HONOR HER LIFE

Cory Aquino had such an amazing biography. Everyone had their eyes on Ninoy; they thought he was the main guy in the story. To me, it is clear that he was merely her preparation. She was a remarkable human being with a very special task.

Today, everywhere we look, people are emotional. We realize what we have lost in her, in our country and, perhaps, even in ourselves. Our last symbol of integrity is gone. Our security blanket is gone. We are all alone.

Will we let our emotions stay where they are, stuck in our tears, encased in melancholy, only to dissipate into senseless nostalgia in years to come, or will we honor Cory's life by embodying what she stood for, all her life?

So many of us are watching that speech she gave before the U.S. Congress. It made my hair stand when they gave her a standing ovation. I was so proud of her and what we were able to achieve in our country then. But look where we took that. Look at us today. Democracy was not just in her hands; it was--and has always been--in ours.

But we have forgotten that. We tell ourselves that lying, cheating and stealing are par for the course in politics. We simply accept it. Even as we say we want to be bearers of new politics, we say that buying and spending for votes, giving journalists money so they can tell our story, sell our business, promote our message--that's reality. We say we will vote for someone who is "winnable"; we settle for the lesser evil, even if our gut tells us something else.

I wish we could harness our emotions today and let that illumine us through the 2010 elections. May it propel us towards intelligent choices in 2010. May we choose a candidate who represents true change--not one who promises it, but thinks nothing of employing good old dirty tricks, spending gazillions on glossy ads full of empty drama, buying votes, buying endorsements, because well, that's how politics is won in this country.

Let's not let our emotions today for what was or what could have been, congeal into mere nostalgia or drama. Let's make Cory Aquino's passing mean something for our future--for the emergence of the Philippines we deserve.