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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Erice says Philippines needs a president like PNoy

Erice says Philippines needs a president like PNoy

Published Feb 9, 2026 07:29 am

At A Glance

  • The next presidential race is still a good two years away, but Caloocan City 2nd district Rep. Edgar "Egay" Erice is already telling Filipinos what kind of president to elect.
Caloocan City 2nd district Rep. Edgar "Egay" Erice (left), late former president Benigno S. Aquino III (Facebook)
Caloocan City 2nd district Rep. Edgar "Egay" Erice (left), late former president Benigno S. Aquino III (Facebook)


The next presidential race is still a good two years away, but Caloocan City 2nd district Rep. Edgar "Egay" Erice is already telling Filipinos what kind of president to elect.
"We need a Pnoy-like president in 2028," Erice said in a Facebook post Sunday, Feb. 8. He was referring to the late former president Benigno S. Aquino III, who would've celebrated his 66th birthday that day.
Erice is a longtime member of the Liberal Party (LP), which Aquino chaired during his presidency between 2010 and 2016.
The veteran congressman's post came with a throwback photo of him and Aquino. "I miss the Pnoy Philippines," he wrote.
Erice gave a then vs. now comparison to justify his call for a chief executive comparable to Aquino:
• GDP growth was around 7% — now it’s 4.4%
• Foreign Direct Investment was the highest in our history — now almost nil
• Classroom shortage was zero — now 165,000 classrooms short
• Foreign debt was at its lowest (₱5.9T) — now ₱17.7T
• Debt-to-GDP ratio was 51% — now about 65%
• The economy was the most promising in Southeast Asia — now back to being the “sick man”
• National budget was balanced — now corruption-laden
• Corruption in infrastructure was minimized — now the greatest heist in our country’s history.
Aquino, son of the late former president Corazon "Cory" Aquino and late senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., died on June 24, 2021 due to renal disease.
His average net satisfaction rating as per Social Weather Stations (SWS) was +45 percent.
Erice is the senior deputy minority leader at the House of Representatives in the current 20th Congress.
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