Son of Cory Aquino may run for Philippine president.

At the top of Philippine politics are often members of prominent families. Of course this is often true in other countries such as the U.S. with the Kennedy and Bush families. Arroyo will not be able to run in the next election so her party will have to search for someone who will be able to outpoll Noynoy or maybe as the party in power it will be able to buy enough influence to win!

Son of Aquino poised to run for Philippine president
(AFP) – 23 hours ago

MANILA — The son of Philippines democracy icon Corazon Aquino on Tuesday moved one step closer to running for president when his main rival for their opposition party's nomination stepped aside.

Liberal Party chief Senator Mar Roxas withdrew his candidacy for next year's presidential campaign so that Senator Benigno Aquino III, popularly known as "Noynoy", could run.

"Noynoy has made it clear to me that he wants to carry the torch of leadership," Roxas, 52, told a crowd of Liberal Party supporters as he abandoned his presidential ambitions.

"Today, I am announcing my support for the candidacy of Noynoy as the candidate for 2010," he said.

He later warmly embraced Aquino, 49. However Aquino, who in recent days has refused to commit to running for president, made no public statement.

Roxas, who comes from an established political family, had found himself lagging in surveys among roughly one dozen candidates who had said they intended to compete in the May, 2010 election.

Public sentiment for Aquino to run for president soared after the death on August 1 of his mother, former president Corazon Aquino, 76.

Corazon Aquino had been idolised in this country for leading the "people power" revolution that ended the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, then using her subsequent six-year term as president to consolidate democracy.

Her death prompted many to call for her son to run for her old position to continue her campaign for good government.

Roxas said he was stepping aside to ensure the party's unity in the 2010 elections.

He said he and Noynoy Aquino were united in opposing the "evil" of President Gloria Arroyo, who the opposition has accused of graft and vote fraud.

Arroyo's political adviser, Gabriel Claudio, gave a cautious response.

"It's a very interesting development. It will definitely complicate matters further for the opposition more than it will affect the administration coalition," Claudio said, without elaborating.

Arroyo is barred by the constitution from running for re-election in the 2010 elections and it is not yet clear who she will back to succeed her.