Nacionalista Party’s standard bearer Sen. Manny Villar has conceded to Liberal Party’s Noynoy Aquino in a press con he has called this 11AM at his family-owned StarMall mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Latest official partial COMELEC count puts Aquino at 12,233,002 votes vs. Villar’s 4,329,215.

Villar, whose vow to eradicate poverty owing to his claim to being poor as a boy has been consistently vilified by non-believers, said that he has done his best to offer himself up and his plans to alleviate the condition of the poor but accepts that the people has decided and thus respects its decision. He added that he didn’t take his family with him to the press conference because they have been subjected to enough stress already.

He further reiterated his intention and vow to help the poor in ‘other’ ways and has assured party-mates that he and the Nacionalista Party will be behind them all the way until their last votes are counted. He also congratulated Noynoy Aquino.

Senator Villar, people can say whatever they want — they have called you many things and your detractors seem to have spared no word to demonize you as a corrupt real estate billionaire. So be it shrewdness or an attempt to clean your public image, I commend you for this.

It takes a lot of courage to gather the media and read your statement for all the world to see and hear without your wife and children by your side. This is a valiant move characteristic of a good and strong leader.

In the end, it would be saddening if we realize that none of those issues thrown at you were ever true. I have a strange feeling that all this noise will magically vanish after the winner is proclaimed because it has already served its purpose.

It would have been an entirely different ball game if the late president Cory Aquino didn’t die and if former president Erap Estrada was not allowed to run again for president. But then again, destiny stubbornly takes its course all the time. And doomed is the man who audaciously try to get in its way.

I can only pray that the hopes of 12 million people (and counting) will not be crushed in the coming days and months.

God bless you, Senator Villar. God bless the Philippines.

The Iglesia ni Cristo has released their official endorsement for the 2010 elections. In a statement read in today’s service to all their followers, INC has officially endorsed Liberal Party’s standard bearer Noynoy Aquino and vice-presidential candidate Mar Roxas.

The Iglesia ni Cristo has been wooed in previous elections by aspiring candidates because of their legendary reputation for bloc voting that has delivered solid votes for Estrada in 1998 and Arroyo in 2004.

For senatoriables, they have endorsed the following:

1. Ruffy Biazon (LP)
2. Bong Revilla (LKC)
3. Pia Cayetano (NP)
4. Miriam Defensor Santiago (PRP)
5. Franklin Drilon (LP)
6. Juan Ponce Enrile (PMP)
7. Jinggoy Estrada (PMP)
8. TG Guingona (LP)
9. Lito Lapid (LKC)
10. Bongbong Marcos (NP)
11. Ralph Recto (LP)
12. Tito Sotto (NPC)

Last updated: March 4, 2010 @ 2100H

First there was Erap Estrada (although he didn’t blurt out a name, he dropped very obvious hints). Now there’s Senator Dick Gordon. Them and a few more less publicized tidbits of “political bribery” stories fuel today’s hot election headlines. And we thought El Niño is hot, no?

Is there any truth to this? Well there’s no sure way to tell right now. We are left to choose between taking the accuser’s word at face value or dismissing it altogether as another attempted black propaganda.

Sen. Manny Villar is eternally rain-drenched in his elections summer parade.

Sen. Gordon has an untainted reputation and is yet to disappoint us. With that in mind, his claim that an ‘emissary’ of Sen. Manny Villar attempted to ‘buy’ him out and talk him into withdrawing from his presidential bid for the coming May 20’10 elections by offering to ‘reimburse’ him of his previous expenses and projected expenses is not an accusation that Villar should take lightly.

So far, we’ve only been treated to a bland response via an interview where Villar denies such an ‘indecent proposal’ to Sen. Gordon, adding that he no longer has money to spend for such things because whatever campaign money he has left is allocated to campaign-related expenses. Is ‘buying out opponents to withdraw’ part of that ‘campaign-related’ expenses? Villar doesn’t say.

Although not really improbable, it’s a no-brainer that such a move would only backfire at Villar. Given all the propaganda and mudslinging going around against him, trying to ‘reimburse’ opponents and buy out their dreams of becoming president would be like fanning dying embers to a flame. That’s plain stupid, I think. But as always, this is the Philippines. This is Philippine politics. No move is so stupid for politicians. However, I’d like to give Villar the benefit of the doubt — in the same way I’d like to give Sen. Gordon the chance to prove his accusation for all the world to see.

The trouble with sifting truth from a heap of lies is that there’s so much ‘hybrids’ going around. There’s black prop, there’s counter prop, there’s counter-counter prop and there’s modified version of all those. So unless someone can come up with irrefutable evidence that could hold water in court, all these can be ruled out as ‘modified truths’, ‘half truths’ or ‘true lies’. Confused already? You should be.

Besides, anyone can claim to be someone’s emissary. So I’d echo Villar’s challenge to Gordon: name that emissary. (Update as of March 4, 2010 @ 2100H: Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile wrote in his Facebook fan page note entitled “JPE to Villar: GORDON IS NOT FOR SALE” named the so-called Villar emissary as none other than his friend and colleague Senator Edgardo Angara, Gordon however denied this and said the emissary was a businessman who used to work for the government.)

This is elections period. Everything is meant to shock and deceive the bewildered electorate. So hit us with your best, you guys.

It’s bound to get hotter leading up to May. Let’s see who can stand the heat that is to come. Let’s wait for more scalding accusations and knee-jerk reactions. Sit back. Relax. Enjoy the show.