OUTLINE

 Former President Corazon Aquino delivered her speech before a joint session of the United State Congress
almost seven months after the Philippines was able to escape from the Dictatorship
 She gave a brief narrative on how the Marcos regime brought hardships to the lives of Filipinos, especially her
bereaved husband, Ninoy Aquino.
 During this time:
 Prominent politicians and members of the media, were picked up and arrested.
 Prisoners were strangled, electrocuted, and beaten.
 Women were raped
 They lost Ninoy three times:
1. When they locked him up military camp in the north and the authorities didn’t tell her about anything that
happened to him.
2. When he went on fast to challenge the authority of the crimes that were being imposed on him.
3. When he was assassinated at Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983.
 She described how she the job of deliberating the Filipinos fell on her hands as she witnessed the people’s hunger
from democracy.
 COMELEC’s corruption during the 1986 snap elections that triggered the Filipino citizens to take action which is
famous as the EDSA People Power Revolution from February 22 to 25 of 1986.
 It was when the unity and patriotism of the Filipinos were able to win over the dictatorship.
 Bright side of Military Law:
 Land Reform Program
 Peace and Order
 Care for the environment
 Military Regime: Not the Golden Age?
o We cannot deny the fact that during Marcos’ time, various infrastructures were built like San Juanico
Bridge, Cultural Center of the Philippines complex, etc. But:

 Debt-driven growth
 Crony Capitalism
 Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
 Inflation
 Total debt of 600 million US dollars’ boost into 26 billion US dollars
 Cory Aquino recognized those “debts” and say that the Filipino people will take “responsibility” and PAY for it.
(even they never really benefited from it)
 She asked for the help and assistance from the US government in rebuilding the Philippine Economy
 The speech was remarkable, momentous, and significant in building a stronger connection between the
Philippines and the United States of America.
 KEY MOMENT: Cory never mentioned the name “Ferdinand Marcos” which signifies:
- How notorious the situation of the Philippines was during those times as well as the Military Law that was
established by Marcos
- Resentment on the side of Cory

FULL TEXT

When the former President Corazon Aquino delivered her speech before a joint session of the United State

Congress in September 1986, it was almost seven months since the country had got a grasp of the democracy it had been

waiting for. She gave a brief account on how Marcos suspended the Philippine Constitution and shut down the Congress,
1
leading to Ninoy’s exile and death, emphasizing the suffering he endured at the hands of the military and the dictator, and

how they lost him for three excruciating times. First was when they locked him up military camp in the north and the

authorities didn’t tell her about anything that happened to him. The second time was when he went on fast to challenge the

authority of the crimes that were being imposed on him. And lastly was when he was assassinated at Manila International

Airport on August 21, 1983.

It was evident how she never mentioned the name "Ferdinand Marcos" even for once throughout her speech, as if

it was cursed. During those times, those considered dangers to Marcos, such as prominent politicians and members of the

media, were picked up and arrested by members of the military and the dreaded Philippine Constabulary (Francisco,

2016). According to Amnesty International, between 1972 and 1981, over 70,000 individuals were imprisoned, 34,000

were tortured, and 3,240 were killed. Thousands of victims were tortured in various ways during this dark period in

Philippine history. Prisoners were strangled, electrocuted, and beaten. They were set on fire with a flat iron or cigars.

Water was poured down their throats and then beaten out of them. Women were raped while naked, with various objects

shoved into their genitals.

She then described how the job of liberating the Filipinos and fighting for democracy fell on her shoulders after

the assassination of her husband on August 21, 1983. She spoke about her own experience with the Commission on

Elections' corruption and complimented the people's togetherness and courage through times of oppression. This was

proven during the 1986 snap election, which according to Jose Conception, co-founder of the National Citizens

Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), was one of the dirtiest and deadliest elections that happened in the Philippine

history, which resulted to the death of more than 60 Filipino people trying to defend the ballot box from getting rigged.

Initially, the COMELEC declared Marcos the winner, with almost 1.5 million more votes than the next candidate, Cory

Aquino. Marcos received a total of 10,807,197 votes in the COMELEC tally. In contrast, NAMFREL’s preliminary

results showed Aquino winning by more than 500,000 votes. This served as the signal for the Filipino citizens to start the

historical EDSA People Power Revolution.

All of these are evil things about martial law. But, to be fair, there were also some positive things about it. "Under

martial law, the regime was able to reduce violent urban crime, collect unregistered firearms, and suppress communist

2
insurgency in some areas. At the same time, a series of important new concessions were given to foreign investors,

including a prohibition on strikes by organized labor, and a land-reform program was launched", (Borlaza, n.d.). During

this time, both the rich and the poor faced punishment. Massive social changes and development, such as agrarian reform,

labor decrees such as the Labor Code, and the government's use of eminent domain and police power to break monopolies

by landed estates, by the ruling classes, who were engaging in numerous unfair labor practices against their workers, were

used to discipline the rich, particularly the oligarchs, who exploited, oppressed, and committed all forms of social

injustice against the people. The underclass was similarly disciplined. A curfew has been imposed. The children were not

permitted to roam at night, which promotes neighborhood peace and order. These are parts of the whole truth about

martial law that most people, especially the victims, prefer not to highlight.

On the other hand, there are some people who claim that the Marcos era was the Golden Age of the Philippines,

characterized by booming infrastructure and a tiger economy, but it was all debt-driven growth. Former President Corazon

Aquino mentioned in her speech about how the Filipinos will take responsibility in paying the debt that the former

President Marcos left, when in fact they never really benefited from it. All of these were a result of corruption, budget

mismanagement, and crony capitalism, that cost the country 3-7 billion US dollars. One great example was the infamous

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which went bankrupt after it was closed down, since it is located in an active earthquake

fault line, causing it to become a volcanic hazard. The said project cost the government around 2.3 billion US dollars.

According to Tadem, 2018, "When Marcos became president in 1965, the total debt was $600 million; by the time he was

ousted in 1986, it had ballooned to $26 billion – a 4300-percent rise". On this note, she took the chance and successfully

got the additional $200 million financial aid from the US Government in rebuilding the Philippine economy, which barely

survived a 203-197 vote.

The speech was personal, sensitive, and effective. It was a watershed moment for both the Philippines and the

United States. It expressed the Filipino people's aspiration for democracy and human rights, as well as their optimism for

a better future. The speech by Cory Aquino contributed to reshaping the relationship between the United States and the

Philippines, and it has left an indelible mark on both countries.

3
4