Sports Eye
The Aquinos of Mangaldan
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
MY subject for this issue was supposed to be the Brian Viloria-Jesus Iribe world light flyweight title fight scheduled in Hawaii today, August 30. It’s another Filipino-versus-Mexican blockbuster encounter inside the ring. Like in the past, I’m again being piqued by my friends here and abroad as to whom I will pick to win. Although I chose the right winner in the Luevano-Concepcion title fight held two Sundays ago, I decided this time to pause from sports and shift my piece to politics.
This will be my first time to write about politics after more than four years of writing for the PUNCH. You might or might not believe and love what I have to say, but it is the truth.
I have four credible sources who say that the Aquino political clan – yes, that Aquino of Ninoy — truly root from my town of birth, Mangaldan.
I remember the late Mangaldan Mayor Atty. Macario G. Ydia telling the crowd during a political rally in 1967 that the grand folks of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. were from Mangaldan. Being young at that time and not very interested in politics, I just shrugged off what he said. Ninoy was in our town to campaign for a seat in the senate. He eventually garnered the second highest numbers of votes in the entire archipelago, next to his province mate Jose Roy. Ninoy was showered with many votes in my town, maybe possibly due to his lineage linked to the townspeople of Mangaldan.
Few years later, my uncle, the late Mangaldan National High School teacher Emilio Aquino (elder brother of my mother) confirmed to me what Mayor Ydia said. Again, I did not really give my uncle’s remark much thought and didn’t bother to ask for the names of Ninoy’s grand folks.
It was during my stint in Guam in the early 80s when Atty. Luis A. de Vera, also born in Mangaldan, enlightened me about Ninoy’s grand folks. He mentioned the name of Atty. Bernabe Aquino, the provincial governor of Pangasinan in 1928-1931, who was born in Mangaldan. Bernabe also became the CFI judge of Tarlac during then1960s.
April 2007 at the Cojuangco compound in Sison was when I first met personally former senator Tessie Aquino Oreta, the youngest sibling of Benigno Aquino, Sr. Looking at my Sunday Punch ID with my complete name printed on it, she asked where I was born and live. I unabashedly and proudly said I’m from Mangaldan.
Surprisingly, she immediately said, “Ganuon ba? Kasi taga Mangaldan din po ang mga ninuno namin, Mang Jess, at dyan po talaga kami nagsimula.” I told her, “Narinig ko na po yan sa mga ibang tao at naniniwala na po ako ngayon, madam Senator.” Being a former senator I felt I have to address her as ‘ senator’ out of respect. (Unfortunately the former lawmaker lost because she rode with the administration’s party, not the Liberal Party, the party of her great brother Ninoy. Because I believe the two had very different principles in politics).
Another Aquino is now in the limelight — the only son of the martyred Ninoy and the former president Corazon C. Aquino. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is now being groomed to be the standard bearer of the Liberal Party or as vice presidential candidate for next year’s national election. But while Senator Noynoy has not announced his decision to accept a nomination, I tell you this: if Noynoy runs for any higher position, for sure I will campaign for him. It’s not because my mother’s surname is also Aquino (could we be related?) but because I believe that he will finish what his father and mother have started.
In Spanish, Benigno means kind or good-hearted, “aqui” means here and no means not or no. Therefore, I will define his name Benigno Aquino III as a good-hearted person with an advocacy for no wrong-doing and the third in the family to do it in Philippine political history.
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