Happy birthday Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr.(November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983), - Ninoy was a
Filipino Senator and a former Governor of
Tarlac. Aquino, together with
Gerry Roxas and
Jovito Salonga, formed the leadership of the opposition to the government of
President Ferdinand Marcos. Shortly after the imposition of
Martial Law, he was arrested in 1973 along with other dissidents and incarcerated for seven years. Aquino was permitted to travel to the
United States for medical treatment following a heart attack. He was
assassinated at the Manila International Airport in 1983 upon returning from his self-imposed exile. His death catapulted his widow,
Corazon Aquino, into the political limelight, and prompted her to run for President as member of the
UNIDO party in the
1986 snap elections.
Among other public structures, Manila International Airport has since been renamed
Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honour, and the
anniversary of his death is a national holiday.
