Aquino’s Son to Seek Philippines Presidency

[Coventina]

Source: New York Times

MANILA — Benigno Aquino III, the only son of the late president Corazon Aquino, announced Wednesday that he would run for president of the Philippines in next year’s elections.

His declaration ended weeks of speculation fueled by the withdrawal from the race of another popular politician, Mar Roxas, whose allies hope that the fractious political opposition will unite behind Mr. Aquino, 49.

Mr. Aquino, widely known by his nickname, Noynoy, will hope to capitalize on the popularity of his mother, the architect of the “people power” pro-democracy movement.

Mrs. Aquino died Aug. 1 at age 76. More than 100,000 Filipinos marched through the rain during her funeral — a display of reverence matched only by the funeral of her husband, Mr. Aquino’s father, Benigno Aquino Jr., who was assassinated in 1983 upon his return from the United States to challenge the dictatorship of Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/world/asia/10phils.html