Ninoy Aquino was a prominent Filipino senator and opposition leader who was assassinated in 1983 upon returning from exile in the US. Over two million people attended his funeral procession, the largest in Philippine history. An investigation found that Aquino was killed in a conspiracy led by military generals loyal to President Marcos, though Marcos was not proven directly involved. Aquino's death strengthened the opposition to Marcos, and his widow Corazon Aquino eventually unseated Marcos as president in 1986.

1. LESSON 17
AQUINO’S
ASSASSINATION

2. LIFE AND DEATH OF NINOY AQUINO

3. ON AUGUST 21, 1983, FORMER SENATOR BENIGNO
S. AQUINO JR. (“NINOY”), AND THE LEADING
OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN, RETURNED FROM A
THREE-YEAR EXILE IN THE UNITED STATES. HE WAS
SHOT DEAD AT THE MANILA INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WHILE IN THE CUSTODY OF GUARDS FROM
THE AVIATION SECURITY COMMAND. CONFLICTING
REPORTS OF THE ASSASSINATION AND THAT OF HIS
ALLEGED KILLER ROLANDO GALMAN WERE
ASSIGNED TO AN INVESTIGATION BY A
PRESIDENTIAL FACT-FINDING BOARD.

4. MEANWHILE, SENATOR AQUINO’S FUNERAL
FROM SANTO DOMINGO CHURCH IN QUEZON
CITY TO MANILA MEMORIAL PARK IN
PARAÑAQUE ON AUGUST 31, 1983, TURNED OUT
TO BE THE LONGEST AND LARGEST PROCESSION
IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY, ATTENDED BY SOME
TWO MILLION PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

5. ACTIVITY 17
Ninoy Aquino
BENIGNO "NINOY" AQUINO WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER
27, 1932, IN TARLAC PROVINCE, ON THE ISLAND OF LUZON, TO A
PROMINENT FAMILY. HE WAS THE GRANDSON OF A GENERAL
AND THE SON OF A PHILIPPINE SENATOR WHO WAS ALSO A
WEALTHY LANDOWNER. HIS AMBITION AND ENERGY STOOD
OUT EARLY WHEN, AT AGE SEVENTEEN, HE WAS SENT BY THE
MANILA TIMES NEWSPAPER TO REPORT ON THE KOREAN WAR
(1950–53). THE WAR WAS BETWEEN THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF KOREA (NORTH KOREA) AND THE REPUBLIC OF
KOREA (SOUTH KOREA), AND WAS A WAR IN WHICH THE
UNITED STATES AND CHINA EVENTUALLY JOINED.
AT AGE TWENTY-TWO AQUINO BECAME THE PHILIPPINES'
YOUNGEST MAYOR IN HIS HOME-TOWN OF CONCEPCION. JUST
SIX YEARS LATER HE BECAME GOVERNOR OF TARLAC PROVINCE
(A POSITION SIMILAR TO GOVERNING A STATE). IN 1967 AQUINO
ONCE AGAIN MADE HISTORY WHEN HE BECAME THE YOUNGEST
SENATOR EVER ELECTED IN THE PHILIPPINES. MEANWHILE HE
MARRIED CORAZON COJOANGCO, WITH WHOM HE
EVENTUALLY RAISED FIVE CHILDREN.

6. AQUINO BECAME FAMOUS FOR HIS GIFTS AS A
PUBLIC SPEAKER AND FOR HIS BRILLIANT MIND, AS WELL AS
HIS GREAT AMBITION. HE BECAME THE LEADING CANDIDATE
FOR THE PRESIDENCY IN 1973, WHEN PRESIDENT MARCOS
WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE OFFICE AFTER COMPLETING THE
MAXIMUM TWO TERMS AS PRESIDENT. AQUINO'S
AMBITION TO BE PRESIDENT WAS NEVER REALIZED,
HOWEVER, BECAUSE PRESIDENT MARCOS DECLARED
MARTIAL LAW (A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN WHICH MILITARY
AUTHORITIES ARE GIVEN TEMPORARY RULE). AT THE SAME
TIME MARCOS DISSOLVED THE CONSTITUTION, CLAIMING
SUPREME POWER AND JAILING HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS,
INCLUDING AQUINO. AQUINO WAS CHARGED WITH
MURDER, SUBVERSION (INTENTION TO UNDERMINE LEGAL
AUTHORITY), AND ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF FIREARMS.

7. ALTHOUGH HE DENIED THE CHARGES, AQUINO WAS FOUND
GUILTY AND WAS CONVICTED BY A MILITARY TRIBUNAL, OR MILITARY
COURT, AND SPENT OVER SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON. IN 1980 HE WAS
ALLOWED TO GO TO THE UNITED STATES FOR A HEART BYPASS
OPERATION. HE REMAINED IN THE UNITED STATES AS A REFUGEE UNTIL
RETURNING TO THE PHILIPPINES IN 1983. UPON ARRIVING AT THE
MANILA AIRPORT HE WAS SHOT AND KILLED.
FOLLOWING THE ASSASSINATION PRESIDENT MARCOS WAS
PRESSURED TO APPOINT A FIVE-PERSON, POLITICALLY NEUTRAL
INVESTIGATIVE BOARD, LED BY JUDGE CORAZON AGRAVA. MARCOS
AND THE MILITARY STATED THAT A LONE GUNMAN WHO HAD BEEN
HIRED BY THE COMMUNIST PARTY HAD CARRIED OUT THE
ASSASSINATION. THE ALLEGED GUNMAN, WHO HAD BEEN SHOT AT THE
AIRPORT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SHOOTING OF AQUINO, COULD
NOT BE CROSS-EXAMINED. THE MILITARY CARRIED OUT ITS OWN
INVESTIGATION, AND REPORTED THAT NO MILITARY PERSONNEL WERE
INVOLVED IN THE DEATH.

8. THE OFFICIAL COMMISSION'S MAJORITY REPORT FOUND THAT
AQUINO WAS NOT SLAIN BY THE ALLEGED GUNMAN, AS MARCOS AND
THE MILITARY CLAIMED, BUT WAS THE VICTIM OF A "CRIMINAL
CONSPIRACY" BY THE MILITARY LED BY GENERAL FABIAN C. VER, WHO
WAS THE ARMED FORCES CHIEF OF STAFF. HE WAS ALSO A CLOSE FRIEND
AND COUSIN OF PRESIDENT MARCOS. THE COMMISSION'S FINDINGS
WERE ASTONISHING, ALTHOUGH FROM THE BEGINNING MOST FILIPINOS
DOUBTED THE OFFICIAL VERSION OF THE ASSASSINATION. NO PROOF
WAS EVER PRESENTED THAT DIRECTLY SHOWED MARCOS WAS INVOLVED,
BUT ALMOST NO ONE IN THE PHILIPPINES BELIEVED THAT MILITARY
GENERALS WOULD ORDER THE EXECUTION OF AQUINO ON THEIR OWN.
THOSE WHO SUSPECTED MARCOS'S INVOLVEMENT NOTED THAT AQUINO
POSED A THREAT AS SOMEONE WHO MIGHT UNITE THE OPPOSITION AND
WHO HAD BEEN THE PRESIDENT'S MAIN RIVAL FOR DECADES.

9. AS IT TURNED OUT THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION TO MARCOS
WAS STRONGEST AFTER ITS LEADER'S DEATH. AS MARCOS LOST THE
TRUST OF HIS PEOPLE, THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY ALSO FELL APART. BY
1985 THE NATION WAS IN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHAOS, WITH
MARCOS UNDER ATTACK BY THE PRESS AND BY THE STRENGTHENED
POLITICAL OPPOSITION, WHICH DID WELL IN ELECTIONS.
IN DECEMBER 1985 THE COURT PROCLAIMED THAT GENERAL VER
AND THE OTHERS CHARGED WITH AQUINO'S MURDER WERE NOT GUILTY.
MARCOS PROMPTLY RETURNED VER TO HIS FORMER POSITION. POPULAR
UNREST WITH MARCOS'S RULE GREW STEADILY, HOWEVER. WITHIN
WEEKS A POLITICAL MOVEMENT FORMED AROUND AQUINO'S WIDOW,
CORAZON. SHE WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES IN 1986,
UNSEATING MARCOS.

10. QUESTIONS:
WHO IS NINOY AQUINO?
WHAT ARE THE ROLES THAT HE HANDLES IN THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT?
CITE SOME REASON WHY HE IMPRISONED AND MURDERED.
CHOOSE YOUR BEST LEADER AMONG THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTS WHOSE
CHARACTERISTICS ARE NEEDED TO BE ACQUIRED BY OUR PRESENT LEADERS.
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ENUMERATE HIS/HER EXCEPTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS.
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