Historical Blunder

By Erick San Juan

Ninoy’s last picture alive

August 19, 2003 when the Senate unanimously decided to make former Senator Ninoy Aquino as one of the country’s national heroes based on the bill authored by then Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. And was passed into law through an Executive Order signed by President Gloria Arroyo in November 27, 2003. That is why August 21, Ninoy’s death anniversary is the one declared as a special holiday to commemorate his ‘heroic’ death that led to the myth of the 1986 People Power Revolution.

It is quite ironic that after all these years (three decades to be exact), the real mastermind/s behind the murder of Ninoy and the alleged hitman, Rolando Galman are still at large. Why is this so?

The mere fact that Ninoy’s wife became the leader of a revolutionary government in 1986, the late Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino could have all the power to solve the double murder case and bring justice to his husband’s death in her six-year presidency. What happened?

After three decades, the Filipino nation seems to be contented with the phrase ‘… and the rest is history…’ Ironically, the Philippine history is full of mistakes that has to be straightened up to make this country proud even many of its historical records might release skeletons that will bring shame on some people who were collaborators that has put the country in a bad light.

As an observer of events, I wrote in my book, Conspiracies and Controversies, the real Ninoy Aquino based on my research. Actually the chapter on Ninoy has the most number of pages in my book hoping that it will be of help somehow on who could be the possible killer and mastermind in the Aquino-Galman murder case and to shed light on Ninoy’s political life before he met his untimely death.

Actually, through the internet, one can find a lot more on the issues that has shrouded the death of Ninoy, from conspiracy theories to documented information, all written for the interest of freedom of information, including what was written in my book.

Even if ‘the truth can set us free’, this same truth can be painful for some people to accept. Could this be the reason why even the former president Cory Aquino did not use her power to go after the mastermind? And for the second Aquino in Malacanang, will he follow what his mother did and just be contented on what the previous fact-finding commission has reported?

When are we going to find the courage to accept the truth and correct all the mistakes that has been handed down to us?

There are too many blunders already written in our history books and to add more lies, instead of correcting them, we are not helping this country’s future generations. To include a ‘bullet-proof hero’ as one of our national heroes was already a slap on the face to the most dignified heroes that never had the chance to be recognized at all.

Remember that “Heroism is the brilliant triumph of the soul over the flesh that is to say, over fear: fear of poverty, of suffering, of calumny, of illness, of loneliness and of death.” (Henri-Frederic Amiel, 1821-1881)

Maybe it’s about time to right the wrongs and give the next generations some dignity they deserve.

Especially now that untold stories about the real relationship of Ninoy and President Cory is now being exposed at the internet including their supposed divorce.

Do we have to wait for new books to be released to give us the other side of the truth? PNoy should address this issue and put closure and justice to his fathers death.

What is the death anniversary all about when mother and son became the most powerful people of this nation but perceived as helpless in finding the truth. Who cares?