In a forum at St. Theresa's College in Quezon City on Friday night, Aquino chose to keep the conversation light and positive throughout the night and he could not be provoked to comment on current developments, even when asked about "creping martial law" or how divided the people had become because of opposing views in politics.
The former president hasn't gained much weight but it shows in his face that he's been getting his much-desired rest. He has finished reading 16 - he could sometimes finish 800 pages in two days - and is enjoying old movies dating back to 1930s.
He doesn't go out often, he says, and still does not have a special someone to share his life with.
Genereally, former president Benigno Aquino III said he is doing okay. He is keeping his promise to stay quiet and give President Duterte "a sort of a honeymoon" for a year, as he enjoys a break from politics.
He mentioned President Duterte only once - when he talked about how the peace talks with the communist rebels. He said the President and communist leader Jose Maria Sison appeared to have trust with one another and could see eye-to-eye.
Like every other Filipinos, Noy expressed hope in the peace talks between the current administration and the communist groups.
He hasn't taken on Facebook or Twitter, preferring to deal with people face-to-face, but enjoys posts with the #SalamatPnoy hashtag.
Like most Filipinos, he is stuck in traffic as he travels without much security now. He had just watched a concert of a friend Noel Cabangon, who recently launched his latest album, Traffic Jam.
But being the country's former top leader, Aquino could not escape questions about the latest developments.
Aquino said he could not fault people for their decisions and that people may just be lacking information and have gone astray. He added that people would always go back to whatever was right and think about the best for their fellowmen.
While he was a congressman, Aquino developed patience and had always believed that it would be better to engage rather than close doors for a compromise. "Why debate?" he asked, explaining that actions could speak louder than words.
About journalists under attack on social media, Aquino said there's no point arguing online and that those who established themselves as credible media practitioners would always have an audience.
The former president intends to keep his hiatus from politics going for as long as it is not needed for him to get actively involved again
Source / Image: The Philippine Star
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