Does the President know his geography?
The transfer of the celebration of the 28th People Power revolution from Manila to Cebu by President Noy smacks of historical revision, according to my fellow Inquirer columnist Amando Doronila.
Doronila is right: Why should the President claim that Cebu played a key role in the Edsa uprising when it was only the place where his mother, Cory Aquino, hid?
Why make a hiding place a significant historical venue in connection with an uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship?
Then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos were behind the civilian-military uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship.
Cory Aquino’s coming out of hiding was made possible by Enrile and Ramos who practically handed over to her the presidential crown.
Had either Enrile or Ramos declared himself the leader of the country while the Marcos dictatorship was fast crumbling do you think Cory could have done anything?
The multitude at Edsa and other Filipinos watching on the sidelines would have cared little whether it was Cory or Enrile or Ramos who took over from Marcos since all they wanted was to oust the dictator.
Transferring the celebration of the ouster of the dictator from Manila to Cebu was a big insult to the people who risked their lives to bring back democracy to the country.
Does President Noy know his geography?
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Do you know why Cory’s government was plagued with coup attempts?
Cory promised she would hold the presidency for one or two years after which she would either hand the mantle of leadership to her vice president, Salvador Laurel, or call for national elections.
Cory broke her promise which led to the military uprisings during her watch.
She followed the advise of his brother, Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, who said that she was popular with the people anyway, so why give up the presidency?
Peping wanted his sister to remain in power so he would maintain his power and influence which he abused.
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Enrique Razon, owner of Solaire hotel-casino resort, so far the country’s biggest casino, has pledged to renovate the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City to the tune of P250 million.
Razon has also pledged to donate hundreds of school buildings in Leyte and Samar which were ravaged by Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
And that’s only for starters, according to rehabilitation czar Ping Lacson.
Lacson told me during a dinner meeting arranged by Wally Sombero and former Cavite Gov. Ayong Malicsi he was getting all the support from the private sector in rehabilitating the places battered by Yolanda.
Lacson gave me a list of other big donors which he allowed me to publish.
These donors are: Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) and Smart Communications of billionaire Manny Pangilinan; Metropolitan Banking Corp., Injap Land Corp., Lopez Group of Companies, Aboitiz Foundation and Ramon Aboitiz Foundation; EEI Corp., Nickel Asia Corp., Sagip Kapamilya, VICSAL, Ayala Corp., JG Summit Holdings, Ayala Land, Globe Telecom, Secour Populei Francaise (a French NGO) which takes care of Yolanda-battered towns in Palawan;
SM Group of Companies; the Tzu Chi Foundation, a Taiwan-based Buddhist group; STI, Asian Terminal Inc., Magsaysay Foundation through Doris Magsaysay-Ho, Phinma, Energy Development Corp., LT Group, San Miguel Corp., WWF, Homer Foundation, Jollibee.
Lacson said that with the support he’s getting from the above-mentioned individuals and corporations, “failure is not an option.”
