Ohohoy!

Just hours ago Liberal Party president and erstwhile expected standard bearer Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II announced that he is no longer seeking the presidency in 2010 and will instead throw his support for partymate Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III should the latter decide to run for the highest office in the land.

Rewind to a month ago.  Noynoy came out in the wee hours of the morning of August 1 regretfully announcing to the world the passing of his mother, former Philippine President and global democracy icon Corazon Aquino.  Considering Ms. Aquino’s year-long battle with colon cancer and the inevitability of it all, many had expected a usual mourning process sprinkled with tributes befitting a well-loved national leader. As everyone not hiding under a rock knows, Cory’s death did way more than sadden us.  It sparked renewed clamors for change in the country’s political landscape that, ironically, offers a dozen alternatives with not one showing genuine promise.

Cory’s funeral validated this collective feeling.  Political opportunists thus joined the cortege, knowing that the great outpouring of love lining up the streets leading to Cory’s final resting place might give them the mandate they desperately seek.  Some were more desperate than the others, choosing to go ahead of the procession to probably make their pomposity appear less obscene than if they chose to show off behind the truck carrying Cory’s remains.  Quite incidentally, Mar Roxas was among the first to arrive at the cemetery, a good three hours in advance of the cortege.  Apparently he never failed to make a grand display along the funeral route, gleefully waving at the throng as you suspect he would do if it were  the campaign period.  I will choose not to reveal who arrived after him as doing so might give her the idea that she was even worth mentioning.

As suggested in my previous article, Cory’s death also served as a springboard for the emergence of the perfect candidate in next year’s elections. Since op-ed columnists like Conrado de Quiros broached the idea, calls for Noynoy Aquino to go for all the marbles have snowballed, from signature campaigns to online petitions to the sudden turnaround of an administration mouthpiece.  Despite the show of support Noynoy remained reluctant, perhaps even more reluctant than his mother when she was asked to unite the opposition against Ferdinand Marcos 24 years ago.

Liberal Party chair emeritus and former Senate President Jovito Salonga endorsed last week a Mar-Noynoy tandem in 2010.  It was quite a disappointing suggestion from the man I once voted for president; you don’t use Cory Magic to install a vice president.  Salonga was just toeing the party line, of course, and it was just unfortunate that Noynoy shares the same political party with somebody who, so early in the game, had already spent millions in campaign ads, unabashedly telling us, “ramdam ko kayo” (”I feel you”).

Oh, so that's what he meant by "ramdam ko kayo, lalaban tayo"

It must have felt like a knockout punch when despite rigorous image building Mar still lagged behind in recent popularity surveys.  Some will say this may be the reason why he announced what he announced just hours ago. Whatever.  Mar’s supreme sacrifice removed all obstacles from Noynoy’s path as far as the Liberal Party’s selection dilemma is concerned.  Mar’s surprise move ran consistent with his slogan that, indeed, he feels his people and that he is not turning a blind eye to their preference for Noynoy. Lastly, and this may sound farfetched, Mar’s decision to give way to Noynoy put a closure to nagging questions of what-ifs between the two political clans, when once upon a time their fathers were in an eerily similar situation - the Liberal Party was in a quandary as to who between Gerry Roxas and Ninoy Aquino should be its standard bearer in the 1973 elections, the outcome of which was overtaken by events leading to martial law. If you believe in romance and destinies and intertwined relationships, rejoice: Mar Roxas has just given you something to slow-clap for.

Just hours from now it will be Noynoy’s turn to announce to the world what his future plans are.  Here’s really hoping he chooses his calling as well as he chose his parents.

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