The Laban sign is a Filipino hand

gesture A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication or non-vocal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of, or in conjunction with, speech. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or ot ...

made by extending the thumb horizontally and the index finger pointing up, leaving the other fingers closed to create the letter L, which stands for ''laban'' ( Filipino for "fight"). It is sometimes mistaken for the mildly offensive Western "

loser Loser or Losers may refer to: *A person who experiences failure *The unsuccessful social class in winner and loser culture Film and television * ''Loser'', a 1996 film directed by Kirk Harris * ''Loser'' (film), a 2000 movie starring Jason B ...

" and " raised gun" gestures, to which it is unrelated. The term "LABAN" is an abbreviation of Lakas ng Bayan ("People's Power"), a former political coalition organised by opposition

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr., (; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aquin ...

for the 1978 Interim Batasang Pambansa regional elections. The gesture was popular in 1983 during Senator Aquino's

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

, and the 1986 People Power Revolution that his

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

had precipitated. The Laban sign branding was bestowed on Ninoy's widow, Cory Aquino, along with the color yellow by Public Relations practitioner Reli German. In 2009, the Laban sign was again widely seen during the

of Cory Aquino, and the subsequent presidential campaign of their son, President Benigno Aquino III, before the

2010 Philippine elections Elections for all positions in the Philippines above the barangay (except for Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao regional level) were held on May 10, 2010. The elected president is Benigno Aquino III, the 15th President of the Philippines, s ...

. In 2021, upon announcing the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo for the upcoming

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, the gesture was associated to her

campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed * Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * B ...

References

{{Gestures Hand gestures People Power Revolution