PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. marked the 43rd death anniversary of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. on Friday by honoring him as an emblem of Filipino courage.
In a statement, Marcos said Aquino serves as a reminder of the steadfast courage of Filipinos to defend their principles and contribute to the nation’s democratic journey.
“The memory of Ninoy Aquino reminds us of the courage of Filipinos to stand by their convictions and contribute to our nation’s democratic journey,” he said.
“Ninoy Aquino Day, therefore, invites us to acknowledge the past and draw from it the resolve needed to safeguard freedom, strengthen our institutions and deepen national unity,” Marcos said.
Aquino was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983, on the tarmac of the then-Manila International Airport, after his return to the Philippines.
Aquino was the political nemesis of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the father of the current president.
A People Power revolution in 1986 ended the more than 20 years of rule of Marcos and turned over the presidency to Aquino’s widow, Corazon.
Marcos Jr. noted that while the issues facing democracy have evolved, the shared responsibility to reinforce it remains unchanged. He identified misinformation, division, distrust and civic indifference as current hurdles, emphasizing that active civic engagement is essential to overcoming them.
“Ninoy’s legacy encourages us to meet these challenges with vigilance and faith in the Filipino people as we work together to deliver meaningful progress for all,” he said.
Sen. Bam Aquino on Friday said his uncle’s greatest legacy is a continuing belief that Filipinos are worth fighting for, even in the country’s darkest moments.
Aquino reflected on Ninoy’s years in detention, his decision to return to the Philippines in 1983 despite the risks and the people’s response to his sacrifice.
He recalled that when he was a child, his parents, Paul and Melanie Aquino, would tell him how Ninoy would joke whenever they visited him: “Paul and Melanie, leave Bam here so I can have someone with me.”
Aquino said he did not fully understand the loneliness behind the joke. It was only when he was older that he realized Ninoy had spent seven years and seven months in prison, separated from his family and loved ones.
Despite the hardships he was enduring, Aquino said his uncle never lost his faith in God or his trust in the Filipino people.
He said he also came to better understand the significance of Ninoy’s decision to return to the Philippines in 1983 after years of exile in the United States.
“There was no certainty that the people would accept him. There was also no certainty that his return would make any difference,” Aquino said. “But he returned anyway.”
Aquino said the people ultimately answered Ninoy’s sacrifice by showing that they were willing to overcome fear and stand up for what they believed was right.
“In the end, the people responded: ‘Ninoy, you are not alone,’” he said.
Members of the August Twenty One Movement (ATOM) marked the 43rd anniversary of the death of Ninoy by visiting his grave at the Manila Memorial Park.
“It has been years since the remaining loyalists of the former Marcos Sr. dictatorship began spreading all kinds of accusations and lies on social media against the late hero Ninoy Aquino,” ATOM said in a statement.
“One thing is for sure, no one can ever destroy the truth forever. It is always meant to rise again, no matter how long it may take. Just like what happened in 1986,” it said.
Also on Friday, A historical marker where Aquino had fallen when he was shot on the tarmac was moved by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to the front of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1.
The Liberal Party (LP) on Friday said it was commemorating two “painful” anniversaries in 1971 and 1983.
On Aug. 21, 1971, an election gathering of the LP at the Plaza Miranda was bombed. Twelve years later, its stalwart, Ninoy Aquino, was assassinated.
“In two different chapters of our history, this date became a reminder of the dangers faced by Filipinos who choose to stand their ground when those in power seek to make fear prevail,” the party said in a statement in Filipino on Friday.
“Today, a different kind of courage is being demanded of us: We need it as millions of pesos in confidential funds await clear accountability; as anomalies in flood control projects are exposed while communities continue to drown in floods; as disinformation reshapes our understanding of history and the present; and as millions of Filipino youth are being deprived of a decent future because of the deepening crisis in education,” it said.
