Aquino banks on people power, not Aquino magic

President Aquino: People power FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—President Aquino is not banking on his so-called “P-Noy magic” to deliver a resounding victory for his senatorial candidates in Monday’s polls.

He would rather rely on “people power” to back up members of Team PNoy, he said in an interview.

“As I’ve always said, my bosses will take care of me—I’m leaning on them [for support]. They are my source of strength; they are the ones who will choose the worthy [candidates]. And that is where our trust [in the people] is founded,” he said after a rally of local candidates under the ruling Liberal Party in Quezon City.

The President made this statement when asked about the effect of the endorsement of the influential Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) of seven Team PNoy candidates, and whether its decision to endorse five United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidates had something to do with the 2016 presidential election.

According to the final pre-election survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS), nine of handpicked senatorial candidates have a statistical chance of winning—reelectionist Senators Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Koko Pimentel and Antonio Trillanes, Representatives Cynthia Villar and Sonny Angara, Grace Poe and Bam Aquino.