizens giving soldiers food and drink. The soldiers could have easily shot the protesters, how the government really could have cracked down like what happened in Tiananmen. But in the end, the Marcoses fled and Corazon Aquino became the first woman President of the Republic.

The fragile democracy would be threatened time and time again throughout her 6 year term. We were also near several TV stations and military camps so with coup attempts, we could hear gunfire or planes. But survive these attempts the Aquino presidency did. And years later, other countries would follow the Philippines' example of non-violent resistance and change.

The Philippines is still a democracy. Turbulent, corrupt, disorderly, flawed, but free. I love my homeland. Now I pray it will be strong enough to oppose attempts by certain elements of the military to usurp civilian authority, and efforts by people in power to cling to power. God bless the Philippines.