Noynoy Aquino Leads Presidentiables in the Latest Survey

In the latest survey of Presidentiables for the 2010 national elections, Senator Noynoy Aquino leads the survey with 50% of the respondents chose him to be the next president of the Republic. He was followed by Senator Manny Villar and other presidentiables.

The Aquino-Roxas tandem also leads the survey against the possible team-up between Estrada-Legarda, De Castro- Puno, and Villar-Pangilinan. SWS cunducted the survey in Metro Manila and other provinces in Luzon on September 5-6, 2009. Vice President Noli de Castro will announced today his plans for the 2010 elections.

Some political strategist are still wary of the chances of Senator Aquino in the coming Presidential race. In an article of Philstar, Lito Banayo, said Aquino’s close links to his parents could be both beneficial and disadvantageous to him. “It’s not a ‘walk in the park’ for him... Ninoy is now considered a martyr and a hero while Cory, after her death, had assumed a person almost of sainthood. If Noynoy becomes a candidate now, the memories of Ninoy and Cory will become fodder." Banayo enumerated some of the issues that will be faced by Senator Aquino which include unresolved issues of the Aquino administrationlike the exclusion of Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the Mendiola massacre and the operation of the so-called “Kamag-anak Inc.”

Banayo added that his mother Cory Aquino assumed a very fruitful reverie of the president of the country in comparison with what followed, especially the present administration. Opponents might revive old issues. Banayo also said Aquino would have to deal with the limited reach of the Liberal Party. “The Liberal Party has no infrastructure in Mindanao... He cannot rely only on the LP. He needs more vehicles. He needs to unite the opposition minus Erap and Villar,” he said.

The director of the Makati Business Club, on the other hand, has a positive analysis of the presidential bid of the Senator. "We now have renewed hope that we can look forward to a new dawn where accountability and good governance prevail over abuse and deceit. From apathy, we now see a reinvigorated citizenry,” Del Rosario added.

“There is a shared assessment that the state of governance in the country has become intolerable and that people must act now on their own to bring back the good and fight corruption, injustice and abuse. In short, people are calling to bring back ethical leadership and are willing to participate as citizens to bring this about. This is one of the most significant developments as far as protecting and enhancing Philippine democracy is concerned,” he said. Del Rosario is supporting Senator Aquino but he said that it does not mean that it is also the decision of the Makati Business Club.