PHILIPPINES NEWS SERVICE — ILOCOS Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos yesterday hinted of a reconciliation with the family of the late former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino, who was buried Wednesday after succumbing to colon cancer on Aug. 1.
Marcos, who visited the wake of the former president at the Manila Cathedral on Tuesday along with his wife Liza Araneta and sister, former Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda “Imee” Marcos, told a television interview that the visit could pave the way for “unity among Filipinos.”
The visit, Marcos said, was to show his family’s respect and condolences to the former president, who ousted the late President Ferdinand Marcos in a civilian-backed military uprising in February 1986.
“It could be the start of unity. We hope to be chance for unity,” according to the son of the late strongman, blamed by the Aquino family to be behind the assassination of opposition stalwart Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. in 1983, an event that led to massive anti-Marcos demonstrations and his eventual overthrow from power.
The congressman admitted that he is “not the best of friends” with any member of the Aquino family, including Kris, his classmate at the Ateneo University whom, he said, was once of his co-sponsors in a baptismal party.
Marcos said he also once saw Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III in a restaurant and beyond that, there was no more contact among any member of each family until he went to the former president’s wake at the Manila Cathedral.
He admitted that the Aquino and Marcos families are in the “opposite side” of the political fence because of “what is happening in politics.”
“The people know the events of 1986,” he said, hoping that “everything would be buried in the pages of history.”
Meanwhile, political analyst Ramon Casiple said Marcos’ visit to the former president’s wake could have a “positive effect and approach to the people” especially that the lawmaker has plans to “get back at national politics.”
Casiple was referring to Marcos’ reported plans to run for senator in the 2010 elections, a post which he sought but lost in the 1995 senatorial race.