Bongbong calls for end of feud between Aquino and Marcos families

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

President Benigno Aquino III and Senator Bongbong Marcos. INQUIRER file photo.

MANILA, Philippines — It is high time to put an end to the decades-old feud between the Aquino and Marcos families, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said on Thursday.

Marcos issued the statement when asked over radio DWIZ about the possibility of the two families reconciling.

“That’s something that would be good for the country. Kasi alam naman natin itong away na ito na hanggang ngayon ay tuluy-tuloy pa. Ito’y sagabal sa pagkakaisa dito sa bansa. Kailangan we have to get past it…put it behind us. Ang daming kailangang gawin,” he said.

(That’s something that would be good for the country. We all know that this feud continues up to now. This prevents us from uniting the country. We have to get past it…put it behind us. There are so many things we need to do.)

“I mean siguro sa pamilya Marcos, wala na ‘yung political fight na yan. Hindi naman ito personal. ‘Yung talagang naglalaban was my father and Ninoy Aquino, ‘60s, ‘70s pa ‘yun so dapat lampasan na natin ‘yun at hindi na ‘yan ang issue ngayon. Wala tayong makukuha sa tuluy-tuloy na pagsusumbatan na Aquino-Marcos for no good reason. We’ll get nothing out of that,” Marcos said.

(I mean, for the Marcos family, this political feud is already over. It’s not personal. It was only my father and Ninoy Aquino who fought in the ‘60s and ‘70s so we should get past it already and stop making an issue out of it. We won’t gain anything from continuing to revive the Aquino-Marcos feud for no reason. We’ll get nothing out of that.)

The senator was referring to Senator Beningo Aquino Jr., who was assassinated upon his return to Manila in August 1983 from a three-year self-imposed exile in the United States. His death sparked national outrage, which resulted in the first People Power revolt in 1986 and the eventual ouster of then President Ferdinand Marcos.

But Senator Marcos said it was already in the past, which should not always be revived.

“We have to unify the country and the country to be unified has to move forward,” he said.

“Hindi tayo pwedeng paulit-ulit, na balik nang balk for 35 years ago kung anong nangyari du’n. Alam na nating lahat kung anong nangyari 35 years ago, gawan natin ng paraan kung ano ang mangyayari ngayon,” the senator added.

(We can’t revive this over and over again—going back to 35 years ago and what happened then. We all know what happened 35 years ago. We need to make way for things that should be happening now.)