Lolo Ninoy and Lola Cory in the eyes of their grandsons

Being the grandchildren of Philippine democracy’s parents is not easy. Ever since former Senator Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino II and President Corazon Aquino were thrust into the political arena, their grandchildren Justin “Jiggy" Benigno Cruz, Eldon “Jonty" Giulio Cruz and Francis “Kiko" Dee have also been pushed into the limelight. But the three are still uneasy about their new-found fame, especially after the sustained media coverage of their lola’s funeral last month. They remember their grandparents as heroes who not only fought for the country’s democracy, but also inspired them to become their own heroes. Stories about how his grandparents fought the Marcos dictatorship have stirred up the imagination of young Jonty, the son of the Aquinos' eldest child Ma. Elena “Ballsy" Aquino-Cruz. Ninoy, known as the main political rival of strongman Ferdinand Marcos, was detained for more than seven years during Martial Law. Aquino’s assassination upon his return from US exile in 1983 sparked popular protests that culminated in the 1986 people power uprising, catapulting his widow Cory to the presidency. In the eyes of Jonty, Lolo Ninoy and Lola Cory weren’t simply his doting grandparents. He regards his lolo Ninoy as Superman and lola Cory as Wonderwoman. “Kahawig nga ni Clark Kent nang konti eh (He looks a bit like Clark Kent)," Jonty said about his grandfather. “Lola naman Wonderwoman: Ambassador of peace." An Information Design student at the Ateneo de Manila University, Jonty said that during the six years when his grandmother was the most powerful person in the country, the family never abused her power. “Siguro yung ‘special treatment’ ko lang yung test ‘nung grade school (Perhaps the only ‘special treatment’ I got was during my grade school test)," Jonty said in an interview with GMA 7’s Kablog during his grandfather’s death anniversary last month. “Pag EDSA yung pinag-uusapan parang favorite part ko ‘yun dahil alam ko yung nangyari (When people talk about EDSA that’s my favorite part because I already know what happened)," he said. Carrying on the Aquino legacy Kiko realized the magnitude of their family name’s fame only during his lola Cory’s funeral procession last month, after seeing tens of thousands of mourners braving the elements just to bid farewell to Mrs. Aquino. While he was inside the family’s coaster, watching the sea of yellow-clad Filipinos in the streets flashing the “Laban" sign all along the funeral route from the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque, Kiko thought: “What did we do to deserve this?" The Political Science student from the University of the Philippines admits that being the grandson of Ninoy and Cory could be demanding at times. But like his cousins, he draws inspiration from the legacy of his grandparents. “Medyo duwag talaga ako as a person (I’m really quite a coward as a person)," Kiko said. “Nakikita ko yung halaga ng pagiging daring. Kung ‘di ka matapang at least once in a while, wala ka nang mararanasan sa buhay (I saw the importance of being daring. If you’re not courageous at least once in a while, you won’t experience life)." Jiggy, the eldest and perhaps the most visible of the Aquino grandsons, is doing his share in living up to his grandparents’ legacy by urging young Filipinos to vote in the upcoming elections. “I remember lola saying that to vote is our duty," Jiggy wrote on his Twitter page Monday. “Since it’s Heroes Day, let’s do our part." Jiggy has been busy promoting voter’s registration in his Twitter page, saying the people’s participation in the selection of the country’s next leaders is the real legacy of his grandmother. “That’s what my grandmother had fought for," he said. - GMANews.TV