MANILA — Supporters, relatives, and descendants of former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. commemorated his life and contributions on Sunday, ahead of the 40th anniversary of his assassination that prompted a historical bloodless revolt and toppled a 20-year martial rule.

A short program, dubbed "Historyahan," was held at the Ninoy Aquino Monument in Makati City, led by the former senator's grandson Kiko Aquino-Dee, son of his daughter Viel.

Dee, who is also a deputy executive director of the Ninoy & Cory Aquino Foundation, remembered his late grandfather's accomplishments in his political career, describing him as the "Boy Wonder" of the Philippine opposition during the martial rule of then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Dee paid tribute to Aquino's bravery, describing him as someone who overcame his fears and fought for what he believed was right.

"Noong kabataan niya, boy wonder siya. Pero iyong moment na naging tunay na bayani siya ay noong nakiisa siya sa pagdurusa na dinanas ng bayan. At kapag tayo, kahit sinong mamamayan, ay sumasama sa pagdurusa sa bayan, sumasama sa laban ng bayan, sobrang laki ang puwedeng maidulot nito. At iyon po ang lesson ng EDSA [People Power Revolution]," he said.

(During his youth, he was considered a boy wonder. But it was when he made himself one with the country and its suffering that he became a hero. And when we become one with our country's suffering and its struggles, it can create a huge impact. And that is the lesson of the EDSA People Power Revolution.)

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After his speech, Aquino's supporters danced to Tony Orlando and Dawn's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree," the song that inspired the yellow ribbons which became a symbol of the People Power revolt.

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Group Tindig Pilipinas also called on the youth, even though they were born years after Ninoy's death, to "stand firm" like the late senator in an age where "the greatest casualty is truth itself."

"You have fresh voices, a native understanding of technology, and an optimism and fire that will not bow down to cynicism and despair. And so, we call upon your generation to galvanize your strength, find others who share a commitment to the truth, and, like Ninoy, stand firm. Tumindig tayo nang sama-sama para sa kototohanan, at para sa lipunang gusto nating ipamana sa mga susunod na henerasyon," the group said in a statement.

(Let us stand together for truth and for a society that we want to inherit to future generations.)

Akbayan Party also made a similar call for the youth.

"Remembering Ninoy is an act of defiance against fake news and widespread deception. Without memory, all that remains is a hollow democracy," Akbayan Party President Rafaela David said.

A Mass remembering Aquino is also scheduled to be held on Monday, Aug. 21, at Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City, the same church where the former senator's bloodied remains once lay in repose after his assassination.

The Mass will be celebrated by Lingayen-Dagpuan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the Ninoy & Cory Aquino Foundation said in a Facebook post.

Aquino, one of Marcos Sr.'s most vocal critics, was shot dead on Aug. 21, 1983 upon his return to the Philippines, at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport that would be later named after him.

His assassination triggered a series of demonstrations that came to a head during the EDSA People Power Revolution on Feb. 25, 1986, and catapulted his wife Cory to the presidency.

• ‘EDSA Revolution needs to be remembered all the more’
• ‘Walang duda’: Aquino family says EDSA spirit is alive 37 years on

His only son and namesake, Benigno Aquino "Noynoy" III, would also become president from 2010 until 2016.

The former senator's death anniversary, called "Ninoy Aquino Day," is a special non-working public holiday nationwide.

• Palace adjusts 2023 holidays, special non-working days

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