Tuesday November 17, 2009
Billionaire Philippine senator forms alliance for polls
MANILA (Reuters) - A self-made billionaire lawmaker, who ranked second in the latest opinion poll ahead of the 2010 election, formed an alliance on Tuesday with a rival political party in a bid to capture the Philippine presidency next May.
Senator Manuel Villar, head of the small Nacionalista Party (NP) who made his billions in property development, said he had picked Senator Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People's Coalition as his running mate.
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Senator and presidential aspirant Manuel Villar gestures during a Reuters interview at his party headquarters in Manadaluyong, Metro Manila February 27, 2009. (REUTERS/John Javellana/Files) |
"My choice for vice president was not motivated by political accommodation but by a common vision for the country," Villar told supporters at his party's headquarters.
But the alliance, reported by local newspapers ahead of the formal announcement on Tuesday, will not tip the scales in favour of any candidate, analysts said.
"These tandems have very minimal impact because people still vote on individuals, not on political teams," said Earl Parreno, analyst from the Institute of Political and Electoral Reforms.
"The political picture is getting much clearer this week as the presidentiables pick their running mates," he said.
Villar ranked a far second with 19 percent support compared with frontrunner Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino who got 44 percent in the latest public opinion survey by independent pollster Pulse Asia.
Villar ranked first in a similar survey in August with 25 percent support, but dropped a notch after Aquino announced his intention to run for president in September.
Many in the business community back Villar, who controls real estate firm Vista Land and Lifescapes, because of his background in business.
Analysts believe Villar is a strong candidate because he can easily fund a costly campaign that would need at least 2-3 billion pesos ($48-64 million), a huge sum for a country where nearly 50 percent of households live on less than $2 a day.
The election is due in May 2010 and the nomination period is from Nov. 20 until Dec. 1.
(Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing by Rosemarie Francisco and Sugita Katyal)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters
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