Aquino, Diokno prison cells
now a shrine to heroism
Posted: 11:50 PM (Manila Time) | Feb. 25, 2003
By Anselmo Roque
Inquirer News Service

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija -- "Let this shrine be a memorial to life, not death; peace, not war; and faith in the Filipino, not in the United States."

Thus spoke Carmen Diokno, widow of Sen. Jose W. Diokno, in her response after the inauguration on Tuesday afternoon of the Aquino-Diokno National Shrine here.

The shrine was the reconstructed detention cell of Diokno and murdered Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. at the Army camp here. The building used to be the Philippine Army's intelligence service office, and is located about 150 meters from the camp's main gate.

At the outset of martial rule, Aquino and Diokno were arrested in Metro Manila and detained in Camp Crame. Six months later on March 12, 1973, they were brought to the military camp here. They were kept in solitary confinement.

Former President Corazon Aquino said she agreed with Diokno that the memorial for the two former senators, both leading figures in the fight against the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos' martial rule, was not only for "Pepe and Ninoy, but for all of us Filipinos."

"We look for heroes and so here are these two men who were ready and willing to sacrifice everything so that we could enjoy our freedom and restore democracy in our country," Aquino said.

President Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated the shrine, which used to house the military security detachment of the Army's Military Security Unit in this 35,000-hectare military reservation.

In their respective cells, measuring 3 by 4 meters each, Diokno and Aquino never knew whether it was night or day as lights in the facility were on 24 hours a day.

Their wives were allowed to see their husbands starting only on April 8, 1973. The two women said they never had the chance to touch their husbands as they were not allowed to enter the facility, which was secured by barbed wire.

Maj. Gen. Alberto Braganza, commanding general of the Army's 7th Infantry Division, said Ms Macapagal ordered him last year to reconstruct the building for a memorial to Aquino and Diokno.

Braganza said Ms Macapagal issued the order during her visit to the Ninoy Aquino Museum in Tarlac City on Dec. 17 last year.

"The command is deeply proud and honored to be part of this celebration. It has been a dream of past 7th ID commanders for this memorial to be set up. Now it is realized and we are lucky this happened during our time," Braganza said.

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