Empty promises, liars, trapos: Aquino hits political foes

Bea Cupin

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Empty promises, liars, trapos: Aquino hits political foes
President Benigno Aquino III, chairman of the ruling LP, warns against those who will soon take credit for the supposed gains of 'Daang Matuwid'

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III earlier promised to go all out in campaigning for the candidates he’ll be endorsing for the 2016 national elections. On Monday, October 12, the President did just that – and more.

“How will we know who our true partners are? Let us look at the characteristics of the enemies of the Straight Path,” said Aquino, who is also chairman of the ruling Liberal Party (LP), during the official launch of the “Daang Matuwid” coalition, the ruling party’s Senate slate for 2016.

Daang Matuwid” or the Straight Path is the Aquino administration’s tagline for its anti-corruption, good governance, and transparency platform. It’s the basis of the ruling LP-led coalition’s campaign promise for 2016: the continuity of “Daang Matuwid” and the certainty that its best are best-equipped to improve the supposed gains of the current administration.

Speaking at the LP headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City, Aquino said that the campaign would be “easy” since it’s “extremely clear” to the public that those against “Daang Matuwid” or their political opponents are merely trying to muddle the facts.

“The time is coming in which our country will harvest the other fruits of the Straight Path, and our opponents will fall all over themselves to claim that they are the father or mother of all our feats, even if they didn’t contribute to change,” warned Aquino.

The President then went on to define the “characteristics” of “Daang Matuwid’s enemies,” barely-veiled references to politicians seeking the presidency or the vice presidency in 2016.

President Benigno Aquino III at the official launch of the ruling coalition's Senate slate. Photo by Joseph Vidal / Malacañang Photo Bureau

‘There are the empty promises.’ The President warned against those who “say that they will give us everything, while always forgetting to mention how they will fulfill these promises. In my opinion, when the time comes that these promises do not come to pass, we already know why.”

Aquino earlier advised Senator Grace Poe against promising the “moon and stars.” Poe, who was eyed as the LP’s vice presidential bet, laid out a 20-point plan when she announced her bid for the presidency.

Added the President: “Let me also emphasize that, back when they were still pretending to be on our side, they had plenty of opportunities to contribute to the solution,” an apparent dig at Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Binay, chairman of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), was part of Aquino’s Cabinet for 5 years before he resigned mid-2015. After Binay officially cut ties with the administration, he began lambasting the “crooked, failed” government. He filed his certificate of candidacy for vice president on Monday.

“There are those who lie to our faces.” The President could not hide his disappointment, recalling those who “oppressed us before.” Over the weekend, Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., son of the late dictator, launched his vice presidential bid, saying he wants to lead a revolution.

Added Aquino: “While I respect our Bosses who entrusted us with a mandate, there they are, hoping that the Filipino people have become forgetful. It’s time to move on, they say. To that, my mother has always said: ‘reconciliation with justice’ is what is needed. In the Church I belong to, forgiveness is asked of God and of the community. I have to ask: How can we trust those who do not ask our forgiveness, and more than that, do not even see a reason to apologize?”

Marcos’ father led the Philippines under Martial Law for more than 2 decades. During the Marcos regime, human rights abuses were committed by state authorities and billions were stolen from the government’s coffers.

The younger Marcos, whose rise to power is seen as an indication of the family’s persisting political clout, is consistent in denying the abuses under his father’s regime. Aquino’s father was among those arrested immediately after Martial Law was declared. Senator Ninoy Aquino was killed on the tarmac of what is now the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Ninoy’s death sparked the EDSA Revolution, which ousted Marcos peacefully and put Aquino’s mother, the late president Cory Aquino, in power.

‘Dismal track records.’ Aquino’s last dig did not seem like it was pinpointed towards a specific politician but rather, at a breed of Filipino politician: the trapo (traditional politician).

“It is clear that they themselves admit that their track record is dismal, which is why they attempt to portray all others as having as dismal or downright bad a record as they have. They are actually following the advice of a senior politician: If you cannot improve your image, just tarnish that of others,” said the President.

Aquino officially endorsed the LP-led coalition’s 12-person Senate slate, composed of Senate veterans, his former Cabinet officials, his appointees, and sectoral representatives. Of the 12, only 6 are old or new members of the LP.

Only 7 of the 12 are within striking range of the “Magic 12,” according to the latest senatorial preference surveys.

Aquino he was confident the ticket he’s endorsing would succeed in 2016.

“The political climate in the country is changing: in my opinion, and in that of our bosses, the most important factor is principle. And for the LP and our entire coalition, let me emphasize: we do not only have proof, we also, and more importantly, have principle,” he said.

The filing of certificates of candidates began on Monday and will continue until Friday, October 16. The official campaign season begins in 2016 yet. – Rappler.com

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Bea Cupin

Bea is a senior multimedia reporter who covers national politics. She's been a journalist since 2011 and has written about Congress, the national police, and the Liberal Party for Rappler.