Cory Aquino's Speech

Before the US Congress

• Jones' Law was passed by the Philippine Commission in 1907,
prescribing that the Philippines will have its Commonwealth
Government in 1935.
• In 1935, a new constitution was implemented where the Filipinos
shall have the autonomy to ran the Philippines except foreign affairs.
• Manuel Luis Quezon won the election for the presidency over Emilio
Aguinaldo.
• In 1942, World War 2 came to the Philippines by way of Japan
invading the country.
• The Japanese wanted to establish the East Asia Economic Sphere
where she will be its leader. The East Asia Economic Sphere is an
attmept to promote international trading among Asian countries.
• By 1944, the Japanese were defeated and the Americans return to the
Philippines.
• In 1945, the Philippines was granted independence on July 4 by the American
government.
• July 4, 1945 came to be the indpendence day of the Philippines until when
President Diosdado Macapagal re-declared June 12, 1898 as the true
independence day.
• July 4 became the Philippine-American Friendship Day.
• The Philippine went on under the 1935 constitution, exercing elections and
voting for their government officials.
• In 1964, Ferdinand Marcos was elected President of the Philippines under the
Nacionalista Party. He defeated Disodado Macapagal who sought his second
term under Liberal Party. Marcos was originally from Liberal Party but turn
coat to Nacionalista Party to be able to run for presidency against Macapagal.
• In 1968, Marcos won again his reelection amidst suspicion of fraud.
• Marcos critics claim that as early as 1964, he already wanted to
perpetuate himself to power.
• In 1972, Marcos' last term was about to expire and there were rumors
that he was preparinng Imelda Marcos, his wife, to replace him.
• But opposition to Marcos escalated, rallies and demostration were
held, issues of corruption were thrown agains him.
• In 1972, Marcos declared Martial Law.
The Marcos Narrative
• Marcos declared Martial Law because the communist insurgency was
already in areas surrounding Manila. Demonstrations against Marcos
became massive. The communists were in alliance with politicians
who were Marcos critics.
• There was a breakdown of law and order as shown by the Plaza
Miranda bombings and the foiled assasination of Juan Ponce Enrile,
Marcos' Secretary of National Defense.
• The Peasants continue to suffer under the old agrarian system, thus
many are joining the rebellion.
• The Muslims were trying to secede in Mindanao.
The Marcos Narrative
• Marcos declared all farmlands planted with palay as agrarian reform covered. He
distributed these lands to the landless tillers.
• Marcos confiscated all newspapers and media outfits such as ABSCBN.
• Marcos implemented massive public works such as the construction of new roads,
bridges, and buildings such as the Philippine Heart Center, the National Kidney Institute,
the PICC, Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Folk Arts Theater etc.
• The economy improved and GDP increased.
• Crime rate were curbed down and discipline were enforced through curfews and
strengthened police force.
• Insurgency were addressed through militarization and higher fund for military
expenditures.
• Marcos dissolve the Senate and Congress and later declared the 1973 Constitution,
where he relegated to himself the power to create laws and implement them.
The Martial Law Narrative According to
Critics
• Marcos, as early as 1964, already wanted to perpetuate himself to power for
longer time than the term allowed for presidency.
• He won his second term in 1968 amidst accusation of corruption.
• In 1972, his 2-term presidency would expire and he was already grooming
Imelda Marcos to replace him.
• The masive demonstrations from workers and students were Filipinos'
protests against corruption on the government and reflective of their
discontentment with Marcos.
• The construction boom during the time of Marcos where public
infrastructures were built left and right were implemented with the help of
loans from US IMF World Bank.
The Martial Law Narrative According to
Critics
• The loans were guaranteed by the government but much of them went to the pockets
of Marcos friends.
• Top corporations were confiscated or forcibly bought by Marcos. Marcos then gave
these corporations to his friends and/or dummies and made kickbacks in every
transactions.
• The Marcos' loot were siphoned off to Banks abroad.
• The war against insurgency problems resulted in the increase of youths and peasants
going underground and joining the CPP/NPA/NDF.
• Many were killed in military operations, disappeared in crackdowns on
demonstrations, and suffered human rights violations
• Marcos politicized military and appointed military men in civilian positions in the
government.
The Martial Law Narrative According to
Critics
• Opposition politicians, along with leaders of demonstrations were
detained, the military used torture in the process and many
disappeared without trace.
• Ninoy Aquino was one those immediately held by the military. He was
the last to have been detained from 1972 to 1980.
• In 1980, Ninoy was allowed to seek treatment for heart disease in the
US.
• While in the US, Ninoy continued to criticize Martial Law.
• In 1983, Ninoy Aquino decided to return to the Philippines to continue
his opposition to Marcos.
Historical Context
• The gradual downfall of Marcos began with the assassination of Ninoy Aquino.
• The murder of Ninoy set in motion series of events that destabilized the Marcos
administration.
• The economy began to falter amidst accusations of corruptions by Marcos and his cronies.
• The US government thought that Marcos was losing the mandate of the people, Marcos
called for a snap election.
• The broad oppostion decided to field Cory Aquino to run for President and Salvador Laurel
for Vice President
• The snap election prove to be a farce, with rampant cheating and violence, yet the
Batasang Pambansa declared Marcos the winner
• In protest, Aquino campaigned for the boycott of products of businesses that supported
Marcos.
Historical Context
• On February 22, 1986, martial law architects Juan Ponce Enrile and
Fidel Ramos announced their defection from Marcos government.
This led to the four-day People Power Revolution.
• Marcos eventually was flown by the US government to Hawaii where
he lived in exile and Aquino was sworn into office as President of the
Philippines.
• The People Power Revolution became a worldwide phenomenon.
• In September 1986, Cory Aquino went to a state visit to the US where
she spoke before the US Congress to ask for financial aid and confer
with then US President Ronald Reagan.
About Cory Aquino
• Ma. Corazon “Cory” Aquino was born on January 25, 1922 to a wealthy and politically prominent
Cojuangco family in Tarlac.
• Graduated from Mount St. Vincent College in NYC in 1954 and married Nonioy Aquino in 1955.
• Lived a politician's wife during the Marcos administration.
• She was thrust into the limelight when Ninoy was assassinated upon his return to the Philippines on
August 21, 1983.
• In 1986, she became the President after the People Power Revolution. She accomodated figures from the
left and the military and apponited them in government positions. She would soon faced coup de etas
from the ranks of the military led by Juan Ponce Enrile and Gringo Honassan.
• The Cory administration became known for its restoration of the Philippine democracy.
• In January 1987, Cory Aquino was named Time Magazine's 1986 Person of the Year.
• She returned to the limelight in 2001 when she supported the impeachment of Joseph Estrada on what
became the EDSA 2.
• in 2006, she was listed in the Time Magazine's issue called “60 Years of Asian Heroes.”
• She died on Ausgust 1, 2009.
Revisiting Cory Aquino's Speech
• She began her speech with the story of her leaving the US three years prior as a
newly widowed wife of Ninoy Aquino.
• She then told of Ninoy's character, conviction and resolve in fighting the
authoritarianism of Marcos. She talked of the three times that they felt they
lost Ninoy.
• When Ninoy was detained and for 40 days they dont know his whereabouts.
• When Ninoy was charged with subversion etc., Ninoy questioned the legitimacy of the
court martial and went on a hunger strike for 40 days.
• Ninoy's death.
• Cory attributed the peaceful EDSA revolution to the martyrdom of Ninoy -- it
sparked the revolution and the responsibility of “offering the democratic
alternative” had “fallen on her shoulders.”
Analysis of the Cory Aquino's Speech
• Cory talked about her miraculous victory through the people's struggle and
continued talking about her earlier initiatives as president of restored
democracy.
• She intended to forge and draw reconciliation after a polarizing dictatorship
• She emphasized the importance of EDSA Revolution in terms of being a limited
revolution that respect human lives and freedom.
• She boasted of having restored a constitutional government whose constitution
include Bill of Rights.
• Cory proceeded on her peace agenda with the communists insurgency.
• Her peace agenda involves political initiatives and re-integration program to
persuade rebels to leave the countryside and return to the society and participate in
the restoration of democracy
Revisiting Cory Aquino's Speech
• Cory expressed her intention to honor the debt which balooned to USD26B during the
Marcos regime, even these debts did not benefit the Filipinos.
• Cory continued that while the dictatorship brought calamity level experiences to the
Filipinos, yet no assistance was yet to be extended to the Philippines.
• Cory enumerated the challenges ahead as they tried to rebuild democracy -- the
communist insurgency and the economic deterioration. These challenges worsened
by the crippling debt payments (half of the 2B export earnings would just go to the
interests on loans)
• Cory asked the US Congress, they have Filipinos who wanted democracy by
themselves and need only help to preserve it.
• Cory ended by thanking America for serving as home to her family for the three years
they spent before the death of Ninoy.
Analysis of the Cory Aquino Speech
• Cory Aquino's speech cemented the legitimacy of EDSA government
in the international arena.
• Cory's perception of the revolution represents the dominant
discourse about the EDSA Revolution at that time.
• Cory's ideology or principle was revealed -commitment to democracy
by restoring constitutional government with bill of rights enshrined;
she would be reconciliatory leader; and her apporach to insurgency
was through peace.
• Despite being different from Marcos, she is same with her foreign
policy od alliance with the US.
End of Presentation