ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Benigno Aquino and his men are “fresh air” for the country

Manila (Agenzia Fides) - "The test of the first automated elections in Philippine history has been passed, despite some minor difficulties. This is a very positive, giving the possibility of obtaining significant partial results very quickly. I also was surprised that many presidential candidates have conceded defeat, expressing their congratulations to Benigno Aquino. It seems a sign of democratic maturity and we'll see what consequences it has on a political level." This is the comment released to Fides by Fr. Gianni Re, a missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) in Manila, Philippines after the elections.
As for the candidate Aquino, now due to claim official victory, Fr. Re says: "A big support for him were the emotional waves that, after the death of his mother, Corazon, in August 2009, brought him to the nomination and then to victory. His program was focused on combating corruption, but this was a point that was a priority among the other candidates as well. It will be important now to see what political figures surround Aquino, to know if this is really a breath of fresh air for the country."
On relations between Benigno Aquino and the Catholic Church in the Philippines, the missionary told Fides: "I think his relationship with the Church will be good. Aquino is a Catholic and comes from a Catholic family. In recent months, there has been a dispute over the document on reproductive health policies on population control and contraception. Initially, Aquino had opted for maximum individual freedom, but during the election campaign he started moving towards the positions of the Church. In any case, the real test will be policies to combat corruption, social injustice, and poverty and promoting human rights in the country, which have for years been the main topics on which bishops make their voices heard." (PA) (Agenzia Fides 05/12/2010)