22 Facts About Evelio Javier

Evelio Bellaflor Javier was a Filipino politician.

Evelio Javier served as governor of the province of Antique and was an opponent of the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.

In 2018, Javier was identified as a Motu Propio human rights violations victim of the Martial Law Era by the Human Rights Victims Claims Board.

Evelio Bellaflor Javier was born on October 31,1942, in Barangay Lanag, Hamtic, Antique, to Everardo Autajay Javier, a prosecutor and Feliza Bellaflor, a teacher.

Evelio Javier finished grade school in San Jose Elementary School in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique and graduated high school with first honors and college in Ateneo de Manila University.

Evelio Javier passed the bar examination in 1968 before he became a college professor at the Ateneo, a successful lawyer, and entered into politics.

Evelio Javier married Precious Bello Lotilla, daughter of Vicente Lotilla and Angelina Bello of Sibalom, Antique in Manila on December 29,1968.

Evelio Javier ran for governor of Antique and won in 1971 by one of the largest margins in history, making him, at the age of 28, the Philippines' youngest governor at that time.

Evelio Javier did not run again for election in 1980.

In 1984, Evelio Javier ran for a seat in the Regular Batasang Pambansa to represent Antique's lone district, but lost.

Evelio Javier was known to be a crowd favorite wherein he won the hearts of the people of his province.

Seven of Evelio Javier's supporters were killed in what came to be known as the Sibalom Bridge Massacre.

This, along with the massive election fraud prompted Evelio Javier's filing of a protest at the Supreme Court.

However, Evelio Javier asked to rebuke the decision of the commission due to suspicions of compromising the results of the elections, which the Supreme Court eventually decided in his favor on September 22,1986, seven months after his death and six months after the end of the Regular Batasang Pambansa.

Evelio Javier ducked into an alley and tried to hide behind an outhouse door.

Time reported that many in Evelio Javier's camp blamed Pacificador for the assassination:.

Evelio Javier won his seat in the National Assembly by beating Javier in one of the most controversial campaigns of the 1984 election.

The assassination of Evelio Javier fueled the People Power Revolution that happened weeks later on February 22,1986, which ousted Ferdinand Marcos and made Corazon Aquino the President of the Philippines.

Evelio Javier's body processed through Manila, passing Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, where he had thousands of friends and colleagues, days before the revolution.

The day of his assassination is marked as Governor Evelio B Javier Day and is a special non-working public holiday in the provinces of Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and Iloilo, the four provinces on Panay island.

Evelio Javier's was a singular and all-exacting obsession: the return of freedom to his country.

In 1992, Evelio Javier was one of the first individuals to be honored at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, a monument dedicated to those who opposed the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.