Washington, D.C. (June 9, 2010) – The White House Office of the Press Secretary reported that President Barack Obama on Wednesday conveyed his congratulations to the newly elected President of the Republic of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III, in a morning phone call.
Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino III, is a 50 year-old Senator and member of the Liberal Party will officially take office on June 30, 2010. He replaces President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who completes her second, four-year term.
The President described the May 10 elections as a model of transparency and positive testament to the strength and vitality of democracy in the Philippines. He noted the deep historic and people-to-people ties between the United States and the Philippines and our strong cooperation on security and economic issues in the Asia Pacific region and globally.
The Philippines is a long time ally and close friend of the United States. The President and President-elect Aquino said they looked forward to bringing our cooperation to a new level and to meeting at a mutually convenient time.
President-elect Benigno ‘NoyNoy” Aquino III and Vice President-elect Jejomar Binay were formally proclaimed by the National Board of Canvassers in Congress on June 8, 2010.
“We congratulate the incoming President and Vice President,” said Executive Secretary Leandro Ramos Mendoza at a June 8 news conference in Malacanang.
Mendoza said that outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is involved in the transition of governance to usher in her successor and is preparing for a farewell message in mid June. Arroyo, who at the time was in China, to attend ceremonies marking the 35th anniversary of RP-China diplomatic relations and the Philippine Day at the Philippine Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo – will offer a separate congratulatory message.
Mendoza said the Palace offers its best wishes to the incoming government “to whom the Arroyo government will leave the economy in better shape” than when President Arroyo found it nine years ago.
The National Economic Development Authority’s data on economic growth indicated that the Philippine economy surged in the first quarter of 2010 with a phenomenal 7.3 percent rise in the Gross Domestic Product, the highest year-on-year growth by quarter in the last 30 years.
Mendoza also extended his congratulations to all the institutions responsible for the success of the first automated elections which, he said, demonstrated the country’s political stability and stability.
“We congratulate the Comelec, the teachers, the non-partisan police and military who made the elections peaceful and orderly and our citizenry whose turnout made our democracy more vibrant and vigorous,” he said.
Aquino is the son of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, the first female preside in the country, who passed away in 2009 and former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. who was assassinated in 1983.
He was educated in the Philippines and the United States. He was first elected to the Philippine House of Representatives in 1998 and reelected to represent the Tarlac province 2nd District twice. He won his district’s Senate seat in 2007.
