Peace play

One of the heart-tugging elements among the memorial activities for President Corazon Aquino was hearing the song “Magkaisa” being played again. For those who have vivid memories of 1986, hearing this incredibly powerful and poignant song (composed by Tito Sotto and originally sung by Virna Lisa) was akin to seeing a long lost friend. I literally saw people with their eyes closed, tears streaming down their cheeks, singing the lyrics of an anthem that defined a glorious moment in Philippine history. Even for the younger generation who were not yet around during the original People Power Revolution, “Magkaisa” seems to have ignited their hearts and touched their spirits. Indeed, hearing the 21-year-old Sarah Geronimo interpret the song brought chills down my spine, and gave the timeless classic a new dimension and relevance.

Even as the entire nation continues to bask in the afterglow of President Aquino’s life and passing, the message of “Magkaisa” has materialized into real-life action. This newfound wave of reconciliation — or at the very least, civility in some cases — has swept through a number of hostilities from various fields: politics, sports, network television, and even showbiz. Whether willingly or by sheer circumstance, the Aquinos and the Marcoses, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former President Joseph Estrada, Vice President Noli de Castro and Senator Loren Legarda, basketball fans from Ateneo and La Salle, ABS-CBN and GMA7, and even Boy Abunda and Annabelle Rama all have unique roles in this unfolding peace play.

The stage was set almost immediately after our beloved icon of democracy passed away. Boy Abunda — best friend of Kris Aquino and one of ABS-CBN’s crown jewels — met members of the press right at the lobby of Makati Medical Center, in order to give a firsthand account of President Cory’s last moments. Considering the momentous weight and significance of the news, it would have been perfectly understandable if he gave the exclusive to his home network. Bearing in mind the intensity of the ongoing network war between ABS-CBN and GMA7 (even reaching a point where Manny Pacquiao’s achievements are highlighted in one channel and understated in another), this would have been a major coup. But Boy Abunda did the right thing by sharing the information with all the media practitioners present, regardless of affiliation. In the days that followed, Kris Aquino — arguably the brightest star in the Lopez-owned station — likewise gave equal opportunity to GMA 7’s news crew.

 Of course, this pales in comparison to what occurred during the succeeding wake. Who would have thought that we would live to see the day when Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his sister Imee (and to a certain extent, even their mother Imelda Marcos) would pay their respects to the lady who ousted their father from power and sent them into exile? The Aquinos responded in kind, momentarily setting aside the fact that it was the Marcoses who imprisoned their father and allegedly plotted his assassination. If this was the first step to heal wounds that spanned generations, it was a big one.

During the live telecast of the wake, some of my friends pointed out that these were truly extraordinary times because GMA7 actually took note of Annabelle Rama’s presence. I failed to see the implications of this at first, until it was explained to me that the matriarch of the Gutierrez clan is currently embroiled in a battle against a high-ranking network executive. Apparently, this person is well known to use her clout in GMA7 to persecute her enemies and blot out those who are not in her favor. Since it was Annabelle Rama who was finally brave enough to voice out the alleged abuses that many others have suffered (including influence peddling, conflict of interest, and inappropriate receipt of money and gifts), many predicted that she would be persona non grata as far as the Kapuso network was concerned. Given the power that her present adversary wields, the fact that she was shown on camera at all spoke volumes.

More recently, this conciliatory atmosphere has found its way into sports, as well as more recent political rivals. Legendary contenders Ateneo and La Salle united their efforts in order to honor the memory of the late president. Both schools agreed to forego their traditional colors — blue for Ateneo and Green for La Salle — during their highly anticipated UAAP collegiate basketball match. Instead, supporters were told to come to the game dressed in yellow, turning the Araneta Coliseum into a figurative sea of gold. If these age-old institutions could leave their antipathy behind, the politicians of the day have ostensibly followed suit. It is not enough that there was a well-publicized exchange of pleasantries between President Arroyo and Erap Estrada during a recent wedding, but Vice President Noli De Castro and erstwhile adversary Senator Loren Legarda happily reunited during the same occasion. You have to wonder if this scenario would have played out the way it did if it occurred at a different time and under alternative circumstances.

The question on everyone’s mind, though, is how long this open-handed season of peace will last. If a song like “Magkaisa” still retains its emotional appeal after 23 years, we can only hope that it’s meaning can endure for the same amount of time.

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A good friend, Dr. Nanding Piedad, sent me his “tribute” to the late former President Corazon Aquino. Here’s his emailed letter:

“Following the death of Cory, I have been toying with the idea of coming up with a new word, one that would speak of Cory . . . similar to the words “Cory Magic” and that of Imelda . . . “Imeldific’ . . . both of which have become part of our vocabulary.

“The word I was thinking of is “Cory Pino,” which could be used as a noun or as an adjective in referring to any Filipino who champions democracy, freedom, magnanimity, idealism, dedication . . . or whenever one would like to describe a person who falls on the same level as Cory.

“Do you think you can start this word in your column, and expound on it further? Do you think it’s worth trying? I shall start to introduce this word in our Upsilon web and try to get some reactions.”

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