Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III officially announced this morning, September 9, his decision to run for the presidency in the 2010 elections.
The Senator delivered his announcement at the historic Kalayaan Hall in Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan City, on the 40th day of the death of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino. Filipino tradition sets the 40th day as the end the mourning period for relatives.
Sen. Aquino made the announcement in answer to overwhelming public demand for him to join the 2010 presidential race. If elected, Aquino will become the country's 15th President.
"Tinatanggap ko ang hiling ng sambayanan. Tinatanggap ko rin po ang bilin at habilin, tagubilin ng aking mga magulang. Tinatanggap ko ang responsibilidad na ituloy ang laban para sa bayan. Tinatanggap ko ang hamong mamuno sa labang ito. Bayang Pilipinas, tatakbo ako sa pagka-pangulo sa darating na halalan," Aquino stated.
Sen. Noynoy, who will be the Liberal Party's (LP) standard bearer, also asked LP President Sen. Mar Roxas, to be his running mate. Roxas still has to say whether or not he would accept the offer.
Present at the announcement were LP members Senators Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and Francis Pangilinan; former Sen. Franklin Drilon, Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, former Congressmen Florencio “Butch” Abad and Nereus Acosta; singer-composer Jim Paredes, former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, and Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement.
Noynoy’s four sisters, Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris, were also present.
Roxas backed out of the presidential race last Sept. 1, saying he opted to make way for Noynoy Aquino. Roxas said the death of the former President Cory Aquino triggered an outpouring of support for the young senator.
After Roxas's call, Noynoy went into spiritual retreat at the Carmelite Sisters Convent in Zamboanga City to pray for "discernment and divine guidance."
Filipinos continued to call for Sen. Aquino's positive decision even while he was in retreat. Signature drives around the country went full blast.
Several other presidential hopefuls, like Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio and Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, cancelled their 2010 presidential bid to support Noynoy.
Noynoy, 49, served as Tarlac Representative for nine years since 1998, eventually becoming Deputy Speaker. In 2007, he was elected to the Senate under the Genuine Opposition, a coalition that opposed Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's attempt to change the Constitution.
"PUWEDE NA PONG MULING MANGARAP". Noynoy started his speech with stories of his hesitation to run for presidency. The first person who tried to convince him to run, he said, was someone he talked to during his mother's burial.
"Nang ako po'y naglalakad patungo nga po sa puntod ng ating mga magulang, meron po akong nakasamang isang tao. Ang sabi po sa kin, 'Noy, presidente na tayo.' Tiningnan ko po siya, tinitingnan ko kung seryoso mukha niya. Mukha nga hong seryoso. Biniro ko na lang ang sagot, sinabi ko, 'Alam mo, napakahirap pa yatang humalinlin matapos ni Ginang Arroyo,'" he said.
The unidentified acquiantance then proposed to run a signature drive to jumpstart his presidential bid, but Noynoy said he did not take the proposal seriously.
He also chose not to heed to a text message sent to him by a famous writer whom he did not identify.
"Nung ako po ay tinext ng isang manunulat, at sinabi niyang parang déjà vu, at nakita na niya ito noong 1986, ako po'y nagpasalamat lang at sabi ko 'baka hanggang diyan na lang,'" Noynoy said.
From then on, however, several other people appealed to him to run, so he had no choice but to listen.
"Ngunit dumami nang dumami nang dumami ang boses, may nakikiusap, may nagsusumamo, meron na rin pong nagagalit, at meron na pong nagsabi na sana dalawin ka ng tatay at nanay mo kapag pinalagpas mo ang pagkakataong ito," he said.
It was at this point that he decided to follow the advice of his sister Pinky to go on a spiritual retreat. The retreat, he said, silenced the voices and helped him come to a final decision.
"Nung pumasok po ako sa loob ng kumbento nila, tila natahimik yung napakaraming boses na naririnig natin, na sa sobrang dami nga eh hindi na natin alam kung sino ang pakinggan. Aaminin ko na rin po sa inyo, may bahagi ng kalooban ko, parang ayaw ko na rin lumabas sa kumbento na yon. Ngunit dun nag-umpisa ang maraming kalinawan sa ating dapat pag-isipan, sinundan pa," Noynoy said.
The Senator also shared three encounters with several persons, which served as his inspiration. Two of these were separate chance meetings with two fifth-grade children, whom he praised for their awareness.
"Tinatanong rin niya, 'tatakbo na ho ba kayo?' Sabi ko, bilib ako sa batang ito, grade 5, mulat na mulat na rin. Sabi ko sa kanya, Pag tumakbo ba ko, hindi mo naman ako iboboto, ikakampanya mo ba ko?' Ang sagot niya sa kin, 'Kinakampanya ko na po kayo.'"
But what served as the best inspiration was when one of his friends met an employee of the Customs who told him Noynoy's run for presidency would give him back the capacity to dream.
"Tinanong po yung kasamahan natin, 'Tatakbo na ba si Noynoy?' Ang sagot po nung tumutulak sa 'king tumakbo, 'Tatakbo na nga!' Kaya sagot po nung taga Customs sa kanya, 'Salamat.' Tinanong, 'Bakit ka nagpapasalamat?' 'Kasi ho, boss, puwede na ho kaming mangarap. Puwede na pong muling mangarap,'" Noynoy narrated.
That incident inspired him to run for the country's top post, he said, because a Filipino citizen's loss of freedom to dream is "disturbing."
"Nung bata po ako, laging sinasabing libre ang mangarap.Di ho ba nakakagimbal na ngayon, may kawani, nasa wastong isip na, sinasabi, sa wakas puwede na muling mangarap. Pati ba yung pangarap hindi na puwede sa kasalukuyang lipunan?" Noynoy asked rhetorically.
Around 200 people inside Club Filipino gave Noynoy 11 rounds of applause during his 11-minute speech.