Remembering Ninoy

Sunday, Aug. 21, marked the 28th anniversary of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination upon arrival at the NAIA tarmac.

On the said occasion, President Noynoy Aquino and Senator Joker Arroyo noted that up to now the masterminds of the killing have not been identified and jailed.

We were privileged to have spent time with Ninoy in the three years he had lived in Boston after his coronary bypass at Baylor University Hospital in Dallas, Texas on May 13, 1988.

During those years, I visited Ninoy and his family almost every weekend. Ninoy would fetch me at Logan International Airport and insisted I stay with them at their Commonwealth Avenue house occupying their guest room on the 1st floor while the Aquinos occupied the 2nd floor rooms. When he visited New York, he stayed with me in my Broadway apartment.

As Dr. Rollie Solis confirmed, I accompanied Ninoy with Dr. Solis and journalist Kiyoshi Wakamiya to Saudi Arabia twice and to Nicaragua.

A prominent Saudi businessman arranged Ninoy’s call on King Khaled Abdul Aziz while Los Angeles Filipinos arranged with the Nicaraguan Consul General for his visit to President Daniel Ortega. Ninoy also made trips to Mexico, Japan and Korea.

Ninoy’s purpose in going to Saudi Arabia was to solicit the King’s support for our anti-Marcos campaign and to meet with MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari and Congressman Raschid Lucman. Congressman Raul Daza accompanied us in our two trips to Saudi Arabia.

His trip to Nicaragua was for the purpose of studying Ortega’s successful revolution. We stayed in Managua, Nicaragua for one week where Ninoy met with President Ortega and other revolutionary leaders.

Dr. Solis and I accompanied Ninoy when he met with Imelda Marcos at the Waldorf Astoria Towers in December 1980. It was an occasion for Ninoy to thank Imelda for her help in convincing President Marcos to allow him to go to the US for surgery.

Upon Ninoy’s request, I returned to the Philippines in 1980 for two purposes:

1. To secure Marcos’ permission to allow only son Noynoy to leave the Philippines and to join the family in Boston. Marcos gave the permission and we escorted Noynoy from Manila to Boston. Len Ortega joined us on the trip. Major Erwin Ver and Nilo Raymundo saw us off at the airport.

2. To deliver Ninoy’s tape recorded message where he proposed to Marcos a five-year transition to regular elections and for Marcos to leave the country.

During our three years of weekly conversations, Ninoy always discussed his plans and his vision for a democratic Philippines. He was confident that in time he would become President of the country. He even requested us to be his Executive Secretary when that happened. He said his main job would be to reunite the people and restore their faith in government.

In his meeting with Nur Misuari, he outlined his plans for the upliftment of the Muslim people and the development of Mindanao. He assured Misuari he could accomplish it in five years time.

After three years, he decided to return home against the almost unanimous advice of friends like Sen. Lorenzo Tañada and family members like his mother, Doña Aurora Aquino and brother-in-law, Congressman Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.

He left Boston around August 13 accompanied by LA businessman Noy Buzuela and Kiyoshi Wakamiya. He asked us to stay and to take care of the family.

On the day of his assassination, Cory called me about 12 midnight and asked me very calmly whether I have heard that Ninoy was shot at the Manila International Airport. I told her I would call Manila and got back to her in five minutes which I did to confirm that it was true Ninoy was shot at the airport.

I immediately left for Boston where Cory asked me to help get their travel documents from the New York consulate. I returned to New York, got their one way travel documents to the Philippines issued and arranged their flight. I accompanied Cory and the five kids to Manila with stopover in Tokyo where Japanese friends and members of Parliament and 500 newsmen met her. Cory asked me to be the one to speak to the horde of Japanese mediamen which I did.

Ninoy, my friend, thanks for the memories. You did not attain your dream to become President, but God in His divine wisdom decided to have your wife, Cory and your son, Noynoy become Presidents to reach your impossible dream.

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TIDBITS. . . The Presidential Security Group did not allow President Aquino to ride the Zip line ride at Camp John Hay, Baguio. Only Sec. Jose Rene Almendras and Pagcor Chairman Bong Naguiat tried the ride.

Julius Babao of XXX program has confirmed the selling of adulterated gasoline. There are reports of many stations underselling the quantity delivered to cars. The DOE is negligent here.

Add General Santos City and Tarlac to the list of 33 spots in the country hit by dengue. The DOH is losing the war against dengue.

Another QC carjacking, a brand new Toyota Hi Ace Super Grandia owned by Cecile Padilla was carjacked at Rosa Alvero St. and Katipunan Avenue at Loyola Heights, QC.

Pablo Francisco Jr., 39, an assistant information technology manager of a bank in Makati, was shot dead by a killer who passed himself as a postman at his home in Valenzuela City.

Birthday greetings to movie mogul Mother Lily Monteverde on the occasion of her 73rd birthday last Friday. To mark the occasion, she donated P500,000 to the Mowelfund.

Birthday greetings, too, to our long time friend Judge Ceferino Ong of Ozamiz City. A special hello to Minda Romero Reyes and the big Romero clan of Tuguegarao, Cagayan.