Villar won't spare Arroyo from graft suit

If he wins the presidency in the May 2010 elections, Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Manny Villar yesterday vowed to go after all government officials suspected of involvement in massive graft and corruption, including President Arroyo.

"Yes, anybody. We will run after all those who are corrupt and had been corrupt," Villar told ANC's "Headstart" in an interview.

He said he will even encourage the prosecution of President Arroyo whose name has been dragged into several anomalies during her term of office.

He gave Arroyo a rate of "4" in terms of honesty and brushed aside allegations that he never criticized the President.

"Napakaraming beses ko nang binira ang Presidente," said Villar. He said he and NP lawmakers were the ones who initiated the investigation into the NBN-ZTE scandal, the Hello Garci controversy, and jueteng.

Without his approval, the NP presidential bet said, there will be no Senate investigation on these alleged anomalies that hounded Arroyo's presidency.

Villar said that while he has not been seen as a critic of the President, he disagreed with her "a hundred times."

"I'm not seen as a critic of anybody. That's my style. I would rather do things than say them," said Villar.

"But when I was asked if I agree with the President, maybe a hundred times, I've said, I disagree with her," stressed Villar.

If he wins, Villar said he won't support Arroyo's bid to become Speaker of the House.

He said the NP will put up its own candidate for the speakership in the Lower Chamber to fight Arroyo's bid.