by Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. (Cebu Daily News)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100319-259576/Ilocano-welcome-awes-AquinosLAOAG CITY—It was the first time Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III set foot in the province of his parents’ arch-nemesis, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and the welcome overwhelmed him.
It helped that Aquino had come with his younger celebrity sister Kris and her husband, basketball star James Yap.
But the welcoming mob at the Laoag City International Airport was totally unexpected with the locals jostling for pictures, autographs or just a glance at the famous siblings.
It also helped that the welcome was led by Ilocos Norte Gov. Michael Keon, a nephew of Marcos, who said that the much vaunted “Solid North” was now a thing of the past with the province’s 350,000 voters expected to go for four presidential candidates—Manny Villar, Gilbert Teodoro, Joseph Estrada and Aquino.
Cousin vs cousin
“With a much younger voting population, the voters are more discerning and discriminating,” said Keon who is running for reelection under the Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party and Lakas-Kampi-CMD against his cousin, Imee Marcos, daughter of the late dictator.
Kris said she was so nervous about the welcome they might get from the people in Marcos country that she prayed the rosary twice to seek “divine intervention” before deciding to join her brother’s sortie.
“I prayed to my mom that I won’t say any word that would court the Ilocanos’ ire,” she said.
Kris said she was in the same Mass as former First Lady Imelda Marcos last week and, although they did not greet each other, she took it as a sign that she was ready to go to Ilocos Norte.
Aquino said he and his sisters had moved on and were not dwelling on the decades-long schism between the Aquinos and Marcoses.
No dwelling on the past
“We are facing so many problems now. Should we linger on our problems in the past? We don’t have enough time to solve the country’s present woes,” Aquino said.
He said he did not take his father’s assassination personally against the Marcos children.
“I said it publicly 12 years ago—I do not consider Imee, Irene or Bongbong as the culprits. We were all victims of that era,” Aquino said.
He, however, said that he would let the wheels of justice continue to roll on the ill-gotten wealth cases against the Marcos family and would continue to block the burial of the late dictator at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Aquino went to Isabela and Cagayan before making a three-hour stop in Ilocos Norte. His foray into Marcos Country was topped off with a rally in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Kris said she was grateful Ilocanos gave her brother and LP vice presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Roxas II a warm welcome.
Some of the supporters were local businessmen who joined the motorcade with their own vehicles.
Candy Caluya, owner of a local pizza chain, said she had been an Aquino supporter since she was 11 years old.
She recalled joining a rally in Laoag in 1986 to protest the result of the snap presidential election between Marcos and the late President Corazon Aquino.
“I was in high school then. I was in the frontline along with local leaders supporting Cory,” she said.
Drum beat
In Cauayan City in Isabela, Kris led the group’s hop through local radio stations. At dzNC Bombo Radyo-Cauayan she asked the commentators to allow her to beat the station’s iconic drum.
Later Kris told Bombo Hanay Bigtime host Neil Galapon: “Sinabi sa akin panalo na daw pag tumambol. Siguradong panalo na si Noynoy at Mar. (I was told victory came to those who beat the drum. Noynoy and Mar will now win for sure).” With reports from Cristina Arzadon and Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon
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