Villar on El Shaddai's endorsement: No need for formality

Balete, Aklan - Presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. (Nacionalista Party) on Wednesday said a formal endorsement from the religious group El Shaddai is unnecessary, noting that the group's recent actions were enough to convince him of its support. “You just have to read between the lines. Papakiramdaman mo yung (Just take note of the) body language," Villar told reporters in a press conference here. He pointed out that most of the attendees in El Shaddai gathering in Hong Kong that he and his running-mate Sen. Loren Legarda attended over the weekend were wearing his official campaign color of orange. He also stressed that they were the only presidential and vice presidential tandem invited by no less than the group's leader Bro. Mike Velarde for the event. “Unlike in politics, a religious organization can endorse you without raising your hand," Villar said in Filipino. “You just have to be smart enough to see kung ano yung senyas na ibinibigay ng mga tao (to see the signs they are giving)," he added. The senator said what they saw in Hong Kong over the weekend when they attended the anniversary of the El Shaddai chapter there was enough for them to make a conclusion. “Yung nakita doon at yung nakikita din naman maski sa Maynila ay sapat na sa amin ni Loren, masaya na kami (We are happy with what we saw in Hong Kong)," he said. Politicians have been seeking the support of religious groups, particularly El Shaddai and Iglesia Ni Cristo, to ensure votes during elections. El Shaddai has a reported membership of eight million, half of which is in the Philippines, while Iglesia ni Cristo, which has an estimated membership of two million, has been known to practice bloc voting.- Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMANews.TV