ASSASSINATION OF NINOY AQUINO

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Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., a former Philippine senator, was assassinated on
Sunday, August 21, 1983, on the tarmac of Manila International Airport (now
named Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor). A longtime political
opponent of President Ferdinand Marcos, Aquino had just landed in his home
country after three years of self-imposed exile in the United States when he was
shot in the head while being escorted from an aircraft to a vehicle that was waiting
to transport him to prison. Also killed was Rolando Galman who was accused of
murdering Aquino.
Aquino was elected to the Philippine Senate in 1967 and was critical of
Marcos. He was imprisoned on trumped up charges shortly after Marcos's 1972
declaration of martial law. In 1980, he had a heart attack in prison and was allowed
to leave the country two months later by Marcos' wife, Imelda. He spent the next
three years in exile near Boston before deciding to return to the Philippines.
Aquino's assassination is credited with transforming the opposition to the
Marcos regime from a small, isolated movement into a national crusade. It is also
credited with thrusting Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, into the public spotlight
and her running for president in the 1986 snap election. Although Marcos was
officially declared the winner of the election, widespread allegations of fraud and
illegal tampering on Marcos's behalf are credited with sparking the People Power
Revolution, which resulted in Marcos fleeing the country and conceding the
presidency to Mrs. Aquino.
Although many, including the Aquino family, maintain that Marcos ordered
Aquino's assassination, this was never definitively proven. An official government
investigation ordered by Marcos shortly after the assassination led to murder
charges against 25 military personnel and one civilian, all of whom were acquitted
by the Sandiganbayan (special court). After Marcos was ousted, another
government investigation under President Corazon Aquino's administration led to a
retrial of 16 military personnel, all of whom were convicted and sentenced to life
imprisonment by the Sandiganbayan. The Supreme Court affirmed the decision and
rejected later motions by the convicted soldiers for a retrial.[1] One of the convicts
was subsequently pardoned, three have died in prison, and the remainder had their
sentences commuted at various times; the last convicts were released from prison
in 2009.
Benigno Aquino, Jr began his political career in 1955 first by becoming the
mayor of Concepcion, and would go on to become vice governor of Tarlac in 1959,
governor of Tarlac in 1961, and (then the youngest) senator in 1967. During his
first years as a senator, Aquino began speaking out against President Ferdinand
Marcos. Marcos in turn saw Aquino as the biggest threat to his power.
 Aquino was supposed to run for president in the 1973 elections when Marcos
declared martial law on September 21, 1972.[4] On that night, Aquino was
imprisoned in Fort Bonifacio, and in 1973, Aquino was falsely charged of murder
and subversion.[5] Aquino would first refuse to participate in the military trial citing
"injustice", before going on a hunger strike, only for him to go into a coma after 40
days.[6] The trial continued until November 25, 1977, when Aquino was convicted on
all charges and was sentenced to death by firing squad.[a][8] However, Aquino and
others believed that Marcos would not allow him to be executed as Aquino had
gained a great deal of support while imprisoned, and such a fate would surely make
him a martyr for his supporters.
In early 1978, Aquino, still in prison, founded a political party named Lakas
ng Bayan (or "LABAN")[b] to run for office in the interim Batasang Pambansa
elections.[8] During the campaign, Juan Ponce Enrile (then minister of National
Defense) accused Ninoy Aquino of having connections with the New People's
Army and the CIA, prompting Aquino to appear on a nationally televised interview
on March 10, 1978.[9] All LABAN candidates lost to candidates of Marcos' party,
[10]
amid allegations of election fraud.
On March 19, 1980, Aquino had a heart attack in prison, and in May 1980, he
was transported to the Philippine Heart Center where he had a second heart attack.
Aquino was diagnosed with angina pectoris and needed triple bypass surgery;
however, no surgeon would perform the operation out of fear of controversy, and
Aquino refused to undergo the procedure in the Philippines out of fear of sabotage
by Marcos, indicating that he would either go to the United States to undergo the
procedure or die in his prison cell.[11] First Lady Imelda Marcos arranged for Aquino
to undergo surgery at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and he
would be released from prison on humanitarian grounds to leave with his family for
San Francisco on a Philippine Airlines flight on May 8, 1980. [12] After the surgery,
Aquino met with Muslim leaders in Damascus, Syria, before settling with his family
in Newton, Massachusetts.
Aquino spent the next three years in self-exile in the U.S., wherein he
worked on manuscripts for two books and delivered several lectures and speeches
critical of the Marcos government across the nation. As Aquino was to return in
1983 as stipulated in his conditions for his release,[13] Jovito Salonga, then head of
the Liberal Party, said about Aquino:
Ninoy was getting impatient in Boston, he felt isolated by the flow of events in the
Philippines. In early 1983, Marcos was seriously ailing, the Philippine economy was
just as rapidly declining, and insurgency was becoming a serious problem. Ninoy
thought that by coming home he might be able to persuade Marcos to restore
democracy and somehow revitalize the Liberal Party.[14]
Prelude
During an encounter with Imelda Marcos in 1982, Aquino handed her his
expiring passport, unaware that she would keep it under her possession. [15] Aquino
attempted to submit travel papers at the Philippine Consulate in New York City in
June 1983 (only to be rejected under the pretext of a targeted assassination plot)
[16]
and would end up with two passports – one a blank passport bearing Aquino's
real name (via a consulate official) and the other a passport issued in the Middle
East under the alias "Marcial Bonifacio" (via former Lanao del
Sur congressman Rashid Lucman).[c][17] In July 1983, Pacifico Castro (then Deputy
Foreign Minister) warned international air carriers (including JAL) not to allow
Aquino to board its planes.[18] Aquino was to return on August 7, but was warned by
Juan Ponce Enrile on August 2 to delay his return trip due to alleged "plots against
his life".[19]
On August 13, 1983, Aquino, following a morning worship service, went
to Boston International Airport, where he would take a flight to Los Angeles[20] to
attend conferences with his fellow Filipino contacts. From there, he flew
to Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, before heading to Malaysia,[20] where Aquino
would meet with Mahathir Mohamad (then the Prime Minister of Malaysia) as well
as Indonesian and Thai officials. Aquino would then move back to Singapore, before
going to Hong Kong, where he boarded a China Airlines plane bound for Taipei.
Once Aquino arrived in Taipei on August 19, he was met by his brother-in-law Ken
Kashiwahara, a journalist for ABC News on vacation at that time.[20] On August 20,
Aquino was joined by journalists, including Katsu Ueda (Kyodo News), Arthur Kan
(Asiaweek), Toshi Matsumoto, Kiyoshi Wakamiya, and news crews from ABC News
and Tokyo Broadcasting System,[21] and would later give an interview from his room
at the Grand Hotel in which he indicated that he would be wearing a bulletproof
vest. He advised the journalists that would be accompanying him on the flight: [22]

You have to be ready with your hand camera because this action can become
very fast. In a matter of three or four minutes, it could be all over, and I may not
be able to talk to you again after this.

Benigno Aquino Jr.

On August 21, 1983, Aquino left the Grand Hotel at 9:30 am for Chiang Kai-
shek International Airport.[23] Upon arrival at the airport terminal at 10:10 am,
Aquino had to spend 20 minutes being driven in circles during baggage check-in to
reduce suspicion.[24] After going through immigration via his Marcial Bonifacio
passport, Aquino would be stopped by two Taiwanese airport officials, before he
(together with Kashiwahara and other members of the press) boarded China
Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 767-200 (registered as B-1836) bound for Manila, and
left Taiwan at 11:15 am.[25] In Manila, at least 20,000 opposition supporters arrive
at the Manila International Airport via buses and jeeps decorated with yellow
ribbons.[26] Aurora Aquino (mother of Ninoy Aquino) and opposition candidates are
also present,[26] while a contingent of over 1,000 armed soldiers and police were
assigned by the government to provide security for Aquino's arrival. During the
flight, Aquino went to the lavatory to put on his bulletproof vest (also the same suit
he wore when he left the Philippines for the heart surgery) and handed over a gold
watch to Kashiwahara, telling his brother-in law to fetch a bag containing clothes
for Aquino's first few days back in prison.[27] His last few moments in the flight while
being interviewed by the journalist Jim Laurie, and just prior to disembarking from
the flight at Manila airport, were recorded on camera.[28]
---

Assassination
China Airlines Flight 811 arrived at Manila International Airport at gate
number 8 (now gate 11, Terminal 1) at 1:04 pm.[29] Three soldiers boarded the
airplane to fetch Aquino.[30] At 1:14 pm, Aquino rose from seat 14C, and soldiers
escorted him off the airplane; instead of going to the terminal, Aquino would, via
the jet bridge's service staircase, be taken straight into the tarmac, where a blue
AVSECOM van was waiting.[30][29] Just before shots were fired, one person said "Ako
na!"[vague] as Aquino went into the service staircase, while another said "Pusila!
Pusila! Op! Pusila! Pusila! Pusila!"[d] The audio was recorded on the news camera,
but the actual shooting of Aquino was not caught on camera due to the movement
and exposure to bright sunlight.[31][32]
Fifty seconds after Aquino rose from his seat, [33] a shot was fired, followed
three seconds later by a volley of four shots lasting half a second, and then a
second volley of at least twelve shots.[34] When the firing stopped, Aquino and a
man later identified as Rolando Galman lay dead on the apron, both from gunshot
wounds. Twenty-six M16 shells (5.56 cal), one .45 shell, and five unused bullets
(three of them "lead semi-wad cutters" and two "semi-jacket hollow" points) were
dropped at the scene of the crime.[35] Aquino's body was carried into an Aviation
Security Command (AVSECOM) van by two AVSECOM SWAT soldiers, while another
soldier at the bumper of the van continued to fire shots at Galman. The AVSECOM
van sped away, leaving behind the bullet-riddled body of Galman. According to
news reports[36] (together with a subsequent Sandiganbayan ruling),[37] Aquino had
died before arriving at Fort Bonifacio General Hospital; that claim remains
controversial due to contradicting evidence presented in court interviews of General
Custodio.
Autopsies of both Aquino and Galman were conducted by medical-legal
officers Bienvenido O. Muñoz and Nieto M. Salvador at the Loyola Memorial Chapel
Morgue and the Philippine Constabulary Crime Laboratory at 10 pm and 11:20 pm,
respectively.[38] The Muñoz autopsy showed that Aquino was fatally hit by a bullet
"directed forward, downward, and medially" into the head behind his left ear,
leaving behind three metal fragments in his head. Bruises were found on Aquino's
eyelids, left temple, upper lip, left arm, and left shoulder, while bleeding was found
in the forehead and cheek.[39] The Salvador autopsy showed that Galman had died
of "shock secondary to gunshot wounds" with eight wounds in his body; the first
wound were found behind and above the left ear, second to fourth wounds in the
chest, fifth and sixth wound in the back, the seventh wound with nine perforations
from stomach to right thigh, and the eighth wound in the elbow region.[40] Seven
bullets – four "deformed jacketed", two "slightly deformed jacketed", and one
"deformed copper jacket" - were also inside Galman's body.[41]

---
Six persons who killed Ninoy according to Conspiracy Theory

Who killed Ninoy?

It’s a question that remains unanswered up to this day. The assassination

of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. happened on August 21, 1983, yet many
years after his death, the missing piece of the puzzle is still nowhere to be found.

Many personalities–both famous and obscure–have been accused of the

crime, but the real mastermind was never identified. Ninoy’s death is indeed one of
the Philippines’ greatest unsolved mysteries, made even more complicated by
various conspiracy theories.

Here are 6 people and groups who have been blamed for killing
Senator Ninoy Aquino:
1. Rolando Galman

Who is he? He’s the guy in the blue shirt who was gunned down a few
seconds after Ninoy Aquino was shot at the tarmac of the Manila International
Airport.

Why is he a suspect? Galman had a certain reputation of an “underworld

figure with military ties.” In other words, there’s a reason to believe that he might
be a hired killer paid by an unidentified mastermind to assassinate Aquino.

For the Marcos administration, however, Galman was a communist hitman

who killed Aquino on the orders of the New People’s Army.
 Dr. Bienvenido Munoz, who performed the autopsy on Aquino’s body less
than 10 hours after the incident, also revealed on a cross-examination that the
bullet was directed “upward, downward, and medially,” proving Galman–who was
standing on the tarmac and pointing upward–was the one who shot Aquino.

The initial evidence seemed credible but it was outnumbered by those that
suggest Galman was a mere fall guy.

According to the late Pablo Martinez, one of the soldiers who was convicted
for the assassination, Galman was taken from his home in San Miguel, Bulacan five
days before Aquino’s murder. On the day of the assassination, Galman was
supposedly killed to deflect the blame from the real culprit.

A few days after his death, four people–including Galman’s common-law wife
Lina and girlfriend Anna (see photo above)–reportedly went missing. They were
allegedly killed as part of a military cover-up. The remains of Anna Oliva and her
sister, Catherine, were later recovered in a sugar cane field near Capas, Tarlac in
November 1988.

The Sandiganbayan eventually rejected the theory suggesting Galman was

the prime suspect. It relied on credible testimonies given by eyewitnesses Rebecca
Quijano and Jessie Barcelona who claimed that they saw the soldier behind
Aquino firing a gun on the latter’s nape.

The wound of entrance (back of the neck, just below the left ear) was also
higher than the wound of exit (chin) which suggests that the trajectory was
downward and the assassin was positioned slightly above Aquino.

Lastly, it seems highly improbable that Galman was able to get a .357
magnum revolver and escape airport security without military assistance.

Interestingly, there were two .357 with the same serial numbers in the
custody of Sandiganbayan. One of these was owned by Col. Octavio Alvarez, the
former chief of the Metrocom Intelligence Group, and was reportedly stolen from
him.

2. “The Five Wise Monkeys.”

Who are they? Five military officers who, under Marcos’ “Oplan
Balikbayan,” were tasked to escort Aquino from the plane to Fort Bonifacio where
he would be detained.
 The group was composed of Corporal Rogelio Moreno, Corporal Lazaga, Sgt.
Arnulfo de Mesa, Technical Sgt. Claro Lat and Lieutenant Castro.

Why are they considered suspects? According to eyewitnesses, it was the

military escorts–not Galman as what earlier reports had suggested–who actually
killed Aquino.

They claimed that few moments after Aquino stepped off the plane, they
heard the security escorts saying “Ako na! Ako na! Ako na!” and “Pusila!” (which
means an “order to shoot” in southern Filipino dialect). However, the five men
denied the allegations and reiterated that they “saw nothing, heard
nothing, said nothing,” which led to them being named “The 5 Wise
Monkeys.”

On September 28, 1990, the Sandiganbayan handed down the verdict to the
16 soldiers–including the 5 ‘wise monkeys’–who allegedly conspired to assassinate
Aquino. They were held guilty of double murder and named C1C Rogelio Moreno as
the assassin.

in 2004, the 16 soldiers, with the help of Chief Public Attorney Persida R.
Acosta, filed a new motion to grant them a third trial. It was denied by Supreme
Court as evidenced by a 2005 resolution penned by then Justice Reynato S. Puno.

Cpl. 1st Class Mario Lazaga died of a stroke in 2008 while inside his detention
cell at the National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City. The rest of the convicted
soldiers, meanwhile, were granted pardon by former President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo in March 2009.

3. Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr.

Who is he? One of the richest men in the Philippines, Danding Cojuangco Jr.
is the chairman of the San Miguel Corporation and the first cousin of the
former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.

Why is he a suspect? Cojuangco was a known Marcos crony and also a

member of the “Rolex 12” who helped enforce the martial law. At that time,
Cojuangco was also in conflict with Cory and his cousin-in-law Ninoy.
Cojuangco was implicated to the murder when Pablo Martinez, one of the 16
soldiers who was convicted in the Aquino-Galman case, named the former as the
mastermind behind the assassination.
 Martinez, who became a born again Christian in 1994, revealed in his
affidavit that three top military officials assigned him to escort Galman from
Carlston Hotel in Pasay City to the tarmac of the Manila International Airport
on the day of the assassination.

The said officials were later identified to be Colonel Romeo Ochoco, then
deputy commander of the Aviation Security Command (Avsecom), Philippine
Constabulary Brigadier Gen. Romeo Gatan and businessman Herminio Gosuico.

Incidentally, Gosuico was a known associate of Danding Cojuangco,

and this is when the Danding-did-it theory got started.

After he was granted a presidential pardon in 2007 on humanitarian

grounds, Pablo Martinez was asked by ABS-CBN’s Julius Babao to name the real
mastermind behind the double murder. He replied “Danding Cojuangco” and had
since refused to retract his statement.

Martinez died on May 7, 2014, after being hit by an SUV while biking along
Roxas Boulevard. Authorities said it was an accident, but his relatives believe
otherwise.

4. Gen. Fabian Ver

Who is he? Former general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and
the most trusted military officer of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

Why is he a suspect? Ver was indicted by the Agrava Commission in 1983

as the mastermind behind the Aquino-Galman case.

The Agrava Commission was established in October 1983 under the orders of
President Marcos to further investigate the Aquino murder. However, the fact-
finding board recommended no charges against Ver, and he was acquitted in 1985
by Marcos.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Gen. Ver’s son, Jun Camcam, reveals
that he once asked his father if he really did kill Ninoy Aquino. Ver–who was then
living in exile in Mannheim, Germany–replied, “How could you even say
that? He was my brother at the University of the Philippines. And we were
friends.”
 He also added that Ninoy was given “special treatment” while the latter was
in military detention. Ver said that the allegations against him were unfounded
because he wouldn’t waste his time to “protect Ninoy and, in effect, protect the
President & myself” only to later “endanger it, by ordering his death, in broad
daylight.”

5. Imelda Marcos

Who is she? Former first lady and widow of President Ferdinand Marcos.

Why is she a suspect? Imelda Romualdez-Marcos reportedly said in front

of print and broadcast media that “If Aquino gets home, he’s dead.” The statement
came shortly after her failed attempt in New York to convince Sen. Benigno Aquino
Jr. not to return to the Philippines due to threats to his life.

At that time, Marcos was already diagnosed with lupus and Imelda was as
afraid as other Marcos cronies that somebody like Ninoy would come to overthrow
them. Some sources also claimed that Imelda formed a faction in anticipation of
Marcos’ death and then ordered Ver to take care of Ninoy’s assassination.

6. Ferdinand Marcos
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos at an armed forces full honor departure
ceremony with Secretary of State, George Shultz, in attendence. Via Wikimedia
Commons.

Who is he? The 10th president of the Philippines and the political rival of the slain
Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

Also Read: 13 Intriguing Facts You Might Not Know About Ferdinand
Marcos

Why is he a suspect? It’s a known fact that Ninoy Aquino was the late
strongman’s political nemesis so it should come as no surprise that Marcos is being
blamed for the senator’s untimely death.

For the Marcos supporters, however, the assassination was a mere ploy of
opportunists to kick the dictator out of his throne. Why assassinate Aquino in broad
daylight when he could have easily eliminated the senator by affirming the death
sentence for rebellion imposed earlier?
 In addition to that, Aquino and Marcos were also fraternity brothers. Such
fratricide, according to Aureli Sinsuat of the Upsilon Sigma Phi, “is an affront, an
insult, to the sincere fraternal bonds that have held the institution together for
almost 95 years.”

As for Imelda, she still claims that her husband was too ill to plot the
assassination. She also said that the American surgeon who failed to inject the anti-
rejection drug to the dying President Marcos was probably part of a “grand
conspiracy to ensure success of the assassination at the expense of the late
President.”

Despite the allegations, President Marcos was never convicted of the crime
nor was any evidence found that would directly link him to the assassination.

References
Another Aquino-Galman convict dies. (2008). ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 11 May
2016, from http://goo.gl/67Qlz3
In the Know: Pablo Martinez among 16 soldiers convicted of killing Aquino.
(2014). Inquirer.net. Retrieved 11 May 2016, from http://goo.gl/vGtnmQ
Kentucky New Era,. (1984). Man says Galman not Aquino assassin, p. 7A. Retrieved
from https://goo.gl/zgAn1C
Lirio, G. (2014). Son asked General Ver: Dad, did you kill Ninoy?. ABS-CBN News.
Retrieved 11 May 2016, from
Mydans, S. (1988). Bodies unearthed in Aquino slaying. The New York Times.
Retrieved from http://goo.gl/9vTMCt
Philippine Daily Inquirer,. (2005). Marcos too ill to order Ninoy killing–Imelda, p.
A3. Retrieved from https://goo.gl/zggM7p
Sinsuat, A. (2012). Marcos didn’t order Ninoy’s assassination. Inquirer.net.
Retrieved 11 May 2016, from http://goo.gl/flJ0A1
Written by FilipiKnow
in Facts & Figures, History & Culture
Last Updated April 29, 2022 06:09 PM