Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino was a Philippine senator, governor, and the leader of the opposition to the rule of Ferdinand Marcos. With Benigno Aquino’s political star rising, Marcos assumed dictatorial powers in 1972. He placed the entire country under Martial Law, the Writ of Habeas Corpus was suspended. Many Filipinos were arrested for subversion including Ninoy. Under international pressure, Aquino was eventually allowed to leave the country with his wife and children for exile in Boston. In 1983, however, he chose to return to the Philippines to try to offer himself as a political alternative to an ailing Marcos.
The regime warned it could not guarantee his safety; but saying “if it’s my fate to die by an assassin’s bullet, so be it,” Aquino flew back on August 21, 1983; indeed he was assassinated allegedly by a lone gunman–a Communist hitman named Rolando “Rolly” Galman–while being escorted off his plane by Philippine soldiers. Galman was shot dead at the scene by the aviation security. A convoy of security guards (all assigned to him by the Marcos government), a contingent of 1,200 military and police personnel on the tarmac, and three armed bodyguards were guarding Aquino at the time.
Everyone from the Central Intelligence Agency, to the United Nations, to the Communist Party of the Philippines to First Lady Imelda Marcos was accused of conspiracy. President Marcos was reportedly gravely ill, recovering from a kidney transplant when the incident occurred. Theories arose as to who was in charge and who ordered the execution. Some hypothesized that Marcos had a long-standing order for Aquino’s murder upon the latter’s return. His death catapulted his widow, Corazon Aquino–who flew back home for his funeral–to the limelight and subsequently to the presidency, replacing the 20-year Marcos regime.
The airport was later renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
With rush, soldiers of the Aviation Security Command (Avsecom) load Ninoy’s body onto a van on the tarmac of the airport. This is one of 12 sequence-shot photos, was taken by Times Journal photographer Recto Mercene. Even as a soldier (2nd from right) pointed a gun at him, Mercene said he just let his camera roll.
Benigno Aquino’s assassination leaves a question out of my mind when i read that not only ferdinand marcos was the mastermind but also his wife..It was stated that marcos was just from the recovery of kidney transplant,, infact why would he kill a man if he already knows the result if he will do that,,,
My point is justice wasnt fully claimed at all,,the killer is still their siting in its throne breathing the gold that he was gathering… Politics really can make your life shorter but i hope that whoever dies just to save us still will leave a memory in our life and will leave a lesson in our sight.LONG LIVE PHILIPPINES!!!!!
Marcos was really refusing to step down as a Dictator ! ! After the murder of his political opponent . He wouldn’t even allow including Cory Aquino to replace him . He thinks that he’s always will get away with it no matter what direction the case will go far up. Him and Imelda were shock , crying and could not believe for themselves that they loss their power running the Country. He was threatening all the Country’s population that he was still in power and control until the Philippine Military disconnected his speech while he was talking on live television. He ended up talking to a Television Camera that doesn’t run live on TV.
That’s very believable .
If the photographer, Mr. Recto Mercene, was able to take sequence shots of “after the shooting”, where are the rest of the ‘before the shooting’ sequence?
If he was able to take the ‘after shots’, how come he wasn;t able to take the ‘before shots’? And reports say that he is not the only camera guy there at the time.
Where are they looking? Isn’t that suspicious?!
Tanga….basahin mo yung story kung bakit after shots lang ang meron bago ka magduda…bugok