Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III vowed Thursday to continue the fight initiated by his parents to strengthen democracy in the Philippines. He made the pledge in an apparent response to the clamor for him to run for president in next year's elections. On the eve of the 26th anniversary of his father's assassination on Aug. 21, 1983, recalled how his father Benigno Aquino Jr. and later his mother Corazon Aquino struggled to bring back democracy in the country. His father, nicknamed Ninoy and arch political rival of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was killed at the airport tarmac where soldiers took him in custody on his return home from exile to unite the opposition against Marcos. The assassination triggered strong street protest and a chainof events that toppled Marcos in February 1986 and installed his widow, Corazon Aquino, populary known as Cory, to the presidency. “This is the continuing fight of Ninoy, Cory and all of us. And in this fight, expect always that you will not be alone,” Noynoy said in a privilege speech at the Senate. Before his speech Wednesday, Noynoy had expressed reluctance to run for a higher position but said later that he was “trying to discern because there are legitimate calls” for him to seek the presidency. Liberal Party (LP) Secretary-General and Cavite Representative Joseph Emilio Abaya said the party wants to give Noynoy “enough time” to think about his options for the 2010 elections. “We're slowly discussing it but we're not shoving it down his throat,” Abaya said, noting that while the senator appears “non-committal” for now, he shows a “teamwork attitude toward the party.” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. said he believes Noynoy is “highly qualified” to run for the presidency. “He is very qualified. He has been a congressman for many terms, (and) now a senator,” Pimentel said. But Pimentel that would be a matter that should be settled by Noynoy's party, the Liberal Party, which is expected to field Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as standard bearer in the May 2010 elections.
