Cory once said ‘No way’ to Noynoy as VP

Senator Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III said his mother, the late former President Corazon “Cory" Aquino, had voiced her opposition to his running for vice president during a past conversation. In an interview with GMANews.TV, Sen. Aquino said the conversation happened when the idea of him running for vice president was first floated right after he won a Senate seat in the 2007 elections. “Sabihin mo sa kanila (tell them) no way," Sen. Aquino quoted his mother as saying. He said if his mother was still alive today and the same idea crops up, the minimum she would do is engage him into a long discussion. “Ang minimum niyan mahabang discussion. Pag hindi niya type ang sagot mo sasabihan ka niya na mag-isip ka pa uli (She will surely engage me in a long discussion, and then when she’s not satisfied with my answer, she’ll tell me to think about it some more)," Sen. Aquino said. Mrs. Aquino, the country’s first woman president, died last August 1 after more than a year of battling colon cancer. Sen. Aquino said when he told his mother about his plans to run for the Senate, he was given a 20-item questionnaire regarding his plans, views on different issues, and even views on practical things such as the number of barangay chairmen who support his bid. “Yun ang dahilan kaya late na kami nakapagdecide (That’s the reason why it took me a long time to decide)," he said. He said if given a choice, he would choose a peaceful life. He however added that he could not evade his obligation to the people. “Manahimik, maganda yun. Pero kung may obligation na hindi dapat atrasan at hindi namin ginawa, sobra-sobra naman kaming makokonsensiya (It’s good to have a peaceful life. But I will be bothered by my conscience if I will back out from my obligation to the people)," he said. Sen. Aquino also said his family fears that what happened to his father, opposition Sen. Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr., may happen to him. Ninoy Aquino was assassinated at the Manila International Airport (now Ninoy Aquino International Airport) on August 21, 1983 on his return to the Philippines from the United States where he was exiled. The senator said he is not yet entertaining the idea of running for vice president since his term as a senator would not end until 2013. He however added that he is thinking it over. He said he has three considerations before he decide on the matter: logistics, effects of the campaign to his family, and the pressure to deliver what is expected of him. “Kailangan ko ng clarity, sagot sa lahat ng tanong na yan na tinatanong ko sa sarili ko. Hindi puwedeng bara-bara magdesisyon. Hindi puwedeng impulsive (This is something that should not be decided hastily)," he said. - GMANews.TV