A natural successor emerges for Aquino
By Joel D Adriano
MANILA - Less than a month ago, Philippine Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III
was not among the many politicians vowing to run for president at next year's
polls. But with the passing this month of his popular mother, former president
Corazon Aquino, in the emotional aftermath there is a mounting push for him to
enter the race.
Noynoy is the only son of five siblings of the late president Aquino and slain
opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr, who are widely recognized for
standing up to and finally toppling in 1986 former Ferdinand Marcos'
authoritarian regime. Many here now hope Noynoy will leverage his family's good
name into a new era of good governance and democracy promotion.
The 49-year-old bachelor served three terms as a congressman
before being elected a senator in 2007. He is a graduate of economics from
Ateneo de Manila University and started his career in retail sales management
and later managed the finances of his family's businesses before entering
national politics. He has in Congress consistently called for more public
accountability and greater oversight of funds earmarked for intelligence
gathering.
In the process, he has also emerged as a vocal critic of President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo's scandal-plagued administration. At the height of the "Hello
Garci" scandal, where wiretapped audio recordings implied Arroyo was possibly
complicit in vote-rigging the 2004 elections in her favor, Noynoy was stripped
of his deputy house speaker post after he joined calls for her resignation.
Now, many political analysts view Noynoy as a candidate with comparatively
clean hands the potential to rally jaded voters after nearly a decade of
divisive and corruption-riddled rule under Arroyo. Widely perceived as humble
and imbued with the same strong religious values that made his mother Corazon
popular with the masses, political analysts believe his candidacy would be
blessed with a sense of moral authority inherited from his politician parents.
Some are already citing parallels to the events that led up to the 1986 snap
polls, when a petition signed by over 1 million Filipinos swayed Corazon Aquino
to lead the Liberal Party (LP) against Marcos in an election she eventually
won. A similar petition drive, this time making use of the Internet, has been
underway since August 21 to encourage Noynoy to make a run for the presidency.
The LP is currently led by Senator Manuel Roxas II, grandson of post-World War
II president Manuel Roxas who has announced his intention to seek the
presidency. Roxas has distinguished himself in Congress through his promotion
of consumer protection and welfare, including a personal crusade to make
medicines cheaper for the poor. But some inside his LP party have rallied
behind Noynoy and are calling for Roxas to slide down to the vice presidential
slot to allow the next generation of Aquinos to run as the party's standard
bearer.
Roxas placed fifth among presidential hopefuls in the a recent Pulse Asia
survey conducted through August 10, despite his heavy spending on political
advertisements that have aimed to broaden his mass appeal. He has been
consistently outpaced in opinion polls by other presidential aspirants,
including Senator Manny Villar, former criminally convicted president Joseph
Estrada and incumbent vice president and likely administration candidate Noli
de Castro.
Noynoy's emergence as a possible presidential alternative has caused some
intra-party friction: a leader of a breakaway LP faction said at a press
conference earlier this week that certain party leaders are "depriving" Noynoy
of a unique chance to win the presidency. Florangel Braid, an LP executive
committee member, said that the party has yet to decide on who will run as it's
presidential and vice presidential candidates. "Given the peculiarity of
Philippine elections, anything can happen between now and the 2010 election,"
Braid said.
The LP party was already plagued by factionalism, which has recently diminished
its political clout. In 2005, LP chairman Joselito Atienza broke ranks from the
party majority following the "Hello Garci" scandal be remaining loyal to the
administration. A larger party faction led by then senate president Franklin
Drilon called for Arroyo's resignation amid the vote-rigging controversy.
Some believe if Roxas declines to step back, Noynoy could bolt the LP and form
a presidential ticket with opposition leader Makati Mayor Jojo Binay as his
running-mate. Binay is known to be close to the Aquino family, but is currently
allied with Estrada's anti-Arroyo group.
LP executive Braid said in an interview that Noynoy has the right qualities to
serve as president. "He is very principled and has good ideas, although he is
not as forceful as his father Ninoy. Suddenly we are in a dilemma, but it is
good dilemma as the richness of our candidates is the envy of many parties."
At the same time, as did his mother during her presidential tenure, Noynoy has
come under criticism for his handling of the sprawling Aquino-owned Hacienda
Luisita property estate, which has long been a subject of dispute with farmers
who have called for genuine land reform. Some analysts believe a populist
candidate such as Estrada could bid to use the land dispute to portray Noynoy's
candidacy as anti-poor.
Noynoy has said that he is mulling whether to run and that he would decide
together with his family after the traditional 40-day mourning period or some
time after September 9. Political analysts say the growing popular calls
represent a chance for Noynoy to finally step out of his influential parents'
shadows and even improve upon his mother's presidential legacy, which was
crippled by instability caused by seven attempted military coups.
In December 1987, Noynoy was ambushed by coup-makers at Malacanang palace and
seriously wounded in an attack that killed three of his bodyguards. He was hit
by five bullets, one of which is still embedded in his neck. Insiders say those
run-ins with the military were formative and that a Noynoy-led administration
would in office strive to break Arroyo's pattern of elevating retired security
officials to top government appointments.
It would represent a move towards more democratic rule, which many Filipinos
crave and still associate with the Aquino family name.
Joel D Adriano is an independent consultant and award-winning freelance
journalist. He was a sub-editor for the business section of The Manila Times
and writes for ASEAN BizTimes, Safe Democracy and People's Tonight.
(Copyright 2009 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please
contact us about
sales, syndication and
republishing.)
Head
Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road,
Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
