Riding the Ninoy-Cory “legacy” is riding a bunch of lies

April 10, 2015

by Celestino Manrique II

President BS Aquino III has always repeated his parents’ “glory” and their “sacrifices for the country” ad nauseam in his speeches. This has become a routine for him whenever he would speak in public events, and even in wakes. Such a routine has become very annoying that I would just flip the channel to watch basketball GAMES or other science channels. Let us take a second look at the people that BS Aquino has always rode on.

You have the mother, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, the woman who rose to the presidency after a US-backed coup (see Mike Billington’s Shultz and the Hit Men Destroyed the Philippines) overthrew the government of President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. Cory Aquino supporters have gained the audacity to VENERATE her as a saint. However, sorry to say, what the Yellow Media has not shown the people is that Cory Aquino’s actions are the opposites of those of a saint.

Then, there is the father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. A hero as projected by the media, he is often labeled as the one who fought against the Marcos dictatorship in the 1970s. Never mind that it was Salvador Laurel who was organizing the opposition against Marcos in those days. In 1983, Ninoy was gunned down at the Manila International Airport as he returned to the Philippines from the United States, thus making him a martyr. It has always been widely spread (and sadly, believed) that the Marcoses were the demons that terrorized and plundered the nation and that the Aquinos were like the messiah that was going toSAVE the Philippines.

This propaganda promoting Ninoy and Cory helped BS Aquino bag the presidency in 2010. And sure enough, he has also used the very same Ninoy and Cory propaganda in his speeches to project himself as some sort of successor to the messiah. And as BS Aquino rides his parents’ glorious names, he also rides falsehoods. Here is why:

1. Ninoy vowed to drop the Sabah claim to get Kuala Lumpur support versus Marcos. This was confirmed by former General Rafael Ileto, who was ditched by Marcos after he began questioning the regime. Ninoy had promised to Malaysia that he would drop the Philippines’ claim for Sabah, provided that Kuala Lumpur would provide him support to take down Marcos and propel himself to the presidency.
2. Ninoy collaborated with Jose Maria Sison. There was a reason why the former dictator had to arrest his fraternity brother. In a meeting with Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, Ninoy confirmed having met with Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, to support an armed political struggle against the Marcos government. Besides the testimony of Enrile, several other accounts prove that Ninoy was in cahoots with Jose Maria Sison and the CPP-NPA.
3. Ninoy was not the main leader of the opposition. In fact, Ninoy was a very close friend of President Marcos because they were from the same fraternity. If someone had to be credited for organizing the anti-Marcos opposition, it would be Salvador Laurel. It was also Laurel who was supposed to run for President in 1986.
4. Cory Aquino kicked aside Doy Laurel for the presidency. Never mind that it was Doy Laurel who organized the anti-Marcos opposition for many years. Never mind that it was Doy Laurel who had the experience in governing as a former Senator and member of the Batasang Pambansa. Cory just had to disregard it all and run for the presidency herself. Ultimately, Laurel was forced to give in and run as Vice President instead.
5. Cory Aquino ascended to the presidency through a power grab. It is ironic how the 1986 EDSA Revolution was labeled as People Power when it was not a time of national unity. It was instead a time of national fragmentation. The country was split in two, the Marcos side and the Aquino side. Ferdinand Marcos was proclaimed as the winner of the controversial 1986 presidential election. NAMFREL also said it was Cory Aquino who won the election, although NAMFREL had counted only 70% of the election returns. After Marcos left the Palace, Cory Aquino grabbed power and assumed the presidency with the help of mutineers from the AFP. Never mind that after Marcos, it should have been Vice President Arturo Tolentino assuming the presidency. EDSA 1986 was not unity, it was fragmentation.
6. Cory Aquino double-crossed Doy Laurel. Being an inexperienced housewife, Cory Aquino promised that she would let Laurel run the government as Prime Minister. Instead, a month after EDSA, Cory abolished the parliamentary government, relieved Laurel as prime minister, and put up a constitution of her own. Her reason? That EDSA “removed all her promises.”
7. Hacienda Luisita. Enough said.