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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider 'The man who came home': A student's tribute to Ninoy Aquino

'The man who came home': A student's tribute to Ninoy Aquino

Published Aug 25, 2025 12:05 am  |  Updated Aug 24, 2025 03:22 pm
SPEAKING OUT
Coming home from a series of meetings in Makati last Wednesday, I was pleasantly surprised to watch a video of a 13-year-old student delivering a moving tribute to Ninoy Aquino on the eve of Ninoy’s martyrdom 42 years ago.
Allow me to share with you Neo Fresnedi’s piece.
“Good morning, MUNSCI.
“I’m Neo Fresnedi. Thirteen years old. A junior high student—just like many of you.
“Today is August 21. It looks quiet on the calendar. But history remembers it loudly.
“Forty-two years ago, a man stepped off a plane. He never made it past the tarmac.
“His name was Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. And on that day, he came home—knowing he might never walk again.
“This isn’t just a story about death. It’s about courage. Conviction. It’s about a man who believed that freedom is louder than fear.
“Let me take you back. Ninoy was a trailblazer— mayor at 22, governor at 29, senator at 34.
“He had power, charisma, ambition.
“But when Martial Law hit, he didn’t hide. He spoke up.
“And for that, the regime shut him down. Seven years in prison. Alone. Waiting. With a death sentence hanging above him.
“Eventually, they let him leave—for heart surgery in the US He could’ve stayed there. Safe. Comfortable. Quiet.
“But he chose differently. He said, ‘If it’s my fate to die by an assassin’s bullet, so be it. The Filipino is worth dying for.’
“So Ninoy came back. Wearing a bulletproof vest. Clutching a rosary. Carrying hope.
“But before his feet even touched the tarmac— he was shot. In the back of the head. In front of soldiers. In front of cameras. In front of history.
“But they didn’t silence him. Instead, they amplified him.
“His death woke up a nation. His funeral turned into a movement. Three years later, millions gathered in the streets. The People Power Revolution rose—and the dictator fell.
“Cory Aquino, his widow, became president. Ninoy’s name became a symbol. And his sacrifice lit a fire that still burns today.
“But let’s not turn him into something he wasn’t. Ninoy wasn’t a saint. He was human. Flawed. Complicated. Just like us.
“What made him heroic wasn’t perfection— It was his choice. He chose to come home. To speak truth. To fight for a Philippines that hadn’t yet awakened.
“Now, it’s our turn. We—students, dreamers, the generation that lives online— We must choose to stay awake.
“Because remembering Ninoy isn’t just about reposting quotes or wearing yellow. It’s about asking ourselves: What do we stand for? What do we speak up for? What do we live for?
“Ninoy came home. Not to be honored. But to remind us—Freedom is fragile. Democracy is something we choose—every single day.
“So today, don’t just perform your patriotism.
“Live it. Be brave. Be honest. Be Filipino. Because the Filipino is still worth dying for. And even more— Worth living for.
“I am Neo Fresnedi. 13 years old. A student. A Filipino.
Thank you.”
(Neo Fresnedi is a junior high school student of Muntinlupa Science High School or MUNSCI. He is an active member of the Key Club of MUNSCI Servant Leaders, a sponsored youth organization of the Kiwanis Club of Muntinlupa Rizal. (KCMR). He is the grandson of Muntinlupa former mayor and now congressman Jaime R. Fresnedi and Lady Lor Fresnedi.) ([email protected])
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