On Friday morning, August 21, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) led the commemoration marking 43 years since the assassination of former senator and democracy figurehead Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Parañaque City.
NHCP Chairman Regalado Trota Jose Jr. placed floral tributes at the precise location where Aquino was killed on August 21, 1983.
Representatives from various institutions attended the memorial, including delegates from the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission, the Spirit of EDSA Foundation, the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, Project Gunita, the August Twenty-One Movement, the Chino Roces Foundation, NAMSERV, and Earthsaver.
“This simple ceremony is a reminder of the sacrifice that helped awaken the nation to the struggle for democracy,” Jose noted during the event.
Aquino, a prominent opponent of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was among the initial opposition figures detained following the declaration of Martial Law in September 1972.
He spent eight years in detention, during which he held a 40-day hunger strike in 1975 to protest his military court trial. Following a heart attack in custody in 1980, he received permission to travel overseas for medical treatment.
Jose highlighted that Aquino resolved to return to the Philippines in 1983 despite clear threats to his personal safety.
“His decision to come home showed his commitment to the Filipino people,” Jose remarked.
Aquino was shot and killed immediately after disembarking from his flight, triggering mass protests for reform and leading millions to join his funeral procession.
According to the NHCP, Aquino’s assassination served as a critical catalyst that eventually led to the 1986 People Power Revolution.
Republic Act No. 9256 subsequently established August 21 as Ninoy Aquino Day, marking it as a national special non-working holiday.
Earlier in the day, a floral wreath sent by Senator Bam Aquino was also placed beside the site monument.
“This annual commemoration ensures that the memory of Ninoy Aquino’s sacrifice continues to inspire future generations,” Jose added.