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E-mailCory Aquino’s death
A huge part of the month of July was devoted to Filipinos praying for the fast recovery of former president Corazon Aquino, who was diagnosed with colon cancer and went under chemotherapy in 2008. People also offered up healing masses and spread yellow ribbons in Metro Manila and the provinces.
On August 1, 2009, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III announced that the EDSA revolution icon passed on due to cardiorespiratory arrest at the age of 76. She was laid to rest in Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque on August 5, which was proclaimed a non-working holiday and a National Day of Mourning by president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The highlights of Cory’s death were the honor guards standing motionless on Cory truck for nine hours, rumors of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s possible presidential bid (that eventually became official last October), and Father Ed Panlilio (who was also eyeing presidency at that time) saying that he will withdraw from the list of aspirants if Noynoy will decide to run for president.
Panlilio did not continue with his presidential bid. Senators Noynoy Aquino and Manuel “Mar” Roxas III announced their Liberal Party tandem for the 2010 elections. Roxas, who decided to withdraw his presidential bid, had accepted Noynoy’s invitation to be his running mate. They filed their certificates of candidacy at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on November 28.
National Artist Protest, Arroyo entourage’s alleged lavish U.S. dinners
August was also the month in which National Artists protested and were protested against. Malacañang reportedly added the names of Carlo J. Caparas, Cecille Guidote-Alvarez, Pitoy Moreno and Francisco Mañosa to the shortlist of National Artist awardees to submitted to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
National Artists such as Ben Cabrera, Virgilio Almario, F. Sionil Jose, and Bienvenido Lumbera went to the CCP to protest the Palace’s decision. They have also asked the the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order stopping Malacañang from giving National Artist awards to the four individuals.
A US$20,000 dinner at high-class restaurant Le Cirque in New York City and a US$15,000 dinner at a steakhouse in DC consumed by Arroyo and her entourage, were also two of the biggest issues for the month. Groups of politicians, media, and people expressed their indignation over the president’s lavish dinners. The Palace, however, stated that the amounts were overplayed, and that the critics were exaggerating.
Protesters "mourn" for the National Artist Awards
International news
Bill Clinton brought back two journalists arrested in North Korea. Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were arrested by North Korean authorities while filming a documentary about human trafficking near the North Korean border, had been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. The talks between Clinton and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il also sparked controversy that they were connected to North Korea's nuclear program.
64-year-old democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was found “guilty” of violating the terms of her house arrest. She was first sentenced to three years imprisonment, but it was shortened to 18 months after a message by General Than Shwe, head of the military junta running Burma.
Meanwhile, August also brought the news that the death of Michael Jackson from cardiac arrest on June 25 had been declared a homicide.
Photo: “Last Respects” by Jose Javato, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved.
Video: Uploaded by PencilpusherManila to YouTube.com.
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