Aquino cries foul against ‘bias’ of forum moderator

Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III on Tuesday cried foul over a perceived bias against him by the moderator of a forum hosted by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce Industry (PCCI). “Napaghahalataan yata masyado, manong Tony (It’s becoming too obvious, brother Tony)," Aquino told moderator Tony Lopez after he was bypassed in the sequence of questioning. Aquino was referring to what he felt was Lopez’s preference for his closest rival Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. of the Nacionalista Party. Lopez, for his part, apologized and quipped: “Ah sorry, kasi bawat tanong pare-pareho lang kayo ng sagot (Oh, I’m sorry, that’s because for each question you all give the same answer)." At the start of the forum, Lopez introduced Villar in thinly-veiled optimistic tones as a “former future president," while he introduced Aquino, with a touch of sarcasm, as the candidate who came from a “good pedigree of heroes." Lopez, a journalist by profession, had been writing negative articles about Aquino, such as his recent column piece in the ManilaTimes.net, “A president by osmosis." In the said column piece, Lopez claimed that Aquino “has little to show in his nine years as congressman and barely three years as senator to deserve to be elected president." “His only claim to presidential gravitas is having had Ninoy Aquino, a martyr, as father, and Cory Aquino, a beloved president, as mother. In effect, he is offering a presidency by osmosis," the article read. The PCCI-organized forum was attended by four other presidential aspirants including evangelist Eddie Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas) administration bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), Se. Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan), and former President Joseph Estrada (PMP). The presidential candidates bared their national economic platforms and business agenda. They were later grilled in front of hundreds of businessmen from all over the country.—Aie Balagtas See/JV, GMANews.TV