The Philippine Online Chronicles

Liberal Party presidential bet Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III faced questions from bloggers in last Saturday's blogwatch.ph forum.

Aquino asserted “good governance,” transparency and prudent budgeting, education and social welfare, and “economic reforms” as his primary thrust if the nation will elect him as President in the coming 2010 Elections.

On the economy

Aquino agreed with the current “free market” economic system with “minimal government intervention.” He also reaffirmed the current taxation scheme, particularly the value added tax, provided that the government ensures a “balanced budget” and that tax evaders are penalized accordingly.

On the oil issue, Aquino slammed the Oil Deregulation Law and a “cartel” amongst oil companies, particularly “The Big Three” companies of Shell, Petron, and Chevron, which he believes results in higher oil prices. He proposed a review of the said law.

He also stated that providing jobs, particularly for the youth, is his “primary” economic agenda.

On national sports

Meanwhile, Aquino vows to open his office to reconciliation between bickering factions within the country's sports agencies if elected as president. He said that “politicking must not interfere” in the country's sports program for it will stifle the athletes' chances of winning in international competitions. Aquino is a nephew of Philippine Olympic Committee chair Peping Cojuangco.

Aquino also said that he will boost the country's sports program by funding sports where the country has “more potential” than basketball.

“Does it behoove us to continue throwing money at basketball if we don't win? We have to focus on other sports such as boxing. Manny Pacquiao's success in boxing can be duplicated because we have a very talented pool of boxers here,” Aquino said.

On the Mendiola and Luisita massacres

When asked by a blogger if his family was “responsible” for the Mendiola and Hacienda Luisita massacres which killed a number of protesting farmers, Aquino dismissed such claims as “rife with propaganda.”

“We wanted to talk to farmers whether or not I was present during those incidents but they would not get my side,” Aquino said. The Mendiola massacre of 1987 (during the Corazon Aquino administration) left 13 protesting farmers dead while the Hacienda Luisita (owned by the Aquino's and the Cojuangcos) massacre of 2004 had 12 fatalities. Both massacres occured at the height of farmers' clamor for "genuine" land reform.

He also stressed that he will pursue the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, which will be “reformed” to address the current needs of farmers.