Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:33:00 09/02/2009
Filed Under: Benigno Aquino III, Mar Roxas, Inquirer Politics, Elections, Eleksyon 2010, Cory Aquino
Close this MANILA, Philippines—It didn’t take long for the opposition Liberal Party to decide on its standard-bearer a month after the death of former President Corazon Aquino.
In talks over the weekend, the late President’s only son, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy†Aquino III, told Sen. Manuel “Mar†Roxas II, the party president, that he wanted to run for the country’s highest post.
On Tuesday, in a packed news conference at Club Filipino before party stalwarts, Roxas announced he was giving way to Noynoy’s candidacy for president in the May elections.
“Noy has made it clear to me that he wants to carry the torch of leadership. The parting of our beloved President Cory has reawakened a passion among us,†Roxas said, reading from a prepared statement.
“I see this as fuel to bring us to the realization of our dreams: Good will win over evil,†said Roxas, who as early as April had mounted a spirited campaign for the presidency by launching a series of “infomercials.â€
“Noynoy and I want to make a difference, but we also know that we need to unite to achieve what we want,†he said.
The 49-year-old Aquino was present at the clubhouse where his mother, widow of assassinated opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr., was sworn in as president after the Edsa People Power Revolution of February 1986 that ousted the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
“Give this day to Mar,†Aquino told reporters seeking his comment. Noynoy is scheduled to appear at a news conference Wednesday, where he is expected to make his first public comment on Roxas’ decision to withdraw.
Roxas likewise declined to answer reporters’ questions, but it was expected that he will be Noynoy’s candidate for vice president.
Common opposition candidate?
Opposition groups welcomed Roxas’ decision.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, president of the United Opposition, said in a statement that opposition parties should now sit down and discuss the possibility of fielding a single standard-bearer in the upcoming balloting.
“I am optimistic that the opposition will be able to rally behind a common presidential candidate for the 2010 elections,†Binay said.
Former President Joseph Estrada, who has been campaigning for the presidency, told reporters, “If the opposition has one candidate, then I will withdraw.â€
He congratulated Roxas for “sacrificing his dream for the country†and said he would try and reach out to the other presidential aspirants to build a united opposition in the upcoming balloting.
Villar drive going ahead
But Nacionalista Party spokesperson Gilbert Remulla indicated that Sen. Manuel “Manny†Villar Jr., regarded as the opposition front runner in the presidential race, was not about to rally behind an Aquino campaign.
“We, the Nacionalistas, understand that this is an internal party matter best left to the members of the Liberal Party whom they see fit to run for president. The NP is currently in the middle of its own preparations for the challenges that lie ahead in 2010,†Remulla said.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan said he was prepared to set aside his candidacy for vice president “if necessary to have a strong force for change that will support Senator Aquino.â€
Gabriel Claudio, presidential political adviser and secretary general of the administration Lakas Kampi CMD, said Roxas’ decision was “a very interesting development.â€
“It will definitely complicate matters further for the opposition, more than it will affect the administration coalition,†Claudio said in a text message to the Inquirer.
‘This is about our people’
Roxas said giving way to Noynoy was the toughest decision of his life.
“We agreed, let us forget about ourselves,†he said of his conversations with Noynoy. “This is not about us. This is about our people and our country.â€
“I do this for unity and in support of change. And that means that somebody must make a sacrifice. It must be me. Ako na,†Roxas said.
“I began the campaign to sow the seeds of reform. You must now be the one to grow them in the arena of leadership.â€
Describing a nation in disarray and a bankrupt leadership, Roxas said that he and Noynoy “share the same outrage over the mess we are all in, the same way we share the solution: Clean, honest, selfless public service.â€
“Country above self,†Roxas said, was the legacy of his namesake grandfather, the late President Manuel Roxas.
Roxas said that as president of the Liberal Party, “it is within my power to preside over a potentially divisive process or to make the party a bridge for the forces of change.â€
“I choose to lead unity, not division,†he said.
“We need a determined force for good far stronger than the festering evil around us. We need to fight just as our own fathers fought dictatorship, and just as both died believing that good will conquer evil.â€
‘Leadership has to be earned’
Sen. Richard Gordon, who also is seeking the presidency, said he was “sad for Mar.â€
“He has invested so much on this campaign. He has made the right moves in trying to connect with the issues. He has a girlfriend. He had had all these ads but in the end he did not get any traction (in the polls),†Gordon said.
“It was too difficult a temptation. Obviously, his campaign was not getting anywhere. Unfortunately, the surveys have become something like an Oscar award. Our people will really have to think seriously about who should lead us,†Gordon said.
“I’m happy for Noynoy, but as I said two weeks ago, leadership has to be earned. It is not inherited, although a good story helps,†he said.
“His father was assassinated and there was a tremendous outpouring about former President Corazon Aquino. This is going to be a test whether that idea can be translated into charisma (on Senator Aquino’s part),†Gordon said.
“I pray that God may continue to guide Sen. Noynoy Aquino in his final decision,†said Sen. Jamby Madrigal.
The press conference was attended by Liberal Party officials led by former Senate President Jovito Salonga, the party chair emeritus, and former officials who had left the Arroyo Cabinet—lawyer Avelino Cruz, Dinky Soliman, Teresita Deles and Karina David.
Fiancée cried
Roxas’ mother, Judy Araneta, and other members of the family arrived ahead of Roxas, who was accompanied by fiancée Korina Sanchez, who later wept.
Former Education Secretary Florencio Abad admitted that it was a “difficult decision†for Roxas.
“Mar is hurting from what people are saying that he’s getting in the way of uniting the party,†Abad said, explaining that Roxas had seen that only Aquino could continue the legacy of Ninoy and Cory.
“It also shows that Senator Roxas has always had a sense of statesmanship. He pulled the rug from everyone’s feet to show that he and the party he leads can rise to the occasion,†Abad said.
Former Bukidon Rep. Nereus Acosta said that Roxas’ decision would trigger a “force†that could change Philippine politics forever, and it “connected Noynoy to the past, so it is a beautiful linkage to the past and present.â€
Hundreds of thousands of people poured out onto the streets for Cory Aquino’s funeral last month in an emotional outpouring of support. Analysts have said they represent a significant vote bank that could propel Noynoy to power.
Noynoy could also tap into widespread opposition to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who has been accused of corruption and vote fraud, they have said. He has been vocally opposed to Arroyo and has stressed the need for ethics in politics.
Business unimpressed
Markets however are likely to be unimpressed by the events.
“The business community has no experience of him at all, we don’t know what he is like and what his policies will be,†said Peter Wallace, head of the Wallace Business Forum consultancy.
“He has not shown in his time in Congress or the Senate to be a very active person, or take a leadership role,†he added.
But Wallace said an Aquino candidacy on a clean government platform could be successful although the momentum would need to be sustained.
“The outpouring of affection and sympathy for Cory and family was in part an expression of disappointment, disgust with the current government’s inability to maintain the morals and honesty that people expect in a government,†he said.
“And so his running would be a popular choice in that regard. But we have to remember that what we are seeing today is a reaction to the death of Cory just a couple of weeks ago, and we are talking about elections nine months away from now,†Wallace said.
Noynoy Aquino, a bachelor, was a three-time representative for the second district of Tarlac from 1998 to 2007 before being elected as senator. With reports from Philip C. Tubeza, TJ Burgonio, Kristine L. Alave, Cynthia D. Balana, Niña Catherine Calleja, and Inquirer research
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