‘Perhaps the dream didn’t die with him’

The heroism of Ninoy Aquino, who was gunned down at high noon at the Manila International Airport 33 years ago, transcends politics. He isn’t a trend, to be honored only during certain political climes. He is a hero for all seasons.

To have openly declared that the Filipino is worth dying for, to have walked his talk in order to help free the Filipino people from the grip of a dictatorship and the curtailment of their rights — things today’s youth can only imagine — were acts only the brave dared to do. And Ninoy did.

Fr. Catalino Arevalo, SJ, who met Ninoy’s widow Cory in Boston after Ninoy was assassinated in Manila and became her spiritual adviser ever since, once said, “I think why we honor them (Ninoy and Cory) ultimately…why their contribution and their lives matter is because they gave their lives. There’s nothing more that we can give.”

The first time I saw Ninoy Aquino was through the glass partition of his coffin. I joined the throngs, formerly silenced but suddenly emboldened, that lined up to pay their last respects to him at the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City. I thought I would be crushed in the surge of people, who suddenly, reverently paused when they saw the bloodied and bruised remains of Ninoy in his coffin. Forever silenced now.

Because I didn’t know Ninoy, I learned more about him through his widow, former President Cory Aquino, and their children, Ballsy, Pinky, former President Noynoy Aquino, Viel and Kris.

I asked private citizen Noynoy Aquino his thoughts on his father’s 33rd death anniversary, and he said, “I continue to draw inspiration from (my parents’) lives.”

Recently, an SWS survey showed that in his last weeks in power, Noynoy had the approval still of 66 percent of Filipinos. His administration’s net approval rating of 50 percent is the highest of an exiting administration since 1989, besting all other previous administrations. “For this, I am grateful to the Filipino people. They made everything possible,” he said when I asked for his reaction.

Cory Aquino during Ninoy Aquino’s funeral Mass in Sto. Domingo Church.

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Three years ago, on his father’s 30th death anniversary, I sat down with then President Noynoy Aquino at Malacañang Palace to talk about both the man and the hero that was his father. Excerpts:

Joanne Rae Ramirez (JRR): What does Aug. 21, 1983 mean to you — as President, as a Filipino and as Ninoy Aquino’s only son?

Noynoy Aquino: I remember CNN had this ad, “The power of one.” When I look at Aug. 21, my dad’s fight against the martial law regime, it was really as some would say, David vs. Goliath. When you see representations of that fight, David at least had a sling, was free to move around. The main difference was during my dad’s time, David was tied tightly to a post and still, he overcame the giant. So, somehow, that ad resonated with me, “the power of one.” It was my mom who said something like, “Courage, like cowardice, is infectious.”

JRR: How did you think the struggle would end?

Noynoy Aquino: I really thought it would be a bloody revolution. When somebody grabs absolute power, had the tiger by the tail, not being able to let go would always have been the challenge. Assuming that person wanted to let go. And the way it looked, hindi lang for him not to let go, but for him to continue even after his demise. And for everyone else who was benefiting, to continue to perpetuate the status quo. I’ll share this with you. I asked somebody who would know people in the criminal underworld and I asked them, “How difficult would it be to get somebody to assassinate somebody like my dad?” I wondered, “What are the sums involved, etc.?” The answer I got was that the only thing that had to be told to these individuals is, “Pag nakauwi ‘to, tapos na tayo…”

JRR: You asked these questions after the assassination…

Noynoy Aquino: Yes. When he was coming back home, I asked my dad, “Why would you come home in that manner? You’re putting your whole life, your whole faith into the hands of a person who never did anything right by us.” That’s when he answered, “Who wins in a civil war? It’s just a question of who suffers less. Some people will die sooner than others, nobody wins in a civil war.” And I took it to mean...how do you profess love of country and not doing everything you can to prevent it from falling into the abyss?

JRR:  So Aug. 21 is “the power of one” to you…

Noynoy Aquino:  “How do you fight?” I asked him at some point. And I think he quoted the Bible. Something like, “If the time is right, not a single prophet is needed. But if it’s wrong, a thousand prophets won’t make a difference.” And that actually stuck, because after he died,…he was the leader who possessed all knowledge and had all the directions and suddenly, he is no longer here and how do you proceed? The dream dies with him? Then suddenly people going to Times, braving the wrath of the martial law regime. The line stretching endlessly. What a change.

JRR: That must have been great consolation to the family in your grief.

Ninoy Aquino’s funeral procession on Aug. 31, 1983. Ninoy’s only son Noynoy (with black armband, center) stands guard over his father’s coffin.

Noynoy Aquino: At the very least, we thought, perhaps the dream didn’t die with him. Perhaps there was still a possibility that we could achieve the change Dad sought through peaceful means.

Dad had this concept of not having enough time to be able to do the things that he wanted to do. He had this stride. Everybody wanted to catch up with him, they had to jog or run just to keep pace with him. Then I guess it was my mother who would explain, he really felt that he wouldn’t have the time that he needed to be able to accomplish all the things that he wanted to do. So he was always in a rush. Any time that was wasted, you’re wasting something you can never recover.

When he died, suddenly, we lost our captain, we lost the rudder of our ship, we lost everything. Suddenly, he was no longer here…

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