August 21

It is said that heroism is serving others, even at the cost of one’s life.

Safely beyond the reach of a government that had unjustly prosecuted and jailed him, opposition leader Ninoy Aquino could have lived out the rest of his life in comfort with his beloved wife, President Cory, and his five children in the United States. Instead, Ninoy chose to return to the country of his birth––despite repeated warnings that he would forfeit his life if he did, and that his death would be in vain.

Rather than listen to the cynical and the disillusioned, he chose to believe in the Filipino people. Rather than turn his back on his country and its people, Ninoy chose to embrace his fate. At the cost of his life, Ninoy showed a whole country how to act in the face of oppression, how to stand up to injustice, and how to respond to the cries of a people yearning for change.

Ninoy’s faith in us was ultimately rewarded three years after his death by People Power––a bloodless revolution led by his widow. But beyond serving as the inspiration for the restoration of our democracy, Ninoy’s sacrifice imparts a valuable and lasting lesson: that the course of our country’s history can be changed by the choices one makes––by choosing hope over despair, action over indifference, and duty above self.

Today the face of oppression has changed, injustice is prevalent, and our people again cry for change. Faced with these challenges, let us all derive inspiration from the life and death of Ninoy and choose to act and fight for ourselves and our people.

Tuloy ang pakikibaka.