Ninoy

Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr., commonly known as Ninoy Aquino, was a Filipino politician and prominent opposition leader during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. Born on November 27, 1932, in Concepcion, Tarlac, he rose to national prominence after being elected as a senator in 1967. His opposition to Marcos intensified as martial law was proclaimed in 1972, leading to his imprisonment and eventual exile to the United States in 1980.

Aquino returned to the Philippines on August 21, 1983, to rally opposition against the Marcos government. He was shot and killed at the airport in Manila, an event that shocked the nation and galvanized broad-based protests against the dictatorship. His death is widely viewed as a turning point that contributed to the eventual restoration of democracy in the Philippines, culminating in the People Power Revolution of 1986.

He was married to Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, who later became president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. Their son, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, served as the 15th president from 2010 to 2016. Aquino’s legacy is associated with his role as a symbol of opposition to authoritarian rule and as a central figure in late 20th-century Philippine politics.