Villar: Mutual Transparency

The television primetime spotlight has been beamed at Manny Villar for quite a while now. Ironically, the limelight illuminates both his campaign jingle (which appears to be gradually replacing the Philippine national anthem) and the jabs at his controversial C-5 project.

Villar's official website released an article last February 22, 2010 (see http://www.mannyvillar.com.ph/blog.php?blog=269 and http://www.mannyvillar.com.ph/videolink.php?video=51) regarding transparency from his campaign rivals.

“I just can’t stomach hypocrites who tell the public that they are running a people’s campaign when the combined net worth of all their contributors betrays the very essence of a people’s campaign,” Villar said.
-quoted from the article Villar to closest rivals: Disclose your campaign donors

A quote speaks for the article itself. The same transparency political rivals conveniently demand should courteously be revealed in the same manner it is asked from any candidate seeking office.

Villar relates this to his own brand of transparency; showcasing his life story such as having lost a brother to a disease left untreated due to their early poverty. Having stated a desire to apply his own success story to the Filipino people, Villar claims to have no intent of using the presidential position for financial gains. He states that he would have returned to being a businessman if he sought money.

Although not all candidates are bestowed with a literal rags-to-riches story, liquidation of campaign funds as well as the legitimacy of their sources may be one of the country's deciding factors on their 2010 presidential bet.

-Kier Gideon Paolo Gapayao