Anthony Nachor's Diary

Entries tagged as ‘Democracy’

Philippine Elections and Political Killings: They Still Exist!

15 December 2009, Tuesday · Leave a Comment

Before the tough part of political killings and election rampage in the Philippines, I’m offering some light videos about how the pre-election processes actually take place. This video shows the various gimmicks of Philippine politicians offering various services and activities that citizens can join in so that they can have a choice whether or not the candidate is good enough to hold public office. Entitled “Random Thought: Gimmicks for the 2010 Elections”, its original version is in Filipino (Tagalog), but, if you want to follow it in English, feel free to click here. Video provided by PinasWatcher1.

November 24th, 2009. It is a day that will be remembered as the day 57 people, including 20 journalists, have been killed in the province of Maguindanao province, in Mindanao, by multiple gunshots. It is also a day to remember that political killings between rival clans or families still exist in the Republic of the Philippines because there is a notion, still, that politics in the Philippines serves as “pride over purpose, surface over substance”. That is a horrible and unacceptable reality that many Filipinos have to face, especially those who are in power take advantage of their positions to gain wealth and fame through corruption, scandals, and controversial laws and statements, all adding up to a massive burden and strain to the citizenry.

It is painful and unacceptable to hear and bear that, just because of political rivalry, wealth, and (almost) limitless power, a rival clan would just form a private army of around 100 soldiers and start shooting members of its rival political clan just to gain more power in the province, and I call this one a “political massacre”, a method of destroying democratic principles through armed struggle and killing innocent politicians and journalists just to hide their “dirty tactics” of drug and gun smuggling, corruption, and massive politicking. I believe that Political Killings still exist for more than three reasons, but, I will just take note of the three most powerful and compelling ones:

- Power. When a politician gains his or her seat (at least in the Philippine context), he or she is entitled to a lot of “gimmicks”, “tactics”, and “weapons” that a politician can use to (most possibly) stay and abuse his or her power while in office. Such tactics could include power grabbing, graft, corruption, bribery, slander, and lies, all used to brainwash its citizens of their supposed “right way of doing things” while actually gaining more power through killing his or her rivals for his or her own benefit.

- Prestige. Sure, when one’s in power, he or she can do whatever is in his or her capability to do projects and programs that will help develop the country as a whole. But, this is not the case, as in other countries: many politicians in the Philippines use their powerful seat to scare taxpayers and befriend Customs and Tax officials to bringing them to an impression that they want to build a country by reducing poverty, and by that, they receive an ample amount of funds, but where do those millions of dollars and pesos go? To the homeless people in Manila? To the struggling farmers in the provinces? To kick-start small businesses and enterprises? NO! Much of the money goes into the politician’s pockets, and more than likely, they share that money that was supposed to be used for infrastructure and poverty alleviation programs to their clan and loyal friends… That is just pure shameful and wasteful of money!

- Publicity. Some politicians come from other backgrounds, such as artists, journalists, and farmers, and they want to use politics just to improve their face toward the Filipino people by showing that they are more than just an artist who acts in movies or a journalist who broadcasts the news: it is a great form of “face-making” in the eyes of Filipinos when one becomes a politician because they are being looked upon as role models of society. But, due to immense mistrust of Filipinos to some politicians, publicity sake thus becomes a question of whether “what they do for the Philippines is for the Filipino people or for just their own make up publicity stunt”.

For videos on the Maguindanao Massacre and its impacts, I have provided some videos for you. These videos are not my own, and I acknowledge the user/s who have uploaded them.

Video provided by TheBlockerOnline (Copyright CNN):


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I Have a Dream…

13 October 2009, Tuesday · Leave a Comment

I was thinking of writing a poem that will be used as my entry to a literary contest, entitled President Obama: Celebration and Commitment
In Our Hands Lies the Ability to Shape Our World wherein its main goal is in order to mark the one year anniversary of the election of President Barack Obama, the City College of San Francisco is looking for perspectives from diverse voices. Here’s a draft of the poem I made so far:

I Have a Dream… by Anthony Nachor

I have a dream…

Where I can freely develop my talents and abilities even in my worst undertaking,

Where I can nurture and foster human equality from a humble beginning,

Where I can shape the destiny of this great nation from the simplest upbringing

Where I can live blissfully even in times of modest downgrading

I have a dream…

Where my works and actions can be accepted without reservation,

Where I can shape my life openly with determination,

Where my dreams and thoughts can be formed into personal action,

Where my weaknesses and fears can bring a simple solution

I have a dream…

That I can improve other people’s lives through better communication,

That I can reform the nation’s underfunded modes of transportation,

That I can reshape industries fallen into oblivion,

That I can create the world’s best nation through action and demonstration

I have a dream…

Where people can share their sufferings without pain or denial,

Where peace can prevail and resolve the war’s futile betrayal,

Where play, work, and study play a bigger role in the formation of an individual,

Where the powerful and wealthy can reconcile and make a strong rebuttal

I have a dream…

Where we, the people, can empower our thoughts and aspirations,

Where we, individuals, can bring together our principles and goals,

Where we, a community, can shape our dreams even in downfalls,

Where we, under one God, can improve our mistakes and find solutions

I have a dream…

That we accept everyone’s points of views without prejudice or preference,

That each person’s uniqueness is regarded with reverence,

That we value the virtues of acceptance and patience,

That everyone of us can work together to make a better difference

I was wondering if this will work great since it is “essay-flexible” – it was originally called for an essay, but, the contest is also open for making a one-word statement or a poem as well, so I opted for a poem to make a new statement. Feel free to comment on my poem-in-progress, and I will be looking forward to your suggestions.

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UC Protests: My Sympathy

25 September 2009, Friday · 3 Comments

With the California budget crisis still looming, the University of California (UC) has made a shocking proposal to raise student fees by 32 percent (32%) for the next school year, and along with that, layoffs are being set for hundreds of UC employees to reduce costs. This is a classic example of what effects an economic crisis could bring, and it affects everybody: you and me, our parents, our professors, our community organizers, the people we meet in supermarkets and hardware stores, and our leaders. And, with that potential rise in tuition fees, that alone, my friends, is the very reason I do NOT want to go to UC Berkeley for next year (unless someone gives me scholarships et al.): the miraculously and shockingly high tuition rates have made not only my parents go angry, but I myself being desperate and disappointed at the same time! It’s like “would you rather sacrifice $21,000+ (if this happens next year, up from $16,300) to go to UC Berkeley but not provide yourself with books or transportation costs, or would you rather go to a CSU (i.e. San Francisco State) to cut down on costs but get the same major?” It is a matter of compromise and costs, and it can indeed change my life forever in the process.

I really call for the UC Chancellor and his colleagues to rethink about the proposed 32 percent tuition hike and to sign a petition to stop the tuition hikes — UC’s primary concern is to provide high (if not the best) quality of education for its students who really deserve to go there, not to let those in power sit themselves in enormous wealth! If the money my parents should have paid for me to go to UC Berkeley would only go to those in the Board of Regents, it will be an extreme shame because that is a serious form of greed that we, the ordinary people, would not accept IN ANY POSSIBLE WAY! Please, if you could leave comments on this matter, I would be so happy to be with you throughout the process, and UC fee hikes are not right — let the leaders step down from their posts, reinstate quality education through qualified professors, and provide the students with the best education possible! If in any way that the tuition at UC Berkeley stands at over $20,000 in my case, I would be extremely pissed off and say GOODBYE, UC BERKELEY!

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Edward Kennedy (1932-2009)

25 August 2009, Tuesday · Leave a Comment

I heard this news from a friend of mine through my mobile phone: Ted Kennedy has died… I said really? He said yes, it’s on CNN, and I saw the shocking news: a champion of democratic endeavors for the poor, Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) has died earlier today in his home in Hyannis Beach, MA at age 77 due to brain cancer. I may have not known him quite well, but as I discover that he was one of the famed Kennedy brothers (John and Robert being his older brothers), I must’ve known that he must have led a wonderful and progressive political career that has provided Americans with a lot of needed reforms.

With his support on reforming healthcare, he has really become a strong voice in going away from conservative thoughts of politics, and with the passing of a democratic champion, it is sad on my part that his mission has ended sooner than he thought. His final goal was to see the healthcare reform be signed by President Obama, but he has left before that happened.

I send my sympathies to the immediate Kennedy family, and it is a deep loss for my part. Ted has been a champion for change, and his endeavors will become a part of a stronger democracy forever by inspiring younger generations to fight for change and keep the democratic spirit alive. The loss of Ted is like the loss of a major instrument for tremenduous change and a powerful tool that could ignite people to work together.

We will miss you, Mr. Senator. Farewell.

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Shame on You, Mrs. President!

16 August 2009, Sunday · Leave a Comment

As I listen to a newscast from the Philippines, two news anchors have commented on the following:

Mrs. Arroyo, along with 28 members of her entourage (congressmen, secretaries, guards), have splurged on a USD 20,000 on a lavish dinner in Midtown Manhattan (see my commentary, “Opinion: Is it Really Worth USD 20,000 for a Dinner?” on the July Archives). Aside from that, the President has canceled (I mean it) her plan to spend more than USD 22,000,000 (PHP 1,200,000,000) to buy a Presidential Jet. Despite that, her entourage has spent around USD 3,500 a night for a suite (or some suites, as I may say) at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan… And now, the Filipino people are demanding transparency in accounting and fiscal responsibility by showing the receipts of how much the government has spent (should I say misspent) on their US tour in New York and Washington D.C. Some of the congressmen who were with the President wanted to show fiscal accountability by refunding part of the money spent in New York to the Bureau of Internal Revenue…

Now, as I listen to the news story that went along, I have been looking at a lot of cracks in the Arroyo government. Both were right that the Arroyo government should demand accounting transparency by showing the actual receipts of what they have spent in New York and Washington D.C., and it should not end up in there: Mrs. President, if you could explain to us why you spent USD 20,000 for dinner while the nation is in economic turmoil in the first place. One of the anchors were right when he said “she could’ve stayed in a luxurious hotel in New York because she is a leader of the state… that’s fine. But, it could have been more honorific if she had eaten at a Jollibee (a Filipino fastfood chain) in Queens, NY! That’s exactly what I’ve said before: if she had eaten at a Filipino restaurant, she could have recognized the pain and sweat the Filipino workers have to bear on a daily basis to earn a decent living in the United States, and not only that: she could have provided them with support from the government that when they come home and retire in the Philippines, the government could provide them housing and health benefits.

What I can say to the President (and to her colleagues): what a shame! What you’ve done to the country was to put the nation into the brink of an economic disaster by spending too much on personal glamor rather than spending it for food, shelter, medical, and military needs that would’ve benefited the people! You have placed our country in a dangerous situation where if you continued to spend more on yourselves, we could be in deep debt that we could not pay the interests of the loans you have taken in! The taxpayers have been working hard to earn a decent living in the country, along with the foreign workers who work in other countries and send remittances to their families in the Philippines, and what happens to the taxpayers’ money? Spent on buying bottles of champagne and lobster salad? Buying a Presidential Plane? You have proven that you are a gullible, self-minded, terrible President the country has ever had… your personal plans have been so ridiculous that the people are demanding a lot of explanation from you.

Good thing that Mrs. Arroyo canceled purchasing a Presidential Jet that would’ve cost billions of taxpayers’ money again… but, here’s the thing: if you continue to spend haphazardly for yourself, your family, and for your colleagues who just follow your orders, it will leave a terrible and horrific effect, not only to the Filipino people, but also to the rest of the world who see the Philippines as a “happy, cheerful place to be in” because the government provides little to none on combating corruption and fighting ineffective government officials. Be more open-minded to the needs of the Filipino people, not just sign laws (such as the Cheaper Medicines Act) that will give you “brownie points”; be more determined to change the country by securing our borders and proving that the government is in control when it comes to national security; be more active in the development of the country by alleviating pollution, poverty, and hunger.

Shame on you, Mrs. President! I just wish we could have a different President right now…

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Philippine Election Primer (1)

9 August 2009, Sunday · Leave a Comment

Due to the overwhelming success of my latest blog entries, I thought about going ahead of the Philippine headlines, which is to describe, in my opinion, what the Philippine Election actually looks like. I’ll just be defining some of the popular terms used in the following realms of an election, namely:

- Candidacy

- Campaigning

- Vote casting

- Vote counting

- Post-campaign

Let me start first with what’s called the Candidacy section of the election. Remember: everything I say beyond this is just my opinion, and that I will respect others’ thoughts on this matter. Each one of them has its own example, using some letters to guide you by.

Balimbing: in English, it is called the Star Fruit, a fruit having many sides (usually a star), but, in Philippine politics, this term is used as “politicians who switch political affiliations from one party to another in an aim to gain more power, wealth, and fame.” Usually, this happens when their current party is falling behind in election surveys, confidence votes, and wealth. An example would be:

(DP stands for Diego Pabling, FE stands for Fidel Enriquez)

FE: Sir, your popularity rating is down. Is it due to the national government’s party (Liberal Party) losing popularity as well?

DP: I think so. It looks like another party is defining itself as a strong party. I might tap into the Nationalist Party because it has big political names and lots of support!

FE: Yeah? So what you mean you will switch parties to join them?

DP: Of course! I want more money, more power, more girls…

FE: Oh shush! You have already a girl in your life! Why more girls?

DP: Because that will make me more powerful! I want also to become P20,000,000 richer, and I want to attain a more powerful role!

FE: All right. Let me get the party application then.

As you see there, Mr. Pabling wants to switch affiliations just because he wants to be more powerful, while Fidel wants him to stay with his party. Diego, however, sees that staying with the Liberal Party will make him unpopular, and that his desires are to become richer, more powerful, and more popular with the girls (you know, wife no. 2, wife no. 3, etc; see kabit).

In balimbing, the maxim goes:

Wherever the money is, people will go for it.

Notice how self-serving many of the government officials are in the Philippines. Whenever a party is gaining more power (and money), those in the opposition party will jump off the ship and swim over to the other party, mixing up ideological thoughts, creating chaos and confusion among voters whose main job is to vote for them.

For a news article that shows how rampant balimbing can be, read here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090628-212788/Im-no-balimbing

Certificate of Candidacy: it is a form that will be given to a potential candidate by the Commision of Elections (COMELEC), in which it states what position the person is vying for. It is required to run for many positions in government, usually from the barangay (village) to the national level. One loophole of filing one could look something like this…

Name: Fidel Enriquez

Party Affiliation: KAMPI, ADD, NTP, etc. (just never mind the acronyms, I’ll explain below)

Desired Position: Mayor

Income: P1,600,000

Taxes Filed: I don’t know

Notice the party affiliation portion of the form. In the Philippines, a multi-tier party system exists wherein a lot of interest- and cross-oriented groups go hand-in-hand, serving the various needs of the Filipino people. However, when you want to become a government official, many times, you would see them go balimbing (expression, see above). Many times, a Certificate of Candidacy will just lie on what the potential candidate actually stands for, including how much s/he earns in a year, how much taxes s/he paid for the past few years, etc., etc.

For an example of such in the news, read here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090707-214298/Estrada-can-file-certificate-of-candidacy

Kabit: with its English equivalent close to “polygamy”, kabit refers to the number of “wives” or mistresses a government official has. Usually, this happens when an official is regarded as highly popular because he is young, active, and dedicated. I remember a joke that runs like this…

A reporter tried to call the Malacanang Palace to talk to the President…

(RP stands for reporter, VO stands for voiceover from answering machine)

VO: Thank you for calling the Malacanang Palace. If you want to continue in English, press 1. Kapag gusto mong magpatuloy sa Tagalog, pindutin ang 2.

[RP presses 1]

VO: To ensure that your call is of the highest quality, we may record this call. If you want to talk to the President, press 1. For the Vice President, press 2. For the Cabinet Secretaries, press 3.

[RP presses 1]

VO: Thank you. Please hold.

[Phone rings]

VO: We apologize that the President is currently sleeping. However, you may want to talk to one of his wives, if available. If you want to talk to Ms. A, press 1. For Ms. B, press 2. For Ms. C, press 3.

Notice how that call went… I don’t know if that actually exists.

For a clear-cut example on how kabit works, click here: http://books.google.com/books?id=ZWe5tu3urJIC&pg=RA2-PA202&lpg=RA2-PA202&dq=kabit,+politics&source=bl&ots=AFpVJIXDYK&sig=1CByMpK1dzq6YUE494oa-j4hEnY&hl=en&ei=fnx_SvHdL4aIsgP_0qjvCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Nuisance Candidate: a potential candidate who, in terms by the guidelines of  COMELEC, may not be qualified to run for a certain position in government due to either lack of campaign funds or supporters. Usually, these are the people who may have  been popular in other fields that want to switch to governatorial roles, or for this example…

(EG stands for Emilio Garcia, CO stands for COMELEC official)

EG: I want to be a Presidential candidate.

CO: Sir, how long have you been active in politics?

EG: Not quite long, but I have the money and power. I have been a comedian for years, and now I want to serve the people more than just performing on live stage.

CO: Oh really? Can you tell me what you will do for the country once you become President?

EG: What I want to do is to give every Filipino PHP 1 million (approx. $20,000) and to give them US Green Cards.

So you see, Mr. Emilio Garcia, in this scenario, may be perceived as a nuisance candidate right away because his intention is to actually “go away from politics” and instead focus on what the people want. The COMELEC will really doubt Mr. Garcia’s proposals since it is nearly impossible to give every Filipino a Green Card (immigrant card) because it takes a long time to get one in the first place! What I’m implying here is that Emilio is just trying to make fun of the electoral process, not because he’s trying to run for President for power, but because his ambitions are way too high.

For more information on what a nuisance candidate means, read here: http://www.pcij.org/blog/?p=1553

Part 2 on Campaigning coming up, so stay tuned!

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Opinion: Is it Really Worth USD 20,000 for a Dinner?

8 August 2009, Saturday · 4 Comments

While the memorial of former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino took place in Manila, President Gloria Arroyo went to New York City, along with some of her aides, for a business and state visit. She took part in a Mass while she was there to remember Cory, who died at the Makati Medical Center on August 1st at the age of 76. But, she had dinner that night, along with her aides, at a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, where she spent USD 20,000 (PHP 960,000) for dinner, including bottles of very expensive champagne!

For the news story: http://www.nypost.com/seven/08072009/gossip/pagesix/eat_and_drink_183333.htm

For the Philippine Reaction: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090809-219377/Arroyo-dined-for-P1M-in-New-Yorkreport

If ever she had the brains to think about the poor peasants living in shanty towns in Manila, she could’ve skipped the wine and ate instead in a Filipino restaurant wherein she could’ve checked into the conditions of Filipino workers. If ever she had the will for change in the society, she could have browsed more carefully on the choices she could have made to make her stay there more meaningful, such as  talking to the representatives of the United Nations on climate change and curbing the economic crisis. If ever she had fixed her priorities straight, she could have come home way quicker to Manila to catch a glimpse of President Cory Aquino’s funeral march, and she could have given a speech in her honor because she was the one who ultimately helped President Arroyo to be where she is now in the first place!

I think USD 20,000 worth of dinner is too much, especially coming from a country where 40% of the people live under USD 5 A DAY! That money could have been given to the poor in Manila, or it could have been saved to use for future peace negotiations and reconstruction in Mindanao. That money could have been spent in alleviating hunger in many public schools where the children get little to no food before going to school. That money could have been used instead to fix the ailing health and transportation system the country suffers from… Mrs. President, I demand an explanation on why you spend USD 20,000 just for dinner with your aides.

This is a clear-cut expample of misorganization of priorities, an example of lavish spending without thinking, an example of greed and glamor that they fail to recognize the condition of its own people. I think that this is the reason why the Philippines still remains a Third World country: despite the fact that the people work hard to earn a decent living, those who are in government are self-serving, corrupt, and greedy over how rich they can become, blinding themselves to the needs of its own people: food, water, shelter, clothing. It is a huge shame for the government to be spending an enormous amount of money dining in an extravagant restaurant while ignoring the facts that many Filipinos are getting sick of malnutrition and hunger, dying from treatable diseases, and hungry for political change and reform.

As one party leader said, “It is truly disappointing and disgusting”, so I say as such, but worse: “This is something the government should be really ashamed of. What they have done really tarnishes the Philippines’ reputation as one of the most hardworking nations in Asia, if not the world, because its people are doing their best to work for a living, while the government does none to encourage them to become better citizens. The government is nothing but a garbage bin that recycles its own ways without thinking of reform.”

I apologize if I use the garbage bin as a metaphorical comparison, but, I have lived in Manila for 18 years and I’ve seen little to no progress of government reform.

To President Arroyo: if you continue to mess our political system by spending money aimlessly for yourself and your officials, then it’s time for you to step down and face the facts of what you’ve done to the country. You have driven the country into deeper shambles, and what you’ve done is something worse than Marcos. If you desperately want change, do it sooner and quicker, or the people will run after you and put you in trial and impeachment.

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Salamat, Cory Aquino: My Farewell

4 August 2009, Tuesday · Leave a Comment

Mrs. President,

I was born while you were in power, and I did not know you that well until I grew up to become an elementary and high school student. You have delivered the Philippines out of shame from a long, harsh dictatorship and brought back democratic rule in a country thirsty for strong-willed leaders like you. You have given us light and joy that we, the Filipinos of today, cherish up to now. Without your slained husband, Ninoy, who fought hard to really defeat Marcos’ brutal regime, we would never see the light at the end of the tunnel, the light of freedom, democracy, and liberty.

Now, as you move away from us back to the hands of God the Father, I just make two wishes for you: to really keep the flame of democracy in the Philippines, and to enlighten every Filipino with your compassion and love that you have given them while you were in power. If it were not for your “pakikipagLABAN” (fighting hard) with the people, we would not have you as the President of our country, hungry for love and thirsty for justice. As the Lord Jesus Christ takes you away into the Kingdom of heaven, with the accompaniment of the heavenly saints, I will pray for your safe return to the Father who has given you a wonderful and magnificent life, something that every Filipino will strive to become. It may be a long hard road for us to attain full democracy, but with your presence, you have given us a new path — a path that we will never repay with anything else but love and support for one another. As the angels gather to give you praise and worship, I want to say Maraming Salamat Po (thank you very much) for being there for us, uplifting a nation from its wounds and on to a path of liberty and justice that we now enjoy. If there was anything else I would say, it will just be… thank you for your happiness, and your life on earth has been well-spent.

On your passing, I will offer this prayer to you:

LORD, as you receive the soul of the Mother of Philippine Democracy, Corazon ‘Cory’ Aquino, may You open the gates of heaven for her with joy and happiness, accompanied with your heavenly angels and saints, and let your eternal light shine upon her. Grant her eternal rest, just like Lazarus, blind and paralyzed, and bring her soul back into Your Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. As her soul goes through its final journey, bring her home to You, safe and sound. Let her become our inspiration to become better Filipinos and Christ’s own children, and we, the Filipino people, offer her soul and everything to You. Lord, the giver of life, bless her and keep her from harm, and may she be resurrected again at the end of age, and shower upon her the triumph and glory your son endured and prepared for her. We pray these through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God, and in the company of angels and saints, and may her soul endure forever and ever. Amen.

Ma. Corazon “Cory” Aquino, saludo ako sa iyo. Paalam, and we will see each other again. (Mrs. Aquino, I salute you. Farewell…)

- Anthony

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Salamat, President Aquino

1 August 2009, Saturday · Leave a Comment

I just heard of the news last night that has kept me in tears:

Midnight PDT edition of the CBS Hourly News reported that “Former Philippine President Corazon ‘Cory’ Aquino has died of heart failure as a result of her battle from colon cancer. Filipinos are now weeping for her sudden loss.”

Now, as I watch the various [news] channels from my country, I see GMA and ABS-CBN offering tributes to the late President, who is now lying in state at the De La Salle Greenhills Campus in my home city of Mandaluyong, and that flags now fly at half-mast throughout the country as a sign of mourning for Mrs. Aquino’s passing. Security in Manila has been tight for the mourners visiting the school, and that videos showing her interviews are now being broadcast on television. Even in her hometown of Tarlac Province, north of Manila, yellow ribbons have been sprouting throughout the Aquinos’ ancestral home and workplace where the family lives up to now.

President Aquino, for me, has touched my life (although indirectly), in a way that she has guided the Filipinos in reviving democracy, something that has not been thought of during the previous regime. She, for me, is a “champion of openness and solidarity” wherein she has helped the poor, listened to the needs of its people, and opened her heart to those who need her aid. She was also a powerful leader who lead the country through its turmoil after twenty years of Marcos’ brutal regime, which included going away from Martial Law, lawlessness, and corruption. Most of all, she has been a wonderful person; being the widow of former Senator (and Marcos’ worst enemy) Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., she has worked her way to bringing back what the Filipino people wanted: democratic rule, peace and order, and redevelopment. Being a motherly figure to the Filipino people, she has also kept ties with the Catholic Church, in which she gives money and energy to the charities and the leaders of the strong Catholic community.

It is a really lonely, yet blessed, day to see that a former President, a “Champion of Democracy”, the Mother of the People Power Revolution, has died in grace at the age of 76. She has done a lot for the country to ensure that democracy is in place, and now, it is time for her to go home to the Father in heaven. Salamat po, Cory Aquino, for being one of the best mothers ever lived in the Philippines, and thank you for bringing back democracy in the country. We, the Filipinos, will miss you.

May God’s grace shine upon our former President, and may Your doors be opened for her. She has done wondrous deeds for You and for the country, and let her soul be in the company of the Lord and His angels forever. Be with her throughout her journey home, and under Your grace, shower her with love and joy that you have prepared for her.

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