Villar to announce running mate today

MANILA, Philippines - Nacionalista Party chairman Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. is now ready to announce his running-mate for the 2010 elections at the historic Laurel House, the former home of known NP stalwart former President Jose P. Laurel, in Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City.

Villar’s office said the announcement will be held today at 3 p.m., coinciding with the first anniversary when the senator was ousted as Senate president.

The Laurel House was recently acquired by Villar and his wife, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar to become the headquarters of the NP.

Villar has been saying that he wanted to boost the membership of the NP as a political party, which he revived virtually from scratch. The party has grown big in membership everyday with a number of local officials from the administration and other parties joining the NP.

It’s Loren

While Villar was mum about his running-mate, Sen. Loren Legarda hinted to the media that she is the chosen one.  

It is expected that the formal announcement today will end all speculations about the Villar-Legarda tandem.

Legarda, in a sudden turnaround, admitted to reporters yesterday that she is going to the Laurel house after receiving an invitation.

“I will plant trees there. I will make the entire Shaw Blvd. green,” said Legarda, who earlier announced that she has left to her party – the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) – the decision who would be her running-mate.  

The NPC’s political plans for next year took a sudden turn when Sen. Francis Escudero, who was being groomed as its standard-bearer, decided to bolt from the party.

“I don’t want to preempt tomorrow’s declaration but I am attending the event because I was invited to lay out my programs based on being pro-people, pro-environment and green platform. I am happy to serve the people and share my longtime advocacy to fight hunger, and fight climate change,” Legarda said.

Legarda, ironically, is one of those who supported Villar’s ouster as Senate president exactly a year ago today.

She explained that Villar’s ouster was a thing of the past and a product of the country’s democracy.

“What happens in the Senate and our democracy is a part of a process and we don’t regret anything that we do and it’s nothing personal,” said Legarda, who was part of the minority group dubbed as “opposition six” at the Senate before Villar was ousted as president and replaced by incumbent Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

The female senator, who is vying for the vice-presidency for the second time since losing to Noli de Castro in 2004, said the senators are all independent-minded when it comes to issues.

Campaign colors 

During a chat with reporters, Legarda noted that her campaign color, which is green, and Villar’s color – orange – are a good color combination.

She also welcomed the latest Pulse Asia survey, where she ranked second to Liberal Party VP bet, Sen. Mar Roxas. She said the results give her more inspiration.

Legarda was seen talking to key opposition stalwarts including Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, and Sen. Panfilo Lacson before the plenary yesterday.

She also talked with majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sen. Gregorio Honasan, which observers saw as Legarda’s way of informing her colleagues of her impending political plans.

Legarda became defensive when asked about her role in the filing of ethics raps against Villar in relation to the C-5 Road controversy.