President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday that despite being perceived as bitter rivals since the 1970s, his family and the Aquinos have always maintained cordial relations.

Marcos made the comment in a media interview when he was asked about the recent meeting between actress-host Kris Aquino’s sons, Joshua Aquino and James “Bimby” Aquino Yap, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

Photos from the meeting on 9 July, shared by the First Lady, quickly sparked interest on social media.

“Well, we’ve always been okay. We just don’t agree politically,” the President said of the relationship of the Marcoses and Aquinos.

“Until the presidency of (the late President Noynoy Aquino) we were on different sides of the political aisle,” he said.

Former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino and former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino, the late parents of both Kris and Noynoy, fought against the two-decade rule of Marcos Jr.’s father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

The First Lady’s aunt, Rosario Cacho, was married to Kris Aquino’s late uncle, Pedro Cojuangco, who was the brother of Cory Aquino.

“What the reports didn’t mention is that Liza is their aunt because her aunt married the eldest brother of Cory, so they are very closely related,” Marcos said. “That’s why it’s not surprising that she knows her nieces and nephews very well.”

Kris on seeking assistance

Marcos said that Kris, who is in the United States for medical treatment, requested the First Lady’s assistance with her travel arrangements.

“The reason why they (Josh and Bimby) visited the First Lady is simple. I think it was Kris Aquino who needed some assistance for something,” Marcos told reporters.

“It was just to help them with their travel arrangements. The First Lady helped them. She said they thanked her,” Marcos said.

“I think it’s a very fine gesture on the part of the Aquino family. I think it sort of put a little more personal, a human interaction, between our families,” he added.

Although the Marcoses and the Aquinos have historically been on opposite sides of the political spectrum, there are notable similarities between the two families.

Both patriarchs — Marcos Sr. and Ninoy Aquino — studied at the University of the Philippines, were members of UP’s Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity, and served as senators.

At one point, the renowned talk show host Kris Aquino interviewed then Congressman Bongbong Marcos. During the interview, Kris revealed that she and Marcos Jr. were actually godparents to the child of then Isabela Mayor Bojie Dy.