Aug. 21 was declared Ninoy Aquino Day by virtue of Republic Act No. 9256 signed on Feb. 25, 2004.
It is a special nonworking holiday to commemorate the death anniversary of former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., a staunch critic of the Marcos dictatorship who was one of the first to be arrested after the abolition of Congress and declaration of martial law in 1972.
He endured seven years of incarceration before he was allowed to seek medical treatment in the United States for a heart condition.
After three years in exile, he returned to Manila on Aug. 21, 1983, but was shot fatally at the Manila International Airport. —Marielle Medina, Inquirer Research
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