Filipiniana News - Rhyme and Reason 14 August 2009 By now, most, if not all of us are aware that our beloved former President Cory Aquino passed away on August 1 st , 2009 after several months of battling colon cancer. In death, even more than when she was alive, President Aquino has been hailed as a hero, a saint, a symbol of democracy, and a mother of the Filipino nation. President Cory no doubt deserves these accolades and more. So much has been written about how she brought back democracy to the Philippines after several years of Marcos dictatorship through the internationally-celebrated bloodless people power revolution. So much has been written not only about how she survived seven coup attempts during her administration, but also how she missed huge opportunities for implementing genuine and long-lasting societal reforms. She was not perfect, but no human being is. I had a brief personal encounter with President Cory during the 1...