Ninoy Aquino Day

January 2009
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The 25th Anniversary of the assassination of “Benigno S. Aquino, Jr.” is known as “Ninoy Aquino Day”

Ninoy Aquino Day is a public holiday in the Philippines observed annually on August 21. It marks the anniversary of assassination of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. Returning to the Philippines after three years of self-imposed exile, Aquino was shot in the head and killed on August 21, 1983 as he was escorted off an airplane by soldiers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Aquino was a staunch opponent of then-President Ferdinand Marcos. Aquino’s death sparked anti-Marcos sentiment that led to the 1986 EDSA Revolution.

I, as any interested individual would do (maybe not a good idea at times), got right down in the middle of it all in an effort to understand the significance of the Man and the National Holiday set aside for him … I walked away knowing little more than I did walking in … though I did come out with a higher appreciation of “Philippine People Power” and that Democracy is indeed a process that has the ability to self correct … so it seems …

What really strikes me about the (man) was his overwhelming conviction of his beliefs … he knew he was going get assassinated the minute he boarded the flight from the states back to Manila and stated in his last interview that “Filipinos are Worth Dying For” and so he was … I will leave what little I really understand alone, it is to be judged not by me, an American, though by the people of the Philippines … though, if you were fascinated at all by the assassination of Kennedy and the countless conspiracy theories that followed, then the Ninoy assassination and countless conspiracy theories would be of equal intrigue …

The demonstration was peaceful and EXTREMELY LOUD … much to see and do … as usual and as one would expect in the Philippines … the street food was of plenty and GREAT!

NOTE: It was late evening, the only lens I had was my 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS, had to shoot at ISO’s of 1250, etc … so this is the best I could come up with, sorry!