MALACANANG PALACE, Philippines – The Palace has encouraged the public to educate future generations of Filipinos about the martyrdom of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr., father of President Benigno S. Aquino III.
“Let us pledge to transmit his thoughts and the reasons he took his fateful stand to the generations who were not yet around in 1983, but who continue to enjoy the freedom of choice, thought, and expression that he fought and died for, and which characterizes our country today,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement on Wednesday.
Secretary Lacierda asked the people to pause in prayer and reflection, and revisit Ninoy Aquino’s undelivered arrival statement available in the original English and Filipino translation on the Official Gazette.
Thirty-one years ago, Ninoy Aquino came home to prove that the Filipino is worth dying for, Lacierda said.
With his martyrdom, Ninoy Aquino joined the ranks of other heroes such as Dr. Jose Rizal, Jose Abad Santos, and Aquino’s fellow victims of Martial Law who stood for national freedom and integrity, he added.
Ninoy Aquino was assassinated on August 21, 1983 after arriving from several years of living in exile in the US.
Three years after his death, his widow, Corazon Aquino was swept to power following the bloodless 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled the Marcos dictatorship.
