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154-459: Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. , a former Philippine senator , was assassinated on Sunday, August 21, 1983, on the apron of Manila International Airport (now named Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor). A longtime political opponent of President Ferdinand Marcos , Aquino had just landed in his home country after three years of self-imposed exile in the United States when he

308-505: A China Airlines plane bound for Taipei . Once Aquino arrived in Taipei on August 19, he was met by his brother-in-law Ken Kashiwahara , a journalist for ABC News on vacation at that time. On August 20, Aquino was joined by journalists, including Katsu Ueda ( Kyodo News ), Arthur Kan ( Asiaweek ), Toshi Matsumoto, Kiyoshi Wakamiya, and news crews from ABC News and Tokyo Broadcasting System , and would later give an interview from his room at

462-510: A Hellenistic civilization ) by their Seleucid overlords, being executed for such crimes as observing the Sabbath , circumcising their boys or refusing to eat pork or meat sacrificed to foreign gods . However, the notion of martyrdom in the Jewish and Christian traditions differ considerably. In Christianity , a martyr, in accordance with the meaning of the original Greek term martys in

616-459: A Bachelor of Arts degree, but he interrupted his studies. According to one of his biographies, he considered himself to be an average student; his grade was not in the line of 90s nor did it fall into the 70s. At the age of 17, he was the youngest war correspondent to cover the Korean War for The Manila Times of Don Joaquín "Chino" Roces . Because of his journalistic feats, he received

770-525: A Motu Proprio human rights violations victim of the Martial Law era. Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr. was born in Concepcion, Tarlac on November 27, 1932, to Benigno Aquino Sr. , who was then a senator from the 3rd district and Senate majority leader , and Aurora (née Aquino) from a prosperous family of hacienderos , the original owners of Hacienda Tinang. His grandfather, Servillano Aquino ,

924-559: A Philippine Airlines flight on May 8, 1980. After the surgery, Aquino met with Muslim leaders in Damascus , Syria , before settling with his family in Newton , Massachusetts . Aquino spent the next three years in self-exile in the U.S., wherein he worked on manuscripts for two books and delivered several lectures and speeches critical of the Marcos government across the nation. As Aquino

1078-529: A blocked artery. Philippine surgeons were reluctant to do a coronary bypass , because it could involve them in a controversy. In addition, Aquino refused to submit himself to Philippine doctors, fearing possible Marcos "duplicity"; he preferred to go to the United States for the procedure or return to his cell at Fort Bonifacio and die. His request was granted and Ninoy was allowed to go to the United States for surgery, together with his entire family. This

1232-472: A circuitous route home from Boston, via Los Angeles , to Singapore . In Singapore, then-Tunku Ibrahim Ismail of Johor met Aquino upon his arrival and later brought him to Johor , Malaysia to meet with other Malaysian leaders. Once in Johor , Aquino met up with Tunku Ibrahim's father, Sultan Iskandar , who was a close friend to Aquino. He then left for Hong Kong and on to Taipei . He had chosen Taipei as

1386-566: A consulate official) and the other a passport issued in the Middle East under the alias "Marcial Bonifacio" (via former Lanao del Sur congressman Rashid Lucman ). In July 1983, Pacifico Castro (then Deputy Foreign Minister) warned international air carriers (including JAL) not to allow Aquino to board its planes. Aquino was to return on August 7, but was warned by Juan Ponce Enrile on August 2 to delay his return trip due to alleged "plots against his life". On August 13, 1983, Aquino, following

1540-415: A criminal, Aquino read the book Born Again by convicted Watergate conspirator Charles Colson and it inspired him to a rude awakening. As a result, the remainder of his personal and political life had a distinct spiritual sheen. He emerged as a contemporary counterpart of Jose Rizal , who was among the most vocal proponents of the use of non-violence to combat a repressive regime at the time, following

1694-623: A darling of the media. His most polemical speech, "A Pantheon for Imelda", was delivered on February 10, 1969. He assailed the Cultural Center , the first project of First Lady Imelda Marcos as extravagant, and dubbed it "a monument to shame" and labelled its designer "a megalomaniac, with a penchant to captivate". By the end of the day, the country's broadsheets had blared that he labelled the President's wife, his cousin Paz's former ward, and

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1848-519: A form of memoralizing the dead within some narrative, such as how the victims of the 2020 Beirut explosion were called ‘martyrs of corruption’ as a form of protest against the government. The wide usage of ‘martyr’ is not restricted to Arabic. Armenian culture likewise uses the term for the victims of the Armenian genocide , who are called Holy Martyrs . April 24 is Armenian Genocide Memorial Day , and also called "Armenian Martyrs Day". Martyrdom

2002-405: A great deal of support while imprisoned, and such a fate would surely make him a martyr for his supporters. In early 1978, Aquino, still in prison, founded a political party named Lakas ng Bayan (or "LABAN") to run for office in the interim Batasang Pambansa elections . During the campaign, Juan Ponce Enrile (then minister of National Defense) accused Ninoy Aquino of having connections with

2156-576: A group of Italian pro-independence fighters condemned to death by hanging in 1853 during the Italian Risorgimento . They included Tito Speri and the priest Enrico Tazzoli and are named after the site where the sentence was carried out, in the valley of Belfiore at the south entrance to Mantua . The Tolpuddle Martyrs were a group of 19th century agricultural labourers in Dorset , England, who were arrested for and convicted of swearing

2310-599: A legitimate passport from a sympathizer working in a Philippine consulate through the help of Roque Ablan Jr. , who was then a congressman for Ilocos Norte . The Marcos government warned all international airlines that they would be denied landing rights and forced to return if they tried to fly Aquino back to the Philippines. Aquino insisted that it was his natural right as a citizen to come back to his homeland, and that no government could prevent him from doing so. He left Logan International Airport on August 13, 1983, took

2464-539: A morning worship service, went to Boston International Airport , where he would take a flight to Los Angeles to attend conferences with his fellow Filipino contacts. From there, he flew to Japan , Hong Kong , and Singapore , before heading to Malaysia , where Aquino would meet with Mahathir Mohamad (then the Prime Minister of Malaysia) as well as Indonesian and Thai officials. Aquino would then move back to Singapore, before going to Hong Kong, where he boarded

2618-577: A plan for Aquino to fly alone (to attract less attention), with the rest of the family to follow him after two weeks. Despite the government's ban on issuing him a passport, Aquino acquired one with the help of Rashid Lucman , a former Mindanao legislator and founder of the Bangsamoro Liberation Front, a Moro separatist group against Marcos. It carried the alias Marcial Bonifacio (Marcial for martial law and Bonifacio for Fort Bonifacio, his erstwhile prison). He eventually obtained

2772-519: A political belief or cause. The Manchester Martyrs were three Irishmen executed after being condemned for association with the killing of a policeman in Manchester , England in 1867. The day after the executions, Frederick Engels wrote to Karl Marx : "Yesterday morning the Tories, by the hand of Mr Calcraft, accomplished the final act of separation between England and Ireland. The only thing that

2926-550: A quick recovery, after which he decided to renounce the agreement, saying, "a pact with the devil is no pact at all". He, Cory and their children started a new life in Massachusetts. He continued to work on two books and gave a series of lectures while on fellowship grants from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology . His travels across the US had become opportunities for him to deliver speeches critical of

3080-473: A secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. The rules of the society showed it was clearly structured as a friendly society , that is, a mutual association for the purposes of insurance, pensions, savings or cooperative banking; and it operated as a trade-specific benefit society . But at the time, friendly societies had strong elements of what are now considered to be

3234-663: A symbolic gesture. He, however, remained in prison, and the trial continued, drawn out for several years. Throughout the trial, Aquino said that the military tribunal had no authority over his and his co-accused cases. On November 25, 1977, the Military Commission found Aquino, along with NPA leaders Bernabe Buscayno ( Kumander Dante ) and Lt. Victor Corpus , guilty of all charges and sentenced them to death by firing squad. Marcos commuted their death sentence due to international pressure over his government's human rights record. In 1978, from his prison cell, Aquino

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3388-534: A victory meaning that the opposition of win, instead of himself just winning. However, all of the party's candidates lost the election, with Aquino being the best-performing opposition candidate, ranking 22nd in the 21-seat at-large contest. In mid-March 1980, Aquino suffered a heart attack, mostly in a solitary cell. He was transported to the Philippine Heart Center , where he suffered a second heart attack. ECG and other tests showed that he had

3542-411: A violent death. Thus it can arguably mean a general ‘victim’. A person is a martyr if they were killed because of their identity, because of natural disasters like earthquakes, or while performing relief or health care work. For example, İbrahim Bilgen was killed by Israel in the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid . Because he died as a humantiarian activist, he is called a martyr by Al-Jazeera . Martyrdom

3696-468: A wide variety of people. However, the following table presents a general outline of common features present in stereotypical martyrdoms. In contemporary Middle Eastern cultures, the term for 'martyr’ (Arabic shahid ) has more uses than the English word ‘martyr’. While the term can be narrowly used for a person who is killed because of their religion, it is more generally used to mean a person who died

3850-592: A woman he had once courted, "the Philippines' Eva Peron ". President Marcos is said to have been outraged and labelled Aquino "a congenital liar". The First Lady's friends angrily accused Aquino of being "ungallant". These so-called "fiscalization" tactics of Aquino quickly became his trademark in the Senate. It was not until the Plaza Miranda bombing on August 21, 1971, that the pattern of direct confrontation between Marcos and Aquino emerged. At 9:15 pm, at

4004-514: Is also tied with nationalism, because a martyr can be a person who died in the context of national struggle. For example, in Beirut, Martyrs' Square is a public square that's dedicated to Lebanese nationalists who were executed by the Ottomans. In Palestine, the word ‘martyr’ is traditionally used to mean a person killed by Israeli forces, regardless of religion. For example, Shireen Abu Akleh

4158-535: Is an Arabic term in Islam meaning "witness", and is also used to denote a martyr; a female martyr is named shahida . The term Shahid occurs frequently in the Quran in the generic sense "witness", but only once in the sense "martyr, one who dies for his faith"; this latter sense acquires wider use in the ḥadīth literature . Islam views a martyr as a man or woman who dies while conducting jihad , whether on or off

4312-405: Is one of the main examples of Kiddush Hashem , meaning "sanctification of God's name" through public dedication to Jewish practice. Religious martyrdom is considered one of the more significant contributions of Hellenistic Judaism to Western Civilization . 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees recount numerous martyrdoms suffered by Jews resisting Hellenizing (adoption of Greek ideas or customs of

4466-585: Is the belief of righteous duty ( dharma ), where violence is used as a last resort to resolution after all other means have failed. Examples of this are found in the Mahabharata . Upon completion of their exile, the Pandavas were refused the return of their portion of the kingdom by their cousin Duruyodhana; and following which all means of peace talks by Krishna , Vidura and Sanjaya failed. During

4620-558: The 1984 Philippine parliamentary election compared to the 1978 Philippine parliamentary election , winning 61 seats out of 183 seats, or 33% of the total number of seats. Hours after the assassination, Aquino's remains were autopsied at Loyola Memorial Chapels in Makati . Aquino's wife, Cory , was still in Boston when she was informed of the assassination through telephone by Japanese congressman and family friend Shintaro Ishihara . On

4774-500: The 1986 snap election , running against Marcos. The official results showed a Marcos victory, but this was universally dismissed as fraudulent. In the subsequent People Power Revolution , Marcos resigned and went into exile, and Corazon Aquino became president. While no Filipino president has ever been assassinated, Benigno Aquino is one of three presidential spouses who had been murdered. Alicia Syquia-Quirino and three of her children were murdered by Imperial Japanese troops along during

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4928-547: The 1986 snap election . Although Marcos was officially declared the winner of the election, widespread allegations of fraud and illegal tampering on Marcos's behalf are credited with sparking the People Power Revolution , which resulted in Marcos fleeing the country and conceding the presidency to Mrs. Aquino. Although many, including the Aquino family , maintain that Marcos ordered Aquino's assassination, this

5082-514: The 2022 Philippine presidential election . Duterte-Carpio is also close with the presidential sister Imee Marcos . On August 24, 1983, Marcos created a fact-finding board called the Fernando Commission (after the head of the commission and then-Supreme Court Chief Justice Enrique Fernando ) to investigate Aquino's assassination. Four retired Supreme Court justices aged 68 to 80 were also appointed; they resigned after its composition

5236-558: The Baháʼí Faith , martyrs are those who sacrifice their lives serving humanity in the name of God. However, Bahá'u'lláh , the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, discouraged the literal meaning of sacrificing one's life. Instead, he explained that martyrdom is devoting oneself to service to humanity. In politics, a martyr is someone who suffers persecution and/or death for advocating, renouncing, refusing to renounce, and/or refusing to advocate

5390-666: The Battle of Manila in 1945, while Doña Aurora Quezon was killed along with her daughter and son-in-law in a Hukbalahap ambush in 1949. In 2010, the AVSECOM van that bore Aquino's body was found in Villamor Air Base in Pasay in a decrepit state. It had been apparently dumped in a secluded area of the base where it was left to rot until its purchase by Marlon Marasigan, a retired Philippine Air Force colonel in 1997. The van

5544-732: The Cardinal Archbishop of Manila , Jaime Sin officiating, to 9 p.m., when his body was interred at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque . More than two million people lined the streets for the procession. Some stations like the church-sponsored Radio Veritas and DZRH were the only stations to cover the entire ceremony. Jovito Salonga , then head of the Liberal Party , referred to Aquino as "the greatest president we never had", adding: Ninoy

5698-540: The Communist Party of the Philippines , despite being allied with the Liberal Party, was responsible for this bombing, seeing it as a means of facilitating repression which they argued would hasten revolution." Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, through Proclamation No. 1081 and went on air to broadcast his declaration on the midnight of September 23. Aquino and Sen. Diokno were two of

5852-458: The English language as a loanword . The death of a martyr or the value attributed to it is called martyrdom . The early Christians who first began to use the term martyr in its new sense saw Jesus as the first and greatest martyr, on account of his crucifixion . The early Christians appear to have seen Jesus as the archetypal martyr. The word martyr is used in English to describe

6006-530: The Fenians still lacked were martyrs. ... To my knowledge, the only time that anybody has been executed for a similar matter in a civilised country was the case of John Brown at Harpers Ferry. The Fenians could not have wished for a better precedent." Ten Irish Republican Army members died during a 1981 hunger strike , including Bobby Sands . The Belfiore martyrs (in Italian , Martiri di Belfiore ) were

6160-601: The Grand Hotel in which he indicated that he would be wearing a bulletproof vest . He advised the journalists that would be accompanying him on the flight: You have to be ready with your hand camera because this action can become very fast. In a matter of three or four minutes, it could be all over, and I may not be able to talk to you again after this. On August 21, 1983, Aquino left the Grand Hotel at 9:30 am for Chiang Kai-shek International Airport . Upon arrival at

6314-414: The Liberal Party in 1966. In 1968, during his first year as senator, Aquino alleged that Marcos was on the road to establishing "a garrison state" by "ballooning the armed forces budget," saddling the defense establishment with "overstaying generals" and "militarizing our civilian government offices." Aquino became known as a constant critic of the Marcos regime, as his flamboyant rhetoric had made him

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6468-668: The Longhua Martyrs' Memorial . Many communist activists have died as martyrs in India, due to their allegiance to various communist parties, such as the CPI(M) and the CPI . Most of them hail from mainly leftist states such as Kerala , and Tripura . In Kerala, many are killed in protests by the police, and some are assassinated by activists in other political parties, such as the INC and

6622-502: The Manila International Airport via buses and jeeps decorated with yellow ribbons. Aurora Aquino (mother of Ninoy Aquino) and opposition candidates are also present, while a contingent of over 1,000 armed soldiers and police were assigned by the government to provide security for Aquino's arrival. During the flight, Aquino went to the lavatory to put on his bulletproof vest (also the same suit he wore when he left

6776-647: The New People's Army and the CIA, prompting Aquino to appear on a nationally televised interview on March 10, 1978. All LABAN candidates lost to candidates of Marcos' party, amid allegations of election fraud . On March 19, 1980, Aquino had a heart attack in prison, and in May 1980, he was transported to the Philippine Heart Center where he had a second heart attack. Aquino was diagnosed with angina pectoris and needed triple bypass surgery ; however, no surgeon would perform

6930-819: The New Testament , is one who brings a testimony, usually written or verbal. In particular, the testimony is that of the Christian Gospel , or more generally, the Word of God . A Christian witness is a biblical witness whether or not death follows. The concept of Jesus as a martyr has recently received greater attention. Analyses of the Passion narratives in the Gospels have led many scholars to conclude that they are martyrdom accounts in terms of genre and style. Several scholars have also concluded that Paul

7084-590: The Philippine Constabulary Gen. Fidel Ramos the arrival of Aquino, requesting "all necessary security measures be undertaken to protect the Senator in view of reported plots against his life." The letter was referred to Chief of Staff Gen. Fabian Ver , who in turn, issued instructions to Aviation Security Command (AVESECOM) Commander Brig. Gen. Luther A. Custodio " to provide necessary security safeguards to protect Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. while

7238-571: The RSS . The district of Kannur has reported to have had the most political murders. Here, the RSS are known to have used brutal violence to eliminate CPI(M) workers. In the United States , the assassinations of Malcolm X in 1965 and Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 have been linked to their leadership in movements to improve the rights and quality of life of black citizens, black nationalism and

7392-540: The Reagan administration , began distancing themselves. There was a global media spotlight on the Philippine crisis, and exposes on Imelda's extravagant lifestyle (most infamously, her thousands of pairs of shoes) and "mining operations", as well as Ferdinand's excesses, came into focus. The assassination thrust Aquino's widow, Corazon, into the public eye. She was the presidential candidate of UNIDO opposition party in

7546-677: The Sandiganbayan on December 2, 1985, in what the Supreme Court would later describe as a "mock trial" ordered by "the authoritarian president" himself. After Marcos' government was overthrown, another investigation found sixteen soldiers guilty. They were sentenced in 1990 by the Sandiganbayan to life in prison, a decision affirmed by the Supreme Court. Some were released over the years, the last ones in March 2009. After

7700-451: The civil rights movement respectively. A political martyr is someone who suffers persecution or death for advocating, renouncing, refusing to renounce, or refusing to advocate a political belief or cause. The term "revolutionary martyr" usually relates to those dying in revolutionary struggle. During the 20th century, the concept was developed in particular in the culture and propaganda of communist or socialist revolutions, although it

7854-419: The state religion , which greatly diminished persecution (although not for non-Nicene Christians). As some wondered how then they could most closely follow Christ there was a development of desert spirituality characterized by a eremitic lifestyle , renunciation , self-mortification , and separation from the world, practiced by several desert monks and Christian ascetics in late antiquity (such as Paul

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8008-463: The 19-step stairs of the jetway for 9.5 seconds, the assailant emerged from the back of the stairs and fired at Aquino. Several members of the security detail in turn fired a single volley at Galman, killing him. Olivas later admitted that the reenactment had "some inaccuracies, such as the wrong type of plane and the absence of several people at the scene of the murder," and hinted of a potential "second" and more accurate reenactment. An official report of

8162-829: The 21st anniversary of his death as an annual special non-working holiday in the Philippines. Several monuments were built in their honor. One of which is the bronze memorial at the intersection of Paseo de Roxas and Ayala Avenue in Makati . Another bronze statue stands in front of the Municipal Building of Concepcion, Tarlac . Other monuments include those at the People Power Monument in Quezon City , along his namesake avenue in Parañaque , in Tarlac City , and two others in Manila ( at

8316-535: The AVSECOM, and General Prospero Olivas, chief of the Metropolitan Command (METROCOM). The board members unanimously rejected the theory that it was Galman who killed Aquino. The Agrava Board forwarded its findings to the Ombudsman for trial by the Sandiganbayan. Even though Aquino was embalmed by renowned embalmer Frank Malabed, Aquino's mother Aurora instructed the embalmer not to apply makeup on

8470-557: The Agrava Board could start its work, President Marcos claimed that the decision to eliminate Aquino was made by the general-secretary of the Philippine Communist Party, Rodolfo Salas. He was referring to his earlier claim that Aquino had befriended and subsequently betrayed his communist comrades. The Agrava Board conducted public hearings and requested testimonies from several persons who might shed light on

8624-585: The Apostle understood Jesus' death as a martyrdom. In light of such conclusions, some have argued that the early Christians of the first three centuries would have interpreted the crucifixion of Jesus as a martyrdom. In the context of church history , from the time of the persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire under the Julio-Claudian dynasty , it developed that a martyr

8778-693: The Aquino assassination was a military conspiracy, but it cleared General Ver. Many believed that President Marcos intimidated and pressured the members of the Board to persuade them not to indict Ver, Marcos's first cousin and most trusted general. Excluding Chairman Agrava, the majority of the board submitted a separate report – the Majority Report indicting several members of the Armed Forces including Ver, General Luther Custodio, head of

8932-426: The Baptist , Jesus's possible cousin and his prophet and forerunner. The first Christian witness, after the establishment of the Christian faith at Pentecost , to be killed for his testimony was Saint Stephen (whose name means "crown"), and those who suffer martyrdom are said to have been "crowned". From the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine , Christianity was decriminalized, and then, under Theodosius I , became

9086-417: The Canadian physician Tillson Harrison —are honored and commemorated as martyrs. The red scarf worn by the 100+ million Young Pioneers honors their spilt blood. Jiang Zhuyun and Liu Hulan are notable female martyrs who have been commemorated in various media. Notable monuments include the Monument to the People's Heroes at the confluence of Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River in central Shanghai and

9240-442: The Church authorities in England in the 16th and 17th centuries. Even more modern day accounts of martyrdom for Christ exist, depicted in books such as Jesus Freaks , though the numbers are disputed. The claim that 100,000 Christians are killed for their faith annually is greatly exaggerated according to the BBC , with many of those deaths due to war, but the fact of ongoing Christian martyrdoms remains undisputed. Shahid

9394-445: The Church of England after 1534. Two hundred and eighty-eight Christians were martyred for their faith by public burning between 1553 and 1558 by the Roman Catholic Queen Mary I in England leading to the reversion to the Church of England under Queen Elizabeth I in 1559. "From hundreds to thousands" of Waldensians were martyred in the Massacre of Mérindol in 1545. Three-hundred Roman Catholics were said to have been martyred by

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9548-538: The Daily Express, Reynaldo Naval of the Times Journal and Teddy Owen of Bulletin Today. The interview proved to a startled and impressed populace that imprisonment had neither dulled his rapier-like tongue nor dampened his fighting spirit. According to Aquino, he wanted to give the people a vehicle to express their frustration or their anger and to serve as a fiscalizer in the Interim Batasang Pambansa . He further justified his candidacy in Metro Manila instead of his home province of Tarlac as to submerge his popularity, with

9702-411: The Hermit and Anthony the Great ). This was a kind of white martyrdom , dying to oneself every day, as opposed to a red martyrdom , the giving of one's life in a violent death. In the history of Christianity, death due to sectarian persecutions by other Christians has been regarded as martyrdom as well. There were martyrs recognized on both sides of the schism between the Roman Catholic Church and

9856-462: The Intramuros-side of Padre Burgos Avenue corner Roxas Boulevard , and around a kilometer down the aforementioned at Manila Baywalk opposite Pedro Gil Street (formerly Herran)). Aquino was also among the first to be honored at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani , a monument dedicated to those who opposed the Marcos dictatorship, alongside fellow former senators Jose W. Diokno and Lorenzo Tañada . The Ninoy Aquino Library and Learning Resources Center ,

10010-441: The Liberal Party. During an encounter with Imelda Marcos in 1982, Aquino handed her his expiring passport, unaware that she would keep it under her possession. Aquino attempted to submit travel papers at the Philippine Consulate in New York City in June 1983 (only to be rejected under the pretext of a targeted assassination plot) and would end up with two passports – one a blank passport bearing Aquino's real name (via

10164-420: The Loyola Memorial Chapel Morgue and the Philippine Constabulary Crime Laboratory at 10 pm and 11:20 pm, respectively. The Muñoz autopsy showed that Aquino was fatally hit by a bullet "directed forward, downward, and medially" into the head behind his left ear, leaving behind three metal fragments in his head. Bruises were found on Aquino's eyelids, left temple, upper lip, left arm, and left shoulder, while bleeding

10318-418: The MIA. The “boarding party” that would fetch Sen. Aquino from the plane and ferry him to Fort Bonifacio was initially composed of the following: China Airlines Flight 811 arrived at Manila International Airport at gate number 8 (now gate 11, Terminal 1) at 1:04 pm. When the plane had properly landed, members of the "boarding party," in addition to members of the covert security operations, were already inside

10472-408: The Marcos government and Pablo Martinez stated that Galman shot Aquino dead. However, there is no solid evidence to substantiate this claim. Everyone from the Central Intelligence Agency , to the United Nations, to the Communist Party of the Philippines , to First Lady Imelda Marcos were accused of conspiracy. President Marcos was reportedly gravely ill, recovering from a kidney transplant when

10626-486: The Marcos government, going as far as Damascus in order to meet with Muslims and the MNLF in order to mediate in the Moro conflict . Throughout his years of expatriation, Aquino was always aware that his life in the U.S. was temporary. He never stopped affirming his eventual return even as he enjoyed American hospitality and a peaceful life with his family on American soil. After spending seven years and seven months in prison, Aquino's finances were in ruins. Making up for

10780-429: The Marcos regime. Aquino was portrayed by Amado Cortez in the 1994 film Mayor Cesar Climaco . Then-Senator Raul Roco , who was part of Aquino's Senate legal staff, portrayed him for the 1997 film Ilaban mo, bayan ko: The Obet Pagdanganan story . Then- Valenzuela Mayor Bobbit Carlos portrayed him in the 2003 biographical film Chavit: Blood Son of Ilocos . His nephew, former Senator Bam Aquino , portrayed him in

10934-587: The Philippine Legion of Honor award from President Elpidio Quirino when aged 18. At 21, he became a close adviser to then Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay . Aquino took up law at the University of the Philippines Diliman , where he became a member of Upsilon Sigma Phi , the same fraternity as Ferdinand Marcos . He interrupted his studies again however to pursue a career in journalism. According to Máximo Soliven , Aquino "later 'explained' that he had decided to go to as many schools as possible, so that he could make as many new friends as possible." In early 1954, he

11088-445: The Philippines for the heart surgery) and handed over a gold watch to Kashiwahara, telling his brother-in law to fetch a bag containing clothes for Aquino's first few days back in prison. His last few moments in the flight while being interviewed by the journalist Jim Laurie , and just prior to disembarking from the flight at Manila airport, were recorded on camera. On August 19, 1983, then-Assemblyman Salvador Laurel informed Chief of

11242-483: The Philippines on August 23. His remains were later brought to Tarlac on August 29 for a funeral in Concepcion and at the Hacienda Luisita Chapel. Thousands of supporters flocked to see the bloodied body of Aquino. Aquino's remains were returned to Metro Manila for a final funeral procession on August 31. It lasted from 9 a.m., when his funeral mass was held at Santo Domingo Church, with

11396-552: The Philippines, fully aware of the dangers that awaited him. Warned that he would either be imprisoned or killed, Aquino answered, "if it's my fate to die by an assassin's bullet, so be it. But I cannot be petrified by inaction, or fear of assassination, and therefore stay in the side..." His family, however, learned from a Philippine Consular official that there were orders from Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to issue any passports for them. At that time, their passports had expired and their renewal had been denied. They therefore formulated

11550-505: The Sandiganbayan in 1990 and ordered to pay damages to the families of Aquino and Galman. The sixteen were Brig. Gen. Luther Custodio, Capt. Romeo Bautista, 2nd Lt. Jesus Castro, Sergeants Claro L. Lat, Arnulfo de Mesa, Filomeno Miranda, Rolando de Guzman, Ernesto Mateo, Rodolfo Desolong, Ruben Aquino, and Arnulfo Artates, Constable Rogelio Moreno (the gunman), M/Sgt. Pablo Martinez (also the alleged gunman), C1C Mario Lazaga, A1C Cordova Estelo, and A1C Felizardo Taran. The Supreme Court affirmed

11704-506: The Sandiganbayan. The Supreme Court affirmed the decision and rejected later motions by the convicted soldiers for a retrial. One of the convicts was subsequently pardoned , three have died in prison, and the remainder had their sentences commuted at various times; the last convicts were released from prison in 2009, the same year Corazon Aquino died . Events/Artifacts (north to south) Events/Artifacts Artifacts Ninoy Aquino began his political career in 1955 first by becoming

11858-518: The Santuario de San Jose in Greenhills, San Juan , praying for his survival. Near the end, Aquino's weight dropped from 54 to 36 kilograms. Aquino nonetheless was able to walk throughout his ordeal. On May 13, 1975, on the 40th day, his family and several priests and friends, begged him to end his fast, pointing out that even Christ fasted only for 40 days. He acquiesced, confident that he had made

12012-425: The airplane; instead of going to the terminal , Aquino would, via the jet bridge 's service staircase, be taken straight into the tarmac , where a blue AVSECOM van was waiting. Just before shots were fired, one person said " Ako na! " as Aquino went into the service staircase, while another said " Pusila! Pusila! Op! Pusila! Pusila! Pusila! " The audio was recorded on the news camera, but the actual shooting of Aquino

12166-515: The airport terminal at 10:10 am, Aquino had to spend 20 minutes being driven in circles during baggage check-in to reduce suspicion. After going through immigration via his Marcial Bonifacio passport, Aquino would be stopped by two Taiwanese airport officials, before he (together with Kashiwahara and other members of the press) boarded China Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 767-200 (registered as B-1836) bound for Manila, and left Taiwan at 11:15 am. In Manila, at least 20,000 opposition supporters arrive at

12320-511: The assassination was ordered by Marcos's crony and business partner (and Corazon Aquino's estranged cousin) Danding Cojuangco. The Supreme Court ruled that it did not qualify as newly found evidence. Even though the Supreme Court did not convict Ferdinand Marcos, there are those that still believe that he did, indeed, kill Ninoy Aquino. Through the years, some have been pardoned, others have died in detention, while others have had their terms commuted and then served out. In November 2007, Pablo Martinez

12474-558: The assassination was verified to Aquino's family when Shintaro Ishihara , an acquaintance of Ninoy and a member of the Japanese Parliament, called Cory and informed her that Kiyoshi Wakamiya, a journalist who had been with Ninoy in the flight from Taipei to Manila, confirmed the shooting to him. Aquino's remains were later brought to Tarlac for a funeral in Concepcion and at the Hacienda Luisita Chapel. Those were later returned to Santo Domingo Church , where his funeral

12628-666: The assassination, the opposition ran for the Regular Batasang Pambansa under the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO) and the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) against the ruling Kilusang Bagong Lipunan of Ferdinand Marcos . In the wake of the massive outpouring of protest and discontent following the assassination of Aquino, the opposition performed better during

12782-427: The assassination. Another man present at the airport tarmac, Rolando Galman, was shot dead shortly after Aquino was killed. The Marcos government falsely accused Galman of being a communist hitman acting on orders from Philippine Communist Party chair Rodolfo Salas. An investigation headed by Justice Corazon Agrava led to murder charges being filed against twenty-five military men and one civilian. They were acquitted by

12936-513: The attack. Many historians continue to suspect Marcos as the culprit behind the incident, as he is known to have used false flag attacks as a pretext for his declaration of martial law at that time. Historian Joseph Scalice, however, has argued that while the Marcos government was allied with the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) in carrying out bombings in the early 1970s, "the evidence of history now overwhelmingly suggests that

13090-443: The back of the head from behind with a .357 magnum revolver ; however, Olivas excluded from his accounts chemistry report C-83-1136, which showed that fragments extracted from Aquino were from a .38 caliber or .45 caliber pistol. A military reenactment aired on August 27, 1983, featuring many of the AVSECOM officials actually involved in the assassination. The reenactment showed that as Aquino (flanked by three officers) descended down

13244-570: The battlefield (see greater jihad and lesser jihad ). The concept of martyrdom in Islam became prominent during the Islamic Revolution in Iran (1979) and the subsequent Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), so that the cult of the martyr had a lasting impact on the course of revolution and war. Since the early 2000s, it has been primarily associated with Islamic extremism and jihadism . In

13398-515: The body, so that the public may see "what they did to my son." His remains lay in state for eight days. However, Aquino's family decided to display Aquino with the blood-stained safari jacket he wore upon his assassination, and refused any makeup to disguise the visible wounds in his face. Thousands of supporters flocked to Aquino's wake , which took place at his house on Times Street in West Triangle, Quezon City . During this time, his remains

13552-627: The campaign – all with the crucial support of the military and the Catholic Church hierarchy. The assassination showed the increasing incapacity of the Marcos regime – Ferdinand was mortally ill when the crime occurred while his cronies mismanaged the country in his absence. It outraged Aquino's supporters that Marcos, if not masterminding it, allowed the assassination to happen and engineered its cover-up. The mass revolt caused by Aquino's demise attracted worldwide media attention and Marcos's American contacts, as well as

13706-538: The concept of martyrdom by the living, regardless of any attempts by the deceased to control how they will be remembered in advance. Insofar, the martyr is a relational figure of a society's boundary work that is produced by collective memory . Originally applied only to those who suffered for their religious beliefs, the term has come to be used in connection with people killed for a political cause. Most martyrs are considered holy or are respected by their followers, becoming symbols of exceptional leadership and heroism in

13860-592: The consequences declaring, "the Filipino is worth dying for." He wished to express an earnest plea for Marcos to step down, for a peaceful regime change and a return to democratic institutions. Anticipating the worst, at an interview in his suite at the Taipei Grand Hotel , he revealed that he would be wearing a bullet-proof vest , but he also said that "it's only good for the body, but in the head there's nothing else we can do." Sensing his own doom, he told

14014-472: The crimes, including Imelda Marcos, and General Fabian Ver , Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . In the subsequent proceedings, no one actually identified who fired the gun that killed Aquino, but Rebecca Quijano, another passenger, testified that she saw a man behind Aquino (running from the stairs towards Aquino and his escorts) point a gun at the back of his head, after which there

14168-502: The death to protest the injustices of his military trial. Ten days through his hunger strike, he instructed his lawyers to withdraw all the motions he had submitted to the Supreme Court. As weeks went by, he subsisted solely on salt tablets, sodium bicarbonate, amino acids and two glasses of water a day. Even as he grew weaker, suffering from chills and cramps, soldiers forcibly dragged him to the military tribunal's session. His family and hundreds of friends and supporters heard Mass nightly at

14322-449: The decision in 1991. Pablo Martinez, one of the convicted conspirators in the assassination, alleged that his co-conspirators told him that Danding Cojuangco ordered the assassination. Martinez also alleged that only he and Galman knew of the assassination, and that Galman was the actual shooter, a point not corroborated by other evidence in the case. The convicts filed an appeal to have their sentences reduced after 22 years, claiming that

14476-470: The documentary film The Last Journey of Ninoy . He was also prominently featured in the film A Dangerous Life . He is also portrayed by Isko Moreno and by Jerome Ponce as the young Aquino in the film Martyr or Murderer . JK Labajo also portrayed Aquino in the historical drama film Ako Si Ninoy . On television, Aquino was portrayed by Piolo Pascual on the two-part story of "The Ninoy & Cory Aquino Story" on Maalaala Mo Kaya in 2010, in

14630-627: The early 1980s, he became one of the most notable critics of the Marcos regime, and enjoyed popularity across the US due to the numerous rallies he attended at the time. As the situation in the Philippines worsened, Aquino decided to return to face Marcos and restore democracy in the country, despite numerous threats against him. He was assassinated at the Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983, upon returning from his self-imposed exile. His death revitalized opposition to Marcos; it also catapulted his widow, Corazon, into

14784-613: The episodes entitled Kalapati and Makinilya . In theater, Aquino was portrayed by Conrad Ricamora in the Off-Broadway and Seattle productions of the musical Here Lies Love . Ricamora reprises his role in the 2023 Broadway transfer of the musical. Aquino wrote a 19-stanza poem for his wife Cory Aquino while in detention in 1973, entitled "I Have Fallen in Love with the Same Woman Three Times". The poem

14938-454: The face of difficult circumstances. Martyrs play significant roles in religions. Similarly, martyrs have had notable effects in secular life, including such figures as Socrates , among other political and cultural examples. In its original meaning, the word martyr, meaning witness , was used in the secular sphere as well as in the New Testament of the Bible . The process of bearing witness

15092-592: The final stopover when he learned the Philippines had severed diplomatic ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan). This made him feel more secure; the Taiwan government could pretend they were not aware of his presence. There would also be a couple of Taiwanese friends accompanying him. From Taipei, he flew to Manila on then Taiwan's flag carrier China Airlines Flight 811. Marcos wanted Aquino to stay out of politics. However, Aquino asserted his willingness to suffer

15246-571: The first to be arrested, and were imprisoned in Fort Bonifacio on trumped-up charges of murder, illegal possession of firearms and subversion. Aquino was tried before Military Commission No. 2, headed by Major-General Jose Syjuco and moved to the Codenamed "Alpha" Room at Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija . On April 4, 1975, Aquino announced that he was going on a hunger strike, a fast to

15400-679: The following day, his remains lay in state at the Aquino household in Times Street, Quezon City for several days, with his clothes unchanged, and no effort was made to disguise a bullet wound that had disfigured his face. His remains were also transferred to the Santo Domingo Church during that period. In an interview with Aquino's mother, Aurora, she told the funeral parlor not to apply makeup nor embalm her son, to see "what they did to my son". Aquino's wife, Cory , and children Ballsy, Pinky, Viel, Noynoy , and Kris arrived in

15554-482: The forces in its command and the entire machinery of politics which [they] do not have, " Aquino later changed his mind and opted to take part in the elections to have the chance to " talk to the people, " having been imprisoned for almost six years at that point. On March 10, 1978, he was entitled to one television interview on GTV 's Face the Nation, hosted by Ronnie Nathanielsz with panelists Enrique Romualdez of

15708-686: The great war which commenced, even Arjuna was brought down with doubts, e.g., attachment, sorrow, fear. This is where Krishna instructs Arjuna how to carry out his duty as a righteous warrior and fight. Martyrdom (called shahadat in Punjabi) is a fundamental concept in Sikhism and represents an important institution of the faith. Sikhs believe in Ibaadat se Shahadat (from love to martyrdom). Some famous Sikh martyrs include: Martyrdom in Judaism

15862-465: The incident occurred. Theories arose as to who was in charge and who ordered the execution. Some hypothesized that Marcos had a long-standing order for Aquino's murder upon the latter's return. In late November 2024, Vice-president Sara Duterte -Carpio accused the whole Marcos family of masterminding the assassination, as part of the brewing political acrimony between her and President Bongbong Marcos son of Marcos Sr. . The two ran in tandem and both won

16016-435: The journalists accompanying him on the flight, "You have to be very ready with your hand camera because this action can become very fast. In a matter of a three or four minutes it could be all over, you know, and [laughing] I may not be able to talk to you again after this." His last televised interview, with journalist Jim Laurie , took place on the flight just prior to his assassination. In his last formal statement that he

16170-405: The kick-off rally of the Liberal Party, the candidates formed a line on a makeshift platform and were raising their hands as the crowd applauded. The band played, a fireworks display drew all eyes, when suddenly two loud explosions obviously were not part of the show. In an instant, the stage became a scene of wild carnage. The police later discovered two fragmentation grenades that had been thrown at

16324-649: The latter was at the MIA complex. " Under the plan codenamed Oplan Balikbayan, alternative routes were prepared in bringing Aquino from his plane to the SWAT van which was designated to take the senator to Fort Bonifacio: Having four (4) implementing plans, the first, Implan Alalay would compose the boarding party. Implan Salubong would then provide security in designated areas in the Manila International Airport complex, Implan Sawata to provide route security, and Implan Masid would conduct intelligence and covert security operations at

16478-465: The leadership of the opposition toward then President Ferdinand Marcos . He was the significant leader who together with the intellectual leader Sen. Jose W. Diokno led the overall opposition. Early in his Senate career, Aquino vigorously attempted to investigate the Jabidah massacre in March 1968. Shortly after the imposition of martial law in 1972, Aquino was arrested along with other members of

16632-611: The lost time as the family's breadwinner, he toured America; attending symposiums, lectures, and giving speeches in freedom rallies opposing the Marcos government. The most memorable was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles, California on February 15, 1981. In the first quarter of 1983, Aquino received news about the deteriorating political situation in his country and the rumored declining health of President Marcos (due to lupus ). He believed that it

16786-612: The main university library of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines , was also named in his honor. National Honors International Honors On October 11, 1954, he married Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco (Cory) , with whom he had five children: In a June 1981 interview with Pat Robertson on The 700 Club , Aquino said he was raised Catholic . According to him, his religious awakening began after reading Evangelical Christian author Charles Colson 's 1976 book Born Again , during his solitary confinement under

16940-467: The mayor of Concepcion , and would go on becoming vice governor of Tarlac in 1959, governor of Tarlac in 1961, and (then the youngest) senator in 1967. During his first years as a senator, Aquino began speaking out against President Ferdinand Marcos . Marcos in turn saw Aquino as the biggest threat to his power. Aquino was supposed to run for president in the 1973 elections when Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972. On that night, Aquino

17094-416: The memorial park at around 9 pm. More than two million people lined the streets for the procession. Some stations like the church-run Radio Veritas and DZRH were the only stations to cover the entire ceremony. A month after Aquino's assassination, Cory Aquino organized a "National Day of Sorrow" rally in Manila on September 21, 1983, to both commemorate the declaration of martial law and to continue

17248-511: The model of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Some oppositionist students who were active in the fight against the Marcos administration, including now-opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros , recount that at the time they had originally thought of Aquino as just another "traditional politician," but began to acknowledge he was more than that when he took the risk of returning to the Philippines, and ultimately paid for his choice with his life. Manila International Airport (MIA), where he

17402-431: The most prominent and dynamic politician of his generation, in the years prior to martial law, many regarded him as a representative of the entrenched familial elite which to this day dominates Philippine politics. Telegenic and articulate, Aquino had his share of detractors and was not known to be immune to the ambitions and excesses of the ruling political class. However, during his seven years and seven months imprisoned as

17556-567: The mourning of Ninoy Aquino's death. As the rally was about to end, a group of breakaway protesters in the thousands went to the Mendiola Bridge (now the Don Chino Roces Bridge) where marines and firemen were stationed, initiating a standoff that resulted in the deaths of 11 people, seven of whom were protesters. In 1985, 25 military personnel (including several generals and colonels) and one civilian were charged for

17710-426: The movable tube of the airbridge. Boarding party members de Mesa, Lat, Lazaga, and Castro boarded the airplane to fetch Aquino, while Moreno waited at the doorway of the plane. A member of the covert security operations, Sgt. Filomeno Miranda, was then invited to go inside by the party, while a T/Sgt. Clemente Casta also went inside for some reason." At 1:14 pm, Aquino rose from seat 14C, and soldiers escorted him off

17864-417: The murders of Benigno Aquino Jr. and Rolando Galman. President Marcos relieved Ver as AFP Chief and appointed his second cousin, General Fidel V. Ramos , as acting AFP Chief. The accused were tried by the Sandiganbayan (special court). After a brief trial, the Sandiganbayan acquitted all of the accused on December 2, 1985. Immediately after the decision, Marcos reinstated Ver. The 1985 Sandiganbayan ruling and

18018-625: The operation out of fear of controversy, and Aquino refused to undergo the procedure in the Philippines out of fear of sabotage by Marcos, indicating that he would either go to the United States to undergo the procedure or die in his prison cell. First Lady Imelda Marcos arranged for Aquino to undergo surgery at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas , Texas , and he would be released from prison on humanitarian grounds to leave with his family for San Francisco on

18172-419: The opposition. He was incarcerated for seven years. He has been described as Marcos' "most famous political prisoner ". He founded his own party, Lakas ng Bayan and ran in the 1978 Philippine parliamentary election , but all the party's candidates lost in the election. In 1980, he was permitted by Marcos and his wife Imelda to travel to the United States for medical treatment following a heart attack. During

18326-425: The political limelight and prompted her to successfully run for a six-year term as president as a member of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO) party in the 1986 snap election . Among other public structures, Manila International Airport has since been renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor, and the anniversary of his death is a national holiday. Aquino has also been listed as

18480-535: The principal role of trade unions , and wages were at issue. The Tolpuddle Martyrs were sentenced not to death but to transportation to Australia , a harsh form of exile. In the People's Republic of China , people who died in the cause of the Communist Party —most particularly the many victims of the 1927 Shanghai massacre but also including devoted humanitarians during the Chinese Civil War such as

18634-409: The reinstatement of Ver were denounced as a mockery of justice. After Marcos was ousted in 1986, another investigation was set up by the new government. The Supreme Court ruled that the previous court proceedings were "a sham" ordered by the "authoritarian president" himself; the Supreme Court ordered a new Sandiganbayan trial. Sixteen defendants were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment by

18788-673: The scene of the crime. Aquino's body was carried into an Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM) van by two AVSECOM SWAT soldiers, while another soldier at the bumper of the van continued to fire shots at Galman. The AVSECOM van sped away, leaving behind the bullet-riddled body of Galman. According to news reports (together with a subsequent Sandiganbayan ruling), Aquino had died before arriving at Fort Bonifacio General Hospital; that claim remains controversial due to contradicting evidence presented in court interviews of General Custodio. Autopsies of both Aquino and Galman were conducted by medical-legal officers Bienvenido O. Muñoz and Nieto M. Salvador at

18942-581: The shooting, the government alleged that Rolando Galman was the man who killed Aquino, falsely accusing Galman of being a communist hitman acting on orders from Philippine Communist Party chair Rodolfo Salas. During a press conference held at 5:15 pm (four hours after the assassination), Prospero Olivas (then the chief of the Philippine Constabulary Metropolitan Command) claimed that the assailant in "his twenties, dressed in blue pants and white shirt" shot Aquino in

19096-482: The stage by "unknown persons". Eight people died, and 120 others were wounded, many critically. Aquino, elected senator in 1967, was not a candidate in the 1971 midterm election hence was not in Plaza Miranda, but his absence caused some to assume that Aquino's friends in the New People's Army (NPA) tipped him off in advance. Unnamed sources accused Aquino of being involved. No one has ever been prosecuted for

19250-665: The van at the Presidential Car Museum in Quezon City was deemed inappropriate by NHCP chair Rene Escalante. In 1987, Manila International Airport, where the assassination occurred, was renamed " Ninoy Aquino International Airport ". The spot on the apron where his body lay sprawled is now marked by a brass plaque. Ninoy Aquino Benigno " Ninoy " Simeon Aquino Jr. , QSC , CLH , KGCR ( / ə ˈ k iː n oʊ / , locally [bɛˌniːɡ.no ʔɐˈxiː.no] ; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983)

19404-404: Was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac . Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aquino , who became the 11th president of the Philippines after his assassination , and father of Benigno Aquino III , who became the 15th president of the Philippines. Aquino, together with Gerardo Roxas and Jovito Salonga , helped form

19558-401: Was a Palestinian Christian journalist who was killed by Israeli forces, and Arabic media calls her a ‘martyr’. This reflects a communal belief that every Palestinian death is part of a resistance against Israeli occupation. Children are likewise called martyrs, such as the late children of journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh who were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The label of martyrdom is used as

19712-465: Was a general in the revolutionary army of Emilio Aguinaldo , the officially recognized first President of the Philippines . He received his elementary education at the basic education department of De La Salle College and finished at the basic education department of Saint Joseph's College of Quezon City . He then graduated at the high school department of San Beda College . Aquino took his tertiary education at Ateneo de Manila University to obtain

19866-446: Was a sound of a gunshot. A post-mortem analysis disclosed that Aquino was shot in the back of the head at close range with the bullet exiting at the chin at a downward angle, which supported Quijano's testimony. More suspicions were aroused when Quijano described the assassin as wearing a military uniform. Some airside employees of the airport on duty during the assassination gave testimonies that support that of Quijano, stating that Galman

20020-451: Was allowed to leave the country two months later by Marcos' wife, Imelda . He spent the next three years in exile near Boston before deciding to return to the Philippines. Aquino's assassination is credited with transforming the opposition to the Marcos regime from a small, isolated movement into a national crusade. It is also credited with thrusting Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino , into the public spotlight and her running for president in

20174-515: Was allowed to run in the 1978 Philippine parliamentary election . As Ninoy's Liberal Party colleagues were boycotting the election, he formed the Lakas ng Bayan , an umbrella coalition of opposition parties and individuals. The party had 21 candidates for the Region VI-A ( Metro Manila ) area, including Ninoy himself. While initially agreeing to the boycott due to " the government already [having]

20328-445: Was also brought to Santo Domingo Church . Aquino's wife, Corazon , and children Ballsy, Pinky, Viel, Noynoy , and Kris arrived from Boston the day after the assassination. In a later interview, Aquino's eldest daughter, Ballsy (now Aquino-Cruz), recounted that they learnt of the assassination through a phone call from Kyodo News . She was initially shocked upon being asked to confirm if her father had indeed been killed. The report of

20482-668: Was appointed by President Ramon Magsaysay , his wedding sponsor to his 1953 wedding at the Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Pasay with Corazon Cojuangco, to act as personal emissary to Luis Taruc , leader of the Hukbalahap rebel group. After four months of negotiations, he was credited for Taruc's unconditional surrender and was given a second Philippine Legion of Honor award with the degree of Commander on October 14, 1954. Aquino gained an early familiarity with Philippine politics, as he

20636-417: Was arranged after a secret hospital visit by Imelda Marcos. This "emergency leave" was set up when Ninoy supposedly agreed to the conditions that, first, he will return, and second, he will not speak out against Marcos in the US. Ninoy was operated on by Rolando M. Solis, a Filipino American and the longest-practicing cardiologist in Dallas , Texas , where the operation took place. After the surgery, Ninoy made

20790-733: Was assassinated, was renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in 1987. Several schools, roads, and establishments, including the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center , were also named after him. His image was printed on the New Design/BSP Series 500-peso note . With said series being demonetized starting 2013, his wife is now also featured along him on the New Generation Currency Series . On February 25, 2004, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed into law Republic Act No. 9256 on

20944-511: Was born into one of the Philippines' political and landholding clans. His grandfather served under President Aguinaldo, and his father held office under Presidents Quezon and Jose P. Laurel . As a consequence, he became mayor of Concepcion in 1955 at the age of 23. Five years later, he was elected the nation's youngest vice governor at 27 (the record was later surpassed by Bongbong Marcos at 22 in 1980 ). Two years later, he became governor of Tarlac province in 1961 and then secretary-general of

21098-773: Was brought to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) complex in 2019 for restoration. The van will be displayed at the Freedom Memorial Museum , located at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus, when the museum is completed. A scale replica of the China Airlines aircraft as well as the original airbridge where Ninoy alighted will also be added to the exhibit. A proposal to display

21252-627: Was challenged in court. Arturo M. Tolentino declined his appointment as board chair. However, the commission held only two sittings due to intense public criticism. On October 14, 1983, President Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1886, creating an independent board of inquiry, called the "Agrava Commission" or "Agrava Board". The board was composed of former Court of Appeals Justice Corazon Agrava as chair, with lawyer Luciano E. Salazar, entrepreneur Dante G. Santos, labor leader Ernesto F. Herrera , and educator Amado C. Dizon as members. The Agrava Fact-Finding Board convened on November 3, 1983. Before

21406-476: Was expedient for him to speak to Marcos and present to him his rationale for the country's return to democracy, before extremists took over and made such a change impossible. Moreover, his years of absence made his allies worry that the Filipinos might have resigned themselves to Marcos' strongman rule and that without his leadership the centrist opposition would die a natural death. Aquino decided to go back to

21560-746: Was extensively promoted by the Tongmenghui and the Kuomintang party in modern China. Revolutionaries who died fighting against the Qing dynasty in the Xinhai Revolution and throughout the Republic of China period, furthering the cause of the revolution, were recognized as martyrs. According to Stephen Knapp, despite the promotion of ahimsa (non-violence) within Sanatana Dharma , and there being no concept of martyrdom, there

21714-559: Was found in the forehead and cheek. The Salvador autopsy showed that Galman had died of "shock secondary to gunshot wounds" with eight wounds in his body; the first wound was found behind and above the left ear, second to fourth wounds in the chest, fifth and sixth wound in the back, the seventh wound with nine perforations from stomach to right thigh, and the eighth wound in the elbow region. Seven bullets – four "deformed jacketed", two "slightly deformed jacketed", and one "deformed copper jacket" - were also inside Galman's body. Mere hours after

21868-405: Was getting impatient in Boston, he felt isolated by the flow of events in the Philippines. In early 1983, Marcos was seriously ailing, the Philippine economy was just as rapidly declining, and insurgency was becoming a serious problem. Ninoy thought that by coming home he might be able to persuade Marcos to restore democracy and somehow revitalize the Liberal Party. Although Aquino was recognized as

22022-456: Was having a conversation with one soldier when gunshots rang out. After a year of thorough investigation – with 20,000 pages of testimony given by 193 witnesses, the Agrava Board submitted two reports to President Marcos – the Majority and Minority Reports. The Minority Report, submitted by Chairman Agrava alone, was submitted on October 23, 1984. It confirmed that

22176-413: Was held on August 31. Following a Mass at 9 am, with the Cardinal Archbishop of Manila , Jaime Sin officiating, the funeral procession brought his remains to Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque . The flatbed truck that served as his hearse wound through Metro Manila for 12 hours. It passed by Rizal Park , where the Philippine flag had been brought to half-staff. Aquino's casket finally reached

22330-567: Was imprisoned in Fort Bonifacio, and in 1973, Aquino was falsely charged of murder and subversion. Aquino would first refuse to participate in the military trial citing "injustice", before going on a hunger strike , only for him to go into a coma after 40 days. The trial continued until November 25, 1977, when Aquino was convicted on all charges and was sentenced to death by firing squad . However, Aquino and others believed that Marcos would not allow him to be executed as Aquino had gained

22484-428: Was made into a song by singer Jose Mari Chan and is included in his 1989 album Constant Change . Martyr In the martyrdom narrative of the remembering community, this refusal to comply with the presented demands results in the punishment or execution of an individual by an oppressor. Accordingly, the status of the 'martyr' can be considered a posthumous title as a reward for those who are considered worthy of

22638-472: Was never definitively proven. An official government investigation ordered by Marcos shortly after the assassination led to murder charges against 25 military personnel and one civilian, all of whom were acquitted by the Sandiganbayan (special court). After Marcos was ousted, another government investigation under President Corazon Aquino's administration led to a retrial of 16 military personnel, all of whom were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by

22792-469: Was not able to deliver, he said, "I have returned on my free will to join the ranks of those struggling to restore our rights and freedoms through non-violence. I seek no confrontation." Aquino was shot in the head after returning to the Philippines in the early afternoon on August 21, 1983. About 1,000 security personnel had been assigned by the Marcos government to ensure Aquino's safe return to his detention cell in Fort Bonifacio , but this did not prevent

22946-566: Was not caught on camera due to the movement and exposure to bright sunlight. Fifty seconds after Aquino rose from his seat, a shot was fired, followed three seconds later by a volley of four shots lasting half a second, and then a second volley of at least twelve shots. When the firing stopped, Aquino and a man later identified as Rolando Galman lay dead on the apron, both from gunshot wounds. Twenty-six M16 shells (5.56 cal), one .45 shell, and five unused bullets (three of them "lead semi-wad cutters" and two "semi-jacket hollow" points) were dropped at

23100-499: Was not intended to lead to the death of the witness, although it is known from ancient writers (e.g., Josephus ) and from the New Testament that witnesses often died for their testimonies. During the early Christian centuries, the term acquired the extended meaning of believers who are called to witness for their religious belief, and on account of this witness, endure suffering or death. The term, in this later sense, entered

23254-616: Was one who was killed for maintaining a religious belief , knowing that this will almost certainly result in imminent death (though without intentionally seeking death). This definition of martyr is not specifically restricted to the Christian faith. Christianity recognizes certain Old Testament Jewish figures, like Abel and the Maccabees , as holy, and the New Testament mentions the imprisonment and beheading of John

23408-567: Was released from the New Bilibid Prison after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered his release on humanitarian grounds. In March 2009, the last remaining convicts were released from prison. Aquino's death transformed the Philippine opposition from a small isolated movement to a massive unified crusade, incorporating people from all walks of life. The middle class got involved, the impoverished majority participated, and business leaders whom Marcos had irked during martial law endorsed

23562-476: Was shot in the head while being escorted from an aircraft to a vehicle that was waiting to transport him to prison. Also killed was Rolando Galman who was accused of murdering him. Aquino was elected to the Philippine Senate in 1967 and was critical of Marcos. He was imprisoned on trumped up charges shortly after Marcos's 1972 declaration of martial law . In 1980, he had a heart attack in prison and

23716-500: Was to return in 1983 as stipulated in his conditions for his release, Jovito Salonga , then head of the Liberal Party , said about Aquino: Ninoy was getting impatient in Boston, he felt isolated by the flow of events in the Philippines. In early 1983, Marcos was seriously ailing, the Philippine economy was just as rapidly declining, and insurgency was becoming a serious problem. Ninoy thought that by coming home he might be able to persuade Marcos to restore democracy and somehow revitalize

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