Revilla seeks reelection, maintains loyalty to Lakas-Kampi

Senator Ramon “Bong" Revilla Jr. on Tuesday sought reelection under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD banner, saying that he will stay loyal to the party that has always carried him. “Utang na loob ko sa partido kung paano ako nakarating dito. Wala ako nakikitang dahilan para iwanan ang partido, (I have no reason to leave the party, I owe everything to the party)," said Revilla after filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Revilla, 43, was elected Cavite vice governor (1995), Cavite governor (1998), and senator (2004) while under Lakas. He also served as the chairman of the Videogram Regulatory Board from 2001 to 2004. Because of this, the actor-turned-politician said he will support former Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in the latter's presidential bid as the standard bearer of Lakas-Kampi-CMD. Revilla said, however, that he was thankful for being invited as a guest candidate on the senatorial slates of former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, Senator Manuel Villar’s Nacionalista Party, Senator Edgardo Angara’s Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, and the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

“Ang importante, ang aking pasasalamat, hindi naman siguro maganda na inadopt ako tapos tatanggihan ko (What’s important is that I am thankful, it wouldn’t look good if I was adopted and I declined)," said Revilla. On the other hand, the senator said he is confident that he will fare well in the elections if the voters were to choose based on performance. “Simple lang, sa anim na taong panunungkulan (It’s simple, in my six years in the Senate), I filed almost 500 bills in the Senate, records will prove that," he said. In addition, Revilla said he was thankful to the Supreme Court for reversing a decision on premature campaigning, allowing him to show "Ang Panday," his entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival in December. "Actually we're not campaigning, halos every year kasama kami (almost every year we are included in the film festival)," he said. Meanwhile, the senator refused to comment on whether it was right for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to seek a congressional seat in Pampanga. “Karapatan niya yun na tumakbo bilang isang mamamayan (That’s her right as a private citizen)," he said. The bets of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD filed their COC at 8:16 a.m. but Revilla chose to file at 1 p.m. on the same day, saying it was lucky based on feng sui. Revilla’s father, Ramon Revilla Sr., served as senator from 1992 to 2004. - Kim Tan/RSJ, GMANews.TV