MANILA — 1983 · Murder
The Assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino
Former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, the leading opponent of Ferdinand Marcos, landed at Manila International Airport on 21 August 1983 after three years of exile in the United States. As soldiers escorted him off the plane, he was shot in the head on the stairway. A man killed at the scene was presented as the gunman. The independent Agrava Board set up by Marcos pointed in 1984 to a military conspiracy, but all 26 defendants were acquitted in 1985. The killing accelerated the path to the 1986 People Power Revolution. The acquittal was later annulled as a mistrial, and at a 1990 retrial 16 soldiers were sentenced to life imprisonment. Who ordered the assassination has never been officially proven.
- Date
- 1983
- Place
- Metro Manila, Philippines, Manila, PH
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 14.5080, 121.0190 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 21 August 1983Ninoy Aquino was shot dead at Manila airport.
- October 1983The Agrava Board was set up to investigate.
- October 1984The board reported a military conspiracy.
- December 1985A special court acquitted all 26 defendants.
- February 1986The People Power Revolution ended Marcos's rule.
- 28 September 1990At a retrial 16 soldiers were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Sources
- GMA News — Aquino-Galman murder convict freed gmanetwork.com ↗
- Philippine Daily Inquirer — Agrava report on Ninoy slay newsinfo.inquirer.net ↗
- Wikipedia — Assassination of Ninoy Aquino en.wikipedia.org ↗
- GMA News
- TIME
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.