What struck me most at the Mass to commemorate the 24th death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino at the Manila Memorial Park was that time had indeed gone on. There is a different Aquino to whom the torch of Ninoy’s struggle has been passed. It isn’t Cory or Kris. It’s Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
After the Mass, a member of the family delivers a response and it has always been Ninoy’s widow, former President Cory Aquino, who would thank the crowd. This time, it was Noynoy who took to the mike and his remarks were just the right cocktail of seriousness, depth, wit and brevity. People saw how proud Cory was of her only son.
“If I do good before you today,” he began, “it is because of my parents.”
Making eye contact with the audience, he said, “It is our good fortune to have met all of you.”
He made special mention of Ateneo Professor Onofre “Pagsi” Pagsanjan, who, year in and year out, would conduct the choir that would sing at the commemorative Masses for Ninoy.
I used to think Pagsi would do it for love of Ateneo, which Ninoy once attended and where Noynoy (and nephews Jiggy, Miguel and Jonty) also went to school.
Apparently, according to Noynoy, Pagsi and Ninoy were in the same debating class at the Ateneo and Ninoy could never trounce Pagsi at the rostrum. Ninoy would joke that that was the reason why he transferred to UP from the Ateneo, where he felt he had a better chance of defeating Pagsi. Well, whaddayaknow, Ninoy and Pagsi had another great debate, UP vs. Ateneo.
And Pagsi won.
* * *
With such personal anecdotes about his father, a hero to us all, Noynoy warmed the audience and they warmed up to him.
His next anecdote was about Makati Mayor and Cory loyalist Jojo Binay. Noynoy joked that he would always stay beside Binay during anti-Marcos rallies because of the Filipino folk saying that “mahirap mamatay ang masamang damo.” And he said AP photographer Bullit Marquez had all the proof about how Noynoy, beside Jojo, survived all that tear gas. Seriously, he said Binay would not have been elected and re-elected in Makati if he was not a good man.
Noynoy thanked the crowd, composed of friends, relatives, members of civil society and former officials of his mother’s administration, and said that had it not been for their “tidal wave of support,” the Aquino family “would have been left to ourselves.”
“We would still be shouting and fighting on the streets,” he said.
His father was the spark that led to the end of the dictatorship.
“And now, let us help my father achieve the second dream, that there will be a place in the sun for every Filipino.”
And it was obvious that Noynoy Aquino has found his.
To celebrate the late Patricia Borromeo’s 36th birthday, the Trisha Borromeo’s Legacy Association will sponsor Disney’s Cinderella Kids on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 4:30 p.m. at the Repertory Philippines Theater, Greenbelt 1, Ayala, Makati City. Proceeds of the charity event will once again benefit the UP-PGH Cancer Institute Pediatrics Department. Tickets are at P500, P450 and P400.
A few years before her death, the cancer ward was Trisha’s pet project. Family and friends have continued this mission and a waiting area has been built for the children as they undergo their treatment.
Volunteers for story-tellers are also welcome in the institute.
(For more information, please call RJ Borromeo at 0917-8445405 or e-mail toddpole_27@hotmail.com and borromeomp@yahoo.com)
(You may e-mail me at joanneraeramirez@yahoo.com)