Evoke

Evoke

The minds of the Filipinos have seemingly enliven towards the existence of genuine democracy after the death of former Pres. Cory Aquino last Aug. 1. Sadly, many Filipinos still cannot see the bigger picture of Cory.

The solemn death of Cory not only reminds every Filipino people of her trademark of yellow suits but also of her role during the People Power which led to EDSA uprising during the Martial Law in 1972.I am not a big fan of Cory. Never would I raise my hand for an “L” sign which means “Laban.” Although her very name clearly spells People Power and democracy, we cannot deny the glaring facts of what happened; what she did and did not do when she was still the president.During her term, she signed into law the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Peasants never received the Promised Land they should be cultivating by now; instead, the ones who benefitted the most were the landlords. The exemptions and loopholes of this law are obviously more favorable to the landlords. This law is even made controversial by the fact that Cory is a scion of the rich and landed Cojuanco clan. The people found the idea of the Cojuanco’s relinquishing their hold on Hacienda Luisita (for one) seems too funny if not absurd.

The memory of the Hacienda Luisita Massacre will never be eradicated. The peasants who were only fighting for their rights were blatantly shot dead in front of the Hacienda. These peasants were not given justice during Cory’s term. One cannot help but entertain the idea that her family should be held liable.

Cory as the Commander-in-Chief of the security unit and the military, I find it impossible that she seems not to know the people behind the massacre. Further, Cory’s administration is not an exemption when it comes to anomalies. These included the ratification of Republic Act (RA) 6715 that strictly prohibits workers to hold unions or protests, the maintenance of US troupes in the country, and the imposition of a “total war” after her failure to arrive at a peaceful resolution with the National Democratic Front (NDF).

The contributions of Cory during the People Power 1 cannot be eradicated from the Philippine History. However, we should not forget that the voices of the Filipinos were really the one who called and fought for the ouster of the former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos. But just like any battles, the results matter. As we face the worst dictator in the country, we should master the courage seen in EDSA. We should unite once again and show the evil in Malacañang that never again will allow our democracy and freedom be taken for granted.