11/02/2026
40th Death Anniversary of Evelio Javier
Today, February 11, 2026, Western Visayas commemorates the 40th death anniversary of Evelio Bellaflor Javier, a lawyer, civil servant, and former governor of Antique.
Born to a prosecutor and a teacher, Javier studied at the Ateneo de Manila University from high school to law school. After passing the bar, he practiced law and taught at Ateneo before entering politics at just 28, when he was elected governor of Antique—then the youngest in the country.
He served for eight years and declined reelection, choosing instead to pursue a master’s degree at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Upon returning to the Philippines in 1984, Javier ran for assemblyman in the Batasang Pambansa.
A staunch supporter of Corazon Aquino, Javier served as her campaign director in Antique. On a February morning at the provincial capitol, while speaking with fellow supporters, he was chased and shot by masked gunmen. He sustained 24 bullet wounds. Though initially declared defeated by a Marcos ally, the Supreme Court posthumously ruled him the rightful winner seven months after his death.
Today, we honor his courage, his vision of a nation free from tyranny and corruption, and his belief that public service exists for the common good. Let us remember his life and uphold the democratic ideals for which he gave everything.
