PRESIDENT CORAZON

AQUINOS SPEECH BEFORE

THE US CONGRESS
GROUP 8

Members :
(M105)
-Salem, Brylle Immanuelle
-Villahermosa, Ma. Liknowskey
-Frasco, Deserhee
-Rayos Del Sol, Jeremy
 THE AUTHORS

Corazon Aquino Gregorio Zaide

María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino was a
Filipino politician who served as the 11th President of the
Philippines, becoming the first woman to hold that office.
Corazon Aquino was the most prominent figure of the 1986
People Power Revolution, which ended the 21-year rule of
President Ferdinand Marcos.
Maria Corazon Aquino was born January 25, 1933 , she is
from a wealthy and banking family. She attended school in
Manila until the age of 13, then finished her education in
the United States, first in Philadelphia and later in New York
City. She graduated from the College of Mount St. Vincent
in New York in 1953, with a bachelor's degree in both
French and mathematics , upon returning to the
Philippines, she enrolled in law school in Manila, where she
met Benigno Aquino, Jr., an ambitious young journalist who
also came from a family with considerable wealth.
Aquino was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2008; she
died on 1 August 2009. Her monuments of peace and
democracy were established in the capital Manila and her
home province of Tarlac after her death. Her son Benigno
Aquino III became President of the Philippines from 30 June
2010 to 30 June 2016. Throughout her life, Aquino was
known to be a devout Roman Catholic, and was fluent in
French, Japanese, Spanish, and English aside from her
native Tagalog and Kapampangan. She is highly regarded by
the international diplomatic community as the Mother of
Democracy.
The Works of Cory Aquino
-Speeches

When her popular husband was alive, Cory was quite content living
in his shadow and found no need or inclination to speak publicly
about anything during the first 50 years of her life. But Ninoy’s
assassination in August 1983 made her the most prominent victim of
an oppressive regime. She began sharing her pain and, before long,
she grew comfortable speaking about themes like freedom,
democracy, spirituality and People Power.

-pre-presidency (1983 to 1986)

-presidency (1986 to 1992)
-post-presidency (1992 to present)
-Prayers

Cory has her share of intellectual gifts but hardly found need to
over-exert her mind as the wife of a consummate politician and as
mother of five. As historical circumstances reshaped her role in life,
she drew from her main source of strength: her faith. This served her
well during the tormenting years of Ninoy’s incarceration and the
extremely challenging times after his death. She went through
moments of doubt and uncertainty but each time found solace and
guidance through her personal communion with God.
-Paintings

In 1996, Cory took an active interest in painting under the tutelage

of artist Jeff Consumo. Next to prayer, painting became a favored
mode of keeping her mind active and her sense of humanity intact.
Although she has participated in a joint exhibit with friends and has
sold some of her works to raise funds for her advocacies, she does
not profess to be a professional painter. She likes to paint flowers
and women, usually in oil or acrylic on canvas.
Gregorio F. Zaide was a Filipino historian, author and
politician from the town of Pagsanjan, Laguna in the
Philippines. A multi-awarded author, Zaide wrote 67
books and more than 500 articles about history, he is
known as the "Dean of Filipino Historiographers."
Zaide was born in Pagsanjan, Laguna on May 25, 1907.
He was known as "Goyo" to the people of his home
town of Pagsanjan. He was married to Lily Magbanua.
He retired on May 25, 1964 and entered politics,
winning as mayor of Pagsanjan from 1971 to 1975.
While serving his post, he wrote a book about his
town, Pagsanjan, In History and Legend, released in
1975 (of which excerpts are published in the town's
official website). Dr. Gregorio F. Zaide died on October
31, 1986.
Gregorio Zaide's primary and secondary education
were in Spanish language, when it was the social
language of the Philippines. He graduated valedictorian
from Laguna High School (now called the Pedro
Guevara Memorial National High School) in Santa Cruz,
Laguna in 1926. He obtained his Master of Arts in 1931
from the University of the Philippines in Manila, his
Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in
1934 from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
Gregorio Zaide Major Works
Zaide was a prolific writer and historian writing about 67 books, which
were adopted as textbooks for high schools and colleges. He also
authored more than 500 articles in history published in both national
and international newspapers and academic journals.

Among his contributions to Philippine history are the following books:

• A Documentary History of the Katipunan
• History of the Katipunan
• Philippine Political and Cultural History
• Great Events in Philippine History
• History of the Filipino People
• History of Asian Nations
• Jose Rizal: Life, Works and Writings
• The Philippine Revolution
• Riquezas Filipinas en los Archivos de Mexico (Titled in Spanish Lang.)
• Great Filipinos in History
• The Pageant of Philippine History
• World History
The
Background
of the
Assigned
Material
• On September 23, 1972, Marcos declared martial law and
ordered Aquino and others arrested and imprisoned
on trumped up charges of murder and subversion. Aquino
went on a hunger strike to protest the injustice of his military
tribunal but ended the strike after 40 days. The tribunal
lasted several years, all while Aquino was still imprisoned,
and on November 25, 1977, he was convicted on all charges
and sentenced to death. However, Aquino and others
believed that Marcos would not allow him to be executed, as
Aquino had gained a great deal of support while imprisoned,
and such a fate would surely make him a martyr for his
supporters.
• Ninoy was moved to the Philippine Heart Center, where he suffered
another heart attack. Refusing to be treated at the Center for fear of
threats on his life, he requested permission to go to the US for treatment
or be brought back to his cell. His request was granted and Ninoy was
allowed to go to the US for surgery, together with his entire family.
• For the next three years in self-imposed exile, Ninoy's love for his country
and countrymen did not diminish but only grew stronger. By beginning of
1983, he was determined to return especially after having heard of the
declining political situation in the Philippines, as well as Marcos' growing
health risk due to lupus.
His original intention in coming home was to talk earnestly to Marcos and
convince him to restore democracy through peaceful means. Though
realizing that this may be futile, it did not stop him from wanting to return
knowing that , "I will never be able to forgive myself if I did not at least
try."
• On the plane, he is joined by several journalists whom he told
to "be ready with your camera because this action can
become very fast… in a matter of 3 or 4 minutes, it could be
all over… and I may not be able to talk to you again after
this…" As he prepared to set foot again in his motherland, he
made a final statement: "I have returned to join the ranks of
those struggling to restore our rights and freedom through
non-violence. I seek no confrontation.“
• On August 21, 1983, Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. was fatally shot to
the ground as he exited the plane.
• Following her husband's assassination in 1983, Aquino
became active and visible in various demonstrations and
protests held against the Marcos regime. She began to
assume the mantle of leadership left by her husband Ninoy
and started to become the symbolic figurehead of the anti-
Marcos political opposition. In the last week of November
1985, Marcos surprised the nation by announcing on
American television that he would hold a snap presidential
election in February 1986, in order to dispel and remove
doubts against his regime's legitimacy and authority.
The
Content
of the
Material
• Cory's speech was about the struggles of Filipino during Marcos regime and how they won the freedom
if the country; the democracy. It was a speech wherein she was asking for inyernational aid to the joint
assembly of the U.S Congress.
Key
Points
Focused
on the
Material
 September 18, 1986 in Washington DC, U.S. Congress. It was when our
country finally have our freedom; 3 years after Senator Benigno Aquino
was assasinated.

 Former President Cory Aquino honored the death of his husband and a
citizen of the Philippines.

 She declared the freedom of the Filipino people from Marcos regime; that
we lost a president-turned-dictator and a traitor to his oath.

 Cory mentioned about how was Ninoy's life during his detention. She then
stated that Ninoy's death was our country's ressurection.

 Snap election happened. Before any fraud could destort the results, she
announced the people's victory.

 She was the voice the Philippines in achieving its freedom and also used
her power to appeal for financial assistance by informing the Americans
about the country's state.
Contributions and
Relevance of the
Material in
Understanding
Philippine History
 The piece Cory's Speech Before the U.S. Congress was one of the controversies
here in our country. This was used a reference for the coming generations to be
informed of what happened during the Marcos-Aquino regime. The sufferings of
the Filipino people, especially Ninoy's case was stated in here speech wherein she
unfold amd broadcast how hard was Ninoy's everyday life experience when he waa
detained and opressed. Also, Cory's speech is a component for the people to
understand how democracy was achieved by the Filipino people with her as a
leader in regards to having the freedom.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
If there is one lesson we can learn from Cory Aquino, it is that this country needs to be united once more.
The “one-ness” of the Filipino people is something that has eluded us for decades now. These days, everyone
seems to be taking different and, in most cases, divergent paths. No wonder we can’t arrive at a single end goal
— that’s because we have no common end goal to talk about.
Unity means putting aside the bickering, the vested personal interests, and the “Ako Muna” mentality. What we
need is a common vision of our future, unity and cooperation among ourselves, and a new set of leaders who will
show us the way.
Fortunately for us, the fate of our future is in our hands when we elect a Government. Let us take the
opportunity to show Cory that we have learned from her the lesson of unity by choosing the right ones that will
lead us to the right way.
When we vote, let us choose leaders who will unite rather than divide us, who will inspire rather than disappoint
us, and who will make us proud rather than ashamed as Filipinos.