Bongbong Marcos to critics: Allow young voters to make own judgment

Vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday called on his critics to just allow the youth to vote for candidates based on their track record and performance and rest the issue of him being the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

"We are approaching an election and let us allow those who vote in the elections to make their own judgments as to who did the most for this country and who had the opportunity to do much for this country but who did not," Marcos told reporters at the sidelines of his campaign sortie in Rizal province.

Just recently a group of martial law victims launched a campaign against Marcos' vice presidential bid dubbed as the "Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacañang" or CARMMA.

The group was demanding a public apology from the younger Marcos over the abuses committed during Martial Law under his father's reign.

Marcos had earlier maintained that he will not apologize over Martial Law, saying it is not his responsibility to apologize for the alleged mistakes of past administrations.

During the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, President Benigno Aquino III said Marcos' refusal to acknowledge the abuses committed during Martial Law and apologize for it on his family’s behalf is an indication that the latter may follow the footstep of the late dictator.

Marcos countered that it is best to just let historians assess the presidency of his father and that Aquino should instead spend his remaining days in office addressing the country's more pressing problems.

Aquino is the son of the late President Corazon Aquino, who replaced the elder Marcos in Malacañang, and slain Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., a political rival of the elder Marcos.

Though he did not mention any names, Marcos, in his speech at the Voters’ Education Forum at Tomas Claudio College in Morong town on Monday morning, called on young voters to "reject" candidates who had already been given a chance to serve the country but whose performances were allegedly wanting.

Marcos told the youth that above anything else, performance and track record should be the primary considerations in electing candidates.

"I'm asking them to make that judgment as many of them are first time voters. It is a guide for them how to choose the people that they will vote for, how to choose the candidates that they feel will serve the country well," Marcos told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Marcos attended the flag-raising ceremony at the Rizal Provincial Capitol in Antipolo City where he was officially endorsed by the influential Ynares family as well as by other local officials of in the province. —KBK, GMA News