Cory: Housewife beats Marcos

Corazon Aquino successfully challenged Marcos despite his declaration of victory in the general elections following the assassination of her husband Benigno at the Manila airport. She became president as the country and the world realized that Marcos had rigged the result in his favor through widespread fraud.
Soon afterward, I was in Manila to attend an Asian conference specially that the secretariat had arranged a meeting with the president which I attended with other prominent editors from various parts in 1986 — the first of its kind with the former housewife. She was shy and modestly dressed unlike Imelda who was always attractively dressed and decked with expensive jewelry. Cory, her pet name, had never delved into politics whereas her deceased husband was actively involved to the hilt. He was bitterly opposed to Marcos but Cory did not want the job as she simply was not prepared for it. She faced six attempted coups but survived thanks to the protection given to her by the army chief, Ramos, who later became president on the completion of her six-year term. Cory did not wish to serve another term because she was tired and fed up with the many coups and public demonstrations against rising cost. She wanted to return to her home and family as well as to attend church more frequently.
I asked her about her priorities, which was probably an improper question since she had just started her term with no knowledge of the economy, but she answered politely as best as she could. Her next six years were turbulent to say the least as rogue troops seized the opportunity and rose against her to take power.
I had no further meetings with her because she was extremely busy with countless people, both local and foreigners, wanting to see her. Her popularity and public sympathy, as well as people's hatred for the former 20 years under Marcos helped her to pull along and stay in power albeit reluctantly.
I spent the next few days visiting friends and traveling to Bagio Hill Station near Manila which was worth visiting as it was cool and pleasant and had five star hotels which all of us enjoyed. Besides, one could visit Bagio and return to Manila the same day with lunch in between. According to a Time magazine article, Cory was a good woman whose goodness alone, at the very end, was what proved enough if only by an iota, to save the country.
The most impressive achievement of her career, I think, was the People Power Revolution of 1986 when millions of unarmed people marched together against Marcos to bring pressure on him and loyalist troops to quit. They did not necessarily demand that he leave the country. That demand was left to the United States which had had enough of him and was probably ashamed of him.
Cory fell victim to colon cancer so severe that she lasted only one year before succumbing to it. There may not be another Cory Aquino in the top position of the country just as the people there may not accept another Marcos as president. Although a nice and simple housewife who supported her husband through thick and thin she amazed me by standing firm and defying the many problems that faced her.
She was born in 1931 as Corazon Cojoangco the sixth of eight children born to Jose Tarlaas 65 miles north of Manila. She was the first woman to run for the office of the president of the republic. Her family owned land and was prominent in politics like her husband, who later on gave her the name Aquino. After schooling in her country she went to America where she attended the Philadelphia Raven Hill Academy earning a degree in French and Mathematics from New Work Mount Saint Vincent College. She returned to Manila to study law.
There she met her husband and married him in 1954. The marriage united two of Tarlac most prominent families. Her husband had already made a name for himself in politics. As things turned out, he had some time to clash with Marcos which eventually killed him as was stated in an earlier article in this paper. The people rose against Marcos and elected Cory president against her better judgment.
She proved to be a formidable opponent during the campaign and her term of office, thanks to people's power.

Farouk Luqman is an eminent journailst based in Jeddah.