Villar links ouster move to 2010 polls

MANILA, Philippines - Former Senate President Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr on Monday hinted that the 2010 presidential election was among the reasons why he was voted out of Senate presidency. Interviewed by Mel Tiangco over GMA’s 24 Oras, Villar however said that his removal from the third highest position in the land would not affect his presidential bid. "Hindi mahalaga 'yan. Ang mahalaga ay ituloy ang mga trabaho natin [at] pagsisilbi sa bayan (My removal as Senate president is not important. What is important here is that I will continue to work on my advocacies for the public),” he said. Villar resigned as Senate president Monday afternoon after learning that 14 senators had signed a resolution informing him that he has lost the confidence of the Senate majority. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile replaced Villar. Without naming names, Villar noted that five of those who voted against him have also expressed intention to run for president in the 2010 polls. "At nakita mo naman siguro ... na yung limang kandidato sa pagkapangulo ay bumoto (laban) sa akin (As you can see, the five who want to run for president voted against me)," he said. Those who voted against Villar were Sens. Edgardo Angara, Rodolfo Biazon, Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, Enrile, Francis Escudero, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Ma Ana Consuelo Madrigal, Ramon Revilla Jr, Manuel Roxas and Juan Miguel Zubiri. Those who abstained were Senators Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, Joker Arroyo, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano, Francis Pangilinan and resigned Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago was absent, Villar and Antonio Trillanes IV, who is currently detained, did not vote. Already an ordinary senator, Villar said he would now have more time in his hands for public service, particularly in his advocacy to help distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). "At gusto ko naman sabihin sa ating mga kababayan na tuloy pa rin po ang ating paglilingkod maski na isang regular na Senador na lamang, ay tuloy pa rin po ang ating pagtulong sa OFW, sa mga mahihirap, at sa paggawa ng mag panukala na makakatulong sa ating ekonomiya lalo na’t may krisis ngayon," said Villar. (“What I want the public to know is that I will continue to serve them even as a regular senator. I will continue helping OFWs, the poor, by crafting bills that would help the economy especially now that we’re facing a financial crisis.”) - GMANews.TV