CEBU, Philippines - The Nacionalista Party of Senator Manuel Villar and the Alayon Party of Rep. Eduardo Gullas signed a covenant of alliance yesterday at the University of the Visayas (UV).
This move formalizes Alayon’s support to Villar’s presidential bid.
The signing of the covenant was witnessed by six mayors from the 1st District of Cebu, who came to UV together with the other officials from their local government units.
Gullas, a veteran legislator, said he is throwing his support to Villar, who he worked closely with when the Senator was still as congressman.
The Cebuano lawmaker said that they are more than friends owing to the support that he got from Villar.
He said Villar had been ‘supportive’ of his bills like the Cebu Comprehensive Protective Landscape and the Cebu Economic Zone, to name a few.
Villar even headed the public hearing for the Cebu Ecozone, which was originally scheduled last Saturday here in Cebu, but was reset for some reason, he said.
Despite being known as an ally of the Arroyo administration, Gullas said that Malacañang did not stop him from backing Villar nor was he even compelled by the President to support administration candidate, Gilbert Teodoro.
Gullas said that he in fact just recently received his P20 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Of this amount, P13 million will be earmarked for the 130 barangays of the 1st District.
He said that this will be for all barangays whether the captains are allied with him or not. It does not however seem that there are any detractors as the mayors present assured that all the barangays in the localities are with Alayon.
Gullas said, “The country needs the kind of president who has the tested experience and accomplishments.”
Gullas said he believes in Villar for his ‘humility’ and ‘self sacrifice’ being a person of his stature, who does not even use vanity plates for his cars.
Villar was accompanied by some of the senatorial candidates of NP like Ramon ‘Mon-mon’ Mitra III, Susan Ople and Gwen Pimentel.
In his speech, Villar thanked Gullas for his support and encouraged those gathered at the UV gymnasium that change must first come from each one of them.“Gusto natin lahat ng pagbabago pero ikaw, nagbago ka na ba?”
Villar said that his experience shall help him do what is right for the country when he becomes president and added that integrity is not inherited, but something that you practice and earn. — /NLQ (FREEMAN NEWS)