Full Version: Ninoy Aquino 25th Death Anniversary (Aug 21, 2005)
Today is the 25th Death Aniiversary of Ninoy Aquino.
REVIEW
‘Beyond Conspiracy’: Someone got away with murder
By Nestor Torre
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:14:00 08/21/2008
In 1983, Ninoy Aquino affirmed his resolute claim, “The Filipino is worth dying for,” by giving up his life for his countrymen. In time, they responded in similarly heroic kind, “Ninoy, hindi ka nag-iisa”—and, led by his widow, Cory, achieved the political apotheosis needed for Ninoy’s assassination to be transformed into martyrdom.
But, 25 years later, can the now liberated Filipino also resolutely aver, “Ninoy, hindi ka namin nakakalimutan”? The youth, especially, generally have only a vague notion of what the slain opposition leader stood for, and why he gave up his life.
That’s a pity for Ninoy, but a tragedy for the youth, because it deprives them of the heroic example they need to energize and transform their own lives.
Happily, the Foundation for Worldwide People Power has produced its latest documentary, “Beyond Conspiracy: 25 Years After the Aquino Assassination,” which we previewed last Monday at the Shangri-La Premiere Theater.
Clueless youth
The hard-hitting and incisive production, written by Ruben Tangco, directed by Butch Nolasco and narrated by Tina Monzon-Palma, was previewed by an SRO crowd—a good indication that it will do similarly well when it’s shown at 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 on Channel 2 to the general TV audience. Make sure you watch it.
Even more importantly, get your children and the other young people you know to also view the documentary, because it’ll go a long way in filling in the blanks in their knowledge of and appreciation for the wellsprings and fruits of Ninoy’s sacrifice.
Truth to tell, the production goes into so much detail in recalling the events that presaged Ninoy’s death that it’s more a handy primer for the uninitiated than for the already knowledgeable, who may find its first half rather basic. But, they should stay the course, because the need to inform the relatively clueless youth is the docu’s most important task.
Besides, the program’s second half offers even the initiated an absorbing viewing experience, because it zeroes in on the investigation of Ninoy’s assassination, sifts through the evidence pointing to the assassination’s most likely mastermind(s), and makes the tarmac tragedy come stunningly to life with a reenactment greatly enhanced by the use of computer animation.
Unassailable truth
Eyewitness accounts also imbue the production with the force and clarity of unassailable truth.
The program occasionally gets bogged down in excessive detail, but viewers who keep watching should be rewarded with galvanizing insights that will go a long way in making Ninoy Aquino a more vivifying presence and example in their lives.
After previewing “Beyond Conspiracy,” we were heartened by its incisive retelling of Ninoy’s heroic story, which should inspire young viewers to be similarly selfless in their thoughts and actions.
In terms of dramatic impact, however, the documentary’s most telling moments were the hitherto “unseen” tarmac events after media people and their cameras lost sight of Ninoy as he was hustled out of the plane that had brought him back to the Philippines.
Reenactment
The production’s inspired use of computer-generated imagery and dramatized reenactments made this climactic part of the documentary particularly dynamic.
In general, we’re against the use of reenactments in news and public affairs programs, because they tend to be too “acted,” and thus too melodramatic in effect.
In “Beyond Conspiracy,” however, the reenactments are focused and carefully controlled, with the actors’ participation limited to vivifying the events being recalled, with minimal display of potentially distracting, upstaging and excessive emotion.
In addition, the stark computer images further distanced the emotive aspect of the presentation, constantly reminding viewers that they were watching, not a melodrama, but a reinvestigation of events of grave national significance and impact.
Four eyewitnesses
This tarmac section’s most important contribution was its dramatized revelation that the key moment when Ninoy was shot in the head was seen by four eyewitnesses from different vantage points on the plane and on the tarmac.
This belies the general impression that nobody witnessed that exact moment, hence the possibility that Rolando Galman had done it. The four eyewitnesses’ testimony—as clearly visualized in the documentary—prove that Galman was a fall guy, and that one of the arresting officers had in fact pulled the trigger.
Not only is this tarmac scene the special’s most dramatic and revelatory section, but it also enables “Beyond Conspiracy” to take its reinvestigation to a higher, more critical level, to an extrapolation from all the evidence at hand of the identity of the Aquino assassination’s mastermind(s).
Not in vain
A number of probable suspects and their attendant scenarios are analyzed, and the conclusion the reinvestigation arrives at is a chilling reminder of the continuing tragedy of justice still denied a nation urgently in need of closure.
Twenty-five years after the tragic fact, justice may seem to be more elusive than ever for Ninoy Aquino. But, with committed initiative like “Beyond Conspiracy” casting a bright light to reveal the truth to new generations of Filipinos, Ninoy’s supreme sacrifice shall not have been in vain.
i really hate the people who did ninoy in... if it weren't for them, Kris wouldn't have entered showbiz and spared us the agony of watching and listening to her antics.
At Large
What can we do for Ninoy?
By Rina Jimenez-David
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:23:00 08/22/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Their faces looked older, the hair grayer, figures more heavy-set, even stooped. But they were still familiar, faces who had become for us, in the days and months after Aug. 21, 1983, symbols of hope amid our grief for the man who was shot on the tarmac.
Many of these faces were present at the Mass for Ninoy Aquino remembering him 25 years after his death. Many others are gone, though in the commemoration of the events of that day and afterward, they were re-born in our memories, still youthful, still vigorous, giving voice to our collective rage.
Most prominent of all was Cory Aquino, Ninoy’s widow, looking frail and vulnerable, who spoke a little wistfully about wondering whether today’s generation still knew who Ninoy was, beyond his name for the airport and his face on the P500 bill. She was grateful for efforts like “iamninoy,” a campaign that uses the late senator’s eyeglasses to convince young people to view events in this country “through Ninoy’s eyes,” and to live out the values he championed during life and especially after his experience of incarceration and exile.
The campaign asks nothing more from us, but especially the younger generation, than to engage in a little “retail therapy.” For every special “iamninoy” item bought from cooperating retailers, the stores will set aside a portion of the amount for designated charities, specifically those working for peace and development. But more than generating money for charity, the campaign is aimed at increasing (if not creating) awareness of who Ninoy was, what he stood for, and why he died.
* * *
Asked why he was risking his life by choosing to fly home to the Philippines from exile in Boston, Ninoy said he believed “the Filipino is worthy dying for.”
Organizers of “iamninoy” are not asking adherents to die for their country, as Ninoy did. But perhaps by literally or figuratively donning Ninoy’s glasses, we can in our own ways show how much we believe in the Filipino, in ourselves.
If “the Filipino is worth dying for,” perhaps we can also say that the Filipino is worth paying the right taxes for, worth voting wisely and honestly for, worth segregating our garbage for.
The Filipino should at least be worth following our traffic rules for, worth demanding truth and accountability from officials for, worth standing up to bullies and influence-peddlers, fixers and fakers for.
If Ninoy worked up the courage to defy a dictator, we can certainly work up the curiosity and sustain the indignation roused by the many scandals and cases of corruption that have cropped up in recent months. If in the wake of his killing we found the courage to take to the streets, we can certainly today speak up for those who continue to suffer, to be silenced, to be taken and to be killed.
There is certainly a “Ninoy Aquino” in each of us. And to keep the “Ninoy” in us alive, we need only remember what our world would be like if he hadn’t made the decision to come home and defy the odds. And we need only ask ourselves why, 25 years after his sacrifice, we find ourselves where we are right now.
* * *
Bishop Socrates Villegas, himself looking grayer and more heavy-set in contrast to the boyish figure he cut as Jaime Cardinal Sin’s secretary, called on Filipinos to observe the 10 days from Aug. 21 to Aug. 31 as a period to remember and pray for “three icons of freedom, truth and democracy.” They are, of course, Ninoy, his widow Cory who inherited her husband’s mantle of leadership, and the late Cardinal Sin, whose 80th birth anniversary we observe this year.
The bishop expounded on the theme of “katapatan” and its many meanings: ranging from faithfulness to constancy, from friendship to standing by one’s friends and duties. “The nation for which Senator Ninoy died needs katapatan,” Bishop Soc declared. “We need to restore faithfulness. We need to bring back truthfulness. We need to become friends again and heal our land. This is the healing balm that our sick nation needs.”
The Balanga (Bataan) prelate was not shy about making the link between the events of 25 years ago and the current political situation. “If our nation is to be healed and if we truly want to live in true democracy,” he said, “we must learn to live in the truth without the cloak of executive privilege. If we truly wish to honor President Cory, we must demand from our government transparency and honesty. We want for the Philippines a true program of governance and not a game plan for the sake of those in power mindless of the plight of the poor.”
* * *
Watching the coverage of Ninoy’s Memorial Mass and of other events meant to mark his death, I felt enveloped in an overwhelming blue funk. As many commentators predicted, all of us alive and aware 25 years ago remembered the full details of the moment we heard about Ninoy’s assassination. I was at home as it was a lazy Sunday afternoon, trawling through the TV channels when I chanced upon news footage of soldiers dragging Ninoy’s inert form through the tarmac.
But I remembered so much more, too: the rush of shock and anger, the adrenaline fueled as much by defiance as by hormones; the desperate hope that kept protesters going even in the face of tear gas, water cannons and bullets. I felt betrayed and insulted.
And then I recalled how Cory looked and spoke at the Mass, her features softened perhaps by the struggle she has had to wage against cancer the past few months, but also maybe by her own faith and conviction. And if she could speak about finding a positive view amid the widespread betrayal of Ninoy’s ideals, then maybe we can all find the good in Ninoy’s sacrifice, and the continuing commitment to the ideals that made it possible.
What can we do for Ninoy?
By Rina Jimenez-David
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:23:00 08/22/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Their faces looked older, the hair grayer, figures more heavy-set, even stooped. But they were still familiar, faces who had become for us, in the days and months after Aug. 21, 1983, symbols of hope amid our grief for the man who was shot on the tarmac.
Many of these faces were present at the Mass for Ninoy Aquino remembering him 25 years after his death. Many others are gone, though in the commemoration of the events of that day and afterward, they were re-born in our memories, still youthful, still vigorous, giving voice to our collective rage.
Most prominent of all was Cory Aquino, Ninoy’s widow, looking frail and vulnerable, who spoke a little wistfully about wondering whether today’s generation still knew who Ninoy was, beyond his name for the airport and his face on the P500 bill. She was grateful for efforts like “iamninoy,” a campaign that uses the late senator’s eyeglasses to convince young people to view events in this country “through Ninoy’s eyes,” and to live out the values he championed during life and especially after his experience of incarceration and exile.
The campaign asks nothing more from us, but especially the younger generation, than to engage in a little “retail therapy.” For every special “iamninoy” item bought from cooperating retailers, the stores will set aside a portion of the amount for designated charities, specifically those working for peace and development. But more than generating money for charity, the campaign is aimed at increasing (if not creating) awareness of who Ninoy was, what he stood for, and why he died.
* * *
Asked why he was risking his life by choosing to fly home to the Philippines from exile in Boston, Ninoy said he believed “the Filipino is worthy dying for.”
Organizers of “iamninoy” are not asking adherents to die for their country, as Ninoy did. But perhaps by literally or figuratively donning Ninoy’s glasses, we can in our own ways show how much we believe in the Filipino, in ourselves.
If “the Filipino is worth dying for,” perhaps we can also say that the Filipino is worth paying the right taxes for, worth voting wisely and honestly for, worth segregating our garbage for.
The Filipino should at least be worth following our traffic rules for, worth demanding truth and accountability from officials for, worth standing up to bullies and influence-peddlers, fixers and fakers for.
If Ninoy worked up the courage to defy a dictator, we can certainly work up the curiosity and sustain the indignation roused by the many scandals and cases of corruption that have cropped up in recent months. If in the wake of his killing we found the courage to take to the streets, we can certainly today speak up for those who continue to suffer, to be silenced, to be taken and to be killed.
There is certainly a “Ninoy Aquino” in each of us. And to keep the “Ninoy” in us alive, we need only remember what our world would be like if he hadn’t made the decision to come home and defy the odds. And we need only ask ourselves why, 25 years after his sacrifice, we find ourselves where we are right now.
* * *
Bishop Socrates Villegas, himself looking grayer and more heavy-set in contrast to the boyish figure he cut as Jaime Cardinal Sin’s secretary, called on Filipinos to observe the 10 days from Aug. 21 to Aug. 31 as a period to remember and pray for “three icons of freedom, truth and democracy.” They are, of course, Ninoy, his widow Cory who inherited her husband’s mantle of leadership, and the late Cardinal Sin, whose 80th birth anniversary we observe this year.
The bishop expounded on the theme of “katapatan” and its many meanings: ranging from faithfulness to constancy, from friendship to standing by one’s friends and duties. “The nation for which Senator Ninoy died needs katapatan,” Bishop Soc declared. “We need to restore faithfulness. We need to bring back truthfulness. We need to become friends again and heal our land. This is the healing balm that our sick nation needs.”
The Balanga (Bataan) prelate was not shy about making the link between the events of 25 years ago and the current political situation. “If our nation is to be healed and if we truly want to live in true democracy,” he said, “we must learn to live in the truth without the cloak of executive privilege. If we truly wish to honor President Cory, we must demand from our government transparency and honesty. We want for the Philippines a true program of governance and not a game plan for the sake of those in power mindless of the plight of the poor.”
* * *
Watching the coverage of Ninoy’s Memorial Mass and of other events meant to mark his death, I felt enveloped in an overwhelming blue funk. As many commentators predicted, all of us alive and aware 25 years ago remembered the full details of the moment we heard about Ninoy’s assassination. I was at home as it was a lazy Sunday afternoon, trawling through the TV channels when I chanced upon news footage of soldiers dragging Ninoy’s inert form through the tarmac.
But I remembered so much more, too: the rush of shock and anger, the adrenaline fueled as much by defiance as by hormones; the desperate hope that kept protesters going even in the face of tear gas, water cannons and bullets. I felt betrayed and insulted.
And then I recalled how Cory looked and spoke at the Mass, her features softened perhaps by the struggle she has had to wage against cancer the past few months, but also maybe by her own faith and conviction. And if she could speak about finding a positive view amid the widespread betrayal of Ninoy’s ideals, then maybe we can all find the good in Ninoy’s sacrifice, and the continuing commitment to the ideals that made it possible.
QUOTE(Pogpog @ Aug 21 2008, 03:01 PM) [snapback]3884947[/snapback]
i really hate the people who did ninoy in... if it weren't for them, Kris wouldn't have entered showbiz and spared us the agony of watching and listening to her antics.
ROTFL
Seriously, Ninoy would've been a good president, just my opinion.
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