The Aquino family released a statement addressing Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks, which appeared to liken the potential fate of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to that of former Senator Ninoy Aquino Jr. upon his return to the Philippines.
"Kung pag-aaralan natin ang kasaysayan, makikita natin na ibang iba ang ginawa kay Ninoy sa pinagdadaanan ngayon ni dating Pang. Duterte," the Ninoy & Cory Aquino Foundation said in a Facebook post on Monday.
Previously, Vice President Duterte addressed the risks her father might face upon his return to the country during a gathering with Filipino supporters in The Hague.
She revealed that the 79-year-old Duterte plans to return to the Philippines to focus on the upcoming midterm elections, where he is running for mayor of Davao City.
"Pa, 'yung kagustuhan mo na umuwi, 'yan din 'yung katapusan ng buhay mo. Magiging Ninoy Aquino Jr. ka," the Vice President shared what she told her father.
Malacañang clarified that it was not to Aquino that Duterte compared himself, but to Adolf Hitler.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro emphasized that it is far-fetched to compare former President Duterte to Ninoy Aquino, who had no record of mass murder or crimes against humanity.
