Lovefest Down Under for Aquino, ‘phenomenon’

CANBERRA, Australia (via PLDT)—The late President Corazon “Cory” Aquino was feted here by Australian leaders at a banquet hosted by Prime Minister Julia Gillard for visiting President Benigno Aquino and his party late Wednesday.

Remembering Cory Aquino, Gillard recalled that  then Prime Minister Bob Hawke of Australia was one of the first foreign leaders who visited Manila following the Edsa People Power Revolution in 1986 that ousted the Marcos dictatorship and swept the Aquino widow to the presidency.

“He (Hawke) still speaks with deep respect of your mother, recalling their meeting and your family’s generation of patriotic service,” Gillard said in her speech at the official dinner at  Parliament House.

Sen. George Brandis, the deputy leader of the opposition in the Senate, also spoke at the dinner.

“I take this opportunity to pay tribute to your illustrious mother, Corazon Aquino, who restored democracy to the Philippines in 1986 and gave us the term ‘people power.’ That concept resonated around the world and fed the hunger for democratic change on countries near and far,” Brandis said. “Filipinos have much to be proud of in advancing the cause of freedom.”

The stream of praises for the Aquinos continued the following day.

Phenomenon

At a state luncheon in Sydney on Thursday, New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell called the President a “phenomenon.”

“I’ve welcomed prime ministers, I’ve welcomed premiers, I’ve welcomed presidents, I’ve welcomed potentates, I’ve welcomed prelates, but I’ve never before welcomed a phenomenon. I’ve never before met a phenomenon,” O’Farrell said.

Turning to the President, the premier said: “The Noynoy (Aquino’s nickname) phenomenon was [an] incredible force, an incredible force for good in a country where democracy has never been able to be taken for granted in a way that we in this country take democracy for granted.”

Gillard said  Australians had admired Filipinos’ “struggles for freedom in more recent decades” and that “Australians watched the events of February 1986 in awe and admiration.”

Seeing the winds of change sweeping the Philippines under the current Aquino administration, Gillard noted that at a time of significant global economic uncertainty, “yours is the second fastest-growing Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) economy, and that’s something to be very proud of.”

Gillard also hailed the “greatness” of Filipinos even as she noted that “our two nations are partners and friends in a century of growth and opportunity in our region in what I term the ‘Asian Century.’”

Early exit

After hearing both speeches, Mr. Aquino took the podium and wished he were “in more perfect health.”

The President fell ill before the banquet, forcing him to cut short his attendance at the dinner held at the private dining room of  Parliament House. He left after his speech without touching his meal.

In his brief remarks, Mr. Aquino talked about the circumstances surrounding the imposition of martial law on Sept. 21, 1972, and the harrowing years that followed, especially for members of the opposition, students and media people.

“So, in the early morning hours of Sept. 22 or 23, if I’m not mistaken, we were awakened and we were told that our father had been arrested. And our world had turned upside down,” he said.

“[The year] 1973 would have marked the presidential election, my father was supposed to be one of the potential standard-bearers of the party that I belong to, the Liberal Party. But such was not to be the case,” he added.

‘Very dark period’

He recalled that friends who “swore undying loyalty” could not be found when the country was in a “very dark period.”

He then related the story of one unnamed junior member of the Aquino household staff who was incarcerated, beaten up and came back to them with just three of his teeth remaining.

The household staff was being forced to turn witness against then Senator Aquino.

“And that is the context wherein we remember all of our friends. We had managed to spirit him out of the Philippines through the help of Australian friends,” Mr. Aquino said.

The President said that throughout martial law, Australians were “never afraid to be associated with us.”

‘Very interesting times’

Mr. Aquino said that the relationship of the two countries was one founded on “a shared history of sacrifices in defense of democratic principles.”

“As allies in the Second World War, you gave refuge to our government, and your brave troops fought in the liberation of the Philippines,” he noted.

In the postwar years, he said Australia had also become the second home for over 200,000 Filipino migrants.

“Australia has been a true friend of Philippine democracy and a steadfast partner in the quest for a just and lasting peace,” he added.

This firm foundation for friendship between the two countries has found a tangible expression in development cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and the Senate ratification of security and defense agreements.

“I am proud to stand here and say that today, after 66 years of bilateral relations …  Australia and the Philippines continue on our journey as even deeper partners, spurred by our common desire to uplift the lives of the Australian and the Filipino people,” he added.

The President concluded his brief speech with a remark on “very interesting times” for both countries.

“But in this journey brought with a lot of tension, it is really good to know that the journey we will undertake is not alone but with steadfast friends like the Australian people and their government,” he said.

Legacy of friendship

Brandis recalled that 1942 was “a terrible year in the history of both of our nations.”

“But from that shared suffering in that year and the years immediately following was born a relationship between Australians and Filipinos of which we are proud and which we continue to nurture. We are proud looking forward as your ally to liberate you from that occupation and as a result of that legacy, one of the many things that our people share is an understanding of the importance of defense cooperation,” he added.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the events of 1942 “when Filipinos, Australians and Americans fought shoulder-to-shoulder to defend your country from occupation,” the senator said.

The Philippines and Australia have a shared position on strategic issues such as defense cooperation, especially in the areas of training, counterterrorism and maritime security.

“The Australians attach a great importance to the relationship between our two countries. The many, many Filipinos who’ve made Australia their home are valued and cherished citizens,” he said, referring to some 214,000 Filipinos in Australia.

“We’ve shared much history, Mr. President. We warmly welcome you and your colleagues as friends and welcome you, in particular, as the leader of the country we respect and value immensely,” said Brandis.

Like Gillard, Brandis congratulated the President for the robust economic growth in the Philippines and the signing of the Bangsamoro framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell also congratulated Mr. Aquino for the Bangsamoro accord and said that he was privileged to be “in the presence of someone whose family epitomizes service to one’s nation and at times that has come with a significant cost.”

“I know you yourself had been touched by the force of trying to do what’s right in a country that at times has struggled to maintain that path of freedom, democracy, liberty that is central to both our communities,” the premier said.

Originally posted at 11:29 am | Thursday, October 25, 2012

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TAGS: Australia, Benigno Aquino III, Corazon Aquino, Democracy, Diplomacy, Philippines