‘If Ninoy were alive, he would’ve fought vs drug war deaths’
Late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr (left) and Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
If the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. were alive today, he would have been the first to speak out against the bloodbath in the name of war on drugs.
At least for Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon who honored the “icon of democracy” on the 34th anniversary of his death last Aug. 21, 1983.
“Let us not dishonor Ninoy’s sacrifice by trivializing human life,” Drilon said in a statement on Monday.
“If Ninoy were alive today, he would have condemned the death of a teenager, a son, a child, a mother, and a father. Ninoy valued life as much as he valued freedom,” he said.
“If he were alive today, Ninoy would have been in the forefront of the fight against police impunity and the government’s acquiescence,” he said.
“If Ninoy were alive today, he would have rallied every Filipino to protect the democracy and the freedom those who came before us died for.
“Ninoy’s death allowed us to enjoy the freedom and the democracy we have today. We honor his death by constant vigilance, not complacency or complicity. I have every faith that the Ninoy in all of us, regardless of party, will prevail in protecting the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth which he died for,” the senator said.
Senator Joel Villanueva also paid tribute to Aquino as he urged Filipinos to continuously fight for democracy.
“Today, we commemorate the martyrdom of Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino, Jr. It has been 34 years since one of the greatest modern heroes of our country proved that the Filipino people are worth dying for,” Villanueva said in a statement.
“His heroic acts and ideals sparked the desire of the Filipinos to fight for liberty and most especially, to yearn for freedom from dictatorship,” he said.
“We call on every Filipino to not let anything take away what is inherently ours. Let this day be a constant reminder about what the Filipino people once fought for and will always fight and die for — democracy,” he said. JE
