Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano compared his bid for Senate presidency to the fight of the late Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr. against the Marcos dictatorship during a June 12 Facebook Live. The August Twenty-One Movement condemned the comparison as delusional and insulting.
During the 39-minute livestream on June 12, Cayetano raised an L sign and said he would continue fighting, quoting that the Filipino is worth fighting for. He insisted he remains the legitimate Senate president despite being stripped of the post.
The August Twenty-One Movement, founded by Ninoy Aquino's brother Agapito Butz Aquino, responded on June 13. It called the comparison laughable and urged Cayetano to resign, saying his camp opposes the values Ninoy fought for.
ATOM also accused Cayetano and his allies of violating the law and obstructing the impeachment process for Vice President Sara Duterte. The group said the L sign should stand for lapastangan, meaning insult, rather than laban or fight.