Cory & Ninoy Aquino

Watching the funeral of former President Corazon Aquino brought back some memories of Ninoy Aquinos funeral that I also watched on television in 1983. It seemed like the crowd was of the same magnitude. The yellow ribbons and confetti . . . the truck bearing the coffin . . . people looking out from office building windows . . . and those just along the street, it was like a "replay".

The feeling though was different. During Ninoys funeral, I felt that the Filipinos had lost a man who would have been the only one to topple the Marcos dictatorship and regime. It felt at that time that Martial Law, declared some time 1971 or 72, was here to stay forever in the Philippines. I was just an undergraduate freshman when it was declared. It was just sort of lifted in 1981. The dictatorship was finally taken out from office in early1986 by the People Power Revolution that stood behind Cory Aquino who really won the elections.

During Corys funeral, it felt to me like the 'Overseer' of those who took after her as President would no longer be around to rally people in case something goes wrong with their administration. Whoever were successors to the presidency after her, knew Cory would be watching their moves. She was simply 'a force to reckon with' to them.