The Assassination of Ninoy on History

MANILA, Philippines - History presents The Assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. is a compelling one-hour documentary that does more than just revisit the assassination that would trigger the world’s first People Power Revolution. On May 2 at 8 p.m., viewers can watch the mystery further unfold with extensive footage and photographs, in-depth interviews, as well as insights that may lead to changes in people’s opinions about Ninoy’s death.

Louis Boswell, AETN All Asia Network GM, says that Ninoy’s assassination was ripe for another telling. “It is exactly the type of show that our viewers love to watch — a seminal moment in history, dramatically recreated and told. The story has not been covered by an international network before, and so our Filipino audience, while familiar with the story, will not have seen a production like this. We also believe that this gripping story will be highly accessible to our regional audience.”

The highly-anticipated docu, which the channel produced with Asianeye Productions (the same team responsible for the award-winning martial law documentary Batas Militar), is presented in History’s signature storytelling style, combining engaging visuals, thorough research, and issues explained in a straightforward, viewer-friendly manner that most historical accounts or textbooks lack.

“We want to make a show that fulfills our brand values, recreating history in an engaging, well-paced, dramatic fashion. We want to entertain as we educate when we tell these stories,” Boswell points out. “We want to make the story relevant to the Filipino audience, and at the same time, accessible to those not so familiar with the story.”

Assassination also yields new information on the case, including two sources who offer interesting insights: Forensics expert Dr. Raquel Fortun, who was called in to give her opinion based on autopsy reports and photos; and National Prison chaplain Msgr. Roberto Olaguer, who gained the trust of the soldiers during their incarceration, and who expounds on a relatively unexplored angle — the military conspiracy.

While not necessarily able to solve the mystery once and for all, History’s documentary brings audiences up-to-speed on the developments of the case, and shows both Filipino and foreign audiences just how significant a part of recent Philippine history The Assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. is.