MANILA, Philippines - Ogie Alcasid believes President Benigno Aquino III should have attended the arrival honors for the slain members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force last week.
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Aquino received flak after he was a no-show at the arrival honors, held at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, and instead attended the inauguration of the Mitsubishi Motors’ plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
“He should have been there,” Ogie said, speaking to members of the press during the annual general assembly of the Organisasyon ng Mga Pilipinong Mang-aawit on Wednesday.
“It would have been a world of a difference if he came and he attended,” he added. “Words don’t have to be said. His presence alone [would have been enough].”
Asked if he was disappointed over PNoy’s absence, he said, “Nakakagalit, totoo. Nakakainis, totoo. Nakakasama ng loob. E padadala ba tayo doon? Kailangan may sobriety tayo ng konti para klaro tayo mag-isip.”
But Ogie said he remains to stand by the President. Ogie, a known supporter of Aquino during the 2010 presidential elections, believes Aquino made up for his absence from the arrival honors when he met with the families of the slain PNP-SAF members.
The singer-songwriter added that he understands the “anger of the people” over the issue.
“Kailangan ba natin siya pababain? Mahirap gawin yun ha,” Ogie said. “But since kaibigan ko siya and since isa kami doon sa sumuporta sa kanya nung simula, e bibitaw ba ako dun? Hindi naman.”
He added, “But I want to say to him... this is a very difficult time for him. So, I will just pray for him.”
“Yun lang naman ang makakapagpalakas sa kanya, or at least mabigyan siya ng wisdom kung paano niya ife-face ang dilemma na ito.”
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In the end, Ogie said the issue is not just Aquino’s “personal dilemma.”
“Bayan natin ang may problema.Yung mga namatay na yun, hindi siya basta-bastang pangyayari. We have to find out the truth for the sake of those who died.”
A number of celebrities have expressed their opinion over the death of 44 SAF members in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.