Instructions: Read the full transcript of the undelivered Arrival Speech of Senator Benigno S.

Aquino Jr. and answer the following questions. The speech can be accessed at
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/631394/undelivered-speech-of-senator-benigno-s-aquino-jr

I. First Impression

A. What are your first impressions about the undelivered speech?

As I read through the whole speech, the first thing I noticed all throughout it is that his
speech was very detailed. He gave away a lot of information like dates and names that are very
vital in the speech. It is also surprising how he presented the information without any hesitation
despite how sensitive the information were, like the details about his death sentence.

B. What kind of document is it (letter, ad, newspaper, etc.)

The document is a manuscript speech. Since the speech is written before the date it was
supposed to be delivered, it is considered as a manuscript speech although the senator never
really had the chance to deliver it since he was shot upon arrival in the Philippines.

II. Looking More Closely

A. Make a list of unusual or unfamiliar words or phrases you encountered while reading
the speech.
1. Cadre
2. Subversion stems from economic, social and political causes and will not be
solved by purely military solutions
3. Political asylum
4. Habeas Corpus
5. Military Tribunal
6. Insolent
7. Disputants
8. Equitable distribution
9. Disputants
10. Blood-letting
11. Deteriorated
12. Subversion
13. National reconciliation
14. Sigalot
15. Nakabinbin
B. Is there a specific date on the speech? If so, when is it? If there is none, are there clues
that might indicate when it was written?
Yes there is a given date on the speech. It says that it was an undelivered speech upon
Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.’s when he came back to the Philippines from the U.S. on August 21
1983.

This study source was downloaded by 100000806127581 from CourseHero.com on 01-31-2022 23:15:11 GMT -06:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/81049437/2docx/
 C. Is there an indicated location? Where is it ?
There is no specific location mentioned in the document but the only location indicated is
upon his return from the United States of America.
D. Who authored the document? Why did you say so?
The document is obviously written by Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. himself. Considering
that the speech is very much detailed, it is safe to assume that the senator is the author of the
speech because it is him alone who can compose a speech that detailed about what he wants to
address.
E. To whom was the written document addressed? How did you know?
Upon reading the speech, I assume that the written document is addressed directly to the
Filipino people and those who are in charge like the government. First, his speech mainly
contains on going issues in the Philippines at the time and how it was handled by the government
and its people. Lastly, in some of his lines he uses the pronouns “we” and “our” as if he was
talking to somebody.
F. What is the purpose of the document? What made you think so?
The purpose of this document is to inform the people about the current issues going on
within the country, along with the current and past situations of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr..
There is transparency between the author and the audience, which is also a sign that the Senator
is trying to win over the people since transparency makes people want to trust him more.

III. Thinking Further

A. What do you think is the most important information that the author of the document was
covering? Why?
For me, the most important information given by the author would be the incompetence of
the government during the time. Calling them out for their actions is vital because this will help
those people who are not aware of certain situations become educated. Pointing out these issues
will also make people think twice about who they are going to vote next term.
B. Does the document convey a certain tone? What is it?
The speech has two tones because as the speech is in the middle, the tone changes. In the
very beginning the tone was very somber because he immediately mentioned his death sentence
and the consequences he had to face. As the speech continues it starts to sound as if he is
convincing the people to stick by his side by addressing issues the issues and incompetence of
those in charge.
C. What does it imply?

This study source was downloaded by 100000806127581 from CourseHero.com on 01-31-2022 23:15:11 GMT -06:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/81049437/2docx/
 The speech itself suggests or expresses that freedom is continuously taken away from us and
that people should start doing something about it.
D. What is the point of the author? Is it objective? Why?
His main point is probably about freedom, not only for himself, but also for the Filipino
people. There is obviously a violation against the senator’s rights, because as he mentioned, he
was sentenced to death because he was accused of being a communist leader in which he claims
that it is false. This is a threat to his own freedom, which is why I could say that this speech isn’t
completely objective.
E. What is the relationship between the writer and the audience? Explain?
The relationship between the writer and the audience is the same as the relationship between
a leader and its members. In the document you can see that how the author expresses his
empathy towards the Filipino people. He addressed lines like “Yes, the Filipino is patient, but
there is a limit to his patience. Must we wait until that patience snaps?” which is for the best of
our countrymen at the time, which is something a leader would do.

I. Drawing Conclusions
Integrate your background knowledge of the context of the speech with the content of the speech.
What conclusions can you draw about the historical period when the speech was written?
The 1980’s is really tense, from the speech itself you could see that there are plenty of
disagreements between Senator Aquino and the one in charge. During this era, the Philippines
was under the Marcos Regime, which explains why the speech mentioned certain issues about
freedom, because during this era, the freedom of the Filipino people were limited and taken away
from them. Marcos and Aquino were on opposing parties during the time which is probably
another reason why Aquino pointed out the incompetence of the government in the speech.
Lastly, in the speech Aquino also mentioned that national reconciliation is achieved through
justice which is something that was hard to achieve during that period. To sum it all up the
context and content of this speech reflects what happened during the 1980’s.

This study source was downloaded by 100000806127581 from CourseHero.com on 01-31-2022 23:15:11 GMT -06:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/81049437/2docx/
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)