NINOY AQUINO DAY
THIRTY-FIVE years after his death, cause-oriented groups in Cebu urged the youth to remember the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., whose death anniversary is commemorated today, August 21.
Bon Luzon of Akbayan Youth in Cebu said the youth should keep in mind that they owe the rights that they presently enjoy to the martial law ‘martyrs’ who shed their blood during the regime of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
“The youth or the millenials are enjoying the freedom that they have now because there were people who fought for our freedom. We have this one symbolic person that represent for the so many people who fought for our freedom over 30 years ago. Many people died for it,” Luzon said.
“They youth should be reminded that the struggle for freedom was not easy and we should be thoughtful to those people who fought for our freedom,” he added.
Today, Akbayan Youth members will jog and tie yellow ribbons on trees in the Fuente Osmeña Circle to raise awareness of the meaning of Ninoy Aquino Day. The group will then proceed to the launching of Nagpakabanang Sugbuanon Alang sa Kinabuhi ug Hustisya, a coalition of civic groups and members of the academe to respond to the recent spate of killings.
They will also conduct the third session of Cafe Malaya which will discuss issues concerning the youth. “The main topic will be the assessment of human rights, democracy and the freedom in the country for the past three decades. Symbolically, we see Ninoy Aquino as the most significant human rights violation victim during those times. We connect it to Kian these days as we assess how many violation has already been committed,” Luzon said.
Luzon was referring to 17-year old boy Kian Delos Santos who was killed in a raid in Caloocan City for allegedly fighting it out with the police on August 16, 2017.
Also present in the Cafe Malaya session is Human Rights Unlimited Executive Director lawyer Myrfi Gonzales who is expected to present data on the human rights violation incidents since the death of Aquino in 1983 until the present.