MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Sunday criticized the presidential bid of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, saying that the neophyte senator was merely running on a “platform of hate” directed against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde cried foul over the allegation made by Aquino and running mate Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II that the Arroyo administration was corrupt and had no lasting solution to the country’s problems.

“That’s unfair but we understand because Senator Noynoy is running under a platform of hate against President Macapagal-Arroyo,” Remonde said in the weekly Palace media forum aired over the government-run Radyo ng Bayan.

“Because he wants to replace the President, we expect him to always criticize her hoping that in doing so, he would get the votes of the Filipino people,” he said.

The Palace earlier questioned Aquino’s ability to serve as president, saying that he should first “be your own man.”

The statement was apparently made in reference to Aquino’s sudden rise to political prominence following the death of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino on Aug. 1.

Malacañang has also occasionally belittled the younger Aquino’s ability to run the country amid questions about his educational attainment and accomplishments as a lawmaker.

Shortly before filing his certificate of candidacy (CoC) on Saturday, Aquino told a crowd of supporters at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Intramuros, Manila that he would bring back integrity, humility and trustworthiness to public leadership if he won the presidency.

Aquino, 51, the frontrunner in surveys to succeed President Arroyo, surged from nowhere to the top of the opinion polls after his mother died after a battle with colon cancer.

An October survey by the Pulse Asia polling firm found Aquino with 44 percent support, with rivals Sen. Manuel Villar with 19 percent, and ex-defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Ms Arroyo’s candidate, with 2 percent.

Aquino and Roxas said they wanted to effect “transformational change” in the national leadership. They said the current government was corrupt and offered no lasting solution to the country’s problems.