History: Ferdinand Marcos and Benigno Ninoy Aquino's Untold Stories

We, Filipinos are forced to believe that Marcos and Aquino were a great nemesis, rivals, and even foes. But were they really?

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Ferdinand Marcos first met Ninoy at the University of the Philippines (UP) when they were just neophytes in 1950. Ninoy was really a professional absentee from classes he took. Marcos was working at LUSTEVECO so they had an open expense account so he could gas up Ninoy's car.

The two were the most hazed neophytes in their batch but their initiation lasted only for one semester. They joined "Upsilon" since it was the only frat in UP and for them to be an Upsilonian, they have to be good.

Ninoy and Marcos were more than friends. When Ninoy Aquino was in detention, the two find their ways to speak with themselves and usually by scrambler telephones. In fact, during the time that Ferdinand Marcos having a state visit in the US in 1982, the two of them talked an hour about good times.

Ferdinand Marcos was actually considering Ninoy as his only successor. He admired Ninoy so much for being so courageous fighter in his own vigor. In fact, they were almost of the same wavelength.

Also, Ninoy's "Iron Butterfly" speech against Imelda and the Folk Arts Theather was actually edited by Ferdinand Marcos. From the very beginning, the military was given with instructions by Marcos which was to be lenient with Ninoy.

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Just early in August 1983, Ferdinand Marcos and Ninoy Aquino talked about the latter returning to the Philippines but Marcos insisted not to come home yet because he can't protect Ninoy yet since he was still weak.

On August 17, there were sent two planes to meet Ninoy in Taipei but unfortunately, the first plane, which carried a top officer, could not locate him since he was using a different name in his passport but Marcos' instructions were to bring Ninoy to Basa Air Base and must load him in the presidential helicopter to bring him to Manila so he could protect him.

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According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer,

Whenever President Ferdinand Marcos was in the mood, he would gather his loyal generals in his study in Malacañang for an hour or so of leisurely discourse on issues that mattered most to him and his martial law administration.
Over coffee and pastries, the Commander in Chief would toss a question or statement for his court to comment on or contemplate in a relaxed, casual atmosphere so different from the formality of their ranks and position.

In one tête-à-tête or a face to face meeting in late 1980 or early 1981, there came a time that their conversation drifted to the "succession issue" though Marcos was sickly then they favored this not known to the public. But still, the generals knew it already and kept the secret to themselves.

Then Marcos later said this.

"My best successor is Ninoy Aquino."

After Marcos delivered this, the generals retreated into silence as Marcos continuously went on praising Aquino like an ardently admired political ally rather than an archrival. They recoiled, even more, when Marcos pointed out that, among the politicians around,

"Aquino is best prepared (to be president). "

Marcos declaration disconcerted the generals, but none dared ask why it had to be Aquino, the former governor and senator from Tarlac province whom Marcos himself had called a

"congenital liar, a braggart, a compulsive chatterbox and a blabbermouth. "

In general, Aquino was really a "communist" which made him like an enemy to the generals.

And nothing will be known unless you will do some research because what the school forced us to do is to believe what they have written in their textbooks.