Former Senator Bam Aquino is questioning the decision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to remove the faces of heroes and former presidents in the new series of polymer banknotes.
“Sila ay mga Pilipinong dapat tinutularan ng lipunan at hindi dapat binubura,” Aquino said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The former lawmaker added that the decision to remove the images could further create division among the public.
“Kung meron mang mga tao sa BSP na nag-isip na mas pabor sa Malacañang ang bagong disenyo na tinanggalan ng mga mahahalagang Pilipino sa ating kasaysayan, nagkakamali sila. Sa panahon na kailangan ng pagkakaisa ng taumbayan, lalo lang nilang hinati ang bansa sa kanilang ginawa,” Aquino said.
The former senator was the nephew of democracy icons former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino and former President Cory Aquino, who were both featured in the P500 paper bill.
The August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM), which was formed after the Aug. 21, 1983 assassination of Ninoy Aquino during the Marcos dictatorship, also questioned the BSP’s move.
“Seriously, are we really going to forget those who have fallen during the night? Do we really want a country devoid of heroes? Are we better off forgetting them? Are they trying to make us forget that the blood of heroes runs in our veins so they can replace it with the blood of slaves and let tyrants rule again? Another thing that Rizal said, ‘there are no tyrants where there are no slaves,’” the group said.
The BSP unveiled the polymer banknote designs in denominations of 500, 100, and 50 without the faces of heroes and former presidents, including the Aquino couple as well as those of former presidents Manuel Roxas and Sergio Osmeña.
The Aquinos were replaced by the Visayan spotted deer in the 500-peso bill, the Palawan peacock-pheasant replaced the image of Roxas, while the Visayan leopard cat is in the space that featured Osmeña.
The BSP said the polymer series highlights the native and protected species alongside traditional local weave designs.
