Streetwise
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
The Business World 7 August 2009
In death as in life, former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino continues to be a political phenomenon. The Aquino family themselves had not anticipated the people’s outpouring of love, adulation and respect for their mother after she died last August 1. Tens of thousands lined up to view her remains and hundreds of thousands more accompanied her funeral cortege to the cemetery. It evoked a sense of déjà vu in people old enough to remember her slain husband Ninoy’s own mammoth funeral cortege more than 25 years ago.
It was also reminiscent of the huge crowds that Mrs. Aquino drew in her presidential campaign against the dictator Marcos; the gigantic rally in Rizal Park where she called for civil disobedience to force him to step down after the exposure of massive electoral fraud; culminating in the popular mass uprising, eventually dubbed “people power”, that finally ousted his hated dictatorship. Yellow was the color of the day; the air reverberated with shouts of “Cory, Cory”; and the hand sign for the letter “L” meaning “Laban!” sprung to life once more.
In stark contrast was the complete isolation of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the week-long homage to Cory. The unspoken but powerful message from the people is that Mrs. Arroyo has no place in honoring and celebrating her predecessor’s life of selfless service, integrity, humility, simplicity and fortitude. Because these are qualities alien to her and which she has repeatedly and shamelessly trashed even as she laid claim to the highest office in the land.
The Aquino family’s rejection of Malacañang’s offer of a state funeral was an undisguised statement that they did not want Mrs. Arroyo to have anything to do with the funeral rites. Her early morning visit at the Manila Cathedral hours before Mrs. Aquino was laid to rest was marked by stealth (she had to go through a side door), stiffness and brevity. The absence of Mrs. Arroyo at the funeral itself was highlighted rather than made up for by the full honors that were given by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police sans their de facto Commander-in-Chief.
The accolades for Mrs. Aquino’s singular role in bringing down strongman rule and ushering in the return of democratic processes and institutions; the Catholic Church’s rendering of burial rites until then reserved only for their own top hierarchy; and the tearful remembrances of grateful family members, friends and even ordinary staff members – all paled in comparison to the sea of humanity that braved the stifling heat then drenching rains and patiently waited for hours to catch a glimpse of Mrs. Aquino’s flower-bedecked coffin atop a flatbed truck winding slowly through the crowded thoroughfares.
How then do we begin to explain the massive turn-out that took place during the entire duration of the wake until Mrs. Aquino’s burial. Especially in light of the fact that her seeming ability to rouse people power to demand government accountability or to thwart succeeding administrations’ attempts to hold on to power and restore tyrannical rule appeared to be waning.
Let us recall how even after Mrs. Aquino had called for the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo from the presidency, marched to Congress to call for her impeachment, joined numerous protest actions to keep hammering home the point about the Arroyo regime’s illegitimacy, corruption and abuse of power – the people stopped short of pouring out into the streets to support her calls.
Both her admirers and, more so, her detractors came to the conclusion that the “Cory magic” was gone. Some opined that it was after all a “Sin-Cory magic” with Cardinal Sin providing the irreplaceable political astuteness and the moral and organizational clout of the Catholic Church in the partnership. Mrs. Arroyo’s drumbeaters have gleefully proclaimed that the people were “tired” of people power and not even Cory could summon it.
Until Cory, the icon of democracy, dies under conditions of severe political and economic crisis.
What takes place can not just have been nostalgia, a people grateful for Mrs. Aquino’s role in what New York Times writer Stanley Karnow described as “guid(ing) the transition from unscrupulous autocracy to dubious democracy”.
The people’s sense of loss in the passing of a highly respected and beloved leader underscores the fact that despite her shortcomings and limitations, people appreciate, to various degrees, Cory's good traits as essential to a worthy head of state or national leader.
The hankering of the people for the kind of sincere, honest and unadulterated public service that Cory Aquino personified and which is glaringly absent in today’s incumbent leader, Mrs. Arroyo, is palpable and unmistakable. In particular, compare Mrs. Aquino’s gracious and unambiguous readiness to relinquish power as her term ended and Mrs. Arroyo’s equivocation and vile machinations to cling to power far beyond her undeserved nine years in office.
More than Cory’s outstanding traits as a political leader and Mrs. Arroyo’s profound character flaws, the most plausible and inescapable explanation is that the spirit behind People Power 1 and 2 -- the longing for change and the courage, selflessness and determination to match that longing and turn it into reality -- is alive. As much as a collective expression of gratitude to and reverence for Cory, it was also a silent but unequivocal act of protest against the rule of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is generally perceived as Cory's diametrical opposite.
Why then has there been no People Power 3 despite Cory's calls for the people's unified actions against the perpetrators of plunder, fraud and the gross betrayal of public trust?
Perhaps it only indicates that an increasing number of people are becoming keenly aware that it will take more than a replacement of leaders -- more than even another Cory -- to effect genuine and lasting change in Philippine politics and society.
While the Aquino presidency certainly had its mistakes and shortcomings and ultimately failed to live up to expectations in effecting the thoroughgoing socio-economic reforms that would benefit the Filipino people, it was the unabated corruption, puppetry and tyranny of her successors, and most especially of the Arroyo regime, that has driven home this painful lesson.#
Friday, August 07, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Report of the Faculty Regent*
August 3, 2009
Greetings!
There have been three BOR meetings since my last report to you: the May 29 meeting in UPV Iloilo, a June 3 special meeting held at Quezon Hall, the regular BOR meeting on June 25, also held at Quezon Hall and the July 31 meeting at UP Manila . My backlog in reporting to you was due mainly to the opening of the semester and the demands of being a faculty member in my department and in my college.
Staff Regent Buboy Cabrera took his oath last May 29, 2009 in Iloilo . In the July 31 meeting, Charisse Bañez, Student Regent elected last April 14, was finally confirmed. In that same meeting, the new UP Alumni Association President Alfredo Pascual took his oath as the new Alumni Regent.
Below are important highlights of the meetings related to the following concerns: Faculty and personnel welfare, proposals deferred for further study, the issue of the six economics students found guilty of misconduct; programming and reprogramming of UP System and CU funds; and the reiteration of concern over the two missing students.
A. Faculty and personnel welfare
1. New Salary Standardization Law
The University of the Philippines is included in the new salary increase for government employees effective July 1, 2009 based on the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Resolution No. 4, series of 2009, Executive Order 811 and National Budget Circular 521. President Roman announced in the July meeting that DBM has transmitted to the University the funds to implement the increase for the first year.
I proposed to the BOR in the July 31 meeting an increase in lecturers’ rates based on the formula used in the March 26, 2009 BOR approval of adjustments in the rates of UP lecturers. This is to ensure that the university upholds the principle of equity and that its lecturers also benefit from the recent salary increase of all government personnel. President Roman said this is being studied by the UP administration.
2. Faculty and personnel benefits
- The Board approved the grant of a P5, 000 merit incentive to UP personnel last June 25, 2009. This is the first of two annual benefits given by the university. Lecturers are included in this benefit on a pro-rated basis. The new provision approved by the board is the encouragement to provide a similar benefit to project-hired personnel if funds are available.
- The first rice subsidy worth P1,500 was approved last May 29 and the second one was approved last July 31. This grant is in compliance with the Collective Negotiation Agreements between UP and the All UP Workers Union and between UP and the All UP Academic Employees Union. Project and contractual employees of units which have savings are encouraged to grant the same rice subsidy to these personnel.
- Increase in Annual Awards for Faculty Grants: Professorial Chairs: From P30,000 to a minimum of P50,000 and Faculty Grants: From P15,000 to P25,000
3. Promotions
- The 2008 promotions have been approved and will be in effect from April 1, 2009
- Sagad faculty will receive a one-time grant of P5,000 and Sagad REPS and administrative staff will receive a one-time grant of P3,000. The Staff Regent and I have proposed that this grant be increased by P3, 000 for both faculty and staff. President Roman said the UP Administration will reexamine the possibility of giving this at the end of the year depending on the university’s savings.
B. Proposals from the UP Administration deferred for further study
1. Construction of the IE-ME building
The proposal of UPD to allow the construction of the IE-ME building in the current site of the College of Engineering was approved in the June 2009 meeting. Former UPD Chancellor sought a reconsideration of the Board’s decision in the July 31, 2009. The Board formed a Regents’ Committee to look into the two main issues surrounding this concern: why the IE-ME building cannot be built in the new Engineering complex where the buildings of the other departments of the college have been built or will be built in the future; the possibility that the P300 million allocation for the building will be lost if the project is not started before December 2009
2. UP Naming Rights Policy
The UP Administration presented to the BOR in the July 31 meeting new and additional proposals on the existing “Guidelines for Naming Buildings, Structures, Streets, Parks and Other places in the university approved by the UP President on 27 July 2004 and noted by the BOR at its 1185th meeting on 26 of August 2004.
The present policy regarding naming of buildings, structures, streets, parks and other places in the University after living persons or juridical persons shall be allowed only when it is made a condition in a donation in favor of the University and for meritorious considerations.
The additional/new proposed provision (among others) is:
Buildings: A proposal for naming a building (or significant and identifiable section of a building) in honor of a person or organization may consider when that person or organization:
- is a major benefactor who makes a direct and substantial contribution to the capital cost of constructing the building (at least 50% of project cost) or
- has given extraordinarily distinguished service to the University that merits recognition in the University’s history (on special recommendation by the President to, and subsequent approval by, the Board of Regents.
My main criticism is that the new proposal gives naming rights to UP buildings based solely on financial considerations, in effect institutionalizing another form of “UP for Sale ”. Traditionally UP buildings have been named after heroes, dead statesmen and women or deceased outstanding academic and administrative leaders of the University. Recognition of financial donations to the university has been in the form of commemorative plaques and the naming of professorial and faculty chairs. I believe this tradition and practice should remain.
The Board decided to defer making a decision on this and on a related proposal of the Asian Studies to name the new Asian Center facilities donated by Toyota Motor Philippines to the University: entire 1 hectare property to be named GT-Toyota Asian cultural Center, The museum-library research institute building to be named GT-Toyota Hall of Wisdom and the auditorium be named GT-Toyota Asian Auditorium. (GT stands for George Ty)
3.UP Manila – PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building
The University and the Mercado General Hospital signed last June 18, 2009 a contract for the lease, conversion and development of a certain area of the PGH Dispensary Building situated at the PGH to be called the UP Manila-PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building .
When presented for approval in the June 25, 2009 meeting, the decision was deferred due to the following:
- The contract does not only provide clinic space for UP doctors to allow them to practice their profession instead of going to private hospitals (a provision not objected to by the Board) but also allows the Mercado General Hospital to put up a pharmacy, x-ray facilities and laboratories. These facilities are already found in PGH.
- The rental rate is P1,000,000 per month (net of all taxes) subject to a yearly increase or escalation at the rate of 10% per annum commencing on the 6th year of the term of the lease. ( I do not have the figures on the floor area being leased so as to compare the rental per square meter in this contract to the current per square meter rates of commercial buildings across PGH).
- The period of lease is 25 years exclusive of a rent-free period of 18 months from date of signing of contract within which the lessee must perform, comply with and complete all the works for the conversion, rehabilitation and development of FAB
- The contract may be renewed for a maximum period of five years.
The BOR has also formed a Regents’ Committee to examine further the concerns raised by the All UP Workers Union of UP Manila-PGH and concerns raised by the BOR Chair, the Faculty Regent and the Staff Regent.
4. UP Manila Campus Development Master Plan and UP Diliman’s Comprehensive Land Use, Zoning and Master Plans
Decisions on the two above proposals presented to the July 31, 2009 BOR meeting were deferred to enable the board to further study them.
5. Expanding the search for a new Director of UPPEP
The term of the Director of the UP Pampanga Extension Program ended last May 31, 2009. Two names were nominated: the current Director, a UPPEP professor and a professor from UP Diliman. The latter did not accept the nomination.
The BOR decided to expand the search for a director as there were strong reservations about the two nominees. The current director has already served three terms and her selection would mean a fourth term or a total of 12 continuous years as academic and administrative leader of UP Pampanga. The other nominee has very limited support from the faculty of the unit.
C. The UPD University Council and the BOR on the 6 Economics Students accused of cheating during an examination and found guilty of “other forms of misconduct”
The UPD UC on April 2008 approved the graduation of several School of Economics students accused of cheating during an examination. As their case was still being heard by the Student Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), the UC decided, on the principle of “presumption of innocence” voted to allow them to graduate “without prejudice to the final determination of the disciplinary cases and without prejudice to the appropriate corrective measures to be undertaken by the University should the decision be against them.”
On April 2009, the UC once again discussed the case as six of the students were found by the SDT guilty of misconduct and imposed a penalty 45 days suspension. The students did not appeal the decision. The UC deliberated on how this penalty would be served and after over two hours of discussion voted 126 for, 73 against and 13 abstain, that the graduation be withdrawn so that the students could enroll for residency and serve their suspension.
In the June 3, 2009 special BOR meeting to discuss the decision of the UPD UC, the BOR by a vote of 5 for, 3 against and 1 abstain approved the motion to confirm the graduation of the six students…without need of serving the penalty of 45 days suspension imposed by the SDT because the same is deemed to be served.”
In the June 25 regular BOR meeting, I submitted a motion for reconsideration of this decision and also requested for the Board to provide an explanation of this decision. The Chair broke the 4-4 vote in favor of denying the reconsideration.
In the July 31, 2009 meeting the Board rejected two resolutions passed by the University Council in its July 20, 2009 meeting. One resolution protested the June 3 decision of the BOR and requested for reconsideration . The other resolution was for withdrawing the honors of students found guilty of misconduct. In response to the UC's reiteration of the need for transparency regarding the bases for the BOR decisions, the Chair instructed the Office of the Secretary of the University to release to the UPD UC the record of the deliberations of the BOR meetings (June 3, June 25 and July 31) related to this case.
D. Programming and Reprogramming of Funds of the System and CUs
· May 29, 2009:
- Open U: P9, 525,636.25
- UP System: P55, 486,855.22
· June 25, 2009
- UP Visayas: (Programming of Income): P1, 289, 746.21
- UP Manila : (Reprogramming of unexpended balances: P40, 876,409.57
- UP Diliman: (Reprogramming of Unexpended Obligations under the GAA): P35, 216,137.85
· July 31, 2009
- UP System (Reprogramming of unexpended balances): P20, 655,073.38
- UP Diliman (Programming of income): P13, 771, 429, 21
E. Reiteration of UP’s concern over missing UP Students
As the June 25, 2009 meeting was just a day before the third anniversary of the abduction of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, who disappeared on June 26, 2006, I shared with the board the UPD University Council resolution dated July 26, 2006.
_________
* The 2009-2010 Faculty Regent is Dr. Judy Taguiwalo. She is presently a professor from the College of Social Work and Community Development and a former National President of the All U.P. Academic Employees Union
Greetings!
There have been three BOR meetings since my last report to you: the May 29 meeting in UPV Iloilo, a June 3 special meeting held at Quezon Hall, the regular BOR meeting on June 25, also held at Quezon Hall and the July 31 meeting at UP Manila . My backlog in reporting to you was due mainly to the opening of the semester and the demands of being a faculty member in my department and in my college.
Staff Regent Buboy Cabrera took his oath last May 29, 2009 in Iloilo . In the July 31 meeting, Charisse Bañez, Student Regent elected last April 14, was finally confirmed. In that same meeting, the new UP Alumni Association President Alfredo Pascual took his oath as the new Alumni Regent.
Below are important highlights of the meetings related to the following concerns: Faculty and personnel welfare, proposals deferred for further study, the issue of the six economics students found guilty of misconduct; programming and reprogramming of UP System and CU funds; and the reiteration of concern over the two missing students.
A. Faculty and personnel welfare
1. New Salary Standardization Law
The University of the Philippines is included in the new salary increase for government employees effective July 1, 2009 based on the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Resolution No. 4, series of 2009, Executive Order 811 and National Budget Circular 521. President Roman announced in the July meeting that DBM has transmitted to the University the funds to implement the increase for the first year.
I proposed to the BOR in the July 31 meeting an increase in lecturers’ rates based on the formula used in the March 26, 2009 BOR approval of adjustments in the rates of UP lecturers. This is to ensure that the university upholds the principle of equity and that its lecturers also benefit from the recent salary increase of all government personnel. President Roman said this is being studied by the UP administration.
2. Faculty and personnel benefits
- The Board approved the grant of a P5, 000 merit incentive to UP personnel last June 25, 2009. This is the first of two annual benefits given by the university. Lecturers are included in this benefit on a pro-rated basis. The new provision approved by the board is the encouragement to provide a similar benefit to project-hired personnel if funds are available.
- The first rice subsidy worth P1,500 was approved last May 29 and the second one was approved last July 31. This grant is in compliance with the Collective Negotiation Agreements between UP and the All UP Workers Union and between UP and the All UP Academic Employees Union. Project and contractual employees of units which have savings are encouraged to grant the same rice subsidy to these personnel.
- Increase in Annual Awards for Faculty Grants: Professorial Chairs: From P30,000 to a minimum of P50,000 and Faculty Grants: From P15,000 to P25,000
3. Promotions
- The 2008 promotions have been approved and will be in effect from April 1, 2009
- Sagad faculty will receive a one-time grant of P5,000 and Sagad REPS and administrative staff will receive a one-time grant of P3,000. The Staff Regent and I have proposed that this grant be increased by P3, 000 for both faculty and staff. President Roman said the UP Administration will reexamine the possibility of giving this at the end of the year depending on the university’s savings.
B. Proposals from the UP Administration deferred for further study
1. Construction of the IE-ME building
The proposal of UPD to allow the construction of the IE-ME building in the current site of the College of Engineering was approved in the June 2009 meeting. Former UPD Chancellor sought a reconsideration of the Board’s decision in the July 31, 2009. The Board formed a Regents’ Committee to look into the two main issues surrounding this concern: why the IE-ME building cannot be built in the new Engineering complex where the buildings of the other departments of the college have been built or will be built in the future; the possibility that the P300 million allocation for the building will be lost if the project is not started before December 2009
2. UP Naming Rights Policy
The UP Administration presented to the BOR in the July 31 meeting new and additional proposals on the existing “Guidelines for Naming Buildings, Structures, Streets, Parks and Other places in the university approved by the UP President on 27 July 2004 and noted by the BOR at its 1185th meeting on 26 of August 2004.
The present policy regarding naming of buildings, structures, streets, parks and other places in the University after living persons or juridical persons shall be allowed only when it is made a condition in a donation in favor of the University and for meritorious considerations.
The additional/new proposed provision (among others) is:
Buildings: A proposal for naming a building (or significant and identifiable section of a building) in honor of a person or organization may consider when that person or organization:
- is a major benefactor who makes a direct and substantial contribution to the capital cost of constructing the building (at least 50% of project cost) or
- has given extraordinarily distinguished service to the University that merits recognition in the University’s history (on special recommendation by the President to, and subsequent approval by, the Board of Regents.
My main criticism is that the new proposal gives naming rights to UP buildings based solely on financial considerations, in effect institutionalizing another form of “UP for Sale ”. Traditionally UP buildings have been named after heroes, dead statesmen and women or deceased outstanding academic and administrative leaders of the University. Recognition of financial donations to the university has been in the form of commemorative plaques and the naming of professorial and faculty chairs. I believe this tradition and practice should remain.
The Board decided to defer making a decision on this and on a related proposal of the Asian Studies to name the new Asian Center facilities donated by Toyota Motor Philippines to the University: entire 1 hectare property to be named GT-Toyota Asian cultural Center, The museum-library research institute building to be named GT-Toyota Hall of Wisdom and the auditorium be named GT-Toyota Asian Auditorium. (GT stands for George Ty)
3.UP Manila – PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building
The University and the Mercado General Hospital signed last June 18, 2009 a contract for the lease, conversion and development of a certain area of the PGH Dispensary Building situated at the PGH to be called the UP Manila-PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building .
When presented for approval in the June 25, 2009 meeting, the decision was deferred due to the following:
- The contract does not only provide clinic space for UP doctors to allow them to practice their profession instead of going to private hospitals (a provision not objected to by the Board) but also allows the Mercado General Hospital to put up a pharmacy, x-ray facilities and laboratories. These facilities are already found in PGH.
- The rental rate is P1,000,000 per month (net of all taxes) subject to a yearly increase or escalation at the rate of 10% per annum commencing on the 6th year of the term of the lease. ( I do not have the figures on the floor area being leased so as to compare the rental per square meter in this contract to the current per square meter rates of commercial buildings across PGH).
- The period of lease is 25 years exclusive of a rent-free period of 18 months from date of signing of contract within which the lessee must perform, comply with and complete all the works for the conversion, rehabilitation and development of FAB
- The contract may be renewed for a maximum period of five years.
The BOR has also formed a Regents’ Committee to examine further the concerns raised by the All UP Workers Union of UP Manila-PGH and concerns raised by the BOR Chair, the Faculty Regent and the Staff Regent.
4. UP Manila Campus Development Master Plan and UP Diliman’s Comprehensive Land Use, Zoning and Master Plans
Decisions on the two above proposals presented to the July 31, 2009 BOR meeting were deferred to enable the board to further study them.
5. Expanding the search for a new Director of UPPEP
The term of the Director of the UP Pampanga Extension Program ended last May 31, 2009. Two names were nominated: the current Director, a UPPEP professor and a professor from UP Diliman. The latter did not accept the nomination.
The BOR decided to expand the search for a director as there were strong reservations about the two nominees. The current director has already served three terms and her selection would mean a fourth term or a total of 12 continuous years as academic and administrative leader of UP Pampanga. The other nominee has very limited support from the faculty of the unit.
C. The UPD University Council and the BOR on the 6 Economics Students accused of cheating during an examination and found guilty of “other forms of misconduct”
The UPD UC on April 2008 approved the graduation of several School of Economics students accused of cheating during an examination. As their case was still being heard by the Student Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), the UC decided, on the principle of “presumption of innocence” voted to allow them to graduate “without prejudice to the final determination of the disciplinary cases and without prejudice to the appropriate corrective measures to be undertaken by the University should the decision be against them.”
On April 2009, the UC once again discussed the case as six of the students were found by the SDT guilty of misconduct and imposed a penalty 45 days suspension. The students did not appeal the decision. The UC deliberated on how this penalty would be served and after over two hours of discussion voted 126 for, 73 against and 13 abstain, that the graduation be withdrawn so that the students could enroll for residency and serve their suspension.
In the June 3, 2009 special BOR meeting to discuss the decision of the UPD UC, the BOR by a vote of 5 for, 3 against and 1 abstain approved the motion to confirm the graduation of the six students…without need of serving the penalty of 45 days suspension imposed by the SDT because the same is deemed to be served.”
In the June 25 regular BOR meeting, I submitted a motion for reconsideration of this decision and also requested for the Board to provide an explanation of this decision. The Chair broke the 4-4 vote in favor of denying the reconsideration.
In the July 31, 2009 meeting the Board rejected two resolutions passed by the University Council in its July 20, 2009 meeting. One resolution protested the June 3 decision of the BOR and requested for reconsideration . The other resolution was for withdrawing the honors of students found guilty of misconduct. In response to the UC's reiteration of the need for transparency regarding the bases for the BOR decisions, the Chair instructed the Office of the Secretary of the University to release to the UPD UC the record of the deliberations of the BOR meetings (June 3, June 25 and July 31) related to this case.
D. Programming and Reprogramming of Funds of the System and CUs
· May 29, 2009:
- Open U: P9, 525,636.25
- UP System: P55, 486,855.22
· June 25, 2009
- UP Visayas: (Programming of Income): P1, 289, 746.21
- UP Manila : (Reprogramming of unexpended balances: P40, 876,409.57
- UP Diliman: (Reprogramming of Unexpended Obligations under the GAA): P35, 216,137.85
· July 31, 2009
- UP System (Reprogramming of unexpended balances): P20, 655,073.38
- UP Diliman (Programming of income): P13, 771, 429, 21
E. Reiteration of UP’s concern over missing UP Students
As the June 25, 2009 meeting was just a day before the third anniversary of the abduction of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, who disappeared on June 26, 2006, I shared with the board the UPD University Council resolution dated July 26, 2006.
_________
* The 2009-2010 Faculty Regent is Dr. Judy Taguiwalo. She is presently a professor from the College of Social Work and Community Development and a former National President of the All U.P. Academic Employees Union
To Those Who Mourn for Tita Cory....
A Letter from the NY Committee from Human Rights in the Philippines
Reference: Peter Arvin Jabido, NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, email: nychrp@gmail.com
The NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines sends its condolences to the Cojuanco-Aquino family and joins the Filipino people in mourning the death of former Philippine President Corazon "Cory" Aquino last weekend after a long and brave battle against cancer.
During the three-year exile of the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino in the United States to seek medical treatment, the Aquino family settled in Boston and traveled frequently to New York City, where there still remains the legacy of an anti-fascist, anti-dictatorship, pro-democracy movement of overseas Filipino professionals. Many from New York City supported the Aquino family as the movement to oppose the Martial Law under Ferdinand Marcos can also be attributed to uniting broad ranks of Filipinos overseas as well as in Manila and throughout the Philippines.
By now, Cory Aquino's story is well-known. From the shadow of her murdered husband, this "mere housewife"-- as described by Marcos-- rose to become the first woman president of the Philippines and in Asia. The combination of Ninoy's tragedy and Cory's victory not only fast-tracked the toppling of a 20-year old dictatorship, it brought various Filipinos from different social standings together and was a wake-up call to the possibility of collective action and nationwide unity in order to make it happen. It also led to the release of hundreds of government critics who had been imprisoned and tortured by the Marcos government for political beliefs, as well as the exploration of peace prospects through negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, who have been in engaged in a 40 year old civil war.
These, perhaps, should be the most-remembered and lasting contributions of "Tita Cory", as she was fondly known.
Though Tita Cory's presidency had its notable shortcomings-- including a fraudulent land reform program that led to the shooting of indignant farmers calling for genuine land reform along Mendiola Bridge in 1987, as well as human rights violations committed by the same Armed Forces of the Philippines responsible for Martial Law-- these cannot deny its strong pursuit of reforms in the name of restoring democracy after Marcos. These include the formal closing of the former permanent US military bases after nearly a century of establishment, the restoring of the Philippine Congress as a pillar of democracy that had been dismantled under Marcos, and the creation of the 1987 Philippine Constitution to include specific provisions that limit foreign intervention and promote Philippine sovereignty as well as safeguard against executive abuse of power in the form of martial rule.
Though moral conviction against tyranny and corruption made Tita Cory stand apart from previous Philippine administrations and earned her the support of the Catholic Church, it also subjected her to the wrath of destabilizers within her own government and military that sought to bring her down. In the end, Tita Cory's popularity withstood several attempts at military coup d'etat to overthrow her.
Even after retiring from the presidency, Tita Cory publicly stood up against gross government corruption traced to both the administrations of Joseph Estrada and most recently with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Now the pro-sovereignty provisions to the Philippine Constitution that Cory's administration introduced stand to be erased due to a relentless campaign for greed and power under Arroyo, as exemplified through Arroyo's Charter Change. Though many have compared these two women presidents of the Philippines and pointed out their incidental similarities, let us focus on what makes them starkly different.
While Cory's administration saw the formal closing of the permanent US military bases, Gloria's administration seeks to formally restore them.
While Cory publicly opposed corruption, Gloria is guilty of committing and promoting it.
While Cory framed the 1987 Philippine Constitution seeking restore democracy, Gloria wants threatens democracy by seeking to change it.
While Cory freed political prisoners who were illegally detained and tortured, Gloria continues to illegally detain and torture critics of her regime.
While Cory stood up against Marcos, Gloria is emulating Marcos.
While Cory proved her moral credibility with the people, the church and international community, Gloria has lost all moral credibility with the people, the church and the international community.
In her final years, Tita Cory was one of the few from the Philippine political elite who asked Arroyo to step down from the presidency. She remained firm to this position to her deathbed.
The fight inspired by Tita Cory in 1986 is far from over. Genuine democracy in the Philippines has yet to be restored and realized.
Let the movement that Tita Cory inspired not be in vain. In the midst of another tyrannical government, let us again unite from Manila, to New York City, to the far-flung provinces of the Philippines against corruption, rising fascism, and dictatorship.
As millions now gather to mourn, let us mourn as Tita Cory would want us to-- not just by tying yellow ribbons or flashing the "L" hand signs, but by continuing the people's movement in aspiration for genuine sovereignty, democracy, and peace.
Towards Unity & Nationhood,
The NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
--
New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
www.nychrp.org
email: nychrp@gmail.com
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