30th death anniversary of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday urged Filipinos to be everyday heroes and to follow the example of his martyred father.

On the 30th death anniversary of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., the President asked the nation to “celebrate his courage and patriotism.”

“Let the heroes in each of us thrive in our everyday words and action, in service of the greater good,” Aquino, Ninoy's only son, said.

Hard-won freedom, Aquino said, should be used to “spark a revolution for positive change and cast our stake in forging our destiny as a nation.”

“Individual choice can change the course of our history,” Aquino said, citing his father’s decision to return to the country despite the perils.

Ninoy returned to the country August 21, 1983  after years of exile in the United States with his family during Martial Law.

“[H]e headed home, alone, heart burning with fervor, to fight for the democracy he dreamed of reclaiming for his country,” the President said.

“No exile could lull him into comfort amidst the pleas of his kababayans for a peaceful life; no distance could make him neglect the duties he swore to his motherland,” he added.

Upon his arrival, Ninoy was shot to death at the tarmac of what was then the Manila International Airport, which is now named after him.

His death spurred the famed People Poweer revolution, which ousted strongman Ferdinand Marcos from power in 1986.

“Time and again, we have proven that no challenge is too daunting and no task is too great for a united Filipino nation,” the President said.

He added: “Let us remain steadfast in our journey of renewal and bestow the legacy of an even more mature democracy upon coming generations.”