MANILA, Philippines?The group that convinced Corazon Aquino to run for president in the 1986 snap election called by dictator Ferdinand Marcos has embarked on a similar campaign.

The group is seeking to gather more than a million signatures to encourage the late former President?s only son, Sen. Benigno ?Noynoy? Aquino III, to also run for president.

This time, the campaign?s prime mover is Edgardo Roces, a son of Joaquin ?Chino? Roces, the newspaper publisher who began a signature campaign called Cory Aquino for President Movement 24 years ago.

The movement eventually persuaded Cory to run against Marcos in the presidential election on Feb. 7, 1986.

Wednesday, a booth, surrounded by tarpaulins with the slogan ?Noynoy for President,? was set up on Redemptorist Street beside the Baclaran Church in Parañaque City.

The booth had a yellow umbrella for a shade.

In an hour just before lunch, vendors, churchgoers, pedestrians and those in their cars had dropped by and signed the petition.

Some asked questions and said it was better for Noynoy to seek the vice presidency. Still, others said they had made up their mind that Noynoy would be a good president.

?We believe this is an event repeating itself,? Roces said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the group had collected 2,000 signatures.

Three months to go

Roces said he and the movement?s volunteers would put up the booth every Wednesday, ?Baclaran Day,? until November, the deadline for the filing of candidacies at the Commission on Elections.

?We have three more months to gather one million (signatures). And it?s not impossible,? he said.

With Roces in the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement (NAPM) are Ramon Pelaez, Salvador Rivera, Archie Ventosa and Danny Olivarez. All were members of the Cory Aquino for President Movement in 1985.

Starting Aug. 21

Roces said the signature campaign started on Aug. 21, during the rally on Ayala Avenue in Makati City commemorating the 26th death anniversary of Noynoy?s father, opposition Sen. Benigno ?Ninoy? Aquino Jr.

?When we saw Noynoy, we unfurled the streamer ?Noynoy for President.? Some people were asking, ?Where can they sign??? Roces said.

?We were unprepared. So, right there and then, we produced a yellow pad where people could write their signatures.?

Roces said his group had realized then that it was time to help the people in voicing out their sentiments about Noynoy?s presidency.

The people are tired of the traditional politicians they usually see on TV advertisements, according to Roces.

Lineage

?We believe in the Aquino lineage. Noynoy has a big responsibility on his shoulders. We believe he wouldn?t tarnish his parents? name,? Roces said.

Roces said he was impressed when he saw on TV how Noynoy was taking care of his nephew Joshua, the eldest son of the popular TV host Kris.

?It shows the person has a heart. I think he will do the same to our country,? he said.

Roces said the presidency was Noynoy?s destiny. ?And we are here to find out if the people feel the same way.?

Siony Adraneda, a churchgoer, said Noynoy would surely emulate the virtues of his parents. ?I prefer that he run for president because I believe in him and in his family,? she said.

Like 1985

Pelaez and Roces, who were at the booth the whole day Wednesday, said that what was happening was similar to what transpired in 1985.

Pelaez said the group started the Cory Aquino for President Movement also outside the Baclaran church where thousands of people go every Wednesday.

Cory laid down two conditions that would convince her to run against Marcos, according to the NAPM.

?One, if Marcos would declare snap elections, and two, if there would be one million signatures,? Roces said.

But the signature campaign started even before Cory had thought about one of her conditions.

Roces said the movement got a call from Cory requesting it to stop what it was doing because at the time she was hesitant.

The group continued gathering signatures, and by the time Marcos announced a snap presidential election, the number of signatures had tripled.

?We presented the signatures to Cory and that was the moment when she decided to run,? Roces said.

Internet

The movement pushing Noynoy to run for president is expecting to surpass its target of one million signatures.

?Things have changed. There are factors like the Web and people can now express their opinions freely,? Roces said.

He said a number of those who signed the petition said they wanted to volunteer for the campaign should Noynoy decide to run.

Apart from the handwritten signatures, people can sign through the Internet. Roces said Internet users could visit a website starting on Friday.

The movement also plans to visit the provinces to gather more signatures.