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  • 2020-10-21 (xsd:date)
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  • The 1977 death sentence against Philippine opposition figure Ninoy Aquino was widely covered by the press and remains a documented historical event (en)
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  • A photo that shows Philippine politician Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr. being sentenced to death in 1977 has been shared thousands of times in multiple Facebook and Twitter posts that claim the event was hidden from the public. The claim is misleading; multiple news organisations reported on the sentence in 1977 and the photo of the sentencing is publicly available in historical records. The image has been shared almost 10,000 times since being published on Facebook here on March 23, 2018. A screenshot of the misleading post, taken on October 16, 2020 The photo is overlaid with text that reads: HIDDEN TRUTH / FACTS DENIED BY YELLOW MEDIA AND HISTORY BOOKS / In 1977, opposition leader Benigno 'Ninoy' S. Aquino Jr. (RIGHT) was sentenced to death by firing squad. The Military Commission No. 2 convicted him of charges of subversion, murder, and illegal possession of firearms. The Facebook post re-states the same claim in Tagalog language, adding: In other words, Ninoy Aquino is a criminal. Aquino Jr., popularly known as Ninoy , was a prominent political rival of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos. He was among the first arrested following the declaration of martial law in 1972 and was sentenced to death by a military commision in 1977. However Aquino Jr. was never executed and was allowed to seek medical aid and self-exile in the US. Aquino Jr. was assassinated upon returning to the Philippines in 1983 -- an event widely seen as being key to Marcos’ downfall. In 1986, Marcos was replaced as president by Aquino Jr.’s wife, Corazon Aquino. Yellow is a pejorative term for Aquino Jr.’s Liberal Party . His son, Benigno Aquino III, served as Philippine president from 2010 to 2016 and is currently chair emeritus of the party. Identical images were also shared alongside a similar claim here , here , here and here on Facebook; and here on Twitter. However, the claim is misleading. Media coverage of 1977 death sentence Keyword searches on Google found multiple news reports that documented the verdict issued against Aquino Jr. in 1977. This Washington Post report, published November 26, 1977, states: A principal opponent of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos was sentenced yesterday to be executed by a firing squad along with two Communist guerrilla leaders. Former Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr., 44, who has been in jail since Marcos declared martial law five years ago, was convicted by a military tribunal in Manila of charges of subversion, murder and illegal possession of firearms. On November 27, 1977, the Associated Press released this video report on the verdict. The video’s 38-second mark corresponds to the photo in the misleading posts. The death sentence was also covered in the Philippine press, for example by the Bulletin Today newspaper, as seen in this documentary film. Photo posted during Liberal Party administration in 2013 A reverse image search on TinEye also found the photo in the misleading posts was not 'hidden' by the Liberal Party. The photo was published with a similar caption on Tumblr here by the Presidential Museum and Library on November 25, 2013, which was during the term of Aquino III. Below is a screenshot comparison of the photo in the misleading posts (L) and the Presidential Museum and Library photo (R): Screenshot comparison (en)
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