'Continue Ninoy's fight' 
By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated August 22, 2009 12:00 AM 


Children, grandchildren and sons-in-law of the late Sen. Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. offer prayers at his tomb at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City, where former President Corazon Aquino is also buried, to mark the 26th death anniversary of the opposition leader yesterday.Val Rodriguez
| Zoom MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III called on Filipinos yesterday to carry on the legacy of his parents and continue to fight for democracy and justice.

“Today, we take a step further and continue the mission of Ninoy and Cory and pursue the vision of our countrymen. It is now our turn to keep and secure the democracy that they both fought for – a society where each and every individual is equally important,” Noynoy said in a speech at the launching of “Dilaw para sa Pagbabago (Yellow for Change)” movement in front of the monument to his father, the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., on Ayala Avenue in Makati City.

Thousands gathered on Ayala Avenue for the event, which was part of the commemoration of the 26th anniversary of Ninoy’s assassination.

As in past commemorations, yellow confetti rained down from buildings in the country’s premier commercial and financial district.

“What our fate will be tomorrow depends on how we choose to act today – and if we will choose to act together. Truly, as my father once told me, the ball is now in our hands,” Noynoy said.

“In a democracy, everybody contributes to the improvement of society. This is its very heart and essence. However, with freedom and opportunity comes responsibility. This is a burden that we all must share,” he added.

“No force of evil can match the strength of a people willing to put the welfare of others before themselves. Both my parents advocated simplicity and humility. I may be aware of my strengths, but I am doubly aware of my weaknesses,” he said.

“Alone, I may make a small difference, but together, we can achieve significant change,” he added.

Faith in the Filipino

He recalled that in 1973, as a detainee, his father still had the optimism to tell the military commission in a letter of his faith in the Filipino.

“I believe that with all the resources at his disposal and given the facts and the truth, the Filipino can resolve any difficulty and achieve his vision of a good and just society,’” Noynoy said, quoting from the letter.

He said his parents were just ordinary citizens called upon to assume heavy responsibilities under extraordinary circumstances.

“Both Ninoy and Cory had an abiding faith that deepened in times of adversity. This faith in the guiding power of God and faith in genuine democracy gave them courage and direction,” Noynoy said.

“They both believed so much in this nation and the power of each individual to effect change through peaceful means.

“In their minds, the key to our country’s long-term stability is to encourage consensus-building in place of dictation; and to practice persuasion in place of coercion and oppression,” Noynoy said.

“Ito po ang patuloy na laban ni Ninoy, ni Cory, at nating lahat. At sa labang ito, asahan ninyo na kailanman, ay hindi kayo nag-iisa (This is the continuing fight of Ninoy, of Cory, of all of us. And in this fight, rest assured that you are not alone),” he said.

He said his father made no mistake in proclaiming that “the Filipino is worth dying for” because the people had truly worked for freedom.

High expectation

But Noynoy recalled that shortly after his mother was sworn into office in February 1986, she confided “that many people seemed to be expecting her to solve all the problems of our country with all the power vested in the presidency.”

“In fact, some prodded her to extend her revolutionary government so that she could initiate the radical reforms necessary to purge the government machinery and statute books of every residue of the dictatorship,” he said. “After all, on the strength of people power, my mother could wield absolute authority to change or enforce virtually anything she wanted at the outset. Instead, she quickly convened a group of men and women of known probity, independence and broad knowledge to craft a Freedom Constitution as the first vital step toward democratic restoration,” Noynoy said.

Whatever shortcomings his mother might have had as president, Noynoy said he is still proud that she restored integrity, accountability and genuine compassion in the highest levels of government.

“And I would like to think that, in paying tribute to her these past three weeks, our people recognized these alongside her personal sacrifices to win back our democracy,” he said.

“If we lapse into indifference, cynicism and despair, we may yet allow history to repeat itself. Ironically, dictatorships breed well under such desperate conditions, when people become only too willing to mortgage their freedoms for the promise of discipline and prosperity under an iron hand,” he said. “If that were to happen, then all that my beloved parents – and we – have fought for would have been for naught,” Noynoy said.

Longing for change

“But I am confident that such a dire scenario would never come to pass. Looking into the eyes of those who queued for hours just to be able to pay their last respects to my mother, I could sense that they were longing for change – change they could be a part of,” he said. 

“Most of those who flashed the Laban sign as the funeral cortege passed by were too young to have known my father and to remember enough of my mother. Yet, instinctively or perhaps with some counsel from their elders, they seemed to value the basic goodness that my mother represented and were only too willing to make the sacrifices that would bring that cherished ideal to life,” Noynoy said.

For his part, Sen. Manuel Roxas II, Noynoy’s party-mate in the Liberal Party, said the next generations should not forget the sacrifices of Ninoy and Cory.

“Ninoy knew the danger he faced but still he returned home because he knew the country needed him. He had yet to step on the land he loved when he was gunned down,” Roxas said.

“It hurts to remember the people we have lost. Especially now that the wound has yet to heal. It’s the most important contribution to our history, that nothing will move forward unless we remember our past,” he said.

“And to remind ourselves: Hindi pa tapos ang laban (The fight is not over). All the wounds, all the deaths – Tita Cory’s, Ninoy’s, the nine who died in Plaza Miranda – their sacrifices will not be in vain. Nasa kamay natin ngayon ang kinabukasan (The future is in our hands),” he said.

Elusive justice

Sen. Richard Gordon said Filipinos should reflect on the sacrifices of martyrs and freedom fighters.

“The question remains – are we worthy? In this day and age, in spite of the martyrdom of many of our heroes, it would appear that we have not learned our lessons. Corruption is still upon us; our military die and rebels die in war; there seems to be untrammeled assassinations in our country; motorcycle assassins abound; many mayors, many journalists, many politicians have been killed; apparently, we all know how to talk about the problem but we can’t seem to fix it,” he said.

“My own father was assassinated and there was never any closure, neither was their any closure on Senator Ninoy Aquino’s assassination. Up to now, we can only suspect who actually had him assassinated. The essential matters, the sense of it all – justice – we have not been able to secure,” he said.

“We have to start thinking of the common good. We have to think of the national interest. Even if we stumble and fall, we should rise together as a nation and learn from our mistakes. Maybe then can we prove ourselves worthy of all these sacrifices,” he added. 

For Makati City mayor and opposition leader Jejomar Binay, commemorating Ninoy’s sacrifices is more relevant now with the rampant abuse of power by the Arroyo administration.

“Ninoy opposed the abuse of power under a regime that does not respect democratic rights and treats itself as above the law. His martyrdom gains special significance today as we fight a regime with a track record of abusing power and dispensing public funds without any concern for accountability,” Binay said.

Meanwhile, LP leaders led a wreath laying ceremony at the tombs of Cory and Ninoy at the Manila Memorial Park.

“I hope that the youth will not forget Ninoy’s legacy, that he sacrificed his life for the country to regain democracy. Many of today’s generation are not really very familiar with the sacrifices made by the Aquino couple,” former Senate president Franklin Drilon said in his message.

“I hope the youth will always remember the symbol that the Aquino couple signifies, and this is their love for democracy and clean governance,” Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said.

Roxas, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon, former education secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad and Akbayan party-list Rep. Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel also showed up to witness the short ceremony.

‘Be the Ninoy our country needs’

With rampant corruption and other irregularities weighing down the people’s hopes and aspirations, Balanga Bishop Socrates Villegas said every Filipino should strive to be “the Ninoy or the Cory the country needs.”

“The heroism and courage of President Cory far surpassing the example of her husband is the best tribute that Senator Ninoy ever received. Be the Ninoy the country needs. Be the Cory the Philippines needs. Let us bring out the hero in us,” Villegas said in his message before the 4th National Congress on Good Citizenship organized by the Federation of Catholic Schools Alumni Association at the De La Salle University in Manila.

The event coincided with the 26th anniversary of the assassination of former senator Aquino.

Villegas stressed that heroes “are rare because the culture of corruption in the country mocks those who sacrifice and calls honorable the grafters and bandits in the bureaucracy.”

“I cannot bring these remarks to a close without mentioning that one great Filipina whom Ninoy loved as his one and only wife. She saw the greatness of her husband and was challenged by his example,” Villegas said.

“At the end, she even became greater than the model she tried to follow. Ninoy, if you are listening, daig ka talaga ni Tita Cory (Tita Cory has surpassed you),” Villegas said.

He lamented that in the country today, there are more celebrities than heroes.

“There is an oversupply of celebrities. Our national purification seems to be, not the stories of heroes, but the sensational and controversial trivialities of attention hungry personalities,” he said.

The bishop said the country is bereft of heroes “because the pied piper of mediocrity has been very alluring” and that it has become “more enriching and rewarding to give in to the temptation to safeguard interests over the common goal.”

He said that true heroism “starts from the heart and soul,” and bewailed that “many of us sadly live only for the body and for the mind.”

Villegas also challenged Catholic institutions, particularly schools, to become “cradles and seedbeds of moral heroes.”

“For the country to become a true nation of heroes, the family, the school and the church must work together in the formation and education of children and youth,” he said.

“There is a hero in you. Let the hero in you shine. If you cannot find heroes, be the hero yourself. And then you will find more heroes among us,” said Villegas.

Villegas was one of the recipients of FECASAA’s Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Award for Nationalism. The other awardees were EDSA People Power Commission co-chairman Christopher Carrion and Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

Given the Manuel L. Quezon Award for Exemplary Governance were business tycoon John Gokongwei, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Nicanor Perlas, president of the Center for Alternative Development Initiatives.

Cory’s strength

It was the “unwavering strength” of Cory that had enabled her husband to survive the darkest period in his life, particularly his incarceration during the Marcos dictatorship, the Aquinos’ second child Pinky said yesterday.

“Dad was able to survive everything because of mom’s strength. It was able to lift him up. Had mom told dad to give his fight up, he would not have withstood the darkest period in his life,” Pinky said in a speech commemorating the 26th anniversary of her father’s assassination.

“They (Ninoy and Cory) have great love for each other. Mom and dad bring out the best in each other,” Pinky said.

“They are sincere and very honest (and) people can take examples from them. No once can accuse my parents of corruption, That is why, when you will choose the next leader of our country, think of whether they are really in it, if they are really for it,” she said.

She again thanked the thousands who attended the wake for her mother or joined the long funeral procession from the Manila Cathedral to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque.

‘Epiphany of the saints’

Salesian priest Eric Cruz said it is fitting that EDSA has been associated with one of the most shining moments in Philippine history because the acronym translates to “epiphany of the saints” in English.

“President Cory, thank you for bringing out the best in us. EDSA is Epifanio de los Santos. Indeed, the Epiphany of the Saints. President Cory, you followed the plan God had laid out for you because you loved God and us with all your soul and all your heart,” Cruz said in his homily at the Don Bosco Church in Makati.

Cruz said the Salesians are thankful that for two consecutive years, the commemoration of Ninoy’s death anniversary was conducted at the Don Bosco Church.

“She is not only our servant leader, but she was our sacrificial leader. She, who took all the hurts for us,” Cruz said.

Asked to comment on Cruz’s homily that honored Cory more than Ninoy, Mrs. Aquino’s nephew Rafael Lopa said “that is not surprising given the fact that the passing of Aunty Cory is very recent.”

“Tita Cory said she and Ninoy are one. Commemorating her heroism is commemorating Ninoy’s heroism. We don’t know if Ninoy could have survived all those without her,” Lopa said.

For his part, World Boxing Association (WBA) superflyweight champion Nonito Donaire presented to the Aquinos his championship belt and gave a replica of his boxing shorts to them.

“I admire her for playing a vital role in returning democracy to our country. I believe it is the best way I can honor their legacies,” Donaire said. With Sandy Araneta, Jose Rodel Clapano, Rhodina Villanueva