At airport when Ninoy was killed

Last Sunday was the 28th death anniversary of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. who was murdered on Aug. 21, 1983 at the   Manila International Airport (MIA) tarmac upon returning to the country from exile in the United states.

On that day, I was at MIA with my uncle Napoleon G. Rama and cousin Nap Rama Jr. to meet Ninoy but we were stuck at the arrival area because airport authorities did not allow anyone to enter  to meet anyone.

After waiting for nearly an hour, suddenly Ninoy’s brother Agapito “Butz” Aquino appeared and informed us that somebody told him that Ninoy was shot at the tarmac.

The report agitated all of us who were waiting for the opposition leader. Concern was painted on the face of my uncle Nap who was a cell mate of Ninoy when he was jailed in Fort Bonifacio.  Salvador “Doy” Laurel was with the crowd outside the airport terminal and used a  megaphone to announce that Ninoy was indeed shot and killed.

The people shouted in anger but Laurel calmed them down and asked the thousands to march to Baclaran Church to pray.  Ninoy was the no.1 political rival of then president Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, his fraternity brother.

Ninoy’s death, contrary to the foresight of the Marcoses, facilitated the ouster of a powerful Ferdinand and Imelda who had military backing till the end.

Marcos was a political grand master who  controlled the Filipinos with goons, guns and the political support from nearly all the political oligarchs at that time. But he forgot that Ninoy had the people with him in his great cause to bring back democracy in  the Philippines.

Marcos took several hours before appearing  on television to announce the murder and death  of Ninoy but in doing so he had a hard time raising his right arm because of his lupus illness. Three years after Ninoy’ murder, Ferdinand Marcos was booted out. He had been in power for 20 years. Ninoy’s  widow Corazon “Cory” Aquino became president and was known all over the world as an icon of democracy.

After her death, her son Noynoy Aquino was elected President of the Philippines.  Cory magic continues to amaze the Filipino people because it symbolizes honesty and good governance. Today there are those who continue to criticize Cory for doing nothing for pour country but they forget that her greatest contribution was the restoration of democracy in  our country.

The freedom to criticize that they are using to criticize Cory Aquino is the same freedom that Cory restored to the Filipino people. How  fast and easy for these people to criticize the Aquino government.

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Last Sunday, we experienced one of the heaviest rains in Cebu and expectedly parts of Cebu City were flooded. Many people who were out on a Sunday were stranded. It is hoped that the incident will make our local government officials vigilant and prods them to  get their act together to solve  the flooding problem.

It takes a lot of work to  put things in order especially the illegal settlers and business establishments. Many of them live along or on top of our rivers blocking the passageway of water thereby causing floods.

Political consideration has no place in solving the problem. The flooding has given the  mayor and City Council a reason to come together as one to  solve this gargantuan problem for the sake of the Cebuanos.

It’s about time City Hall fully implemented  a drainage master plan to contain flooding in the city. The system should be able to handle the  volume of rainwater  coming from the mountain areas.

Our leaders, if they indeed value the lives of  people, should clear  rivers of illegal settlers and  regulate migration to the city. Flooding provides  local government officials the opportunity to unite behind a solution for  sake of  Cebuanos.

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I think it is wrong for the Dept. of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) to ban the use of government dump  trucks for ferrying passengers.  The  trucks are the most convenient and inexpensive way to  transport people especially in far-flung areas.

I saw this for myself in Carcar City where former mayor Patrick Barcenas  had a truck for his business.  It was so useful during burials when it  ferreid people from far-flung parts of  Carcar. But what about local government officials who have no business and or  privately owned trucks to serve the people? Who will provide a vehicle to bring them to and from distant places?