STANDING FIRM
Certain groups are now bent on elevating the late President Corazon Aquino's status to sainthood, unmindful that she was not a religious figure, but a political one. As such, even on the issue of making her a national hero, many other Filipinos must first be accorded such a high status before her. If so, it only shows that even in death, our dearly departed deserving heroes can be 'bypassed.'
On my objection to her being a "saint," simply because she was never a religious figure - but allow me to make mention of a book Standing Firm, written by former US Vice-President Dan Quayle which devotes an entire chapter on the US role in smashing the 1989 coup against Cory Aquino.
Quayle's book discusses the frantic President Aquino's appeal for US aid to defeat the RAM rebels, who were on the brink of ousting her because they had control of the air. Quayle, who had to decide whether or not to rescue President Aquino since President George Bush Sr. was enroute to Malta for the Malta Summit with President Mikhail Gorbachev at the time of the Philippine coup. The book contains certain revelations which would be embarrassing to the legions of die-hard Corystas.
After her administration was saved by the US Air Force, President Aquino and her officials quickly adopted the line that they did not seek US support and that anyway such help was not crucial to her quelling the coup. Quayle said that President Aquino begged him three times for US aid, even asking for the bombing of rebel positions. Quayle claimed credit for saving the Aquino administration. In fact, that particular chapter of his book was titled "Saving Aquino." If it's true that Cory indeed asked Quayle to bomb rebel positions, then that could automatically disqualify her to be a candidate for Catholic sainthood. Hard to imagine a soft-spoken Philippine president asking a super-power nation to eliminate several of her fellow-Filipinos in a foreign and sovereign country at a time of peace (for the US). Quite disturbing, don't you think?
Quayle asks why Aquino became anti-American even after she was saved by the US jets. He refers to the fact that she caved in to the anti-US elements in her government who wanted to boot out the US bases in the country. Political circles believed that her stance on the bases showed that certain groups dictated her economic and foreign policies.
Certain groups are now bent on elevating the late President Corazon Aquino's status to sainthood, unmindful that she was not a religious figure, but a political one. As such, even on the issue of making her a national hero, many other Filipinos must first be accorded such a high status before her. If so, it only shows that even in death, our dearly departed deserving heroes can be 'bypassed.'
On my objection to her being a "saint," simply because she was never a religious figure - but allow me to make mention of a book Standing Firm, written by former US Vice-President Dan Quayle which devotes an entire chapter on the US role in smashing the 1989 coup against Cory Aquino.
Quayle's book discusses the frantic President Aquino's appeal for US aid to defeat the RAM rebels, who were on the brink of ousting her because they had control of the air. Quayle, who had to decide whether or not to rescue President Aquino since President George Bush Sr. was enroute to Malta for the Malta Summit with President Mikhail Gorbachev at the time of the Philippine coup. The book contains certain revelations which would be embarrassing to the legions of die-hard Corystas.
After her administration was saved by the US Air Force, President Aquino and her officials quickly adopted the line that they did not seek US support and that anyway such help was not crucial to her quelling the coup. Quayle said that President Aquino begged him three times for US aid, even asking for the bombing of rebel positions. Quayle claimed credit for saving the Aquino administration. In fact, that particular chapter of his book was titled "Saving Aquino." If it's true that Cory indeed asked Quayle to bomb rebel positions, then that could automatically disqualify her to be a candidate for Catholic sainthood. Hard to imagine a soft-spoken Philippine president asking a super-power nation to eliminate several of her fellow-Filipinos in a foreign and sovereign country at a time of peace (for the US). Quite disturbing, don't you think?
Quayle asks why Aquino became anti-American even after she was saved by the US jets. He refers to the fact that she caved in to the anti-US elements in her government who wanted to boot out the US bases in the country. Political circles believed that her stance on the bases showed that certain groups dictated her economic and foreign policies.
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1 comment:
one of the biggest deceivers in Philippine politics is the Ninoy Cory tandem. There is a saying in Filipino - sa sampung sinabi labing isa ang hindi tutoo. Ninoy was the best in doing this, including blaming Marcos for crimes he was accused of doing. One example is the Plaza Miranda bombing - he accused President Marcos of being the perpetrator - but questions have arisen if Marcos - who every knows is a sharp tactician - would actually order the bombing. One of the things that stick out is - this was a Liberty Party meeting de avance - one of the most important political gathering- but who was conspicously absent? The Secretary General of the LP? Who but none other than Ninoy Aquino - who miraculously appeared immediately after the bombing - with a grease gun? Let the reader decide but these are facts, I am not making it up.
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