Akbayan calls for defense of history on Ninoy Aquino Day
Four decades after former Senator Ninoy Aquino's death, Akbayan Party called on Filipinos, especially the youth, for the "continued remembrance of our history, and the defense of truth and democracy."
"Remembering Ninoy is an act of defiance against fake news and widespread deception. Without memory, all that remains is a hollow democracy," said Akbayan Party President Rafaela David.
To commemorate the event, Akbayan Party members joined pro-democracy coalition Tindig Pilipinas in a commemorative action in the morning of Sunday, a day before the death anniversary, at the Ninoy Aquino Monument in Ayala Avenue.
Titled "The man who was shot at the airport: What price are you willing to pay for freedom?," the event centered around a sharing between generations. Its major highlight was the "Historyahan," talk by Kiko Dee, a political science lecturer and grandson of Ninoy Aquino. It brought together members of various youth and pro-democracy groups.
To open the "Historyahan," Dee and David were joined by other conveners of Tindig Pilipinas — Ging Deles, Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, Leah Navarro, Dr. RJ Naguit, and other organization representatives — in laying a wreath of flowers at the monument.
Akbayan Party said that "while we no longer live under Martial Law, the constant attempts to distort the truth are the gravest threats to democracy in the country."
"In 1983, they assassinated a brave and selfless man. In 2022, they tried to assassinate history using our own democratic elections. But no bullet can kill the truth. And through our storytelling, and the preservation of collective memory, we will keep the truth alive, and it will have its day," David said.
She called on pro-democracy groups to come together and intensify efforts against fake news and disinformation. According to her, "the best way honor Ninoy was to not only fact check, but challenge lying narratives that distort perspectives, and prey upon the fears of those at the margins."
"Let us honor Ninoy, his bravery, sacrifice, and martyrdom, and put everyone on notice, including this administration's fake news and alternative history peddlers. We will remember. We will not only hold the line. We will take the fight to them and reclaim our democracy," David said. Akbayan Party Comms
