MANILA, Philippines?He will listen to other people?s advice but in the end, the decision will be his to make.

That was Sen. Benigno ?Noynoy? Aquino III?s response during Monday?s Inquirer-sponsored presidential debate when asked how indulgent he would be to his more aggressive, more popular, more loquacious sibling, Kris Aquino.

?I speak my mind and I follow my own guides, my own leads. I am open to opinions even if they are the complete opposite of mine. But at the end of the day, I have to be responsible for all my actions,? he said.

While he gets constant advice from his sister on his wardrobe and styling, ?she recognizes that there is a difference between us, she is more ostentatious than I and she recognizes that I am not,? Aquino said.

Aquino stood pat on his controversial statements in the last few weeks.

He had declared previously that he would not honor any Chief Justice that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo might appoint before the end of her term. He also promised not to increase or impose new taxes.

In a mix of Filipino and English, Aquino said it was unconscionable to impose a heavier burden on those already shouldering the bulk of taxes and that a better alternative was to improve the collection efficiency and bring it back to the peak it achieved during the Fidel V. Ramos administration.

He said the goal of the incoming administration should not be balancing the budget but managing it at sustainable levels because the public was thirsting for many services the government had failed to provide.

Aquino tied up his no-new-tax plan with his slogan??Kung Walang Corruption, Walang Mahirap??by pointing out how much of government funds were being lost to graft.

On personal matters like sex, Aquino suggested that teenagers get advice not from their same-age group but from their parents or from experts.

He said all sectors should be consulted on the reproductive health bill. He feared the budget allocation for artificial means of controlling population could be abused by people who might mislead the public on the use and safety of such products.