Looking at Avsecom ‘death van’ that carried Ninoy still pains PNoy

On Saturday, the nation will mark the 27th year of the martyrdom Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., but his son President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III still finds it difficult to look at the van that carried the assassinated senator and opposition leader without feeling resentment. In a press conference, Aquino said the Sandiganbayan records on the murder of his father and Rolando Galman on Aug. 21, 1983 contains a portion that says the Aviation Security Command (Avsecom) van where Ninoy was thrown into after he was fatally shot took a "tour" instead of immediately bringing the fallen senator to a medical facility. According to President Aquino, Sandiganbayan members suspected that his father’s head was “hit by the rifle of one of the people inside the Avsecom van to ensure that he died." He added that based on “testimony gathered," a certain general whose name he did not mention “stopped the van ostensibly on their way to the medical facility to inquire as to whether or not my father had already died," as if to ensure that the assassinated Ninoy was truly dead. "Looking at the van does not bring any good memories to me and, in fact, it might induce a lot of anger that, of course, I cannot allow to fester nor to express being the President of the Republic. I have to divorce the personal side from my public obligations," he said. President Aquino said he will visit his father's grave at the Manila Memorial Park on Ninoy's death anniversary on Saturday. His mother, the late president Corazon “Cory" Aquino, who passed away August 1 last year, is buried beside Ninoy. "Hopefully, I will be given some opportunity to pray for him in peace rather than to have a circus there," he said, in reference to occasional visits to his parents’ grave that turned into political events with full media coverage. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, a Cory loyalist, will hold commemorative activities in Manila on Saturday while President Aquino's relatives Butz Aquino and Tessie Aquino-Oreta will attend related activities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the site of Ninoy's assassination and which was then called Manila International Airport. The assassination of the elder Aquino, who intended to lead the opposition upon his return from US exile, was widely perceived to have been masterminded by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos himself and his close associates. In 1985, amid intense mass protests and political pressure, Marcos allowed 25 military personnel, including several high-ranking officers, to be charged for the Aquino-Galman murders. A quick trial by the Sandiganbayan acquitted all the accused. After Marcos’ downfall in 1986, the Corazon Aquino government re-opened the double murder case. Sixteen military men led by then Brig. Gen. Luther Custodio as Avsecom chief were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Some of those convicted were pardoned or had their terms commuted, while a few died in prison. As of last year, the last remaining convicts have been released from prison.—Jam L. Sisante/JV, GMANews.TV