Statement of Aquino Family on Duterte-Ninoy Comparison
The Aquino family asserted that there is a huge difference between the fate of the late former Senator Ninoy Aquino and the situation of former President Rodrigo Duterte now.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) authorities last March 11. The former Chief Executive just arrived from Hong Kong when the authorities arrested him at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Duterte was flown to The Hague, Netherlands via Dubai on the same day he was arrested by the authorities. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte flew to the Netherlands right away to support her father who is faced with allegations before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte is detained under the custody of the ICC for more than a week now. Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte revealed that her father has expressed his desire to go home to the country.
However, according to Vice Pres. Duterte, she told former Pres. Duterte that he will have a similar fate with Ninoy Aquino Jr. if he will return to the country now. The late former Senator was assassinated upon his arrival from the United States.
The incident that left the Aquino family and the Filipinos in grief took place last August 21, 1983. Before Ninoy was able to set foot on Philippine lands, he was shot at the then-Manila International Airport, now the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Recently, the Aquino family broke their silence on the comparison between the late former Sen. Ninoy Aquino Jr. and former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Based on a report on GMA News, Ninoy’s grandson Francis “Kiko” Dee cited the huge different between the situations of Ninoy and FPRRD.
“Kung pag-aaralan natin ang kasaysayan, makikita natin na ibang iba ang ginawa kay Ninoy sa pinagdadaanan ngayon ni dating Pang. Duterte,” Kiko Dee, the executive director of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, said.
Malacañang also released a statement on the Ninoy-Duterte comparison saying that the former President allegedly prefers to be compared with Adolf Hitler. According to the Palace, the Filipinos have never heard the former President comparing himself with an Aquino.
The August Twenty-One Movement or ATOM also expressed its belief that the Dutertes may be painting themselves as underdogs. The group stressed that the Filipinos love underdogs.