The Brave Dare Not To Be A Hero

The date was August 21, 1983 when Senator Ninoy Aquino came back to the Philippines after an exile from the United Sates. He came home as they "to face the music." And dance to the dance ex-President Ferdie Marcos and Madam Imelda wanted him to do. Ninoy was willing to accept what the dictator was going to do to punish him. And had hoped later on to unite the opposition and the administration. But, Imelda had other plans for Ninoy. She felt that Ninoy's coming could derail her ambition to succeed her husband as President. That was what many thought at that time. And to make sure Ninoy would not become the president instead, was to assasinate him right on the airport tarmac that now bears his name (the NAIA-Ninoy Aquino International Airport).

During those days following the assasination, many Filipinos think that there was a conspiracy. The only problem with this thinking was there was no evidence to connect the Marcoses to this henious crime, although, a few military soldiers (or fall guys) are right now still in prison. The event has similarities with the assasination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, U.S.A. Both had the alleged assasins killed that until now we will never know the truth.

As a result this showed the worst and the best of the Filipinos. I will not mention the bad ones, I instead would praise the best Filipinos who came out to finally do something about injustice and unhappiness they felt was caused by an unjust dictator. For days after the assasination, Ninoy Aquino was given a funral march that started at Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City and passed thru four cities ending up at the Manila Memorial Park. I was a witness of these events, one of the many who felt silenced by the tyrant for many years, only to come out now, to show support to what Ninoy had referred to the Filipinos that "they are worth dying for." Many joined the march, came out in the streets leaving their offices even if they shouldn't because it was a workday. At the Jose Rizal Monument at Luneta Park in Manila, as the march passed by it, showed just how many were there to show their grieve and there were thousands or even millions of Filipinos that day. I was in front of the flagpole having joined the march at Banawe Street, but has to stopped walking along before it reach Makati because it started to rain and I was worried, after all I had to go back to teach the next day. Many would finish at the memorial park.

These events led to the famous February 1986 ouster of the hated dictator from Malacanang Palace. All of these beacuse of a man the Marcosed thought they could put aside out of the history books, but, instead, is now considered a martyr or even a national hero comparable to Dr. Jose Rizal. It just shows that a man can be brave enough to change something evil. He doesn't have or even consider himself or herself a hero, as long as there many who's wiling to do the same, they could succeed to make themselves better and once again proud individuals. Ninoy was indeed brave, but, didn't certainly wanted to die, cause for him a dead hero cannot help his countrymen to change their nation. That's why he looked really scared the soldiers when they approached inside the plane before being led in the arm as they walked out the exit door down to the tarmac. And think he was right. May your brave spirit remain in us, not only when August 21 comes each year.