Why were Korina, Shalani absent on the Liberal Party's big day?

During the Liberal Party's "big day" Monday, marked by the announcement of Mar Roxas' intent to run for vice president, the absence of the special women in the lives of Roxas and his running mate Noynoy Aquino was glaring. But the two senators had ready answers for the nosy press. As widely expected, the LP announced the Noynoy-Mar tandem for the 2010 elections. But Shalani Soledad and Korina Sanchez - romantic partners of Noynoy and Mar, respectively - were not around to share in the moment. The two senators simply said the ladies had other priorities today.

Aquino, the party's standard bearer, said he lets his girlfriend Shalani, a Valenzuela City Councilor preparing to run for re-election, decide her own activities. "Tatakbo rin siya next year. May karapatan siyang isulong ang kampanya niya (She will also run next year. She has the right to attend to her own campaign)," Aquino said. "Sa totoo lang, ang laki ng pinagbago ng buhay niya, masyadong magulo (Actually her life has drastically changed, it has become confusing)," added Aquino. "Ang tagal-tagal kong sinasabi sa kanya na ikaw ang tatakbo, ako hindi; yun pala tatakbo ako [sa] mas matindi pang puwesto (I'd been telling her that she should be running next year, while I’m not. But it turned out that I'm the one who will be running for a much higher post)." The clamor for Noynoy to run for president intensified after the death last August 1 of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, who battled colon cancer for more than a year. Noynoy announced his presidential plans on September 9, more than a week after Roxas gave way to his party mate. Meanwhile, Roxas said his fiancée, Korina Sanchez, was absent because she had to attend a wedding-related appointment. The two are set to tie the knot on October 27 at Santo Domingo church in Quezon City. "Meron lang siyang hindi maiwasang appointment tungkol sa kasal (She had to attend an appointment related to our wedding)," Roxas said. When asked whether Sanchez supports his decision to run for vice president, the senator said: "Siyempre naman (of course)." Roxas made his announcement at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, the same place where Mrs. Aquino took her oath as president on Feb. 25, 1986 during the final day of the EDSA People Power Revolution that ended the 20-year rule of strongman Ferdinand Marcos. - Amita O. Legaspi and Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV