Enrile hits Aquino, defends Marcos years
SENATE Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile last night said President Aquino did not know what he was talking about in condemning the Marcos regime.
“I am sorry to say this, [the President] is very strong in blaming others, pointing his fingers at others, and [blaming] them. But he’s very weak and poor in knowledge and understanding,” Enrile told the Inquirer by phone.
Enrile was reacting to President Aquino’s statements during the 30th Edsa People Power anniversary celebration where the Chief Executive condemned the view of some people that the Marcos dictatorship was the golden years of the Philippines.
The President also reiterated that Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. should apologize for the human rights abuses of the martial law regime of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Enrile said the plans being implemented by the Aquino administration were made during the Marcos years.
He also said President Aquino was “inconsistent.”
“Why are we still enforcing the laws made in the Marcos years if he was really that bad,” Enrile said, referring to the late dictator.
He pointed out that the government was now using for its programs coco levy funds that were put up during the Marcos years.
At one point, Enrile also asked President Aquino who was Commander Felman to his late father, Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.
He said Commander Felman served as a bodyguard of the late senator but he was also a “principal” commander of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Asked whether he was saying that the late senator had links to the CPP, Enrile said, “I’m just stating facts, not conclusions.”
On whether Senator Marcos should apologize for the past, Enrile said: “I don’t know if he has anything to be sorry for. You better ask him.”
