By: Bong Pedralvez
Journal Online
Brother Eddie Villanueva will not drop his presidential bid unlike other candidates who gave up their ambitions to support Sen. Noynoy Aquino.
The Bangon Pilipinas standard bearer said he was not inclined to join the bandwagon “because I owe it to my party and legions of followers who see our candidacy as an engine for genuine change.”
“I respect the other presidential bets who may want to give way to Sen. Noynoy (Aquino), for whom I have the highest regards, but I have a commitment to our party and our followers,” he told Journal editors during dinner Tuesday. “We will see this campaign to the end,” he vowed.
Villanueva was joined by Bangon leaders lawyers Luis Sison and Ted Pascua, Wesleyan University of the Philippines chairman Bishop Leo Alconga and management expert Rene Gonzales.
Villanueva said “whatever may be happening in the camps of the other aspirants, the Bangon Pilipinas party won’t be moved from its present course. Our party has a clear vision and goal.”
The former political science and economics professor-turned preacher noted that the recent political developments may even prove beneficial to Bangon “because we may see a leveling of the playing field.”
“This may even be advantageous to Bangon Pilipinas because many Filipinos may finally see that we are a party not bound by traditional politics and whose earnest desire is to see moral and spiritual renewal not only for our government but also for our country,” he said.
However, Villanueva said his group is open to forging “tactical alliances” with other parties, one reason why his running mate has not been chosen.
“We are all for unity and reconciliation, which is why Bangon has not named our vice presidential bet. We are keeping this option to other political parties that may want an alliance with us,” he said.
He said Bangon also has its “short list” of possible vice presidential and senatorial bets “which we hope to reveal in time.”
He said Bangon’s platform is embodied by seven “E’s”: empower the people, emancipate the people, educate the people, energize the economy, elevate living standards, eradicate bad governance and establish peace in the land.
“If you will note these seven ‘E’s’ address the basic problems facing our country. This is our roadmap once given the opportunity to serve as president,” Villanueva said.
“We have some of the sharpest economic, legal and political minds who have voluntarily contributed their inputs to this master plan, which we hope to implement right away once elected.”
Running on a platform of righteous governance and moral transformation, Brother Eddie said among his priorities is “to raise the moral ascendancy of our country in the eyes of the international community.”
Asked about the possibility of cheating in next year’s polls, Villanueva warned: “Whether it be manual or automated, the powers that be may be tempted to manipulate the results of the elections. However, we believe that they we will be digging their own grave should they do so.”
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