WAS it enough?

The only son of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos is hoping that the hatred between his family and the Aquinos, which goes back at least 40 years, finally ended when he and his sister Imee visited the wake of former president Corazon C. Aquino last Tuesday.

Rep. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (KBL, Ilocos Norte) said he was hoping the gesture would mark the end of the bitter past between the two families.

"Kung ito’y maging pagsisimula sa pagkakaisa ng ating bansa, ito’y magiging kabanata sa ating kasaysayan – pagsara ng kabanata nito at pagbukas ng bagong kabanata – ay sana ito’y maging pagkakataon nga," he said in an interview with ABS-CBN.

"Ang lahat ng pagbabago, lahat ng pag-iiba at siguro pinagtatalunan ay siguro pwede ng ilagay na lang sa kasaysayan na lang, hindi na sa ating buhay ngayon sa kasalukuyan," he added.

The Marcos siblings were received at the cathedral by Mrs. Aquino’s daughter, Ballsy Aquino Cruz, and grandsons Kiko Dee and Jiggy Cruz.

Rep. Marcos said their gesture was "beyond politics" and their two families were only fated to stand at two opposite ends in Philippine history.

"Everyone knows what happened especially in 1986 and the succeeding years. Magkabilang panig kami sa larangan ng pulitika. Siguro, dahil sa wala naman kaming personal na relasyon ang naging katangian lamang ng aming relasyon ay yung nangyayari sa pulitika," he said referring to the "people power" revolution in 1986 that ousted Ferdinand Marcos.

Rep. Marcos said they personally expressed their condolences to the Aquino’s like other mourners.

"Ang ganitong pangyayari, kahit na sinong pamilya o kahit na sinong tao ay labis sa pulitika yan. Wala ng kinalaman sa pulitika yan," he said.

Mrs. Aquino’s only son Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III was not around during the Marcoses’ visit as he was still writing the family’s response for their mother’s necrological rites.

Later, in an interview with reporters, Senator Aquino said while the family appreciated the Marcos’ gesture, there is no way for their family to forget the assassination of his father, the former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.