INVOKING love of country and love for the political party of his forebears, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II announced early Tuesday night that he was no longer seeking the presidency and was giving way instead to Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
“Country above self. Bayan bago sarili. Yan ang habilin ng aking lolo, si Manuel Roxas. Our nation is in trouble. People are hungry. Leadership is bankrupt. Institutions are in disarray,” he told a crowd of journalists and Liberal Party stalwarts that filled up the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan.
Roxas admitted that the decision was not an easy one to make.
“Ito na ang pinakamabigat na desisyon sa buhay ko. Maniwala man kayo o hindi, ginagawa ko ito para sa bayan,” he said.
The senator said he and Aquino had been talking in the past few days. “Noy has made it clear to me that he wants to carry the torch of leadership. The passing of our beloved President Cory has awakened a passion in us. I see this as a fuel to bring us to the realization of our dream. Good will win over evil,” he said as applause repeatedly greeted his remarks.
Referring to their fathers who had fought the Marcos dictatorship, Roxas said, “We need to be as strong as our fathers were before us during the dictatorship. Noynoy and I want to make a difference. We also know we need to unite to achieve what we want. “
Invoking his position as his party’s leader, Roxas added, “I am the president of the Liberal Party. It is within my power to preside over a potentially divisive process or to make the party a bridge for the forces for change. I choose to lead unity, not division.”
“Bilang pinuno ng aking partido, magdedesisyon ako. Mahal ko ang Partidong Liberal. My grandfather founded it, my father led it during the most difficult times of martial law. Sa kabila ng napakaraming tukso, hindi siya sumuko. He stayed the course, fought the good fight, passed the test of good character,” he said.
Roxas said that in his conversations with Aquino over the weekend, “We agreed to forget about ourselves. This is not about us. This is about our people and our country. This is about our common dream, the dream of our forebears.”
“But let us not remain a country of dreamers. Tama na ang pangarap lamang. Today I am announcing my support for the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino in 2010,” he said.
Roxas then smiled and flashed the L sign.
Call of the times
Present in the press conference were LP chair emeritus and former Senate President Jovito Salonga, former congressmen Butch Abad and Nereus Acosta, Representatives Erin Tanada, Ruffy Biazon, Risa Hontiveros, Walden Bello, Liwayway Vinzons Chato and Lou Antonino. Also present were former defense secretary Avelino Cruz, former agriculture secretary Carlos Dominguez, nongovernment activist Joel Rocamora, former social welfare secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Danilo Gozo, Chito Gascon and former presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita “Ging” Deles. Roxas’s mother Judy and his cousins were also in the event.
Tears rolled down Mrs. Roxas’s eyes after her son made his announcement. She declined to speak to media.
Members of Roxas’s staff and family said they did not know what the senator would be announcing last night. But his cousin, Gaita Fores, said Roxas had consulted with his mother Judy and fiancee Korina Sanchez. Fores said although she learned of the decision only last night, she was not surprised.
“It’s the call of the times, the clamor of the people,” Fores said.
A source earlier told VERA Files that Roxas made the decision to ensure unity within the Liberal Party of which both he and Aquino are members. It was also meant to bring together the various opposition parties behind one strong candidate.
The source said that in coming to his decision, Roxas expressed the belief that the victory of the opposition in the presidential elections was of “far greater” importance than his personal plans. For the past few months, political advertisements on Roxas have been flooding the mass media, signaling his intentions to stand as presidential candidate in next year’s national elections. Surveys, however, had consistently placed Roxas behind other probable candidates such as Sen. Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party, former president Joseph Estrada, Vice President Noli de Castro and Sen. Francis Escudero.
The announcement ended weeks of speculation as to who would be the LP’s standard-bearer in next year’s presidential elections.
Aquino’s political star rose immediately after the death of his mother, former president Corazon C. Aquino, last month. In a scene that was reminiscent of the burial of her husband, former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos lined the streets leading to Mrs. Aquino’s final resting place.
Before her death, Mrs. Aquino had called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to step down following a series of scandals that hit the current administration. The huge turnout of mourners in the former president’s funeral was regarded by political observers as a signal that the Aquinos’ political influence remained strong.
Roxas’s announcement was also reminiscent of a similar incident more than two decades ago when opposition stalwart Salvador H. Laurel, head of the United Democratic Opposition (Unido), gave way to Mrs. Aquino as the common candidate of the opposition. The team-up of Aquino and Laurel, brokered by the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, sought to ensure the victory of the opposition against then ruler Ferdinand Marcos in the snap presidential elections of 1986.
Both scions of two of the most prominent political dynasties in the country, Roxas and Aquino started their political careers as congressmen.
Roxas, 52, is the grandson of the first Philippine republic president, Manuel Roxas. His father was Sen. Gerardo Roxas. He also served in the Cabinet of President Arroyo as secretary of trade and iRoxas’ statement in full:
Country above self. Bayan bago ang sarili.Iyan ang habilin ng aking lolo, President Manuel Roxas.
Our nation is in trouble. Leadership is bankrupt. Institutions are in disarray. People are hungry.
Noynoy Aquino and I share the same outrage over the mess we are all in, the same way we share solution–clean, honest, selfless public service.
Marami at matindi and nga problem ng bansa. Kailangan nating ayusin. Matindi ang kalaban. We need a determined force for good far stronger than the festering evil around us.
We need to fight just as our own fathers fought dictatorship, and just as both died believing that good will conquer evil.
Noynoy and I want to make a difference, but we also know that we need to unite to achieve what we want.
I am the President of the Liberal Party.
It is within my power to preside over a potentially divisive process or to make the party a bridge for the forces of change. I choose to lead unity, not division. Bilang pinuno ng aking Partido, magdedesisyon ako.
Mahal ko ang Partido Liberal. My grnadfather founded it. My father led it during the most difficult times of martial Law. Sa harap ng peligro, sa kabila ng napakaraming tukso–hindi siya sumuko.
He inspired me–to stay the course, to fight the good fight, to pass the test of true character. To believe.
Over the weekend, Noynoy and I had many long conversations. Masinsinang usapan. We agreed: Let us forget about ourselves for a moment. This is not about us, this is about our people and our country. This is about our common dream. The dream of our parents.
But let us not remain a country of dreamers. Tama na ang pangarap. Gawin na natin, ngayon.
Today, I am announcing my support for the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino for Preisdent in 2010.
Noy has made it clear to me that he wants to carry the torch of leadership.
The passing of our beloved fomer President Aquino has reawakened a passion among us. I acknowledge this as fuel to bring us to the realization of our dream:Good will triumph over evil.
Today I am making the most difficult decision in my political career. I do this for the Filipino people. I do this for unity behind change. And if that means that somebody must make the sacrifice, then I decided it must be me, and me alone.
To you Noy, I say: I began the campaign to sow the seeds of change. You must now be the one to grow them in the area of leadership.
And I will stand with you. Hindi kami maghihiwalay ni Noy!
At sa aking mga kababayan, sa mga nagtiwala sa akin:Mahal na mahal ko kayo. Mahal na mahal ko po ang ating bayan, Hindi rin tayo maghihiwalay. Itutuloy natin ang pagbabago sa ating bansa. Itutuloy natin ang laban para sa reporma!
Ka Noy, at sa ating mga kababayan: Country above self! Bayan bago sarili!Hindi ko kayo pababayaan! Lalaban tayo!