Presidential polls a two-man race, Noynoy says

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - There are nine people vying for the presidency, but as far as Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is concerned, it will be a "two-man race" for the country's top post on May 10. Aquino, a consistent leader in presidential preference surveys, made the statement in a press conference at the Jose Feliciano College in Mabalacat town in Pampanga province — the bailiwick of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo — where he is currently campaigning. "Palagay po namin talaga namang magiging two-man race 'to pagdating natin sa halalan at talagang magsosolidify po mga linya sino satin at sino sa katunggali natin," said Aquino. (In our opinion, [the presidential contest] will be a two-man race come election day and we will soon see the lines solidifying who is for us and who is for our opponent)," said Aquino. According to presidential preference surveys conducted by pollsters Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations over the past few months, Aquino's closest rival for the presidency is Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr. [See: Villar slips, Noynoy stays on top in new Pulse Asia survey] Former president Joseph Estrada is constant in third place, while administration standard-bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr. — Aquino's second cousin — is a distant fourth. Other presidential contenders who have not been faring very well in presidential preference surveys are Senator Richard Gordon, Senator Ma. Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal, Olongapo City councilor JC Delos Reyes, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus is Lord Movement, and environmentalist Nicanor Perlas. "Natural consequence po yan parati naman po number one and number two talagang magbabakbakan. Yun pong nasa malayo po sa one and two talagang matitira po sa kanila yung pinaka-die hard na lang po nila talaga," said Aquino. (It’s a natural consequence that number one and number two will be the ones who will fight it out. [Candidates] who are far from the first and the second will only be left with their die-hard [supporters].) Aquino also said he found it odd that President Arroyo ordered Lakas-Kampi-CMD members to intensify campaigning for Teodoro, with only around a month before the elections. "Itong official presidential campaign o national campaign is 90 days and in the last 30 days dun pa lang talaga sya mag-uutos sa kanya pong mga miyembro," he said. "Pano po yung two-thirds ng kampanyang nawala na?" (The official presidential or national campaign period is 90 days but she only ordered her members [to support Teodoro] in the last 30 days)," he said. (What about the two-thirds of the campaign that has already passed)?" Even as he implied that the presidential race will ultimately involve only him and Villar, Aquino said he will not advise Teodoro to back out of the race and expose Arroyo anomalies — which is what former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.'s reported advice to Teodoro. "Ayoko naman po bigyan yung pinsan ko ng unsolicited advice, pero tutal naman po si Manong Joe ay nagbibigay ng advice baka pwedeng i-advice ko na rin sa kanya gamitin niya yung advice na binigay nya (I don't want to give unsolicited advice to my cousin, but since Manong Joe has dispensed advice, perhaps I can advise him to use his own advice)," Aquino said. "Bakit di niya isiwalat rin lahat ng nalalaman niya kasama na po yung ZTE para naman ho talagang makita natin na ating senior statesman e talagang desisidong tumulong po sa ating bansa," he said. (Why can't he reveal everything he knows, including the ZTE [scandal] so we can see the senior statesman determined to help the country?) De Venecia was one of Mrs. Arroyo's staunches allies until he had a falling-out with the Arroyo administration due to the ZTE-NBN controversy. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV