MANILA - Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar on Monday said he will announce his running mate in the next two weeks amid speculations he was having difficulty convincing some aspirants to team up with him.Villar, who is also NP president, said the party will hold its national convention before November 15 even as key aides said they were still scouting for a venue.
Villar's camp had planned to hold it in Plaza Moriones, Tondo, Manila, where Villar was born to a fish vendor and a government clerk at Moriones corner Sta. Maria street.
However, former President Joseph Estrada, who was also born in Tondo, beat Villar to Plaza Moriones.
On the issue of his running mate, Villar said the choice has been narrowed down to two, but declined to give a clue to their identities.
Over the weekend, reports said he was wooing Estrada's running mate Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay supposedly since Estrada would eventually be disqualified from running anyway.
Villar flatly denied the report.
"Malaki ang paghanga ko kay Mayor Binay, qualified siyang maging vice-president at kahit president. Pero nag-announce na sila ni Pangulong Erap so unfair iyon, hindi totoo yon, itinatanggi ko yon," Villar said.
No problem with Legarda
As for Sen. Loren Legarda, who has also announced she was running for vice president, Villar would not confirm nor deny supposed negotiations for a possible tandem.
Legarda's partymates in the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) have said she will stay in the party and run with presumptive standard-bearer Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero.
Villar said he saw no obstacles to teaming up with Legarda, despite the fact that Legarda supported his investigation for unethical conduct over the C-5 Road extension project and voted to oust him as Senate president.
"Hindi naman mahalaga ang nagpaimbestiga. Ang importante, yung resulta na sabi ng mga testigo, walang double insertion, walang re-alignment," he said. "Normal naman iyan sa pulitika, at yang mga personal na isyu, isinasantabi natin ang mga isyung iyan."
Noli eyes return to private sector?
Villar said he was not also closing the door on his friend, Vice President Noli de Castro, but noted the latter seemed inclined to go back to the private sector.
"Hindi pa kami nag-uusap ng masinsinan ... Kasi nakikita ko na parang gusto ni Kabayan [Noli] na bumalik sa pribadong sektor," Villar said.
Asked who he thought was the man to beat, Villar said statistics showed it would be Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III of the Liberal Party, who was came out on top in a recent survey on top three preferred presidential aspirants. (Read: Noynoy, Villar best leaders to succeed Arroyo)
But Villar said the elections are 7 months away, and so many things could still happen.
as of 10/26/2009 5:14 PM
Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/26/09/villar-says-noli-eyeing-return-private-sector
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