The monument of the late senator Ninoy Aquino at the Tarlac City Plaza has been partly covered by a tent as the Marcos-Duterte tandem holds their rally on Saturday morning.
PHOTO BY NESTOR A. CORRALES
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga 鈥� After getting flak for blocking the monument of the late Senator Benigno 鈥淣inoy鈥� Aquino Jr. during the rally of presidential candidate Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr., the聽City Government of Tarlac on Monday issued a non-apology, with a denial that it meant to cause any disrespect to the memory of the so-called Son of Tarlac.
In a statement on Facebook, city administrator Lumer Lobo said it meant no disrespect when Aquino鈥檚 image was partially hidden in a plaza where Marcos鈥� Uniteam held its rally, and that the incident was just 鈥渋nadvertent鈥� and 鈥渘othing personal.鈥�
鈥淭he City Government of Tarlac vehemently denies any intention to disrespect the memory of the late Benigno S. Aquino Jr.,鈥� Lobo stated.
Tarlac used to be the bailiwick of the Aquinos, being home to the Hacienda Luisita estate of the late President Corazon Aquino, widow of Ninoy who was killed in 1983 that heralded the start of the end of the the more than 20-year Marcos regime.
READ: In Ninoy鈥檚 home province, Tarlac City mayor backs Marcos Jr., says it鈥檚 time to move on
Aquino was a聽key opposition figure during the presidency of Bongbong Marcos鈥� father and namesake, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
A monument to remember Aquino is erected at the Tarlac City Plazuela. However, the monument was partially covered by a tent during the rally.
The Aquino monument faces the very stage where Marcos Jr. appealed to Tarlacque帽os to elect him to Malaca帽ang. But the monument was partially covered and blocked by a tent.
We asked Mayor Cristy Angeles about this. She says: It鈥檚 time for forgiveness."
鈥� Neil Arwin Mercado (@NAMercadoINQ)
In its Facebook post, the city government attached a photo showing that the tent did not cover the monument. A smaller tent, however, was later erected that extended 鈥渢owards the monument.鈥�
鈥淭he supposed tent, as can be gleaned from the attached photo, was originally located at a considerable distance, spacious enough to separate the tent from the monument,鈥� Lobo said.
鈥淗owever, due may be to the influx of people attending the mentioned rally, owing to the fact that the heat of the sun dictates the need for a shelter, the same tent was inadvertently moved towards the monument, which was unintentional,鈥� he added.
Further, Lobo said: 鈥淭he incident was inadvertent, nothing intentional.鈥�
Lobo dubbed the incident as 鈥渦nfortunate,鈥� saying that despite the platforms discussed during the rally, 鈥渙thers just chose to spread divisiveness and highlighted this unintended and unintentional incident.鈥�
Asked about the incident, Tarlac City mayor, who is backing the Marcos-Duterte tandem, earlier said: 鈥淧abayaan na natin yung mga bumabatikos. It鈥檚 time for forgiveness and healing. Magu-unite tayo.鈥�
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