Villar warns vs. resurrection of GMA's economic advisers

MARAWI CITY (April 15) - Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Manny Villar warned on Thursday against the return to power of the economic team of President Arroyo if Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino wins in the May elections.

In a talk with reporters after gracing the proclamation rally of the NP's local candidates in Lanao del Sur, Villar said the group of economic advisers who abandoned Mrs. Arroyo at the height of the "Hello Garci" is the same team that is now running Aquino's campaign.

He warned that former Arroyo officials, whose flawed policies aggravated the country's financial woes, will most likely form the nucleus of the LP standard-bearer's economic team if he wins the presidency.

Villar also suggested that the group could be joined by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, President Arroyo's economic adviser and a stalwart of the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, who defected to LP on Tuesday.

"Those who went against the President were her economic team that managed the country's economy," he said.

"At kung anuman ang kalagayan natin ngayon ay diyan siguro sa mga iyan galing," he told reporters, amid the noise that punctuated the rally attended by some 30,000 people at the Banggulo in the center of this Islamic city.

The NP standard-bearer said the same group is now ready to take over the "economic strategies" of the government under an Aquino presidency.

"Ang economic team ni Pangulong Arroyo buong-buo na at ready na at pag nanalo si Noynoy, balik na naman sila," he said.

Under his presidency, Villar said he will be the one to lead the fight against poverty, assuring that he will not form an economic team similar to President Arroyo's that brought the country's present economic woes.

In his speech during the rally, the former Senate president vowed to focus his attention not only on Marawi City and Lanao del Sur but the whole of Mindanao which is lagging behind in economic development.