'THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT'

Noynoy chose silence over addressing fake news about him, says cousin Bam

Until the end, former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III chose to stay silent rather than address "fake news" about him, former Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said.

In an interview on Unang Balita, Bam — Noynoy’s cousin — recalled how he and the former President debated about establishing his own social media machinery to counter the allegations and fake information about him and his presidency on various social media platforms.

“Nagde-debate kami niyan maraming beses. Ang sabi ko nga kung may social media machinery ang kabila, ‘yung nagbabatikos sa’yo, dapat may social media machinery rin s’ya pero ayaw niya,” Bam said.

(We always debated on the suggestion to create his own social media machinery to counter the allegations made by critics.)

Noynoy believed in the Filipinos’ capability to distinguish whether an allegation is true or not, Bam said.

“Ang paniniwala niya talaga, ‘Alam mo, Bam, ang katotohanan lalabas din ‘yan. Nainiwala ako sa tao na kaya niyang alamin ang totoo sa hindi,’” Bam quoted his cousin as saying.

(But what he told me was, “Bam, the truth will come out at the end of the day. I believe that a person has the capability to distinguish what is true and what is not.”)

At that time, Bam said, the problem of trolling and the spread of fake news in social media is getting worse.

“Hanggang sa namatay siya, nagtiwala s’ya sa taumbayan. Ang sabi niya nga e ‘Kayo ang boss ko,’ so nagtitiwala s’ya. Kaya ang sabi niya, ‘Wag ka mag-alala, ang katotohanan ay lalabas at lalabas din yan,’” he said.

(Until he died, he believed in the Filipino people. He said before “You are my boss.” That’s why he trusted the Filipinos. That’s why he told me not to worry because the truth will come out eventually.)

“Kayo ang boss ko” was one of the taglines that Aquino presidency. Noynoy first uttered it in his inaugural address in June 2010.

Apart from “Kayo ang boss ko,” Bam mentioned “Daang Matuwid” and the “No Wang-Wang” policy, which Noynoy had implemented as part of his advocacy against abuse of power.

The country's 15th president, Noynoy Aquino, 61, died on Thursday morning. His remains were cremated on the same day and would be buried on Saturday at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City.

According to a statement read by his sister Pinky Aquino-Abellada on Thursday afternoon at Heritage Park, Noynoy was pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m. due to renal disease secondary to diabetes. —KBK, GMA News