I have not been a vengeful President – Noy

President Aquino personally believes he did not let his emotions stand in the way of running the affairs of state objectively for the past five years he has been in office, despite observations to the contrary.

“I know I am not perfect. But I believe that in all the decisions I made, the greatest good and love for my countrymen were considered,” he said in Filipino during a thanksgiving celebration of the Tarlac First Baptist church in Tarlac Sunday.

“In all the challenges I faced, I never let my emotions prevail. I considered things based on what is right and just for our country,” he said, adding he did the best he could and that he could look anybody straight in the eye when he steps down in June 2016.

Aquino also endorsed the candidacy of Liberal Party standardbearer Mar Roxas and running mate Leni Robredo.

With much sarcasm, the President said he had learned to accept the challenges any national leader would face, including professional critics who specialize in faultfinding.

“They made an industry in sowing negativism. Whatever I say, I am always wrong. But, then, I have already said before that I am used to having negative comments for breakfast, verbal abuse for lunch, insults for dinner and intrigue for midnight snack,” he also said.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said over Bandila that it is time for Aquino to move on from the issue of his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos’ administration because most of the country has long done the same.

Aquino earlier urged the Marcoses to apologize for martial law.

But Marcos believes that military rule did not produce negative effects and that he wanted to emulate his father because of his love and sacrifices for the Philippines.

He reiterated that the nation should let history judge his father.

Still detained

In November 2011, Aquino prevented his predecessor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for a medical checkup in Singapore despite the absence of any hold- departure order. A complaint for electoral sabotage, a non-bailable offense, was filed against her the following day. A warrant for her arrest was also issued hours later.

When Arroyo was eventually granted bail in October 2012, a case for plunder, also a non-bailable offense, was filed on the same day in relation to the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.

To date, only Arroyo and another defendant in the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan have so far remained in jail.