Manny Villar for VP? No way, says wife

MANILA, Philippines - Former Senate President Manny Villar, president of the Nactionalista Party, has no plans to run again for the president or even going for the vice-presidency, his wife, Sen. Cynthia Villar said Wednesday.

Senator Villar said her husband will not run for the presidency in 2016 amid talks that there are some quarters trying to convince him to run again for a higher post in the next presidential elections.

The senator also debunked insinuations, purportedly coming from the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay, that her husband may consider running as Binay's vice-president.

“Meron nagsasabi pero ‘di naman niya pinakikinggan. Because that’s out of the question, he’s not running for vice-president. Kasi i-weigh mo when you run, ano alternative mo? Eh siguro mas gusto niya business niya kesa VP,” said Mrs. Villar, who has been busy in helping distressed Filipinos abroad.

Manny Villar is now busy with expanding their business empire, Vistaland, where he is president and chief executive officer.

Senator Villar noted that the presidency is destiny. She recalled that the sudden turn of events when former President Corazon Aquino died on August 2009 led then Sen. Noynoy Aquino to run for the presidency. The rest, as they say, is history.

“Presidency naman is I think it’s destiniy, 'di naman yun something na pinag pa planuhan mo.. you cannot plan. Kung sa 'yo, sa 'yo, kung ‘di sa 'yo, ‘di sa 'yo,” she said.

As a wife, Senator Villar said she would prefer a simpler life rather than go through the tedious campaigning for the presidential polls.

Villar maintained that it was still too early to tell how the Nacionalista party will play in the upcoming 2016.

She said that there is no final decision yet on who among the NP members namely, Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Antonio Trillanes III and Alan Peter Cayetano will be tapped as frontrunners during the elections.

A party decision will likely be made by middle of next year, a few months before the filing of the certificates of candidacy in October.