We commemorate today the 37th anniversary of the death of Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. who was slain at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport now the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, when he came home despite perceived threats on his life.
The tragedy of his death brought the protest against the Marcos administration into a nationwide massive protest, unifying the political oppositions as well as the broad sectoral formations organized during the early years of martial law.
Time and circumstances may have dimmed the memories of those who stood side by side with him in the struggle for freedom and democracy, but there are still many who believe that the struggle for true nationalism and sovereignty continues to this very day.
Each generation has to deal with different challenges. We hope that the youth will not forget the sacrifices, not only of Ninoy but the many martyrs of the past generation, so that their deaths would not have been in vain.
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte on August 21, 2018, said “In this time of real and lasting change, we need more citizens like Ninoy so we can steer our country towards the direction where a brighter and better future awaits us all. Let us take this opportunity to reflect on his sacrifice as we honor the courage and patriotism that Ninoy demonstrated during his struggle”
There is still so much turmoil in our midst now, but there are many freedom stalwarts who still believe in the oft-quoted statement of Ninoy that the “Filipino is worth dying for.”
