“She betrayed the ideals of Edsa One.”

Thus concluded, Larry Laurel, the son of the late Vice President Salvador Laurel regarding Cory Aquino in an interview on a cable TV program I host in GNN (Global News Network, Channel 21, Fridays 9:15 p.m.) under Destiny Cable. As an aside, many subscribers have shifted to Destiny Cable, ravenous for cerebral talk and public affairs shows impartial and open to all political prisms. Further, Destiny has 24-hour coverage of Russian Television, Fox News, Al Jazeera etc. at lower cost, & minus the slant of a giant local TV network supporting a “presidentiable” in four channels they control in another Cable company.

Loyal followers of this corner who perused my last column will painfully agree with Doy’s son given the stench of past events and undisclosed anomalies contrived in the “yellow years”, finally exposed to a new generation of Filipinos. And in the proximity of Doy Laurel, who witnessed that shining moment in Edsa dimming and eventually extinguished. Our new progeny have the advantage of unburdened emotionalism examining the Aquino Presidency, so that polemics for truth, not jaundiced praise, is the objective of Edsa One history, re-written.

In answer to the title of this column, it will be recalled, under the 1986 “Corista Presidency”, the gauntlet of several coup attempts were thrown at the door step of Malacañang. A year after Edsa One, operation “God Save the Queen“ (1987) was launched by the same military component (RAM) who risked their lives in insuring the downfall of a Regime and the installation of Ninoy’s widow. Said post Edsa adventurism was to surgically rid government of leftist & communist personalities/officials walking the corridors of power. In December of 1989, the fledgling Aquino government was almost toppled down if not for it’s genuflection for Uncle Sam to intervene & literally bomb the Filipino “rebels”. Such request was however downgraded by the White House to “persuasive flights” with F-4 Phantom jets flying over Philippine skies.

The convenient argument of the Aquino Presidency then was, coups and people power had no place in a democratic government. The problem with this statement was in the details: 1) Democracy was not restored, with a Revolutionary Government declared in 1987 and ruled by Executive fiat; Batasan abolished; Local Officials politically massacred out of office and& replaced by Officers-in-Charge allegedly for a fee per appointment etc 2) Massive electoral fraud in the 1987 Senate Elections 3) Inept governance, incoherent policies, exacerbated by burgeoning graft & corruption by relatives.

If memory serves, in late 1986, then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, after a Cabinet meeting, informed President Cory regarding a request of “the boys” (RAM) to have an audience with her. To which she positively proffered asking Enrile whether the boys wanted promotions, medals, new assignments for their Edsa contribution. But during the Cory-RAM meeting, the boys in clear terms expressed dis-interest in anything for themselves. RAM warned, “With all due respect Madam President, all we want is for you to do your job, or else we will remove your Administration”