Farewell, Cory Aquino

Today, as the family of Corazon C. Aquino bury their matriarch, the Filipino nation mourns the loss of the country’s symbol of People Power, the restorer and defender of democracy.

As President of the Republic, Cory was far from perfect. But, her actions and decisions were always guided by hard and fast principles. It was ever evident that, in her heart and mind, the well-being of the nation was what she cared about. And to the end, she was fearless and stalwart in her defense of what remains good of the Philippines.

We, the Filipino people, owe her our gratitude and love. She will always be the mother of our country’s rebirth after the tyranny of the Marcos dictatorship. Cory Aquino, the first woman chief executive of the Philippines, is the symbol of our fight against those who would malign our hard-earned freedom. She is the inspiration of our vigilance against political ills that plague our government today.

Let us hope that Cory’s brand of leadership, which was always rooted in faith, family values and a genuine compassion for the Filipino people, will serve as an example to our future heads of state. Let us honor her memory by making sure we have deserving leaders in 2010 and onwards.