Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has issued a clarification regarding his recent statements about the late former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., following intense criticism from groups accusing him of inappropriately comparing himself to the democracy icon.
In a social media post on Saturday, June 13, Cayetano denied attempting to draw a parallel between his current political faction and Aquino’s legacy.
“I am proud of what they did and what they sacrificed. I do not compare myself, or our group, to them — but I do identify with what they fought for. The revolution is unfinished. Who will fight for the truth?” Cayetano stated.
He added, “Some now ask who has the right to invoke Ninoy’s name. With respect, that is the wrong question. We do not claim to be him, and we do not compare ourselves to his heroism.”
Cayetano argued that the public should instead focus on whether individual Filipinos are willing to live up to the principles established by national heroes like Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, as well as the sacrifices made by ordinary citizens for their families.
The backlash was triggered by the August Twenty One Movement (ATOM), which called Cayetano’s references ironic given his political alignment with the Marcos family during the 2022 elections.
The Liberal Party (LP) also criticized the Senate President, asserting that his current political challenges share no resemblance to the historic opposition Ninoy Aquino mounted against the administration of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Aquino remains a monumental figure in Philippine history, though the mastermind behind his assassination decades ago remains unidentified.
As a prominent senator during the 7th Congress, Aquino was a leading critic of the Marcos administration and was imprisoned following the 1972 declaration of Martial Law on various charges, including subversion. After three years of exile in the United States,
Aquino returned to the Philippines on August 21, 1983, where he was fatally shot at the Manila International Airport—which was later renamed in his honor.