MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Manuel Villar may have gained a running mate in Sen. Loren Legarda in his quest for the presidency in the May elections, but not necessarily the support of her party.

Although Legarda has agreed to run with Villar under the Nacionalista Party (NP), this does not mean he will also have the backing of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), said Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco.

The son of business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, the NPC founder, said that while the coalition had agreed to allow Legarda, officially its vice presidential candidate, to run with anyone she desired, this did not mean the party would follow her lead.

The NPC lost a presidential candidate when Sen. Francis Escudero resigned from the party, saying he did not wish to be beholden to the coalition, the country’s second largest with over 3,500 sitting officials nationwide.

“That decision of Senator Legarda should not bind the party because the party has its own decision,” Mark Cojuangco said over the phone.

“There is no conflict in giving her that permission and the party’s position,” he said. However, he added that the NPC would remain behind Legarda’s candidacy all the way.

He said that the coalition has yet to decide who it would support for president. This decision could come after the deadline for the filing of candidacy Dec. 1 or even next year, he said, adding many things could happen, given the volatile nature of politics.

Cojuangco dismissed suggestions that Villar would be getting the short end of the stick in getting Legarda. “The mere fact that Senator Villar is getting a vice president that already agreed with him is already enough advantage,” he said.

As to the possibility of conflict or confusion arising during the campaign should the NPC back a rival candidate of Villar, he said the party would deal with such a scenario when it is before them.

He noted that there was still the chance that the NPC may not back any standard-bearer, and a decision like this would give rise to no conflict at all.

‘Many things in common’

Villar and Legarda formally launched their team-up at the historic Laurel Mansion on Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, which he bought last year.

Legarda, who had been scouting for a presidential candidate after Escudero backed out, agreed over dinner on Sunday to join Villar.

The former ABS-CBN star broadcaster had earlier joined calls in the Senate for the ouster of Villar for unethical behavior over alleged shenanigans in the double funding and diversion of the C-5 Road network purportedly to favor his vast real estate holdings—charges that the poor-boy-turned-billionaire has vehemently denied.

Asked about this, Villar said, “scathing statements go well with (Legarda’s) sweet words for me like a sampaloc (tamarind).”

He said that while he and Legarda had taken conflicting positions on issues, he had nothing but admiration for her dedication and passion.

“We share many things in common,” Legarda declared in her opening remarks, vowing “a new beginning for the Filipino nation.”

“We have forged an alliance not out of political expediency, nor to seek high office and power for its own sake, but to catalyze change that will move the nation forward,” she said.

Waiting for egg to hatch

Responding to criticism that it had taken him too long to decide on a running mate, Villar said: “Good things come to those who wait. After all, you get the chicken not by smashing it but by waiting for the egg to hatch.”

Villar said some of his critics were asking why he had chosen Legarda. “My answer: why not?” he said to the delight of the crowd.

“Our team-up is founded on and solidified by our common advocacies such as poverty alleviation, climate change mitigation and environment rehabilitation, and protection of our migrant workers which we have been passionately pursuing.”

He said Legarda “best complements and represents my ideals and visions for the country and our people who long to get up from the twin scourge of poverty and calamities.”

Known for his managerial skills developed from hard work and perseverance amid poverty, Villar is an advocate of the rights of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

He has repatriated and assisted 754 distressed OFWs, mostly from the Middle East, since last year. Villar started his OFW advocacy 30 years ago while still in the private sector.

‘A very interesting race’

At the same time, the NP president continues to focus on combating climate change, initiating tree-planting projects, river cleanup drives, and other environmental endeavors. He has planted over one million trees.

Legarda is an environmentalist who was recently appointed by the United Nations as champion of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Asia-Pacific region.

She is also the founder of the Luntiang Pilipinas Foundation, which advocates environmental awareness. Through the years, the foundation has supervised the construction of forest parks and the planting of two million trees nationwide.

Sen. Mar Roxas, vice presidential candidate of the Liberal Party, welcomed Legarda’s entry into the fray. “Finally, the senator found a home in Senator Villar … We can expect the vice presidential race to be very interesting,” he said.