'YELLOW FEVER' HITS
COMELEC AS NOYNOY FILES CANDIDACY
[PHOTO
AT LEFT - Tarlac Rep. Benigno ‘Noynoy‘ Aquino III holds up his certificate
of candidacy for senator at the Comelec office, where he was accompanied by
family members yesterday. In photo are (from left) sister Kris, former President
Cory Aquino, and brother-in-law James Yap. – Photo By EDD GUMBAN]
MANILA, FEBRUARY 9, 2007 (STAR) By Mayen Jaymalin - "Yellow fever" hit the corridors of the Commission on Elections in Intramuros yesterday when Tarlac Rep. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III made official his bid for senator — a post that his father and namesake Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. held 40 years ago.
Accompanied by his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, his sisters Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris, and brother-in-law basketball star James Yap, Noynoy filed his certificate of candidacy early yesterday afternoon, at around the same time he was born exactly 47 years ago. The Aquino family and their supporters were in their trademark yellow shirt.
Mrs. Aquino said that Ninoy, who first sought a Senate seat in 1967 at the age of 35, and Noynoy both, "love their country, are firm in their convictions and put the nation’s interest above their own."
With cellphone cameras in hand, Comelec employees left their desks while visitors and fans breached security to ogle at Noynoy’s famous relatives — his mother Cory, sister Kris and brother-in-law James, causing near- stampedes in some instances. Among those who joined the Aquino family for prayers at the Manila Cathedral and later, at the Comelec, were Senators Franklin Drilon, Mar Roxas and Rodolfo Biazon of the Liberal Party and Sen. Alfredo Lim.
According to Noynoy, he will run under the Liberal Party but there are ongoing negotiations for him to join the United Opposition (UNO). He ruled out joining the administration although he admitted the offer of reconciliation.
"Joining the administration is equivalent to espousing all of their positions... and how can I espouse something like (Executive Order) 464, CPR (calibrated preemptive response), (Proclamation) 1017, all the economic policies embodied on the Northrail and PLDT, which instead of improving the lot of our Filipino people, will guarantee that they will suffer more and more in terms of bigger and significant debt burden that has no resolution beside," he said.
He also declined to comment about his aunt Tessie Aqunio-Oreta’s decision to run under the administration party.
Also yesterday, former senator Loren Legarda yesterday officially declared her intention to run in the May 14 senatorial race, ending months of speculations over her political plans,
Accompanied by her lawyers, Legarda arrived at the Comelec main office in Intramuros at 2 p.m. to personally file her certificate of candidacy (COC), which could pave the way for the dismissal of her electoral protest against Vice President Noli de Castro.
Legarda, however, clarified that she did not abandon her electoral protest but merely accepted the reality that the resolution of the pending case before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) would go beyond 2010.
"It’s not a matter of giving up, it’s a matter of being realistic and seeing that after P12 million and three years we have not finished even one province and I don’t think we can finish it after 2010 and you know why, because my opponent delayed it," Legarda said.
However, Legarda said she has no regrets filing the electoral protest because she was able to prove that there was massive cheating in the last 2004 national elections.
But what convinced her to run for the Senate again, Legarda said, were the numerous surveys showing her leading the senatorial race.
"The (case) is beyond me, obviously. I am running for the Senate but what greatly influenced me is the consistent number-one rating in all surveys for the past three years. That has given the strength and the moral courage to go on this political battle once again," she added.
Legarda also expressed confidence that the murder case against her estranged husband, former governor Antonio Leviste, would not adversely affect her candidacy.
"It’s been public knowledge that I have been estranged for many years. My personal life is an open book and despite my imperfect life I offer my services to the Filipino people," she said.
She further noted that she has proven to the people the quality of her work for the six years that she served as senator.
The Nationalists People’s Coalition (NPC) has welcomed Legarda, whom it described as a person with a proven track record in public service, into the party.
"Sen. Legarda represents the NPC’s tradition of honest and dedicated service to the country and the people," said NPC chairman Faustino Dy Jr.
Also yesterday former senator Anna Dominique "Nikki" Coseteng filed her COC before the Comelec.
Coseteng said she decided to seek re-election so she could pursue the programs she started and help in promoting the welfare of women and overseas Filipino workers
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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