Thank You, Pnoy

WHAT?! 

That was the reaction of everyone when we heard (a rumor at first; then a confirmation later) that former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino died in the early morning of June 24.

Even his family, close friends, and immediate associates, who knew of his ailments, were shocked when he died peacefully in his sleep. 

He left exactly the way he was in life, averse to calling attention to himself. That’s why during his six-year presidency, he found it unnecessary to defend himself against detractors who used the vilest words to defame him: lazy, addicted to video games, and “abnoy” (short for abnormal, or special).

Worse, he was mutilated beyond recognition when he stepped down. Fake news have peppered social media for five years. Only those who read the newspapers or understand economics knew that he made the Philippines the rising tiger of Asia; upgraded credit to investment rating; increased GDP; reduced unemployment and poverty; built schools; got K-12 going; and defended our exclusive economic zone (EEZ), our jurisdiction over the exploration of marine resources at the West Philippine Sea. 

Those are grand feats by any standard, and appreciated by those in the know. The masses, about 85% of the population, lapped up fake news that his administration accomplished nothing compared to the new dispensation under President Duterte. 

Suddenly Pnoy dies. 

And the outpouring of accolades, stories, narratives of his successes and excellent work ethics as president flood mass media and the Internet. Mind boggling! And yet, Vergel Santos (Trustee for Media Freedom and Responsibility) said, "Those are embarrassingly insufficient.” 

Let me add, incredibly ironic.

With PNoy's death, the country is seeing the polar opposite of what his detractors had cast off as dish rag. 

I cannot cram here all the sterling details that I now know about this extraordinary man and his achievements, but those that touched me most were his (words borrowed from several sources): dedication, decency, dignity, and diligence. He had a non-negotiable moral compass. 

Aren’t those what the Lord expects of us? 

“. . . ‘Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.’” (Jeremiah 22:3)

o o o 

Aside: people have been putting meaning to the atmospheric changes on the day PNoy died:   

1. The yellow (his protest color against the Marcos dictatorship) moon appeared. In June, the moon is lowest in the sky, which we see through a thick atmosphere that turns it yellow. 

2. The skies wept. Again, June is the beginning of the wet season.  

Nobody (not his family or doctors) and nothing (not dialysis or kidney transpal) could have delayed his leaving. Only the Lord decides when life ends: new or full moon; rain or shine; now or tomorrow.  

Photo credits: CTTO/borrowed from the Internet