Show ability to lead nation, Palace tells Noynoy

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang called on presidential aspirant Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to show his ability to lead the nation instead of waging a hate campaign against President Arroyo.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Aquino should engage in a positive campaign that highlights his own accomplishments rather than going after Mrs. Arroyo in what could be seen as a smear campaign.

“It would be better if he would just focus on his capability to lead, his track record and especially his platform of government,” Remonde said.

“In other words, people will appreciate him more if he will be more constructive rather than wage a campaign of hate against President Arroyo,” he added.

Aquino figured in a heated debate with his opponents in a recent televised debate when he declared his campaign would focus on the supposed administration lapses of Mrs. Arroyo.

Remonde, however, said there is not much to criticize the Arroyo administration for since it has already achieved its goals in terms of improving the economy and infrastructure development.

But the opposition, Remonde said, is expected to continue building lies against Mrs. Arroyo and her administration.

“This is what we should avoid because waging a hate campaign is really lamentable. I mean, hate by any form or by any reckoning is negative,” Remonde said.

“It’s not really good for anybody. I think we should really be positive in this election,” he added.

Remonde said the administration is standing by its accomplishments in the past nine years and would just let the people decide on who is telling the truth.

Aquino, the presidential bet of the Liberal Party (LP), has been leading the surveys after announcing his bid for the presidency following the death of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, who succumbed to colon cancer last August.

Aquino, however, has seen his lead over Nacionalista Party (NP) candidate Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. narrow.

Villar has also taken potshots against Aquino.

Even the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), the political party that reigned during the Marcos regime, criticized Aquino for initiating a disqualification case against its presidential candidate Vetellano Acosta.

The LP, through Aquino’s lawyer Sixto Brillantes, urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare Acosta as a nuisance candidate

Brillantes claimed the KBL might have been hired to put up Acosta and confuse the voters in the May 10 elections.

KBL chairman Vicente Milliora, however, said the disqualification case has no merit since Acosta filed his candidacy ahead of Aquino.

“How could he be considered a nuisance when (Acosta) filed his candidacy on Nov. 20, 2009 ... when Noynoy was still consulting with his sisters what to do with himself?” Milliora pointed out.

Milliora also said that being a relatively unknown in politics should not be a ground for disqualification since an election is not a popularity contest.

Milliora also maintained the KBL is a major political party in the country with a nationwide constituency.

He also dismissed allegations that Acosta was paid to be a KBL candidate.

“Acosta was adopted by the KBL executive committee after he appealed to the party and showed his credential as an international financial expert economist and consultant to various ASEAN nations,” Milliora said. – With Perseus Echeminada