NAME: Oscar M.

Cortez Jr

BLOCK: EE1A

DATE: 11/30/21

Corazon C. Aquino’s speech before the Joint Season of the U.S congress

Maria Corazon “Cory” Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino (25 January 1933 – 1 August 2009), a Filipina
politician, was the Philippines’ 11th president from 1986 until 1992. She was a key role in the 1986
People Power Revolution, which overthrew President Ferdinand Marcos’ two-decade dictatorship and
ushered in the current democratic Fifth Philippine Republic. Corazon Aquino was the Philippines’ first
female president. Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., who was slain in August 1983, was her husband. She rose
to prominence as the head of the opposition to President Marcos after his assassination. Marcos was
deposed in February 1986 by the People Power Revolution, a nonviolent mass demonstration
movement.

In her speech, she praised and described her husband, Ninoy Aquino, how he saved our country and
how he set free all the people in the Philippines. She also said that Ninoy Aquino was a very good
husband and father to their children. Corazon Aquino also announced how Ninoy Aquino suffered just to
help the people in the Philippines when she said, “His loss, three times in our lives, was always a deep
and painful one.” The first loss, she said, was in the north, where Ninoy Aquino was locked in a tiny,
airless cell in the military camp and ready for execution. The second was when Ninoy defied its authority
by fasting. In the end, when he was held out in the loneliness of his cell and the frustration of exile, After
all of the suffering that Ninoy Aquino experienced and died, Corazon Aquino said, “But his death was my
country’s resurrection and the courage and faith by which alone they could be free again.” That spread
courage for two million people, who threw their fear away and escorted Ninoy Aquino to his grave. After
all of that, Corazon Aquino started to bring herself together and she said, “When a subservient
parliament announced my opponent’s victory, the people then turned out in the streets and proclaimed
me the President of all the people.” I assumed the Presidency based on that faith and the
responsibilities that it entails. She added, “As I came to power peacefully, so shall I keep it. “I will not
betray the cause of peace that brought me to power.” ”No friend of Filipino democracy will challenge
this.” That is how she became President of the Philippines.

This information and the speech of Corazon Aquino bring hope to the people of the Philippines. That
appears to instill courage and faith in her. I admire Corazon Aquino because her gender did not prevent
her from becoming President and accepting a large responsibility that her husband had delegated to
her. I no knowledge of her speech. I just know that she had a hard time before she was elected as
President.
Reference: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corazon_Aquino

https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/2017/03/21/speech-before-the-joint-session-of-the-united-
states-congress-sept-18-1986/