Villar clears Estrada in his ouster

TUBLAY, Benguet -- Senator Manuel Villar on Saturday absolved former President Joseph Estrada of any blame for his ouster as Senate president.

"Wala akong comment dyan. Si Erap ay nananatiling isa kong kaibigan, hanggang ngayon (I have no comment about that. Erap remains my friend)," he said here as guest of the town's 108th founding anniversary.

"I respect him as a friend. I have no bad feelings for him," he added.

Villar took a dig at his colleagues in the Senate using this town's cool climate.

He said: "Mabuti rito, malamig. Sa Manila mainit. Kaya maraming mainit ang ulo. Gaya sa Senado, marami ding mainit and ulo (It's good here. The climate is cool. It's hot in Manila. So many people are hot-headed, as in the Senate.)"

Villar said he will now focus on his campaign for livelihood and the welfare of overseas Filipino workers.

But in La Trinidad town, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano minced no words in saying that politics was behind Villar's ouster. Cayetano said there would be more politics and less work as the 2010 presidential election nears.

"I hope that all the 'presidentiables' would be true to their promises to work first for the people and not prioritize politics," he said. "It's only 2008."

These "presidentiables," he said, conspired to work against Villar.

"Let's accept that but let us use, at least the next year, to really focus on how we can help our country especially on the effects of the economic crisis rather than all politics," he said.

He said people expected the Senate to set aside politics and work harder after Villar's ouster and not for aspiring presidents to be training their guns on each other.

Now free of his tasks as Senate president, Villar lived up to his word to make use of his time to work on his presidential campaign.

On Saturday here, Villar retold his rags-to-riches story, the same line he used when he first ran for the Senate.

Still smarting from the Senate coup, Villar said his poor and humble beginnings and his climb to success gave him enough experience to know what the country needed to progress.

He said he harbored no ill feelings over his removal from the Senate leadership, the third highest position in the land.

"It's okay. Sa mga bagay na ganyan, sanay na tayo dyan. Marami na tayong pinagdaanan na hirap sa buhay at yung mga ganito ay sanay na tayo at tanggap na natin (We're used to these things. We've overcome hardships and we can easily accept this)," he said.

Local officials though welcomed him with a banner that addressed him as Senate president. His aides distributed cardboard fans with text explaining his anti-poverty advocacy.

He later joined provincial officials led by Governor Nestor Fongwan at the Benguet Sports Center in Wangal, La Trinidad, for the "grand cañao" (a native feast) marking the province's 108th founding anniversary and the Adivay, a cultural festival.

Villar said his life of poverty had given him enough experience to know what Filipinos need.

Later asked if his speech signaled the beginning of his presidential campaign, he said: "E, ngayon, game na. Game na game na, (Now, it's game time; I'm ready)."

"But we are more serious this time," he added.

Villar said he wanted to step up his campaign and work on his advocacy for the welfare of overseas Filipino workers since he has more time now.

"Now that I have more time, I will be visiting more often places with OFWs and I will not stop until such time that their lives would improve," he said. inquirer.net