Vice President Leni Robredo (left) and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A group supporting the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo is “strongly opposing” the visit to Tarlac of presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The group “Robredo People’s Council-Tarlac” on Thursday said Marcos Jr. is an “unwelcome guest” in the province.
“We, Tarlacqueños with a sense of history and a firm belief in truth and justice, wish to strongly oppose the visit of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to our beloved province on April 2, 2022,” the pro-Robredo group said in a Facebook post.
“Tarlacqueños are not dishonest. We are not tax evaders and revisionists of history and his visit does not sit well with the peace loving and good citizens of Tarlac,” the group added.
The group cited three reasons for opposing Marcos Jr.’s visit to Tarlac.
According to them, Marcos Jr. has failed to “acknowledge the wrongdoings committed during Martial Law”, particularly the “suffering experienced by a beloved Tarlacqueño former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and countless others.”
Senator Ninoy Aquino was a staunch opposition figure of Marcos Jr.’s father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Senator Aquino was shot dead at the Manila International Airport in August 1983.
The assassination of Senator Ninoy Aquino served as one of the triggers to what would later become the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution that ousted the Marcoses from power.
Lies and dishonesty, failure to settle taxes
Further, the group likewise pointed out that Marcos Jr. continues to peddle “lies and dishonesty” involving his academic records “which is not consistent with competency to lead the government as President of the Philippines.”
Marcos Jr. has insisted that he obtained a degree from the University of Oxford.
However, Oxford Philippines Society, a group of Filipino Oxford students and alumni said Marcos did not obtain a degree from the university.
“Bongbong Marcos did not finish his Degree. This was officially confirmed by Oxford University in 2015… Bongbong Marcos has been awarded a Special Diploma in Social Studies in 1978. A Special Diploma is not a degree, and neither is it comparable, superior nor equivalent to one,” the Oxford Philippines Society said.
Aside from Marcos Jr.’s educational background, the pro-Robredo group also pointed out that the Marcos family has yet to settle their P203 billion estate tax.
“We put forward that Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is [an] unwelcome guest in the province of Tarlac and strongly oppose his visit on April 2, 2022,” the Robredo People’s Council-Tarlac said.
INQUIRER.net has reached out to the camp of Marcos Jr. to comment on this story but has yet to receive a reply as of posting time.