CLAIM: Ninoy Aquino was hopelessly in love with Imelda Marcos
RATING: FALSE
THE FACTS: Darryl Yap’s film “Martyr or Murderer” alleged that Ninoy Aquino was in love with Imelda. It was a subplot that fueled the title even.
In an SMNI video, it was the clickbait title although Yap didn’t dwell much on it.
It was even the first scene of the film, which critic Butch Francisco put to task immediately.
“Martyr actually stretched reality in portraying the Marcos family, even in the courtship between Ferdinand, Sr. and Imelda. The opening sequence, for example, is obviously a figment of imagination. If it did happen, that must have been only one percent of what really took place.
That part of the film is a dance with the brightest young politicians of the 1950s in attendance. There is a young Ferdinand Marcos (Marco Gumabao) wooing the Rose of Tacloban, Imelda Romualdez (Cindy Miranda).
Later, a young Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino (Jerome Ponce) arrives at the party and he is all humbug. He is bitter too – having lost to Ferdinand in the race to Imelda’s heart.
Did Ninoy really court Imelda who is three years older? As shown in the film, Ninoy was still professing his love for Imelda until the time of his exile in America.”
Yap’s “research” was actually just Internet fodder.
These are mostly what-ifs.
The more credible post got its research from “Nick Joaquin’s The Aquinos of Tarlac and personal interviews with residents of Navaling, Magalang.
It said that Ninoy and Imelda met in Magalang in the summer of 1950. Ninoy’s aunt played matchmaker and it was indeed a summer idyll that probably extended when both returned to Manila. But it was not to be.
“Eventually, Ninoy’s sisters (all except Lupita) thumbed down the relationship in favor of the daughter of the wealthy and influential politician-businessman Jose Cojuangco of Paniqui, Tarlac—Corazon ‘Cory’ Cojuangco.
Ninoy and Imelda parted ways, and soon got married—Imelda to Ferdinand Marcos (future President) and Ninoy to Cory (also future President)—both in the same year, 1954!
Who’d have thought that the intertwining fates of these two couples would alter the destiny of an entire nation? In 1983, Imelda was implicated in Ninoy’s murder, and three years later, Ninoy’s widow ousted Imelda’s husband from power.”
Ninoy was quoted as saying that Imelda was a beautiful woman but he also called her ‘antipatika.’
Perhaps there is no other better sign that Ninoy loved Cory than composing several poems for her. In fact, Jose Mari Chan turned one of these poems into a love song, which remains a favorite—Please Be Careful With My Heart.
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