On the 43rd anniversary of former Sen. Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr.’s assassination, Sens. Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan and Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV said the late opposition leader’s fight for a better Philippines remains unfinished.
Pangilinan, a fraternity brother of Ninoy, said the struggles faced by the late senator decades ago is a fight still being fought today.
‘[A]ng labang hinarap ni Ninoy noon ay laganap pa rin ngayon: mga ganid sa kapangyarihan at pang-aabuso sa karapatang pantao,’ Pangilinan said in a statement on Friday, Aug. 21. marking Ninoy Aquino Day.
For Pangilinan, Ninoy did not give his life only for the country’s liberation from dictatorship. He also fought for a Philippines where Filipinos would be truly free from hunger, poverty, oppression by more powerful nations and being victims of widespread disinformation.
‘Kaya naman ngayong araw, hindi sapat ang pag-alala lamang. Kailangang kumilos…Papanagutin ang mga mapang-abuso. At higit sa lahat, ilagay natin ang kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino higit sa anumang personal o pulitikal na interes,’ Pangilinan said.
(Thus, today, simply remembering is not enough. We must take action… Hold those who abuse their power accountable. And above all, let us put the welfare of every Filipino above any personal or political interest,)
‘Hindi pa tapos ang laban, pero patuloy tayong lalaban,’ he added, emphasizing that this would be the best tribute Filipinos could give Ninoy.
(The fight is not over, but we will continue to fight.)
Meanwhile, Bam Aquino, Ninoy’s nephew, highlighted his uncle’s enduring faith in the Filipino people despite the hardships he faced.
‘Sa panahong madaling mapagod, magalit, o mawalan ng pag-asa sa kalagayan ng ating bansa, sana maalala natin ang pananalig ni Tito Ninoy,’ the senator said in a Facebook post.
(At a time when it is easy to grow tired, angry, or lose hope over the state of our country, I hope we remember Uncle Ninoy’s faith in the Filipino people,)
‘Kung sa gitna ng lahat ng pinagdaanan niya ay hindi siya sumuko sa Pilipino, hindi rin natin dapat sukuan ang isa’t isa,’ he added.
(If he did not give up on the Filipino people despite everything he went through, then we should not give up on one another either.)
Like Pangilinan, Bam Aquino acknowledged that Filipinos still have much to fix and fight for.
‘Habang may mga Pilipinong handang tumindig para sa tama at kumilos para sa kapwa at bayan, may dahilan tayong maniwalang kaya pa nating bumuo ng mas maayos na Pilipinas,’ he said.
(As long as there are Filipinos willing to stand up for what is right and act for their fellow Filipinos and country, we have reason to believe that we can still build a better Philippines.)
‘Yes, we are worth the struggle. Yes, the Filipino is worth dying for and worth fighting for. Tuloy ang laban!’ the senator added.
(Our fight continues)
Ninoy was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983, at the Manila International Airport, now named the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, shortly after returning to the Philippines from about three years of being exiled in the United States.
His death triggered public outrage and intensified opposition to the Marcos dictatorship. The growing movement eventually culminated in the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution, which ended former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s rule.