Villar: I will not defend Arroyo from charges

STA. ROSA, Laguna - Senator Manuel Villar Jr. will not defend President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from whatever charges to be filed if ever he is elected president in the May 10 elections. "Maraming magdedemanda sa Pangulo [Arroyo], hindi po natin ipagtatanggol ang Pangulo, bahala po siya sa kanyang sarili," the Nacionalista Party standard-bearer said Thursday in a chance interview after his breakfast meeting with this town's mayor, Arlene Arcillas-Nazareno. (I know that several people are readying the charges that they will file against the President and I will exert no effort to defend her. She will be on her own.) President Arroyo, who will step down from office on June 30, has survived three coup attempts and four impeachments in her nine-year reign as president. Among the accusations against her were involvement in anomalous government deals and the alleged rigging of the 2004 elections. President Arroyo assumed office in 2001, taking over the short-lived administration of Joseph Estrada, who was driven out of Malacañang amid corruption charges. Alliance? Villar’s rival for the presidency, Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III of the Liberal Party (LP), had accused him of forging a secret alliance with President Arroyo. Aquino, who was statistically tied with Villar in the last Pulse Asia survey before the official start of the campaign period started last Tuesday, Feb. 9, said this was the reason why Malacañang was mum on allegations that Villar pocketed billions through his corporations from the government’s C-5 road extension project. Villar denied the accusation, saying he has not met with President Arroyo recently. He also said the President has her all-out support for administration presidential bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr. "Malaking kasinungalingan na naman iyan. Hindi ko nakikita talaga ang Pangulo, hindi kami nag-uusap ng Pangulo. In fairness to her, sabi ko nga, kapag nakita mo sa field, talagang matibay ang kanyang pagkakampanya para kay Gibo," he said, referring to Teodoro’s nickname. (That is a big lie. I have not seen the President, we have not talked. In fairness to her, you can see in the field that she is campaigning for Gibo.) Gibo sorties President Arroyo, however, will not be physically present in Teodoro’s sorties throughout the campaign season as she will be busy checking her administration’s various projects, according to Malacañang. [See: Palace: Arroyo to stay away from Gibo sorties] Teodoro, a former lawmaker and defense chief, has not been performing well in surveys, placing only fourth in the last Pulse Asia poll. Villar, the ninth richest Filipino in 2009 according to Forbes Magazine, also said he is not receiving financial support from President Arroyo. “Ang ginagastos ko naman po ay largely pera ko naman at hindi naman ako umaasa kaninuman lalong-lalo na sa Pangulo." (Our party is ready for this campaign. What I am spending is largely my money and I don't depend on anyone especially the President.) - KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV