Ninoy’s grandson to Marcos: No reconciliation without justice

Metro Manila, Philippines - The grandson of former Sen. Ninoy Aquino, Kiko Aquino Dee, said there is no room for reconciliation between his family and the Marcoses amid the president’s call on the late lawmaker’s 42nd death anniversary.

“There’s no reconciliation without justice. As long as there’s no recognition of the atrocities under the Marcos dictatorship…I don’t think there’s much to say between our two families,” said Dee on Thursday, Aug. 21.

In his message, Marcos said honoring Aquino’s death anniversary “signals its readiness to uphold leadership that strives towards wholeness and reconciliation.”

Aquino, a staunch critic of the Marcoses, was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983 at the tarmac of the then Manila International Airport, now dubbed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City, after returning from exile in the United States.

His killing sparked widespread outrage, galvanized the opposition, and fueled the People Power Revolution of 1986 that toppled the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and installed Aquino’s widow, Corazon Aquino, as president.

“Memory is a struggle. But it’s a struggle worth fighting for. For as long as there are people who reject what happened in the past, for as long as there are people who are trying to hold back ‘yung naipanalo natin noong EDSA, ‘yung karapatang pantao and demokrasya (what we were able to achieve through EDSA, human rights and democracy), then I think there..will always be people who (have) struggled to make sure those values continue to assert themselves,” Dee said.

Aquino’s grandson also posed sarcasm on Marcos’ move not to move the Aug. 21 holiday to a later day unlike last year due to “holiday economics.” He said historical distortion was not on Marcos’ agenda as the president “has a lot on his plate right now.”

Dee has been making waves recently for voicing out his stance on various issues, particularly on the now archived impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte. He was one of the complainants in the first impeachment case filed against the vice president in December 2024.

Continuing the fight

Meanwhile, Ninoy’s nephew, Sen. Bam Aquino, urged Filipinos to continue fighting for his uncle’s advocacies: good governance and a fair and just society.

“Kailangan pa rin natin ipaglaban pero hindi ‘yan pwede lang gawin ng iilang tao, kailangan sama sama tayo rito,” the lawmaker said.

[Translation: We need to fight for that but this can’t be done by just a few people. We need to fight together.]

Aquino cited the floated corruption in the controversial flood control projects in the recent Senate probe.

The lawmaker and Dee attended the mass held for Ninoy at his resting place at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City on Thursday, Aug. 21.

With them were the late senator’s daughters Ballsy and Viel and grandson Joshua, child of Kris Aquino, and other opposition figures.