By Thea Alberto, Yahoo! Southeast Asia / Photo by Mike Alquinto & Voltaire Domingo, NPPA Images
In what seemed to be a prophecy, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. once told his only son Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to serve and lead the country in the best of his capacity.
In his letter to Noynoy dated August 25, 1973, almost a year after Martial Law was imposed, Ninoy lamented his incarceration and asked his son to continue his advocacies.
“The only advice I can give you: Live with honor and follow your conscience. There is no greater nation on earth than our Motherland. No greater people than our own. Serve them with all your heart, with all your might and with all your strength,” the older Aquino said.
“Son, the ball is now in your hands,” added Ninoy.
Thirty-six years later, Ninoy’s hunch proved to be true—with his only son now taking oath as the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Although Ninoy and his wife, the late president Corazon Aquino (who died of cancer August 2009), did not live to see this day, the younger Aquino took his oath before his four sisters, Ballsy, Pinky, Viel, and Kris, and before millions of Filipinos who believed his promise to eradicate corruption.
‘So help me God’
With pensive thoughts and emotional turmoil regarding leadership on my workplace, I found this quote from John Maxwell enlightening.