Aquino Invades Arroyo Country

Leading presidential candidate Sen. Benigno S. "Noynoy" Aquino on Wednesday led the Liberal Party (LP) foray into Pampanga, the bailiwick of outgoing president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Despite being a known Arroyo critic, Aquino expressed confidence that Pampageños will support him in the May polls.

"Tatay ko po number one dito. Nanay ko po three times ang lamang kay Marcos noong panahon ng Martial Law," said Aquino, who had sizeable leads over other candidates in the latest Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia presidential surveys.

"Pipilitin nila (Arroyo) na ipakita na sila ang mag-dodominate dito. Tayo naman ay talagang magsusumikap na mailabas ang totoong sentimyento ng mga tao," said Aquino.

A massive crowd of yellow-clad supporters greeted Aquino in Angeles. The size of the crowd slowed down the motorcade, but Aquino and the LP senatorial candidates enjoyed communing with supporters.

Aquino, who was a student of the outgoing president in Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University, has criticized Arroyo for allowing government resources, which could have been used for education and healthcare, to be lost due to corruption.

"Instead of being an economist she chose to survive, keeping her post at all costs. She could have chosen the other path, which would have made people's lives better and would have brought about opportunities. But she chose the route so last year P280 billion was lost due to corruption," said Aquino in an earlier interview. Aquino has been campaigning on a platform of good governance and freedom from the culture of corruption, which is the foremost cause of impunity and poverty in the country.