Noynoy calls for 'new people power'

CONCEPCION, Tarlac, Philippines – Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and his running mate Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II called for a “new kind of people power” to propel them to victory in the coming May elections.

Aquino and Roxas said this new people power would be volunteerism in spreading their message to the people that the country should now have a clean government to finally achieve much needed development.

“If you think that what we are fighting for is right, we need to go and multiply,” Aquino told the crowd who warmly welcomed him with screams, yellow ribbons tied everywhere and yellow clothes, umbrellas and other paraphernalia.

Aquino said they chose to kick off their campaign here because the people of Concepcion were the ones who stood by them during their most difficult times. His father, the late senator and national hero Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. was born here and became this town’s youngest mayor and later governor.

Aquino said it was also here where he delivered his first speech in 1976, when he was barely 16 and his father was incarcerated during Martial Law.

Aquino and Roxas, along with the senatorial candidates of the LP, said during the rally in the public market that they would be fighting against more moneyed candidates and an adiministration out to stop them from winning.

They appealed to the people to campaign for them as they could not possibly match the political advertisements being placed in various media by their opponents.

Aquino also warned against possible massive cheating even in their own bailiwicks just to show they were really weak.

Aquino and Roxas asked the public to continue their supporting even after winning, saying the country’s problems had become too many and too deep.

Roxas said the challenge would be ending corruption of the country’s resources and the people’s taxes.

The tandem explained how education and other basic services in the country, job opportunities and investments were affected negatively by corruption in government, with the billions of pesos that could be saved from corruption being used for much-needed projects for development.

“Unholy alliance”

In a subsequent press conference, Aquino said based on the information he was receiving from various regions, his arch rival, apparently referring to Nacionalista Party’s presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar, had allied himself with the Arroyo administration to ensure victory.

Aquino said he does not consider Villar as genuine opposition because he never saw him genuinely fight the system being perpetuated by President Arroyo.

Aquino said Villar was always absent and would not oppose the proposed administration budget laden with appropriations for anomalous projects.

“In the days to come, battle lines will be drawn and the people will see who really tolerated the current system (of corruption),” Aquino said.

Aquino refused to give his cousin, administration presidential candidate and former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. unsolicited advice but said he was assuming they were privy to the same information.

War chest

Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, one of the LP’s senatorial bets, said Villar was prepared to spend P6 billion to P10 billion for this campaign and that based on his advertisements alone, Villar had already spent P5 billion.

Hontiveros said this was already bigger than the country’s budget for housing and school buildings.

“What he is spending and willing to spend is more than our social spending. That he is willing to spend billions for his personal ambition puts things in perspective,” Hontiveros said.

The other senatorial candidates - former Senate President Franklin Drilon, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon, Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto “TG” Guingona, former Bukidnon Rep. Nereus Acosta, former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief Ralph Recto, Sonia Roco of Aksyon Demokratiko, detained Brig. Gen. Danny Lim, lawyer Alex Lacson, Dr. Martin Bautista and women’s right advocate Yasmin Busran Lao - shared the same sentiments.

During the Mass at the Immaculate Concepcion Church before their rallies and motorcade, the priests prayed for Aquino, Roxas and the LP slate.

In his speech inside the Church, Aquino said he would always draw inspiration from his province. He said he would not have joined this battle were he not sure that together, nthing was impossible and true change could come about.

Villar’s ties with Ampatuans

Aquino’s spokesman Edwin Lacierda challenged Villar to shed light on allegations that he secretly forged an alliance with the Ampatuan clan, principal suspects in the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province.

“Sen. Villar must explain to the public what he was doing in the Ampatuan mansion before 57 innocent men and women were ruthlessly massacred,” Lacierda said.

“If the connivance between Villar and the Ampatuan clan is true, there will be no hope for justice for the victims and their grieving relatives under a Villar administration,” he added. 

Buluan Vice Mayor Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu earlier revealed that Villar slept in the house of the Ampatuans before the massacre. 

Lacierda said this was proof that Villar and the administration were launching a full-scale campaign against the LP standard bearer.