‘The fight continues’: Sen. Bam says on Ninoy Aquino Day
MANILA, Philippines — “Yes, the Filipino is worth dying for.”
Sen. Bam Aquino took a moment to remember his slain uncle, former senator Ninoy Aquino, who was assassinated 43 years ago at the height of the Martial Law dictatorship. He reiterated his uncle’s famous words decades later during heightened political tensions.
The young Aquino was a mere child during Martial Law. He recalled visiting Ninoy when he was imprisoned at Fort Santiago. His uncle would quip that Bam should stay with him so that he has company, prompting Bam to cry and want to go home.
Bam said that was how he remembered Ninoy: as someone who would joke even during dark moments.
When Ninoy was assassinated, Bam was six years old. Still, the young Aquino recalled joining his family and speaking in front of crowds to speak against Martial Law.
“Kung si Tito Ninoy, sa pinakamadilim na bahagi ng kanyang buhay at ng ating kasaysayan, ay hindi bumitaw sa pag-asa, paano pa tayo ngayon? Sa hirap o ginhawa. Yes, the Filipino is worth dying for and worth fighting for, sa gulo man o katahimikan, tandaan natin: Tuloy ang laban,” Bam said.
(If Uncle Ninoy, during the darkest moments in his life and in our history, did not give up hope, what more for us? In hardship or prosperity, in chaos or peace, we must remember: Yes, the Filipino is worth dying for and worth fighting for. The fight continues.”
Bam went to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport — the airport where his uncle was slain — to commemorate the occasion.
Following the ascension of former president Rodrigo Duterte into power, the Aquino family’s popularity had declined with the proliferation of disinformation and historical whitewashing.
However, Bam made a surprise comeback in the 2025 midterms. He placed a shocking second place in the polls, beating pre-election surveys big time.
Bam’s term follows a similar pattern to Ninoy’s time. Once again, the Filipino people have an Aquino in the Senate and a Marcos in the presidency.
Martial Law marked some of the darkest years in Philippine history, with thousands wrongly imprisoned, tortured, or killed.
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