The New Ninoys
August 20th, 2007 | by Fhen Macabasag |Today is a non-working or special day as declared by the Malacañang Palace bureaucrats. We commemorate the brutal murder of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. who fought thoroughly against the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Ninoy’s assassination on August 21, 1983 is one concrete example of the many victims of extrajudicial killings during the Martial law times.
As we remember his bravery and commitment to a peaceful overthrow of Marcos dictatorship, we also remember the new Ninoys of our current epoch whose names are in the lengthy litany of political harassments and killings. The past is never stationary rather a continual process of historical and social events that defines the now and then. Ninoy did not die in vain. Though the architect of his assassination may have succeeded, the resisting Filipino people still pursued what has been commenced by our nationalist and freedom-loving ancestors. Ninoy may have been vindicated as the precursor of EDSA uprising, it only demonstrates that Ninoy contributed in the ouster of the Marcos regime.
Death did not stop the skirmishing people to continue to struggle in the attainment of liberty from the burden of fascism and militarism sponsored by the Marcos dictat. In the face of political killings, the Filipino blood persists to flow up to this conjuncture of our time. Ninoy’s dream is still alive. It did not go down in his pale macabre. De facto martial law is sharply felt by the Filipino people either in the urban areas or rural sites. The controversial HSA (Human Security Act) crystallizes political and civil suppressions. Our generation is beyond the martial rule years and numerous Ninoys are incessantly being born through the oppressive and repressive superstructure system.
Ninoy’s heroism in death reminds us of the countless Filipino and Boronganon people who solidly clashed against the dwarf in Malacañang – masterminding the widespread poverty and fascism all over the archipelago. Albeit their life may have ceased in the present time, their ideals and goals for the true liberation do not cease to exist. What has been started must be continued until the ultimate emancipation from superstructure bondages is achieved by the fighting people.
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Fhen Macabasag Fhen Macabasag is a well-rounded Waraynon. His art is his life.
12 Responses to “The New Ninoys”
By Blog on Aug 23, 2007 | Reply
You should focus blogging issues concernng the province. Damo na et mga blog hiton national.
By Haruan on Aug 23, 2007 | Reply
You are correct! The distinctive significance of this site is its being regional. Topics for and about Sinirangan as well as related interests deserve this posh space. It’s a brazen deprivation of our “right” or rather our privilege to get in touch with the dynamics in and about Eastern Samar. We respect the bloggers’ persuasions but it should be the interest of the site’s market that should be upheld. Otherwise, this will not serve its intended purpose.
Rakenrol!
By Ced Solidon on Aug 23, 2007 | Reply
Hi. I just had to comment on this one. While this is a blog for and by Estehanons, one cannot be entirely removed from what’s going on outside the province and in the nation. To be fair with fhen, the post is still somehow relevant since Ninoy is one icon that we cannot simply neglect. But with that, of course, is the sensitivity to the audience of the blog. Don’t worry though, because we’ll make sure that what we’ll post here will remain relevant to the issues of the province. Otherwise, the comment box is always open to you what the readers have to say.
By fhen on Aug 23, 2007 | Reply
Warm Peace To All!
When I was writing this literary piece, it was a challenge for me on how to relate Ninoy’s death to our current region particularly the Boronganon. True, this site’s distinctiveness is its “being regional” as declared by Haruan. “Damo na et mga blog hiton national,” “Blog” (an anonymous participant of Sinirangan.com) explained further.
Let it be known that it was not easy for me to relate Ninoy’s death to our regional society.
When I used the signifier “Filipino people,” I was not merely talking about on the “Tagalog people” living in the Luzon province rather on all Filipinos including the Eastern Samareños. In fact, I employed the term “Boronganon.” So in essence, I was also thinking and discussing on our regional people.
I guess Haruan and Blog merely focused on the signifier “Filipino people” losing sight of its diversity and dynamism and thereby commenting “Damo na et mga blog hiton national.”
I know my roots and I know my province. I know what I am writing and for whom I am writing for.
If you could observe, my said article is quite broad. Pardon for being broad… I never mentioned anyone particular, aside of course, Ninoy. I wanted to speak of the victims of extrajudicial killings in our region like the late Atty. Norman Bocar and others but it was a great feat for me in doing so.
In anyway, while I was writing “The New Ninoys,” I was thinking of Bocar et. al though I did not explicitly name them when I wrote the line: “Reminds us of the countless Filipino and BORONGANON PEOPLE (not excluding Bocar and others) who solidly clashed against the dwarf in Malacañang…”
By the way, I am not guilty of the harsh accusation, “It’s a brazen deprivation of our ‘right’… to get in touch with the dynamics in and about Eastern Samar.” Let me remind you Haruan that extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Eastern Samar are relevant topics and “related interests deserve this posh space.”
To all audiences and participants of Sinirangan.com, we encourage you to share and contribute articles containing “topics for and about Sinirangan.”
By Blog on Aug 24, 2007 | Reply
It wa smore of a suggestion and it was not directed solely to your article. The sugguestion was for the eintre website since I couldn’t find an appropriate space towrite this. If this blog is for national issues, I’d rather go to some mature and stable filipno blogsite. Estehanon around the wolrd need updates about what’s going on in the region. we can find info if it’s about national level. ciao.
By fhen on Aug 24, 2007 | Reply
Blog:
I appreciate your suggestion Blog. Your comment is well accepted, in my part.
To make things clear, I did not disagree with you when you said, “You should focus blogging issues concerning the province.” Indeed, you have a fine point in stating them. That is why, I replied, “…it was a challenge for me on how to relate Ninoy’s death to our current region particularly the Boronganon.”
If I failed to let you understand that, forgive my mishaps. True, this site is for regional audience particularly the Estehanon. The way I know about the Este Team Blog member’s points of view, we stand for and by our regional audience.
Thank you for your comment and suggestion. In the next article that I will post in this site, I will do everything in my capacity to make it regional in content.
By Karlo on Aug 29, 2007 | Reply
Hi Fhen,
Thank you for leading me here.
I think it’s perfectly alright to write on topics of national concern in a regional blog such as this provided that it adequately tackles the implication or relation of the issue to the region, in this case Eastern Samar.
We can still tackle “get(ting) in touch with the dynamics in and about Eastern Samar” while talking about a national issue, as Haruan suggested, am I right?
By fhen on Aug 29, 2007 | Reply
Karlo:
It is our pleasure to have an audience like you Karlo. Having an interactive audience only proves the effectiveness of our effort to unite and encourage the participation of the Estehanon tru this regional site.
Indeed, you are right in saying that we can still tackle to “get in touch with the dynamics in and about Eastern Samar” although we talk about the national issues. I believe that national issues directly and indirectly inter-connect with the issues of the region like Eastern Samar. What happens in the national politics, economy and culture also affects our region.
Eastern Samar is not merely an isolated island having no relation to the national politics or issues. We know that Este is a part and parcel of the Philippine archipelago thereby relating to one another.
I think, we should avoid in our mindframe the narrow “regionalness” that does not relate/connect with the national issues or events. And it is also timely to focus on our regional issues that does not only give full attentions to the national…
You rock Karlo!
By Karlo on Aug 31, 2007 | Reply
I agree with you there. For me, equal space should be given for regional and national concerns provided that the latter is adequately, linked by way of writing, to the matters in your region.
Narrow regionalism should be avoided but stories that focuses on your region alone should not be altogether discarded since this is a regional after all.
By the way, I’m not from Region 8. Still, thanks for the kind words.
By Blog on Aug 31, 2007 | Reply
Regional = Eastern Samar ONLY. NOT all provices under region 8.
By Karlo on Aug 31, 2007 | Reply
Aww, OK. Is that not PROVINCIAL?
By Blog on Aug 31, 2007 | Reply
based from the context of the topic and website name ( sinirangan), regional = provincial. you’re right, provincial is more appropriate.