Former DPWH Sec. Mark Villar during the BBM-Sara caravan in Bacoor, Cavite. Screengrab from Facebook / Bongbong Marcos
MANILA, Philippines — Former Public Works Secretary Mark Villar is now in the senatorial ticket of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
During a campaign caravan in Bacoor, Cavite on Thursday, the tandem endorsed the senatorial bid of Villar, who was earlier included in the initial slate of President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban faction.
“(Nandito) si Secretary Mark Villar na susunod na senador, iluluklok po natin siya sa Senado (Here is Secretary Mark Villar, our next senator. We will elect him to the Senate),” Marcos said.
Marcos cited Villar as having the track record of being one of the “hardworking” Cabinet secretaries of Duterte, particularly in the “Build, Build, Build” program.
“I don’t need to campaign for him a lot because you can see his work, when you travel, you can see the projects, infrastructure,” Marcos said.
Senator Cynthia Villar, the mother of the former public works secretary, also joined the Cavite event, as well as former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, House Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez, Senator Bong Revilla and his wife Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado.
Currently, the Marcos-Duterte-Carpio slate has introduced three senatorial candidates in its slate — Mark Villar, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
“Ang ating mga senador (Our senators), Senator Harry Roque, Senator Mark Villar at Senator Jinggoy Estrada,” Duterte-Carpio said during the event.
For his part, Villar said he is running for senator was to pursue his advocacy to continue the Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration.
“‘Yun ang kailangan na kailangan natin ngayon, na magkatrabaho po. At naniniwala ako, na lahat tayong nandito ay gusto nating ipagpatuloy ang program. ‘Yon po ang aking advocacy, at iyon ang kailangan na kailangan natin ngayon na magkatrabaho lahat.