Noynoy ‘not okay’, says Kris; skips Ninoy Aquino Day rites

Former President Benigno Aquino III skipped the ceremonies on the occasion of his father former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.'s 36th death anniversary at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque.

His sister, showbiz personality Kris, said he was "not okay."

Noynoy in a text message on Wednesday said he was down with the flu.

"He's not okay. I'm not at liberty to say what's wrong with him because it's up to him," Kris told the people who attended the rites.

"But kinabahan ako kagabi because I was wearing a bracelet. I was not moving,  sumabog yung bracelet," she added.

Kris said the past three years after the Aquino presidency had been tough on the former Chief Executive, the second in their family after their mother, the late Corazon Aquino.

"These three years have been tough on him. I'm sure dad will forgive me if I make this about Noy. Hindi dapat kinu-crucify ang ang naging mabuting tao," Kris said.

"The very fact na wala siya dito today, he's not okay. And maybe now, he needs you," she added.

Kris asked her brother's critics to give him a break and those who benefited from his administration to stand up for him.

"Lahat ng bira, lahat ng bato, lahat ng mga kasinunaglian, lahat 'yan dinibidib niya na tahimik lang. Sasabihin ko sa kanilang lahat, kung 'di niyo siya tigilan ako ang makakatapat niyo. Give the guy a break because he did you no harm," Kris said.

"And everybody lahat kayo na nagbenefit sa kanya, tumayo naman kayo para sa kanya. Mahiya naman kayo sa mga sarili niyo," she added.

A usurpation of authority case remains pending before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan against Noynoy, former government and police officials in connection with the Mamapasano incident in which 44 commandos died.

Several complaints are also pending against him in connection with the government's use of the discredited Dengvaxia vaccine in the government's school-based immunization program against dengue. 

The last time Noynoy was in the public eye was in early August when the Aquino family and their supporters remembered their matriarch Cory on the tenth anniversary of her death.

Cory died of cancer.

Ninoy was killed by an assassin's bullet at the then Manila International Airport.

His death was blamed on the Marcos administration and several soldiers were convicted for his murder and that of fall guy Rolando Galman.

Three years later, Cory came to power after the EDSA Revolution led to the ouster of the dictator.

"Please include him in your prayers because he needs strength. I want a brother who stays healthy, who will be alive," Kris said of Noynoy.

"He's 59, di ba? 'Yang 9 na yan. Kung Chinese, you know. So please and my dad died at 50. I'm 48," she added. 

For their sister Viel Aquino Dee, "I guess he is really not feeling well to be able to drag himself out to come here."

"Pero kung gaano kalubha, hindi naman malubha siguro," Dee said, smiling. —NB, GMA News