In 1983, exiled opposition leader and former Philippine Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was assassinated on the tarmac of Manila International Airport despite a massive security detail provided by the Marcos regime.
The death was captured on television and many high profile media organizations including TIME. At the time, son “Noynoy” was in his early 20s and living in exile in Boston, Massachusetts with the rest of the Aquino family. Father Ninoy had served as a fellow at Harvard.
While Ninoy was imprisoned, he wrote a brief poem, “The Candle of My Life”
I am burning the candle of my life in the dark with no one to benefit from its light, The candle slowly melts away soon its wick will be burned out, and the light is gone! If someone will only gather the melted wax, reshape it, give it a new wick for another fleeting moment my candle can once again light the dark be of service one more time and then Good-bye
Ninoy’s death further strengthened Filipinos’ opposition to Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship and catapulted Ninoy’s wife, Cory, to the presidency in 1986.
For the Aquino family, including son Noynoy, tragedy had turned to triumph. Still, former Philippine President Corazon “Cory” Aquino had to ward off and survive several coup attempts from the military. In 1989, Noynoy and his security detail were ambushed by rogue soldiers and Noynoy was hit with several bullets. He survived – his personal bodyguard did not. ABC News: “From Champ to Congressman”
The Philippine election of 2010 is not a stand-alone event. The adversity that the Aquino family had undergone in the 1970s and 1980s – from unjust political imprisonment, to torture, to assassination, to financial ruin, to multiple coup attempts – are part of a chain of events that have finally culminated into a triumph. On Monday, the country chose Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino as its new President. The unmarried politician now faces the dauting tasks of carrying out the vision of his national hero father; of unifying a diverse archipelago, an initiative which her mother President attempted.
While President-elect Noynoy Aquino has challenges to overcome with his new role, such as the economy, education, healthcare, energy, and corruption, his opportunity to serve in highest official capacity serves as an exemplar of family dedication, sacrifice, courage, and faith. Many Filipinos, despite their oppressive circumstances, simply gave up during the Marcos years. The values Noynoy, Cory, and Ninoy lived out would eventually lead to revolutionary change to an extent as to reshape Philippine conscience.
Ninoy Aquino once declared that the Filipino is worth dying for. His actions made a lasting difference.
