Yellow ribbons, a yellow butterfly, and Ninoy’s last day

I was in the VIP room on the first floor of the Manila International Airport on Aug. 21, 1983. Inside the room was Doña Aurora Aquino, Ninoy’s mommy, sitting in a sofa next to Senator Lorenzo Tañada. We sat endlessly in that room with a window that looked out the entrance and exit of cars. Soldiers were grouped in this gate. We waited, unmindful of the China Airlines that had landed, while Doña Aurora repeatedly asked, "Dumating na ba?" and prayed at the same time. Peping was with Doy Laurel, Paul Aquino and Ninoy’s sisters, Maur and Tessie, waiting in that room also. Everyone was restless because we were positioned in that corner room located at the far end of the airport building and we couldn’t see the planes landing.

Paul, Butz and I walked around the first floor up and down the escalator, trying to get a view of the China Airlines plane or any hint of its passengers. Going back into the VIP room, I ran into a distraught Lupita in the corridor and she said, "Ninoy’s been shot." "Who said?" I asked. "Ken," she answered. "He heard the gunshots."

Meanwhile outside, hundreds wore armbands and forehead bands in yellow fabric or ribbons. The group organized by Mel Lopez and Tita Eva Kalaw wore yellow shirts to welcome Ninoy. They tirelessly walked up and down the airport ramp singing Tie a Yellow Ribbon and shouting "Laban, Laban!"

Butz saw me now by the escalator and said, "Ninoy’s been shot." "When? Where? No!" Butz didn’t know the details. It was evident the welcomers were to be kept in the dark. Butz and Doy went outside to the driveway and spoke to the welcoming crowd, calming down everyone and asking them to go to Baclaran Church. It was verified that Ninoy had been shot.

After the announcement, the crowd stopped chanting Ninoy! Others who couldn’t hear shouted "Ninoy!" thinking Butz was Ninoy. Meanwhile, Doy said, "Further news will be sent to all of you." In a daze, slowly we dispersed and drove to the Cojuangco house in Forbes while the others went to Maur’s house in Quezon City. Others drove to the Redemptorist Church to pray to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Baclaran where a "rushed" Te Deum Mass was celebrated with Maur and Doña Aurora in attendance. Cory all the while was in Boston.

* * *

Restless at the Cojuangco residence, Esting Teopaco, Peping’s and Cory’s brother-in-law, went to Fort Bonifacio on the pretext of playing golf. There, word had spread that Ninoy’s body was at the Fort Bonifacio Hospital. Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara presented a more accurate account.

"Ken was with me in Maur’s house. A certain Captain Grant called me. He meant the call to be a secret. "Ninoy is at Bonifacio Hospital." "Buhay o patay?" Lupita asked. "Ma’am, punta na lang kayo."

Lupita and Ditas Rodrigo Sevilla went to Fort Bonifacio. Ken was left at Maur’s residence waiting for word on Ninoy so he could call Cory in Boston.

At Fort Bonifacio, a road barrier kept Lupita and Ditas from driving directly to the hospital. Approaching the building on foot, Lupita recognized it as that structure where the Aquinos and Cojuangcos used to line up, have our photos taken with a white board on our chests that bore our names with designated numbers like prisoners. That was the building where we were bodily searched before being ferried in jeeps to Ninoy’s detention where a movie camera rolled on with its sound system to witness our movements. The guard on duty that day said to Lupita, "Magandang hapon."

"Hindi maganda ang hapon," she answered. "Binaril ninyo ang kapatid ko."

Now – August, 21, 1983, papers for an entry had to be accomplished. Lupita signed, then filling up her status and identity before proceeding to the hospital. A soldier accompanied her on foot. By the barriers, she saw Maur Aquino Lichuaco, Doña Aurora, Esto Lichauco, Tessie Aquino-Oreta and Doy Laurel. Again, more papers had to be filled out before the hospital entry.

At the hospital, she asked the rest of her family to hurry and proceed ahead upstairs. From below, this is her account. "I heard two desperate, pained blood curdling screams. The cries came from Maur and Tessie. It reverberated throughout the whole building. I ran up to see my mother crying quietly and my sisters sobbing before a bloodied and dead Ninoy." To continue, "Seven camera crew members belonging to the military were recording everything on film. I put my palm over the camera. Covering the lens of the camera, I said, ‘Can’t you leave us with dignity through our grief?’ The soldiers did not stop until the head of the military crew signaled them to stop."

She went to Ninoy, lifeless in the gurney in his white homecoming clothes, blood oozing behind his ears still very warm ... his hands still very warm. His face in absolute peace. She saw the hole on his chin, the exit wound of the bullet. "It bore deeply inside," she said. She looked for his wedding ring – she could not find it. She remembered his other belongings, a handcarry, and asked for them. A wallet and a rosary in a plastic bag were given to her. The rosary had been broken in three parts. By instinct, she tried to put them together again. She tried and tried while her family recited the rosary beside Ninoy but she couldn’t. Her tears clouded her vision.

Johnny Enrile, then Marcos’ defense minister, walked in, surprising everyone. When he was about to hug Doña Aurora, Tessie shouted (Lupita told me), "Don’t touch her. What did you do to my brother?" Esto Lichuaco, Ninoy’s brother-in-law, said, "Do you want to see what they have done to him?"

Enrile cringed and left. Everyone knelt again in prayer but Lupita chased after him and said, "Please do not add to the lies they’ll say again about Ninoy." After reciting the rosary, Doña Aurora asked if they could bring Ninoy home. "No," was the response. An autopsy had to be performed.

* * *

Peping in Forbes, upon learning about the needed autopsy, instructed me to get doctors to assist in the procedure. I called Dr. Filomena Legarda Montinola who called Dr. Francisco Narciso and Dr. Juancho Billole. They arrived at the Loyola Memorial Chapel in Guadalupe. Dr. Ben Calma came and likewise witnessed the autopsy. At 11 p.m. Ninoy was still at Loyola Memorial Chapel where a small group had gathered, mostly family members and the Laurels led by Doy and Celia. I entered the autopsy room. The chloroform was intoxicating. I left the tiny room. Doy stayed by Ninoy.

Baby Lopa, Peping’s brother-in-law, asked me to arrange a place in Ninoy and Cory’s house to put Ninoy’s coffin. Finally late morning, when Ninoy’s coffin entered his home, we didn’t know where his head should be positioned. As he lay in state, we turned his coffin around correctly.

Meanwhile ... called Chiquita Trapaga’s cousin who worked at Northwest Airlines to buy Cory’s ticket and her children’s – Ballsy, Viel, Pinky and Noynoy – for their return to the Philippines. All their passports had expired. Ernie Maceda called the Philippine Consulate to help them get travel documents. Leaving Boston Tuesday, the 23th, they arrived in Manila on the 24th, accompanied by Dr. Solis and Ernie Maceda.

Few people silently stood vigil outside Ninoy’s house. Then there were hundreds, then thousands, that lined up outside waiting to enter. One night, a car with its passenger, Mr. Virata, arrived (we were told by someone who rushed inside the house) that the people pushed the car from side to side, that he had to drive away.

With thousands entering the house and more outside, Baby Lopa decided we should find a bigger place. Ninoy couldn’t remain in his house.

I was assigned to do so. I dashed to Mount Carmel in Broadway. They refused me. I believe it was out of fear. I was so sad, I cried. Then I went to UST and was turned down again because the number of students and mourners could cause havoc in a crowded campus. However, they directed me to Sto. Domingo Church. There, Fr. Castigador and Fr. Ed Nantes agreed to take in Ninoy. I called Len Oreta to help me construct wooden barriers for ropes. That late evening, a wooden stage was constructed and placed on the middle of the right side of the altar. Len’s father was supervising. The next day, we put Ninoy’s coffin on it. It was a disaster. The rope barriers fell. The platform wobbled and almost caved in that we had to transfer Ninoy to the center of the main altar on top of the Church’s marble floor. There he remained throughout his wake.

* * *

Every night was memorable but especially that night when Maur and Butz got into an argument in front of the Sto. Domingo Church’s main altar by Ninoy’s coffin. I stood beside Maur. "No. You will not have a death mask made of Ninoy," Maur said. "I am compromised," Butz said. "No," Maur said. "His whole face will be covered white," she said. Before daybreak, at around 3 a.m., a young man walked into the church up to the main altar with an elderly man carrying a pail and wet fabric. I approached him cautiously. That same night, Maur retrieved in Ninoy’s hand a note. I cannot remember what was written but Maur showed it to me. Something about who killed Ninoy. We were puzzled at how it got into his clasped hands inside the coffin!

"Who are you?" I asked the young man. "I am Lawin, the son of Napoleon Abueva to do the death mask. "Bahala ka Butz kung may mangyari," Maur said. We were petrified. White plaster of Paris, coat after coat, layer after layer, was spread on top and over Ninoy’s face until he disappeared. He was all white. We lost sight of him. Maur refused to watch. The plaster was made to dry until 5 a.m. "Hurry," we nagged the sculptors because people were arriving soon.

* * *

Tita Eva found a drummer boy from San Juan ... I contacted the CCP Orchestra to play for the Requiem Mass ... Dan Lichauco got the Madrigal Singers to sing....

The next day, the evening before the burial, at 11 a.m., Babette Aquino and Budji Layug went to Quiapo and bought all the yellow chrysanthemums. We decided with Tita Eva Kalaw and Tita Minyang Layug to put them around Ninoy’s coffin. This coffin would be placed on the Central Azucarera de Tarlac’s 10-wheeler truck which Peping thought would be ideal to carry Ninoy above the crowd so everyone could see. On the truck were Paul Aquino, Ninoy’s brother, and a man assigned to hold the Philippine flag and wave it. It was the longest burial I ever attended. That very rainy afternoon when a martyr was buried was the darkest day for us. The last day Ninoy was with us.

* * *

As we passed by UST, a yellow butterfly flew side by side our coaster where Lola Aurora was riding with her children and me for about two minutes. Could that be Ninoy with us? Lupita and I wondered.

* * *

This is from my diary many years ago.