While the observance of the non-working holiday has been moved, we take this day to commemorate an important figure in Philippine history.
Today, August 21, 2024, marks the 41st anniversary of the assassination of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr.
Though the official non-working holiday has been moved to this Friday, this day still serves as a reminder of a significant moment in the Philippines’ history.
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On This Day
On August 21, 1983, Aquino was shot on the tarmac of Manila International Airport. It is now named Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor.
He was returning from the United States where he initially went to get surgery following a series of heart attacks.
He did not immediately go home after the surgery. Instead, he attended symposiums, lectures, and gave speeches critical of the Marcos government.
Aquino and his family were already able to start a new life in the US. However, he still chose to return to the Philippines despite the potential danger.
“I suppose there’s a physical danger because you know assassination’s part of public service,” Aquino told reporters while aboard the plane to Manila.
“My feeling is we all have to die sometime and if it’s my fate to die by an assassin’s bullet, so be it.”
Upon his arrival, soldiers escorted Aquino off the plane. Just moments later, witnesses stated that shots rang out. When the gunfire ended, they saw the senator lying in a pool of blood on the runway.
According to the Marcos government, the attack was staged by a lone gunman, Rolando Galman. Galman was also shot after Aquino was killed.
Many Filipinos, and even people outside the country, were not convinced with this narrative. Eventually, an investigation held several soldiers responsible for the assassination. They were sentenced to life in prison but were later released over the years.
In The Aftermath
Following his death, thousands of supporters attended Aquino’s funeral, his body and clothes still bloodied from the attack.
The final funeral procession lasted for over 10 hours. Millions of Filipinos lined the streets to pay their last respects.
This moment in history ignited a spark in the Filipino people who would no longer stand for a dictatorship.
Three years later, in 1986, the opposition rallied behind his wife Corazon Aquino as a presidential candidate, challenging former President Ferdinand Marcos.
Marcos, declared the winner of a dubious election, was met by a revolt known as the People Power Revolution or the EDSA Revolution.
Forcing Marcos and his family into exile, the Filipino people were able to properly elect Corazon Aquino as the country’s first female president, ending the authoritarian rule in the Philippines.
Now a national holiday, Ninoy Aquino Day is not just a chance for respite. It’s a reminder of the importance of democracy, freedom, and justice—ideas that we must hold onto if we do not want a repeat of those dark periods in our history.
Banner image via Wikimedia Commons.
