Bongbong ‘apologizes’ to victims of Marcos regime

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO/RYAN LEAGOGO

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. “apologized” on Wednesday to the people, who claimed they were victimized during the regime of his father and namesake, the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

“Kung meron akong sinaktan, I will always say sorry but what I’ve been guilty of to apologize about?” Marcos said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel’s morning show’ “Headstart” when told about a viewer’s question if he would apologize over the alleged atrocities committed during the time of his father.

“We have constantly said, if during that time of my father, merong mga nasagasaan or meron sinasabing hindi natulungan (if there were those who were hit or not given assistance) or they were victimized in some way or another, of course we’re sorry that that happened. Nobody wants that to have happened,” he said.

“But will I say sorry for the thousands and thousands of kilometers that were built? Will I say sorry for the agricultural policy that brought us to self-sufficiency in rice? Will I say sorry for the power generation? Will I say sorry for the highest literacy rate in Asia? What [am I] to say sorry about?” the senator asked.

Marcos said that, in fact, the general sentiment of the people that life was better during the time of his father is one of the reasons why he is now considering to run for a higher post in 2016.

READ: Bongbong Marcos eyeing higher post in 2016

“I think it’s the history in the recent years, the political history in the recent years and the constant refrain na ‘buti pa noong panahon ni Marcos, maginhawa ang buhay, buti pa noong panahon ni Marcos, tinutulungan kami ng pamahalaan, maraming programa, maraming proyekto. Mula noong pinalitan s’ya, wala na kaming nakitang ganun. Sana maibalik ‘yun.’ That’s the general sentiment,” he said.

(I think it’s the history in the recent years, the political history in the recent years and the constant refrain that “it was better during the time of Marcos because life was easy, the government helped a lot of people and implemented several programs and projects. Since he was ousted, we have not experienced anything like that. We hope that kind of service is revived.” That’s the general sentiment.)

Though running for re-election in the Senate remains an option, the senator reiterated that discussions are now centered on his possible run for a higher post next year.

Told that running for a higher post would be a risk for him compared with other senators who would remain in the Senate even if they run and lose in next year’s elections, Marcos said: “Well, who dares wins.”

Asked again if he thinks it was too soon for him to take that risk, Marcos said: “That’s precisely what we’re trying to determine. Is this the time? Is this the right time? Should we wait? Should we not?”

READ: Never say never again? Bongbong ponders if it’s a go in 2016

“There’s very much an element that there’s a moment, that if you allow it to pass will never come back and I think we’ve seen this with others …and I think some of the potentials are thinking that way, baka ito na (that this might be it),” he added. IDL