Ninoy’s Cell
Sunday, August 21st, 2005Today is apparently Ninoy’s 22nd death anniversary according to a couple of blogs I regularly visit. When Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was assassinated in 1983, my family and I had only been living here in the United States for seven months. We learned of his death on a Sunday morning at church from the domestic helper of the Lopezes who were San Francisco residents at the time. We were new attendees of the church that she and the middle Lopez son were members of. The Lopezes fled the Philippines after Marcos had closed down any non-state broadcast services their father made a daring escape from prison in 1977.
During my trip to the Philippines last month, I had a chance to visit the Fort Bonifacio compound where Ninoy Aquino was imprisoned for seven years. In fact, I was able to enter the very cell that he occupied. My elementary school best friend who is now a major in the Philippine Army had Ninoy’s cell unlocked and let me inside. It is now a shrine of sorts, with the original furniture and Ninoy’s things still intact.
The cell’s plaque says this:
Ninoy Aquino’s Cell
“Symbol of unconquerable human spirit amidst tyranny and hopelessness.”
Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was arrested while attending a House Committee meeting at the Manila Hilton Hotel on September 23, 1972, two days after President Ferdinand E. Marcos declared Martial Law. Ninoy was briefly detained in Camp Crame, Quezon City and subsequently moved in Vista Lodge, Fort Bonifacio. On March 5, 1973, he was brought to Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija. On August 27 of the same year, he was transferred to Building No. 2, Legaspi Compound, Fort Bonifacio, where he was detained for seven years until his release.
Ninoy was virtually kept in isolation, except for his 24-hour duty guards who were posted outside but were forbidden to communicate with him. He had his weekly medical and dental check-ups within this cell to monitor his health. A daily supply of national newspapers and occasional visits from family members maintained his awareness of current developments and vital issues.
In this cell, Ninoy found and learned to accept what was to become his destiny. It was in this cell where Ninoy fasted for forty days to protest the lies and deception imposed by a dictatorship. His defiance became his flickering symbol of hope for countless suffering Filipinos. From within this cell, Ninoy kept the flames of freedom and democracy alive and burning, undaunted by a dictator who wanted to break his spirit.
This cell is a mute witness to Ninoy’s heroic struggle against human oppression. With an indomitable spirit, unyielding defiance, and a determination steeled by the sufferings of his fellow countrymen, Ninoy rose above hopelessness and accomplished truth, justice and freedom.
Speaking of malls, as we headed to Bataan the next day and traversed the entire Metro Manila from South Super Highway, through EDSA and then to North Super Highway, I was amused to see that there are shopping malls every few kilometers along this route. Appropriately, the skyline along EDSA is garnished with billboards pushing the latest fashions, beauty products and mobile pre-paid cards. They’re very twenty-something targeted.
Paved roads in Manila are much improved. Not only are there more of them, but there are less potholes to encounter. Philippine driving, however, is quite a different matter. It shocks me in two ways: one, everyone git-gits each other; two, somehow nobody gets mad at each other for this practice. It’s become the de-facto way of establishing one’s right of way. Amazing. This means a relatively quiet drive (save for my whimpering) with no one blowing their horn at one another. Commuting in Manila was a much noisier affair twenty-some years ago. I’m also glad to find out that some sort of Clean Air Act has been passed in Manila.