NINOY AQUINO's Greatest Speech: Ninoy Aquino's historic speech in Los Angeles (1981)
Summary
TLDRThe transcript recounts the experiences of a Filipino political figure, who, after being labeled 'lucky' due to the corruption of the ruling couple, endures seven years of solitary confinement. Despite the harsh conditions, he remains hopeful and resilient, even when faced with a critical health situation. His story is a testament to the struggle for freedom and justice, advocating for Christian socialism and the importance of non-violent resistance against dictatorship. The narrative concludes with a commitment to fight for liberty and the dismantling of oppressive rule.
Takeaways
- 🗣️ The speaker uses humor to describe a Japanese person's difficulty with pronouncing 'Philippines' as 'Philippines'.
- 👤 The narrative is from a Filipino perspective, discussing the perception of the Filipino people as 'lucky' due to their resilience despite corruption.
- 🏔 The speaker recounts a personal experience of being held captive in a mountain hideout with minimal resources.
- ⏳ The experience of isolation is vividly described, emphasizing the passage of time and the toll of loneliness.
- 🌙 The speaker was deprived of seeing the moon and stars for seven years, symbolizing a loss of freedom and hope.
- 🚶 The physical and mental struggle of pacing in a confined space to cope with the monotony of imprisonment is highlighted.
- 👨⚕️ A health crisis prompts the speaker to request medical attention, revealing the severity of his condition and the initial dismissive response.
- 🏥 The diagnosis of blocked arteries and the need for a triple bypass surgery underscore the critical state of the speaker's health.
- 🛫 The decision to undergo surgery in America, not in the Philippines, reflects a lack of trust in local medical facilities controlled by the Marcos regime.
- 📜 The speaker makes a covenant with Marcos, promising not to speak against the regime while in America, in exchange for medical treatment.
- 🕊️ The concept of Christian socialism is introduced, advocating for equal opportunities, majority rule with minority respect, and centralized economic planning.
- 💔 The speaker expresses hope for Marcos's enlightenment and a non-violent approach to political struggle, drawing parallels with historical dictators and their downfalls.
- 🔙 A commitment to return to the Philippines and dedicate efforts to restoring freedom and dismantling Martial Law, despite personal risks and past imprisonment.
Q & A
What is the humorous anecdote about the Japanese pronunciation of 'Manila' mentioned in the script?
-The Japanese gentleman mispronounced 'Manila' as 'manira' and referred to the Filipino people as 'Rocky' instead of 'lucky,' which initially surprised the audience.
What does the speaker describe as his experience in the mountain hideout?
-The speaker describes his experience as extremely isolating, with only his brief and t-shirt, no reading material, and the realization of loneliness as he counted every second, minute, and hour of his confinement.
How did the speaker cope with the monotony and loneliness during his imprisonment?
-The speaker coped by walking back and forth in his small room, hoping to tire himself out so he could sleep, knowing that the next day would be the same.
What health issue did the speaker face while in prison?
-The speaker developed a severe chest pain, which was later diagnosed as blocked arteries requiring an emergency triple bypass surgery.
Why was the speaker reluctant to have his surgery performed in the Heart Center of Imelda Marcos?
-The speaker was reluctant because he did not want to be operated on by doctors who were hand-picked by Imelda Marcos and potentially had conflicts of interest.
What were the two covenants the speaker made when writing to Mr. Marcos requesting to be brought to America for surgery?
-The speaker's covenants were that if he lived, he would return to the Philippines, and while in America, he would not speak out against the regime.
What is the speaker's definition of Christian socialism?
-Christian socialism, to the speaker, means equal opportunity for advancement, majority rule with respect for minority rights, opposition to exploitation, centralized economic planning, and preventing monopolies in basic industries.
How does the speaker view Mr. Marcos in terms of his humanity and potential for change?
-The speaker views Mr. Marcos as a human being with a conscience, believing that it is possible to reach him and enlighten him about the potential errors of his ways.
What is the speaker's stance on using violence against Mr. Marcos?
-The speaker is against using violence against Mr. Marcos, citing Gandhi's teachings and arguing that non-violence would put Mr. Marcos in the wrong before public opinion and God.
What lessons does the speaker urge Mr. Marcos to learn from history?
-The speaker urges Mr. Marcos to learn from the fates of other dictators, emphasizing that no dictator has lived forever and that he should study history to avoid the same fate.
What is the speaker's commitment regarding his return to the Philippines and his political future?
-The speaker commits to returning to the Philippines and dedicating himself to the restoration of freedom and the dismantlement of Martial Law, even if it means going back to jail, and states that he has no appetite for office and is not seeking any political position.
Outlines
🗣️ Misunderstandings and Isolation in the Philippines
The speaker begins by recounting a humorous anecdote about a Japanese visitor's difficulty with English pronunciation, which led to the Filipino people being described as 'Rocky' instead of 'lucky.' This light-hearted introduction leads into a serious discussion about the speaker's personal experiences of political imprisonment in the Philippines. The narrative describes the harsh conditions of solitary confinement, the psychological impact of isolation, and the speaker's struggle with the concept of time. It also touches on the political corruption and the speaker's defiance in the face of an unjust military court, vowing to maintain his principles despite the threat of a death sentence.
🏥 Health Crisis and Political Maneuvering
In this paragraph, the speaker details a critical health episode that led to a turning point in his imprisonment. Suffering from severe chest pain, he was initially misdiagnosed by military doctors but eventually was taken to the Philippine Heart Center for proper medical attention. The narrative reveals the political maneuvering involved in getting approval for treatment, including the unexpected death of his advocate, Colonel Bayani Garcia. The speaker's health crisis becomes a catalyst for his eventual release and transfer to the United States for an emergency triple bypass surgery, with conditions attached to ensure his silence on the regime's wrongdoings.
🤝 Christian Socialism and the Path to Freedom
The final paragraph shifts focus to the speaker's political philosophy, outlining the principles of Christian socialism as he understands it. He emphasizes equal opportunity, the importance of the ballot over the bullet, and the need for centralized economic planning to prevent exploitation and monopolies. The speaker also addresses his views on Marcos, considering him a human being capable of change, and calls for non-violent resistance as the means to achieve freedom. He concludes with a commitment to fight for the restoration of freedom and the dismantling of martial law, despite his personal reluctance to return to politics.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Philippines
💡Manila
💡Rocky
💡Imprisonment
💡Loneliness
💡Martial Law
💡Freedom
💡Christian Socialism
💡Dictatorship
💡Nonviolence
💡History
Highlights
The speaker humorously describes the difficulty Japanese people have pronouncing 'the Philippines', turning it into 'the Rocky people'.
The speaker recounts being imprisoned in a mountain hideout with only a brief and t-shirt, refusing to eat for fear of being poisoned.
Describing the intense loneliness and isolation of 7 years in prison without seeing the moon or stars, and the monotony of twiddling thumbs and pacing in a small room.
The emotional impact of being tempted to give up during the 7,285 days in prison, highlighting the human struggle.
The speaker's experience of chest pain and the realization of having blocked arteries, leading to an emergency triple bypass surgery.
The ethical dilemma of undergoing surgery in the Heart Center of Imelda Marcos, and the reluctance to be operated on by the director chosen by Marcos.
The crisis and negotiations with the Deputy Minister of Defense regarding the speaker's decision to have the surgery in America instead of Manila.
Writing a letter to Marcos with two covenants - to return if alive and not to speak against the regime while in America.
The unexpected visit from Imelda Marcos herself, announcing a plane leaving for the surgery and discussing Christian socialism.
Defining Christian socialism as equal opportunity, majority rule respecting minority rights, and opposition to exploitation and monopolies.
The belief in Marcos' humanity and conscience, and the hope to enlighten him about the potential wrongs of his actions.
A call for non-violence, citing Gandhi, and the importance of not justifying Marcos' violent actions with violence.
The speaker's commitment to the restoration of freedom and dismantling martial law, despite having lost appetite for office.
A warning to Marcos to study history and learn from the fate of other dictators, emphasizing the inevitability of change.
The speaker's willingness to return to the Philippines and possibly face jail again for the cause of freedom.
Reflections on the speaker's vow never to enter the political arena again, but dedication to the cause of freedom.
Transcripts
I have been asked by many people
what is the actual situation in the
Philippines I think this Japanese
explained the situation in the
Philippines very well
I sure very well know the Japanese have
a difficulty pronouncing their ass
Manila becomes manira
and so this Japanese gentleman stood up
and said
my dear Filipino people
you are very Rocky
and I consider he said the Filipino
people the most Rocky people in Asia
[Music]
and the people were of course surprised
and they wanted to know why why they
were lucky
he said you know why you are rocky you
have a president who robs you
and you have a first lady who robs you
more
they brought me to a mountain hideout in
the sharamada and placed me in a box I
had only my brief and my t-shirt
I refuse to eat because I thought they
were poisoning me there was nothing in
the room barely nothing
and I had nothing to do but twiddle my
thumb and for the first time in my life
I heard the ticking of every second and
I was counting every second into minutes
and as the minutes marched into hours
and the hours into days and days into
weeks I knew what loneliness meant
for seven years I was not allowed to see
the moon and the stars
there were days where they left me all
alone by myself
I had no reading material
I had nothing I was twiddling my thumb I
Would Walk and Walk and walk across my
room just a room of about four meters by
five meters
hoping that I'll get tired
and then when I get tired I will fall
asleep
knowing that tomorrow will be the same
[Music]
be practical Italian
foreign
that I was tempted in my 7 000 almost 7
285 days in prison to do just that
I'm the human
[Music]
when my wife and children would visit me
and they would leave me a task after one
hour
I also would like to enjoy the Embrace
of my children
and the Peace of my home
[Music]
but if I gave faith in that conviction
if I refuse to accept the jurisdiction
of a military court and because I refuse
to defend myself they will give me the
death sentence
I vowed to myself
that because you have elected me to the
Senate and I gloried in its pump
therefore it is now time that that's my
I am that I must suffer the consequences
of my Ark
and because I knew
because God pray that before me I never
saw them in my life and yet they were
pointing fingers at me accusing me of
crimes I never committed they admitted
to crimes they said they were Communists
they said they were number three in the
Communist hierarchy and yet the
government
set them free
and I was in jail
but I knew
that somehow
I will regain my freedom
maybe not in this world but elsewhere
and I knew
that sometimes somewhere Mr Marcos and I
will meet
and in that meeting I will have my
satisfaction
they allowed me to run and they made a
little Corral for me they brought me out
between 11 and 12 o'clock
every day they brought me out to
exercise
on that particular day of March as I was
walking around my little Corral all of a
sudden I developed a chest pain
and then the pain was so terrible that I
sat down and I asked my guard to massage
my chest and asked him to bring me back
I called for the Army doctors they
checked me and they said
that's nothing just take a rest
and so I rested
but after 40 days I was so weak I could
not even take a bath I was shaking and I
told my doctor I said look doctor
I don't know I said your diagnosis or
its accuracy but I am very very weak
please bring me to the Philippine Heart
Center and get me an examination
that doctor fortunately on that morning
after 40 days on April 10 to 828 his
name is Colonel bayani Garcia came to my
office and said yes
I will now recommend that they bring you
to the Heart Center because apparently
you're not getting well Mr Marcos has
just arrived from Honolulu I will make
my recommendation and I wrote a letter
and I told them if you do not bring me
to the Heart Center I will be
constrained to appeal to the Supreme
Court
and so he said no sir I will talk to the
Commanding General
at one o'clock that day
and knock on my door came and I was
given a letter from the Commanding
General
I thought it was the approval of my
request when I opened the letter it was
handwritten a note and he said my dear
Senator Aquino it is with deep regret
that I inform you your doctor colonel
bayani s Garcia died of a massive heart
attack an hour ago
if you were in my place
here is your doctor telling you this is
how do you feel
[Music]
finally on May 5 1980
almost midnight they took me from myself
and they brought me to the Heart Center
that was a Monday
the doctors in the Heart Center met me
two preliminary tests and they told me
senator they said tomorrow we will begin
the battery of tests
and so I slept
but I could not sleep that was the first
time I was brought out of myself in
almost seven years and seven months
and there are beautiful nurses and the
first time I was seeing women in seven
years in seven months and naturally I
was watching my heart as it was
palpitating
but as I sat down after that x-ray I was
just about to sip my coffee all of a
sudden I get I got hit again by a
terrible chest pain that was almost
choking me and my arm was getting
paralyzed so I told the nurse I said
Miss please bring me to bed so they
brought me to bed and they put all of
those gadgets and all of a sudden the
needles were squiggling and they called
the doctor the doctor looked at the
tracings and then after one hour they
came back to me and said Mr Senator we
are canceling all all tests I said why
because we already know what's wrong
with you I said what's wrong with me you
have blocked arteries and you must
undergo an emergency triple bypass
otherwise you may die in six days to six
months
[Music]
I told them
where can I have my operation
and that's the Heart Center of Imelda
Marcos
[Music]
and I asked
who can do the operation for me the
director said
there are two other assistants if you
want but I'm the only one performing in
the center he was director
he was the director of the Heart Center
hand-picked also by Imelda
I said Doctor
[Music]
thank you
I said
if they cannot operate on me in America
please bring me to myself
put this I did not want them to touch me
in Manila and so there was a crisis
second Deputy Minister of Defense came
to my room he tried to talk me out of my
decision I said no
and so finally he said are you willing
to write a letter to Marcos requesting
to be brought to America I said yes
[Music]
so I wrote my letter to Mr Marcos and
made two Covenants
that if I live I shall return
and to
that while in America I shall not speak
out against this regime
[Music]
and I also said I will only bring three
of my children with me
that's also true
but of course the other two were already
abroad
foreign
and then my friends that was a Wednesday
when I wrote that letter
all of a sudden on Thursday morning May
8th
my wife visited me early in the morning
and she told me the hospital is crawling
with metal form cars guards all over the
place
then all of a sudden my guards started
jumping putting their barong Tagalog
hiding all of their guns
and then lo and behold the beautiful one
ascended into my Suite
she came
and she was really beautiful
she has enough age there's a plane
leaving at six o'clock you can be in
that plane
very simply Christian socialism means to
me an equal opportunity for advancement
and the full development of the human
being
this means that the poorest person in
the land must be given the equal
opportunity for education
number two the Christian socialist
believes that the great legitimizer of
government is the ballot not the bullet
and therefore because we believe in the
ballot we believe in a majority rule so
that if the majority should opt and
should win in a contest then the
minority should accept the majority
Monday but we put
that the majority even if it wins must
respect minority rights number three we
do not believe in the exploitation of
Man by man meaning we do not believe in
unbridled capitalism where the rich will
get richer and the poor will get poorer
in a developed country in America you
may have capitalism but in a country
like the Philippines with very big
resources in a developing economy we
must harness our meager economy and
maximize the benefit and therefore there
should be centralized economic planning
and the government must actually give
the direction as to prevent any overlap
finally I do not believe in the Monopoly
of basic Industries Why should one
family monopolize one electric company
in the Philippines or why should one
family monopolize the ownership of one
airline company in the Philippines or
why should one company monopolize the
telephone company in the Philippines
since the government is funding all of
this to begin with these families are
borrowing from government institutions
and must depend on government guarantees
then I say let the government own them
and let the people share in the prophet
Christian socialism therefore is nothing
more than democracy
Mr Marcos is a human being and Mr Marcos
has a conscience I may even consider
that in his own fashion he thinks he's
doing right it is therefore our duty and
Our obligation to Enlighten him it is
our duty and Our obligation to tell Mr
Marcos that maybe he is wrong but
definitely Mr Marcos is a human being
and I have not lost hope that we can
still reach him in the recesses of his
conscience I've always said that Mr
Marcos is the original terrorist
he is right now employing State violence
but if we use violence against him he
will only justify the use of more
violence against us and since he's more
he's a more violent man he has more
forces of repression we will be the
loser in other words as Gandhi said if
he uses violence against you do not give
him a reason to justify his violence
because if you are not violent then
before the bar of public opinion and
before God he is the only sinner
this struggle can only mean victory for
all of us
it will mean Victory because
we are different from those that we
oppose
those that we oppose are happy with the
material wealth but for how long
I have written Mr Marcus letters upon
letters and I told him
read your history my friend
I have no hatred for you I only have
pity because if you do not see and you
do not remove the calluses from your
eyes if you do not remove your blinders
you will meet the same faith of all the
dictators of History
his wife is now in jail what happened to
piran isabelita is now in jail
what happened to Franco is now forgotten
what happened to happen to the Shah for
all of the things that he did The
Monuments to his greatness have already
been torn down
there has never been a single dictator
in history that has lived forever
and so I tell Mr Marcos
Mr Marcos
study the lessons of History before it
is too late
I am going back to the Philippines and
if I have to go back to jail so be it
while it's true Mr Marcos I said that
after my eight years in prison I have
lost appetite for office
I am no longer seeking the presidency of
this land I'm not seeking any more any
office in this country
but believe me I said when I tell you
that while I have vowed never to enter
the political Arena again
I shall dedicate the last drop of my
blood to the restoration of freedom and
the dismantlement of your Martial law
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