Ninoy, the martyr

Every Aug. 21, Filipinos commemorate the martyrdom of Ninoy Aquino, which triggered the People Power revolution that led to the downfall of the Marcos dictatorship and the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

There are many types of heroic deeds and heroes. Some are military commanders like George Washington, philosophers like Voltaire and scientists like Einstein.

Then there are heroes who suffer persecution and death for espousing a cause they believe in. Such heroes continue to fight for and remain committed to a cause, even as they are fully aware of the risks and can foresee possible retaliation by their opponents. Such heroes we call martyrs, and their death because of their adherence to a cause, martyrdom.

Although there have been martyrs throughout history, their numbers are very few because their ultimate fate – death – is considered by many as too great a price to pay. Martyrs do not seek death, but they are willing to die rather than renounce their beliefs. But it is also true that martyrdom serves as the ultimate motivation for others to continue fighting for their cause.

St. Joan of Arc was convicted of heresy and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, after a conspiracy by foes of Charles VII and the English. Twenty-five years after her death at the age of 19, her heresy conviction was overturned. In 1920, she was canonized as a saint.

It was her sacrifice that restored the French monarchy and finally drove the English out of France. Her brief life and her brutal death – her martyrdom – fascinated eminent writers like Voltaire, Mark Twain, Anatole France and George Bernard Shaw.

In 1535, Thomas More was tried for treason for refusing to sign an oath recognizing King Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Had More agreed to take the oath, his life would have been spared. But he refused and he was beheaded. In 1935, More was canonized a saint.

Mahatma Gandhi preached and practiced the doctrine of nonviolent resistance to all forms of oppression. He used his formidable leadership skills to help attain independence for India. He also struggled to prevent his country from being divided into two nations, one Muslim and the other Hindu.

In 1948, as he stepped out to greet some people, Godse, a Hindu extremist, shot him three times. His death, unfortunately, did not prevent the partition of India.

But today, he is still recognized as the inspiration and embodiment of nonviolent resistance even if he suffered a violent death.

Martin Luther King Jr. organized and inspired numerous acts of civil disobedience, sit-ins and marches for civil rights. He received the Nobel Prize in 1964, the youngest recipient at that time. In 1968, he was shot and killed by a white racist who was later identified as James Earl Ray. When he was still alive, he had said that whoever gave the eulogy for him should make no mention of the hundreds of awards he had received. Instead, he wanted that person to say that he had been a “drum major for peace and a drum major for righteousness.”

Dr. Jose Rizal wrote two books, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. While in prison, he wrote the poem Mi Ultimo Adios. His writings became part of the inspiration for the Philippine Revolution. But it was his public execution that became the symbol of Spanish oppression and the Filipinos’ struggle for freedom.

Ninoy Aquino’s death has all the characteristics of martyrdom. Like St. Thomas More, Ninoy could have saved himself by staying in exile and swearing allegiance to a tyrannical ruler. But he refused and decided to come home, fully aware of the possible consequences.

Like Joan of Arc and Mahatma Gandhi, Ninoy suffered a violent death. Upon his arrival in the Philippines, he was shot to death as soon as he stepped on the last step of the service stairway.

Like Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, the death of Ninoy provided more inspiration for more civil disobedience and marches that eventually became known as the People Power Movement.

Finally, like the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal, Ninoy’s execution became the symbol of the Marcos tyranny and further fueled the courage and commitment to freedom of the Filipino people. Two scenes – Rizal being shot by Spanish soldiers in Luneta and Ninoy’s body lying still on the airport tarmac – are among the most distinguished and memorable images in Philippine history. These two scenes have also epitomized the ideals of Filipino heroism and love of freedom.

Personally, I choose to remember Ninoy as one of the great personalities who once made the Philippine Senate a bulwark of democracy and a gathering of visionary national leaders. Even when he was a neophyte senator, he was already exhibiting certain facets of his future greatness. He understood that greatness did not come from being glamorous, although he was himself considered a celebrity. Nor did it come from simply grabbing power even though he was the scion of a powerful political class.

Ninoy Aquino, even before his martyrdom, was the ideal senator that other politicians should strive to emulate.

*      *      *

Email: [email protected]