On September 18, 1986, almost seven months after she became the eleventh President of

the Philippine Republic, Maria Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco Aquino delivered a speech before
the joint session of the United States Congress in Washington DC. Cory was the widow of
late Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., the youngest Governor to be elected in the Philippines and
the youngest member of the Philippine Senate during that time. With his death brought by
his oppositions to the political views of then dictator President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Cory
continued his legacy and campaigned against the violence experienced by the Filipinos and
their homelessness in their own country. Encouraged by the revolution to run as President
to challenge Marcos and keep on advocating the beliefs and principles his husband had
started, Cory became the first Filipina to be sworn in the highest position of the Philippine
government. In her speech before the US Congress, Cory shared her experiences and
sorrows for losing a loving husband and a good father of her family. She provided a brief
narration of how Marcos suspended the Philippine Constitution and shut down the
Congress, which eventually led to Ninoy’s exile and death, highlighting the cruelty he has
experienced in the hands of the military and the dictator. From this, she detailed how the
task to free the Filipinos and fight for democracy fell into her shoulders. She mentioned how
she personally experienced the corruption of the Commission on Elections and praised the
unity and courage of the people in times of oppression. As the new President of the
country, she went over some of her plans to restore the government first by reinstituting
and amending the Philippine Constitution, as well as to start reintegration programs for the
healing of the different localities in the country. She also acknowledged the 26-billion-dollar
debt acquired by the Marcos regime, managed to create negotiations to be able to
gradually pay for it in behalf of the previous administration, and lodged an appeal from the
foreigners for further assistance. As her speech neared its end, she recognized and thanked
the efforts of the American people to help achieve the democracy the Filipino people have
fought for. Completed with the assistance of Teodoro Lopez Locsin, Jr., Cory Aquino’s
speech serves as a primary account of the Martial Law era in the Philippines. In this historical
disquisition, Cory spoke for all those who were victimized by the Marcos dictatorship,
recounting how the death of her husband sparked the first People Power Revolution with
Filipinos crying out for democracy and freedom from tyrants of the country. The text reflects
the social and political situation of the Philippines during that time and accounts the first
peaceful revolution in the national history. It carries the grief of the people, which waged
the war against the evils of oppression as the Filipino people rally for the cause of freedom.
Such anguish turned into power which led to the nation’s greatest victory: the abolishment
of a dictatorial government, giving way to true liberty, the upliftment of human rights, and
the protection of the welfare of the Filipinos. Cory became a symbol for democracy which
empowered a politically disenfranchised people. I find it extremely exciting the fact that
democracy and freedom mattered to the Filipinos more than their socioeconomic situation.
The people had strong values and beliefs that they would not let oppressors abuse their
rights and privileges as citizens of the country. The power of a peaceful protest is also
rewarding and motivating, which inspires me to take good care of and give importance to
the democracy I am enjoying right now.