25/08/2025
PAHAYAG NG TANGGOL KASAYSAYAN SA PAGGUNITA NG NINOY AQUINO DAY
On this day, we remember and honor former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. A man, whose life was defined by his unwavering dedication to freedom, justice, and Philippine democracy.
Son of a politician and landowner, Aquino became a journalist before joining local politics as elected mayor of Concepcion, Tarlac in 1955. He was married to Corazon โCoryโ Cojuangco from a wealthy and prominent landowning family in Tarlac. He rose to the political ladder after becoming governor of his province in 1961. He won a senate seat in 1967 and led the Liberal Party in 1968.
A vocal opposition figure of the government, Aquino became a target of impunity when President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law in 1972, with the backing of the US. Together with other Marcos critics, activists, journalists, and students, Aquino was unlawfully arrested and imprisoned for trumped-up charges. He remained imprisoned for eight years and was found guilty and sentenced to death in November 1977. Due to his ailing heart condition, he was allowed to undergo heart-bypass surgery in the US in 1980 where he continued to speak against the tyranny of the Marcos regime.
Despite all manner of threats to his security, he decided to return to the Philippines after three years in exile. It was a powerful act of courage and patriotism. On 21 August 1983, Aquino was assassinated while disembarking from his airplane at the Manila International Airport.
His gruesome death ignited a wave of public outrage and mass demonstrations. Many Filipinos claimed that the government was behind his murder. The people called for justice and accountability. Aquinoโs death sparked a long-suppressed spirit of dissent and inspired more Filipinos to stand against the dictatorship. The years following his death would culminate into thousands of people taking to the streets of EDSA in 1986, a peaceful uprising fueled by the courage and solidarity of ordinary citizens. The Filipino people toppled the Marcos regime and restored democracy to the country.
In many ways, Aquinoโs death served as one of the catalysts for this transformative and historical movement. His death elevated him to the status of a national hero and a symbol for the 1986 People Power. Aquino is one of many martyrs who offered their lives to serve the people during the US-Marcos dictatorship and whose contribution to the anti-Marcos struggle we will always cherish. This is echoed in the slogan Justice for Aquino, Justice for All.
Aquinoโs death is a reminder for the Filipinos that genuine freedom is worth fighting and dying for. Following the downfall of the dictatorship, his wife, Cory, became the first woman president and his son, Benigno S. โNoynoyโ Aquino III, was elected president in 2010. Today, the late dictatorโs son, Ferdinand โBongbongโ E. Marcos Jr. reclaimed political power as the current Philippine president.
As we commemorate the death of Ninoy Aquino, let us not only reflect on his heroism but also renew our commitment to democratic ideals, social justice, and the rule of law. More than four decades since his death, the country continues to face a recurring crisis of corruption, deteriorating educational system, poverty, and other systemic problems brought by failures of leadership in the government and the oppression engendered by US imperialism. Now more than ever before, we are called to take action, to speak out, stand up, and demand accountability from those in power. May his life and death continue to inspire generations of Filipinos to uphold the values of freedom, justice, and national dignity.
