There are those who say that for obvious reasons, the commemoration of the 39th death anniversary today of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. will be awkward. But it doesn’t have to be.
Ninoy Aquino had aspirations for the country and its people that any national leader will surely share. He wanted a prosperous country, with people enjoying all the civil liberties guaranteed in a free society, and a nation proud of its place in the international community. And he had faith in the capabilities of the Filipino to achieve these goals. As far as he was concerned, it was no impossible dream, and the events following his death proved him right.
Nearly four decades after Ninoy Aquino was shot dead on the tarmac of what was then called the Manila International Airport, the mastermind of the assassination has not been determined. Until the whole truth is established, there can be no justice and closure for those he left behind. The reforms that were set in motion with the restoration of freedom have been derailed or are being rolled back, but such is democracy; it needs constant nurturing and eternal vigilance.
The last 10 of the 16 Aviation Security Command members still behind bars for the killing of Aquino and alleged assassin Rolando Galman were freed in March 2009 after then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo commuted their life terms. All the convicts maintained that it was Galman who shot Aquino, with the motive unknown. Not even the presidencies of Aquino’s widow Corazon and only son Benigno “Noynoy” III could determine who ordered the double murder, and why.
Today the nation commemorates the assassination amid proposals to take out Ninoy Aquino’s name from the airport, and to replace his image and that of Corazon Aquino from the 500 peso banknote. At least there is no attempt to dismiss his assassination as mere chismis rather than history.
There are calls to move on, but moving on does not mean forgetting, especially the ideals that Ninoy Aquino espoused. He had an abiding faith in the best of the Filipino. Surely this is shared by President Marcos. The new Chief Executive has said he should be judged not by the deeds of his forebears but by his own actions. As leader of the entire nation rather than just the 31 million who voted for him, keeping alive the memory of his father’s archrival would be solid proof of the sincerity behind his campaign platform of unity.