Villar gives P20 bills to kids in Batangas

LIPA CITY, BATANGAS - Nacionalista Party standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr. gave away P20 bills to a few children who greeted him during his sorties in Batangas City and Lipa City Friday. Around three or four street children approached Villar, who claims to be a self-made billionaire, while he was shaking hands with market vendors while campaigning together with his senatorial slate in the two cities. “Hindi ko naman gusto bigyan yung mga bata kasi pangit tingan kaso naawa lang talaga ako," Villar said in a talk with reporters after the Lipa City sortie. (I didn't really intend to give money because it won’t look good but I really took pity on them.) “Mas gusto ko sana na pagkain na lang ibibigay kaso matagal pa yun eh, dumadami na yung tao sa puwesto ko," Villar added. (I would have preferred to give them food but that will take some time and a crowd was already gathering around me, blocking out the kids.) The senator was a shrimp vendor in Divisoria before working his way up in business and, eventually, politics. Among those who accompanied Villar during the sorties in Batangas were former governor Armando Sanchez and other NP local candidates, who introduced themselves and shook hands with some people in the market even though the start of the official campaign period for local candidates would only begin on March 26. Sanchez is running for governor against incumbent Vilma Santos-Recto, who is the candidate of the Liberal Party. Sanchez promised full support for Villar’s presidential bid but was unable to quantify the number of votes he could deliver. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV