Mag pinsan sila. Both are fighting for control of Tarlac. One went to Marcos and got richer. The other became a pauper literally. The pauper felt that the cause of their family's downfall is the persecution of Ninoy and their family became a collateral damage. The pauper has to convince the sister that only when her husband is gone can the family regain back their wealth.
Ninoy is a fraternity brod of Marcos and even visits him in his jail. Despite political differences, they have a certain fondness for each other. Marcos prefers Ninoy to succeed him. With this knowledge, the cronies of Marcos knew that with Ninoy at the helm, they will all be a goner.
There were two tables on the lounge of the old Manila International Airport and the guys on the table were talking about the forthcoming return of Ninoy. The rich cousin was in one of the tables. On the other table is the PC chief at that time who is known as a psy-war expert. The PC chief overheard the conversation and that he felt was an opportune to ingratiate himself with the powers that be. He was once bypassed by Ver to head the AFP and that made him bitter coz he was a West Point grad and the other was only an ROTC grad without combat experience. But he needs mony to implement his plan. Two guys can finance him - the rich cousin or the poor who has the motive to have the brother in law gone. The rich cousin does not have a motive.
The rich cousin also knew all the guys in the region that time who were all ready to do his bidding wanting to be always in his aegis. But even with the money and power, does the rich cousin have a motive? In fact, when the rich guy came back to the Philippines, it was the widow who facilitated his entry to the country thru Clark since he does not have a passport.
Marcos thinks that the West Pointer can not be trusted, indecisive and a loser. Ver will ask which floor to jump when asked to jumped down from a tall building. Even the sister of the West Point guy is another spoiled brat who would cry on the palace floors when her requests for favors are not granted.
However, when the widow became President, she had the chance to meet the other "widow" in a plush hotel. The newly installed President got to know who the killers of her husband were. The killing of Ninoy was a classic case of reverse psychology. If some guys here can remember during the student election in 1971 at UP, all the buildings were painted red with words to the effect praising the CPP-NPA. The freshmen were appalled and voted against the activist candidates. The "reactionaries" won that election to the dismay of the activists and radicals. After several years, one of those painters admitted to me that they did indeed painted Palma Hall.
The brother of Ninoy was wondering why with all the powers that she has, she can not find the killers of her brother. He is disillusioned with his sister in law. Does the sister in law knew already the killers but has to continuously lay the blame on the previous President as a convenient scapegoat? True enough, the pauper literally became a billionaire again when the sister took over the reins of government.
Marcos knew the day of Ninoy's arrival. If he would be the culprit, would he have had his operation on those days? Isn't it logical that if you would be the masternind, you would have to be very lucid to be able to direct the operation. Note that on the day of Ninoy's assasination, Marcos was still recovering from his operation and was still totally dazed. On that day, his cronies are all in a panic not only because Marcos has been incommunicado but also because if Ninoy is back on that day, Ninoy would be running after them and they knew Marcos prefers Ninoy to lead the country if he is gone. Yet, these cronies do not have the guts nor balls to undertake surgical operations. Only a military/criminal mind and an understanding of psychology could have planned the killing with its nuances of diversion and deceit funded by someone with a motive so compelling as to be brazen with its timing and cunning.
At that point of our historical milieu, it was imperative to have a convenient alibi to lay the blame for the ills of the country. It was a season when "anyone other than Marcos" will win an election against Marcos. Yet, even after the counting in that "snap election", the real score showed that Marcos really won the elections. That's the historical truth. It was mob rule that dethroned Marcos. It was the same with Erap, a simple case of mob rule.
There were more compelling reasons why some people need to have Marcos removed by 1986. It was exactly forty years when the claims of foreign governments would lapsed against gold obtained by Marcos. At that time, the US having no more back up for their currency needs the gold for its reserves and Marcos will not give that to them. Luckily for the Philippines and for Filipinos, the former President reserved and kept this gold and the derivative assets therefrom only for the country and for its people.