Aquino ‘excited, nervous’ over elections

Despite his consistent lead in presidential surveys, Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III remained apprehensive over the conduct of the first nationwide automated elections in the country.

"Excited, kinakabahan [nervous]. I want to be as level-headed as possible because I'm sure there will be a lot of pressures tomorrow," Aquino told reporters here Sunday night.

"Dapat siguro makatulong tayo sa mapayapa at credible na election. At para mangyari yan, kailangang pag-aralan natin ang lahat nang pwedeng mangyari [Perhaps, we should help make this elections peaceful and credible. And for that to happen, we should study all the possible scenarios]," he said.

But with the unresolved issues and unanswered questions on the alleged massive cheating in 2004, Aquino said it would be difficult for one to say that the first automated elections would run smoothly.

"Paano natin masasabi na dapat may kumpiyansa tayo na everything is running smoothly? Ang assurances ng Comelec, halos araw-araw mali ang assurance, over confident. Sana over confident at hindi may sinister plot behind it [How can we say that we should be confident that everything is running smoothly? The assurance of the Comelec, almost everyday, is wrong. They are overconfident. I hope overconfident and (there was no) sinister plot behind it),” he pointed out.

Still, Aquino reiterated his readiness to run the country if he would get elected president.

"Hindi ko papasukan kung hindi natin pinaghandaan. At siguro kalabisan kung sasabihin ko na lahat nang pangyayari ay pinaghandaan ko. Pero ang basis, ang framework, ready na ready na. Kaunting mga detalye, kailangang ayusin para mangyari ang inaasam- asam ng sambayanan sa pinakambilis na panahon, [I will not enter into something I am not prepared for. And maybe it's too much to say that I have prepared for everything. But the basis, the framework, is ready. We just have to fix some details to make the people's desire come true as soon as possible]," said the senator.

"I really hope we rise above partisan politics. All of us will come to the forefront f advancing the common good," said Aquino.

And that drive towards the common good, Aquino added, would enable everyone "to do away with the petty rivalries and petty fighting and be concentrated on what has to be done to the benefit of our people."