Former President Benigno Aquino III (center) is greeted by supporters who want to have a selfie with him during the ‘Prayer for 8’ concert at the Lapu-Lapu monument at Rizal Park in Manila. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
Former President Benigno Aquino III said he was not breaking his self-imposed yearlong moratorium on being critical against the Duterte administration when he joined a gathering last Sunday that called on Supreme Court justices to vote against the burial of Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB).
“I am part of the crowd. I am just listening to the sentiments of my co-citizens,” Aquino said when asked about his rare public appearance, amid the noise from the “Pray for 8” concert performers on Sunday night.
A known music-lover, Aquino was apparently unable to enjoy the songs played at the event, which included one of his favorite performers, Noel Cabangon, as the media and the people hovered over him.
Aquino briefly stopped the interview when Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan led a prayer onstage.
While he still declined to comment on the recent statements of President Duterte, Aquino stood by Senator Leila de Lima, his former Justice Secretary.
Aquino hoped for a “fair and just investigation” of De Lima, whom he said was one of his “principal advisers on legal matters” during his presidency.
“I think she can show her side [of the story], her position, and she can clear everything that happened… that justice will prevail in our country,” Aquino said.
The former President recalled that one of the “darkest periods” of martial law was the mock military trial of his father, who faced trumped up charges in the 1970s, and expressed hope that such a kangaroo court would not happen in the country again.
“I experienced one of the darkest days of martial law, which was the trial of my father. The witnesses were made to read from a script and when you made a mistake, the trial would stop and the script would be read again. That was a dark part of our history as a nation. I hope that does not happen again,” Aquino said.
Aquino was also asked about the death of Albuera, Leyte, Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr., who was killed while detained at a local police prison cell.
He said like everybody else, he was curious about the circumstances of the mayor’s death.
“We hope there would be a prompt investigation and we will know what really happened,” Aquino said.
The Pray for 8 event was a concert and prayer rally organized by martial law survivors and their supporters to call on Supreme Court justices to stop the Duterte administration from burying the dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
The high tribunal is expected to vote on the petition against a hero’s burial for Marcos at their en banc session tomorrow, Nov. 8. CBB/rga
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