Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO/RYAN LEAGOGO
STICK to clean, decent campaigning, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday urged his opponents for vice president in the May elections.
The namesake son of the late dictator was the object of widespread condemnation during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution in reaction to a front-page article in The New York Times last week that said some Filipinos were yearning for the “golden age” of Marcos.
President Aquino led the Marcos pounding, devoting his Edsa anniversary address on Thursday to the lack of remorse of the vice presidential aspirant for the abuses under his father’s 14 years of martial law rule.
Over the weekend, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, also a vice presidential candidate who trails Marcos in voter preference polls, joined the bashing. He said the dictator’s son need not apologize for martial law abuses but should turn over the alleged fabulous wealth illegally amassed by the father.
Abakada Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz, Marcos’ campaign manager, described Cayetano’s tirade as a “political gambit.”
De la Cruz said it was saddening that Cayetano was resorting to “foul play,” diverting the public’s attention from pressing problems like divisiveness and poverty.
“This is not the kind of politics and campaigning that the people need now,” he said.
De la Cruz pointed out that Marcos was focused on finding solutions to the country’s problems in “clean, decent campaigning”
“Political leaders must put together the broken pieces of the country,” De la Cruz said, urging Cayetano to emulate Marcos by embarking on a progressive campaign, sticking to discussions on programs and policies that would address the country’s woes.
“Stop the innuendos. Let history be the judge,” De la Cruz said, adding that continuously digging up the past would only leave the country stuck in a hole.
He further said that Cayetano should let the courts decide on the cases filed against the Marcoses.
Even so, Malacañang yesterday continued its blasts against Marcos.
Refused to apologize
In an interview over Radyo ng Bayan, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Marcos lacked honesty and trustworthiness and did not deserve the vote of the people.
He said Marcos “continues to paint a rosy picture of what actually happened during martial law and glosses over the oppressive character of the dictatorship.”
Marcos has refused to apologize for the human rights violation and torture of thousands of victims of his father’s regime, Coloma said.
“Should our people trust a candidate who refuses to acknowledge what actually happened and attempts to divert our attention from reality?” Coloma said in a text message. “Our bosses (the people) know better and we trust they will decide wisely on election day.” With a report from Christine O. Avendaño