Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will act as one of the principal sponsors in the wedding of Senator Manuel Roxas II and popular broadcaster Korina Sanchez.

Aquino confirmed this in a phone interview, saying that he has been tapped by Roxas to take the place of his mother, former president Corazon Aquino, who the couple had originally tapped as a sponsor in their wedding.

According to Noynoy, he was reluctant at first to accept the invitation considering the situation would be awkward.

Aquino is the former boyfriend of Sanchez.

“Nakiusap ako, sabi ko hindi ako nagni-ninong sa kasal. Sabi ko kasi may pamahiin na hindi (makakasal) kapag nagninong ang binata. Sabi nya (Roxas), hindi totoo yan,(I told them I am not used to being a sponsor during weddings. There’s a superstitious belief that a wedding may not happen if an unmarried man is a sponsor. But he said it’s not true),” Aquino said.

“Ang awkward din pag iniisip kong tatawagin nila akong ninong (It also seems awkward to hear them calling me godfather),” he said.

But Aquino said he later gave in to his friend’s request. Roxas is Aquino’s running mate in the upcoming May 2010 elections.

He said he would just assume that the role was originally offered to his mother.

“Since wala na si Mommy, sabi niya kung pwedeng iyong closest na lang ang maging ninong. Paano ko naming mahihindian? (Since Mommy is gone he said the closest relative can be a sponsor. So how can I say no?),” he said.

Aquino also confirmed that his girlfriend, Shalani Soledad, is considering running for a congressional seat in the May 2010 elections. Soledad is presently a councilor in Valenzuela.

“Inuudyok sya (She is being urged). Last time we talked, reelection pa rin ang plano pero tinutulak ng husto e so pag-iisipang mabuti. Sabi niya (Shalani) parang napakaganda ng offer, magiging doable ang laban,” Aquino said.

But Soledad is facing a dilemma being a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition while Aquino is the Liberal Party’s standard bearer in next year’s elections.

But the senator is confident that his girlfriend’s alliance with NPC will not be a problem to them.

“So long as hindi ikakampanya ang kalaban namin. Pero pinag-uusapan pa rin,” he said.

“May mga payo ako sa kanya bilang boyfriend, at bilang mas matagal na sa pulitika,” he added.

Besides Aquino, other sponsors in the Roxas-Sanchez nuptial are Chief Justice Reynato Puno, former Senate president Jovito Salonga, ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III, George Araneta, Rosa Rosal, Che-Che Lazaro, Ruby Roxas, Baby Forest, and Helen Costales.

As earlier announced, the wedding would be “simple” as possible. “Instead of spending for the reception at Araneta Coliseum as planned, Mar and I agreed to donate the amount set aside for it to various charity organizations taking care of evacuees and victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng,” Sanchez said in a statement.

The couple has also cancelled their reception after their October 27 wedding in Sto. Domingo Church and decided to donate the amount instead to groups involved in relief assistance to Ondoy and Pepeng’s victims.

“Matagal nga naming plano ni Korina at pinaghahandaan ang espesyal na araw na ito. Gusto sana naming na marami ang kasalo sa saya. Pero parang hindi tama na malaki ang gagastusin sa selebrasyon sa panahon ng kalamidad. Napakarami nating kababayan ang naghihirap ngayon — lubog sa baha. Pakikiramay at pagtulong na rin naming ito sa kanila,” Roxas said.

Political and show business personalities as well as representatives from various non-government organizations and communities who are close to the couple were invited to attend.