I'm not a very patriotic person. I would actually be one of the first persons to board a plane if they abolished the entire idea of visas! But nonetheless, I was born and raised here in the Philippines. That's the way it is and there's nothing to change that. So from the moment I was conceived to this point onward, the business of The Philippines remains to be my business as well.
But I'm not really here to talk about that. I'm here to talk about a very controversial man in his time. So while it's a perfect (albeit a little cheesy) time to talk about him, I'm here to talk about Mr. Benigno Aquino.
Ever get the idea that some people are just meant to die at a certain point? Struck in their prime and not long after ignites a generation to take his lead? I'm quite certain Ninoy was one of them. Now I know this may seem a little too insensitive to the Aquinos and the self-proclaimed "freedom fighters" of today, but Ninoy was supposed to die; and for a multitude of reasons.
While watching the commemoration of Mr. Aquino on television this morning, I was pondering on a very deep question. Had Mr. Aquino been saved from the gunshot on the tarmac of MIA that fateful day, what would've happened? Would he have been President? Had he sat around and watched this whole Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo drama, which side would he have taken on, the opposition or the administration? Millions upon millions of situations came in to my head.
It was half way home tonight when it finally dawned on me. This person is just too noble to still be living. His ploy is too genuine to outlive his lifetime. Noble people like Aquino need to be remembered the way they were before infidelity and deceit corrupted them. Before any left wing, right wing or what have you kind of group could patronize him and satirize his very cause. Before anybody attempted to sympathize or empathize with him to get to his moral-pants so to speak. Before anybody could use him.
As I put a close on this commemoration of Ninoy, I hope none of you tries to contemplate what could've been. It's over, He's long been dead; 25 years to be exact. Just remember that he needed to die. He deserved to die. For his country. To spur his nation. Cause the death of one, is where the other feels most alive.
We need people like him to die because we need somebody to refer to as our genesis. But ultimately, we need people like him to die to convince us to believe we still have a goddamned country to run.
