What President Aquino did this Holy Week

 

President Benigno Aquino III practically went on 'staycation' during the Holy Week holidays and attended to private, personal matters, a Palace official told reporters Saturday.

Through a text message sent to Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., President Aquino said, ""I went to two wakes and will go to a birthday tomorrow. Stayed in Manila to monitor everything. I am also monitoring developments in Libya. I spent quality time with my family. Last night I watched an old film on the life of Archbishop Romero of El Salvador. It reminded me of the church and its pro-active preference for the poor."

Last year, the President spent the break to have some “quiet time,” saying he was advised to pray for his critics.

“At the end of the day, siguro pagmumuni-munihan ko ‘yung, ‘di ba some quarters have this intense hate that they have continuously exhibited? Siguro I’ll concentrate in praying for them,” he said.

LIBYAN CRISIS

Libya — where a sizeable number of Filipino workers are based despite efforts by the Philippine government to repatriate them home -- continues to be gripped by political instability several years after the ouster and death of long-time leader Moammar Khaddafy.

Libya has two sets of rival parliaments and governments, one in Tripoli and one in Tunis in the east.

The UN envoy to Libya had been forced to cancel a flight to Tripoli because he had not been granted landing rights by the self-declared government there.

Martin Kobler said he had intended to visit the Libyan capital to "pave the way" for a U.N.-backed unity government to move there from Tunis. Fayez Seraj, prime minister of the unity government, said last week that such a move was imminent.

A unity government was formed under a plan to end Libya's simmering conflict, but has faced stiff opposition from hardliners on both sides of Libya's political divide.

Tripoli is controlled by a number of semi-official armed groups which clash periodically, and it was not clear if any of the most recent incidents were linked to political developments.

MOVIE NIGHT

The President most probably was referring to the 1989 film titled, Romero, which was based on the life of the Archbishop of strife-torn El Salvador, Oscar Romero.

Archbishop Romero spoke out against poverty, social injustice, assassinations and torture.He was gunned down by an assassin while celebrating Mass in 1980 -- at the time Aquino's father, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. suffered a massive heart attack while in detention.

Romero was beatified by Pope Francis last year. — APG, GMA News