Photo courtesy of Liza Marcos/Instagram
Malacañang said the recent meeting between First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Kris Aquino reflected cordial relations between their families despite their longstanding political rivalry.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said Tuesday that the First Lady had not disclosed what she and Aquino discussed during their get-together.
Castro, however, pointed to Aquino’s visit with her sons Josh and Bimby as an indication that the two families maintained a good personal relationship.
The meeting came ahead of the First Lady’s 67th birthday on Aug. 21. Aquino and her sons surprised her with advance birthday cakes, with photos of the gathering later shared on Araneta-Marcos’ social media accounts.
The First Lady’s birthday falls on the death anniversary of Aquino’s father, former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983, upon returning to the Philippines.
Aquino’s assassination became a major turning point in opposition to then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and preceded the 1986 People Power Revolution that ended his more than two decades in power.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had previously acknowledged the political rivalry between the Marcos and Aquino families but maintained that their personal relationship outside politics had remained cordial. He also said his wife regarded Josh and Bimby as her nephews.
Araneta-Marcos also has familial ties to the Cojuangco-Aquino family through her aunt Rosario “Sari” Cacho, who married Pedro “Don Pepe” Cojuangco, the elder brother of former President Corazon Aquino and uncle of Kris.