Days of sadness... rebirth of hope

The best I could do over the past week was read accounts of Tita Cory’s days of glory and mull over her important speeches. Like the deaths in my own family, I simply could not get over the period of denial. Towards their end, I knew my parents (who were in their mid 80s) and my sister who died of pancreatic cancer were living on borrowed time but my mind simply refused to contemplate that reality. When it finally came, I remember walking around during the customary wake like a zombie on adrenalin still not fully reconciled to the loss.

It was the same feeling this week. She wasn’t just the mother of Kris and Noynoy and their siblings. She was the mother of this nation, the woman who risked her life to make the rebirth of democracy a reality. She represented better times… a time when we stood tall in the eyes of the world… a time we could be proud to be Filipinos. I remember attending an international conference shortly after EDSA and everyone wanted to know how it feels to be part of the People Power revolution.

What I found particularly heartwarming over the past week were all the young people who were probably not even born when our generation showed the world the best the Filipino people is capable of. It is good for our young to experience what we felt on that memorable day when we sent a corrupt tyrant packing. It could happen again. It was great to see a mother teaching her toddler how to make the Laban sign with her fingers as they waited for Tita Cory’s cortege to pass. It is important to leave our young ones with strong feelings of responsibility for what happens to this nation.

Our younger generations must understand why Tita Cory is important to us. She was what a true leader should be… leading by example. She was there when our newly restored democracy was threatened by misguided elements from the right and the military. She was there to lead us when the current leadership was straying from the straight and narrow path she has set.

As her casket was carried out of the Manila Cathedral, one couldn’t help feeling sadness upon finally realizing that this is truly the end of an era our generation can be truly proud of… Then it hits you we are now on our own. We will have to do without the moral forces behind the miracle at Edsa, the late Cardinal Sin and now Tita Cory. We have been truly orphaned.

But the days of sadness also brought forth the rebirth of hope. Our democracy has been experiencing rough patches in recent years. There are those who say they are tired fighting and are just moving on to other lands in search of a better life specially for their children. Many of us who lived through EDSA have started to feel that all we can manage is one proud moment in time and we’re back in the pits where we came from. Then this week, amidst the tears, everything started coming back again.

Tita Cory may be dead but her spirit lives on. Perhaps she may even be more compelling in death. Best of all, it seems the Filipino people have not forgotten. I, for one, have always wanted to believe the feeling was just in hibernation. Now it has apparently awakened. Seeing the crowd that waited for her funeral cortege to pass by Ninoy’s monument on Ayala and the long line of people in Intramuros waiting in the rain for hours for the chance to view her remains can bring tears to one’s eyes. Even in death, Tita Cory still has the power to inspire self sacrifice upon our people.

At a time when many of us have given up hope that we can use that same People Power that threw out a dictator to bring in good governance, the past few days certainly energized our spirits even through our sadness. For as long as the spirit of Tita Cory lives in our hearts, we should be capable of finishing the task she has set out to do… put in power a government that governs in the highest standards of self sacrifice and morality of the first People Power revolution.

Administration spokesmen kept on reminding the public to keep politics out of Tita Cory’s wake. But it is impossible not to compare the two women who have held the nation’s highest office. It is impossible not to see that one is the anti thesis of the other. Besides, the admonition smacks of desperation coming from those who viewed her as their political enemy. How many times have they sneered at her as they proclaimed the death of Cory magic? Laos na si Cory, they scorned in reaction to a rained out rally in Ayala to protest dagdag bawas ala Garci.

Her running dogs in PALAKA (Partido Lakas Kampi) have miscalculated. Cory Magic Lives! There is this outpouring of love for Tita Cory while Ate Glue had to steal a seven minute visit at Tita Cory’s wake in the wee hours of the morning. Afraid of how a grieving public would react to her presence, they even stopped the public viewing while she was there. It is apparently dangerous for Ate Glue to be in the same big church with common folks. She and her handlers must know how much the people despise her, as the opinion polls have been saying.

The past week is a game changer for those who may be planning something sneaky ala Garci Part 2 in our 2010 electoral exercise. Or those planning cha cha. They have discounted Tita Cory’s influence. They are counting on public apathy because many have said they are now tired and cynical with the political system. But those planning dirty tricks must now carefully calculate just how deeply orphaned the people may feel with Tita Cory’s passing. A comment I noticed on Facebook summed up that feeling best: “the whole nation is mourning. Having lost a dedicated mother… now all we have left, is a wicked stepmother!”

The forces of EDSA have once again flexed their muscles and are energized. In death, Tita Cory will prove to be more dangerous to the forces of evil. Long live Tita Cory… for long will she live in all our hearts.

LTO

A foreign resident e-mailed me his reaction to a previous column.

Still enjoying your column. I note your comments from time to time on the length of time it takes for LTO to issue number plates. It is, of course, totally iniquitous for a Government to penalize honest motorists who have paid their taxes and fees. If the government cannot issue plates in good time then they should not issue fixed penalty tickets for ‘driving without a plate’.

A friend of mine has imported two motorcycles in parts. After assembling them a ‘fixer’ got him plates for each in TWO weeks.

I imported a new bike from the USA. I employed a major established motorcycle dealer (main importer for two European brands) as my importer and broker. I paid all the fees and duties and took delivery of the bike in early February. I was shocked to be told the plates would take 5 months to obtain but was told ‘this was normal’. It is now over five months and they have just told me that the documents have still not left Philippines Customs yet.

I suggest the government fire all the staff in the customs and LTO offices and let the fixers take over. They obviously do a better job.

I am retired in the Philippines and I am often asked “Why don’t you start a business here?” My reply is “You must be joking”.

Cheers

Google chat

Jokes have always been part of the Pinoy psyche, even during the saddest moments. Here’s a Google chat between two journalists that illustrates that.

Googler 1: How’s your Cory watch?

Googler 2: Our eyebags not improving much... and how many ways can you describe Cory? Have you been to see her? We walked over last night.

Googler 1: Saw all the people and the long lines. I think I will just wait for GMA’s. Sure to be shorter or no lines…

Googler 2: Oh no, lines will be long because people will want to make sure she’s really gone for good!

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. This and some past columns can also be viewed at www.boochanco.com