‘Another People Power difficult without Cory’

Another revolt similar to the 1986 People Power uprising that ushered the end of the Marcos dictatorship would be "difficult" without the leadership of former President Corazon Aquino, a senator said on Tuesday. In an interview, Senator Aquilino Pimentel said Mrs. Aquino had the trustworthiness of a leader needed in leading people to the streets. "That (revolt) is possible but difficult because you have to have a leader whom people trust and Cory is that person," Pimentel told GMANews.TV in an interview shortly after the necrological services for Mrs. Aquino at the Manila Cathedral. Pimentel, who served as chief negotiator with Moro rebels during the Aquino administration, said Mrs. Aquino’s dedication to public service was beyond compare, noting her quickness in denouncing the anomalies in the government. Mrs. Aquino had been a vocal critic of the Arroyo administration and even called for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2005 during the height of the “Hello, Garci" scandal. The scandal refers to the alleged wiretapped conversations where vote-rigging was discussed by a woman presumed to be President Arroyo and a man alleged to be then Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. In 2001, Mrs. Aquino joined calls for the resignation of then President Joseph Estrada over charges of corruption. But in December 2008, when erstwhile House Speaker Jose De Venecia launched a book that dwelt on corruption in the Arroyo government, she apologized for helping dethrone Estrada. She also said that the EDSA People Power 2 uprising that forced Estrada to step down was a mistake. For her part, Sister Mary John Mananzan of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) said the nation could expect "another Tita Cory" to emerge when needed. She said this as she cautioned lawmakers against amending the 1987 Constitution, which she said was Mrs. Aquino’s biggest contribution to the country. "In deference to her, I hope they will withdraw it. I hope they have the decency to see to it na hindi nila idi-dishonor si Cory by doing that," she said. - GMANews.TV