VERITAS continued to report on the public revulsion that grew over the ensuing days and years. Listeners to the station, which was broadcasting live from the airport, heard the immediate news of the shooting of Aquino on the ramp, and listened to an on-the-scene interview with his brother-in-law, an experienced broadcaster, who had been accompanying him. It was the coverage of the assassination of former Senator Benigno Aquino when he was landing at the Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983-that made the reputation of RADIO VERITAS. RADIO VERITAS in the Philippines, however, continued to struggle with programming and budgetary constraints. By 1979 the overseas sector was broadcasting in six languages and receiving 45,000 letters annually from listeners. He was financed by the German Catholic Social Aid Fund and the Pontifical Society for Propagation of the Faith and by a large number of Asian and Philippine bishops. There was a new beginning for RADIO VERITAS in 1974-75 under the leadership of then archbishop and now cardinal, Jaime Sin. The previous year martial law had been declared in the Philippines, which inhibited free expression, by the media. In 1973 its overseas short-wave transmitters broke down and were officially closed. ![]() It pledged to broadcast "everything true, noble, good and pure or worthy of praise." Customs delays, loss of equipment and materials enroute, and bad weather slowed construction, but RADIO VERITAS was finally inaugurated in 1969. The Federal Republic of Germany provided for three-fourths of the initial cost (short-wave equipment and installation) and later gave additional assistance, as did Australian bishops and others. Other religious groups were active in broadcasting when in 1962 the University of Santo Tomas with the approval of the Philippine Congress transferred its license and equipment to the Philippine Radio Educational and Information Center, under the chairmanship of Rufino Cardinal Santos, to establish a Catholic Asian broadcasting system. The beginnings of RADIO VERITAS were not auspicious. Some merely endured with frustration or anger. ![]() Many suffered for this, either through incarceration or self-chosen banishment. During both Japan's military occupation in World War II and the harsh era of President Ferdinand Marcos' authoritarianism, expectations of free expression shaped the actions of writers and their audiences. Although frequently abused, this freedom remains the ultimate guardian of human liberty. The Philippines is heir to the great tradition of freedom of the press and airwaves. This performance encourages the Foundation to recognize a collective effort in a category normally restricted to individuals. Between 19 those in charge of RADIO VERITAS played a key role in mobilizing the people's power for a remarkably peaceful transition in authority. It teaches that there are moments when the will and work of a handful of free men and women can break through and shape a new society.
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