Trillanes, potential bets not assured of financial support by NP

The Nacionalista Party (NP) will most likely not fund the campaigns of its members seeking higher office in the upcoming presidential elections, Sen. Cynthia Villar said on Thursday.

Sen. Villar, wife of NP President Manny Villar, said the party would support potential candidates, but without the guarantee of a financial aid.

“Wala namang pera ang NP… Usually when you run, you raise your own funds. You don’t ask that from your party,” Villar said in a session of Kapihan sa Senado.

In June, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV declared that he would run for vice president in 2016. Villar said Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., whose names have been appearing in presidential polls, were also possible bets.

Asked if the party would support Trillanes’ vice presidential bid, Villar said the decision would depend on the plans of Cayetano and Marcos.

“Depende din kung tatakbo ang dalawa at anong posisyon tatakbuhan nila. Kung hindi sila tatakbo at wala siyang kalaban sa NP then we can support him,” she said. “We will have to decide … We just have to know the plans of the three then we decide.”

But Trillanes said he would run even without NP’s official endorsement.

“Sabi kasi ni Senator Trillanes, with or without the support of the party he will run, so what can you do? It’s beyond us. We just have to hear from the two then we will decide,” Villar said.

Villar said the three senators should talk and agree on their roles in the 2016 elections after President Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address.

She added NP would be open to possible coalitions with other parties, but there have been no offers yet.

Villar also said the party would most probably not be able to field a complete senatorial line-up in 2016: “I don’t think we can put up a lineup sa Senate na ganoon kadami. Maybe a few of them will run, but it’s not really a complete line up. Alam mo, marami rin takot na kumandidatong senador—andaming re-electionists, andaming comebacking senators. Mahal din kumandidatong senador. I think lahat sila nag-iisip pa din.”

But despite many limitations, Villar said members seeking higher posts could rely on the support of the party’s network of 10 governors, 27 congressmen, 150 mayors, and 10 vice governors.

“Mahirap sa partido na wala sa posisyon na maka-retain ng ganyang membership but we’re very close and we’re like a family. I think ‘yun ang advantage nila, that they can rely on this network to support them if they go for a national position,” she said.