MANILA, Philippines?President Benigno Aquino III Wednesday disputed the claim of Sen. Ferdinand ?Bongbong? Marcos Jr. that the Philippines could have become a prosperous country like Singapore had the latter?s father and namesake not been overthrown in 1986.

?To those who are interested, look at how much the foreign debt was when his father started his administration. In 1974 or so, it only involved one hundred million. When they left, it already reached billions, a lot of billions,? Mr. Aquino told reporters after addressing students at Rizal High School in Pasig City on Youth Day.

?How could we have become like Singapore?? he said.

The event at the high school was part of the weeklong celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution that toppled the Marcos regime and installed the President?s mother, the late Corazon Aquino, as the country?s leader on Feb. 25, 1986.

Mr. Aquino said a lot more could be said about the Marcos regime but it would go against the spirit of EDSA. ?Perhaps, the most accurate statement there would be they had an opportunity to improve our economy,? Mr. Aquino said.

?But the result really was after, 14 years from 1972 to 1986, we were left behind by all others. And until now, we continue to still pay for the costs of (Marcos?) misrule,? he added.

Binay on Marcos burial

Mr. Aquino also told reporters that he had asked Vice President Jejomar Binay to look into Bongbong?s call for the government to allow the late dictator to be buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Bongbong earlier called on Malacañang to allow his father to be buried at the heroes? cemetery after Angelo Reyes was laid to rest there despite allegations of corruption against the former Armed Forces chief of staff.

Mr. Aquino inhibited himself from deciding on the senator?s call because he said he had too much personal attachment to the issue.

?When I wasn?t President yet, you knew my opinion on the issue. It?s my personal stand and it hasn?t changed,? he said.

The President and Bongbong?s fathers were bitter political rivals in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The 1983 assassination of former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. was widely blamed on the elder Marcos.

?Well, (Binay) also has a strong opinion about the matter but it is likely there would be less criticism that he?d take on the issue at a personal level,? Mr. Aquino said.

?(Binay) will give it a fair hearing then he will ? tell me the results of the study,? he said.

The dictator Marcos died from a lingering illness in Hawaii on Sept. 28, 1989, three years after he and his family went into exile. His remains were later brought to the Philippines.

Spirited away

Bongbong claimed on Tuesday that the Marcos family was spirited away to Hawaii in 1986 against their will.

In Iloilo City, former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, who was with the opposition during EDSA I, on Wednesday confirmed the account of Bongbong.

?What (Senator Marcos) said is true. They were taken out because they wanted to stay in the country during (the EDSA uprising),? Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez, who was chief legal counsel of the opposition Unido political party, said he was with Salvador Laurel at the latter?s house on Shaw Boulevard when Laurel met with then Natural Resources Minister Teodoro Peña.

Gonzalez said Peña told Laurel, running mate of Cory Aquino in the snap presidential election in 1986, that Marcos was willing to leave Malacañang with his family if they could stay in Paoay town in Marcos? home province of Ilocos Norte.

Paoay

The Marcoses have a mansion in Paoay named ?Malacañang of the North,? which served as the official residence of the late strongman?s family when they were in Ilocos.

Marcos, Laurel and Peña were members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity at the University of the Philippines.

?What I know is that the offer was referred to Cory (Corazon Aquino) but the US Embassy did not agree,? Gonzalez said.

He said Laurel also had considered the proposal ?dangerous? because of the many supporters of the Marcoses in northern Luzon.

The Marcoses and an entourage of supporters were flown to Hawaii on a US Air Force plane at the height of the EDSA uprising.