I believe without question that Mar Roxas’ decision to quit and thus abort his presidential ambition even before the race could start to give way to Noynoy Aquino was the biggest sacrifice he has ever made in his life.

By all measure, it was an exceptional act of gallantry that any man of great ambition could bestow upon another at the expense of his own high hopes and aspirations.

Those who are familiar with Senator Manuel A. Roxas’ political background were sure that some day, he would aspire to follow the footsteps of his grandfather and namesake, the late President Manuel A. Roxas, the compassionate leader and statesman.

Well-educated and having held Cabinet positions before his election to the Senate, many expected Mar Roxas to seek the presidency, and at his age there was no better time than now to fulfill that expectation.

Which was why when he made known his candidacy as standard bearer of the Liberal Party which he heads, in the 2010 elections the endorsements by party leaders were spontaneous and, as might be expected, unanimous.

Immediately, moves to patch up the differences between the factions of the Liberal Party were in the works with Mar Roxas as the common rallying figure.

The suggestion by no less than former Senate President Jovito R. Salonga, the grand old guard of the Liberal Party, for a Mar Roxas-Noynoy Aquino tandem was at once a promising compromise.

Noynoy as the remaining successor of Ninoy and Cory Aquino was the prime choice as Mar’s running mate: Both are matured and comparatively young leaders with rich political background in their own right.

Meanwhile, Noynoy is seeking spiritual guidance to determine his final response to Mar’s unsolicited offer, promising he would announce his decision after September 8 when the 40-day mourning for his mother’s death ends.

He has praised Senator Roxas’ sacrifice, calling it the “finest example of selflessness that our nation so desperately needs in these morally troubled times.”

All this suggests that he was not prepared when Mar Roxas made that sudden withdrawal from the race in his favor.

In fact, many were indeed surprised by Noynoy’s reaction: He simply kept smiling after Mar’s endorsement when the instinctive sentiment should have moved him to at least shake his hand to express gratitude for what he termed as finest example of selflessness.

Even his sister, the popular Ms. Kris Aquino, said on television she cried when she heard Mar Roxas’ announcement “because the family and supporters of Mar have already invested so much time and effort” for his campaign.

But the Aquino family will support Noynoy if he will make the country better, she said, although according to her sisters they were trying to convince Noynoy to think carefully before deciding on whether or not to run for president.

So far, fellow Senator Panfilo Lacson and Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro have indicated support to Noynoy Aquino for president. The prelate expressed admiration for the young Aquino going on a retreat before making a firm decision despite the clamor for him to commit himself to run for the presidency.

Lacson is supporting Noynoy solely for his integrity, he said.

Now, what nags the mind of some partisans is whether Mar Roxas will be willing to proceed with his presidential candidacy in the event Noynoy, after his spiritual retreat, decides to decline to be the LP’s standard bearer.

But wait. What has happened to party rules?

(zhern_218@yahoo.com)