THE FILLING

Liberal Party standard-bearers Senators Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III and Mar Roxas flash the Laban sign as they hold their certificate of candidacy filed before the Commisssion on Elections this morning. Aquino and Roxas pledged to continue to heed collective thirst and hunger of people for change, and to fight the crooked and corrupt. "Sa harap po ninyong lahat, sa harap po ng sambayanang Pilipino, hinding-hindi po namin bibiguin ang tiwala na ipinagkaloob po ninyo sa amin. Sama-sama tayo, lalaban po tayo. Una kayo, bago ako. Una ang bayan, bago ang sarili," Roxas said. (Photo by Pia Ojeda)

Noynoy Aquino signs his certificate of candidacy at COMELEC. (Photo by Jay Morales)

Liberal Party standard-bearers Senators Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III and Mar Roxas, together with senatorial candidates under the "People's Reform" coalition, pledge to supporters to continue the "laban na tapat, laban ng lahat (the communal fight of all for what is right)" before filing their certificates of candidacy before the Commission on Elections today. "Sa harap po ninyong lahat, sa harap po ng sambayanang Pilipino, hinding-hindi po namin bibiguin ang tiwala na ipinagkaloob po ninyo sa amin. Sama-sama tayo, lalaban po tayo. Una kayo, bago ako. Una ang bayan, bago ang sarili," Roxas said. (Photo by Gil Nartea) In the picture are (l-r) Senator Kiko Pangilinan; Senatorial candidates Dr. Neric Acosta, Sonia Roco, former Sen. Ralph Recto (with son Ryan Christian), Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon and former Senate President Frank Drilon; Aquino and Roxas; Manila Mayor Fred Lim; senatorial candidates Akbayan! Rep. Riza Hontiveros and Bukidnon Rep. TG Guingona; Aika Lim (daughter of senatorial candidate Brig. Gen. Danny Lim) and Pia Lacson (wife of senatorial candidate Alex Lacson).

Liberal Party standard-bearers Senators Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III and Mar Roxas, together with senatorial candidates under the "People's Reform" coalition, bow their heads in a minute of silence top remember the victims of the Maguindanao massacre before filing their certificates of candidacy before the Commission on Elections today. Aquino, Roxas and the LP slate condemn the murders in the strongest possible terms, and pledges to work for the redemption of democracy and lasting peace in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao. (Photo by Gil Nartea) In the picture are (l-r) Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, Ryan Christian Recto, former Sen. Ralph Recto, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon and former Senate President Frank Drilon; Aquino and Roxas; Manila Mayor Fred Lim; senatorial candidates Akbayan! Rep. Riza Hontiveros and Bukidnon Rep. TG Guingona; Aika Lim (daughter of senatorial candidate Brig. Gen. Danny Lim) and Pia Lacson (wife of senatorial candidate Alex Lacson).

Noy It Forward': Aiming for 100,000 in 100 days

While most people in the country were busy enjoying the long All Saints' and All Souls' Days weekend or coping with Typhoon Santi, about 20 people, mostly college students and other young adults, gathered at the Barangay Loyola Heights covered courts on Monday evening to join the launch of what they consider as a tool for change: the “Noy It Forward" movement.

Organized by the Youth for Noynoy (Yo!Noy!), the movement aims to contribute to the election campaign of Senators Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III and Manuel “Mar" Roxas II – the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the Liberal Party – by recruiting 100,000 volunteers in a span of 100 days.

Youth for Noynoy is the youth arm of PiNoy Power, an organization that has been working for the electoral campaign of Aquino and Roxas since they confirmed their candidacy last September.

'One should recruit three'

Karl Satinitigan, Yo!Noy! area manager for the National Capital Region (NCR), explains that each volunteer is encouraged to recruit at least three of his or her friends until the target is reached.

Satinitigan says that the recruits would not only serve as campaign volunteers, but also as poll watchers in the May 2010 elections. The volunteers would also be oriented to ensure that the reform agenda is sustained beyond 2010 “no matter who wins in the presidential elections."

“Honestly," Satinitigan says, “we need to be ambitious (because) 100,000 is a minimum to ensure that every precinct has a poll watcher, that every family (or) barangay is informed when it comes to implementing actual platforms."

He also says the groups supporting Aquino and Roxas should not be complacent even if their candidates usually top the presidential and vice presidential surveys, because there are so many vying for the two highest posts in the country.

The youth will be the main target of the strategy, he explains, primarily because the outcome of next year’s elections would greatly affect this sector, adding that it is also the youth that has the idealism to actually effect change for the betterment of the country.

“Tayo yung hindi pa masyadong jaded, tayo yung idealistic pa. (We’re the ones not yet too jaded, we’re the ones still with idealism.) We wanted to turn that idealism into something concrete and meaningful," he says.

School chapters to be formed

Erick Reyes, 32, one of those who attended the Noy It Forward launching, told GMANews.TV that he showed up at the event because he believes that Noynoy Aquino is “the change" that the country needs.

During the event, devoted supporters of the Noynoy-Mar tandem are urged to speak out their thoughts through a "freedom wall." Photos by Aie Balagtas See

Among the presidential candidates, Reyes explains, only Aquino has “the credibility and the integrity" to lead the nation.

A teacher by profession, Reyes plans to recruit people initially by informing his students and their parents. “Pag hindi sila pumayag, ibabagsak ko sila (If they don’t agree, I’ll fail them)," he says in jest.

Aside from using the Internet, Satinitigan says the group plans to further spread the word by forming chapters in schools where people can volunteer. These chapters would likewise serve the district where the particular school is located.

“For example, in UP (University of the Philippines), hindi lang sila magfo-focus sa UP students but sa district na ‘yon ng Quezon City (they will not just focus on UP students but on that whole district of Quezon City)," he explains.

'Time, energy, ideas'

Harvey Keh, lead convenor of Kaya Natin, a movement advocating ethical leadership and supporting PiNoy Power, clarifies that the volunteers are not required to pay anything. Instead, a volunteer is required to invest their “time, energy and ideas."

“For example, they can write about Noy on their blogs, on Facebook. It's the language of the young," Keh says. “They can also invest time in terms of going precincts to watch the votes."

Keh exudes confidence about the role of the youth in fueling the Aquino-Roxas campaign. “I’m sure a lot of young people want to be involved," he says. “It's really just giving them the opportunity to become part of the change that we all want to see."

To register, a volunteer will need to submit his or her name, city or municipality of residence, mobile number, and the email addresses of his or her three recruits to noyitforward@gmail.com.

Each recruit will then have to register online at http://pipolpower.org or http://youthfornoy.ph or by texting the following: PIPOL POWER NIF <>, <>, <>, <>, /NIF and sending it to 2966.

Satinitigan says that an online mosaic of the volunteers will be updated weekly by the core group to show the progress of the campaign. – Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV

Noynoy recruits groups, mulls local political alliances

By Dale G. Israel, Doris C. Bongcac
Cebu Daily News First Posted 07:11:00 10/17/2009

CLAD in yellow shirts and sporting “Laban” signs, scores of Cebu City and Mandaue City yesterday turned up for Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who visited volunteer groups and met with urban poor associations.

About 500 people showed up at the Sacred Heart Center in Cebu City, singing “Bayan Ko,” which Aquino plans to use as his presidential campaign's theme song.

Florencio “Butch” Abad, Liberal Party campaign manager, said while they are banking on civil society to run a “people’s” campaign for Aquino and other LP candidates here, they will also forge alliances with local political families in Cebu.

“This is a peoples campaign and therefore we should give priority in organizing with this huge response from the citizenry,” he said.

Aquino said he hopes Cebuanos will be in the forefront in the fight for change similar to the pre-Edsa 1 years.

“Here in Cebu a lot of people aspire for change, to a return for good governance. Most likely Cebu will lead this fight for change, the fight for what is right,” he said in Filipino.

He credited Cebu for propping up the country's economy during his mother's administration and providing her refuge during her flight from the late president Ferdinand Marcos.

Among those who pledged support were businessman Augusto Go, chairman emeritus of the Noynoy-Mar Volunteers–Cebu City.

Aquino administered the oath of volunteer groups consisting of urban poor settlers from the cities of Talisay and Mandaue clothed in yellow T-shirts.

He also took five questions from the crowd.

A question on if he intends to get married brought laughter to the crowd.

Aquino, 49, replied: “yes”, but added that it may not be the right time yet to do so.

He later visited Mandaue City Hall where he was greeted by City Hall officials and employees and headed to AC Cortes Avenue to meet with urban poor groups.

Abad said they remain upbeat over Aquino's standing in Cebu based on surveys they conducted.

He said forging alliances with local officials would be seriously considered in their next visits in the province.

“We are just simply trying to understand what is the political situation here. Who are the forces, who are running in 2010 and which group would be in the best position to advance the principles of the campaign,” Abad said.

Aquino said they were also in talks for a Cebuano candidate in their Senate lineup.

Abad said he was confident that the LP could still revive its friendship with the local political families like the Osmeñas and Cuencos in Cebu City and the Martinezes in Bogo City.

Abad said LP officials are in discussion with former senator John “Sonny” Osmeña, one of the movers for the revival of the Panaghiusa party, to campaign for Aquino's candidacy.

For Cebu officials, sentiments were mixed.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said that while he is still part of the administration Lakas party, his advisers were seen wearing yellow ribbons—a sign used by Aquino's supporters.

In Cebu City, Barangay Guadalupe chairman Eugenio Faelnar said they will wait for the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan leadership to decide on whom to support for next year's elections.

Faelnar, Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) president, said the barangay officials had not yet to decide whom to support.

Sangguniang Kabataan president Catherine Joy Cabildo of barangay Guadalupe said they will also wait for the decision of their elders before making a choice.

However, Cabildo said among the youth voters, Sen. Francis Escudero is the most popular followed by Aquino.

She said Escudero was visible and a known proponent of education while Aquino was recognized following the death of his mother former president Corazon Aquino. With a report from Correspondent Carine M. Asutilla

It's Noynoy-Mar for LP in 2010

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II officially declared his vice-presidential bid in 2010, formally teaming up with Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Speaking before a jam-packed crowd that included LP stalwarts and supporters at the Kalayaan Hall of the historic Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City today (Sept. 21), Roxas announced he has accepted the challenge to be Aquino’s deputy “in our fight for change.”

“Taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang hamon na isulong ang tunay na reporma sa ating bansa. Taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang responsibilidad na maging kabalikat ni Noynoy sa kanyang laban para sa pagbabago (I am wholeheartedly accepting the challenge to pursue true reforms in our country. I am wholeheartedly accepting the responsibility to be Noynoy’s partner in our fight for change),” he said.

Mga kababayan, taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang maging katambal ni Noynoy Aquino (My countrymen, I am wholeheartedly accepting to be the running mate of Noynoy Aquino), he added.

“But this fight is not just about Noynoy and me. Tungkol ito sa matuwid laban sa baluktot. Tungkol ito sa tapat laban sa tiwali. Tungkol ito sa tama laban sa mali (This fight is to right the wrong, to fight corruption, to fight the wrong),” Roxas said.

Roxas, who earlier abandoned his own presidential ambition to support Aquino, vowed that their tandem is hell-bent on spurring change and promoting good governance.

"We are up against forces who will fight tooth and nail, fair and unfair, legal and illegal, against us. Sa kanila yata, tuloy ang ligaya; sa atin naman, tuloy ang laban (For them, the good life will continue; for us, the fight will continue),” he said.

"Kailangan nating isulong ang bandila ni Noy at ng reporma. Mahirap ang laban na ito, pero nasa kamay natin ang ating kapalaran (We need to raise the flag for Noy and reform. This is a difficult fight, but our fate is in our hands),” Roxas added.

The LP president, however, pointed out that their political rivals will do anything to win the elections, including through massive fraud.

"This is going to be a tough battle," he said, citing certain "dirty tricks" during the campaign periods.

Aquino, in an earlier speech, cited Roxas’ accomplishments as Senator, including the latter’s drive to slash down the price of medicines through the Cheaper Medicines Act, and his efforts in probing scams by pre-need firms.

Roxas, during his speech, was met with chants of “Noynoy-Mar!” from the audience, most of whom were clad in yellow.

By Dennis Carcamo and Dino Maragay (The Philippine Star) Updated September 21, 2009 12:00 PM

DFA's Romulo backs Noynoy

By Danny Buenafe, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau | 09/21/2009 10:21 AM

LONDON - Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo is supporting the presidential bid of Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, making him the first Arroyo Cabinet member to openly declare his support for the Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer.

In an interview with ABS-CBN's Europe News Bureau, Romulo cited his deep ties with the family of former President Corazon Aquino, saying Aquino supported him since his early days as a congressman until he became a senator for 12 years.

Romulo also served as Aquino's budget secretary.

The foreign affairs secretary said he sided with Aquino during the first People Power revolt in 1986 and again in the 2001 "EDSA Dos" revolt. He said he also backed Noynoy Aquino's senatorial bid in 2007.

Romulo refused to comment on the presidential bid of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who is being touted as the administration Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) standard-bearer.

He said he has no plans of embarking again into politics after his term ends since he has spent a long time in government service. Aside from the DFA, Romulo also served as finance and executive secretary under President Arroyo.

His term as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs ends on June 30, 2010.

Roxas accepts Aquino’s veep offer

It’s official: LP goes Aquino-Roxas in 2010

By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:10:00 09/21/2009

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II on Monday announced that he has accepted the offer to become the running mate of Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III in next year's elections.

At a jampacked room in Club Filipino in Greenhills, Roxas’s announcement paves the way for making official the Liberal Party tandem Aquino-Roxas for 2010.

"Taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang hamon na isulong ang tunay na reporma sa ating bansa. Taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang responsibilidad na maging kabalikat ni Noynoy sa kanyang laban para sa pagbabago (I am wholeheartedly accepting the challenge to pursue true reforms in our country. I am wholeheartedly accepting the responsibility to be Noynoy’s partner in our fight for change)," Roxas told LP stalwarts and members, and their supporters, most of them were wearing yellow shirts.

"Mga kababayan, taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang maging katambal ni Noynoy Aquino (My countrymen, I am wholeheartedly accepting to be the running mate of Noynoy Aquino)," he said.

"But this fight is not just about Noynoy and me. Tungkol ito sa matuwid laban sa baluktot. Tungkol ito sa tapat laban sa tiwali. Tungkol ito sa tama laban sa mali (This fight is to right the wrong, to fight corruption, to fight the wrong)," he said.

Roxas said the fight was about the people's thirst for change finally overcoming those who want to continue the "tayu-tayo (we) system, the horse-trading, the greed, the self-interest, the transactional politics that has been the biggest roadblock to progress and prosperity for all."

Admitting that this fight would be a tough battle, the senator then urged the public not to be lulled into complacency.

"We are up against forces who will fight tooth and nail, fair and unfair, legal and illegal, against us. Sa kanila yata, tuloy ang ligaya; sa atin naman, tuloy ang laban (For them, the good life will continue; for us, the fight will continue)," he said.

"Kailangan nating isulong ang bandila ni Noy at ng reporma. Mahirap ang laban na ito, pero nasa kamay natin ang ating kapalaran (We need to raise the flag for Noy and reform. This is a difficult fight, but our fate is in our hands)," he further said.

After declaring his presidential bid last September 9, 2009, Aquino disclosed that he had offered the vice presidential post to Roxas, who gave up his presidential ambition for Aquino

Mar formally accepts offer to be Noynoy's running mate

Vowing to end the "greed" that has been dominating Philippine politics, Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas II on Monday formally accepted the offer of Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III to be the party's vice presidential bet in the 2010 national elections.

Roxas, who abandoned his own presidential bid to give way to Aquino after several groups called on the latter to seek the presidency, made the announcement at the historic Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, on the 37th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.

"Taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang responsibilidad na maging kabalikat ni Noynoy sa kanyang laban para sa pagbabago. Taos-puso at buong pakumbaba ko pong tinatanggap ang maging katambal ni Noynoy Aquino (I wholeheartedly accept the responsibility to be Noynoy's companion in his fight for change. I wholeheartedly and humbly accept the offer to be Noynoy Aquino's running mate)," Roxas said, his statement met with applause from mostly yellow-clad supporters.

"This fight is not just about Noynoy and me. It’s bigger than the two of us. It’s bigger than the Liberal Party. It’s bigger than anyone of us. It is about our collective thirst for change. It is about finally overcoming those who want to continue the tayu-tayo system, the horse-trading, the greed, the self-interest, the transactional politics that has been the biggest roadblock to progress and prosperity for all," he added.

Presidential adviser for political affairs Gabriel Claudio said Sunday that Malacañang knew Roxas would settle for a vice presidential bid when he dropped his presidential ambition last month. Claudio wished the tandem well, saying Aquino and Roxas "have a natural synergy of political beliefs and ideology because of their friendship and shared party loyalties."

In his Monday announcement, Roxas said he and Aquino were up against "forces who will fight tooth and nail, fair and unfair, legal and illegal," but that he is "honored" to join his party mate in the "tough battle."

"I am honored to join him in this field of battle. To all of us who are fighting alongside him, make no mistake about it: We will not back down from this fight, not now, not ever," he stressed.



Joker's remarks hit

Aquino, who earlier introduced Roxas at the event, was all praises for his fellow senator.

"Ang sakripisyo po niya ang nagbigay daan sa paglunsad at pagpapatupad ng isang pambansang kilusan ng ating mga kababayan na talagang uhaw sa panunumbalik ng isang disente at malinis na pamamahala sa ating gobyerno (His sacrifice gave way to the rise of a nationwide movement of Filipinos thirsty for the return of a decent and clean government)," Aquino said in his opening remarks.

Aquino even took a swipe at administration Senator Joker Arroyo, who, according to Aquino, once said members of the Liberal Party can be fitted into compact car Volkswagen Beetle.

"Sinabi kasi ni Senator Joker na kasya ang Liberal sa isang Volkswagen (Senator Joker said all Liberals can be fitted into a Volkswagen)," Aquino said. "Pakihanda na ang lahat ng Beetles sa Pilipinas (Please prepare all Beetles in the Philippines)."

Arroyo once served as executive secretary of the late President Corazon Aquino, Noynoy's mother.

In an earlier interview at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City, Senator Aquino said that the LP chose September 21 as the date of Roxas' announcement because of its significance to the party.

"Ito ang nag-shape kung sino kami ngayon, yung eksperyensyang yan, may significance doon, and again nung pinaabot sa atin ni Senator Mar na ready na siya e bakit pa natin patatagalin (That was what shaped who we are today, that experience was significant. When Senator Mar told me he was ready, I said, why prolong the announcement)?" he said.

The two senators' fathers, the late senators Gerardo Roxas and Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., were both LP leaders who fought against Martial Law.

Among those present at the Club Filipino announcement were Mar's mother Judy Araneta-Roxas, LP chairman Franklin Drilon, Senator Rodolfo Biazon, Senator Aquino's sister Viel Aquino-Dee and uncle Agapito "Butz" Aquino, Zambales Governor Amor Deloso, Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, and former Peace adviser Teresita Deles.

"I'm very happy about it. I think they will make a wonderful team, super team," Mrs. Roxas said.

Senator Francis Pangilinan was also there to express his support for the LP tandem. Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad, Noynoy's girlfriend, was not around. Mar's girlfriend, broadcaster Korina Sanchez, was also absent from the event.

All set for Aquino-Roxas campaign

In an earlier interview over GMA News' Unang Hirit, Drilon said the LP is all set for the Aquino-Roxas campaign.

Drilon said Mar's announcement did not violate the Omnibus Election Code, which prohibits any political party from holding “political conventions or meetings to nominate its official candidates earlier than the period fixed in" the law. According to the Comelec calendar, the schedule for holding political conventions to nominate official party candidates for all elective positions in the 2010 elections will start on Oct. 21, 2009 and end on Nov. 19, 2009.

"Wala kaming nilabag dahil wala namang botohan. Sila lang naman ang kandidato namin sa partido kaya hindi kailangan ng convention. Ina-announce lang namin ang kanilang kandidatura (We are not in violation of the election law because there was no voting. They are the only candidates in the party so we need no convention. We just announced their candidacy)," the former Senate President said.

Drilon said the LP’s campaign will center on issues, and not on personalities. He added that they are still forging alliances in order to complete the party's senatorial line-up.

"Alam mo [ang] realities sa politics, maraming alliances ang mangyayari dyan. Sa Senado talagang magkakaroon ng alliances, mahirap naman magbuo ng puro Liberal sa linyada ng senador kaya may mga alliances kami diyan (In reality, there will be a lot of alliances in politics. For the Senate we'll have a lot of alliances because it will be difficult to complete a senatorial slate full of Liberals)," he said.

Mar was being groomed as LP standard bearer until clamors for Noynoy to run for the highest elective post emerged after the death of the latter’s mother, former President Aquino. Mrs. Aquino died on August 1 after more than a year of battle with colon cancer. Noynoy is seen by some quarters as the one who could continue the legacy of good governance and transparency of his parents, both of whom stood firmly against Martial Law.

Noynoy announced his presidential plans on September 9, more than a week after Mar gave way, following a spiritual retreat and consultation with the some groups.

Both Noynoy and Mar made their announcements at Club Filipino, where Mrs. Aquino took her oath as president on Feb. 25, 1986 during the final day of the EDSA People Power Revolution that ended the 20-year rule of strongman Ferdinand Marcos. - GMANews.TV

Erap-Noynoy meeting set next week

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada and Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III are meeting next week to discuss the possible unification of the opposition behind a single presidential bet for the May 2010 general elections.

Estrada believes the opposition must have a single candidate for next year’s polls to win against the administration candidate. On Wednesday, the administration coalition Lakas-Kampi-CMD picked Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro as its standard bearer.

“I have a scheduled meeting with Sen. Noynoy Aquino next week. I am still hopeful that we will be able to unite the opposition,” Estrada said without elaborating.

Estrada said earlier that he was hesitant to talk with Aquino and his camp, which is composed mostly of people from civil society that played key roles in the move to oust him through the EDSA II People Power in January 2001.

Makati Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) president Jejomar Binay has consistently been proposing the talks between Aquino and Estrada after the senator announced his plan to run for the presidency.

Binay initially wanted to run for president but dropped out of the race after Estrada announced his candidacy. He said he plans to run for vice president if Estrada invites him as his running mate; otherwise, he will return to private life.

Binay is a close friend of the Aquinos, being the first local official appointed by former President Corazon Aquino under the revolutionary government in 1986. He also defended the Aquino regime from several coup d’état attempts.

Under the Estrada administration, he was chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and remained allied with the deposed president even after his removal from power in 2001.

The PDP-Laban, which Binay heads as national president, is allied with Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino.

Binay yesterday welcomed Estrada’s statement to sit down with Aquino.

“I am very happy that former president Estrada is willing to meet with Senator Aquino. It is a welcome development,” said Binay.

No date has yet been set for the meeting but Binay said the Estrada-Aquino talks “will be between friends.”

“The former president and Senator Aquino go way back. There will be no preconditions and no expectations for this meeting. It will be just two friends sitting down to talk,” he said.

Aside from Aquino, Estrada said he might also talk with other presidential candidates including Sen. Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party, and Senators Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Estrada said he is still “99.9” percent sure of running for the presidency in 2010 but needs the unification of the opposition to make a full commitment.

The former president said his legal team led by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Andres Narvasa assured him that there is no hindrance to his political plans for next year’s elections.

By Cecille Suerte Felipe and Jose Rodel Clapano (The Philippine Star) Updated September 18, 2009

‘I can’t pretend to see, hear, speak no evil’

MANILA, Philippines — Responding to Malacañang’s broadside that he has yet to prove himself, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III Friday said he could not pretend to “hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil” in the face of unpunished crimes in the government.

Aquino, who has declared he would seek the presidency next year, said he could not turn a blind eye on the unresolved scandals under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, including the P723-million fertilizer scam, the $503-million North Rail project, and the $329-million NBN-ZTE deal.

“They want me to hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil, but I’m obligated to champion the interests of the people. At the end of the day, the people are my masters,” Aquino said in a phone interview.

“My record speaks for itself. I have called attention to acts and policies detrimental to the people’s interest. None were personal attacks,” he said, adding:

“Since they have suggested that I can’t call on my parents’ legacy to criticize the workings of this administration, I assume their suggestion is for me to be quiet and do nothing. If that is the case, I am sorry, I can’t accommodate them.”

Aquino, the only son of the late former President Corazon Aquino and former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., has promised to make more efficient use of government resources if he wins the presidency in 2010.

Arroyo spokesperson Gary Olivar said on Thursday that Aquino and other aspirants for the presidency should desist from portraying the 2010 elections as a battle between good and evil.

He said they should not run “at the expense” of Ms Arroyo who, he claimed, had “done her best for this country in the last eight years.”

Strongest threat

Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III, spokesperson of the Liberal Party (LP) of which Aquino is a member, said Malacañang considered the latter its strongest threat because “Noynoy is the complete opposite of what the administration is doing or stands for.”

Sen. Francis Escudero, himself an aspirant, said reviewing Ms Arroyo’s record was “unavoidable” in the campaign.

“Her government is a benchmark from which we want to make improvements, and the best way to show that is to compare what it is and what it should be, bearing in mind that it should never be personal but issue-based and issue-driven,” Escudero said.

Renato Reyes Jr., secretary general of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), said an anti-Arroyo stance was “the minimum requirement for a credible presidential run.”

“All those who are serious in contending for the highest position in government must now make it crystal-clear that they are anti-GMA (anti-Arroyo),” Reyes said in a statement.

“An anti-GMA platform will surely connect with the people,” especially because the 2010 elections will be “the judgement” on Ms Arroyo’s nine-year presidency, he said.

NGO with fictitious name

Aquino said he had reviewed the Commission on Audit (COA) report on the fertilizer scam and was surprised to see that a nongovernmental organization with a “fictitious address” was given a P500,000 allotment in 2004 and a much bigger chunk of P32 million in 2007.

“That’s the reason I’m highlighting these issues. The COA report said the NGO could not be found at its stated address and yet it was even given a bigger amount,” Aquino said.

He added: “They asked the neighbors but they knew nothing of the NGO. I just hope that it was not given another allotment in 2008. Sequels are normally good in movies, but here we have the fertilizer fund scam having a Part 2.

“It’s issues like these that drove us to the opposition. This is what’s making me angry.”

Aquino said the fertilizers could have helped produce bountiful harvests but that because of the irregularities, the country suffered a rice crisis.

“The price of rice rose in 2008, and this was during harvest time. I come from a rice-producing province (Tarlac), and I know that prices should go down during harvest time. But the opposite happened,” he said.

Aquino also mentioned the $503 million allotted for the North Rail project, when a similar rehabilitation work, the South Rail project, cost only $50 million.

“It so happens that this was done under the President’s watch. So who should be called to task?” he said.

As for the National Broadband Network deal with China’s ZTE Corp., Aquino said Ms Arroyo herself had ordered that the project should be undertaken through a build-operate-transfer scheme, and that there should be no sovereign guarantee for any loan for it.

“But what happened was the exact opposite. In the end, it was the government itself that ended up with the loan,” he said.

Legislative record

Aquino contested the claim that his legislative record was “lackluster,” saying he had authored proposed legislation to re-codify Philippine laws to get rid of overlapping or conflicting provisions.

More importantly, he said, he tried to have Congress set up an oversight committee to look into the unaccounted “intelligence” funds of government agencies.

“They come to Congress and ask for these funds, but we cannot ask how these were spent. We wanted to know if these were used appropriately,” he said, adding that the President’s own intelligence funds had reached P600 million.

Aquino said he had repeatedly filed the resolution for the creation of the committee but that administration allies kept blocking it.

“I filed again and again but they never set a single hearing for it [in the House of Representatives],” he said.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, also an LP member, said Aquino’s critics were “extremely threatened” by his “growing popularity.”

“Senator Aquino called for [Ms Arroyo] to resign during the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal. He has never retracted his statements and principles. The same cannot be said of most politicians,” Pangilinan said.

Unassuming

According to Pangilinan, Aquino is not merely “riding on his parents’ legacy” because he had nine years experience in the House and three years in the Senate.

“He has accomplished a lot but was not given enough credit precisely because of his unassuming nature. Now that he is in the limelight, his critics can only throw at him inconsequential things—his image, his mannerisms, his surname,” Pangilinan said.

He said Aquino had authored or backed bills that “safeguard our democracy” and championed public servants’ accountability through the Budget Impoundment Control Act.

“He is better prepared to assume the presidency than his mother was 23 years ago when she led the struggle against the dictatorship. More than years of experience, it is strength of character and fortitude that our nation needs today and we believe that Noynoy has the integrity, the grit and the guts to lead the nation,” Pangilinan said.

Rebuild institutions

Aquino said that despite the brickbats, he was focusing on helping build the movement which he hoped would catapult him to power in 2010.

“We have so many volunteers, different groups, coming forward and wanting to help. We are [deploying] them to the field,” he said.

He reiterated that he was open to coalescing with other opposition parties and that there were still slots in his senatorial slate.

Asked if the slot for his running mate was open to members of other parties—as Makati Mayor and United Opposition president Jejomar Binay had suggested—Aquino said he was already talking with Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

“I should have a running mate who agrees with my position on issues. I can’t have someone marching to a different tune because there is so much to be done in the coming six years,” Aquino said.

“Our system of check and balance has been damaged and this administration keeps on accumulating power and pushing the envelope,” Aquino said, pointing out that the Palace had succeeded in preventing Cabinet officials from testifying at congressional inquiries.

“We have to rebuild our institutions so that whoever comes after will be able to enjoy mature politics,” he said.

Free hand

The LP has given Aquino a free hand in choosing his running mate, said Florencio Abad Jr., the party’s campaign manager.

Abad noted that Aquino had not withdrawn his choice of Roxas, who himself had sacrificed his personal ambition for Aquino to step up to the plate.

“I will defer to Noynoy and Mar’s judgment on this,” Abad, a former education secretary, said in a text message. “If you recall, Noynoy publicly offered the VP slot to Mar. Now we are awaiting Mar’s response to Noy’s offer.”

Binay told the Inquirer that Aquino “should not just think LP [but] should think of being the nation’s candidate.”

Other opposition stalwarts said that in order to unify the opposition, Aquino should cut his ties with the LP and form a multiparty ticket.

Antithesis to political maturity

But Muntinlupa Rep. Rufino Biazon said Aquino joined the LP years ago because of its principles and advocacies, and that calls for him to abandon it was uncalled for.

“He is with us not for convenience but as a believer in the party’s principles,” Biazon said. “Those who say that new politics necessitates that Noynoy abandon his party are pulling the country further to a politics of personalities. It’s an antithesis to political maturity. Politics is supposed to be based on party platforms and principles.”

Biazon also said it was natural for other opposition parties to want to take Aquino as their own given that even Malacañang had acknowledged him to be a formidable candidate. With reports from Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. and Nikko Dizon

Noynoy Aquino sets the pace

NO doubt about it. With his declaration of his presidential bid in the 2010 elections, Sen. Noynoy Aquino, is dictating the agenda and pace of the campaign.

The issue has become character versus competence. This simplification, unfair it may be, reflects the people’s frustration with Gloria Arroyo. People are willing to take the risk with someone without a track record of leadership as long as he is not corrupt.

It was the death of former President Cory Aquino which triggered the interest for Noynoy and advanced the timetable of the campaign.

Now that Noynoy has declared his candidacy, other presidential candidates cannot let Noynoy have a field day with media for weeks or else they would be swept into oblivion.

Chiz Escudero of the Nationalist People’s Coalition cannot afford to wait for his Oct. 10 birthday while the camp of former President Estrada spread the rumor that he will be sliding down to be his running mate. NPC will be holding their convention next week to decide whether it’s Chiz or Sen. Loren Legarda who will be carrying the banner for them in 2010. Most likely it would be Chiz.

Everybody is waiting for the next survey to see how much of the voting population has turned "yellow."

Here’s a sampling of what I got from the internet:

Enchong: "With the acceptance of Noynoy for him to contest the presidency, I believe, we now have an alternative who is, at least, untainted and winnable.

"It has been said several times that Noynoy does not have any track record to back him up. I agree. But I would rather go for an unknown quantity than for anybody who has a track record of wrongdoings and among the wannabe’s, who does not have any skeletons in the closet?

"Noynoy has been criticized for being so quiet during his entire public life. I agree. But, as the cliche goes, silent waters do run deep.

"I saw footages of his press conference. In one part, he sounded like laying down his platform. He talked about justice being for everybody and not just for the privileged class. He also talked about the current state of education under an ‘uneducated’ DepEd, citing the routinary mistakes in textbooks year in and year out. I believe that these two issues, justice and education, are good starting points.

"The issue now is not to look for democratic or political maturity. Not yet, at least. The more urgent issue is to bring back democratic space and political sanity. I do not expect Noynoy to do that. However, with Noynoy, I am praying that we can all make that happen."

Phil Cruz: "Noynoy has the integrity but his capability is doubtful. As for Noynoy being elite and therefore not masa, this is true. He is not masa but he could also be for the masa. Erap was elite but he was for the masa. Cory was elite but she was loved by the masa.

"So I guess time will tell. He just might surprise people by growing into the job. But I agree that he should not mention consulting with his sisters too much.

"But these are minor matters. What’s important for me now is that there is now an honest man as an alternative to all the other presidentiables. An honest man that has the moral force to prevent or at least minimize graft and corruption. And as 40% of our budget is wasted on corruption, a moral leader can do much.

"Let us not forget that two of the biggest crooks in our nation’s history were said to be the smartest and the most prepared. One was an outstanding lawyer. The other an economics professor."

Jet Hernandez: "If he wants to be president, all he needs to do is file his certificate of. Huwag yung magko-consult pa sa mga sisters niya at sa Dios. Kapag magkaproblema pala tayo sa bansa natin, magko-consult pa siya sa mga kapatid at sa Dios?"

Arlene de Guzman: "I agree with Noynoy consulting with his family because their lives would once again be changed by his candidacy. They had been through so much when their parents were in politics.

"Noynoy also was hesitant to join the presidential candidacy and chose to get affirmation from the people. It had been done by Cory and Fernando Poe."

Neil Papas: "How can Noynoy Aquino talk about law and order or peace and development as part of his platform of government when there was none at Hacienda Luisita?"

***

Blog: www.ellentordesillas.com

Email address: ellentordesillas@gmail.com

Kris admits courting Dingdong to endorse Noynoy's candidacy

Inamin ni television host na si Kris Aquino na nililigawan niya ang talent manager ni Dingdong Dantes para makuha ang serbisyo ng aktor at iendorso ang kandidatura ng kanyang kuya na si Senador Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III sa pagtakbong presidente sa 2010 elections.

Pagkatapos mai-tour sa opisina ng PPL Entertainment, Inc., na pagmamay-ari ng talent manager na si Perry Lansigan, nitong Miyerkules (September 9), nagpaunlak ng exclusive interview si Kris Aquino sa PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal).

Ito rin ang araw ng 40th day ng kamatayan ng ina ni Kris na si dating Pangulong Cory Aquino, at ang araw kung saan idineklara ng kapatid niyang si Senator Noynoy ang pagtakbo nito bilang presidente.

Ayon kay Kris, buong-buo ang suporta ng pamilya nila para kay Noynoy.

"Oo naman. Kung hindi kami magtutulungan, sino ang gagawa noon for us?" ayon sa TV host.

Hindi maikakaila ang overwhelming support ng taong-bayan sa kanyang kapatid. How does she feel about it?

"Ngayong ano kasi... I came from Bataan kanina, sa Cathedral nila, and it's really overflowing! Hindi ka na makagalaw halos. You know, it's a 12 noon mass. A regular day, but they were there. And, I think, siguro I cannot say thank you enough," pahayag ni Kris.

Sa pag-alala ng 40th day ng kamatayan ni Tita Cory, magkakahiwalay na dumalo sa magkakaibang simbahan ang limang magkakapatid.


"My Ate [Ballsy] went to Lipa. Another sister went to Antipolo. One was in Cubao. Noy went to Baclaran. I went to Bataan because of Archbishop Soc Villegas," banggit ni Kris.

CONTINUING THE LEGACY. Ayaw gamitin ni Kris ang mga salitang "history repeating itself" sa mga nangyayari kay Noynoy ngayon at sa pamilya nila, whether it's coincidence or fate na sa mismong 40th day ni Cory Aquino ay in-announce ni Noynoy ang kanyang candidacy for president at ipagpatuloy ang legacy ng kanilang pamilya.

Ayon kay Kris, "Huwag namang history repeating itself. I just really, I think, responsibilidad kasi na ginagampanan ni Noy at ipinagpapatuloy lang niya. It's just that."

---

Kung meron man akong puwedeng ipagmalaki, simple ang kapatid ko. Hindi talaga marunong mangurakot. Siya ang unang sigurong tatayo sa mesa kung may ganun at tatalikod at lalayas.

– Kris Aquino

---

Matatandaang walang kabalak-balak si Tita Cory na tumakbo bilang presidente noong 1986, tatlong taon matapos paslangin ang asawa niyang si dating senator Ninoy Aquino. Ngunit dahil sa kahilingan ng maraming Pilipino ay nagpaunlak siyang tumakbo.

Ngayon naman, wala rin sa isip ni Noynoy na tumakbong presidente. Pero dahil sa pagkamatay ng kanyang ina ay hiniling na taong-bayan na tumakbo siya at ipagpatuloy ang kung anumang sinimulan ng kanyang mga magulang.

How does she feel about Noynoy's speech last Wedensday morning?

"We were going over it hanggang 2:30 in the morning. ‘Noy is what you see is what you get. I'm very proud of that fact na hindi flowery yung language. Hindi maraming paliguy-ligoy. Walang poetry-poetry, diretso. And that's really him," pahayag ni Kris.

Definitely, bago raw pumayag si Noynoy na tumakbong presidente, lahat silang magkakapatid ay kinonsulta muna nito.

"Oo naman, in fairness kay Noy. Kasi siguro, alam niyang kami-kami ang magtutulungan. In our family kasi, most especially noong may sakit ang Mom, it was always a majority decision. Kung ano ang mga mangyayari," kwento niya.

"I have to say na yung pinagdaanan namin na one year and a half, na malubha ang karamdaman ng Mom, natuto kaming mag-communicate with each other and to respect each other, and even more than how we did before," ayon pa kay Kris.

IF TITA CORY WERE STILL ALIVE... Ayon pa kay Kris, noong nabubuhay pa raw ang kanilang ina ay wala itong ibinilin na tumakbo si Noynoy na presidente ng Pilipinas.

"No, not at all. I can be very proud of the fact that our family was never power-hungry. At walang mga ganoong mensahe from Mom. Just always a reminder, kasi kapag dumarating si Noy, kung ano ang nagaganap sa Senado," aniya.

"I think, ang Mom, sa kanya was always lang paalala. First and foremost, apart from the legacy that Noy carries on, it's really talagang your duty towards the people. Yun lang talaga palagi ang ipinapaalala ng Mom sa kanya," paglalahad ni Kris.

Kung nabubuhay pa rin kaya ang Mommy nila, sa palagay niya ay isa ito sa magiging masaya sa naging desisyon ni Noynoy?

"Kung buhay ang Mom, that would not have happened," sagot ni Kris. "It would be a whole different case and if you ask me, kung papipiliin ako, even Noy, would choose to have Mom alive."

NOYNOY AS PRESIDENT. How does she see Noy as President?

"My brother is uncorrupted," pagdiin ni Kris. "Kung meron man akong puwedeng ipagmalaki, simple ang kapatid ko. Hindi talaga marunong mangurakot. Siya ang unang sigurong tatayo sa mesa kung may ganun at tatalikod at lalayas."

"So, ang puwede kong ipagmalaki when I would ask people, yung mga kaedad ko at mas bata sa akin, 'Why do you like Noy?' The number one answer and always, 'Kasi hindi siya magnanakaw. Kasi, alam namin na hindi kayo magnanakaw.' Siguro, sa lahat ng pinagdaanan natin, masyado na tayong nasanay sa mga magnanakaw," paliwanag niya.

Gaano magiging aktibo si Kris sa kampanya ni Noynoy at kung sakaling maluklok nga ito sa puwesto?

---

I came for Perry. Sorry ha... Nagpunta naman ako dito para sa kanya. Kasi, nanliligaw ako kay Perry at hindi ako nahihiyang aminin na nanliligaw ako. Sa mga ganitong sitwasyon, kinakapalan ang mukha!"

– Kris Aquino

---

"Ay, no, no, no! Yung presidential, if I become active, I'll be jobless! No!" natawa niyang sabi.

"Sa campaign, of course," pahabol niya.

Does it mean na kailangan niyang bawasan ang kanyang trabaho?

"Sinabi ko kanina sa interview, kailangan kong magtrabaho nang magtrabaho, kasi the less people na pagkakautangan mo, puwede naming maipagmalaki. Kanina, sinabi ni Noy sa akin, kasi nag-text ako, sabi ko, 'In-interview ako at sinabi ko, 'Yung bahay ko, para sa 'yo.' Sabi ko, 'Handa akong ibenta ang house and whatever the proceeds, alam kong kikitain ko ulit. Pero this happens only once in a lifetime.' Tapos, sinabi niya, 'I can't do that to your children.' And then, I said, 'But Mom did it for Dad twice,'" kuwento ni Kris.

A WEDDING BEFORE THE ELECTION? Sa ilang TV interviews ni Kris, naging vocal siya sa pagsasabing kung magpapakasal ang kapatid niya, willing siyang gastusan ang buong kasal nito. Hindi naman lingid sa kaalaman ng lahat na may girlfriend ngayon si Noynoy sa katauhan ni Valenzuela City councilor Shalani Soledad.

"No, no, it's like this... I said, kung saan liligaya si Noy, alam naman natin, ‘di ba? Ako, alam ko kung magkano ang salary niya. So, sabi ko, sige, kung gusto niya ang bonggang wedding, sagot ni Mama Kris! But you know, siyempre, itatanggi yun," ayon sa TV host.

"But you know, the relationship is new. Huwag natin silang apurahin. In fact, Noy is almost 50 and he's been a bachelor for close to 50 years, ‘di ba? So, hayaan natin siya to take his time and, as he told, he's old enough to make up his own mind, especially when it comes to love," sambit pa nito.

Ibig sabihin, wala pa ring kasalan magaganap even before the election?

"Parang ano... Si Noy dapat ang sumagot n'yan. Kasi, sinabi niya, 'Kristina, when it comes to my lovelife, please, hindi ako showbiz,'" natatawang sabi ni Kris.

JOSH & HIS UNCLE NOY. Alam naman ng lahat how close Kris's first son Josh is to his Uncle Noynoy. Aware ba si Josh sa mga nangyayari and the decision that his uncle made?

"Yes, he knows that there is a campaign because he grew up campaigning," sabi ni Kris. "Tapos kanina, I was watching TV and there were an old file footages of him [Josh] when Noy was running for the Senate. Ang laki na niya ngayon! Bigla talagang... My god, in two years, five inches and 50 pounds! Kasi, ‘di ba, two years lang naman that Noy was in the Senate? So, yun lang, nakita ko ang footages, sabi ko, 'Si Joshy, plus 50 pounds na simula nung time na yun!'"

Nakikita ba niya ang excitement ng anak sa pagtakbo ng uncle nito?

"I don't know if excited, pero siguro kasi, it's ingrained in all of us."

DINGDONG AS NOYNOY'S SPOKESPERSON. Afterwards, tinanong ni Kris kung okey lang ba ang pagpapaunlak niya ng interview at saka ipinaalalang nagpunta naman siya sa launching at blessing ng PPL Entertainment, Inc. dahil talaga kay Perry.

"I came for Perry. Sorry ha... Nagpunta naman ako dito para sa kanya. Kasi, nanliligaw ako kay Perry at hindi ako nahihiyang aminin na nanliligaw ako. Sa mga ganitong sitwasyon, kinakapalan ang mukha!" natatawang pag-amin niya.

Ang "panliligaw" na tinutukoy ni Kris ay para sa serbisyo ng alaga ni Perry na si Dingdong Dantes. Gusto kasi ng pamilya nila na iendorso ni Dingdong ang pagtakbo ni Noynoy.

Sinabi ni Kris na "unanimous choice" nilang magkakapatid si Dingdong, lalo pa't very vocal daw ang aktor sa kanyang admiration sa bayaning ama ni Kris na si Ninoy. - Rose Garcia, PEP

Late Philippine leader's son running for president

By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer Oliver Teves, Associated Press Writer –

MANILA, Philippines – The son of late Philippine leader Corazon "Cory" Aquino announced Wednesday he will run for president next year to continue the legacy of his mother, who became the country's democracy icon for standing up to dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino announced his campaign in the suburban Club Filipino where his mother took her oath as president after the February 1986 "People Power" revolt against the late Marcos.

"I accept the call of the people," Aquino told supporters. "I accept the responsibility of continuing our fight for the people. I accept the challenge to lead this fight."

He announced his candidacy after his Liberal Party president Manuel Roxas II last week said he was giving up his own presidential bid to give way to Aquino's son.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who lost the support of the Aquinos over charges of corruption and election fraud, is scheduled to step down after serving more than nine years in June 2010. She is not allowed to run for re-election.

The massive outpouring of sympathy for Aquino after her death from colon cancer last month prompted supporters of her son to urge him to run for president in the May 2010 election.

A three-term congressman and an economist by training, he said if elected he would ensure that government resources are utilized efficiently, criticizing Arroyo — his former economics professor — for "forgetting what she has taught me."

Despite a patchy record during her six years in office, Corazon Aquino remains a well-loved figure and is credited with restoring democratic institutions after Marcos' 20-year strongman rule. She became a focal point for opposition to Marcos after her husband, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was assassinated after returning from exile in 1983.

Arroyo's spokeswoman, Lorelei Fajardo, wished Aquino "luck and fortitude."

"We need strong contenders and Noynoy has emerged as one," Fajardo said.

Rep. Teddy Casino of the left-wing Bayan Muna party expressed "openess in working with him on a platform of good governance and social reform."

"The challenge for Noynoy now is to prove that he is more than simply the son of Cory and Ninoy," Casino said.

Walls of the hall where Noynoy Aquino spoke Wednesday were covered in yellow cloth, and many in the crowd wore yellow shirts — the signature color of the 1986 pro-democracy uprising led by his mother. Standing behind him were his four sisters, still wearing black mourning dresses.

After his announcement the crowd sang the patriotic song, "Bayan Ko" (My Country) while raising their hands to show the "L" sign for "laban," the Filipino word for fight, which was the anti-Marcos dictatorship slogan.

"I want to make democracy work not only for the rich and the well connected but for everyone," Aquino said.

Former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who broke with Arroyo in 2005, said Noynoy Aquino's "track record of decency" will be his "political capital" in winning widespread grassroots support from Filipinos.

"If you are a decent person, you attract decent people ... and this country will move forward," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Teresa Cerojano contributed to this report.

Noynoy Aquino announces bid for presidency in 2010

It's a go for Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

Early on Wednesday, he announced that he will run for president in 2010 as standard bearer of the Liberal Party (LP).

"Tatakbo ako sa pagkapangulo sa darating na halalan (I will run for president in the coming election)," said Noynoy, who made the announcement on the 40th day after the death of his mother, former President Corazon C. Aquino.

He made the announcement at the historic Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan, where his famous mother took her oath as president on Feb. 25, 1986 during the final day of the EDSA People Power Revolution.

Aquino said he wants to be a president "that will be missed when I step down." Noynoy is the only son of Mrs. Aquino and opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. Millions of people lined the streets of Manila during the funerals of both his parents, Mrs. Aquino last month and Ninoy in 1983, when he was gunned down upon return from US exile.

Among those present during Noynoy's announcement were his LP partymates Senators Manuel Roxas II, Kiko Pangilinan and Rodolfo Biazon. Former congressman Nereus Acosta, pop singer Jim Paredes, Lea Navarro of the Black and White Movement, and former Sen. Frankin Drilon also attended the event.

Also present were Noynoy's uncle, former Makati Rep. Agapito "Butch" Aquino, and sisters Ballsy, Pinky, and Kris with basketball star husband James Yap and their son Baby James.

Noynoy's girlfriend, Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad, was also in the audience but she refused to give a message, saying she preferred to tell Noynoy what was on her mind "personally."

A certain Gloria Alcuaz of the group Kubol ng Pag-asa passed a can around marked "Piso para kay Noynoy (A peso for Noynoy)" to solicit contributions for the young senator's campaign.

Acosta, a top LP official and former representative of Bukidnon, said fund-raising drives for Noynoy's presidential campaign were going on in other parts of the country.

Noynoy said he offered the vice presidential slot to Roxas and he is still awaiting a response. Roxas announced that he was making a "supreme sacrifice" last week by stepping aside as LP standard bearer to give way to Noynoy, in response to public clamor for the latter to seek the presidency after Mrs. Aquino's death last month.

Mrs. Aquino died on August 1 after more than a year battling colon cancer. - GMANews. TV

Noynoy delays announcement of 2010 poll plans

The public and his supporters would have to wait a little longer: Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III said Tuesday he would announce his decision on a possible 2010 presidential bid next week yet.

"Within a week by tomorrow [Wednesday], I’ll come up with a public statement to announce my decision. Tomorrow is the 40th day (of the death of his mother President Corazon Aquino). A week from that time, barring any unforeseen circumstances," Aquino told Senate reporters in a chance interview.

Mrs. Aquino died on August 1 after battling colon cancer for over a year.

The senator said he is just finishing some of his earlier commitments with other groups, such as talking with certain political leaders, and with his sisters.

He is set to talk with former President Joseph Estrada, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.

"I want to make it as easy for all those who are supporting me especially my family whom I know have been as stressed as I have been [or] maybe even more," Aquino said.

He added: "Let me just finish all of the things so that wala naman akong bibitawang salita na babawiin ko. Ang sabi ng tatay ko pag binitawan mo, mahirap o madali, panindigan mo."

(Let me just finish all of the things so that I won't say something now that I'll later withdraw. My father told me, "If you give your word, you stand by it however difficult.")

Aquino, the only son of Mrs. Aquino and the late former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., said he is also waiting for a position paper from a group of lawyers whom he asked to help study the problems of the justice system in the country.

"Gusto ko 'yung (I want) things that you want to do, you have to concretize that these are in fact doable and all it lacks is the correct political will," Aquino said.

The senator said he had a talk with two of his sisters Monday about certain "mechanics," which he did not clarify. He also received a text message from his sister Victoria Eliza "Viel" A. Dee, who seemed the most vehemently opposed to his presidential bid.

"She did say that if it is my discernment, although she is still hoping for a miracle that there is somebody else but if not, I have her wholehearted support," Aquino said.

He said his sisters are not eager about his possible candidacy, but at the same time, "they see that there is clamor and there is an obligation. They leave it up to me. If I do so decide, I think I can count on all of them."

Asked if his recent spiritual retreat helped him decide, the senator said the silence inside the monastery and his talk with one Sister Agnes cleared his mind.

"Ang laking difference. Pagbukas ko ng telepono yung mga text na nakakadagdag sa ingay at sa gulo, pagkatapos ng retreat pati iyon ay nalinawan," Aquino said.

(It spelled a big difference. When I opened my phone and read the text messages that had added to the noise and racket, even those became clear to me after the retreat.)

He added that his talk with his sisters and people he met in his trips to Davao and Zamboanga and the people on the street who have been asking him to run also helped in his decision making.

Mar as running mate

The senator also said that if he decides to run, he will get Senator Manuel Roxas II as his running mate.

"In our discussions, I did broach the idea that if my discernment says to accept this, I really would be very comfortable with Sen Roxas. In fact, a lot of the platforms we have in common, he is the one who has been articulating it," Aquino said.

He also dismissed those who have been belittling their tandem.

"Their criticisms will not stand the test of scrutiny. The mere fact that they are commenting on us indicates that they take us very seriously. Kung kami ay napakadaling kalaban e hindi na siguro kami pinapansin. Hindi ganito yung publicity namin. (If we were a weak rival, we would no longer be paid any attention. That isn't how we do publicity.) So again, my only response is thank you to all of them."

Last week, Roxas gave way to Aquino to be the standard bearer of the Liberal Party in the upcoming 2010 polls. The decision was painful for Roxas since he had long been groomed to carry the party's torch in the presidential polls. [See: Mar gives way to Noynoy as Liberal Party standard bearer]

But instead of accepting the challenge to lead the LP in 2010, Aquino told a news conference on September 2 that he was going on a spiritual retreat before making any decision. [ See: Noynoy to go on 'retreat' before baring 2010 plans]

Earlier in the day, several groups from both the public and private sectors formed a "reform coalition" supporting the possible presidential bid of Aquino. The coalition called itself Noynoy Para sa Pilipinas (Noypi).

"We formed this group to give him strength and support. We are here to make sure his candidacy remains with the public and their clamor for genuine change and political reforms," said singer Jim Paredes, the group’s spokesperson. [See: Coalition formed to back Noynoy’s presidential bid] - GMANews.TV

Mar-Noynoy talks on 2010 polls done the ‘non-trapo’ way

No negotiations, no exchange deals unlike the way scheming politicians do their talking. The four-day discussion between Manuel “Mar" Roxas II and Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III about the 2010 elections was just like a banter between friends, according to people privy to last week’s talks between the senators.

“Some people might think it’s too good to be true, but that’s how the talks happened. Hindi nga siya matatawag na negotiations, it was just a continuing conversation, walang quid pro quo, (It can’t be called negotiations, it was just a continuing conversation, no quid pro quo)," says Jose Luis Martin “Chito" Gascon, director-general of the Liberal Party (LP).

NOT YET. Sen. Benigno Aquino III holds back his announcement to run for president in the 2010 polls during a news conference Wednesday at Club Filipino. AP

Gascon says that although Roxas was confident of his leadership capability, the senator took account of the events that unfolded after the death of President Corazon “Cory" Aquino, which made him realize that Noynoy was better suited to continue the fight for democracy started by the latter’s parents.

“It was Mar who approached Noynoy and told him in their first meeting pa lang, ‘Noy, mukhang ikaw ang tawag ng panahon.’ Leader si Mar pero alam niya na hindi siya ‘yon. Masyadong malaki kasi ‘yung talon kung siya at hindi si Noynoy ang magpapatuloy ng laban ni Ninoy at Cory," Gascon says.

(It was Mar who approached Noynoy and told him in their first meeting, ‘Noy, it looks like time is on your side.’ Mar is a leader but he knows he is not the one. It will be a long shot if he will be the one, and not Noynoy who will continue Ninoy and Cory’s fight.)

Gascon says it wasn't easy for Noynoy to be convinced by Mar. "He wanted to reflect. Parang tinatanong niya ang sarili n'ya kung totoo ba itong nangyayari (He was asking himself if what's happening was true)."

Calls for Noynoy to run for president in next year’s elections have snowballed after Cory’s death last August 1 and the 26th death anniversary of martyred Sen. Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino on August 21. On Tuesday, September 1, Roxas pulled out of the presidential race and endorsed Noynoy as LP’s standard bearer.

Gascon dismisses claims that Roxas had decided to back out of his bid either due to pressure from LP members or his low ranking on popularity surveys. Roxas was fifth in the Pulse Asia survey of presidential aspirants conducted from July 28 to August 10, 2009. Roxas also placed fifth in the June 19 to 22, 2009 poll of the Social Weather Stations.

“No pressure from the party. In fact, most (LP members) were supporting Mar. Survey results were not also a consideration. Mar was at par in the surveys. He was where we wanted him to be at the time," he says.

Rico E. Puno, Noynoy’s consultant since the 80s, confirms Gascon’s claim. “Mar’s decision was voluntary, no party intervention. There was no party meeting about the issue. The last time that the LP convened was in July."

GIVING WAY. Sen. Mar Roxas II gave way to Sen. Noynoy Aquino III as the Liberal Party's standard bearer in the 2010 elections. GMANews.TV file photo

Puno says Mar and Noynoy started their dinner talk Saturday, August 29, at the residence of LP campaign manager Florencio “Butch" Abad. This was followed by a merienda meeting at Puno’s house in Quezon City, Sunday, August 30.

The third was held the next day at the Aquino ancestral house in Forbes Park, Makati City. The two had lunch Tuesday, hours before Roxas made his announcement endorsing Noynoy for president at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City.

“The talks were done in private. Madalas sila lang dalawa ang nag-uusap. Para lang silang magkabarkada kung mag-usap. Walang taasan ng boses, walang argumento, (The talks were done in private. Most of the time, it was only the two of them talking. They talked like buddies. They did not raise their voices, there were no arguments)," he says.

During their conversation at Puno’s residence, Roxas told Aquino that he really wanted to become president and in fact had prepared for it for two years.

“But Mar told Noynoy that he was willing to give up his dream because he felt that Noynoy was the right person for the job and that people were clamoring for him to lead the nation," says Puno. - GMANews.TV

Panlilio, Padaca drop presidential bids for Noynoy

Throwing their support behind Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio and Isabela Governor Grace Padaca on Friday announced that they will no longer join the 2010 presidential race.

"Pagkatapos ng aming pagdarasal, pakikilahok sa mga kaganapan sa ating lipunan at pag-iisip at pagkonsulta sa aming mga taga-suporta, nagpasya kaming lahat na tugunan ang tawag ng pagmamahaal sa bayan, sakripisyo at pagkakaisa na pinangunahan na ni Senator Mar Roxas noong martes," Panlilio read from their joint statement at a press conference in Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City.

Padaca was reportedly sick and was not present in the press conference.

Panlilio said they were pulling out of the race so they could support a singular candidate who they believe can win against the administration bet.

He urged other presidential aspirants to follow their footsteps and give up the race for Noynoy. The two officials said they hope their decision could ensure that the legacy of Noynoy's parents, former President Corazon Aquino and Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., would be continued.

Noynoy has yet to categorically announce his presidential bid despite Liberal Party president Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas' announcement on Tuesday that he would be abandoning his own intention to seek the presidency to support his "friend."

Noynoy is currently in Zamboanga City to undergo a spiritual retreat to decide whether he would take up the cudgels for the LP and run for president.

But former President Joseph Estrada said Panlilio's decision to back out of his presidential bid hardly has any effect on the race.

"E mabuti naman, mabuti hindi siya maghihirap. Sa Pampanga pa lang mahirap siyang manalo, pano pa sa buong Pilipinas (That's good, at least he won't have a hard time. In Pampanga alone he's having a hard time winning, how much more if we're talking about the whole Philippines)," Estrada said in a radio dzBB interview.

Estrada said Panlilio's presidential aspiration was hardly counted. "Sa survey hindi naman lumalabas yung pangalan nya sa presidential e. Wag natin lokohin ang ating mga sarili (His name doesn't appear in presidential surveys. Let's not fool ourselves)."

Estrada had earlier announced he is 99.9 percent certain that he will again seek the presidency in 2010.

Estrada's hesitation to back down from the 2010 polls is fueled by the recent Pulse Asia survey showing the deposed leader placing second to Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. should the presidential elections be held now.

Vice President Manuel "Noli" de Castro was in third place at 16 percent, while Senators Francis Escudero and Manuel Roxas II also score double-digit presidential voter preferences (12 percent and 11 percent, respectively).

Others included in the presidential survey, including Panlilio, obtained voter preferences of 6 percent or less. - GMANews.TV

Korina Sanchez on her past with Noynoy Aquino: ‘That was a lifetime ago!’

By JAJA RODRIGUEZ-DELEO

September 3, 2009, 6:15pm

Nowadays, prized broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez openly talks about her beau Sen. Mar Roxas’ announcement that he will give way to Sen. Noynoy Aquino as standard bearer of the Liberal Party for the 2010 presidential election.

However, there’s a sidebar to the story that Korina refuses to make a big deal of: Her past romance with Sen. Aquino.

“(That) was a lifetime ago,” said Korina in a recent press conference at the Club Filipino.

It will be recalled that for a time, Korina was tagged as Noynoy’s girl.

When Korina crossed paths with Kris Aquino in the 2004 show “Morning Girls,” Korina even said: “Kris will always be a kid sister to me as everybody knows that I had a relationship with her brother.”

Korina back then was already being linked to then Secretary of the Department of Trade Industry, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

Aside from Korina, Noynoy had been linked -– both unconfirmed -- to broadcaster Bernadette Sembrano and actress Diana Zubiri.

Korina, on the other hand, was linked to a certain Paul Aquino, a cousin of Noynoy.

In a long-ago interview, Korina gave this memorable quote on all her past loves:

"I thought all my loves were great… The bond formed in a meaningful relationship will always be there. There are pockets in my heart occupied by each of my former loves that remain untouched."

At a recent interview, Korina gave her thumbs up to Noynoy’s current girlfriend, Shalani Soledad, a councilor in Valenzuela City.

"I know Soledad and she is a very nice person," said Korina, who is set to walk down the aisle with Sen. Roxas on Oct. 23, 2009.

Opposition bets not giving way to Noynoy

By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated September 04, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Leading opposition presidential aspirants are not uniting behind Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, despite his growing popularity after the death of his mother former President Corazon Aquino last month.

Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., the Nacionalista Party’s standard-bearer, said everybody has the right to run for president and what happened to the Liberal Party is an issue that LP members would have to resolve among themselves.

LP president and Sen. Manuel Roxas II, who was the party’s initial standard-bearer, announced last Tuesday that he would give way to Senator Aquino to keep the party united behind the son of the late President Aquino.

“Sa aking palagay lahat naman may karapatang tumakbo sa pagkapangulo at maski naman anak ka ng mahirap may karapatan ka din, anak ka ng president may karapatan ka din, kaya lang hindi naman tama na anak ka lang ng president na may pagkakataon, dapat naman yung anak ng mahihirap ay mabigyan din ng pagkakataon naman at ngayon nga ang nagkakagusto lang ay anak ng mga may apelyido (in my opinion everybody has the right to run for president, even the children of the poor or son of a president, but it is not right that only the son of a president has the opportunity… the son of the poor should also have the same opportunity as one with pedigree),” Villar told radio dzRH.

Villar clarified that did not mean he was not honoring the memory of President Aquino.

“I respect the late President Cory Aquino. She was a friend and she was able to help me, too. I acknowledge (her contributions) and I am saddened by her death. I admire (Aquino’s father, the late senator and national hero Benigno) Ninoy Aquino (Jr.) and former President Corazon Aquino for what they have done when they were still alive,” Villar said.

It is now possible for NP and LP to be the two main contending parties in the 2010 elections, as it was during pre-martial law years when the country only had two major political parties contesting the elections, said Villar.

Villar, who is leading the recent popularity surveys of presidential aspirants, said he could attribute his high ratings to the support he was getting for assisting the poor and overseas Filipino workers.

Erap rejects Lacson’s advice

Former President Joseph Estrada said yesterday he would not take any “unsolicited advice” from Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who caused the “disunity of the opposition in the 2004 elections.”

Lacson had urged Estrada to withdraw from the presidential polls and support Sen. Aquino and unite the opposition behind a common candidate to defeat the administration’s standard-bearer.

Estrada said how can he even listen to Lacson, who himself was the first to destroy the unity of the opposition when his close friend, the late movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. ran for president in 2004.

He said the administration easily cheated Poe in 2004 because Lacson also ran for president at the time.

Estrada also rejected the offer of Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay to mediate between him and Sen. Aquino, to have a single opposition presidential candidate in 2010.

Estrada said he would lose his credibility if he will give way to Aquino who belongs to the Liberal Party (LP).

“It is the LP’s own affairs and I don’t have anything to do with the LP,” Estrada said.

Estrada has consistently said that he will run if the opposition presidential aspirants fail to unite and support a common candidate.

He said he it is just a matter of time before he officially declares his presidential bid in 2010, which will most likely happen either on the last week of the month or first week of October.

Lacson said unity in the opposition could only be achieved if Estrada himself starts the process by excluding himself from the race.

“Kung ganyan ang intention niya mauna na siya. Di pupwede pag lahat kayo aatras, aatras din ako. Kung ikaw piniprisinta mo ang sarili, bilang leader, dapat mauna ka sa unification mode,” Lacson said.

Lacson, who had shelved his plan to run for president again, said Estrada’s challenge for all opposition presidential aspirants to back out from the race “is not a mark of a true leader” but more that of a politician.

Lacson said it is up to Estrada if he will pursue his presidential bid even though there could be some constitutional issues that he needs to thresh out.

Another presidential hopeful, Jesus Is Lord spiritual leader Brother Eddie Villanueva vowed to pursue his presidential bid for the 2010 elections.

“The only way to achieve Bangon Pilipinas’ vision of a new Philippines and platform of righteous governance is to stay on in the race,” Villanueva said in a statement.

Villanueva said he respects the decision of LP president Sen. Roxas, but it will not dissuade him from pushing through with his plans for the country.

“The Liberal Party’s move does not influence Bangon Pilipinas’s own plans,” Villanueva added

Villanueva said Bangon Pilipinas offers to the electorate a true alternative in the coming 2010 polls.

Roxas reiterates support for Noynoy

Roxas expressed belief that Aquino was fit to be president and that various reform groups would rally behind him.

“What I did would only have meaning if the forces of change would win. But if we will only go our own ways, then it’s nothing. If traditional politicians win, that is not what we want,” Roxas said.

He and Aquino said they were happy to hear that those from reform groups like Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca and Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio and their supporters would now support LP.

He would give Aquino moral and financial support and would campaign for him.

Sen. Aquino announced last Wednesday that he would go on a spiritual retreat in Zamboanga City this weekend to seek spiritual guidance as he considers whether he will run for president under the LP.

Roxas said he and Aquino would like to continue the legacy of their parents. Roxas is the son of former senator Gerardo Roxas and Judy Araneta-Roxas.

His father and Aquino’s father were also supposed to slug it out for LP standard-bearer if martial law was not declared in 1972.

Roxas said Sen. Aquino is ready for the job.

“The single and most important trait that a leader must possess is character, the heart. And I know that Aquino’s character and heart are in the right places. He carries the greatness of his parents. You can trust the heart. ‘Yung diwa, yung puso… para sa akin na kay Noynoy iyon,” Roxas said.

Meanwhile, Marcos loyalist Lawyer Oliver Lozano vowed to join the presidential race if Sen. Aquino decides to become the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party in the 2010 elections.

Lozano told The STAR said he would declare his presidential candidacy once Aquino decides to join the race.

“I want to engage Sen. Aquino in a presidential debate on the legacies left behind by the late Presidents (Ferdinand) Marcos and Cory Aquino,” he said.

Lozano said he will run under the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), the party founded by Marcos and he will use the campaign period to expose the truth behind the so-called martial law regime and the revolutionary government during the term of President Aquino.

Panlilio leads supporters of Aquino

Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio said he is also willing to withdraw from the 2010 presidential race and give way to Aquino.

Panlilio said this is a personal decision and also in consultation with groups supporting him in his presidential bid.

“This is the direction we’re taking,” said Panlilio, a priest on leave.

He said he and his camp would issue a formal statement tomorrow at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City.

Kaya Natin Movement co-convenor Harvey Keh said Panlilio, Isabela Governor Padaca, and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo would all attend the event.

Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president, said a time for reflection by the senator would help clear his head before deciding on whether to accept Sen. Mar Roxas’ offer for him to be the LP standard-bearer.

“It is good that Noynoy go on retreat before he decides whether to run or not for president. He is asking God for light. I will pray for him. Noynoy is not pushing himself too soon. He wants to weigh the pro and cons,” Lagdameo said in an interview with Church-run Radio Veritas. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Christina Mendez, Jose Rodel Clapano, Perseus Echeminada, Evelyn Macairan

Panlilio, Padaca to back Aquino bid

MANILA, Philippines — The opposition was in a flux Thursday.

Two reform-minded presidential aspirants—Governors Ed Panlilio of Pampanga and Grace Padaca of Isabela—have decided to withdraw from the May elections and support Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, the Philippine Daily Inquirer learned Thursday.

They are scheduled to announce on Friday their decision “for the sake of unity” after Sen. Mar Roxas, the Liberal Party president, decided on Tuesday to step aside in favor of Aquino, who has gone on a spiritual retreat to seek “divine guidance” and ponder his next move.

But evangelist Eddie Villanueva, leader of the Jesus is Lord Movement and the political party Bangon Pilipinas, said in a statement Thursday that he was pursuing his presidential plans.

“The only way to achieve Bangon Pilipinas’ vision of a new Philippines and platform of righteous governance is to stay in the race,” said Villanueva, who was nominated his party’s standard-bearer on Aug. 21.

“A bigger and more crucial question confronting the entire nation ... is whether we are willing to change, to go back to God’s values,” said Villanueva, who is making his second bid for the highest post in the land.

The Nacionalista Party has likewise announced that its standard-bearer, Sen. Manny Villar, who has been leading in recent popularity surveys of a dozen presidential aspirants, was proceeding with his political plans.

Former President Joseph Estrada has said he is prepared to abandon his own bid if the opposition could rally behind a common candidate, drawing rebuke from his erstwhile police chief turned political gadfly, Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

“It’s not good to say that ‘I will withdraw if all the others will withdraw as well,’” said Lacson, who called Estrada a “segurista”—someone who makes sure everything goes according to plan.

“If you present yourself as a leader, then you should take the first step for a unification move,” Lacson said.

Retorted Estrada: “I’m not going to get unsolicited advice from anyone, especially from the person who caused the opposition disunity and defeat in the 2004 elections.”

The ousted President, who was convicted of plunder and subsequently pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was referring to Lacson’s disastrous presidential bid.

Green recipe for unity

Jesus Nicanor “Nicky” Perlas III, an environmentalist who also has announced plans to contest the presidency, said Thursday he wasn’t about to support Aquino.

“What the reformists support is for Noynoy to step out of LP, join a large process involving nontraditional parties and movements into setting a future direction and leadership of this movement for nontraditional politics,” he said.

“If Aquino tops the process, then it’s possible we will support him,” Perlas said.

“Noynoy is a very interesting mix. It’s difficult to characterize him. I don’t think he’s corrupt. I think he’s honest. On the other hand, he has not demonstrated leadership. His track record is not so clear, where he stands on a range of issues, which is not his fault because he never intended to run.”

Panlilio and Padaca are scheduled to formally announce their support for Aquino at Club Filipino on Friday, according to the source close to the governors.

They will be joined by Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo of the Liberal Party, who will also add his voice to those supporting Aquino, son of the late President Corazon C. Aquino and assassinated Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr.

For ethical leadership

Panlilio, Padaca and Robredo are the founding members of the Kaya Natin! movement toward good governance and ethical leadership, and it is in the spirit of putting a reform candidate in Malacañang that moved them to support Aquino, according to the source.

Robredo said that he, Padaca and Panlilio were now considering other options, including running for the Senate or seeking reelection.

Panlilio, a Catholic priest, is a first-term governor of Pampanga while former broadcaster Padaca, who famously ended the Dy family’s stranglehold on Isabela politics, is on her second term.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, president of the United Opposition, Thursday offered to negotiate with leaders of the various opposition groups so they could come up with a common candidate. He said he would start talking to Estrada and Aquino.

Binay said that Aquino’s emergence as “a probable presidential candidate of the Liberal Party could result in political realignments and a likely coalition with the ranks of the opposition parties.”

Binay was a little-known lawyer and street demonstrator before he was named mayor of Makati by Corazon Aquino after the 1986 People Power Revolution.

Corazon Aquino’s death from cancer on Aug. 1 has sparked an outpouring of sympathy that supporters of her 49-year-old bachelor son hope to transform into votes in the upcoming balloting.

Only God knows outcome

Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. said that the country’s return to a two-party system was possible if the opposition would unite against the administration.

“Whether that will come about, only God knows. But what is important is that there are moves toward unification,” he said.

De Venecia said that Aquino should sit down with Estrada and other potential presidential candidates to discuss how the opposition could unify.

Aquino’s father was assassinated in 1983 on his return from three years of self-exile in the United States to rally the fractured opposition against the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Moral force coalition

In Cabanatuan City, supporters of Chief Justice Reynato Puno in Nueva Ecija Thursday launched a campaign to draft him as a presidential candidate of the Moral Force Coalition Movement.

“We believe that Chief Justice Puno has all the qualities of a good leader that can bring back the values of the morality and ethics in our government,” said Leila Abarientos, presiding chair of the Novo Ecijanos Moral Force Coalition Movement.

At least 50 core members of the movement signed a manifesto promising support for Puno “for the sake of a much-needed change.”

They also started accepting P5 contributions to bankroll the campaign. Reports from Tina Arceo-Dumlao, TJ Burgonio, Michael Lim Ubac, Kristine L. Alave, Dona Z. Pazzibugan and Allison W. Lopez; Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon; Anselmo Roque and Carmela Reyes, Inquirer Central Luzon; and Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon