Panlilio joins LP, vows boost for Noynoy-Mar

Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio will be sworn in on Thursday as a Liberal Party (LP) member, hoping to help push the candidacies of Senators Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Roxas II as president and vice president, respectively, in 2010, an LP official said on Monday.

Chito Gascon, LP director general, said their party is making preparations for the oath-taking in Cubao, Quezon City.

“We’re excited about the prospect of Among Ed joining us in the LP,” he said in a telephone interview.

Panlilio, a Catholic priest, withdrew his plan to run for president and opted to support Aquino’s bid.

He said his LP membership did not mean that, by now, he was seeking reelection.

As LP coordinator in Pampanga, he said he would organize the slate in the home province of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that is dominated by the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

“We will strengthen the LP and the candidacies of Noynoy and Mar by bringing good and ethical leaders to the party. The LP will also help us. Kapampangans, sustain the crusade for good governance,” said Panlilio.

Also on Monday, Vice Governor Joseller Guiao denied having applied to the LP or courted the party’s support for his bid as governor, said Gascon.

Gascon said Guiao has not given a hint or statement that he wanted to move to the LP.

“My support for Noynoy [Aquino] is not preconditioned by anything. The party is secondary. The closeness of our families is, to me, most important,” Guiao said in a separate interview.

His father, former Gov. Bren Guiao, was an ally of the late President Corazon Aquino, the senator’s mother who died on Aug. 1.

“I don’t think it’s going to change anything in terms of my personal decision and plan,” Guiao said of Panlilio’s membership in the LP.
“It’s not a problem for me. It’s better for the candidacy of Noynoy. But joining Among (Father) Ed in the party and working together with him is not possible because we have basic disagreements on ways to do things,” said Guiao.

As an independent candidate in 2007, Panlilio defeated Guiao’s running mate, former Board Member Lilia Pineda.

Panlilio said the search process for LP’s Pampanga slate started two weeks ago.

Guiao admitted talking to Aquino, the senator’s sisters and leaders of the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement.

“Strictly, I’m still with Lakas-Kampi-CMD. I have not resigned from [the party],” he said.

The administration party has yet to endorse Guiao as its official candidate for governor.

From Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon, November 9, 2009

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Noynoy Aquino on RH Bill and his parents

Below is a video courtesy of Kevin Ray N. Chua, of Senator Noynoy Aquino explaining his stand on the controversial Reproductive Health Bill and his association with his parents, Ninoy and Cory. Please spread the word about this very informative video.

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Roxas tops SWS Survey

Senator Mar Roxas topped the Third Quarter 2009 Social Weather Stations survey of vice-presidential preferences, scoring 40 percent. He was followed by Vice President Noli de Castro and Sen. Loren Legarda, who were tied at 23 percent. They were voted the first top three best leaders who should be vice president.

The survey on the vice presidential race showed volatility and closer competition than the presidential contest, which in the last two SWS surveys done in September, has appeared to solidify the lead of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, who first scored 50 percent and then 60 percent in the second survey.

The gap is narrower among vice-presidential contenders, although the Aquino-Roxas team is shaping up to be more stable and viable, compared with the nebulous composition of the other teams. The survey, which showed Roxas in the lead, was conducted on Sept. 18-21.

Since Roxas abandoned his presidential bid to make way for Aquino, the two rapidly consolidated their team-up. It became clear quickly they were natural and logical partners, mutually boosting each other.

This is not the case with the other presidential aspirants, most of whom are in search of a strong vice-presidential teammate to match the Aquino-Roxas tandem. While convicted (for plunder), former President Joseph Estrada has formally announced that he is standing for president and has chosen Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay as his running mate, the rest of the pack—Senators Manuel Villar and Francis Escudero and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.—are still in the dark about their running mate.

Legarda, who has declared herself available for the vice presidency after abandoning her quest for the presidency, is a much sought-after partner, although she is running behind Roxas in the latest SWS survey. She is reportedly being wooed by Villar, as well as by the administration’s presidential candidate, Gilbert Teodoro, and by Escudero. Although she is running second to Roxas in the latest SWS survey, Legarda is carefully weighing the chances of her suitors, all of whom are being swept aside by the tide that has carried Aquino to the lead in the surveys.

Legarda can derive comfort from the fact that under the multiparty system that emerged from the overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship, popular vice-presidential candidates can win more votes than presidential candidates. For example, Joseph Estrada, who ran for vice president in the 1992 election, polled more votes than Fidel Ramos, who was elected president with 24 percent of the vote. Estrada polled 7 million votes. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was elected vice president in the 1998 election with 13 million votes. Estrada was elected president in 1998 with 11 million votes. If Legarda wins the vice-presidential race while her presidential partner loses, she could emerge as a power center on her own right.

Legarda’s problem is that she’s running on the ticket of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, which is also the party of Escudero, and it is not clear whether NPC is an opposition party. Legarda cannot therefore be identified as on the opposition side, although she criticizes at times the Arroyo administration.

Aside from the Aquino-Roxas tandem, the rest of the crowd are operating on the strength or weakness of the standard bearer.

Since the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935, with the two-party system, parties elected their candidates carefully with an eye for a vice-presidential candidate who could boost the team. The first president of the Commonwealth, Manuel L. Quezon, was elected by an overwhelming majority, with Sergio Osmeña as his vice president. Osmeña won more votes than Quezon. They were elected as a team.

In the post-war period, the same concept of election as a team prevailed, broken only by flukes. Generally, presidential candidates carried their vice-presidential partners to office, ensuring that the winning party took control of the two top executive positions in the government. This contributed to the stability of the two-party system.

With the recent poll surveys, the presidential race appears to be narrowing to no more than four serious contenders—Aquino, Villar, Escudero and Teodoro—as the rest are being left on the wayside or have already announced their withdrawal. The key role of the vice-presidential candidate in party tickets is a sign that the two-party system is reemerging. Both the LP and NP (under Villar) are rebuilding themselves as poles for larger coalitions.

Thus far, no party—including Estrada and Binay’s United Opposition—has managed to form complete senatorial line-ups ahead of the Nov. 30 deadline for registration of candidates in the May election. The lists so far announced are composed of names who float from one party to another as guest candidates. These shifts and volatility favor the best organized parties which can become the vehicles of a revived two-party system.

The opposition parties face disintegration as two dominant parties emerge: the LP and NP. It is inevitable that if one of the opposition parties emerges dominant in the coming elimination rounds, that party, with an inspired leadership, will swallow the other parties and face off with the administration coalition. But first, the NP has to come up with a competitive tandem.

From Inquirer.Net, October 27, 2009

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Noynoy and Mar to visit Cebu

In their two-day visit to Cebu starting Friday, Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and his running mate, Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II will hold consultative talks with local multi-sector groups.

Pro-life advocates in Cebu yesterday also challenged the two senators to face Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and discuss their true stand on the Reproductive
Health (RH) Bill.

Noynoy and Mar will talk with urban poor groups, market vendors, and the youth about different issues, said Atty. Democrito Barcenas of the Noynoy- Mar Volunteers in Cebu.

Barcenas and Lino Rivera, who is leading the advance party for Aquino and Roxas, discussed the activities of the two senators in their two-day visit in Cebu.

University of Cebu president Augusto Go, who is chairman emeritus of the Noynoy-Mar Volunteers in Cebu will support the activities.

Barcenas said Noynoy and Mar will not convince local officials to support them in the 2010 elections, as they want to hear first the situations of people from different sectors.

However, pro-life advocates in Cebu are anticipating Noynoy to visit Vidal to discuss the presidential aspirant’s stand on the RH bill.

But Rivera told reporters that Aquino and Roxas will not be visiting Vidal.

Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer of Human Life International challenged the two senators to a dialogue with Vidal.

Bullecer said that since both senators will not be meeting the Cebu prelate, church officials in Tagbilaran City, led by Bishop Leonardo Medroso will talk with them over the bill.

Rivera said Noynoy and Mar will be in Tagbilaran tonight together with fellow LP members Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros- Baraquiel and Neri Acosta.

From 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Aquino and Roxas will be in the Sacred Heart Center on D. Jakosalem St. to conduct an oath-taking with members of the pro-Aquino movements in Cebu.

From 10:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., both Aquino and Roxas will hold courtesy calls with various local personalities.

From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. of the same day, Noynoy and Mar will be at the Aznar Coliseum for a session with the pro-Aquino Youth Movement.

From 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., both senators will be in the Emcor Appliance Center in Mandaue City for a multi-sectoral dialogue.

On Friday evening, they will meet with young entrepreneurs in Cebu at the Marriott Hotel. But Rivera said the schedule is subject to change.

On Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Aquino and Roxas will visit the Carmelites Monastery in Barangay Mabolo.

At 9 a.m., Aquino will attend the launching of the Noy for President movement at the Sacred Heart Center, while Roxas will be visiting an assembly of barangay health workers at the Cebu International Convention Centerin Mandaue City.

At 10:15 am, they will meet with other multi-sectoral organizations before flying back to Tagbilaran City at 2 p.m.

From Sunstar Cebu, October 15, 2009

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Noynoy, Mar call for more donations on Typhoon Ondoy victims

Liberal Senators Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas today called for more donations, especially of rice and water, as Operation Tulong Bayan intensified its relief operations to reach more families victimized by Tropical Storm Ondoy.

“Nakaalis na si Ondoy, pero marami pang kailangang gawin, marami pang buhay ang aayusin, marami pang kailangang iahon sa pinsala. Kakayanin natin ito. Malalampasan natin ito, basta’t tulong-tulong tayo,” Aquino said.

Aquino added that the most needed items are rice, water, canned goods and clothes. Other goods like instant noodles, snacks and others are also accepted, as well as donations in cash.

The Operation Tulong Bayan relief center is in Balay, Expo Centro (formerly Seafood Market), EDSA corner General McArthur St., Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City, inside the parking lot fronting the fruit section of Farmers Market. Hotline numbers: 0908-657-9998, 913-7122, 913-6254 and 913-3306.

Goods could also be dropped off at 2314 Pasong Tamo Ext. (Dasma side), Makati; between Cantinetta and Makati Faith Christian School. Tel.No. 7108804 (Rosanna) 0917-8305053, (Cris) 09178435137. For donations in cash, please contact the said hotlines.

As of September 30, Operation Tulong Bayan has distributed relief packs to more than 34,000 families in 45 areas in Metro Manila, Rizal and Bulacan since operations started on September 27. Around 1,000 volunteers, mostly from they youth, come to the relief center every day to help in packaging and distributing relief goods.

“Sabi ng iba, ang mga Pinoy daw naghahatakan pababa, may crab mentality. Nakita natin na hindi ito totoo. Sa trahedyang dala ni Ondoy, nakita natin ang kakayahan ng Pinoy. Hindi pa rin po natutupok ang apoy ng Bayanihan sa ating mga puso,” Roxas said.

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Welcome to NoyMar: Tuloy ang Laban! Blog

Welcome to the NoyMar: Tuloy ang Laban! Blog.

This blog has been created in show of support for Senators Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and Manuel "Mar" Roxas II's advocacy for change and reforms for a better Philippines. Now that they are given a chance to do so, we Filipinos, not just here in the Philippines, but all over the world, and behind Noynoy and Mar as they face a tough challenge from those who want the status quo.

Together, all things are possible as we join hands in supporting these two Senators who are the fruit of good trees.

We believe that we can do it. This blog is for you both.

Tuloy ang Laban! We are with you Noynoy and Mar!

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