Noynoy not complaining, admits being underrated

MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said he is actually “underrated” – both in his debating and dating skills – but he’s not complaining.

“Yes, I am underrated, which is good,” Aquino told media persons at a dinner the other day.

Those who engage him in debates, he pointed out, “come from a position of overconfidence” and are usually surprised at how he can rebut them.

Aquino’s curriculum vitae describes him as “an economist by training and a public official by profession.”

Aquino said his parents, the late former President Corazon Aquino and Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., did not push any of their children to public service. But he did remember his mother say “if none of our five children follow in our footsteps, Ninoy and I must have done something wrong.”

About his dating life, Aquino is known to have had pretty former girlfriends. A bachelor still as he approaches his golden year on Feb. 8, Aquino refuses to discuss his marriage plans. His present girlfriend is Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad.

For now, Aquino is focused on winning the elections, aiming to widen his lead over Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar. He plans to go back to the campaign trail after he turns 50 on Feb. 8.         

Aquino has consistently emerged as the preferred presidential candidate in election surveys. The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that if a two-way election will be held today, Aquino will corner 52 percent of the votes, and Villar would receive the remaining 44 percent. 

In a wide spectrum that includes former President Joseph Estrada and administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro, Aquino would receive 44 percent of the votes while Villar would get 33 percent.

Stop mudslinging now

Aquino and Villar are currently at the height of a word war, with both parties tearing at each other’s legislative performances and involvement in national issues.

“They should return the political debate to issues. The focus should be on their platforms of government,” Rep. Satur Ocampo of the militant party-list group Bayan Muna told the Ayes and Nays news forum in Quezon City.

He said mudslinging and character assassination do not contribute to an informed decision among voters.

The word war started when Aquino reacted to the newest SWS survey results by saying that he is not affected that it showed that his lead over Villar has narrowed. He responded by saying that some surveys are “credible” and some are “bought in Quiapo.”

Aquino said later that he was not referring to SWS.

Villar’s camp retaliated by saying that Aquino found it hard to accept the survey results. 

Aquino countered that at the height of the “Hello, Garci” scandal in 2005, Villar remained quiet amid calls for President Arroyo to step down.

He also said that Villar has not been performing well as a legislator because he had not been attending sessions.

Villar responded by saying that Aquino is “lying” because he had been very much involved in the Senate investigations on the ZTE national broadband controversy as well as the “Hello, Garci”controversy. – With Jess Diaz