Jerome Ponce, Isko Moreno to play Ninoy Aquino in Darryl Yap’s ‘Martyr or Murderer’

MANILA, Philippines – The Good Son actor Jerome Ponce and former presidential candidate Isko Moreno have been cast to play the late senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. in Darryl Yap’s upcoming film Martyr or Murderer.

In a Facebook post, Darryl said that Jerome will be playing Ninoy in 1954 in the early days of his political career, while Isko will be playing Ninoy in 1983, the year he was assassinated.

“My Ninoy is not a Yellow,” Darryl said in his Facebook post, referring to the color adopted by supporters of Aquino and the Liberal Party.

The director had previously said that Martyr or Murderer would follow the life and death of Ninoy, who was a key opposition figure during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

In an interview, he said that the film will focus on “the greatest accusation” made against the Marcos family – that they were involved in Ninoy’s assassination.

The film, scheduled for release in February 2023, is meant to be a sequel to Darryl’s film Maid in Malacañang, which follows the Marcos family after the dictator was ousted in 1986.

Maid in Malacañang has been criticized for making false claims about the Marcos family, and for “whitewashing” the widespread human rights violations, extrajudicial arrest, torture, and deaths that happened under Marcos Sr.’s Martial Law.  – Rappler.com