President Noynoy Aquino will observe a private and solemn commemoration of the death anniversary of his father, Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr., this Saturday as he considers 1983 assassination as a closed book, Malacañang said on Friday.

The President has requested “private time” to spend Ninoy Aquino Day with his family, according to Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office head Ramon Carandang.

Carandang said the President is expected to attend a mass commemorating his father’s martyrdom this afternoon and then join his family for a “quiet gathering.”

The family is also expected to pray at the tomb of Senator Aquino at the Manila Memorial Park.

“President Aquino has asked that the time be spent with his family so there is going to be a sort of private time tomorrow (August 21),” Carandang said in a news conference in the Palace.

“They want to have a sort of a quiet day tomorrow (August 21),” he said. President Aquino has declared August 21 as a non-working holiday.

Carandang said the President has been invited to attend some public events commemorating his father’s 27th death anniversary although it is still unclear if he would go. “There are some events that might be lined up for the public. They have not been finalized yet,” he said, adding the public functions will be announced shortly.

Carandang, meantime, acknowledged that the President, like his sisters, has moved on after the family tragedy last August 21, 1983.

The elder sisters of President Aquino reportedly claimed the search for the mastermind behind their father’s murder is over and that justice has already been achieved.

“I would assume that the family, the President and the sisters share the same view about that. There is of course still some legal processes that are ongoing and I think that these processes will go through but I think what the family is sharing is their feelings about that event so I would assume that the President feels the same way as his sisters,” Carandang said.

He said the pain in the family may still be there “but like most things that very painful to you emotionally they have moved on.”

“I think that they are content to just allow the process to go through,” he added.

Last Wednesday, the President said he hopes he will be given an opportunity to pray for his father in peace “rather than to have a circus” at the memorial park.

Aquino has refused to see the Aviation Security Command (Avsecom) van that was used to transport his wounded father in 1983 due to resentment.

The old van was reportedly being considered for preservation in a museum.

He said court records on the Aquino-Galman double murder case revealed that the van took a “tour” instead of directly bringing the fallen senator to a medical facility.

He said investigators suspected that his father’s head was hit by a rifle by one of the people inside the van to ensure he was dead.

“So, looking at the van does not bring any good memories to me. In fact, it might induce a lot of anger that of course, I cannot allow to fester nor to express, being the president of the Republic. I have to divorce the personal side from my public obligations,” he said.