42 years later, how today's youth see Ninoy Aquino's legacy

"A symbol of courage and conviction." This is how many young Filipinos today remember the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who, on Aug. 21, 1983, was assassinated at the airport tarmac moments after his arrival in Manila.

- By ARGYLL CYRUS B. GEDUCOS & BETHEENA UNITE

As the nation commemorates Ninoy's 42nd death anniversary, young Filipinos are revisiting the story of the opposition senator who returned from exile to challenge a dictatorship. His death ignited a wave of resistance and sparked widespread outrage, helping fuel the People Power Revolution that eventually restored democracy in the country.

More than four decades later, do young Filipinos still feel connected to this story? We interviewed at least a dozen students and were enlightened by the answers given by those who were not yet born when Ninoy lived and walked among the people like an ordinary man.

Born on Nov. 27, 1932, in Tarlac, Aquino showed brilliance early in life. He worked as a journalist before turning to politics, where he became the youngest mayor in the country at 22, later served as a governor, and eventually became a senator. By the late 1960s, he was recognized as one of the sharpest and most outspoken critics of then-President Ferdinand Marcos.

Known for his eloquence and bold criticism of the administration, Aquino believed in participatory democracy, accountability in government, and the importance of safeguarding civil liberties. In the Senate, he consistently warned of the dangers of authoritarianism and reminded Filipinos that public officials are duty-bound to serve - not silence - their citizens.

When martial law was declared in 1972, he was arrested, jailed, and placed in solitary confinement. Aquino spent seven years in prison - enduring long stretches of isolation - until he suffered a heart attack and was allowed to travel to the United States for medical treatment.