MANILA, Philippines - Senators believed to be running in next year?s presidential race slammed declared presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. for telling, in effect, that the presidential race would be decided by those who can raise more campaign money.

Senators Panfilo Lacson, Manuel ?Mar? Roxas II, Francis Escudero and Richard Gordon disagreed that money would determine the winner of the presidential polls in 2010.

Villar was quoted the other day as saying that while many will announce their presidential bid, ?in the end, there will be just a few who will remain.?

?If you can?t even raise one billion pesos, why even run?? Villar said.

?Money is not the only measure of winnability in a presidential race. Arrogance will not bring you sure victory either,? Lacson said in a text message.

?More importantly, money cannot determine qualification and competence to serve as a leader of the country,? he added.

But Lacson said the bigger question was ?where and how did you earn your P1 billion, and how do you intend to recover it when you win??

Roxas, on the other hand, said Villar?s statements only showed how the senator ?sees the people, on what he valued more.?

For Roxas, people will elect the next president by the platform of his government, his service and track record.

?Filipinos cannot be bought ? They will choose a leader who can provide good government,? said Roxas, who is president of the Liberal Party and a scion of the moneyed Araneta and Roxas clans.

Asked how much he would spend for his election, Roxas jested a mere P2, ?just enough to buy Chocnut (a local brand of chocolate candy).?

Also saying money was not that matters in an election, Escudero said it would be the people and not money that would elect a president.

Escudero, who belongs to the National People?s Coalition of kingmaker and tycoon Eduardo ?Danding? Cojuangco, said he also did not agree that only the rich could run in elections and those without money had no right to run.

He said that the Constitution had only provided five requirements for a person to run for president and that did not include an impressive Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

Gordon, for his part, called Villar?s statement as ?arrogant.?

?Aba?y hindi tama yan na sasabihin mong kung wala kang isang bilyon, bakit pang-mayaman lang ba? Edi ilagay na natin sila Lucio Tan, sila Danding Cojuangco, yun na lang ang pwedeng mag-presidente [It?s not right to say that only those with billions can run ? why, only the rich can run? Then, let?s have Lucio Tan and Danding Cojuangco for president],? Gordon said.

He said Villar only managed to insult the poor as he reminded that the latter was a former Senate president who ?claims to have been poor before.?

?I?m not saying this because I may be a candidate, all I?m saying is I am against this concept na pag nasa survey ka, panalo ka na; pag ikaw ay may pera, panalo ka na; kung may partido ka, panalo ka na; kung wala kang partido lalo kang talo [that when you are in surveys, you?ll win; when you are moneyed, you?ll win; if you have a political party, you?ll win; when you are not in one, you?ll lose],? he said.

Like Lacson, Gordon then asked how Villar would recover the P1 billion money he has if he wins.

Admitting though that Villar?s statement did not sound good, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., nevertheless, said financial independence was a ?plus? factor for presidential candidates.

Pimentel said that Villar was probably just being ?candid? as he agreed that a presidential candidate would indeed need P1 billion to launch his campaign.

For Pimentel, Villar?s statement was a ?warning to those without money not to sell their souls to vested interest? lest they end up ?falling to a debt trap.?