MANILA, Philippines?Paul Aquino, a veteran of three presidential campaigns and uncle of Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno ?Noynoy? Aquino III, has joined his nephew?s campaign.

Aquino, who helped President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo win the last presidential election, has been serving as a ?consultant? in his nephew?s campaign for a month now, according to LP overall campaign manager Florencio Butch Abad.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, designated by the party as ?campaign manager for the senatorial slate,? said that Aquino had been actively helping the campaign but preferred to ?stay in the background.?

?He?s taking a low-profile role,? he said of Aquino, the youngest brother of martyred Sen. Benigno ?Ninoy? Aquino Jr. Nevertheless, Pangilinan added, some members of the party tended to refer to Aquino as the ?campaign guru.?

Both Abad and Pangilinan said Aquino would be a big help, given the latter?s expertise in running a presidential campaign, noting that he helped not only Ms Arroyo but his sister-in-law, the late President Corazon Aquino, and before that presidential candidate Ramon Mitra, who lost the 1998 race to former President Fidel Ramos.

It was not clear though if Aquino has left his job as president and chief executive officer of Energy Development Corp. (EDC, formerly PNOC Energy Development Corp.). He was appointed to the position by President Arroyo in 2004.

In a phone interview, Abad said it was Sen. Noynoy Aquino who asked his uncle to help in his campaign.

Abad said rumors that he had been replaced as campaign manager by Aquino were not true. ?He (Aquino) has expertise in three presidential campaigns and local campaigns. He is a valuable asset,? he said.

Strategizing

Abad said Aquino had been ?very helpful,? giving ?inputs on organizing sorties? that would be obligatory to national candidates of the 2010 polls starting on Feb.8.

Aquino?s role will be giving advice on ?strategizing and messaging,? according to Abad.

Pangilinan for his part said he had accepted Noynoy Aquino?s offer to be on top of the campaign to put the party?s senatorial slate in the winning column. He said the designation would be finalized after the holidays.

Pangilinan said his job would be to ?help (the senatorial slate) get together and organize the group into a team so we can maximize the 90 days of campaign.?

He said, ?The dust is settling down and we?re now in the midst of organizing the campaign,? he said.