Let Noynoy grieve first, politics can come later - Mar

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines   – Sen. Manuel Roxas II bared yesterday that his partymate in the Liberal Party, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, is still grieving and calls for him to seek a higher position should presently be set aside.

“Just give him time and space. He has just lost his mother. There will be time for politics,” said Roxas, who is LP’s presidential aspirant.

He said that as a friend of Senator Aquino, he tries to be available for him, whenever he wants someone to talk to.

Roxas said that Aquino is one of those being considered for the vice presidential post even before former President Corazon Aquino’s death. However, he stressed this is not the time to discuss these matters.

Television host Korina Sanchez, fiancée of Roxas, said that she also wants Aquino to hold a higher public office.

“They (Roxas and Aquino) are very much alike. They stand for what is right,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez, Roxas’ travel companion in provincial sorties nationwide, accompanied the senator to a meeting with supporters here yesterday.

They also visited the Central Market, where, Roxas said, they bought inexpensive fresh produce, alluding to criticisms hurled at President Arroyo about expensive dinners in her recent trip to United States.

It is obvious that Arroyo has become detached from the realities ordinary Filipinos face everyday, he said.

He also gave his support to the call of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago to investigate the infomercials of government officials aired over national television.

If they are using public funds, they have to be held accountable, Roxas said.

With the huge turnout at the wake of the late President Aquino and now the public clamor for her son to run for higher office, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. thinks that Senator Aquino is qualified to run for president.

Pimentel said Senator Aquino would be a big threat to the candidacy of Roxas.

In a press conference, Pimentel said the senator and only son of President Aquino and former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. is “very qualified” to run because he has been in politics for some time.  

“(He is) very qualified, he has been a congressman for many terms and now senator. Of course, I would assume he inherited the genes of his parents, that desire to serve the public,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel said it would still be up to the members of LP that are supporting Roxas to decide whether to accept Senator Aquino as the party’s standard-bearer or if Roxas would slide down and run for vice president.

“Of course, it remains to be seen what the reaction of the LP would be because he belongs to the LP. And if he runs for president against the wishes of Roxas, for example, the LP will now have three wings: the Atienza wing, Roxas wing, and Noynoy wing, but birds can fly only on two wings. I have not heard of a bird with three or more wings, so what I’m saying is that is a matter the LP would have to decide on their own, whether they really want to push Noynoy,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel said Noynoy has the advantage of the Aquino name and the fact that his mother died with the national adulation for her good person still intact. “So he can cash in on that and then of course there is also Kris (Aquino)… who is no amateur, for lack of better term, on selling products,” Pimentel said.  – With Christina Mendez