The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) will lead the nation in commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the martyrdom of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., remembering him as a key figure in the fight for democracy during the Martial Law era.
In partnership with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the NHCP will spearhead a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Parañaque City on August 21.
In a statement issued Tuesday, August 19, the NHCP emphasized Aquino’s enduring legacy.
“After an almost decade-long period of incarceration, he went into exile in the United States to undergo urgent surgery and subsequent rehabilitation,” the NHCP said.
“During his exile, he continued to champion the rescission of Martial Law and the return of democratic rule in his homeland,” it added.
On August 21, 1983, upon returning to the Philippines, Aquino was assassinated at the tarmac of the then-Manila International Airport—an event that sparked public outrage and inspired the People Power movement. The airport was later renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor.
Aquino’s death became a turning point in Philippine history, rallying millions of Filipinos toward the restoration of democracy and ultimately leading to the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
“His death is widely recognized as a watershed moment in the history of Martial Law in the Philippines and is often cited as one of the early manifestations of People Power, after hundreds of thousands participated in his funeral procession,” the NHCP said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will facilitate the ceremony, with floral tributes to be offered by Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV; NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose Jr.; Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC) Chair Atty. Richard Palpal-latoc; MIAA General Manager Eric Jose Ines; Spirit of EDSA Foundation Commissioner Christopher Carrion; Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation Executive Director Ma. Cristina V. Rodriguez; Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF) Deputy Executive Director Francis Joseph A. Dee; August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) President Volt Bohol; Project Gunita Co-founder Karl Patrick Suyat; and Cecille Guidote-Alvarez of the Chino Roces Foundation, NAMSERV, and Earth Saver.
The NHCP said the ceremony is part of a series of nationwide activities to mark Ninoy Aquino Day, a special non-working holiday declared under Republic Act No. 9256 in 2004. (Merlina Hernando-Malipot)
