Kris Aquino’s sons Josh and Bimby visited First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to thank her for helping them with their travel arrangements, President Marcos said on Wednesday, July 10.
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos (center) welcomes Bimby(left) and Josh Aquino (right), sons of movie star Kris Aquino, who paid her a visit at her office on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (Photo from Liza Marcos Facebook page)
The Chief Executive explained the Aquinos’ visit to the First Lady, which she posted on Tuesday, July 9, on her social media accounts and immediately went viral because of the long-standing political feud between the Marcoses and Aquinos.
“I think it was just to help them for their travel arrangements. So, tumulong si First Lady at ‘yun lang. Sabi lang magpapasalamat sila (The First Lady helped, and that’s it. They were told to thank her),” he said in a media interview in Rizal.
“And so --- I think it was a very fine gesture on the part of the Aquino family. I think it was --- it sort of I suppose put a little more --- how do you say --- personal, a human interaction between our families,” the President added.
Admitting that their families were on the opposing side of politics until the presidency of the late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, Marcos stressed that it was Kris “who needed some assistance for something.”
Kris, who’s currently in the United States for treatment of her several autoimmune conditions, will reportedly be back in the country in the last quarter of this year.
Josh has been staying in the Aquino hometown of Tarlac, while Bimby recently arrived from California to continue his studies.
Marcos explained also the family ties between the First Lady and the Aquinos.
“But what the reports did not say is that Liza is their aunt. Dahil ang kanyang auntie ay napangasawa si (Because her auntie married) Don Pepe, the eldest brother of Cory,” the President said, referring to Don Pedro Cojuangco who married Rosario Cacho, the sister of the First Lady’s mother.
Cojuangco, who died in 2011, was the eldest brother of the late former president Corazon Aquino, and was chair of the board and president of the Central Azucarera De Tarlac.
He was also the chair and president of Jose Cojuangco and Sons Inc., Hacienda Luisita Inc., Tarlac Development Corp., Luisita Golf and Country Club Inc., Liberty Insurance Corp., and former president and chief operating officer of the First United Bank (now United Coconut Planters Bank).
“So, they are related. Kaya’t hindi naman nakakapagtaka, kilalang kilala niya si --- kilalang kilala niya ‘yung mga pamangkin niya very well (It’s not surprising, she knows her nephews very well). So, that... And so, they came at nagbiyahe sila, bumalik may dalang pasalubong (they traveled and visited her with gifts),” Marcos shared.