And so, the inevitable has come to pass…
Despite everything, I am still grateful for the hope that she brought to the Philippines twenty-three years ago in 1986. Because it has already happened, I am certain that it will happen again in the future. And again and again. Way after all of us living have passed. Until hopefully, we Filipinos will finally learn the lessons being taught us.
Her passing, like her crusade from late 1983 to early 1986, has put us in the proper perspective as Filipinos and as the one Filipino nation.
Thank you, Cory.
Thank you, Ninoy.
For your admirable lives so generously given over to the greater good of the Filipino nation and consequently for the triumph of democracy all over the world. Indeed, altruism personified.
In profoundly grateful remembrance,
Toto Gonzalez
remembrance of things awry 
Susan Pommerat said,
June 30, 2016 at 4:27 pm
What’s with Tia Hattie?
Right after the EDSA Revolution, the Antonio Cojuangco grandkids were all together in Lulu’s Maria Cristina home (they just moved out of Molave). I think it was Marvie who said that their Lola Hattie was asking them to go to her so she may be able to give them “something” from Lolo Juan. They were nagtuturuan as to who should go to get the “something” that was from their Lolo Juan. Pardon me for this senior moment episode but I think it they were pushing Marvie and Nettie to go for and in everybody’s behalf. Nobody seemed intersted in going. In an effort to change the topic (maybe), the conversation was instantly veered to the Antonio Luna – Ysidra Cojuangco story with the cousins asking and discussing and giving their two-cents worth on that legend.
Enrique Bustos said,
August 12, 2010 at 12:23 pm
An afternoon tea with Ballsy
By Deni Rose M. Afinidad
Manila Hotel welcomed a distinguished guest in its newly opened MacArthur Lounge: Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, the eldest sister of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino. Over a steaming cup of green tea and a silver tier of native delicacies from her father’s home province, Pampanga, Ballsy revealed some “juicy” insider anecdotes on her brother, sister Kris, brother’s girlfriend Shalani Soledad, parents Cory and Ninoy and the Aquino family in general.
“Despite the hardships we experienced, especially during martial law, we generally had a happy childhood,” started Ballsy.
Part of what made their childhood cheery was afternoon merindal (Pampangan for snacks) and regular Sunday reunions with relatives and friends. Their family particularly had a soft spot for sweets and pastries.
“Mom was such a good cook,” she divulged. “She used to prepare really big meatballs for our spaghetti merienda. Motherly love made our merienda more special.”
The late President also used to prepare dimsum and dumplings or siomai for snacks and get-togethers. “All of us, even Noy, love her dimsum and dumplings. Once, we ate this siomai that was so good we didn’t notice it was still raw,” she quipped.
She also cannot forget how her father, the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. or Ninoy, taught her to appreciate Pampangan food, most notably, crickets and kamaro or lizard eggs with cheese. “Cricket is a normal food for me,” she remarked. “For Kris, it’s a total no-no.”
Among the other personalities that dined with them was Imee Marcos, daughter of her father’s political archrival, the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
“Imee and I were kindergarten friends and classmates. We used to spend weekends together,” Ballsy stated. But their families’ political differences made them estranged to each other through the years. “The last time I saw her in person was when we were little. The only time we saw each other again was during mom’s wake (when Imee visited with brother Sen. Bongbong Marcos).”
Despite the rumors that the visit was just a publicity stunt, Ballsy felt that it was sincere. She and their whole family even appreciate it. “It was actually brave for them to go there because they risked being criticized, or worse, being harassed by an anti-Marcos,” explained the incumbent President’s sister.
Fun memories with mom
During their mom’s term as president, pizza and dimsum became the family’s comfort food. Cory, although vegetarian, also loved hamburgers. Among all of them, it is Pinky who appreciates Filipino food the most, said Ballsy. “But I’m the most adventurous when it comes to trying something new,” she was quick to defend.
She usually encourages the rest of the family to join her culinary escapes. “Kris and mom unknowingly ate a rabbit in Fatima,” she said in a jest. “They just found out about it after they’d eaten the whole thing.”
When they were in China, she willingly gave in to horse meat. The family also almost tried what a Chinese waitress touted as “duck.” Luckily, their mom warned them that the waitress just mispronounced “dog.”
In 1995, while on a South African safari, she, Pinky and Cory got a hand on game meat, especially impala. During one of their visits to Japan, a restaurant served them fugu or blowfish, notorious for being poisonous when not properly prepared.
“We were very scared to try it because it’s a tradition for the Japanese to serve it without trying it first,” she said of their fugu encounter. “So before mom took the first bite, she first waved to the waiters and jokingly said, ‘sayonara!’ (goodbye!).”
Grownup diaries
Today, the Aquinos still observe their Sunday reunion routine, this time, with their husbands and kids. “We would talk about everything under the sun, especially what happened during the week. When Kris was still with The Buzz, she would rush to catch up with our reunions and, of course, to deliver us the latest in showbiz gossip,” Ballsy gleefully relayed.
Shalani Soledad, fondly called “the First Girlfriend,” also used to join their reunions, which last from breakfast to dinner. “But she would only eat and run because she’s got a lot of things to do as councilor.”
Among the siblings, it is Pinky, Kris and Noy who cook. “Kris loves cooking. She’s the best cook among all of us,” Ballsy revealed. “Noy can cook for himself. He’s very simple; never a fan of fancy food or restaurants. He can survive with just bacon or corned beef.”
Her president brother also loves scouring narrow alleyways to try the specialties of small, uncharted restaurants — something he had to miss for a while for security reasons. “He especially loves queueing for food. He considers it a part of the adventure,” Ballsy explained.
From a simple afternoon tea, to Ninoy and Cory’s wedding reception, Cory’s Cabinet meetings, and recently, Noynoy’s inauguration, wherein the sisters stayed in the hotel for preparations, the Aquino family has relied on the Manila Hotel for what Ballsy termed as “excellent service and presentation.”
“Manila Hotel is the best place to be,” she proudly declared. She particularly adores the hotel’s hot chocolate, which is made thick and more nutritious because of a special ingredient — water used in cleaning rice, explained the hotel’s general manager, Leon Keekstra.
Like Ballsy, Keekstra invites everyone to take part in the hotel’s nationalistic heritage through a gastronomic journey to the Philippines’ regional delicacies. Among the must-try’s at the hotel are burong bobby (homemade sausages), tibok-tibok (maja blanca or milk pudding with corn) and turrones (caramelized nuts) wrapped in edible paper, which are from Ninoy’s home province, Pampanga. The Tagalog tocino, or what Pampangueños call burong bobby, means leche flan (a caramelized egg yolk and milk dessert) in Pampanga, Ballsy clarified.
“We, at the Manila Hotel, believe that the food of a nation greatly defines its culture and heritage. And we trust that the uniqueness of our offerings mirror the distinctiveness of the Filipino people — their spirit and their resilience,” said Keekstra.
Apart from dining at the hotel like its past guests Prince Charles, Gen. Douglas McArthur, Ernest Hemingway and Michael Jackson, a sure-fire way to be a part of history, advised Ballsy, is to do good all the time, because as she said: “The good you do is never lost
T.J. said,
September 24, 2009 at 7:26 am
Former President Corazon C. Aquino: A NATION TURNS ITS LONELY EYES TO YOU.
Garganta Inflamada said,
August 26, 2009 at 12:43 pm
What a fascinating saga…pero que triste tambien!!
So…madrasta pala iyong Lualhati. But Fanny and the other sister seemed very sweet. I guess one can never tell what stirs underneath the surface. And of course, the whole beneficiaries of this so-called ‘childless union’ of Juan and Hati are Louie and Che-Che.
So what happened to the 37 other children of Bayani?? What a big clan if they all got together!!
talagang tsismoso said,
August 26, 2009 at 11:45 am
The Saga of Rosie Cojuangco
My name is Rosa Garcia Cojuangco. My father is Juan Cojuangco, one of the
four sons of Melecio Cojuangco, and brother of the father of ex-President Corazon Aquino. My mother is Imelda Garcia, daughter of Don Gregorio Garcia landowner of Paniqui, born in Paniqui of Aurora de la Torre and Don Gregorio. My mother Imelda is the younger sister of Elena Garcia, the first wife of Juan Cojuangco, legally married in Paniqui in 1927(?). My mother Imelda stayed in the house of Elena and Juan, who sometime in November 1934, impregnated his sister in law. The affair was kept secret,till the pregnancy was apparent.
According Fausto Velasco, the katiwala of Doña Tecla, mother of Juan, her
mother Imelda was forced to take a vacation at the home of her own parents, she and her sister no longer on speaking terms. According to Velasco, Rosa was born in San Juan de Dios Hospital in Intramuros (which was burned down during World War II) on July 23, 1935, the feast of Sta. Rosa de Lima, after whom she was named when she was baptized
in Paniqui on August 30, 1936, with the matriarch Doña Ysidra Cojuangco as the godmother. My mother remained single till she died at the age of 37 years in the year 1942 in the Manila Doctor’s Hospital.
According to Fausto Velasco, at the time of her birth, she was taken in by her aunt Elena and lived with her and her husband and her mother Imelda. The sisters were still not in speaking terms and avoided each other even if they lived in the same house. Rosa was made to believe that Elena was her real mother and Imelda her aunt. During the war she joined the rest of the family Cojuangco first in Paniqui, then in San Marcelino, Malate, the residence of Lola Ysidra, and then to Gold River, Baguio, the
residence of Pitok, the relative of Gregoria Murphy, the grandmother of Danding Cojuangco. Her childhood days were spent with Cory in Paniqui, with Danding in Baguio.While the Juan Cojuangco house in Villaruel street was being built, Juan brought his family to live in the house of Jose, Cory’s father, where they were also joined by the family of Egmidio Tanjuatco, his wife and children. They stayed there for 8 months in 1946 till their house was built.Her adopted mother Elena died May 6, 1948 in her conjugal house, 43 Villaruel Street in Pasay, at the back of our Lady of Sorrows Church. This was sold after the death of his first wife (buisit daw), and Juan and his child moved to a new house, 2302 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay, formerly belonging Commissioner Paul McNutt,. The widower Juan Cojuangco remarried Lualhati Aldaba on March 15, 1950. And she
moved into the house with her husband and her stepdaughter. After two years, according to Rosa, she was inveigled by Lualhati to marry a man she did not like, Bayani Fabros, nephew of Aling Felisa Callao, caretaker of her Mama Elena. Lualhati called Aling Felisa to come to Manila with the mother of Bayani (Remedios Callao, wife of Leon Fabros). With Bayani they went to the house of Juan. When Rosa came back from school, she went up to her room. Lualhati called her to come down, and said, “This is the man you will marry,” to the surprise of both Rosa and Bayani, who indicated that they
were not ready to marry and they were not in love with each other. Lualhati was insistent, and threatened to kill her with a hidden ice-pick. Rosa was only seventeen and terrified. A lawyer friend of Lualhati, Florencio Bernabe, made the arrangement with the Parañaque municipality to have the marriage brought about, using the name “Rosita Fernandez” with address “La Huerta, Parañaque” where Bernabe lived.When they went home, Juan who just arrived from a Rotary meeting, was surprised. She gets home and she get married. After one week kinuha na ako. Pagkakuha sa akin, sumama rin ako dahil natatakot ako.kay Doña Lualhati. Sumama ako. Ayaw kung sumiping sa kanya pero sabi niya pumayag na lang. Ako nagawa na rin yung gusto niya.. Pag asawa ko diyan na nagumpisa ang kalbaryo ko. Tumira na ako
dito Evangelista, Quiapo. Sa isang apartment na pagari ni Naty Aquino. At si Bayani ay pinasok sa Paniqui sugar mills sa Opisina ng Father ko. After six months in the sugar mills he is also a student in Mapua University taking up Mechanical engineering and later shifted to Commerce. Nagkasakit siya ng ulcer due to excessive drinking of alcohol. Pumunta na lang sa Baguio dahil may sakit siya and also to work there. Then he was given a job by Jose Solano, his relative, in the DPWH. He passed the CPA Board exam.
He became the accountant and then he was addicted to gambling, like casino, monte,mahjong and sabung and also womanizing. He had 37 children. After Evangelista I went back to my parents’ house in Roxas Blvd. But my fake husband does not like to stay with me there. So I have to leave that house because nobody cares for him. My father made a house in Baguio. We stayed together until I bore all my children while he is
working at the Public Works. My father shouldered all our expenses, our everyday needs and the schooling of all our children. When my father got sick, I use to visit him at the hospital. He was confined at San Juan Hospital and went back home at Roxas Blvd.. We used to take vacation there with all the children. My stepmother Lualhati does not like our being near and sweet with my father. So we went back to Baguio with all the children except my husband. Then I learned that my father had a second stroke.. and
was confined at the Manila Doctors Hospital. . When I was getting near to my father, my stepmother Lualhati stopped me from getting near. And I tried to tell everybody to let me near my father and she forbade me to get near. So I cried. Cried that I was not able to see my father. In spite of the fact I tried so much to get in but she even told my father I did not bother to see him. That’s a lie. Then I comfronted her, “Why did you not allow me to see my father?” She said it is the order of Isabel Cojuangco Suntay, the sister of
Danding Cojuangco. Then I went to the house of Aurora Cojuangco Lagdameo sister of Isabel and asked her, “Rory, bakit naman ayaw akong papasukin nung maysakit na ang father ko?” . “Sabi ni Lualhati. Don’t get inside,” said Isabel. But it is only the doing of Lualhati.. Then I went to the house of Rory Cojuangco Lagdameo I asked her what Isabel
said, “Bakit nanam huag akong papasukin doon?” Wala naman daw silang sinasabing ganoon. So I just kept quiet. Within a week my Father died. He died February 5, 1979. Most of the Cojuangco family were around. His remains was brought to his residence at 2302 Roxas Blvd. Sister Benjie of Sacred Heart of Espana street. near UST came to see
the wake of my father. He has buried in Paniqui, Tarlac. I just waited because the estate is with ACCRA Law Office. The last will paid Doña
Lualhati P20 million and all my father’s real properties taxes were paid by Isabel Cojuangco Suntay for P11 million. They promised me that they will attend to my case. But the promises were never fulfilled until now So PLDT told me to live with friends.by Nina Enriquez Exec. Secretary
In 1991 there was a news that my husband was found in the street somewhere in Baguio and he was already dead.
JAA said,
August 25, 2009 at 2:56 am
talagang tsismoso: thanks. looking forward to your write-up on RGC.
larry leviste said,
August 22, 2009 at 10:22 am
G.I.
Mas ISNABERA
Mas PINALAKAS
MAS EXPLOSIBONG
The BUSTing a gut with your flaming extorts.
Scintillating, spellbinding, sensational retorts.
Better than Hell during summer.
Garganta Inflamada said,
August 20, 2009 at 10:43 pm
So, l*ding, since you write favorably of aling dionesia, kailan mo siya sa-salubongin sa iyong kommunity with your peymous buko pie? Tinawagan mo na ba iyong mga Melly’s, mga Meldies at si Annabelle para isali ninyo siya as inyong mga mahjongan? Ilabas mo na iyong bago mong duster!!
(For non-Pilipino readers: when will you welcome Mrs. Pacquiao senior with open arms and your famous buko pie? Have you already twitted your network of the Melly’s, the Meldy’s and Annabelle to invite and include Mrs. Pacquiao in your mahjong sessions? Bring out your new duster* already for the occasion!!)
*(the muu-muu-like housedress)
GI 🙂
kibosh said,
August 20, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Joke Time:
Nakakainis naman ang burol ni Cory Aquino… limang oras ang pila, makita lang siya!
Hmp!
Hihintayin ko na lang ang burol ni Gloria Arroyo… siguradong walang pila!
Harharhar!
Joke Time:
Nakakainis naman ang burol ni Cory Aquino… limang oras ang pila, makita lang siya!
Hmp!
Pati burol ni Gloria Arroyo magiging nakakainis din… magiging limang oras din ang pila… masigurado lang… na PATAY nga siya!
Harharhar!
talagang tsismoso said,
August 19, 2009 at 5:55 am
Yes Rosa Garcia Cojuangco is for real she is the daugther of Juan Cojuangco.she is the big secret of the Cojuangcos next week i will write about her saga
talagang tsismoso said,
August 19, 2009 at 5:55 am
JAA ,Yes Rosa Garcia Cojuangco is for real she is the daugther of Juan Cojuangco.she is the big secret of the Cojuangcos next week i will write about her saga
zippo said,
August 18, 2009 at 10:31 am
re post number 81, very good point l*ding
JAA said,
August 18, 2009 at 6:33 am
sino ba talaga si Rosa Garcia Cojuangco? Is she for real? I thought the Juan Branch of the Cojuangcos died out since Juan was childless?
l*ding said,
August 17, 2009 at 11:25 am
at least pacquiao pays in cash unlike the other new entrants in dasmarinas village, they had to get a bank loan to finance their ascent to the mountains. que barbaridad!!!
l*ding said,
August 17, 2009 at 11:21 am
the lopez mansion is not in fairview if you’re referring to the gabby=panjee lovenest. its in ayala heights…
zippo said,
August 17, 2009 at 2:44 am
Hmmmmm…. the Lopez mansion in Fairview was bought by Willie Revillame. And the 3,000+ square meter Tambunting property on Palm Avenue in Dasmariñas Village was recently purchased by Manny Pacquiao for his mother, Aling Dionesia Pacquiao.
egarcia said,
August 16, 2009 at 9:43 am
The manse , according to a blind item in a broadsheet, was bought by Willie Revillame
Jules said,
August 14, 2009 at 4:36 am
So where did that
Php30-M Fairview manse
of G.López go to..? LoL ;P
xOxO
steve said,
August 14, 2009 at 1:24 am
Cory told her kids (and would have extended to us) to take care of each other. If we take care of each other (and that means doing good for each other and living a moral life) then this world would be a much better place for everyone.
In my humble opinion, Cory and the EDSA people power gave us a chance to rebuild our dignity, our nation and our institutions.
If we made mistakes or chose to travel the lesser road, then its us as a whole (together with the individuals who do not understand what EDSA meant) who is accountable for it. If others think it is Cory, or our president, or our government who will rebuild the country for us (and be accountable for it) then they are mistaken. Cory made it clear with her life that BUILDING our nation starts with each and every one of us (it starts with my vote). I’m truly grateful to her for giving me that chance to build. I choose NOT to waste it.
Thank you Toto for expressing so closely what is in my heart for Tita Cory.
God bless you and your blog.
egarcia said,
August 13, 2009 at 1:57 pm
No, that was not Ms. Ginger Conejero we saw with Mr. Gabby Lopez (twice ,during the necrological service and the mass before burial) at the Manila Cathedral. She had long hair while Ginger has short hair. The lady uncannily looked like the ex- Ms. Panjee Tapales, that is. A younger version.
Babblefish said,
August 10, 2009 at 11:59 am
Liding:
I believe the morena accompanying Gabby L. is his latest squeeze, Ginger Conejero (that reporter/anchorwoman at the Lopez cable channel ANC).
GI:
ROTFL!!! That Papa Kim! He sure knows how to throw a party!
But yes, I think you are correct: the best we can give GMA when she kicks the bucket is ISANG MALAMIG NA DEDMA!
larry leviste said,
August 10, 2009 at 11:12 am
IS CORY ALREADY TURNING IN HER FRESH GRAVE,
Why is Noynoy being foisted as the VEEP of MAR?
Too soon, moonsoon ?
AND why is Kris SO QUICK to say ” Ayaw ni Mommy yan. She wants my brother to finish his term as senator.”
METHINKS Kris is the talking head who should be wooed to run as VICE GANDA ?
But these are just a stream of consciousness.
NYCMama said,
August 9, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Hi Toto. I’ve been away from the Philippines for 24 years now. I am so confused, I don’t understand who is on the same political party/alliance anymore. In ’86, I remember Enrile, Ramos, Aquino were on the same team. Now no more. Why was Butz Aquino just under some flyover waiting for Pres. Aquino’s remains to pass by? I would have expected he would be on one of the family buses. Maybe you can post some kind of “political family trees” kind of post, as to who is allied with whom, who is Gloria loyalist, who is Mar Roxas allied with, etc. etc. It would be of great help to us who live out of the Philippines. And I am sure it would be peppered with your usual interesting, fascinating and entertaining commentary!
Thanks for your blog, I look forward to reading it everyday!
toto gonzalez said,
August 9, 2009 at 5:05 pm
rouel:
Well, my late mother, Pilar Quiason Reyes-Gonzalez, always regarded Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. as a relative, albeit distant. I actually saw her make “mano” to Aurora Aquino-Aquino a few times. On the evening of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination on 21 August 1983, my mother and her younger sister Martha Quiason Reyes-Horrigan were among the first sympathizers to line up outside the Aquinos’ Times Street residence to view his remains. Cory and her children had not yet arrived from the United States.
As a child in prewar, my mother used to accompany her mother, Paz Aguilar Quiason-Reyes, to visit Benigno Aquino Sr. and his family. Paz respectfully addressed her paternal [ Quiason-] Henson and maternal Aguilar second cousin as “Cong Igno.” It turned out that Paz’s mother, Marcela Valdes Aguilar-Quiason, was a paternal first cousin to Benigno Sr.’s father, Servillano Aquino. It also turned out that Paz’s paternal grandmother, Ceferina Henson y David, was a sister of Petrona Henson y David, Benigno Aquino Sr.’s grandmother. So there is a blood relation, albeit distant.
Toto Gonzalez
rouel said,
August 9, 2009 at 3:53 pm
hi toto…
i remember my mom used to tell me na your mom and cory sabay na nag pray ng rosary sa edsa shrine… i guess they are together now and telling ng old times nila …
Mike V. Jugo (MikeJ) said,
August 9, 2009 at 6:35 am
You’re welcome. 🙂
I believe that it is imperative for us to keep Cory’s memory alive, and to teach the younger generation all the struggles and the hardships Filipinos experienced under the Marcos tyranny, especially since history is beginning to repeat itself under GMA’s rule. The Marcos dictatorship lasted 20 years. GMA has ruled over us for 9 years and she is scheming to extend her rule by mounting a cha-cha. Only after seeing the massive outpouring of grief by the Filipino people did she begin to “back-off”. My fear is she is just waiting for us to forget AGAIN. After which she may push her minions to revive their cha-cha plan.
Let us not only keep Cory’s memory alive, but also continue her struggle. Let us also remember her fellow heroes: Ninoy Aquino, Lorenzo Tañada, Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga (still alive of course), The elections in 2010 may be our last best chance to finally achieve the change we so badly need.
toto gonzalez said,
August 9, 2009 at 5:37 am
VERY, VERY, VERY BEAUTIFUL!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you, Bro. Mike Valenzuela, F.S.C.!!!
Thank you for posting, MikeJ!!!
Toto Gonzalez
MikeJ said,
August 9, 2009 at 4:50 am
Thanks, Toto! 🙂
Please allow me to post the homily written by Br. Mike Valenzuela, FSC. Thank you. 😀
Homily for the 9th Day of Pres. Cory Aquino’s Death
Today at 7:56am
August 9, 2009
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Kgs 19:4-8; Eph 4:30-5:2; Jn 16:41-51
The Russian novelist Dostoyevsky once wrote that there is nothing higher, stronger, sounder or more useful in life than a beautiful memory, a memory of happiness from our youth. Such memories, he says, are the best education, and may one day be the means of our salvation.
For as we grow older, we make mistakes and do wicked things. We sell out. We become jaded and cynical, belittling the fervor and idealism of those younger than us who continue to work for meaningful change. But Dostoyevsky tells us that in that moment when character is tested, one sacred memory from youth can keep us from going completely bad, one memory of joy can remind us of a time when life was better, when we were better, kinder, braver, more honest and true. Such memories remind us of all we once were and all we could be again.
These nine days since the passing of President Cory Aquino have been a time of remembrance, a time for recalling the struggle during the Marcos years that united us, brought out the best in so many of us, and made the name “Filipino” synonymous with the word “hero” throughout the world.
The spontaneous outbursts of affection that flooded the streets with thousands of people this week, have united us once again, not just in love and grief, but moreso in gratitude for the woman who awakened the hero within each of us. As we watched her wake on TV, braved the rains and the long hours waiting in line to view her remains, or trudged from Manila Cathedral to Manila Memorial Park in the middle of a typhoon, I would like to believe that something reawakened again in each of us, the desire to live in such a way as to be worthy of Tita Cory’s courage and sacrifice.
What was her secret, this woman who shunned power and thus proved herself most worthy to wield it? From whence came the strength to journey, like Elijah the prophet, through dark and dangerous times, with spirit unbroken and faith undimmed?
Today’s gospel speaks of the source of her power. In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life, the Bread that comes down from heaven. Those who partake of me shall never die.”
Cory partook of the Bread of Life. But what does that mean? On the surface, we may think it has to do with devotion to the mass, with seeking every opportunity to receive the Body of Christ in the holy communion. And we would be partly right. But to partake of the Bread of Life means not only to CONSUME the eucharist, even more it means to LIVE the eucharist, that is to make of one’s life an offering to God for the sake of the world.
Pope Benedict reminds us that the reason bread symbolizes Jesus is that like the paschal mystery, its making involves a dying and a rising. “Unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains but a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a hundredfold.” This is the truth at the very heart of the Christian life—that life is about loving God and others enough to want to persist in integrity, goodness and mercy even when it is most difficult, even when it costs us our lives.
Like the grain of wheat that falls, there were times when adversity and tragedy brought Cory to her knees, times when she had to stagger alone beneath the burdens of widowhood and later on with the painful birthpangs of a new democracy. In recent years, when events led her to call for GMA’s resignation, to oppose charter change, and to support the fight for truth, she had to deal with insults, brickbats and betrayals from some of the very people who had once sought her help and favor. Perhaps one of the unkindest cuts she received was the effort on the part of some people a couple of years ago to revise history by absolving the Marcos regime from its role in his assassination. But she never allowed these to cow or embitter her. Instead, as Paul advises today, she uprooted bitterness and anger from her heart, and strove for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. Like her Savior, she would not let the bitter cup pass if she knew that in some way her drinking it down to its dregs would mean a better life for the people her husband had given his life to serve.
To say, “Yes,” to God is hard enough in the best of times. Cory continued not only to speak her yes, but to live it whenever she saw the nation threatened whether by corruption, poverty, or lack of faith and hope. Long ago, she had come to the conclusion that her life was not her own to live as she wanted, that she belonged to the Filipino people and that she would continue to serve them with all the strength that was in her, even out of office, even to her death. Again, today’s second reading, could have been written for her: “Be imitators of God and live in love as Christ has loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering.”
Perhaps more poignant for me today than the image of Cory’s triumph at EDSA is the image of Cory on her deathbed, uniting her sufferings to the sufferings of Jesus, for the sake of the nation to which she had become a moral compass and a spiritual mother. She made of her life a living sacrifice to liberate and heal a broken people. Therein lies her sanctity.
Let me tell you something many don’t know. I think at the time of her death, Cory believed herself to be largely forgotten. In one private conversation, she shared with a friend rather matter-of- factly how short people’s memories were and how one musn’t be upset but just accept that people are like that. She said this without resentment, but with the knowledge that comes from personal experience. In fact, so convinced was she of people’s short memories that when the choice of a venue for the wake came up, the Aquinos said their mother had wanted a small church, because she didn’t think enough people would come to fill a large one. Nakakahiya naman. As everyone knows, Cory was proved wrong. Last Wednesday, the streets became her church.
To partake of the Bread of Life is to live as if nothing mattered apart from God. And truly, apart from God, nothing fills or satisfies. It is only with God and in God that anything matters. Cory knew this. It was by making God’s love her daily bread, by giving herself entirely to the God who loved and embraced her first, that she found the spiritual strength to be to her family and to the nation what she was. In her gift of self to God, her life became bread broken and multiplied for a nation starved for goodness of character, nobility of spirit, and greatness of heart.
Let the memory of Cory and what we were with her at EDSA continue to guide us and challenge us to be worthy of her sacrifice and worthy of the name Filipino. As we partake of the Bread of Life today, let us resolve to live as she did, with integrity, kindness, compassion, and courage. May we be bread for one another as Jesus became bread for us.
Amen.
toto gonzalez said,
August 8, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Garganta Inflamada:
I transferred your interesting comment to the blog post “Ultra Gloria” where it belongs. That is where all the deeds, and misdeeds, of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are discussed.
Thank you!
Toto Gonzalez
toto gonzalez said,
August 8, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Mike:
I transferred your interesting comment to the blog post “Ultra Gloria” where it belongs. That is where all the deeds, and misdeeds, of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are discussed.
Thank you!
Toto Gonzalez
Irames said,
August 7, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Toto, point well taken. And I bow to your wishes…except that it seems that we missed out on discussing what others who picked up on the same thing are now hotly pursuing in other parts of the blogosphere – a day AFTER I brought it here. So if we were on Fleet Street we could have broken the story first. Oh well…
toto gonzalez said,
August 7, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Irames and rafhorm:
You two are among the most intelligent, interesting, and delightful people commenting in this blog. You should know that you have many admirers, myself included. Certainly, individuals of your intelligence, erudition, and eloquence do not have to be told about what or what cannot be said publicly.
However, if you insist on referring to “guidelines” here, you just have to glance through the page “On Comments.”
That particular comment by Irames about Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, however “light,” was not permitted because the editors decided that it was plainly not the time to discuss such matters in deference to the Aquino-Cojuangco family during their hour, and indeed the Filipino nation’s hour as well, of grief and bereavement.
Irames said,
August 7, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Talking about doors slamming, I join Rafhorm to request Toto not to exercise indiscriminate censorship without providing a guideline beforehand.True, it’s his blog and he alone can determine what could pass into any thread’s content. But would-be posters’ knowing beforehand what’s allowable would save his or their time.
For instance, I was surprised to find a short comment I immediately made upon seeing Kris Aquino’s funeral speech. Well it only stayed in the blog, to borrow from Maurice, until I batted my eyelashes. I wonder why?
Irames said,
August 7, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Rafhorm: “I find your attitude to the matter to be inconsistent with the values you appeared to uphold during the Imelda thread.”
Well, then I guess it’s a matter of looking. I don’t have to explain myself anymore than to say that, really, my willingness to acquiesce to their versions of the truth on the issue that bothered the Aquino family was simply a way of resolving an untenable situation when the current President of the Philippines, who wanted to honor with her presence a deceased predecessor, seemed to have the door slammed in her face by the latter’s (understandably) emotionally upset surviving heirs. For me it was nothing more than a childish wrangling with an established civil protocol which would have badly reflected on the country, not to mention on the unassailable Christian belief of Cory. Well, I’m glad that common sense and cooler heads prevailed and Ninoy did the reception of Gloria with graciousness, however detached.
Again, we may look at the holder of the office with utmost disdain, but let us not disrespect it, unless we’re ready to change the whole system!
Enough said.
Garganta Inflamada said,
August 7, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Babble,
Every public figure will have their own following as evidenced by funerals of the past…from celebrities like Rudolph Valentino, Edith Piaf, El Jacko-Wacko…to more mainstream political figures like John F. Kennedy, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, the Kims of Korea, Cory Aquino, etc., etc. It’s just how they are staged.
This is the way a great nation should act when a beloved leader dies… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zYsUqAYg6c&NR=1 🙂 🙂
So… you will have all sorts of groupies throwing themselves at the funeral processions of …just looking ahead at the biers of IRM, Erap, GMA, etc., etc.. It’s alright if people make fools of themselves and debase GMA’s demise (as you are envisioning)…but it would be far more pathetic if no one came or cared at all.
Rafhorm said,
August 7, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Irames,
By no means did I mean to imply that you are on Gloria’s side. That would be a vapid and adolescent undertaking which I leave to those here scaling the Nanga Parbat of social acceptance.
In taking Gloria’s and Enrile’s words at face value, however, (considering their rather liberal attitude towards the truth) I find your attitude to the matter to be inconsistent with the values you appeared to uphold during the Imelda thread. Especially with a keyboard-persona that likes to speak as though one unwilling to manducate on shoveled upon horse manure.
Forgive me if I do not permit Gloria and Enrile the same benign latitude in speaking the truth or for exhibiting a commendable degree of statesmanship even if only for political practicality or future survival.
The accusations of “side-taking” and it’s more pernicious form, cults of personality (be it loyalist, maternal catholicism, de buena familia), you should worry about more from the social-alpinists that inhabit this blog.
(and toto, no censorship please, a polite request…not a demand)
l*ding said,
August 7, 2009 at 5:33 am
who is the petite morena woman seated in between steve psinakis and gabby lopez in cory’s funeral mass? is that gabby’s new wife? her pearls are the size of her eyeballs. really huge…
according to kris she is only asking for the 2 paintings of cory which is the amorsolo self portrait and angkiukok. her inheritance she is waiving but the sisters insisted and theyll put it in a trust fund. i remember one time when my comadres and i were watching her sunday afternoon show and she was wearing some heirloom jewelry and she proudly mentioned it was “KATAS NG HACIENDA LUISITA” i love her candor and honesty. she’ll make a good president.
its good that danding donated tons of food and drinks in the wake for the people lining to see his much revered cousin. that’s a good gesture…i commend him for that.
Babblefish said,
August 7, 2009 at 4:52 am
Perhaps Cory’s funeral should give GMA some thought:
When GMA passes, will people snort and say, “Ang tagal naman!”
Will they go to her grave and piss on it?
Will her grandchildren be booed and derided as social outcasts?
Will Dato ever live down his obvious weakness to power and money?
Will Mikey ever live down the fact that he is party to inbreeding?
Will Mike A. ever lose his flesh apron and Batman arms?
Will Luli have to work overtime to get some pogi points for everybody?
Garganta Inflamada said,
August 7, 2009 at 4:20 am
kurdapya: they must’ve shown EDITED versions here in the U.S. Entonces, I may not have seen “El Borracho” there!!
IF I SAW IT, then I wouldn’t have asked.
l*ding said,
August 7, 2009 at 1:23 am
Cory’s funeral esp the one where the military was escorting her coffin to her grave in Manila Memorial is very surreal. It reminded me of Emperor Hirohito’s funeral. Hush hush, dignified, historical, and most of all dramatic.
It has all the trappings of theater. I was crying till the end. The gun salute, the chant of the people, the Aquino children weeping, the military carriage, the truck, the coverage, the seminarians and the nuns, the rain, Manila’s 400, the Filipino people, the stoic Cojuangco elders, the eulogies of Fr. Arevalo and Kris Aquino, Lea Salonga’s haunting rendition of Bayan Ko, Bach’s Air played by the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, the cannons heard from major military camps all over the country, the extensive worldwide coverage from television, print, and radio, the Marcos children, the Cojuangco clan, the food donated by PSE listed companies, the Ayala Avenue confetti, the 100+ priests in the final mass, the truck used which symbolized the Philippines as a country, the grand Manila Cathedral, President Arroyo’s 7 minute visit, the political Aquino clan led by Tessie and Butz with Cory’s favorite in law Maur, the people lining come hell or high water, the flooded streets of Manila, and the solidarity of a nation, the performances of Filipino singers, the condolences of world leaders and royalties all add up to make CORY AQUINO’S FUNERAL will go down in Philippine history as the most stately without being stately, the most historical funeral in the 400 year history of our nation. Bravo Cory Bravo! You showed that a “mere housewife” could be someone big if they rise to the challenge of fate. You gave hope to the Juan Dela Cruzs and the Uncle Pedros that there is dignity and honor of being Filipino. Till we meet again.
Irames said,
August 6, 2009 at 10:47 pm
rafhorm: “all your rantings about the Marcoses and the lies they lived, it’s surprising that you take Gloria and Enrile at their word”
I took Gloria and Enrile’s word at face value because if indeed the incumbent had ordered the curtailment of the security details of an ex-president then, I said, ” it would set a dangerous precedence. What if somebody does the same to Arroyo when she leaves office?” It would be such a foolhardy move especially for somebody who is so hated and who by all accounts is on the way out.
Don’t tell me, rafhorm, that you of all people here, could not come up with this scenario in your head.
In the same vein that I understand why Arroyo insisted on paying her respects to a predecessor lying in state. It’s called Statesmanship, which is usually devoid of political implications. Or at least that’s what I thought motivated her to cut short her trip.
Anyway, I can not imagine her having a sudden epiphany while in the US of the historic achievements of Aquino and to simply forget the grief that the latter has caused her. She just made sure that when it’s her turn, whoever comes after her would bestow the honors and, like her, suspend her true feelings. In that political level it’s all but expected.
So please don’t imply that I am on her side. Why, I even urged the Aquino brood to pursue whatever hurts them “AFTER the funeral.”
BTW, we may not accept whoever currently holds the title as head of our government but we should respect the office itself. Not doing so would be ANARCHY. If that’s the case then we should be ready to accept a bigger MESS.
zippo said,
August 6, 2009 at 5:21 pm
GI,
Erap was there. Erap had become quite close to Cory these past 2 years. In fact, in one of her public speeches before Cory retreated from public view due to her illness, she even apologized to Erap for joining EDSA-2.
Erap was even allowed by the Aquino children to visit Cory in the hospital a few days before her death (I’m not even sure FVR was accorded this honor by the Aquino children).
Z
kurdapya said,
August 6, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Garganta: Panoorin mo… andun si Erap katabi ni Loi at Jinggoy.
issima said,
August 6, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Her passage of unparalleled grace to the next life was a moving, inspirational, and profoundly beautiful experience for so many of us Filipinos.
Thank you, Tita Cory. For your steadfastness, for your refusal to compromise, for firmly following the path of good, no matter the cost. You will continue to be a shining inspiration for all of us.
Goodbye. Until we meet again.
MikeJ said,
August 6, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Erap attended the mass. He was seated near FVR. He also went to the wake at LSGH with Loi.
Jules said,
August 6, 2009 at 2:59 pm
l*ding said:
“The last time Meldy C. and Cory were seated at the same table was during the wedding of a daughter of Peping and Tingting years ago. Meldy was dripping with her rubies…”
+++
Jules said:
“and according to
Hyatt’s Tempura Misono Manager-PDI columnist
Albert O. Seeland,
…Mike* & Dudu*’s is up to the ceiling!”
xOxO
Garganta Inflamada said,
August 6, 2009 at 2:07 pm
So why was this NOT considered a ‘state’ funeral? It certainly had all the trappings and the right, copious amount of tears of one…
Was it because there was no Charisse T nor a 21-gun salute booming their voices?
Where was Erap?
mrs. brown said,
August 6, 2009 at 5:35 am
“a gift, the likes of which, perhaps, we shall not know again.” -fr. arevalo , sj
one of the best lines delivered yesterday in the funeral mass. Yes tita cory is a gift to all filipinos. a gift from God. I will forever be grateful for being a citizen of this country knowing i had cory aquino as my president once in my lifetime…Thank you tita cory! mahal na mahal namin kayo!
Salute to Lea Salonga, ZsaZsa Padilla and the others for all your haunting renditions of those heart wrenching pieces. To Lea Salonga, your brave rendition all the more endeared you to the masang filipino. The entire nation is proud of you. Thank you for living a life worthy of admiration esp. for the young filipinos. The way you sang Bayan ko made me proud to be a filipino. Truly youre our national treasure.
To Kris AQuino: You are loved by many not because youre a good host or actress but because you loved your mother the way children are supposed to love them. Thank you for empying my tear glands yesterday. My whole family was crying while watching you deliver that eloquent, honest and heartwarming eulogy. Truly YOURE AN AQUINO! you have with you the bloodlines of two of the greatest filipinos that ever lived. May we see the day where you rise to the challenge and prove once again that the presidency is a position of honor! Salamat Kris.
rafhorm said,
August 6, 2009 at 3:08 am
to Star-struck l*ding,
grieving silently? T*ngting was well-close to performing with every microphone thrust at her.
rafhorm said,
August 6, 2009 at 2:44 am
Irames,
For all your rantings about the Marcoses and the lies they lived, it’s surprising that you take Gloria and Enrile at their word, considering their track record for lying with the ease of a dysenteric on laxatives.
HRH said,
August 5, 2009 at 4:45 pm
zippo did his assignment hehe..by the way who represented IOC or his family? i thought i saw choy but not sure about it..
toto gonzalez said,
August 5, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Well said, zippo. 🙂
MikeJ said,
August 5, 2009 at 1:56 pm
TEDDY LOCSIN’S EULOGY FOR CORY AQUINO
(from: Philippines Graphic Magazine Campus Journalists Club)
Throughout thirteen years of martial law, until I laid eyes on her again, I never thought that I would ever see the end of it. Least of all that my father would survive it. I am not much given to prayer or pious reflection but when I could set aside my anger, I prayed my father would see democracy again.
Late one afternoon, in San Francisco, I got a call. It was from Cory Aquino, for whom I had written one speech after her husband’s assassination. She said she had accepted Marcos’s challenge in a Snap Presidential Election. I put down the phone, and packed my bags, and reported to her at the Cojuangco Building.
I knew then she was the answer to my prayers. What I did not notice was that the closer we came to victory, which is to say the farther the prospect receded that the Marcos regime would survive, the less I felt the anger inside me. As each day passed, bringing me closer to the day I could get even, the less I felt the need for it as I spent more time with the woman who alone could make it possible.
I did not notice, but I was no longer looking back in anger, or looking forward even, to victory and vindication. Only now do I see. I had lived with my anger so long, only for the day to come when it no longer mattered to me. The only thing that counted was that I was living every day to the fullest, bringing out the best in me—for someone else. A dream I hadn’t had since I was a boy, feeding on stories of chivalry, had been achieved. I was serving a woman who was every inch a sovereign, all the more for scorning the slightest pretension to the role.
I did not realize it, even when I was already in the Palace, by the side of the President—among all her advisers, I like to think, the one who loved her most.
It never again occurred to me that I had scores to settle. And not until today, that I had passed up every chance to get even.
From the moment I came in from the airport and reported for duty, and she gave me in return the same smile she gave me on her deathbed, I never noticed… Not when I was with her in the campaign when she corrected me for not looking at the people I was waving at… Nor when I was with her in the presidential limousine looking intently, for her benefit, at the crowds at whom I waved… I never noticed anything. Except that I was with the only person that I would ever want to be with.
I certainly never noticed that I had left my anger behind. I don’t know how it happened. Except that Cory Aquino ennobled everyone who came near her. I have tried to say it publicly but never could finish. If you saw me as I felt myself to be, anyone would fall in love with me. I saw myself in that hospital room, a knight at the bedside of his dying sovereign, on the eve of a new Crusade, oblivious to the weight of the armor on his shoulders for the weight of the grief in his heart.
And because she always doubted my ability to be good for very long… Indeed, when my wife told Ballsy that I prayed the rosary at Lourdes for her mother’s recovery, Cory said, “Teddy Boy prayed the rosary? A miracle! I feel better already.” Because she doubted my capacity for self-reformation, she made it effortless for me by being herself. I did not notice that I was doing right by serving a woman who never did wrong. I am not sure how to take this moral self-discovery. It is so unlike myself. But if it will bring me before her again, I am happy.
zippo said,
August 5, 2009 at 1:37 pm
The Cojuangco-Murphy clan was in full force except for ECJ who was in the U.S. with his wife, Gretchen O-C, for medical reasons. ECJ though was ably represented by his 4 children and their respective families. The rest of the Cojuangco-Murphys were also there: the Teodoros, the Lagdameos, the Enrique Cojuangcos, and the Suntays.
They were all more than warmly greeted by Cory’s kin. It was like a big family reunion.
Even Helen Teodoro-Rivilla (wife of Lulu’s eldest son, Bambi, of the Antonio branch) who was Ferdinand Marcos’ in-house counsel in Honolulu and who served as 2nd chair as Imelda’s counsel in her New York trial was present and she was so very warmly received by the children and grandchildren of the Jose Cojuangco branch.
It was a virtual Cojuangco Family Love-fest. At the end of the day, ang diwa ng pamilya pa rin and umiral.
I also got goosebumps when Ballsy and Imee smiled warmly at each other and even kissed each other. Classmates at Institucion Teresiana (now known as Poveda), they apparently were good friends (with Imee even visiting the Aquinos’ Times Street residence) until their fathers became fierce political rivals. Hindi pa man lubusang natutuyo ang mga sugat but I have a sense that the wounds are starting to heal. This is very good for the country. In the end, no matter if you were for Marcos or for the Aquinos, we are all Filipinos first.
Z 🙂
Myles Garcia said,
August 5, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Larry Leviste wrote:
LET US NOT JUDGE other poster please.
This will become the IMELDA birthday post again.
********************************
Well, see, Larry, we had a lovely, civil discourse going on in that other thread until the arrival of…the One Whose Name You Dare Not Utter! 🙂
I mean…talagang Pinoy pa. Could not separate the issues from personality and could not understand the fact that all I was stating were MY opinions…WHICH SOMEONE had asked for…backed up by facts…but without tearing down others’ views…until it started to get personal. And of course, it could’ve simply done what other civilized posters do…just walk away from a thread if you don’t like it…Really so gauche…y muy cargante!!
So advice to newbies…look before you leap…lurk first and observe the general tenor of the forum before charging in…so you don’t appear as the proverbial “clumsy, unwelcome bull in the ‘china’* shop!!
* how appropriate for that lost poster 🙂
gshaw said,
August 5, 2009 at 9:57 am
irames, why even bother with a reaction…
Corazon C. Aquino was a faithful wife, a mother who loved unconditionally, a good catholic, a Filipina who served her country. We thank her for being a simple person all her life, an inspiration.
JAA said,
August 5, 2009 at 8:06 am
did anybody from the Cojuangco-Murphy branch attend the funeral? I thought I saw Mark Cojuangco when the camera went through a section of the church during the Mass.
Conrado said,
August 5, 2009 at 6:27 am
Maraming salamat! Pangulong Corazon C. Aquino.
Jules said,
August 5, 2009 at 6:18 am
Keeping my gaze on the presence of
EMC & IO-C,
or AOC to represent the mum,
or perhaps La Greta amongst
the visiting Kapuso artists
but were they there during the
last rites?
talagang tsismoso said,
August 5, 2009 at 5:30 am
Rosa Garcia Cojuangco.or one of her children should represent the Juan Cojuangco branch , Juan Cojuangco is one of the
four sons of Melecio Cojuangco, and brother of the fathers of Corazon
Aquino.,Danding Cojuangco and Lulu Rivilla .Rosa childhood days were spent with Cory in Paniqui with Danding in
Baguio. While the Juan Cojuangco house in Villaruel street was being built, Juan brought his family to live in the house of Jose, Cory’s father
Mercy Tuason was also a friend of Former First Lady Imelda Marcos i saw her at the 80th Birthday Celebration of Mrs Marcos and at the Thanksgiving party in One Mckinley Place Penthouse of Mrs Marcos last year
MikeJ said,
August 5, 2009 at 2:19 am
Rain: I agree
President Corazon Aquino said in her last interview:
“Alam mo noong araw Jessica (Soho), I used to think all of us have certain quotas for suffering and I felt I had filled up my quota, eh hindi pala ganun eh. While you’re in this world, I mean, like Jesus Christ showed us until the very end, until he died, he was forever suffering. Eh Diyos iyon eh. And who are we to complain?”
She could have chosen to do what made her happy, especially when she was the most powerful person in this country. She could have chosen to hold on to power, like what the tyrant Marcos did, and what GMA is trying to do, but she did not.
larry leviste said,
August 5, 2009 at 1:37 am
LET US NOT JUDGE other poster please.
This will become the IMELDA birthday post again.
Seriuosly poters, let us not become PERSONAL.
Tra BAHO lang ito.
Peace be to all HERE.
LCIN said,
August 5, 2009 at 1:06 am
G.I. said
“But CA was just one of a line of widows who were swept into public office by the passing of their mates, or inability to prolong their rule: Lurleen Wallace for George Wallace, Sonia Gandhi, the second Mrs. Peron, etc.. It’s called the ‘Sympathy’ factor. Doesn’t mean you got a particularly outstanding leader.”
Irames said:
“I have to comment on the emotionally-driven attitude being exhibited by Cory’s children to make President Arroyo feel unwelcome in her scheduled visit to pay her respects to the former president…………..It behooves the children of the deceased, whose intense Christian faith would have prevailed on anyone, NOT to pursue any vengeful display, especially one based only on conjectures and not on facts, at a time of solidarity that funeral events are deemed to be.
Besides, if they could allow the visit of the Marcos children, why can’t they show the same graciousness to the current head of the Philippine government? If they choose to, they can always get back on track with the issue hurting their feelings AFTER the burial.”
***************
Very well said, you two. My thoughts exactly.
rouge said,
August 5, 2009 at 12:23 am
as read from the pdi website…….”President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visited the wake of one of her vocal critics, former President Corazon Aquino, immediately after she landed in Manila on Wednesday morning……………………..“It was statesmanship of the highest order,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde later told reporters, referring to Aquino’s gesture during Arroyo’s brief visit at the wake before 4 a.m.
There were apprehensions that nobody from the Aquino family would receive Ms Arroyo at the wake. She would have gone to the wake just the same even if nobody would receive her, according to Remonde.
“She felt that was the right thing to do,” he said.
she must do it as head of state….kahit plastikan! yun lang!
rouge said,
August 5, 2009 at 12:00 am
the aquinos showed graciousness to the marcoses at their mother’s wake because they feel the sincerity in their actions. but how about the evil midget from malacanang?…..look at the video footage from new york when asked for any word for the bereaved family……deadma ang brouha……marahil ay guilty! after all she mastered the art of hypocrisy to the highest level! the nerve!
Myles Garcia said,
August 4, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Irames, ditto.
I think the Aquino kids are just being a little too ‘hyper-balat-sibuyas’ at this time. I mean their mother was a president; the sitting president, with whom their mother had a difference of opinion, as a matter of form and policy, should be welcomed cordially with all the respect due a head of state. They should, in fact, feel honored.
To show how super-ma-arte the kids are, they even relive the supposed snub of Sto. Domingo Church (which is I guess where they went to church for many years). I mean it’s because the youngest daughter is a media celebrity that priorities and the larger picture have gone totally askew.
And of course, if they weren’t harboring any ‘grudge,’ and if GMA (or whomever the Chief Executive might be) did not visit, then they would FEEL TOTALLY ignored again. I mean, c’mon, Kris, Noynoy, etc., get a grip already!!
Irames said,
August 4, 2009 at 6:01 pm
rouge: “i’m sure the palace is the brains of the withdrawal of cory’s security details!”
Oh, wow, do share…
“her handlers in malacanang must read and understand the context between the lines!”
Oh, wow, like we must accept your unsubstantiated allegations? I’m seeing rouge here!
Go back and read what I said about small minds…
Rain said,
August 4, 2009 at 5:56 pm
it has come to this…
referring again to the last comments on the last post ..of Madame’s lavish birthday…
when we all go…as surely we will all.
what will be remembered is not the ostentatiousness, not the number of shoes you own…the jewelry …the art…the real estate..the social connections.
Cory puts this all to shame…napakasimple…kahit sa totoo lang galing sa pinaka illustrious na familia…
Familia De Buena talaga pero..unlike everyone else…simple lang.
What mattered to her was …Faith, love of country, self sacrifice…family…democracy.
History will judge , and History has judged her favorably.
I’m not sure if I can say the same to the other “Lady” and her enabler’s.
who will come to their funeral?
rouge said,
August 4, 2009 at 2:00 pm
i’m sure the palace is the brains of the withdrawal of cory’s security details! mga walang hiya! wlang delicadeza! the present administration bastardized the democratic institutions restored by cory through the people power….the judiciary, constitution, and even the selection of the new national artists. its understandable that she picked up pitoy and frankie! but how about carlo and cecille? OMG, her tasteless choice of caparas proves her @##$%^&*(0)…..and alvarez….another walang delicadeza!….OMG again! why alvarez as national artist whose only claim to fame is to be just the founder of PETA and wife of heherson alvarez! what a shame!
….and now gma has no choice but to pay her last respect to cory…..she has mastered the art of pakitang tao….after all she’s the other half of the family known for lies, cheating, and corruption!
to quote krissy when asked if the mutant ninja turle from malacanang is welcome at the wake….”it’s a diffucult question, i would rather not answer the question (or no comment).” her handlers in malacanang must read and understand the context between the lines!
Jules said,
August 4, 2009 at 12:12 pm
chetonichi said:
“Eternal Rest Grant Unto President Corazon Aquino o Lord.
And Let Perpetual Light Shine Upon Her.
May She Rest in Peace. Amen.”
+++
Jules said:
“A M E N…”
Irames said,
August 4, 2009 at 11:26 am
I have to comment on the emotionally-driven attitude being exhibited by Cory’s children to make President Arroyo feel unwelcome in her scheduled visit to pay her respects to the former president. I think their stance is uncalled for, considering that it has not been established that Arroyo had a direct knowledge or had personally directed the pull-out of the former president’s security posse as retaliation to the latter’s loud call for the incumbent. to step down over election anomalies and for alleged massive corruption. Even Senator Enrile, with an intimate view of the workings of government, has categorically dampened this notion saying, “this action was not done in the level of Arroyo”. Besides it would set a dangerous precedence. What if somebody does the same to Arroyo when she leaves office?
It behooves the children of the deceased, whose intense Christian faith would have prevailed on anyone, NOT to pursue any vengeful display, especially one based only on conjectures and not on facts, at a time of solidarity that funeral events are deemed to be.
Besides, if they could allow the visit of the Marcos children, why can’t they show the same graciousness to the current head of the Philippine government? If they choose to, they can always get back on track with the issue hurting their feelings AFTER the burial.
Which brings me to the larger issue here which is that: for as long as people even in the supposedly educated level in the country react in in an unreasoned manner to everything that’s happening to them, falling prey to knee-jerk responses to personal crises, the Philippines will always be parochial place of small-minded people. So instead of forging for a closure after somebody’s death, bad blood is spilled on its wake.
l*ding said,
August 4, 2009 at 4:55 am
Well, it’s good that the prime minister of the second biggest economy in the world, Taro Aso, who is a Catholic, will come to visit Cory. Bill Clinton is on his way to North Korea and I hope he drops by Manila. Why hasn’t the Sultan of Brunei confirmed yet?
If Cardinal Sin and Pope John Paul II were alive, I’m sure the Pope would have sent a high level delegation to Manila, if not him personally, although when Mother Teresa died, the Pope didn’t attend.
I remember that when Pope Paul VI died, Imelda Marcos in all her regal splendor was seated with Lyn Carter in front during the funeral.
The last time Meldy C. and Cory were seated at the same table was during the wedding of a daughter of Peping and Tingting years ago. Meldy was dripping with her rubies and the moment she entered the PICC, Lucio Tan who was seated with her and the other sponsors were “awed” at the sight of Meldy C.. Lucio even stood up to personally move Meldy’s chair.
I love the understated elegance of Tin*ting Cojuangco. She was grieving silently. Fernando Zobel was with his wife Kitkat yesterday at Ayala Avenue. It was a heartwarming scene to see the richest scion mingle with the hoi polloi and give the respect due to Cory.
zippo said,
August 4, 2009 at 2:28 am
l*ding
No, I’m not a member of the family.
Also, I’m sure people would agree with me that it should be the blood cousins who should lead the other 2 branches.
Z
Garganta Inflamada said,
August 3, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Teetuh l*ding wrote:
im just disappointed that mandela, obama and the pope is not coming to bury her… and even the emperor of japan should have at least sent a representative to repay corys presence in hirohito’s funeral.
*******************************
But that’s just you as a Cory admirer speaking. #1 – she is not a sitting head of state, so I think protocol does NOT require/demand that other heads of state attend. #2 – the names you cite really didn’t have (special) relationships at all with CA to behoove them to attend. So that is just pie-in-the-sky dreaming, lids.
Whether I am downplaying CA’s role in history or just being hard-nosed, cold-fact, level-eyed, I’ll leave it for you to decide. But CA was just one of a line of widows who were swept into public office by the passing of their mates, or inability to prolong their rule: Lurleen Wallace for George Wallace, Sonia Gandhi, the second Mrs. Peron, etc.. It’s called the ‘Sympathy’ factor. Doesn’t mean you got a particularly outstanding leader.
Well, anyway, RIP, Mrs. Aquino.
Thundernut said,
August 3, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Thanks to all paying tribute to our very own Internationally Acclaimed Icon of Democracy. The Filipino Community in the metropolitan area of Washington DC joins you in honoring the beloved Cory Aquino. We started by wearing yellow ribbons on our Filipino attire as we opened our Philippine booth at the Asian Festival last Saturday. Later we put up a modest shrine in Cory’s honor in a conspicuous spot inside the booth, adorned by bright yellow sunflowers. GMA TV news may bring the images to it’s subscribers.
The Philippine Embassy set up a condolences book for signing open to the public at the Romulo Hall today. Another signing is scheduled next Monday. A Memorial Mass will be announced soon.
Irames said,
August 3, 2009 at 8:29 pm
For what’s its worth and possibly to bolster GI’s non-teary-eyed comments, here’s an analysis of Aquino’s tenure by Stanley Karnow in the NYT (06-8-89). Karnow later wrote ”In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines.”
From St. Joan to Lame Duck
Three years ago, when Philippine President Corazon Aquino arrived here on her first official visit, she was welcomed as if she were the reincarnation of Joan of Arc. A modest, devout housewife, she had recently toppled the venal and despotic Ferdinand Marcos in a melodramatic morality play, and the capital gave her a tumultuous ovation.
Former Secretary of State George Shultz, a ”Cory” doll pinned to his lapel, beamed with rare emotion at a banquet in her honor. She conquered Congress with a moving speech that ”Tip” O’Neill, then speaker of the House, called the ”finest” he had heard in his 34-year career.
Mrs. Aquino will be back tomorrow in quest of aid, trade and investments, and her personal charm still inspires sympathy. But she cannot hope to rekindle the euphoria of her previous reception. For while she has made progress, she has barely scratched the surface of the profound and pervasive social, economic and political problems that face the Philippines.
Without additional help, those problems are bound to become increasingly critical. But Mrs. Aquino is likely to meet resistance in Congress, the White House and the business community unless she displays more dynamism. She is a premature lame duck, however, having vowed to retire at the end of her term in 1992. So all the plans to renovate the Philippines, which have repeatedly been postponed, will be undoubtedly shelved again in the scramble to succeed her.
The Philippines was a Western colony for nearly all its history, and that experience partly explains its plight.
Except for spreading Catholicism, the Spanish did little to unify the islands during 300 years of rule. Thus the archipelago is still a sprawl of disparate languages, cultures and loyalties, whose people lack a strong sense of national identity. The Spanish also stimulated the development of a plantation economy that pauperized the mass of the peasantry and enriched a handful of landowners.
The United States, after conquering the country at the turn of the century, imported schoolteachers and doctors, and trained the Filipinos for eventual self-government. But its colonial administration, instead of introducing economic and social reforms, perpetuated the authority of the upper classes, whose heirs clung to their power and privileges for decades after the Philippines became independent in 1946.
Following his imposition of martial law in 1972, President Marcos crushed many of the old families by robbing them of their holdings. But he replaced them with even greedier relatives and cronies, who propelled the Philippines into bankruptcy. In addition to looting billions himself, he piled up a debt to foreign financial institutions of $28 billion. So Mrs. Aquino, besides inheriting an antiquated feudal system, found an empty treasury after ousting him in February 1986.
Her priority was to restore democracy, which she did by conducting elections under a new constitution. She survived five coup attempts by disgruntled army officers, and the Communist rebels have suffered setbacks – mainly because of their own blunders. Infusions of foreign capital, mostly from Japan and Taiwan, have contributed to economic growth.
These achievements notwithstanding, Filipinos have been losing confidence in Mrs. Aquino’s leadership. Her approval rating, according to a recent survey, has dropped from 86 percent in 1986 to 58 percent today.
Revisiting the Philippines, as I frequently do, recalls the late 1960’s, a period of drift and disorder that at first led most Filipinos to support the authoritarian Marcos regime. Even Mrs. Aquino said the other day that many ”would like to see the forcefulness of a dictator” if he did not usurp their freedom.
Many observers feel that she should have started out by using her immense popularity to decree urgent measures, such as land reform. But she chose to defer to the legislature, arguing she was being democratic. Thus she entrusted change to the surrogates of the returned oligarchy, which naturally opposed change. As a result, the land reform ultimately enacted was emasculated for the benefit of the landowners.
Though her own honesty is above reproach, Mrs. Aquino has recoiled from cracking down on the corruption that riddles her Government, perhaps out of fear of alienating people in high places. She has flinched at streamlining the bureaucracy, where the red tape is such that millions of dollars in aid have remained unspent. Nor has the economic growth trickled down into the city slums and rural areas. A World Bank study reported last year that half the country languishes in ”absolute poverty,” its income inadequate to ”satisfy basic needs.”
Evidently prompted by religious zeal, moreover, Mrs. Aquino has dodged the single biggest threat to the future – a soaring birthrate projected to double the population by the year 2010. To keep pace would require a 40 percent increase in food production, thousands of schools and clinics, and millions of jobs – an impossible order.
Her stunning victory over Marcos earned Mrs. Aquino the image of a miracle worker, thereby raising expectations that she could not have conceivably fulfilled. So, in a sense, she has been a victim of her initial success. But if her record is mixed, she has at least guided the transition from unscrupulous autocracy to dubious democracy – for which she deserves to retain her somewhat tarnished halo.
MikeJ said,
August 3, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Cory Aquino’s message read by Kiko Dee during the anti-Charter change (Cha-cha) rally in Makati on June 10, 2009
Cancer-stricken former President Cory Aquino was unable to come but one of her grandchildren, Kiko Dee, read her message urging Filipinos to stand their ground and protect the Constitution.
“Here we are again in the midst of the shameful abuses of the powerful that seek to destroy our sacred laws, she said in Filipino (“Subalit narito muli tayo, sa gitna ng walang-hiyang pang-aabuso ng mga makapangyarihang nagnanais na sirain ang mga pinakayakap sa ating mga batas.”)“Over the years, I have learned to endure pain and sadness, but perhaps, there is nothing that causes me greater pain than to see our people betrayed again and again by those they have elected to lead and serve them. To those of us who fought long and hard to restore our democracy, the pain deepens at the thought that all our gains have so quickly been eroded.
When the dictator Ferdinand Marcos was driven from power in 1986, “didn’t we vow that we will never again allow to throw away our freedom?” This is not the leadership that Filipinos deserve or the society that should be handed down to the next generation.”
l*ding said,
August 3, 2009 at 4:00 pm
zippo hijo,
you’re a cojuangco on the antonio side if i’m not mistaken. i only said meldy should lead the antonio side together with danding because they are the most prominent cojuangcos who are known to be on the marcos side. i am just hoping for a scenario wherein all the elder cojuangcos will be in the cathedral to bid their last goodbye to their most famous cousin, cory.
l*ding said,
August 3, 2009 at 3:29 pm
look at gloria, the presidency was served on her on a silver platter but she bungled her position in history with all thats happening now…it is not how many opportunities you are given that makes you great but its how you nurture that opportunity and cory certainly did nurtured it cementing the aquino family as the first family of the country like the kennedys of america.
l*ding said,
August 3, 2009 at 3:25 pm
yes cory was at the right time and at the right place but what she did after that wonderful opportunity to rise to the occasion and be a heroine of your country is something people admired in her…
i disagree with gargantuas downplaying her role. it wasnt serve to her on a silver platter. she worked hard , very hard to be in this exalted position she is today….she will be a saint or the very least a beatified one.
she gave filipinos the reason to be proud of its heritage. to see the aquinos walk behind the coffin in the cathedral while the orchestra plays bach was very surreal. it was the philippines version of what a historical funeral is. it levels that to emperor hirohito, queen mother, princess diana, pope john paul and mother teresa. this funeral will go down in history as befitting corys lineage (bach/orchestra) and her leader of a poor country (truck used).
cory will never be forgotten… im just disappointed that mandela, obama and the pope is not coming to bury her… and even the emperor of japan should have at least sent a representative to repay corys presence in hirohito’s funeral.
Garganta Inflamada said,
August 3, 2009 at 1:59 pm
God, I hope it does [ not ] turn into a sobfest.
I mean Cory was a good person and but not a particularly brilliant or outstanding leader. She got her place in history by accident: she just happened to be, I guess, at the ‘right’ place at the ‘right’ time. Like the Romanovs or most of royalty, they just happen to be to the manor born and deal with it in whatever way… whereas… or unlike a certain Ilocano-Visayan power bloc who clawed and cheated their way to power, the sword of destiny fell on Cory’s lap, and she did with it as best she could. Perhaps one cannot ask for more.
But leaders come and go… as shall you and I. It’s just a matter of who will meet you either at the Pearly Puertas or the Toasty Gates.
zippo said,
August 3, 2009 at 1:29 pm
l*ding,
“yes i know its lulu, but i want meldy c. to lead the antonio side if ony for her theatrics”
Ahhhh…. so theatrics must give way to family ties. Really l*ding…
Jules said,
August 3, 2009 at 12:34 pm
’twas only this morning
when i browsed the tellie
to check out on the latest
of the Late President…
not minding being late for work.
i cried intermittenly
coz she is a ‘mum’ to many,
and a ‘tita cory’ to the nation…
remembering last week
a short tête-à-tête
with her equally refined sister
Josephine Sumulong Cojuangco-Reyes,
when she whispered to me and said:
“Oh, please pray for me…”
and I said: “yes ma’am…,
I felt how warm she was
and imagined holding tita cory’s
hands too…
good bye tita cory,
may the candles you shared with us
LiGHT UP back
on your way to meeting up
with Our Creator
(please whisper to Him too
the peace of our Nation)…
xOxO
larry leviste said,
August 3, 2009 at 3:51 am
I love how Serge Remonde is DENYING the Palace had no hand in recalling Cory’s 2 assigned military guards.
CAN’T the Palace and it’s inhabitants ever OWN UP to thier actions.
Denials, LIES, Corruption and outright KLEPTOCRACY is all they know.
I hope they have the decency not to turn the Manila Cathedral into something THEY can turn to their favor.
Anyway, THEY never visited the hospital. WHY NOW ?
SHE is coming into the CATHEDRAL at 7am DAW.
I hope ROTTEN TOMATOES aren’t trained at her.
As Cory was loved GLORIA is hated.
l*ding said,
August 3, 2009 at 1:59 am
i love how kris acknowledged the sincerity of the marcoses. that was a rare moment in philippine television history. i hope that she becomes president someday. she has made cory proud and has redeemed herself before time ran out…
bravo kris!
l*ding said,
August 3, 2009 at 1:56 am
zippo hijo,
yes i know its lulu, but i want meldy c. to lead the antonio side if ony for her theatrics…the drama of a meldy cojuangco will surely be missed if she did not attend cory’s funeral. she to me epitomizes hush hush elegance. a real patrician lady…im sure many people including the masa will be looking for who is tonyboys mother in the crowd when they put the funeral coverage on television.
it will be a good gesture if they all sit by branch.
according to josie lichauco who is part of the organizing committee, lea salonga will sing in the funeral. then this funeral will be our version of that of hirohito and diana. a mixture of tradition and modernity. i havent seen bea and jaime yet…maybe theyll be in the funeral…
im just curious how gloria will be seated in the funeral as this is not a state affair but a private one. will she be seated in the front pew of the church or will she just contend herself at the back.. i want to see how susan roces and joseph react…lets all give wednesday as non confrontation day for philippine society. let danding sit with jaime, bea with gretchen…let bygones be bygones if only for a day…
don pepe said,
August 3, 2009 at 12:21 am
President Corazon Aquino is dead, and with her dies the last shreds of civility in our public life. She was a good person. Say what you will about her administration, the illusions dashed and opportunities missed, but she was decent to us. She never mocked us, made fun of our hopes, or knowingly insulted our intelligence. Born to privilege, she never acted the spoiled brat. President Cory defended the Constitution from those who would twist it to their own ends. Here was a woman who rejected the temptation to perpetuate herself in power.
She was a lady, a rarity in this day and age and especially in this political system. She tried. We miss her like a limb. In mourning for Tita Cory we’re really mourning for ourselves and what could’ve been.
-Jessica Zafra
zippo said,
August 2, 2009 at 2:24 pm
l*ding,
The 3 Cojuangco branches are led by Eduardo Jr. “Danding” ( the eldest of the Eduardo / Cojuangco-Murphy side ), Pedro “Pete” ( the eldest of the Jose / Cojuangco-Sumulong side ), and Lourdes “Lulu” Cojuangco-Rivilla ( the only remaining offspring of the Antonio / Cojuangco-Uychuico side ). Imelda “MeldyCo” is an Ongsiako-de la Paz and is an in-law from the Antonio side.
Z
HRH said,
August 2, 2009 at 12:50 pm
how sweet of mercy trying to play with baby james after she hugged kris.she came with ching montinola yesterday..by the way is meldy c. ok with cory? i mean we all know that meldy c is very close to the the other meldy the first lady..just curious..
MikeJ said,
August 2, 2009 at 5:30 am
Cory, Ninoy, and Cardinal Sin (together with the likes of Lorenzo Tañada and Jose Diokno) inspired us Filipinos to seek non-violent change. Through their example and prayers, we were able to end the Marcos tyranny/dictatorship. Those who insisted on staying in power should be thankful that they did not suffer the same fate as the Ceauşescu’s.
l*ding said,
August 2, 2009 at 3:55 am
the true filipino heroine, corazon aquino…my heart broke when i saw mercy tuason hug kris aquino yesterday. i hope she looks after cory’s children as they need some motherly guidance in these difficult times…
time flies so fast, when cory’s presidency ended in 1992, bea zobel and mercy tuason convinced her to travel with them to europe. that was very therapeutic after all the rigors of the revolution, numerous coups , etc… in fact when the 3 were shopping in bally in rome, they were given huge discounts when the manager found out it was la presidentita corazon who was in their store… bea and mercy will surely miss cory.
i hope that all the cojuangco branches will be at the manila cathedral on wednesday, led by danding, pedro, and meldy c… that will really make cory smile…
goodbye cory, you will never be forgotten… it will take a thousand years to produce another cory for the philippines… she is the philippines’ saint as what time magazine describes her. and i totally agree. have a blessed and good voyage to heaven. pray for all of us mortals to our mother and to her son. i’m waiting for the best written piece of work teddy boy locsin will ever deliver on wednesday…
Richard K said,
August 2, 2009 at 12:15 am
The Most Honourable Lady…Gone but not Forgotten. Bless You.
chetonichi said,
August 1, 2009 at 11:12 pm
It is a sad day indeed for all Filipinos. But a sadder day will be upon us if that which President Aquino fought and stood for—a Democratic Philippines Free from the Tyranny of Greed and Corruption—will have been squandered by our collective apathy and quiescence, as it continues to transpire at the highest echelon of government, even as she is laid to rest.
Eternal Rest Grant Unto President Corazon Aquino o Lord.
And Let Perpetual Light Shine Upon Her.
May She Rest in Peace. Amen.
Richard K said,
August 1, 2009 at 9:57 pm
The Most Honourable Lady of the Land, gone but not forgotten…Bless you…xxxx
angela said,
August 1, 2009 at 5:56 pm
you are right, toto. the pattern was set in 1986, thanks to cory, and it will happen again, and again, yes, until we get it right.
toto gonzalez said,
August 1, 2009 at 12:30 pm
To those who will comment:
YOUR MANNERS.
I will respect those who honor former President Maria Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino as well as those who are critical of her but plainly uncivilized behavior will not be tolerated.
I value intelligence, erudition, eloquence, and politesse.
There are millions of other blogs where distastefulness is appreciated. Barbarians are not welcome here.
Thank you for your cooperation.