Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A Different Take on Ferdinand Marcos and Ninoy Aquino

The anniversary of EDSA 1 is fast approaching, and I believe that this article written by Nemenzo, Gemma from Filipinas (August 2008) is very timely and INTERESTING.

The title of the article is "A Different Take: An Interview with Rep. Roquito Ablan." A lot of you may not know him, but during the Marcos Era, he was a "force" back then.

Filipinos are made to believe that Ferdinand E. Marcos and Ninoy Aquino were really arch nemesis, rivals, and even foes. But from this interview, we can see the A DIFFERENT VIEW on what was really happening during those times.

So here it is....


                                                Ablan shaking hands with Pres. Marcos

While writing a book about Upsilon Sigma Phi, the fraternity both Ferdinand Marcos and Ninoy Aquino belonged to, Filipinas managing editor, Gemma Nemenzo, did a one-on-one interview with Congressman Roquito Ablan of Ilocos Norte.

Ablan had the unique privilege of being close to both Ninoy, his batchmate in Upsilon (batch 1950), and Marcos, the undisputed lord of Ablan's province. With such proximity to the two political superstars of that era, the congressman had a ringside view of what was happening behind the scenes of the Marcos-Aquino saga.

Is he credible?

People close to Marcos confirm that Roquito Ablan then had a direct line to the former president. Upsilonians also know that he and Ninoy Aquino remained close friends.

Here are excerpts from the interview: 


I first met Ninoy at the University of the Philippines (UP) when we were neophytes in 1950. He was a professional absentee from classes. I was working with LUSTEVECO then so I had an open expense account so I would gas up Ninoy's car.

The two of us were the most hazed neophytes in our batch. Our initiation lasted one year and one semester. We joined Upsilon because it was "the only frat in UP"; to be an Upsilonian, you must be good.




Ninoy and FM (Ferdinand Marcos) were more than friends. When Ninoy was in detention, he and FM would speak with scrambler telephones. During FM's state visit to the U.S. in 1982, the two of them talked for an hour about good times. 




FM was actually considering Ninoy as his successor. He admired Ninoy for his being a courageous fighter and his vigor. They were on the same wavelength.

In fact, Ninoy's "Iron Butterfly" speech against Imelda and the Folk Arts Theater was edited by FM. I know because I was the intermediary. From the very beginning, FM gave instructions to the military to be lenient with Ninoy.




I met up with Ninoy in New York on April 22, 1983, which was my birthday. He told me he needed a passport. secretary of Foreign Affairs Collantes had earlier issued a memo stating no renewal for Ninoy's passport. So I checked with FM on the phone and Joey Ampeso, a consular officer assigned in New Orleans and an Upsilonian, was asked to assist Ninoy, which he did.


During that New York meeting, Ninoy also told me that he went to see his doctor and his medical exam might require him to rest for six months because of some heart complication. In July that year, Ninoy was told by the State Department that FM was sick and that "if I don't go home, I will not be president."

In early August, FM and Ninoy talked about the latter returning to the Philippines and FM told him not to come home yet because he (FM) was weak and he couldn't protect Ninoy.  

On August 17, there was an earthquake in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, so I had to be there as acting governor. I sent two planes to meet Ninoy in Taipei but the first plane, which carried a top officer, could not locate him because he was using a passport with a different name. FM's instructions were to bring Ninoy to Basa Air Base, load him in the presidential helicopter and bring him here to Manila, to protect him.



On August 20, I left Laoag at 10 in the evening so I could be in Manila in time to meet Ninoy at the airport. I didn't think much of it then, but my plane was grounded (by someone who knew the chain of command) and the second plane was prevented from taking off When I was driving to the international airport, my car was delayed because of a rally of another Upsilonian, Doy Laurel, in front of Baclaran Church. I arrived at the airport 12 minutes after Ninoy was shot. Someone met me and said "wala na si Ninoy (Ninoy is gone)." I cried like a baby when I found out what happened. If I arrived on time I could have escorted Ninoy from the aircraft and he would not have been shot, or I would have been shot along with him on the stairs.  


Nemenzo, Gemma "A Different Take: An Interview with Rep. Roquito Ablan". Filipinas. FindArticles.com. 23 Feb, 2011. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7537/is_200808/ai_n32289968/  

32 comments:

  1. Im always interested with there stories... I really like this...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks... madami pang stories... basta do not believe everything the media says or what is written in textbooks....

    ReplyDelete
  3. ahahah.. nope I am not... binabase ko lang sa kung ano ang alam ko... I knew ever since that they are good friends... i just dont know kung saan ko yun nabasa... ehehhe...

    ReplyDelete
  4. yup yup... agree with you... i just hope people wouldn't be that judgmental towards F.M.

    Its not proven after all!!! :D (talking about ninoy's death)

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is another FM fanatic loyalist.. to quote the phrase "more than friends" is exaggeration. This is a deception of candy coating the evil FM regime. FM is good at deceptions. No matter how you see it. The FM loyalists believe in their own lies.

    ReplyDelete
  6. wow. definitely i've never read this before. Thank you for sharing! Though, its hard to believe that the two were "more than friends" seeing as Ninoy spent so many years in exile.

    ReplyDelete
  7. just wondering, did cory aquino ever mention this FM-Ninoy friendship?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nope, Cory could not forgive ninoy for dating imelda

      Delete
  8. This article rings TRUTH! Marcos and Ninoy were more than blood brothers. They were both Upsilonians. My Upsilonian brothers told me then that Marcos could never had Aquino shot dead. Because they were more than brothers. They were Upsilonians. My two older Upsilonian brothers disliked my baby brother but when he became an Upsilonian, they connected like anything. God bless both their souls! They loved each other more than brothers. Their minds connected. Allegedly, the mastermind of this heinous crime is the wife.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Excerpts from "NINOY AQUINO: LIWANAG SA DILIMAng Laban ng Dakilang Tarlakin Mula sa Piitan (1972 – 1980)"

    by: Michael Charleston “Xiao” B. Chua

    Ayon sa isang diumano ay nakakakilala kay Ninoy ng lubusan, parehong-pareho anglebel ng pagiging ambisyoso ng Pang. Marcos at ni Ninoy, at kilala nila ang isa’t isa na parangmagkapatid.

    Ayon nga kay Roquito Ablan, malapit na
    brod nina Pang. Marcos at Ninoy:

    Ninoy and Marcos were very close in private. All three of us were frat brothers[in UP College of Law's Upsilon Sigma Phi]. When Ferdinand was campaigningin 1969 Ninoy gave a speech condemning Imelda for the wastefulness of her newCCP [Cultural Center of the Philippines] project. The joke is, it was Marcos whoedited the speech for him, writing his comments on Ninoy’s draft like “More!”,“Nothing like strong enough!” and “Sock it to her!” Imelda was furious enoughafter Ninoy gave the speech even without knowing her own husband had made it still worse. All innocence, Marcos pacified her by saying “Don’t worry,sweetheart, we’ll get even.” It was all a joke. In return, Ninoy supplied Ferdinand during the same campaign with ammunition to score off Osmeña.

    (Paterson, 293)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sana kinowt mo rin ang sinabi ko sa hulihan ng aking akda na pagbabago ni Ninoy sa kulungan sa kabila ng pagiging ambisyoso niya at trapo noong una...

      Delete
  10. hi! thank you for sharing your stories. im a faculty constantly telling my students not to be contented with what is written in the books and always reminding them to challenge the "truth".

    maybe, we can plan something to share the truth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOLZ! Pwede po ba yun e di ba meron tayong sinusunod na curriculum? ^__^x Hehe.

      Delete
  11. these are amazing & mind-openers! I've always been pro-Marcos not just because I'm an Ilocano/relative & next door neighbor but because I've always known Pres. Marcos' intelligence & that the only person who's so greedy, power/struggling & who's behind all evils being linked to him is Imelda. And to see that she continues to reign is beyond me.

    ReplyDelete
  12. just think about it who benefited from Ninoy's Assassination ehem F ehem V ehem R

    ReplyDelete
  13. Basta ILOCANO sarado UTAK.. Pure marcos.. inang yan..

    ReplyDelete
  14. To the owner of this blog. Please contact me.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Where's the 2nd part?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Did you know that the imelda is an ex - gf of ninoy? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, bali nagkapalit lang sila ng syota.
      Ayon iyon dun sa nabasa ko.at nagbabangaka pa daw sila nun kc yung bahay yata nila Tita ni Emelda ay malapit sa Ilog. nakalimutan exact name ng place.

      Delete
  17. Did you not even think CIA is involved in this? :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. sabi na nga ba eh, theory ko na to high school pa lang ajko, nung nagkamalay na ako kung paano gumagana politics dito sa pinas. in a way, ninoy is marco's counter check balance.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Politics in the Philippines is all about greed.

    ReplyDelete
  20. It could be true...... We really don't know what happen.... This case will never be closed...

    ReplyDelete
  21. may maganda pala silang pinagsamahan..ayos ah..

    ReplyDelete
  22. parang si xavier at si magnito lang sila.

    ReplyDelete
  23. thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Using an web based parking system, Park 'N Fly offers real-time access to a network of airport parking services covering 50 plus airports.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for posting this info. I just want to let you know that I just check out your site and I find it very interesting and informative. I can't wait to read lots of your posts. Mangadex

    ReplyDelete
  26. No uncertainty this is an outstanding article I obtained a great deal of knowledge after checking out best of luck. The motif of the blog is outstanding there is nearly whatever to review, Brilliant article. 美国签证在线

    ReplyDelete