Ninoy’s townmates will never betray him, says Tarlac vice governor

CONCEPCION, Tarlac — A day after the visit of President Estrada here, Vice Gov. Her-minio Aquino declared that this hometown of martyred former Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. is "solid anti-Erap."

According to the vice governor, also a native of this town, "Ninoy’s townmates will never betray him and the ideals he had fought and died for. The people here will always remain patriotic and faithful to democracy."

However, Vice Gov. Aquino, an uncle of Ninoy, conceded that "a handful of politicians" here "have sold their souls and the future of country with their blind loyalty to a corrupt and despicable President."
Mr. Estrada visited this town Tuesday and spoke before a crowd of 3,000 people, mostly high school and elementary students, at the gymnasium of the Sen. Benigno Aquino Memorial High School.

His visit coincided with the birthday celebration of Gov. Jose Yap Sr., an Estrada loyalist.

In his speech, Mr. Estrada described his foes as "mga balasubas (debt-welsher)," and echoed his oft-repeated line that "ang mga elitista, mga burgis, mga mayayaman (the elite, the bourgeois, the wealthy)" are those who want him ousted.

He also blamed the rich for the country’s economic woes, supposedly for not settling their bank obligations and paying the right taxes.

Reacting to the President’s statements, Eliseo Cadiang, chairman of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Tarlac (Bayan-Tarlac), said "Mr. Estrada is obviously talking to himself."

He said the two kilos of rice, a can of Maling, and a kilo of sugar distributed to barrio folk brought by this town’s officials to the affair "were obviously meant as bribe."

Vice Gov. Aquino said Mr. Estrada’s visit "had no impact on the people’s verdict that he is guilty of the charges filed against him."

Aquino recalled that a few minutes before Mr. Estrada arrived, members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) had a scuffle with protesters in front of the parish church here, grabbing from them two banners with the words "Welcome Jose Velarde" and "Resign!"

The vice governor said the protest was "an open defiance of Ninoy’s people to a President who has trampled on the freedoms and democracy we fought for at EDSA in 1986."