MANILA, Philippines ? Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio Thursday raised the possibility he would drop his presidential plan and instead rally behind Sen. Benigno ?Noynoy? Aquino III should he run for president.

?I?m thinking of not running. That?s a big probability. I want to support Noynoy because with so many [candidates for president] from the reform movements, it would do our country more good if there is just one reform candidate. This would be Noynoy,? Panlilio told the Inquirer.

The only son of slain opposition leader Sen. Benigno ?Ninoy? Aquino Jr. and the late former President Corazon Aquino can also unite the political opposition, according to Panlilio, a Catholic priest.

In supporting unification efforts, the governor said he was being consistent with his earlier position that rallying behind a single candidate could increase that person?s chances of winning and put the reform agenda high in government.

Panlilio said he would make his final decision after another round of consultations with Aquino, his colleagues in the good governance and ethical movement Kaya Natin! and supporters in Pampanga and other parts of the country.

He said the campaign that had been gathering signatures to convince Aquino to run for president would provide him a good pulse of the people?s sentiments.

Panlilio said he had not yet firmed up his plan after his first term as governor ends in June 2010.

?I?d like to concentrate more on my duties as governor and attend to the legal battle against the recount. The recount threatens to thwart the will of Kapampangans who fielded me as an alternative candidate and gave me the mandate to remove corruption in the capitol and make it a [conduit] for services,? he said.

?We did not cheat. That?s what I?m trying to defend in the recount, not myself,? Panlilio said.

The recount of votes in the 2007 gubernatorial race was sought by Panlilio?s closest rival, former Provincial Board Member Lilia Pineda, who claimed that Panlilio and his supporters resorted to vote-buying, vote-shaving and vote-padding, and used fake ballots.

Open LP selection urged

Also Thursday, Sen. Francis Pangilinan revived his proposal to open the selection process in the Liberal Party for its standard-bearer in the May national elections to ensure the widest participation of all party members.

Sen. Manuel ?Mar? Roxas II has long been the party?s anointed presidential candidate. But in a series of text messages, Pangilinan said that supporters of Aquino and Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca ?should be allowed to push for their candidacies.?

?The party processes involving the membership, and not a few personalities, should decide on major issues such as the party?s standard-bearer,? he said.

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon, the party?s national chair, said the other day that Roxas had been selected by the LP national political council as its standard-bearer. He did not say when.

?If in case Noynoy Aquino decides [to run for higher office], we will process him as our vice presidential candidate,? Drilon said in a radio interview.

Reformist agenda sought

Pangilinan, who earlier stated his intention to run as an independent for the vice presidency, expressed his willingness to support either Padaca or Aquino ?if it will unite a true reformist agenda.?

?What?s important is that a true reform agenda emerges. If it takes the candidacy of either Padaca or Aquino to achieve this, then I?m willing to support that,? he said.

Pangilinan had a falling out with Roxas after he questioned the selection in 2008 of Roxas and Aquino as the party standard-bearer and running mate, respectively.

?We need new leaders who are willing to walk the talk of new and principled politics. We challenge the Liberal Party to provide genuine leadership for our nation,? Pangilinan said.

The move to draft Aquino gained further ground Thursday.

The widow of the late Sen. Raul Roco, Sonia, announced that she would hold a press conference on Monday to invite Noynoy to be the standard-bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko, the party founded by her husband when he ran for president in 2004.

Sonia quietly commemorated the fourth death anniversary of Raul Roco on Aug. 5, the same day that Filipinos laid to rest President Aquino beside the tomb of her husband Ninoy.