ON AUGUST 21, we honor the legacy and courage of a man who gave his life to the struggle against the dictatorship. And we call upon the youth to join us and rise to the challenge of defending history.
Ninoy Aquino was one of the most vocal critics of the corrupt Marcos administration. When the abuses were at their peak, he never wavered. He called out the violence, the destruction of innocent lives, and the excess of the Marcoses and their cronies that plunged the country into generational poverty. He would pay for this courage with his life.
Now, we live in an age where the greatest casualty is truth itself. And the stakes are very real. Without truth, corruption, violence, and greed will thrive unchecked. Innocent lives will suffer, the poor will continue to see their dreams die while the wealth of this nation will stay in the hands of a few. This is the urgency that the truth calls us to heed. Reclaiming our future as a nation begins today.
And the young are ideally placed to show us the way. 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.
And so we stand, and in solidarity, we tie a yellow ribbon to show our shared commitment to the vision of a society that all our heroes dreamed on our behalf. A fairer, more just, and more compassionate nation that answers the abuse of power with unwavering courage for what is right.
-Tindig Pilipinas