President Aquino leads commemoration of father
Ninoy’s 31st death anniversary
President Benigno S. Aquino III led the
commemoration of the 31st death anniversary of his father -- the late Senator
Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. -- on Thursday.
The President, together with his sisters Ballsy,
Pinky, Viel and Kris, attended a mass offered for the democracy icon at the
Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City. Other family members, close relatives
and friends of the Aquinos were also at the cemetery to remember Ninoy.
Presidential Security Group chaplain Monsignor
Daniel Tansip, who officiated the mass, emphasized the importance of
commemorating Ninoy’s death, which served as a catalyst for change during the
dictatorial regime of then President Ferdinand Marcos.
Tansip said Ninoy’s memories and good deeds
remain not only in the hearts of his family but also in the hearts of the
people.
“Sa pagnanais na isulong ang pagbabago tungo sa
kabutihan ng ating bayan, ibinuwis ng inyong mahal na ama ang kanyang buhay,
kaya naman siya ay nabibilang sa mga bayani at martir,” he said.
He said if Ninoy were alive today, he would be
very proud of his son -– President Aquino -– for the reforms in government that
the latter has instituted.
He then asked for prayers for President Aquino
as he continues his duty to lead the country toward the straight path.
“Let us ask the Good Lord for continuous
guidance, for the grace and strength, so that we may be able to continue our
mission to serve and be always part of the straight path our beloved President
is determined to push through,” he said.
While noting that he is just an ordinary priest,
Tansip said if he had his way, he would want the President to continue serving
the country.
“Kung ako lang po ang masusunod, ako’y isang
ordinaryong pari lang, on this personal note: Sana hindi na matapos iyong
paglilingkod ng ating mahal na Pangulo, para tuluy-tuloy pa rin ang magandang
nasimulan sa pagtutuwid at pagtatama ng daan,” he said.
“I, for one, as priest, believe that right at
this very moment, the late Senator, your father, and of course your mother
(Corazon Aquino) as well, are very happy with the achievements of their
children,” he added.
Also present during the mass were Senate President
Franklin Drilon, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Interior and Local
Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, and Social Welfare Secretary Dinky
Soliman.
Ninoy Aquino, a staunch critic of Marcos, was
assassinated on August 21, 1983 at the Manila International Airport. It was the
day he returned to the Philippines after years of exile in the United States.
PND (jb)
Draft Bangsamoro Basic Law submitted to Office
of the President
The draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) has been
submitted to the Office of the President, a Malacañang official has said.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Secretary Teresita ‘Ging’ Deles is scheduled to issue a statement on the matter
on Friday.
“Draft BBL submitted. Let’s wait for Sec. Ging’s
statement,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte told Palace
reporters in a text message on Thursday, amid online reports that have surfaced
regarding the development.
In a separate text message, however, Deles
refused to give further details, saying, “The process is on track. Will issue
update tomorrow.”
The draft BBL was supposed to have been
submitted to President Benigno S. Aquino III’s office last Monday but it did
not push through, due to the “need to incorporate all agreements reached into
the final draft, as well as fine-tune the entire draft to ensure that all
articles will be consistent with each other,” according to Deles.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. and
Bangsamoro Transition Commission chairman Mohagher Iqbal, in a joint statement
issued last August 15, said they “have concluded discussions on the various
issues” on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law.
Iqbal’s meeting with Ochoa came after a series
of meetings between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels to resolve sticky issues on the
draft BBL before it is submitted to Congress.
Deles has assured that the timeline for the
submission of the draft BBL to Congress within the month of August remains “on
track”.
She also stated that the “passage of the BBL
remains on top of the President’s legislative agenda” and “the leadership of
both Houses of Congress have indicated that they are prepared to work overtime
to ensure the timely passage of the law”. PND (hdc)
