Noynoy on Arroyo plan for monument: Emulating Cory would be better

What good is a monument if Cory’s example is not followed? Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III has belittled President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s directive to build a monument for former President Corazon Aquino as part of the "politics of survival". The former president's only son said it would be better if the chief executive emulated instead the leadership qualities of his mother. “Mas matutuwa ang Nanay ko kung susundin niya ang pamamalakad na nagpapakita ng good governance, hindi ‘yong politics of survival (My mother will be happier if she promotes good governance and not politics of survival)," the senator told reporters on Friday. Mrs. Arroyo on Wednesday ordered the National Historical Institute (NHI) to undertake the “immediate construction" of the Cory monument in Rizal Park “to honor for posterity the memory of an extraordinary woman." The President gave the NHI a six-month deadline to complete the statue. [See: Cory monument to rise in Manila] Mrs. Aquino’s leadership restored democracy in the Philippines after she led the 1986 EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. She showed the world that authoritarian regimes could be brought down through peaceful means. On the other hand, surveys show that Mrs. Arroyo is the least popular Philippine president since post-Marcos democracy. The chief executive had been accused of cheating in the 2004 presidential polls, which she denied vehemently.

In 2005, Mrs. Aquino openly called for the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo over the “Hello, Garci" scandal involving alleged fraud in the 2004 presidential elections. She also led protest actions against Mrs. Arroyo’s declaration of a state of emergency in January 2006. Asked if Mrs. Arroyo was sincere in her order to build a monument for the democracy icon, Noynoy said: “Sabi ng Tatay ko wag akong kumalaban ng babae kaya iniiwan ko na lang ‘yon sa previous statement ko (My father told me not to fight with women so I left that in my previous statement)." Noynoy expressed hope that the President would be able to fulfill the promise that was borne out of the EDSA Dos uprising that led to Mrs. Arroyo’s ascension to power. The four-day revolt in January 2001 peacefully overthrew President Joseph Estrada following the aborted Senate impeachment trial over corruption charges against him. “It has always been EDSA 2. (There was a) promise, a change in governance from that which we replaced but unfortunately, we have not seen that. It (situation) has been worsening..." Noynoy said. The senator also challenged Filipinos to “secure the democracy" that his parents fought for. "My parents have genuine faith in democracy. They believe the key to democracy is the stability of consensus in place of oppression. It is now our turn to secure the democracy they fought for… The ball is now in our hands," he said. The left-leaning group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said the Cory statue would be meaningless because the one who ordered its creation “is a living contradiction" of Mrs. Aquino and her martyred husband, Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr. “Gloria stands for corruption and repression. The contrast between the current occupant of Malacañang and the Aquino couple cannot be missed," Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said. "It can’t be helped that when people remember Ninoy and Cory, they also express indignation over Gloria," he added. - Sophia M. Dedace, Amita O. Legaspi, Aie B. See, Andreo C. Calonzo, GMANews.TV