Against Democrazy
(a post-Edsa baby’s thoughts on democracy)
Luis A. Quibranza III
“Around 60 percent of this present generation wasn’t around during martial law,” a news anchor commented on their news program Monday morning, following the death of former president Maria Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco-Aquino, the country’s and Asia’s first female president.
Though this alone is already a great feat in itself (being a woman president), it was not the sole reason why millions honored her. Not only did she prove that a housewife could lead an entire nation as it re-builds itself from the rubble of a broken democracy, but she was also a staunch defender of democracy and peace; an advocate of women’s empowerment, and religious piety.
Perhaps being a devout Catholic, she leaned upon the examples of our Holy Mother along the time frame she was asked to run for presidency, a move she was very reluctant about at first. After 10 hours of prayer—finally convinced that this was what God wanted her to do—she rose up to the occasion and announced a head-on battle against the strongman, former president Ferdinand Marcos.
“This revelation came to her after 10 hours of meditation at the convent of the Sister-Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, not far from Manila,” states an online article in Time Magazine.
She ran for president and the rest was history. We all know by now that the color yellow has gained more significance than just being the standard color for the ever-reliable “Post-its.”
Then former president Fidel V. Ramos came into power. He was able to lead the Philippines into a higher economical standing and was featured in Readers’ Digest cover story in mid 1996 as, “The man atop Asia’s next Economic Tiger,” according to wikipedia.org
Now thinking about it, I liked the Philippines during the mid-90s. For one thing, the jeepney fare was only P 2.50. Though Youtube wasn’t around yet, it was still a decade of fun memories.
Then, former president Joseph Estrada took his seat of power. But after some years, allegations of corruption started to cripple the administration. And in 2007, in a court trial against the former president, he was found guilty of plunder and sentenced to reclusion perpetua. But he was later on pardoned by the Philippines’ second woman president. Another woman who found herself in the most powerful position in the country when the nation was on its knees, begging for new leadership.
Current president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who’s just recently delivered her 9th State of the Nation Address, will, theoretically, leave office by next year. Her term is not without its share of scandals. But again we ask ourselves, what’s new in politics?
We are less than a year away from choosing the next head of state—one who is supposed to lead this country through the present world-wide economic turmoil.
After 14 presidents, have we learned our lesson yet? The demise of one of this country’s most influential leaders may not have come in a more needed time—months before the next national elections.
And we better choose wisely. Something tells me that another people’s revolution will not anymore cover up our mistakes of electing the wrong official.
The next time we spell democracy through the elections, may we spell it out correctly as we vote for our leaders, and not strap ourselves to our chairs watching a crazy fiasco two years after. Eliminating graft, corruption and the like may be a far-fetched cry. But take it from Cory… live free, or die trying. She lived democracy until her last breath.
(Luis, born a year after the Edsa Revolution, greets his mother a happy birthday.)