No deal with Ampatuans — Villar

Nacionalista Party standard bearer Manny Villar Jr. on Monday denied striking any deal with the Ampatuan family amid reports that he is being supported by multiple suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. “Ang sa akin ganito, hindi namin alam kung sino ang susuporta sa amin. Kami nagkakampanya, di namin alam kung sino magkakagusto sa amin. Hindi namin alam kung sino maniniwala sa amin. Basta sinasabi ko lang, wala kaming deal sa mga Ampatuans," Villar said. (When we campaign, we have no control on who will express their support to us. All I can say is we do not have any deal with the Ampatuans.) Ampatuan Jr. is the prime suspect in the Nov. 23 massacre in Maguindanao province where 57 people, including 32 journalists, were killed. He was seen wearing ballers of Villar and NP senatorial bet Gilbert Remulla last week while he was being transferred from his detention cell in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters in Manila to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. Villar said the issue with the baller should no longer be dragged since a lot of people are now sporting his campaign paraphernalia. He added that the NP is only talking with official candidates, and since the Ampatuans are not official candidates “then there’s no reason why we should communicate with them." Remulla echoed Villar’s statement. “We cannot choose the people who love you. Kung talagang gusto kang suportahan, anong magagawa namin? Pero sa amin, hindi namin actively nililigawan yan (If they really want to support us, what can we do? We did not beg for their support)," he told reporters at a press conference in Pasay City. - Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMANews.TV