NOYNOY TO ILOCANO VOTERS: WILL WORK ON FM BURIAL AT LIBINGAN
ILAGAN, ISABELA, NOVEMBER 21, 2009 (STAR) By Charlie Lagasca – How does Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III woo votes in the bailiwick of the man his mother replaced in the 1986 people power revolt?Aquino told Ilocanos here yesterday that if elected president, he would form a commission to study the proposal to bury the remains of the late President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig.
Responding to a question, Aquino said, “We will study the matter and if necessary, form a commission on this matter. I’m not going to be a dictator on the issue. We will weigh the sentiments of various sectors,” said Aquino, who attended Gov. Grace Padaca’s Ugnayang Bayan.
Aquino and Padaca are party mates in the LP, the country’s second oldest party.
Aquino’s late mother, former President Corazon Aquino, had said their family believed Marcos was behind the assassination of her husband, Benigno Aquino Jr., in 1983.
The young senator met members of various sectors including the academe, youth, women, cause-oriented groups, the poor and indigenous peoples and discussed his platform of government.
Aquino, who has consistently led in popularity surveys of presidential candidates with his vice-presidential running mate Sen. Manuel Roxas II, said he had a personal stand on the matter, but as president of all Filipinos, regardless of color, belief and party affiliation, he must not base his decisions on his personal or his family’s feelings and biases alone.
“We have to study the matter with an open mind, which is why, (as president), we will create a committee to study if (the late President Marcos) deserves to be buried (in the Libingan). Of course, I cannot detach my personal views entirely from the decision,” Aquino said.
The issue of a state funeral at the Libingan ng mga Bayani for Marcos, perceived by a majority of Ilocanos as the country’s greatest president, has hounded each newly elected Philippine president since President Fidel Ramos.
Marcos’ widow, former first lady Imelda Marcos, has been seeking the burial of her husband at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
The remains of Marcos now lie in an air-conditioned crypt in Batac, Ilocos Norte, the late president’s hometown.
Then President Joseph Estrada tried to extend a hero’s burial for Marcos but withdrew it amid protest actions by anti-Marcos groups, including the Aquinos.
Most residents in the predominantly Ilocano and still generally pro-Marcos Northern Luzon area favor the late president’s burial at the Libingan.
Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1991. His remains were brought home to Ilocos after his family returned from exile.
Erap forms legal team vs suits (The Philippine Star) Updated November 21, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada has formed a legal team to defend him once a disqualification case is filed against him for seeking the presidency again.
In a press conference at the Senate with Estrada’s son Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, former Senate president and ambassador Ernesto Maceda said the team would be headed by retired justice Magdangal Elma, former presidential legal counsel of the late President Corazon Aquino.
The others are University of the Philippines Dean Pacifico Agabin, University of the East Dean Amado Valdez, election lawyer George Garcia, Bar topnotcher and law professor Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and San Sebastian Law School Dean and Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.
Estrada is set to file his certificate of candidacy before the Commission on Elections on Nov. 27 and his camp is expecting the issue to be decided before yearend.
Maceda said they were also preparing other options in case Estrada would not be allowed to run but expressed confidence that they would win the case.
Jinggoy said they would field a complete slate under his father’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).
“They have already prepared the answers that will be immediately submitted after what we’re sure will be a petition for disqualification to be filed sometime next week. Because for your information, the President will file his certificate of candidacy on Nov. 27. Together with Jinggoy’s announcement today that he is no longer running as a guest candidate for the Nacionalista Party, which was misinterpreted or purposely given a spin that that is an indication that President Erap might not be running and so Jinggoy is transferring to another party,” Maceda said.
In a separate statement, Maceda and Jinggoy cited reasons why the elder Estrada should not be disqualified.
These are: The prohibition against reelection applies only to a sitting president or to a president who has served for four years or more; his pardon is absolute and unconditional and restored fully his political and civil rights.
The former president served for only two and a half years because he was ousted on corruption charges and was replaced by then vice president Gloria Arroyo.
Maceda said they had also placed a package of ads featuring Estrada on all leading programs. The headquarters for Estrada and his running mate, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, had also been set up on Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City.
“So I just wanted to emphasize (these things) because these are being used as propaganda by the opponents – that they should no longer join Erap because he will not push through or he will be disqualified,” Maceda said.
He said this could also be the reason why Estrada’s ratings were not so good.
In case of disqualification, Maceda said they have several options.
“First is the substitution of President Erap if he is disqualified by another presidential candidate. Meaning the campaign will go on and there will be a new presidential candidate. Second option, considering endorsing a candidate in the field, but again I repeat that legally and even politically, I think it is fair to say this now, there are no secrets in this small political world of ours, before Sen. Benigno (Noynoy) Aquino (III) entered into the picture, the word from Malacañang through our friends, they wanted Erap disqualified,” Maceda said.
“But since Noynoy came into the picture, that seems to have changed that they are now saying that Erap is now qualified. Proof of that, you may have already read, no less than (Press) Secretary Cerge Remonde has said that Erap is qualified to run. Followed up by statement of senior Lakas vice president Prospero Pichay who said the same thing that the provision of the Constitution is clear that the word ‘the President’ applies only to the sitting president.”
“It looks like Malacañang has changed its stand on that question because they say that it is better that there are so many candidates of the opposition and so do not disqualify Erap because according to them, they believe it will further divide the opposition,” Maceda said.
Maceda said Jinggoy could substitute for his father in case of disqualification.
He said they were in the process of completing their senatorial slate. Detained military official Danny Lim was listed in the 17 but joined the Liberal Party yesterday.
Others on the list are Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, businessman Joey de Venecia III, Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, who left LP and said he is running as an independent, Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. of the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD, former secretary Benny Laguesma, Rep. Apolinario Lozada, Rep. J.V. Bautista, Dean Amado Valdez, Grace Poe, Rosemarie Arenas, Rez Cortez and Tyrone Kalaw.
Koko Pimentel has a slot reserved for him once he decides to run for senator, but he said he is already leading by 200,000 votes in his protest against (Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel) Zubiri, “and he may just wait for that,” Maceda said.
He said Ilocos Sur Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos used to be on their list but went with the Nacionalista Party.
He said Revilla would be a guest candidate.
“It is our analysis that if they disqualify Erap, there will be a wave of sympathy for him, people are saying they removed him from office, they imprisoned him, and now they are disqualifying him. He will be a very strong endorser and supporter of his vice president and his senatorial candidates,” he said.
‘Ready to rumble with moneyed bets’
United Opposition (UNO) president Binay said he and Estrada are ready to face “moneyed” candidates in the 2010 race.
He said they are banking on their track records to clinch the presidential and vice presidential posts next year.
He stressed that Estrada’s and his performance as executives and their real concern for the poor will spell the difference in the polls.
“We do not fear having to face opponents whose main strength is money. Both President Erap and I have proven that the people vote for those who will really care for them and with a concrete track record of accomplishments,” Binay said.
“It is not true that in all instances those who have the gold will win. We have proven that in previous elections in Makati,” Binay said, citing several elections where candidates backed by the national administration spent huge sums of money but failed to win against him and his candidates.
“We trust in the wisdom of the people and we are confident that in the coming elections, Filipinos will not be swayed by money,” Binay said.
He said while others harp on their advocacies, he can point to actual achievements in improving the lives of the people.
“While others offer only dreams, I can point to concrete results. Performance is still the best politics,” he said.
Binay also expressed confidence that the Filipino people will be more discerning in choosing the next leaders, citing the problems that need to be addressed by “those who already have experience as executives.”
“The next administration will have a lot of cleaning up to do. We will be left with a government in shambles. The Filipino people, I believe, know that we cannot entrust this major task to those with little or no executive experience,” Binay said.
Back to Malacañang?
Senate president pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada went back to Malacañang yesterday for the first time since his father was ousted in 2001.
He represented Enrile in a function for Jia Qinglin, chairman of the national committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
“We hope to be back in July when we recapture the Palace,” Jinggoy said, adding President Arroyo was surprised to see him and said she did not recognize him apparently because he had become slimmer. – Aurea Calica, Jose Rodel Clapano
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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