Describing herself as "a 71-year-old grandmother who wants to talk to you about democracy in the Philippines," the leader of one of the most significant political movements of the 20th century addressed about 700 high school students at the Academy of Our Lady of Guam in Agana Oct. 22.
Corazon Aquino, former president of the Philippines, spent an hour with the students of the Academy and the upperclassmen from Father Duenas Memorial School, telling the story of the 1986 "people power" revolution she inspired, describing the role of prayer in her life and answering questions.
Aquino visited Guam Oct. 21-25 as a guest of the Filipino community of Guam as it celebrated its 50th anniversary. As a leader, Aquino "provided the foundation for rebuilding democracy for the 87 million citizens of the Philippines and their posterity," said Rachel San Agustin, an Academy senior, as she introduced Aquino.
The students listened attentively as Aquino told about the nonviolent revolution that took place before they were born. She told of her marriage to political leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino and her dedication to her role as wife and mother of their five children.
When President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, Ninoy Aquino, a leading opposition contender for the presidency, was arrested. He spent seven years in prison and then three years in exile in Boston. He was assassinated in 1983 at the Manila International Airport when he returned to the Philippines.
Corazon Aquino, though without political ambitions of her own, ran for the presidency in 1986. "It is no secret that I was a most reluctant candidate for the presidency," she told the students.
She knew that a divided opposition could not defeat Marcos and only her candidacy would unify the factions. She also felt an obligation to continue the fight for democracy for which her husband had sacrificed his life.
"After much reflection and prayer, I challenged the dictator," said Corazon Aquino. When Marcos had himself fraudulently declared the winner of the election, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos occupied the streets of Manila until Marcos fled and Aquino became president.
Aquino emphasized the role of prayer in her life.
"Let me share with you the rule I live by," she said as she began her speech. "I pray with all my heart, work with all my might and the rest I leave to God."
Aquino's visit had special meaning for Mercy Sister Maria Rosario, a teacher at Santa Barbara School, who remembered her experiences in 1986 when she was a student at Ateneo de Manila University.
"I was 25 feet away from a tank," she said. "All of us were holding our rosaries and praying." The sense of solidarity overcame fear. "I just felt so much at one with my fellow Filipinos during that time," she said. ---CNS
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