Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, the son of Philippine democracy icon former President Corazon C. Aquino, maintained a wide lead Tuesday in the presidential elections after campaigning on a promise to restore the government's credibility by prosecuting corrupt officials. As this developed, his bitter rival – Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Senator Manny Villar – as well as administration presidential bet former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., Bagumbayan candidate Sen. Richard Gordon, and Ang Kapatiran standard-bearer JC delos Reyes all conceded to Aquino Tuesday.
Despite glitches with new computerized counting machines and violence that claimed at least lives, election officials hailed Monday's vote as a success in a country where poll fraud allegations have marred previous contests.
Senator Aquino, whose father was assassinated while opposing a dictatorship and whose mother led the "people power” revolt that restored freedoms, was leading the ninecandidate presidential race with 40.19 percent of the votes from about 78 percent of the precincts, while his closest rival, former President Joseph Estrada, had 25.46 percent.
There is no runoff in the Philippines, and whoever has the most votes is declared winner.
In his first public remarks after Monday's vote, Aquino thanked Filipinos for the huge support and said he would deliver on a campaign promise to fight corruption and government malaise.
“I will not steal, but I'll have the corrupt arrested,” Aquino told a news conference in his northern home province of Tarlac.
In a bid to save money, Aquino told The Associated Press that he will avoid foreign trips and trim the Cabinet, adding he hopes the days when Filipinos have to resort to street protests to address government ills are over. He added that he was seriously considering Teodoro for a Cabinet position.
Aquino's sudden political rise has bolstered hopes among his supporters for a clean leadership after nine years of a scandal-tainted administration that was rocked by coup attempts and protests.
He campaigned on a strong anti-graft platform, promising to start prosecuting corrupt officials within weeks of his election and restore integrity to Congress and the judiciary.
It was only after former President Corazon Aquino died of cancer last August that her son, a quiet 50-year-old lawmaker and bachelor, decided to run, spurred by the massive outpouring of national grief for the leader who helped oust longtime dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the 1986 “people power” revolt that restored democracy to the Philippines.
She had inherited the mantle of her husband, Benigno Aquino Jr., an opposition senator gunned down by soldiers at Manila's airport in 1983 upon return from U.S. exile to challenge Marcos.
Aquino's closest political lieutenant, former Education Secretary Florencio Abad, said he rode on the crest of a national yearning for an honest leader after corruption scandals under outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
“This means he really has to deal with the problem of corruption and deal with the people identified with nine years of corruption,” Abad told The Associated Press.
“The other thing that he needs to do is to translate the dividends of good governance into direct benefits for the poor – education, health, food, lower prices, jobs, basic services,” he said.
Villar concedes It was a fight well fought.
This was Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar, Jr. Statement as he conceded to his rival Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.
Villar, wearing a white barong, faced the media at the NP headquarters in Mandaluyong City, congratulated Aquino who is continually topping exit polls in the recently conducted automated elections.
He said he respects the decision of the majority of the Filipinos who voted for his closest rival.
“Nagpasya na ang mamamayang Pilipino. Malinaw na sa kabila ng ating pagpupunyagi, hindi tayo nabiyayaan ng tagumpay sa halalan noong Lunes. Humaharap ako sa inyo ngayon upang tanggapin ang pasyang ito. Upang igalang ang boses ng sambayanang Pilipino,” Villar said. (The Filipino people have already made their decision. It is clear that despite our effort, we were not lucky to be blessed with victory in last Monday's elections. I am now facing you to accept and respect the people's verdict.)
“I congratulate Sen. Aquino on his victory. The challenges he and our country face are enormous and we should all work together,” he further said.
Some of Villar's staff were seen emotional after he made the announcement.
Villar was the first among the nine presidential candidates to concede defeat. Based on the latest Comelec tabulation Tuesday, Villar was still stuck at number three behind Sen. Aquino and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) candidate former President Joseph Estrada.
But Villar did not attempt to hide his displeasure over the outcome of his campaign.
He said he hopes that he would be given a chance to clear his name in the future.
“Ako ay naniniwala na sa darating na mga araw ako ay mabibigyan ng pagkakataon na linisin ang aking pangalan upang maliwanagan ang ating mga kababayan,” he said. “Iyan ay mahalaga sa akin higit sa anu pa man bagay,” he stressed. (“I believe that in the days ahead, I will be given the chance to clear my name so that our people will be enlightened. For me, that is far more important than anything else.”)
At the same time, the NP bet assured his colleagues that he would continually support them.
“To all my fellow Nacionalista candidates whose fights have not yet concluded, rest assured that I and the NP will be behind you until your last vote is counted,” he said.
Villar, however, vowed he would remain a “champion of the poor.”
“For the rest of my life, I will remain their champion. Even if I was not lucky, my dream to end poverty will not stop. I will continue it even through other means,” he said in Filipino.
Villar also thanked his supporter and volunteers and his family whom he said made big sacrifices in support of his presidential bid.
He likewise thanked mediamen who covered him, saying he will never forget the three-month gruelling campaign which gave him the chance to mingle with our millions of his countrymen, especially those who are languishing in poverty.
He also did not forget to thank the Lord who, he said, guided and secured him from harm during the 90-day campaign period.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) lauded Villar for conceding to Sen. Aquino, saying it was an act of real statesmanship.
“The Commission expresses its deep admiration for Sen. Villar’s act of statesmanship in conceding the elections,” ComelecChairman Jose Melo said.
By right, he said, the senator could have insisted on seeing this contest through to the bitter end.
However, he chose not to do that; instead he chose to set aside personal ambition to sped up the process of political reunification and recovery this country needs to go through after these elections,” he added.
Melo also thanked Villar for his vote of confidence in the Automated Election System (AES).