Ninoy Aquino: 1932 - 1983
I was 11 years old when Ninoy died. I was riding my BMX bike around the neighborhood that day. It was strangely empty. When I got home my aunt greeted me with “They shot Ninoy.” Who? I asked but they remained quiet and glued to the TV.
Week after week my aunts would bring home copies of the special edition of Mr & Ms. I remember on the corner of each cover they would have the picture of Ninoy sprawled on the tarmac, an image which will be forever burned into the mind of Pinoys. Weeks after that afternoon, I read about Ninoy, the Marcoses, General Ver, Martial Law, Hidden Wealth, cronies and the political prisoners. I followed the development in the Narvasa and the Agrava Commissions.
Very much like the rest of the country, Ninoy’s assassination was my political awakening. It culminated in February 1986 of course. But we shouldn’t have stopped there. We shouldn’t have dropped the ball. Looking at all the politicking happening these days, one wonders where have all the statesmen like Ninoy gone?
I learned he started out as journalist, participating in the Huk surrender and being the youngest reporter in the Korean War. I learned he was human too. There’s an apocryphal story in which Ninoy got fired from the Guidon, the Ateneo student paper by his editor Max Soliven, a story which always gave me comfort when I was with the same paper years later. I tried to read up as much on Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., on civil disobedience - in which Ninoy read while incarcerated and played a significant role in the change in his methods. I watched as much of his taped speeches, amazed how easily he won over the crowd, no matter where he was. I guess that’s where Kris got her gift of gab.
Even 22 years after his death, he remains relevant. The Filipino is still worth dying for. Hindi ka pa rin nag-iisa, Ninoy.
Links: Ninoy: A Biography, Newsweek: The Martyr, INQ7: Who Killed Ninoy Aquino?, In Memoriam: Ninoy.
Update: Check out Deebeedee’s first hand experience of Ninoy’s cell in Laur, Nueva Ecija Fort Bonifacio.
4 Comments, Comment or Ping
banzai cat
Hehe funny enough, I had a similar experience as yours. I remember I was a kid playing with my toy soldiers when I first heard the announcement. And I had the same reaction too.
On my end, I was brought to the yellow rallies by my parents which eventually led to me standing on a creaky firescape overlooking Edsa during the 1986 revolt.
;-)
Aug 22nd, 2005
Junnie
Ninoy was the best president we never had. August 21 remains to be a day that everyone should remember that Filipinos had a martyr die for them to live and whose life we continue to waste away by voting the wrong people to lead our government.
Aug 22nd, 2005
deebeedee
Hi Mark, thanks for the link. My timestamp was messed up though, so here’s the new link to my post:
http://www.deebeedee.com/blog/2005/08/21/ninoys-cell/
And I failed to mention that the cell was in Fort Bonifacio. The post has been edited.
Aug 22nd, 2005
markmomukhamo
Hey Banzai. Those were surreal times. Everyone was looking over their shoulders. I remember the supposedly banned tape of Japanese TV network making brisk business in our neighborhood betamax rental shop. And EDSA 86 was big fiesta ‘no?
Junnie, yeah we can only play ‘what if’. But he did say he pities the next president after Marcos because of the mess he’ll leave behind. Little did he know it’ll be his wife.
Deebeedee thanks for the heads-up. Changed it already. At least Fort Boni is within MManila. :)
Aug 24th, 2005
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