ON CORY'S 10TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY
Kiko calls to resist historical revisionism

MANILA -- Honor the memory of President Cory Aquino by resisting historical revisionism, said Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on her 10th death anniversary today, August 1.

"Sa salita ngayon, lodi ng demokrasya si si Pangulong Cory. Inspirasyon siya di lang sa Pilipinas. Pilipinas ang nagpauso ng mapayapang people power sa buong mundo(We remember President Cory as the shining icon of democracy. She has inspired not only Filipinos. The Philippines started the trend of peaceful people power for the whole world)," he said.

"Simbolo siya ng tagumpay ng bayan sa pakikibaka laban sa diktadurya. Ito'y isang aral na hindi dapat kalimutan, lalo na ngayon (She symbolizes the people's triumph in the hard-fought struggle against the dictatorship. It's a lesson that should never be forgotten, especially now)," Pangilinan said.

The senator, a student activist during martial law who credits this experience for his political awakening, noted the current barrage of historical misrepresentation especially in digital media.

"Ginagamit na sandata ng mga kaaway ng kalayaan ang digital media para ikalat ang propagandang binubura itong tagumpay ng demokrasya. Ipinanalo natin ang ating kalayaan sa EDSA. Dapat nating protektahan ang ating kalayaan at ang ating kasaysayan laban sa rebisyunismo (The enemies of freedom have weaponized digital media to spread the propaganda erasing this triumph of democracy. We won our freedom in EDSA. We must protect our freedom and our history against revisionism)," Pangilinan said.

A regular teenager in 1983, Pangilinan recalled that the assassination of Cory's husband, former Senator Ninoy Aquino, was a turning point for him. He said this was when he started to become aware of the evils of martial law.

"Huwag nating kalimutan ang napakamaraming mga kabalastugan na kinaharap natin noong martial law (We should never forget the many, many injustices we faced during martial law)," he said.

It will be recalled that Pangilinan was the first sitting senator to throw his support behind the presidential candidacy of Cory's son Noynoy Aquino in 2009 when he saw the public clamor for a leadership in stark contrast to that of the unpopular President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"Sa panahon ng kaguluhan, ang tunay na nagmamahal sa bayan matatag ang paninindigan sa tama at wasto, at nagbibigay inspirasyon sa kanyang kapwa na maging matapang para sa katotohanan. Yan si Pangulong Cory (In times of turmoil, the ones who truly love the country are those who stand by their conviction for what is right and true, and those who inspire their fellow humans to be brave for truth. That is President Cory)," Pangilinan said.