MANILA, Philippines — Actress Kris Aquino has reached out to Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go for an apology after Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson dragged the late senator Benigno Aquino Jr. into the controversy over President Duterte’s kissing a married woman in South Korea.
The President has also apologized to Aquino, but Uson does not intend to.
“Kris Aquino reached out to me and we conveyed our apologies for the incident. ‘We’ means President Duterte and I,” Go said at a press conference yesterday in Malacañang.
“We understand the emotions of both sides since both leaders, I’m referring to President Duterte and former senator Benigno Aquino, are well respected and loved,” he added.
Go said he was instructed by Duterte to apologize to Kris.
“He (Duterte) said perhaps he understands the point of Kris, that she remembers how she lost her father. He said, ‘Tell her we are sorry for the incident’,” Go said.
The actress has accepted the apologies and thanked Go.
“Thank you for taking my feelings as a daughter into consideration and showing me empathy,” she said.
“I am most grateful for a man as powerful as you are now for texting and vibering me the words ‘we are sorry for the incident.’ You have my sincere gratitude,” she added.
In a live video posted on her social media accounts on Tuesday night, Aquino challenged Uson to face her instead of maligning the memory of her late father and mother former president Corazon Aquino.
“I just want to say, I am ready for you. This is a direct challenge to you. Face me. Face me anywhere. Text me. You can find my number,” said the younger Aquino.
“Name the place, name the location. Let’s carry it live. Bring all your followers. I can stand alone. But stop it. Stop doing this to two people who have never hurt you,” she added.
The former presidential daughter and sister aired her message hours after she slammed Uson over the latter’s posts about the late senator Aquino.
Defending the controversial kiss of Duterte with an overseas Filipino worker in South Korea, Uson shared a video of women kissing the late senator Aquino just before he was assassinated in 1983.
Uson suggested that Duterte was not the only government official who kissed women supporters.
The younger Aquino said Uson’s video opened wounds of a 12-year-old who felt jealous of the women who kissed her father before he was assassinated.
“It was a gift that was not given to my mother whom you continuously malign as well,” she wrote in Filipino. “I promised not to engage with you – but this time you crossed the line.”
“I understand that you have to understand your boss. But in doing so, do you have to step on those who have not hurt your boss? Is it even necessary to drag people who are dead?”
“I can give up everything, so long as my mom and dad are not disrespected. It just hurts so much because they gave so much,” she added.
Apologizing for the way she is responding to Uson, Aquino said she felt bad that she has to resort to gutter language in order for her to be heard.
“In order for people to listen to you, you have to shove the truth in their faces,” she added.
She warned Uson against disrespecting her parents again, saying they do not deserve the things that she says about them.
“I’m not running for office. I do not seek an elective office. I am not scoring brownie points for this,” said Aquino, telling Uson to use her as a punching bag instead.
Aquino also suggested re-enacting a movie scene where Uson was dragged by the hair by actress Angel Locsin, saying she is willing to take on the role of the Palace official.
Mocha fires back
Go also said that Uson has agreed to apologize for the incident and to put an end to the issue “out of respect” for Filipinos.
Uson, however, contradicted Go’s statement and insisted that she would “not apologize for the truth.”
“This is my response to the live video of Ms. Kris Aquino. This is not about Kris Aquino. It’s about putting malice on a kiss. It was equated with the deeds of other leaders like her father. Ms. Aquino, this is not about you,” Uson said in an online video.
“With all due respect to everyone involved, I decline to apologize for the truth,” she wrote in a blog post.
Aquino responded through an Instagram post.
“Mocha, you’re right, this is not about Kris Aquino. This is about Filipinos, who still love and respect Cory and Ninoy Aquino,” she said. – With Alexis Romero