Kiko defends Noynoy from critics

Although he has yet to officially accept the offer to be Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s spokesperson, Senator Francis Pangilinan on Friday has started defending the former from critics. In a press statement, Pangilinan said Aquino “is his own man" and “naysayers are extremely threatened by the Liberal Party bet’s growing popularity." On Thursday, deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar urged Aquino to “be a man" and not to run at the expense of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whom he said, has done her best for the country in the last eight years. Pangilinan said Aquino called for Arroyo’s resignation during the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal and never retracted from his statements and principles. “The same cannot be said of most politicians," Pangilinan said. He added that Aquino is not merely riding on the legacy of his parents, the late President Corazon Aquino and slain Senator Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr. “Senator Noynoy Aquino has nine years experience in the House and three years in the Senate. He has accomplished a lot but was not given enough credit precisely because of his unassuming nature," Pangilinan said. “Now that he is in the limelight, his critics can only throw at him inconsequential things — his image, his mannerisms, his surname, etc.," he added. The senator said Aquino has authored and/or supported bills that safeguard the country’s democracy and championed public servants’ accountability through the Budget Impoundment Control Act. “He is better prepared to assume the presidency than his mother 23 years ago when she led the struggle against the dictatorship. More than years of experience, it is strength of character and fortitude that our nation needs today and we believe that Noynoy has the integrity, the grit and the guts to lead the nation," Pangilinan said.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Earlier, Aquino’s sister, Kris Aquino-Yap, said she has asked Pangilinan to be her brother’s spokesperson in the 2010 presidential campaign. Pangilinan said he has yet to accept the offer but promised to support Aquino in every way he could. Pangilinan was a maverick member of the Liberal Party but he returned to the fold after Sen. Manuel “Mar" Roxas II, the party president, stepped aside to give way to Aquino as the party's standard bearer. Aquino, in turn, has asked Roxas to be his presidential running mate. Roxas has yet to decide whether to accept the offer or not. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV