A monument honoring the late President Corazon Aquino will rise at the corner of P. Burgos Drive and Roxas Blvd. in Manila, and no public funds will be used for the construction of the monument.

This was learned from Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who said that Mrs. Aquino’s monument will be built right beside the statue of her slain husband, former senator Ninoy Aquino.

Lim said he has been consulting with the family of the late President on what photograph to used as basis of the sculpture and whom they want to commission to do the task.

Lim said that like what he did in erecting the Ninoy statue, he himself will shoulder all the expenses as well as secure the necessary permit from the tourism department.

He said that no public funds will be used for the Cory monument which, he said, is expected to get rolling within the week.

Lim said he wants the Aquino family to decide on every detail of the Cory statue. In the case of the Ninoy statue, Lim said, he consulted Mrs. Aquino herself who cooperated in the project, and was the one who supplied the photo that became the basis of the sculptor. Recounting how some people questioned why Ninoy had appeared slimmer in the statue.

Lim said, “ang hindi nila alam, 'yun ang litratong ibinigay ni President Cory Aquino. Picture yun ni Senator Ninoy Aquino nung katatapos pa lamang niyang mag-hunger strike sa loob ng isang buwan (Many do not know that was based on the picture given by Mrs. Cory. It was the picture of ‘Ninoy’after his month-long hunger strike).” Lim, a supporter of Mrs. Aquino and a firm believer of democracy, also decided to name the newly constructed three-story school in Baseco Compound in Manila, “New President Corazon C. Aquino High School,” in honor of Mrs. Aquino. It is set to be inaugurated Monday. The new school has 15 classrooms, and can accommodate 700 students.

Dr. Ponciano Menguito, superintendent of the Manila Division of City Schools, said the school will be used by first-year high school students of Manila High School, who are residents of Baseco.

Proposal to declare Cory a hero to undergo a process

The so-called “Cory magic” will always be a trademark of the late former President Corazon C. Aquino, and her death signifies the end of the Cory “era,” Sen. Miriam Santiago said Sunday.

Santiago, in a radio interview, said that she was with President Arroyo’s party in New York when they heard the news about the death of former President Aquino. She said the reaction of President Arroyo’s group was “very non-partisan and very respectful.”

“We were all afflicted with a sense of grievous loss. It was like an end of an era. The Cory era has ended,” Santiago said.

Santiago said all legislative proposals to pronounce President Aquino as a national hero have to undergo a process which might be provided in a law or in an executive order.

“All of those have to pass a process. Hindi naman iyan (just) passing a resolution and declaring somebody a national hero. Mayroong proseso. I would not object though,” Santiago said.

Santiago doubted, however, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay’s insinuation that the outpouring of public support and sympathy during Aquino’s funeral would immediately translate as an opposition to President Arroyo should she intend to go beyond her term in May 2010.

“Hindi mo masabi yan na automatic yan. Una, hindi natin alam kung ang pagmamahal ng taong bayan ay mailipat nila or ma-transfer nila doon sa nagpapanggap ngayon na mga leader naman daw sila, ngunit sila’y kasapi ng Aquino administration or they were Aquino supporters,” she said.

“It’s a very different question if they are claiming that the Aquino or Cory magic also applies to them. Maybe it applies only to President Cory, hindi natin malalaman iyan because isipin natin ang halalan ay May 10, next year pa,” Santiago said.

She also said the public’s response during the burial could also be that the people would have taken the view that the Cory event in Philippine national life is already over and “they are moving
on.”

But she believes that “Cory’s magic” has been passed on to her children, particularly Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Kris Aquino.

“Basta anak ni President Cory (Aquino), I believe that it has already been transferred to her children because they are more connected with her philosophy and, of course, have imbibed the moral values for which she is now being honored,” she said.

Santiago doubted, however, that Senator Aquino is prepared to run for President.

“Hindi pa siguro. Kailangan siguro mayroon pa siyang achievement sa Senado. Pero nasa sa kanya iyon. Maski siya sa, sa pagtantsa ko ng personalidad niya, hindi niya gugustuhin na mananalo lang siya ulit dahilan lang sa pangalan niya,” she said.

Besides, Santiago added, it is already too late for the senator to start his campaign, while some of the “presidentiables” have started theirs one year ago.