REMEMBERING NINOY A worker tidies up the tomb of the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. atManila Memorial Park in Sucat, Parañaque City, for the 31st death anniversary today of the father of President Aquino. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines—Ateneo de Manila University has renamed one of its graduate schools after the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and his wife, the late President Corazon Aquino, to commemorate their death anniversaries this month.
Senator Aquino was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983, while President Aquino died of colon cancer on Aug. 1, 2009.
Fr. Jose Villarin, Ateneo president, announced Wednesday that the Ateneo School of Government would be known as the Ateneo de Manila University Benigno Aquino Jr. and Corazon C. Aquino School of Government, or the Ateneo-Aquino School of Government.
“The rationale for this decision is the record of public service and the example of heroic leadership that Ninoy and Cory Aquino provide for all Filipinos,” Villarin said.
He also said that renaming the graduate school of public service after the Aquino couple was also a way of never forgetting the martial law rule of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
It was Senator Aquino’s assassination that triggered mass protests against Marcos that ultimately led to the dictator’s ouster during the Edsa People Power Revolution in February 1986 and swept Aquino’s widow to power.
No forgetting martial law
“For the university, renaming the school to honor the Aquinos includes a commitment to remember the martial law period of oppression and injustice,” Villarin said.
“We have not forgotten the darkness of those years of dictatorship and we will not compromise on our principles in forming those who would lead this nation,” he added.
Villarin said the renaming of the graduate school was approved by the university’s board of trustees on Aug. 2, a day after the fifth death anniversary of former President Aquino.
Her death led to calls for her son, then Tarlac Rep. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, to run for President in 2010.
Villarin said the university thought it fitting to make the announcement on the eve of the 31st anniversary of Senator Aquino’s death.
While President Aquino is a graduate of Ateneo, Villarin said the Aquino family did not ask for the renaming and that it was the university’s own initiative.
He said the actual renaming of the school would take place in August next year to coincide with the commencement exercises under the new academic calendar.
Virata business school
Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines continues to stir controversy for renaming last year one of its colleges after Marcos’ former Prime Minister and Finance Minister Cesar Virata.
Renaming the UP College of Business Administration as the Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business in UP Diliman was one of the conditions for the P40-million faculty development endowment given by one of the current UP regents, Magdaleno Albarracin.
UP announced on Monday that it had received half, or P20 million, of the promised donation.
Albarracin dedicated the donation to Virata for being instrumental in helping him and other faculty members pursue graduate studies abroad when he was the college dean.
The UP Board of Regents stood by its decision to allow the renaming of the college after Virata despite questions raised by different sectors in the UP community.