Forty days after former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino died, her only son, Sen. Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, vowed to resurrect the kind of leadership and governance she has left if the Filipino nation will elect him as President in 2010.
Although Cory would have wanted her son to finish his term as a senator, Noynoy said it was the public's clamor that strongly convinced him to finally represent the Liberal Party as its standard-bearer in next year's presidential election.
"Tinatanggap ko ang hiling ng sambayanan. Tinatanggap ko ang habilin ng aking mga magulang. Tinatanggap ko ang responsibilidad na ituloy ang laban para sa bayan. Tinatanggap ko ang hamong mamuno sa labang ito. Bayang Pilipinas, tatakbo po ako sa pagka-pangulo sa eleksyon sa 2010," Aquino affirmed his presidential plans in an early morning press conference at the Kalayaan Hall of Club Filipino in San Juan City, the same venue where his mother had her historic oath-taking in 1986.
In the same press conference, Noynoy announced that he has asked his best friend, Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, to be his running mate, but said that the Liberal Party president preferred to respond to his invitation on another date.
"I asked Mar to be my running mate [dahil] iba siya. Mas inuna niya ang nakararami bago ang kanyang sarili," Noynoy said, referring to Mar's earlier decision to sacrifice his presidential bid in favor of Aquino.
Although Noynoy declined to discuss at length his platform of governance, he claimed with confidence that he will be "the kind of president who will be missed the time he steps down."
Noynoy's statement was lauded by his partymates and welcomed by his initially reluctant sisters, who were all present during his press conference to show full support to their brother's candidacy.
Clad in black dresses with yellow ribbons in remembrance of their late mother, Ma. Elena "Ballsy" Cruz came with husband Eldon, Aurora Corazon "Pinky" Abellada came with husband Manolo, Victoria Eliza "Viel" Dee came with husband Dodo and son Kiko, and Kris Bernadette "Kris" Yap came with husband James and son James, Jr.
Manila Bulletin sources said Wednesday the Aquino and Cojuangco families will meet this week to discuss plans on how to help Noynoy's presidential campaign.
Of the Aquino sisters, it was Ballsy who said they consented to their brother's decision to run and to make the historic announcement during the same day that the nation remembers the death of Cory, the democracy icon, who succumbed to complications of colon cancer last August 1.
"Kami rin pong magkakapatid, nararamdaman din namin na maraming may gusto na ipagpatuloy ni Noynoy anuman ang naiwan ng aming mga magulang. Nakita po namin ito sa mga simpleng gawain ng mga taong dumadalaw sa sementeryo--sa kanilang pag-iiwan ng mga bulaklak at mga sulat. Kaya po bakit patatagalin pa?" she said, reffering to Noynoy's announcement.
While Noynoy's sisters sat at the stage behind him and his partymates settled at the first row of the audience, his girlfriend, Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani "Lani" Soledad, was spotted sitting among the nameless crowd apparently trying to evade the limelight.
Lani proved to be the media-shy girlfriend that Noynoy described her to be as she refused to comment on the senator's announcement despite the media's insistence.
Aside from Roxas, Senators Rodolfo Biazon, Francis Pangilinan, and Panfilo Lacson were present at the press conference together with former Senate President Franklin Drilon, Rep. Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel, Quezon Governor Raffy Nantes, Neri Acosta, and other Liberal Party stalwarts and members.
Biazon, who promised Noynoy of the same support and service he rendered during Cory's administration, even dramatized his loyalty to the Aquino Family by donating a P100 bill at a transparent coin-bank named "Piso-piso para kay Noynoy" being circulated in the room.
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