Marcos on Ninoy Aquino Day: ‘Choose peace above quarrel’
President Marcos issued a conciliatory statement to mark Ninoy Aquino Day, without making direct reference to the political upheavals triggered by the killing of the opposition leader and arch-critic of his late father and namesake.
Mr. Marcos instead underscored how Thursday’s observance should serve as “invitation to govern with sobriety, conscience, and foresight.”
“In honoring this day, the Republic signals its readiness to uphold leadership that strives towards wholeness and reconciliation,” the President said.
“Through this observance, we advance the work of statecraft: disciplined, steady, and shaped by the enduring imperative to choose peace above quarrel, and dignity beyond differences,” he added.
Democracy icon
Ninoy Aquino Day is a special nonworking holiday to commemorate the 42nd death anniversary of democracy icon Senator Benigno Aquino Jr, the foremost political adversary of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr..
Aquino’s assassination in 1983 led to the People Power Revolution of 1986 that toppled the Marcos dictatorship from power.
In his message, the President said, “The passage of time has allowed the country to approach this event with greater clarity and, therefore, with a deeper perspective. History invites reflection more than reaction and from that reflection arises a clearer understanding of civic duty.”
Pointing out that the country has undergone a “profound transformation” over the years, “one defined by a broader public discourse about power, memory, and citizenship,” Mr. Marcos said that “As someone raised within a political tradition formed by these moments, I have come to understand that history offers less final judgment than continuing instruction.”
This was only the second time that the President had released a commemorative message for Ninoy Aquino Day, after his 2023 message in which he called him “an example of relentlessness and resolve for many Filipinos.”
‘Enduring place’
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), along with the Manila International Airport Authority, led this year’s commemoration event at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal 1 in Parañaque City.
White and yellow flower wreaths were offered by Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Ninoy Aquino’s nephew, as well as officials of the NHCP, MIAA, New Naia Infrastructure Corp., Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC), Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, Inc., and August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM).
The NHCP also published on its social media accounts a mini documentary series and a collection of historical markers informing the Filipinos of Ninoy Aquino’s contributions and “his enduring place in Philippine history.”
Senator Bam Aquino called on Filipinos to continue fighting for freedom and justice as he paid tribute to his uncle.
“When he decided to go back to the Philippines in 1983, he knew it was dangerous, he knew he could be imprisoned or killed. But he still chose to go home. Because for him, it is more important to be in his own country than to stay in America where it is safe and peaceful,” he said in a Facebook post.
New generation
From north to south, civic groups also marked Ninoy Aquino Day with commemorations that drew both veterans of the anti-Marcos struggle and a new generation vowing to keep the memory of the freedom struggle alive.
In Baguio, a special Mass at the Baguio Cathedral, organized by the Baguio Youths for Good Governance, gathered students and longtime activists who once marched the city’s streets in protest after Aquino’s assassination.
Some attendees wore yellow ATOM shirts, a color long associated with Aquino’s legacy.
Officiating priest Fr. William Guibac Jr. reminded the faithful: “A nation without memory is a nation without a future.”
King echoed the message, saying today’s commemorations are led largely by Generation Z activists who never lived through martial law.
“There is hope in this nation with the dedication of these youths to never forget. As the late Senator Rene Saguisag used to say, ‘May we never cease to dream,’” she said.
Flowers in Bacolod
In Bacolod City, members of the Federation of Urban Poor–Negros Occidental (Fed-UP) laid flowers at Aquino’s statue on Araneta Street and used the occasion to press President Marcos Jr. to act on corruption cases involving public funds.
“In the midst of the trillions of pesos going to the pockets of politicians, government officials, employees, and private contractors who conspired in the corruption of flood control projects and DepEd (Department of Education) classroom construction, Fed-UP calls for officials to be like Ninoy Aquino: incorruptible and steadfast in truth, justice, and accountability,” said Fed-UP head Joy Jarabelo.
