Cory Aquino: Remember her legacy

While we were all sleeping, former president and democracy icon, Cory Aquino, silently faded into the new morning, a full two hours before daybreak today. Beside her were her five children, who were all praying when she left. Doctors said that she was sleeping when she breathed her last. She was 76 years old.

Throughout the world, millions mourn her passing. For all freedom fighters out there, Cory served as their inspiration. When she led millions of Filipinos to that historic march against tyranny, Cory was a beacon of courage. Cory was just a simple housewife when she was thrust into the limelight after her husband, freedom fighter Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was assasinated in 1983.

After her assumption as the new president following the fall of the Marcos regime, Cory declared the creation of a revolutionary government. She formed a constitutional review panel and setout on a mission to reinvigorate the governmental institutions which were corrupted under Marcos.

Her administration was wracked by several coups d'etat, the bloodiest was in 1989, when rebel soldiers nearly succeeded in occupying the palace. Jun Factoran, a former Cory cabinet member remembered that day when the palace was being bombed. Jun said that Cory was a brave soul. She never showed fear during those difficult times.

Despite urgings from her supporters for her to run in the presidential elections of 1992, Cory respectfully and humbly, said no. A few months before her last State of the Nation address, Cory asked her Cabinet members to help her prepare the new government for the next president. After Cory handed over the reins of government to her anointed, former president Fidel Valdes Ramos, she went back to a quiet, private life.

Citizen Cory became active in Catholic activities, especially in social work. She never retired from the work of God which was given to her.

When her successor Ramos wanted to change the 1987 Constitution which she helped formed, citizen Cory returned to "active citizen work" once again, politely pressured her friend to abandon charter change.

In 2000, when the country was again put at risk, citizen Cory once again went to the streets. With her rosary, Cory led thousands again on a march, this time against a perceived corrupter of the youth. A year later, Cory and her friend Ramos saw another lady being sworn in as the new president. The two democracy warriors were never seen on stage with the lady at that historic juncture. For them, especially for Cory, the work ends when democracy is again safe and secure.

A few years later, we again saw Citizen Cory with hundreds of nuns, ordinary people and students marching on the streets, this time against the unworthy successor and the most vile corrupter of the youth. Citizen Cory broke her silence once more when Arroyo destroyed the integrity of the elections and cheated her way to power. Efforts to oust Arroyo failed, but Cory never went back to her normal and peaceful life. She dedicated her remaining years for the people.