The Wutz Up in the Philippines!

MANILA, Philippines - Campaign posters went up and jingles blared at election rallies and motorcades all over the country yesterday as the country’s richest politician and the son of its democracy icon fired the opening salvos in the tight race to succeed President Arroyo.

Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, son of former President Corazon Aquino and former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., and his main rival Sen. Manny Villar are promising a fresh start and clean government for the Philippines after nine years of tumultuous rule dotted with coup attempts and corruption allegations.

Aquino, campaigning in Concepcion Tarlac, took potshots at Villar.

“We all know our opponent has the money. And there are those who say that the forces of darkness will come together,” he said in his speech. “The question is, will the force of light be overpowered?”

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MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III officially announced his decision to run for president (as the Liberal Party’s standard bearer) in the 2010 elections at the historic Kalayaan Hall in Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan City, this morning (Sept. 9).

“Tinatanggap ko ang hiling ng sambayanan. Tinatanggap ko ang habilin at tagubilin ng aking mga magulang…Bayang Pilipinas, tatakbo ako sa pangpanguluhan sa 2010, ” Aquino said.

He made the announcement on the the 40th day of the death of his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, who died of colon cancer last Aug. 1. In Filipino tradition, the 40th day after a person’s death is the end of the grieving period for the relatives of the deceased.

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While conceding that the Liberal Party has become a formidable organization with the imminent presidential bid of Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said there is no guarantee that popularity and pedigree would convert to actual votes.

Ermita, president of the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, said Wednesday the “Cory magic” may work well for the young Aquino but it was “premature” to declare that such phenomenon will ensure his victory in the presidential elections next year.

“It’s one to convert popularity into votes and the popularity now doesn’t mean popularity at the time when the people start going to the precincts to vote. Things can easily change.

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MANILA, Philippines - The Northern Police District-District Intelligence and Detective Management Division recorded no major crime in the northern part of Metro Manila during the last night of the wake of the late former President Corazon Aquino.

“Even petty crimes I haven’t receive any report yet. Maybe everybody, even criminals, wanted to convey their last respects to the late President,” Senior Inspector Augusto Mateo, NPD-DIDMD chief, told The STAR. Mateo said, as of 2 p.m. yesterday, he has not monitored any crime-related reports from the four police stations in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela (Camanava) area.
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Prayers pour in from friends, political foes
Former Philippine President Corazon “Cory” Aquino has refused further chemotherapy or any other medical treatment in her battle against colon cancer, her spokesman said in comments published Thursday.
The 76-year-old Aquino, who led the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 after the fall of Ferdinand Marcos, was admitted to a Manila hospital last week, and is reportedly being fed intravenously.

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Cory issues strongest message vs Con-ass.

MANILA, Philippines—It was the strongest message former President Corazon Aquino has so far issued, and it was roundly applauded in the largest rally against moves to revise the Constitution in three years.

Here we are again in the midst of the shameful abuses of the powerful that seek to destroy our sacred laws, she said in Filipino (“Subalit narito muli tayo, sa gitna ng walang-hiyang pang-aabuso ng mga makapangyarihang nagnanais na sirain ang mga pinakayakap sa ating mga batas.”)

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