Presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos should decide for himself if he would apologize for the atrocities during his father's dictatorship, as forcing him to do so would not make it believable or acceptable, a former rival said Monday.
An apology that appears forced will not be acceptable to the public, said Sorosogon Gov. Francis Escudero, Marcos' former rival in the 2016 vice presidential race. Escudero is seeking a Senate comeback in 2022.
"Para sa akin, it's up for Sen. Marcos if he wants to apologize. Because if we force an apology out of him... it's also not going to be believable, much less acceptable, to those asking for that apology," he told ANC in an interview.
Marcos has refused to heed the calls to apologize for the corruption and human rights abuses that marred his father's three-decade-long rule.
The family's ill-gotten wealth, which reportedly amounts to up to $10 billion, is also the subject of ongoing recovery efforts of the Presidential Commission on Good Government.
READ: Where is the Marcos Family's $10 Billion Fortune?
If Marcos chooses not to apologize, it's up to the voters to use it as a basis whether to vote for him or not in the 2022 elections, Escudero said.
"[The apology] should come from him and it should be his decision whether or not he will do it. It's not up for us or me to force it from his mouth if he is not willing to do so," he added.
Even as he authored a law compensating martial law victims, Escudero said he would not bar Marcos from campaigning in Sorsogon.
"If he will come here, we will accept him. And I would want our people to meet him and see him and get to decide for themselves," he said.
"It's not for me to prevent a candidate from visiting our province. That would be limiting our voters wider knowledge, if at all, as to who they really want to vote for and support regardless of affiliation," he added.
MORE ON BONGBONG MARCOS:
Bongbong Marcos Not a Degree Graduate of Oxford University: Filipino Alumni
Those Marcos Videos on TikTok are Rooted in Decades of Misinformation
Bongbong Marcos Says 'I Have No Trolls' as He Leads Facebook Polls
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