MANILA, Philippines — Defending a highly contentious political analogy that drew sharp rebukes from historic martial law advocacy groups, a prominent lawmaker has asserted that national legacies cannot be privately owned. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano stated that no single family holds an exclusive monopoly on the name or heroism of the late opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.
The statement serves as a direct counter-offensive following heavy public pushback over his recent use of iconic anti-authoritarian political symbols.
The political word war ignited on Friday, June 12, 2026, during an Independence Day Facebook Live broadcast. Cayetano openly likened his legislative minority bloc’s ongoing struggles inside the Senate chamber to the historic democratic resistance led by Aquino against the martial law dictatorship.
To emphasize his point, the senator flashed the iconic “L” hand sign—the foundational symbol of the Laban (Lakas ng Bayan) opposition movement that helped spark the 1986 People Power Revolution. Cayetano argued that the hand gesture now represents their modern fight to preserve “Senate independence” and uncover the truth behind controversial state infrastructure expenditures.
The comparison drew immediate, blistering condemnation from the August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM), a historic progressive group founded by Ninoy’s brother, the late Senator Agapito “Butz” Aquino.
ATOM released a scathing public manifesto tearing down Cayetano’s messaging framework:
[ THE ANTI-MARCOS HISTORICAL ADVOCACY REBUTTAL ]
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┌─────────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ LAUGHABLE & DELUSIONAL ] [ THE "LAPASTANGAN" REBRAND ]
• **A False Equivalency:** ATOM called Cayetano's comparison of internal• **A Sacrilegious Act:** The organization explicitly labeled
Senate power struggles to Ninoy’s imprisonment and sacrifice • Cayetano *“Lapastangan”*—a heavy Filipino term meaning
*"laughable, insulting, and delusional."* • disrespectful or sacrilegious.
• **The Core Values Gap:** The group pointed out that Ninoy fought • **Reclaiming the Sign:** *“So take your 'L,' not as 'LABAN'
fundamentally against fascism and state corruption—forces that ATOM• (to fight), but as 'LAPASTANGAN' (an insult) to the values
claims Cayetano’s current political alignment actively protects. • that Ninoy and the Filipinos fought for.”*
Refusing to back down, Cayetano issued a lengthy social media defense on Saturday night, clarifying that his invocation of historical figures was thematic rather than an attempt to claim personal parity with them:
[ CAYETANO'S LEGISLATIVE STANDPOINT ] │ ▼[ The Principle of Association ]──► The senator clarified that he does not equate himself with Ninoy Aquino, Jose Rizal, or Andres Bonifacio. Rather, he merely identifies with the *convictions* and causes they championed. │ ▼[ The Merits of Heroism ] ──► *“So let me be clear about Ninoy. No family holds a monopoly on his name because no one holds a monopoly on heroism. Heroism is not inherited; it is earned,”* Cayetano posted. │ ▼[ The Transparency Defense ] ──► He anchored his political battle to the ongoing, heavily resisted Senate inquiries into national flood control projects, stating, *“The Filipino people have the right to know what was done with their money.”*
Cayetano concluded his defense by listing an array of prominent lawmakers who he claims share his exact commitment to keeping vital state inquiries alive and maintaining an impartial floor, especially as the upper chamber prepares for upcoming high-profile national legal duties.
He highlighted that Senators Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Bong Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Mark Villar, and Camille Villar stand unified with him in refusing to let the flood control investigation be quietly buried by the legislative majority.