The Reluctant Candidate

Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuanco Aquino III was proclaimed the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines on June 9, 2010. With a comfortable lead of more than 5 million votes against his leading rival, former President Estrada, there was no doubt that Noynoy Aquino has the mandate of the people. However, this is not to say that he had an easy road when he took the journey to go for the highest position in the country.

Noynoy Aquino was a simple man with no immediate aspirations to run for president this 2010. In fact, he was still in the process of enjoying his first term as a senator when fate intervened. His mother, the late President Corazon Aquino passed away and with her loss, it seemed as though democracy and justice and all she stood for perished. This awakened the hearts of the people and the clamor for democracy, justice and integrity grew. This yearning placed the spotlight on her only son, Senator Noynoy Aquino. People were pushing for him to run and he thankfully took up the challenge and made his bid for the presidency. I know many of us were glad and were relieved. However, because of his decision to run for presidency right after the death of his mother when it was clear to many that he really had no intentions of running for presidency this 2010, he was also criticized and censured by some. They were saying that he was just running under the shadow of his parents. Some were even pointing at his track records and claimed that he did nothing in the senate. But most of all he was criticized for being a reluctant candidate. They were questioning his capabilities to lead when his decision to run for presidency was not fully formed until the death of his mother.

I, for one, am proud of him. Senator Aquino was not even given the time to grieve his loss when he made his bid for the presidency and a lot of issues and rumors were thrown at him. How many people do you know would take up the challenge to run for a position right after the death of their parents? It would take someone with strength and will not to break down.

I really resent the insinuations of some that he only ran because his mother died. That may be true to some extent. Maybe the death of the former president Aquino was the catalyst to some of us. But on a large scale, change was bound to happen. With the 9-year corruption, never ending scandals and left and right bribery that the current administration has on its track record, most of us are already sick and tired and are clamoring for change. This situation in our country and the promptness Noynoy Aquino's reply to the pleas of the people makes me respect him more, for in his decision to run for president right after the death of his mother, he did not think about himself first. He thought of the people and our motherland first. Think about this: why would someone who did not have any aspirations for the highest office and was not making ‘papogi points’ suddenly run for the highest office? What was his motive? What was he trying to prove?

I believe this is where the character of Noynoy Aquino comes in. Noynoy Aquino did not run for himself to gain a lot of power. He did not run so that his family can extend their holdings. He did not even run so he can continue the ‘trapo’ system in our country. Noynoy Aquino ran because of and for the people. He made his bid for presidency not because he was power-hungry or he thought pity votes could garner him the top spot. He ran because there was a clamor from the people. He was the people’s choice. And we have to respect and admire him because he listened to the people and he heeded the call of the people for reform. And that is what we call character, which a lot of other candidates and ‘trapos’ lacked.

Fortunately for us, Noynoy Aquino has that and with over 13 million votes he clinched the victory for the presidency. I believe that President Noynoy Aquino is the right man for the messy and stressful job ahead. We need someone who can counteract and offset the corruption and deceit that the past 9-year administration has perpetuated. We need a person who has integrity and discipline as well as the heart for the people. A big example of the character and integrity of Noynoy Aquino was his reaction and thought process during the campaign trail. A lot of below-the-belt insults and innuendos were thrown to discredit Aquino and through it all, he kept his cool. An example of the worst and below-the-belt abuse that was thrown at him was the issue about his mental health. It’s a good thing Noynoy kept his cool. If it were up to me, I’ll publicize and circulate the land grabbing cases that the other candidate is facing to fight the mudslinging that was being thrown because I believe in fighting fire with fire. However, Noynoy kept his cool and I really have to give him points for that. Just imagine someone insinuate and imply and even circulate fake documents that says you are an unstable person, in short, ‘baliw’. Can you keep your cool there? Noynoy did and he did not fight with below-the-belt tactics like that. And because of that he clinched the votes of most undecided people.

Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Cojuanco Aquino III may be one of the most unlikely candidates for presidents of our time. He may not have been a self-made billionaire who swam in a river full of trash in his youth. He may not have lived in one of the poorest place growing up and he may not have felt what it was to grow poor but Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Cojuanco Aquino III was a man armed with principles and integrity on his rise to the top. It may be true that he is the son of two people who were regarded as heroic icons of democracy and this helped him a bit in the campaign. It may also be true that he did not have any presidential aspirations at the time of the death of his parent. It may also be true that he is a reluctant candidate. However, there is one very important fact in all of these issues. Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Cojuanco Aquino did not run for himself this past election. He ran because of and for the Philippines and for the 90 million Filipinos here and abroad. Therefore, we should do no less than honor, respect and support him as he has supported us.

A reluctant candidate like Noynoy Aquino is the best man for the highest job in the country. There is a saying, ‘The one who does not clamor for power is the best man for the position of power for how can you poison someone when he did not succumb to the temptation in the first place.’ Let us support our newly elected president for the good of our country and our people. Let us work together towards rebuilding and uplifting our torn nation together with our newly elected president. Mabuhay Philippines!