Press Release
February 10, 2010

Laguna folks show support for Villar

CALAMBA CITY - Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Manny Villar on Tuesday expressed confidence that he and the rest of the presidential slate of the Nacionalista Party will win in the forthcoming elections in May.

Speaking before a large crowd of party leaders who came all the way from the farthest towns of Laguna and the neighboring provinces of Batangas, Cavite and Quezon, Villar said he foresaw a victory if the NP will get Laguna and the rest of Southern Luzon, particularly Southern Tagalog, which is one of the country's most "vote-rich" regions.

Villar arrived here at around noontime in a motorcade joined by his running mate, Sen. Loren Legarda, and 10 of the NP's senatorial candidates, that began in Biñan City at 7 a.m.

The former Senate president said he chose Laguna as the starting point of his 90-day campaign because it is "very strategic," owing to its big voting population.

Besides, he said, he wants to make Laguna a strong NP bailiwick like the rest of Southern Luzon .

"We will win if we get Southern Luzon ... Southern Tagalog," Villar told a crowd of about 2,000 NP leaders and supporters who gathered at the residence of Laguna Rep. Justin Mark "Timmy" Chipeco.

"But we can be assured of victory if we get the support of all of you, down to the barangay level. We will strengthen the NP not only in the towns and cities but also in the barangay level," he said.

Villar said "victory is in the air," especially after he has already overtaken Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III of the Liberal Party in the ratings in the latest survey of Pulse Asia.

It is the reason why, according to the former Senate President, his opponents have begun attacking him, employing all malicious means to malign him through black propaganda.

"Because they cannot say anything against our leadership, our experience, our capability," he said.

"But I am happy with their attacks because they have shown how desperate they have become. All these are signs of desperation," Villar said.

Villar said he was not discouraged by the advantage that Aquino once had in the ratings in the early surveys conducted by various poll groups.

But with lots of hard work, the senator said, he managed to attain a statistical tie with Aquino, confident that he will even widen his lead over Aquino as the May elections get closer.

Meanwhile, NP senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla said the reception the NP received in Laguna was a sign of the increasing support of the province for the party and its standard-bearer.

"We didn't expect this kind of reception. When Senator Villar waved at the crowd, the reaction was genuine," Remulla said.

"The big crowd was cheering, especially when people knew that it was the 'Orange Group' that was coming," he said.

Villar agreed that the big crowds, which Rep. Chipeco said were "in the thousands," were very encouraging.

"And it is only the start of the campaign," Villar said.

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