Cory snubs rites for Ninoy; foes say gov't unity call a 'cover-up'
08/21/2006 | 09:45 AM
Barely two days after the administration made a fresh pitch for reconciliation, former president Corazon Aquino snubbed Monday government rites in Manila City to honor the martyrdom of her husband, Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.
Mrs Aquino skipped the Monday morning wreath-laying ceremonies at the corner of P. Burgos Street and Roxas Boulevard to commemorate the 23rd death anniversary of her husband.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has consistently earned criticism from Mrs Aquino, led the rites.
Mrs Arroyo, however, shook hands with Aquino's brother, Makati Rep. Agapito "Butz" Aquino, and the late senator's sister, former senator Teresa "Tessie" Aquino-Oreta, who attended the event in Manila.
Speaking at the 22st anniversary rites of the El Shaddai religious sect last Saturday, the President declared her wish to forge reconciliation with her critics.
El Shaddai spiritual leader Bro. Mike Velarde, a spiritual adviser of detained former president Joseph Estrada, has been described by the President as "a broker of reconciliation."
Mrs Aquino has asked the Filipino people to forever remember the death and sacrifice of her husband on Aug. 21, 1983, which sparked the country's outrage against the Marcos dictatorship and subsequently resulted in the first Edsa people power in 1986.
The former president, a rallying figure in two People Power revolts, has actively called upon Mrs Arroyo to give up her post.
Mrs Aquino made public her disenchantment with Mrs Arroyo during the height of the "Hello, Garci" scandal, that has raised serious doubts about her legitimate claim to the presidency.
August 21 was declared Ninoy Aquino Day, a non-working holiday, three years ago under the Arroyo administration.
Instead of attending the Manila honor rites for her husband, Mrs Aquino opted to attend a mass on Monday morning at his Manila Memorial Park gravesite in Paranaque City.
Not a snub
Interviewed at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City, Mrs Aquino said it was impossible for her to be “in two places at one time."
“It’s impossible for me to be in two places at one time," she said when asked why she “snubbed" Arroyo on at least two occasions.
Mrs. Aquino was not at two events organized by Malacañang and its allies - the tree-planting ceremony in Manila and a Mass at the EDSA Shrine.
She chose instead to mark her husband’s death anniversary quietly at the Manila Memorial Park.
Thanks, but no thanks
Meanwhile, the political opposition rejected Monday Malacañang's "reconciliation" offer about a week after the House of Representatives justice committee junked the latest impeachment bid against Mrs Arroyo.
"If you want to move on, it's not by covering up or sweeping under the rug but by facing the investigation," House Deputy Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano during an interview on dzXL radio.
He added in Filipino, "You cannot use confusion as an excuse to cling to power."
Cayetano also reiterated his refusal to issue an unconditional apology demanded by Malacañang for hisallegations that the Arroyos have multimillion-dollar accounts in banks abroad.
He said that he stands by his call for an "unconditional investigation" into the claims, which he said are part of the seven boxes of evidence in the impeachment complaint against Mrs Arroyo.
Besides, Cayetano said, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has already prejudged the issue by claiming that he (Cayetano) abused his congressional privilege.
"We can all save money on judicial processes by having me jailed. But that doesn't change the fact that the Arroyos have many things to explain to the public," Cayetano said.
Not now
For his part, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr said reconciliation was still impossible, alleging that corruption, oppression, and extrajudicial killings continue unabated.
Pimentel said it is difficult to have reconciliation if the ideals sought by former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr were being violated.
"If corruption is continuing, how will we have reconciliation? How will we have reconciliation if Gloria Arroyo continues to bar officials of the executive department from testifying on corruption issues? How can we have reconciliation if the killings continue?" he asked in Filipino.
Meanwhile, an official of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) doubted that reconcilation would be easily attained.
Bishop Teodoro Bacani said last Saturday that, "It (reconciliation) won't be that easy but anything is possible. But both sides must do what they have to do."
Both the opposition and the President, said Bacani, must show sincerity for true reconciliation to prosper.
"For GMA, we expect her to have greater respect for human rights, greater correction of corruption in the country and also we are still hoping that there will
be greater openness to truth because it has not been allowed us," the bishop said.- GMANews.TV
Mrs Aquino skipped the Monday morning wreath-laying ceremonies at the corner of P. Burgos Street and Roxas Boulevard to commemorate the 23rd death anniversary of her husband.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has consistently earned criticism from Mrs Aquino, led the rites.
Mrs Arroyo, however, shook hands with Aquino's brother, Makati Rep. Agapito "Butz" Aquino, and the late senator's sister, former senator Teresa "Tessie" Aquino-Oreta, who attended the event in Manila.
Speaking at the 22st anniversary rites of the El Shaddai religious sect last Saturday, the President declared her wish to forge reconciliation with her critics.
El Shaddai spiritual leader Bro. Mike Velarde, a spiritual adviser of detained former president Joseph Estrada, has been described by the President as "a broker of reconciliation."
Mrs Aquino has asked the Filipino people to forever remember the death and sacrifice of her husband on Aug. 21, 1983, which sparked the country's outrage against the Marcos dictatorship and subsequently resulted in the first Edsa people power in 1986.
The former president, a rallying figure in two People Power revolts, has actively called upon Mrs Arroyo to give up her post.
Mrs Aquino made public her disenchantment with Mrs Arroyo during the height of the "Hello, Garci" scandal, that has raised serious doubts about her legitimate claim to the presidency.
August 21 was declared Ninoy Aquino Day, a non-working holiday, three years ago under the Arroyo administration.
Instead of attending the Manila honor rites for her husband, Mrs Aquino opted to attend a mass on Monday morning at his Manila Memorial Park gravesite in Paranaque City.
Not a snub
Interviewed at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City, Mrs Aquino said it was impossible for her to be “in two places at one time."
“It’s impossible for me to be in two places at one time," she said when asked why she “snubbed" Arroyo on at least two occasions.
Mrs. Aquino was not at two events organized by Malacañang and its allies - the tree-planting ceremony in Manila and a Mass at the EDSA Shrine.
She chose instead to mark her husband’s death anniversary quietly at the Manila Memorial Park.
Thanks, but no thanks
Meanwhile, the political opposition rejected Monday Malacañang's "reconciliation" offer about a week after the House of Representatives justice committee junked the latest impeachment bid against Mrs Arroyo.
"If you want to move on, it's not by covering up or sweeping under the rug but by facing the investigation," House Deputy Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano during an interview on dzXL radio.
He added in Filipino, "You cannot use confusion as an excuse to cling to power."
Cayetano also reiterated his refusal to issue an unconditional apology demanded by Malacañang for hisallegations that the Arroyos have multimillion-dollar accounts in banks abroad.
He said that he stands by his call for an "unconditional investigation" into the claims, which he said are part of the seven boxes of evidence in the impeachment complaint against Mrs Arroyo.
Besides, Cayetano said, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has already prejudged the issue by claiming that he (Cayetano) abused his congressional privilege.
"We can all save money on judicial processes by having me jailed. But that doesn't change the fact that the Arroyos have many things to explain to the public," Cayetano said.
Not now
For his part, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr said reconciliation was still impossible, alleging that corruption, oppression, and extrajudicial killings continue unabated.
Pimentel said it is difficult to have reconciliation if the ideals sought by former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr were being violated.
"If corruption is continuing, how will we have reconciliation? How will we have reconciliation if Gloria Arroyo continues to bar officials of the executive department from testifying on corruption issues? How can we have reconciliation if the killings continue?" he asked in Filipino.
Meanwhile, an official of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) doubted that reconcilation would be easily attained.
Bishop Teodoro Bacani said last Saturday that, "It (reconciliation) won't be that easy but anything is possible. But both sides must do what they have to do."
Both the opposition and the President, said Bacani, must show sincerity for true reconciliation to prosper.
"For GMA, we expect her to have greater respect for human rights, greater correction of corruption in the country and also we are still hoping that there will
be greater openness to truth because it has not been allowed us," the bishop said.- GMANews.TV
