MANILA, Philippines—Promising to mount a revolution for the poor, Sen. Manny Villar launched on Sunday night his presidential bid for next year’s elections in front of his family’s old dilapidated house in Tondo.

“This is the place where I started to dream,” he said, speaking in Filipino. “This is where I would like to realize my vision for our country, to achieve the goal of a revolution against poverty.”

Under a light rain, the Nacionalista Party (NP) also officially proclaimed before a crowd estimated at around 16,000 its vice presidential candidate, Sen. Loren Legarda, as well as its senatorial candidates.

Across town at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City, former Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. hours earlier tearfully announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.

“Much as I wanted to serve and get the job done, the realities of a presidential electoral contest have forced me to reassess my bid,” Ebdane told hundreds of supporters at the UP Bahay ng Alumni.

The former Philippine National Police chief had been expected to announce his running mate on Sunday, but instead tearfully revealed that he was bowing out.

His voice cracking, Ebdane hinted that some people had failed to keep a promise of support.

A source in the Ebdane camp said he was disappointed that he did not secure the endorsement of former President Fidel V. Ramos. However, Ebdane’s spokesperson, Ruben Torres, dismissed this. He said Ramos had said he would name the candidate he would be backing in March.

Villar said the presidential election in May was not about the candidates. “This election is about you. This is about Filipinos who have no voice in society,” he said.

He said his revolution for the poor could be done through good governance, adding that his first priority if he became president would be to address corruption in government.

Usual song and dance

Politicians and show biz personalities made speeches, sang and danced at the Macario Sakay Plaza in Moriones, Tondo.

The biggest crowd drawer was Willie Revillame, a popular game show host who sang signature songs of his program.

The surprise of the night was Dolphy, wearing an orange cap and T-shirt, the NP color. He said he was born in Tondo and sold peanuts in a movie house there.

“When they said that someone from Tondo is running for president, I said, we need to help him,” Dolphy declared. “Don’t you like that someone from Tondo to become president?”

Billiards king Efren “Bata” Reyes was also there.

NP spokesperson Gilbert Remulla introduced the senatorial slate: Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago as guest candidate, Senators Pia Cayetano and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., retired Col. Ariel Querubin, Adel Tamano, Susan “Toots” Ople, Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana and Ramon “Mon-Mon” Mitra.

No shows

Only Revilla and Querubin were no-shows at the rally.

Querubin is detained by the military on rebellion charges. But he sent his stepson, Martin Loon, to speak for him as well as a mascot dressed in military uniform to represent him.

The last-minute recruits in the NP senatorial slates were children of two senators and a former Speaker.

Toots Ople is the daughter of the late Sen. Blas Ople; Gwen Pimentel-Gana is the daughter of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., while Mon-Mon Mitra is the third son of the late House Speaker Ramon Mitra.

Ople is a former labor undersecretary and heads the Blas Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, while Pimentel-Gana served as chief of staff of her father.

Mitra, a 1988 graduate of the Philippine Military Academy who served as captain in the Philippine Marine Corps, is a recipient of the country’s second highest award for gallantry, the Distinguished Conduct Star.

Guest is crowd favorite

The crowd favorite though was Santiago who despite being a candidate of presidential candidate Joseph Estrada endorsed the presidential bid of Villar.

Santiago slammed the rich for not helping the poor. She spoke the lengthiest of them all and brought the house down when she promised to return to the Senate and fight crooks and criminals.

“They are lucky I did not buy a backhoe,” she said to loud cheers. She was obviously referring to the digging machine used allegedly in burying victims of the Maguindanao slaughter.

Not running an option

Bayani Fernando, outgoing chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, also indicated Sunday that he might give up his bid to contest the presidency.

“Not running is still an option. It is also possible that I will not be a candidate,” Fernando told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

Fernando, who like Ebdane belonged to the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition, also raised that possibility of running for vice president.

Talk is rife about negotiations with Sen. Richard Gordon, who has reportedly asked Fernando to be his vice president, and Villar, who is still completing his senatorial slate.

Fernando said there were discussions with evangelist Eddie Villanueva, who is also seeking the presidency and had expressed interest in making him his running mate.

He said jumping to the opposition was not an issue since he had already cut his ties with the administration party, which has chosen former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. over him as its presidential candidate in the May elections.