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Cory Aquino Saint of Democracy according to Time Magazine

By Romy Teruel

For the third time Cory is on the cover page of Time Magazine aptly labelled as the Saint of Democracy.  Nobody has ever been honoured this much in recent history, not even the fierce advocates of democracy in years past.  For this Time Magazine has helped immortalized Cory.   

It is a sad thing thoughr that one week after awakening again to the true essence of democracy that her interment had made on every Filipino, fighting had to erupt again in Basilan. AFP soldiers and the Abu Sayyaf engaged each other in a bloody battle that resulted to the death of 23 soldiers and 21 Abu Sayyaf.  Another 23 soldiers were wounded and are now recuperating in the hospital in Zamboanga City.  

That bloody encounter in Basilan in the heels of Cory's burial is a clear signal of the extent at which democracy must still claim lives before it can flourish.  How many more lives must be sacrificed in the altar of democracy that we all dream of? 

Unless the problem of peace and order in Mindanao is resolved there can be no true democracy in the Philippines. The Muslim problem in Mindanao cannot be solved by means of arms unless government is ready to rid the Philippines of Muslims by annihilating them all.  

The problem continues to exist because nobody is listening anymore. The contending parties hold negotiations but these negotiations are just talk and talk.  There is no sincere effort to listen and understand each other.  There are no efforts to understand the root of the problem in the light of what Mindanao was, what it is and what it will be.  

A friend emailed me to suggest that we follow what Prime Minister Kevin Michael Rudd of Australia did when he asked the Muslim immigrants of Australia to adapt to the culture of the Australians because they chose to come to Australia.  They were not asked to come to Australia. Rudd was reacting to the problem on terrorism that is gripping the whole world. 

The Mindanao problem is a different story altogether.  What we need in Mindanao is respect and acceptance of one another.  There is diversity of culture but are we not all believers of unity in diversity? There has to be only one and true meaning of democracy.  Then Mindanao and its divergent people can live in peace and harmony.  No need to secede; no need to set up a Bangsa Moro Government;  no need to kill each other.  

Let the example of Cory be seen and felt in Mindanao. Now that she is the Saint of democracy, let her touch the people of Mindanao and let them come to terms with each other and embrace the true democracy.   

Let Cory's democracy reign also in Mindanao.

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