Philippine Martial Law: The Man Behind the Antagonism

The martial law and the people power revolution went past my early childhood memories. I don’t know much about it except for what I’ve read, and heard of different other people’s opinion on the 1973 change of political system in the country.

But one of most popular association I know to the martial law is the man who considerably stood in the opposition’s corner against the Marcos regime-- Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino.  Whose death catapulted the nationalism of the hundreds of perturbed Filipinos; Ninoy has placed himself a rank in the list of the most controversial political football in the Philippine history.

Aside from being appointed by the late president Ramon Magsaysay to act as personal emissary to Luis Taruc, leader of the Hukbalahap (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon) rebel group and the credit he gathered from Taruc’s unconditional surrender; this and some of the other things he acted for the country, Ninoy was another Filipino set to be penalized by a firing squad under the military tribunal which Marcos created in the late '70s.

Even when the said firing squad failed to materialize, Ninoy is like any everyday man whom God has allowed suffering to happen unto for a purpose.

Unsaved from the writ of Habeas Corpus which Marcos suspended, Ninoy died of assassination that only remained unsolved.

After all the assassination, the People Power, and the Coup attempts, people today still speak different versions and speculations of whether Ninoy and wife Cory Aquino really deserved the moniker “Icon of Democracy”.

Regardless of disagreeing opinions, one of the things I really consider great about this man is his intelligence which doesn’t only transcend in the words that come out of his mouth but of the inner brainpower that he has in terms of faith.

Here is a very intellectual interview of Ninoy with Pat Robertson in 700 Club.

In the loneliness of my solitary confinement I found my inner peace.

When  we are in glory, we don't know HIM. But when we suffer, we remember HIM.

                                                                         - Ninoy Aquino

My favorite lines of Ninoy in this interview:

            "If you sit down with a yellow paper and write down your blessings as against your heartaches and frustrations, you will always know that you are always ahead. But tragedy with us human beings, we only remember God on the negative way. We know him when we're suffering. But what about the daily gifts that he gives us? The family, the children, the food, the employment? We don't count that...."

             "God gave me a gift, a gift to articulate that brought me to the pinnacle of political power. I promise..that if and when I regain my freedom I'd like to use this gift now to witness for HIM"

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