Villar bribing Gordon not impossible, Noynoy says

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — Senator Manuel Villar Jr.'s closest rival for the presidency on Wednesday said Senator Richard Gordon's allegation that Villar attempted to bribe him out of the presidential race was not within "the realm of the impossible." Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino Jr. of the Liberal Party made the statement at the end of his campaign visit here with his vice presidential candidate, Senator Mar Roxas. "Hindi naman natin masasabing in the realm of the impossible dahil nga ang laki laki na nga ng ginastos niya sa kampanya (We can't say it's in the realm of the impossible because he (Villar) has spent so much for his campaign)," Aquino told reporters. Villar, a real estate mogul, is a self-made billionaire whose advertisements have been proliferating in the media even before the official campaign period began on February 9. Aquino said he would leave it to the parties involved to clarify the issue, but said he hopes Villar won't dodge the allegation the way the senator did at first with the C-5 road extension controversy. [See: The C-5 controversy: an interactive map] On Tuesday, Gordon — who is also seeking the presidency but is not faring as well as Villar and Aquino in presidential preference surveys — alleged that an emissary of Villar offered to reimburse his campaign expenses and grant him a Cabinet position in a Villar presidency if he withdraws from the race. [See: Gordon says Villar tried to buy him out of race] Villar has strongly denied the accusation, saying he has never asked anyone to act as his emissary to other presidential candidates. Roxas champions Noynoy The supposed emissary, a former government official, should help shed light on the issue, said Roxas. "Ang maganda dito malaman natin yung kabuuan ng pag-alok na ito dahil kung ito ay modus operandi, kung ito ay pamamaraan sa pagkampanya, ano pa kaya pag nanalo (It would be good if we can get the whole story about this allegation because if this is a modus operandi, if this is a way of campaigning, who knows what else can happen if he (Villar) wins," Roxas said. Roxas also championed Noynoy, the son of the late former president Corazon Aquino and the martyred Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., by saying it was not within Noynoy's nature and financial capability to offer bribes to other presidential contenders. Earlier, former President Joseph Estrada claimed that a rival also offered to reimburse his campaign expenses in exchange for his withdrawal from the race. Unlike Gordon, Estrada declined to name the presidential contender. - Johanna Camille Sisante/RSJ, GMANews.TV