Who killed Ninoy?

MANILA -- The country commemorates today the heroism of former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. whose death unified Filipinos against a dictatorship. But 30 years after his death, the question still remains: Who killed Ninoy? On August 21, 1983, five soldiers fetched Ninoy from China Airlines Flight 811 at the Manila International Airport. Based on the video repeatedly shown by Malacañang on television, the group was alighting from the plane when Rolando Galman suddenly emerged and shot Ninoy. His escorts fired back. Galman was riddled with bullets. One of the lawyers of the accused, Mario Bautista, said if the story is to be believed, then how did Galman manage to get his gun through airport security? "It was a .357 magnum revolver. Kung ikaw ay assassin, hindi ka magdadala ng ganung kalaking baril," Bautista said. There is not one but two .357 magnum revolvers with the same serial number in the custody of the Sandiganbayan. One of the guns was stolen from Col. Octavio Alvarez, the former chief of the Metrocom Intelligence Group. The prosecution said it was either a .45 caliber or a .38 caliber that killed Ninoy. These are guns commonly used by soldiers and police. Alvarez still wonders why two members of the Philippine Constabulary were allowed to join the Aviation Security Command. Aside from the gunshot, an autopsy also showed a depression in the skull of Ninoy which indicates he may have been hit with a blunt object. "I don't know kung siya ay napalo or tumama yung ulo sa isang blunt object, and that can be anything," forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun said. The Agrava Fact-fingding Board concluded there was a military conspiracy to assassinate Ninoy. -- ANC