Lessons from Ninoy’s life

Aug. 21 was the 43rd death anniversary of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. who was assassinated that day and became a national martyr. It was a relatively quiet celebration whose life has such meaning and relevance for today’s Philippines and the Filipino people.

The importance of Ninoy Aquino’s life cannot be separated from the history of Philippine democracy. His assassination did not immediately restore democracy but it changed the political atmosphere of the country. His death helped unite the different sectors of Philippine society opposing the martial law regime.

Ninoy Aquino remains especially relevant today because most of the problems he confronted during his lifetime have not completely disappeared. The Philippines continues to face issues involving corruption, political accountability, poverty, inequality, abuse of power, disinformation and the need to protect our democratic institutions.

This is especially important for young Filipinos who were born after martial law and after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino. For many of the younger generation, Ninoy can sometimes appear as a name in textbooks and as a person whose name is attached to an airport.

However, the continuing importance of the EDSA People Power Revolution and Ninoy Aquino’s martyrdom lies in the lessons present-day politicians and ordinary Filipinos can learn from.

Here are the lessons our politicians can learn from Ninoy’s life.

• Courage in defending principles. A politician should not support something because it is popular or benefits his political career. Ninoy demonstrated that political leadership sometimes requires challenging powerful people. Present-day politicians should have the courage to criticize wrongdoing even when the person responsible is politically powerful or belongs to their own political group.

• Putting public service above personal comfort. Ninoy had the opportunity to simply remain in exile. His return demonstrated that he believed political leaders must be directly involved in the problems facing the country. Today’s politicians can apply this lesson by spending more time understanding ordinary Filipinos and their problems, rather than remaining separated from the realities of poverty, unemployment, transportation problems, health care, flood control and other social concerns.

• Respect for democracy. Ninoy advocated a peaceful solution rather than political violence. His undelivered speech emphasized his desire to pursue a peaceful path. Political disagreements today should be addressed through honest and peaceful elections, peaceful protests, a free and vigorous media and other democratic institutions. It is important that we continue to uphold and protect the rule of law.

• Accountability. All the scandals happening today have demonstrated the utter lack of accountability of our government officials in the past. This should not happen anymore in the future. Politicians should remember that the public office is not personal property. It is still the people who should decide freely who should be their elected government officials. Politicians should also be reminded that criticism of their behavior is part and parcel of the democratic process. In a democracy, questioning government decisions is a vital way of protecting the interest of the people.

• Faith in the Filipino people. Ninoy’s famous words demonstrate that he believed that the ordinary Filipino possesses enormous potential. In his undelivered speech, he said: “I return from exile and uncertain future with only determination and faith to offer – faith in our people and faith in God.”

Ninoy’s life does not only offer lessons for the politicians but also for ordinary citizens.

• Participate in democracy. Voting should not be treated simply as choosing a candidate because of popularity, family name, celebrity status, money or political advertising. Citizens should choose based on the candidate’s records, policies, character and ability to serve.

• Question disinformation. During Ninoy’s time, access to information was heavily restricted. Today, Filipinos have access to enormous information through social media. But that does not mean all information is accurate and true. A responsible citizen should always verify information and claims before sharing them.

• Filipinos speaking up against injustice. Speaking up does not necessarily mean joining a political movement. It can mean reporting corruption to the media, defending someone who is being bullied, participating in community organizations, asking government officials difficult questions and refusing to spread lies about another person.

• Ninoy teaches us not to lose hope in our country and our people. His most famous statement expressing this belief was “The Filipino is worth dying for because he is the nation’s greatest untapped resource.”

Each and every one of us can accept this challenge of personally doing something to improve the Philippines. Even students can apply Ninoy’s lessons by taking education seriously, rejecting cheating, helping classmates, researching history and becoming an informed voter. A business owner can apply them by treating employees fairly and giving decent wages.

For present-day politicians, Ninoy’s life teaches courage, accountability, democratic leadership and service to the people, rather than simply acquiring personal power.

Ninoy Aquino’s famous words “The Filipino is worth dying for” can be answered by every Filipino who chooses honesty over corruption, truth over disinformation, service over selfishness and courage over fear.

Remembering Ninoy Aquino’s life is not only about remembering how he died. It is about remembering what he believed the Filipino people can become and asking what we are willing to do to make that belief a reality.

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