Madrigal gets full backing of Villar family

Former senator Jamby Madrigal. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – More than three years after she started an ethics case against then Senate President Manuel Villar over a questionable road project in southern Metro Manila, former Senator Jamby Madrigal on Saturday night received the endorsement of Villar and his family before their local leaders and supporters in Las Piñas.

The Villars–Manny, his wife senatorial candidate Cynthia and son re-electionist Las Piñas congressman Mark–welcomed Madrigal and other members of the Team PNoy senatorial ticket at their sprawling residential compound that happened to be big enough to hold a campaign rally for their favored national and local bets.

Manny Villar, who was not onstage for the raising of hands of endorsed candidates, welcomed Jamby with a buss on the cheek at the air-conditioned garden cabana, where the candidates retired to have a hearty dinner following what the Villars opted to call “a gathering” of supporters.

At the dinner table, Madrigal sat in between Cynthia and Mark and was seen conversing animatedly with the congressman and Senator Loren Legarda’s son Lean, who was seated at Mark’s left side.

“Our leaders know that we have to support the whole slate of Team PNoy. There are no permanent friends and enemies in politics,” Cynthia told reporters after dinner when asked about endorsing Madrigal’s candidacy to “Las Piñeros.”

“The President has been very nice to us and we should be very nice and supportive of each other. We are united to continue the reforms of President Aquino. We are always campaigning for 12-0,” Cynthia added.

Aside from Cynthia and Madrigal, the other Team PNoy candidates that attended the Villars’ version of a simple gathering and dinner include reelectionists Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara and former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay, Jr.

Also in attendance was Team PNoy campaign manager Sen. Franklin Drilon, who was again introduced as the next Senate President.

“What we had differences over was issue-based and was nothing personal,” Madrigal told reporters also after dinner.

Madrigal recalled that she and Cynthia even worked together during the bicameral committee conference on what is now the revised charter of the University of the Philippines. She said that she and Cynthia pushed for the adoption of a provision banning the sale of UP real estate.

“I am happy and honored to be welcomed here,” Madrigal added.

Madrigal is a member of President Aquino’s LP.

More than 2,000 local leaders and supporters from Las Piñas’ villages and two districts gathered at the Villars’ garden, where a stage was put up for the candidates’ speeches as well as comedy acts and musical numbers.

A rock concert featuring the band Alamid was held after the political rally.

“This is something we did for our team – to show our people that we are indeed united,” Cynthia said of the Team PNoy gathering that for once was dominated by the color orange rather than yellow.

Manny Villar is the president of the Nacionalista Party that allied itself with the President Aquino’s Liberal Party for the 2013 senatorial elections.  Orange was Manny Villar’s campaign color when he ran as the NP’s standard-bearer in the 2010 presidential elections that Aquino won.

Yellow, on the other hand, has been the chosen color of President Aquino–the avowed leader of the multi-party administration ticket of Team PNoy.