Sen. Bam Aquino led the commemoration of the 42nd anniversary of the assassination of his uncle, former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on Thursday, August 21.
Wearing the signature yellow, Bam honored Ninoy’s sacrifice and urged Filipinos to continue upholding truth, justice, peace, and freedom, the values Ninoy stood for when he was slain at the airport in 1983.
He said the airport was where his uncle proved that “The Filipino is worth dying for.”
“Mula sa sakripisyo ni Tito Ninoy, nawa’y patuloy nating ipaglaban ang katotohanan, katarungan, kapayapaan, at kalayaan. Ang hamon niya noon ay hamon pa rin sa atin ngayon,” Bam said.
Bam was joined by the members of the August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM), which was formed out of the outrage and protest to Ninoy’s murder.
In a separate post, the senator recalled that he was only six years old when Ninoy was slain. He said he was among those asked to take the stage and speak out against Martial Law and his uncle’s assassination in various parts of the country.
“Doon nagsimula ang buhay ko bilang isang speaker—isang pagkakataong humubog ng malalim na koneksyon sa alaala niya,” Bam said.
The senator also urged the public to draw inspiration from Ninoy’s experiences, noting that despite being detained for seven years and seven months, he never lost hope.
“Nang pinili niyang umuwi noong 1983, alam niyang mapanganib, alam niyang maaari siyang makulong o mapatay. Pero pinili pa rin niya,” Bam said.
“Hanggang ngayon, iyon ang pinakamalaking alaala niya para sa akin. Ang tunay na pamumuno ay nakaugat sa pagmamahal—sa Diyos, sa pamilya, at higit sa lahat, sa bayan,” he added.
“Kung si Tito Ninoy, sa pinakamadilim na bahagi ng kanyang buhay at ng ating kasaysayan, ay hindi bumitaw sa pag-asa, paano pa tayo ngayon?” the senator wrote.
“Sa hirap o ginhawa, sa gulo man o katahimikan, tandaan natin: Yes, the Filipino is worth dying for and worth fighting for. Tuloy ang laban,” he said.
— With John Marwin Elao
