Ninoy was coming home. That was all I heard for days, mostly in whispers and hushed conversations among the adults in the family. But, like many young Filipinos at the time, I didn't exactly know who Ninoy was. Incarcerated by the Marcos regime for most of the 70's and exiled in the US in the 80's, many of us were not familiar with the bright former Senator. The government-controlled media made sure of that. So there I was, an indifferent young man waiting for the coverage of Ninoy's arrival on TV, told ordered to do so by adults busy with their
regular Sunday mahjong and told to immediately call them once the pictures started coming in. I waited, and waited. Soon there were videos of an empty tarmac being flashed on the screen. I shouted to my aunts as ordered but before they arrived in front of the TV it was gone. A blank screen with the network's RPN9 logo greeted them. A few minutes later, the same scene was flashed and, after calling the adults' attention, ended the same way. Not wanting to end up like the boy who cried wolf, I vowed to be careful next time. However, I was surprised by what was flashed on the screen. The body of a seemingly lifeless man, in white pants and suit, lay on the airport tarmac, face down. Next to him was another body, and then soldiers started arriving. Like a scared young boy, I screamed to my aunts and uncles playing in terrace. There must have been such urgency in my voice for they came running. And when they arrived in front of the TV, the same words came out of their mouths, "Ninoy is dead!"
What followed were days of grief and unrest, ending with a massive funeral for a murdered martyr, one of the biggest funerals the world had seen since Gandhi's. And it didn't end there. Ninoy's death sparked months and years of peaceful struggle against an oppressive dictatorship culminating in the overthrow of Marcos and his family in February 1986 with the People Power Revolution.
For many of us, Ninoy's death was our political awakening. He transformed ordinarily apathetic Filipinos into concerned citizens and rekindled a nationalist passion in all of us. His death taught even the younger members of society the value of bravery, selfless patriotism and principle. And for the first time in our country's history, Pinoys from every social sector became one in their struggle for democracy.
Sadly, almost all have been lost since then. What we learned from Ninoy and that struggle have been thrown to the wayside in favor of selfishness, greed and self-serving politics. Even former political allies of Ninoy have now been transformed into traditional politicians, thick in the pursuit of money and power. We have even embraced former corrupt Marcos cronies who stole from the country and usurped power to their advantage. Some are even highly esteemed in today's society! My, how things change and how quickly we forget. I just hope Ninoy Aquino will not be forgotten as easily. I hope his isn't just a name associated with our premier internationa airport, a major avenue somewhere or a park in the center of town. I hope he won't be remembered merely as Cory Aquino's husband or Kris' father, and the face on our 500 Peso bill. Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino is much more important than that. His death was intrumental in attaining our democracy, and his legacy taught us that principle, bravery and integrity stand above all else.--------------------------------
Filipinos celebrate Ninoy Aquino's death anniversary every August 21.
I think it's great that an ocurrence like this is remembered because although it was a tragic event, it has the obvious ability to bring people together.
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