CATARMAN, Northern Samar?Liberal Party standard bearer and Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III said on Wednesday that his family on the maternal side?the Cojuangcos?has been unduly put at a disadvantage by parties out to distort the facts about the Hacienda Luisita issue to derail his presidential bid.

Aquino who said he has been answering the question since 2004, explained that the family was considering a scheme of transferring part of their land to the 10,000 farmer-beneficiaries.

He explained that their opponents had been using the Hacienda Luisita issue as a political issue.

"Di mahalaga sa kanila ang katotohanan. Kami na nga po ang naaapi d?yan (The truth is not important to these people. We are the oppressed party in this issue)," he said.

Aquino no longer touched on the New York Times article that quoted a Cojuangco relative as saying that the family had absolutely no intention to part with Hacienda Luisita so the vast estate could be parceled out to the farmer beneficiaries. Aquino said on Tuesday that his cousin may have been misquoted in that article.

Earlier, certain questions considered "sensitive" by the Liberal Party camp were banned at Aquino?s press conference in Northern Samar on Wednesday.

The first presidential candidate to have made his campaign sortie in the province, Aquino arrived in Catarman Wednesday noon unaccompanied by his running mate Senator Mar Roxas who was said to be campaigning in another province.

The Liberal Party presidential bet skipped the lunch prepared by the provincial capitol employees and went directly to the conference hall at Governor Raul Daza's office for the scheduled one-hour press conference.

Before Aquino's arrival, however, an employee of the Provincial Information office asked reporters to refrain from asking questions about four issues?the Hacienda Luisita case, the Reproductive Health bill, the Plaza Miranda bombing and questions about the burial of the late president Ferdinand Marcos.

The order came from one of Aquino's staff, according to a PIO employee who briefed the reporters.

The reporters were instead told to ask other questions that would give Aquino the chance to criticize President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her administration.

Aquino gave lengthy answers to questions on peace and order problems, the Philippine justice system, agriculture, environmental and health issues, problems on poverty and electricity in Northern Samar and how he would curb corruption in the government if he became president of the Philippines.

"Medyo allergic po ako sa pagsasabing 'eto ang gagawin ko.' Kalokohan po yong solo flight, kailangan po yung 'tayo.' Tayo ang magso-solve nito (I?m allergic to saying ?Here?s what I?m going to do.? It?s foolish to go solo flight; ?we? should work together. We will solve our problems)," Aquino said.

One local reporter, who apparently was not "briefed" about the banned questions, asked Aquino if the Hacienda Luisita case has been resolved.

Aquino did not try to dodge the question but said his piece on the matter.

Meanwhile, Aquino said he considered as effective one of Arroyo's programs, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Subsidy for the Filipino Family) or 4Ps.

Although he criticized the program's system of implementation in the countryside, Aquino said he believed in the concept of the 4Ps and that he would continue the program should he become president.