Noynoy campaigns in Ilocos Norte, pays visit to Marcos nephew
03/18/2010 | 07:48 PM
(Updated 9:37 PM) LAOAG, Ilocos Norte - When Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Senator Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III arrived in Ilocos Norte, one of the very first things he did was to pay a visit to the nephew of the late dictator president Ferdinand Marcos.
The move was not unexpected.
After all, Ilocos Norte Governor Michael Marcos Keon, who is running for re-election under administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD, has been adopted as the LP’s gubernatorial candidate and former President Joseph Estrada's Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.
"The reason why you see pictures of me and Noynoy around the city is because the Liberal Party adopted me as their gubernatorial candidate. It was not only the Liberal party but also the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino," Keon told reporters before meeting with Noynoy.
"I'm extending the courtesy of kapitolyo (capitol) and of the province to Senator Aquino as I did also for Erap [Estrada's nickname]," Keon added, although he maintained that he is supporting administration standard bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
Keon, son of former provincial governor Elizabeth Marcos Keon, is running against his cousin Imee Marcos, daughter of Marcos and former Ilocos Norte representative.
When late president Marcos declared martial law, he jailed Noynoy's father, martyred senator Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr., whose assassination helped cement opposition against the strongman, later leading to his downfall.
But now that Noynoy is seeking the presidency, the Liberal Party bet is trying his best to gain more votes, even in Ilocos Norte, a region known for its residents’ collective loyalty to the Marcoses.
Noynoy: I never blamed Marcos children for my father’s murder
In a separate emailed statement, the senator said he never blamed Marcos' children for the assassination of his father.
“I think I said it publicly 12 years ago [that I don’t consider Imee, Irene, or Bongbong as responsible for my father’s murder]," he said in a statement. “Let’s just say that we were all victims of circumstance at that time."
Aquino also noted that when Imee was one of his colleagues at the House of Representatives, she helped him implement a hybrid rice program for his constituents.
This sentiment was echoed by his sister Kris, who, together with her husband, basketball player James Yap, accompanied Noynoy to the Ilocos Norte sortie.
Kris noted that the family appreciated how Ferdinand “Bongbong" Marcos Jr., a senatorial candidate under the Nacionalista Party (NP) banner, and Imee went to the wake of her mother, former president Corazon Aquino, in August last year.
"Everything that has happened in the past of course has not been resolved but I think now is not the right time to be discussing that. On behalf of the family, of course dahil alam namin ito took courage on their their part to go and express their sympathy, so yun naman ina-appreciate ko," Kris said.
But at the same time, Aquino also said he would not interfere in ongoing court cases involving the Marcoses’ alleged ill-gotten wealth.
“Ang request pahintuin, palagay ko hindi naman tama ang pahintuin ang ongoing na sa korte na mga trial. Pabayaan natin ang korte di pwede pakialaman ang magiging desisyon tungkol sa kaso," he said.
(The request to stop ongoing trials against the Marcoses is not correct. Let’s leave it up to the courts.)
Noynoy thanks Ilocos voters
Even though Noynoy does not have the support of most of the province’s local candidates, he nevertheless made the effort to woo voters in what is perceived to be “Marcos country."
Besides sister Kris and her husband, Noynoy was accompanied by his running mate, Senator Mar Roxas. They were welcomed by provincial board member Renato Peralta, who is seeking a congressional seat under the LP, and dozens of LP supporters.
"Narito ako para magpasalamat dahil sa senatorial campaign ko, di hamak mas maganda ang resulta ko sa Ilocos Norte kesa Pampanga, na-magic tayo nang husto, 10 ako sa Ilocos, 12 sa Pampanga (I'm here to thank the people because during my senatorial campaign, my results here were much better than in Pampanga. I was 10th here, while I was 12th in Pampanga)," Noynoy said.
While Noynoy “has support here in Ilocos," the most-supported presidential candidate in the province is Noynoy's closest rival, NP standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr., followed by Teodoro, Keon said.
"The thing that endears Gilbert Teodoro to the Ilocanos is that he speaks the Ilocano dialect. So that makes him strong here in Ilocos. But I believe that the frontrunning presidential candidate as of now is Manny Villar," he said, adding that Bongbong's senatorial bid has "definitely" boosted Villar's popularity in the province.
Keon ranked the support for presidential candidates in the province as follows: Villar, Teodoro, Erap, and Noynoy.
Asked whether there was still a “solid north," Keon conceded that voters in Ilocos are choosing among several candidates.
"You have a younger electorate that's more discerning and discriminating, and the times have changed," Keon said.
Ilocos Norte has a voting population of more than 360,000. - Johanna Camille L. Sisante, RJAB Jr./KBK, GMANews.TV
The move was not unexpected.
After all, Ilocos Norte Governor Michael Marcos Keon, who is running for re-election under administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD, has been adopted as the LP’s gubernatorial candidate and former President Joseph Estrada's Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.
Liberal Party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino exchanges pleasantries with incumbent Ilocos Norte Governor Michael Keon during a visit to the province. Although running for reelection under the administration party, Keon is also the adopted candidate of the Liberal Party and the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino. Johanna Camille L. Sisante
"I'm extending the courtesy of kapitolyo (capitol) and of the province to Senator Aquino as I did also for Erap [Estrada's nickname]," Keon added, although he maintained that he is supporting administration standard bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
Keon, son of former provincial governor Elizabeth Marcos Keon, is running against his cousin Imee Marcos, daughter of Marcos and former Ilocos Norte representative.
When late president Marcos declared martial law, he jailed Noynoy's father, martyred senator Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr., whose assassination helped cement opposition against the strongman, later leading to his downfall.
But now that Noynoy is seeking the presidency, the Liberal Party bet is trying his best to gain more votes, even in Ilocos Norte, a region known for its residents’ collective loyalty to the Marcoses.
Noynoy: I never blamed Marcos children for my father’s murder
In a separate emailed statement, the senator said he never blamed Marcos' children for the assassination of his father.
“I think I said it publicly 12 years ago [that I don’t consider Imee, Irene, or Bongbong as responsible for my father’s murder]," he said in a statement. “Let’s just say that we were all victims of circumstance at that time."
Aquino also noted that when Imee was one of his colleagues at the House of Representatives, she helped him implement a hybrid rice program for his constituents.
This sentiment was echoed by his sister Kris, who, together with her husband, basketball player James Yap, accompanied Noynoy to the Ilocos Norte sortie.
Kris noted that the family appreciated how Ferdinand “Bongbong" Marcos Jr., a senatorial candidate under the Nacionalista Party (NP) banner, and Imee went to the wake of her mother, former president Corazon Aquino, in August last year.
"Everything that has happened in the past of course has not been resolved but I think now is not the right time to be discussing that. On behalf of the family, of course dahil alam namin ito took courage on their their part to go and express their sympathy, so yun naman ina-appreciate ko," Kris said.
But at the same time, Aquino also said he would not interfere in ongoing court cases involving the Marcoses’ alleged ill-gotten wealth.
“Ang request pahintuin, palagay ko hindi naman tama ang pahintuin ang ongoing na sa korte na mga trial. Pabayaan natin ang korte di pwede pakialaman ang magiging desisyon tungkol sa kaso," he said.
(The request to stop ongoing trials against the Marcoses is not correct. Let’s leave it up to the courts.)
Noynoy thanks Ilocos voters
Even though Noynoy does not have the support of most of the province’s local candidates, he nevertheless made the effort to woo voters in what is perceived to be “Marcos country."
Besides sister Kris and her husband, Noynoy was accompanied by his running mate, Senator Mar Roxas. They were welcomed by provincial board member Renato Peralta, who is seeking a congressional seat under the LP, and dozens of LP supporters.
"Narito ako para magpasalamat dahil sa senatorial campaign ko, di hamak mas maganda ang resulta ko sa Ilocos Norte kesa Pampanga, na-magic tayo nang husto, 10 ako sa Ilocos, 12 sa Pampanga (I'm here to thank the people because during my senatorial campaign, my results here were much better than in Pampanga. I was 10th here, while I was 12th in Pampanga)," Noynoy said.
While Noynoy “has support here in Ilocos," the most-supported presidential candidate in the province is Noynoy's closest rival, NP standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr., followed by Teodoro, Keon said.
"The thing that endears Gilbert Teodoro to the Ilocanos is that he speaks the Ilocano dialect. So that makes him strong here in Ilocos. But I believe that the frontrunning presidential candidate as of now is Manny Villar," he said, adding that Bongbong's senatorial bid has "definitely" boosted Villar's popularity in the province.
Keon ranked the support for presidential candidates in the province as follows: Villar, Teodoro, Erap, and Noynoy.
Asked whether there was still a “solid north," Keon conceded that voters in Ilocos are choosing among several candidates.
"You have a younger electorate that's more discerning and discriminating, and the times have changed," Keon said.
Ilocos Norte has a voting population of more than 360,000. - Johanna Camille L. Sisante, RJAB Jr./KBK, GMANews.TV
