#Ninoy: Remembering a Hero

Although today commemorates the 37th death anniversary of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, they placed flowers early at the Cory and Ninoy monument in the city of Manila.

No program has been set for the anniversary of the former senator because social gathering is still prohibited due to the coronavirus pandemic.

At the age of 17, Ninoy was the youngest reporter to cover the Korean War for a newspaper. This caused him to receive recognition from the Philippine Legion of Honor Award from President Elpidio Quirino at the age of 18.

He was 22 when he entered the world of politics, he was also the youngest mayor of Concepcion, Tarlac. Five years later, he became vice governor of the same city and before reaching the age of thirty, he became the governor of the said province.

It was 1967 when he was elected as the youngest senator of the Philippines. Ninoy is the only opposition candidate to win the upper house.

As a senator of the 7th Congress, Ninoy became famous as a major political rival of former dictator and president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos.

It was also one of the first arrests after Marcos subjected the entire country to Martial Law in 1972 for alleged murder, illegal possession of firearms and subversion. While in jail he did not eat for 40 days in protest of the unfairness of the existing law.

During his eight-year imprisonment in 1980, he suffered a heart attack and was allowed to go to the United States for medical treatment. He remained in the United States as a refugee until he decided to return to the Philippines in 1983 and challenge Marcos in the 1984 elections.