Aquino eyes Philippine presidency
Son of late former president Corazon Aquino to run in next year’s election.
Challenges
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| Public support at Corazon Aquino’s funeral convinced Benigno to run for president [EPA] |
He is set to lead the opposition Liberal party in the May 2010 polls, with Gloria Arroyo, the current president, mandated by the constitution to step down at the end of her six-year term.
A member of parliament for 11 years, “Noynoy”, as he is popularly known, will need to unite a fractious opposition.
Joseph Estrada, the former president and movie star who was ousted from power in 2001 and subsequently jailed for plunder, has said he wants to run again.
And Manuel Villar, a property tycoon and like Aquino, a senator, has been leading recent polls of potential opposition presidential candidates.
If Aquino does lead the opposition into the polls, he may come up against his first cousin, Gilberto Teodoro, who is a leading ruling coalition candidate to run for president.