BENIGNO
"NINOY" AQUINO
"The Filipino is worth
dying for."
Born: November 27, 1932
Died: August 21, 1983
Benigno Aquino Jr. ("Ninoy" as he was called by the people), the
president that never was, was born in Concepcion, Tarlac. His father,
Benigno Aquino Sr. was a vice-president in the Japanese sponsored
Republic of the Philippines. His elementary education began at St.
Joseph's College and finished at the Ateneo de Manila, Intramuros. His
high school education was at San Beda College. Ninoy Enrolled at the
Ateneo Manila for a liberal arts course. He started work as a copy boy
for the Manila Times but eventually became a regular reporter and at
17, covered the Korean War as foreign correspondent for the Manila
Times, for which he was later given an award by President Quirino.
Ninoy took up studies again at the University of the Philippines,
Collage of Law.
In 1954, he negotiated the surrender of Luis Taruc, the Huk leader and
was given an award by President Magsaysay and become an assistant to
President Magsaysay. In October 1954, he married Corazon Cojuangco from
Tarlac. President Magsaysay served as principle sponsor. Ninoy did not
take his fourth year at the University of the Philippines and never
took the bar. In 1955, at 22, Ninoy became the youngest mayor of his
hometown, Concepcion, Tarlac. His opponents protested that he was not
of the requirement age of 23, and Ninoy was unseated by the Supreme
Court in 1957. He served as press officer for the Philippine Military
Bases agreement negotiations in 1956.
After President Magsaysay's death, he became a special assistant to
President Garcia. At 25, Ninoy became the youngest vice-governor of
Tarlac, appointed governor of Tarlac at 28 and elected governor of
Tarlac at 30. He later became a special counsel to President Macapagal
whom he accompanied on a state visit to Combodia and Indonesia. Just
before 35, he became the youngest senator and the only Liberal
candidate to survive the election sweep by the Nacionalista party led
by Ferdinand Marcos. Again, his opponents protested that he was not of
the requirement age of 35, but the protest was not upheld. In 1971, the
Liberal Party recovered six of the seats in the senate. It was believed
that Senator Ninoy Aquino would be the next president after Marcos
finished his term in 1973.
Marcos planned to use martial law to extend his term. When Ninoy learnt
of this, he exposed the plot. Shortly before President Marcos publicly
declared martial law, Ninoy was arrested and detained and became the
longest held prisoner of martial law. Ninoy's trial before the military
began in April 1975, and ended in November 1977. He was found guilty of
subversion and sentenced to death, but the sentence was never carried
out. In April 1978, from his cell, Ninoy campaigned for a seat in the
National Assembly. He was given a brief television appearance. Despite
the large support for Ninoy, he was defeated by Imelda Marcos.
In December 1979, Ninoy was given a three-week release period to be
with his family during his 25th wedding anniversary. During his time in
prison, Ninoy developed heart disease. In May 1980, President Marcos
allowed him to go to the US for heart surgery. He remained in the US
for three years during which he became a researcher and lecturer at
Harvard University and a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. Due to the widespread poverty in the Philippines, Ninoy
felt it was his duty to return and help his fellow countrymen. Despite
the warnings his life would be in danger, Ninoy left Boston on August
13, 1983. He arrived in Taipei on August 19 where he met with his
brother-in-law, a news correspondent.
Ninoy Aquino's plane landed at Manila International Airport on August
21, 1983, at about 1pm. Three military personnel boarded the plane to
look for Ninoy and escorted him out of the plane. Barely had Ninoy
stepped out of the plane when he was shot in the back of head. Moments
later there was another shot and the military escort brought out the
body of Rolando Galman. The military claimed Galman was a communist
dispatched to assassinate Ninoy. An investigative commission revealed
the military was behind the assassination, however, the commission was
under the control of the Marcos administration and so the case was
closed with the final verdict that Galman was responsible.
Ninoy Aquino was buried at the Manila Memorial Park after an 11-hour
funeral march from Santo Domingo church through 30 kilometres of the
streets of Manila. Almost two million people turned out for Ninoy's
funeral. There was almost no media coverage from within the Philippines
despite the large international coverage. The assassination of Ninoy
angered the nation and seriously reduced the tolerance to the Marcos
administration, which was overthrown by the EDSA Revolution in February
1986. Corazon Aquino, Ninoy's widow became the new president.
.
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