Mayor slams Aquinos for ‘neglecting’ Tarlac town

SAN MANUEL, Tarlac — Mayor Benjamin Tesoro took the town’s celebration of the 86th birthday of the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. on Tuesday to take potshots at the Aquino family for the “neglect” his town suffered during the term of Aquino’s son, Benigno III.

While introducing Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, former President Aquino’s cousin, Tesoro surprised the crowd that gathered during the celebration on Tuesday when he said that the Aquino family “did not do anything” for San Manuel, a fourth class town.

Snubbed

In the past, Tesoro had complained about being snubbed by the former president.

“The market I asked your cousin to build … It never happened. I caught the ire of one of the councilors for failing to put up a market,” Tesoro told Senator Aquino.

“I was advised to write the Senate and I complained to them about your cousin. I told them he was no good. He is from Tarlac but San Manuel is the poorest Tarlac town and he did nothing to help us,” he said.

Tesoro apologized to the senator for the rant, but he said “this is the truth.”

“This is an opportunity for me to say I hope you can redeem yourself. This town has genuine love for your family,” he added.

Frustration

In his response, Senator Aquino said Tesoro was “carried away by his frustrations,” but had remained a true friend of his family.

“I know how much Mayor Tesoro loves Tito Ninoy. He was [Ninoy’s] scholar from the time he was 12 years old until he entered the Philippine Military Academy,” the senator said.

Aquino said Tesoro was the former president of the Scholars Association of Sen. Ninoy Aquino.

“I’ve heard a lot of complaints through Facebook and YouTube, but despite these issues, Mayor Tesoro continues to celebrate Ninoy’s birthday,” Aquino said.

Ninoy started his political career as mayor of Concepcion town. He was elected Tarlac governor in 1961 and senator in 1967.

“Let us let go of all these hurts, these pains and move forward. I assure San Manuel your needs will be addressed at the Senate,” he said.

Tesoro asked Aquino to help build a Tarlac Agriculture University and improve the town’s national high school building, which has only four classrooms. —Maria Adelaida Calayag