‘We want our politics to be platform-based instead of personality-based' MANILA – Leading presidential aspirant Senator Noynoy Aquino Saturday reached out to former President Fidel Ramos, saying he would welcome Ramos' help especially in improving tax collection efficiency if he succeeds in winning the May 10 polls. Speaking during a campaign sortie in Lucena City, Aquino noted that the Philippines' tax collection efficiency reached its peak during Ramos' presidency. “Perhaps he can assist us in doing the same especially since President Arroyo allowed it to go down to about 6 percentage points, a very substantial drop given the fact it was previously 18," Aquino said during a press conference. However, the Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer forewarned Ramos not to meddle in case his help is sought by the new government, adding that the new president should be the one to take the lead in setting government policy. Ramos used to be a staunch ally of outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Together with former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Ramos formed the Lakas-Christian Democrats party which later merged with Arroyo's Kampi to become the dominant political party in the Philippines. But the once mighty Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition has greatly shrunk in size following the defections of its top leaders to either the LP or the Nacionalista Party (NP) of Senator Manny Villar, Aquino's closest rival for the presidency. As of April 15, 42 incumbent governors, congressmen, and city mayors have either left Lakas-Kampi-CMD or declared support for presidential candidates other than Lakas standard-bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr. With regards to De Venecia, who like Ramos also had a falling out with Arroyo, Aquino said he is wary of forming an alliance with the former House Speaker. Aquino noted De Venecia's reputation as a politician with a penchant for forming "rainbow" or "sunshine" political coalitions which are based on personalities. Although he wants everyone to unite behind him in unifying the country, Aquino said he is wary of the people close to De Venecia. “The bottom line is that we want our politics to be platform-based instead of personality-based. If they want to coalesce with us, are their platforms the same as ours?" he said in Tagalog. He said it would be foolhardy if he coalesces with De Venecia only to fight him later on. Aquino spoke on the day when reports came out that the prestigious TIME Magazine will feature him on the cover of its April 26 issue titled “The New Aquino: Can Noynoy Save The Philippines?” Aquino will thus join his mother Corazon Aquino and the acknowledged greatest boxer of the world Manny Pacquiao as among prominent Filipino personalities featured by TIME Magazine. Meanwhile, Vice President Noli de Castro virtually gave up his post to Aquino's running mate, Senator Mar Roxas, as he publicly endorsed the LP vice-presidential candidate in his radio program on Saturday morning. "Vice President Mar Roxas," De Castro addressed the LP bet during his dzMM radio program "Para Sa 'Yo Bayan."
