Group launches signature drive urging Noynoy to eye presidency

CEBU, Philippines - The Tuloy Pinoy Movement launched in Cebu yesterday a signature campaign to help urge Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino to run for President in 2010.

At least 600 signatures were gathered during the launching of the activity yesterday spearheaded by lawyer Democrito Barcenas, former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu Chapter.

The group is composed of people from the academe, business and some lawyers.

To get a pulse of the public’s sentiments on Sen. Aquino’s possible bid for the presidency, the Tuloy Pinoy Movement gathered signatures in different schools and universities in the metropolis including the business and religious sectors.

The group plans to put sign-up booths in schools and strategic locations in the around the country to prove that Sen. Aquino has the public’s vote of confidence.

Barcenas said that Tuloy Pinoy Movement’s only motive is to support a candidate, who they think will do good for the country.

“We believe that this guy Noynoy is a decent man. He will always honor the memory of his martyred father Ninoy and the legacy of his mother Cory in their historic role in ending the Marcos dictatorship,” Barcenas said.

“Others said that Noynoy has no qualifications for presidency. This is our stand: He has no qualifications in robbing the people, no experience in graft and corruption and he has no accusations that he has been involved in nefarious activities,” Barcenas said.

One of the groups members, Patrick Yap-Lim, a businessman in Cebu and the brother of Kris Aquino’s husband basketball player James Yap, has also expressed his support saying that he believes that Noynoy is qualified to be president.

“We want to have a leader whom we can trust after 9 years of graft and corruption, political killings and all the worst that we are experiencing now” he said. 

Sen. Aquino, however, still has not decided on the matter of his running for president. He is now in Zamboanga for a spiritual retreat hoping to get enlightenment on the task ahead for him.

Aquino’s name was floated as a possible presidential bet, but this did not make as much impact until his Liberal partymate Senator Mar Roxas announced that he was withdrawing his presidential ambition to give way to Aquino. — Jasmin R. Uy/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)