Benigno Aquino said he would run for president to continue his mother's work [Reuters]

Benigno Aquino, 49, said on Wednesday that he would run seek to continue the work of his mother who led the "people power" revolution that ended Ferdinand Marcos's 20-year reign.

"I am accepting the responsibility to continue this nation's fight. I am accepting the challenge to lead this fight," Aquino told a crowd of cheering supporters at Club Filipino in Manila, where his mother was sworn in as the Philippines' 11th president in 1986.

Aquino made the announcement at the end of a 40-day period of mourning over his mother's death, saying the massive outpouring of support for his family following his mother's death from cancer last month led to his decision.

Challenges

He is set to lead the opposition Liberal party in the May 2010 polls, with Gloria Arroyo, the current president, mandated by the constitution to step down at the end of her six-year term.

A member of parliament for 11 years, "Noynoy", as he is popularly known, will need to unite a fractious opposition.

Joseph Estrada, the former president and movie star who was ousted from power in 2001 and subsequently jailed for plunder, has said he wants to run again.

And Manuel Villar, a property tycoon and like Aquino, a senator, has been leading recent polls of potential opposition presidential candidates.

If Aquino does lead the opposition into the polls, he may come up against his first cousin, Gilberto Teodoro, who is a leading ruling coalition candidate to run for president.

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