SAY IT AIN’T so.

SAY IT ain’t so.

Just days before the 31^st death anniversary of Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino Jr., his son and namesake—and incumbent President—Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III has floated the idea of amending the Constitution to allow Presidents to run for reelection.

This surprised many Filipinos—both supporters and critics alike. The critics though harped on the idea of a new dictator in the making. True blue—or yellow—Aquino supporters were also stunned, flabbergasted and disappointed.

This was, after all, the reluctant presidential candidate in 2010; who after prodding and pleading decided to run for the country’s top post. Out of time and out of funds, Mr. Aquino won on the wings of the love given by the Filipino peoples to his then recently-deceased mother, former President Corazon “Cory” C. Aquino.

Now, four years later, PNoy is singing a different tune. Floating the very idea is already considered a sin; that it was his mother who fought tooth and nails to have the term limits for all elected officials to be included and to have the same Constitution ratified in 1987—this is now nothing short of betrayal for all the ideals and of principles of both his parents.

His father wanted to be President but a lone bullet in Aug. 21, 1983 ended that ambition. That end however became a start for his widow who would be swept to the presidency less than three years later by a peaceful revolt. Now the son became what the father cannot, but would Ninoy Aquino have felt the same messianic complex that now seems to permeate his only son?

His mother was counting the days when her term was coming to an end. She could have run for reelection as she was not yet covered by the Constitutional ban then, but she chose to retire to private life quietly. It may not be a stretch of the imagination to think that the reelection and amendment bugs haven’t been prevalent during her term as she is now the only post Martial Law President who didn’t want reelection.

Her son, apparently, was cut from a different cloth as he now thinks otherwise. PNoy insists he listens to his bosses—the Filipino people, according to him; but his bosses are now thinking that what he actually meant is “boses” or voice. And since he keeps using this word in plural form, it translates to “voices”, and that he actually listens to voices—from where we don’t know. It could be the voices of his officials and advisers, or worse voices in his head.

But what PNoy doesn’t seem to understand is the very fact that the term limits were put into place to prevent another President from perpetuating himself into power. That he wants to decimate this speaks volumes.

He may not be aware of it, but the reasons he is presenting is very similar to what Ferdinand E. Marcos was presenting then before he declared Martial Law and himself as President-for-life. He is seemingly afflicted by the same messianic tendency that he now sees himself as the only person capable of reforming the country and propelling it to progress.

We all know what happened to Mr. Marcos and it would serve Mr. Aquino to heed the lesson well. Especially since this was given by his parents. And his idea would not only be a betrayal of what his parents believed in, but more so a betrayal of the Filipino people who gave him an overwhelming mandate in 2010. (MTE)