by Michael Lim Ubac (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100213-253022/El-Shaddai-leader-to-support-NP-ticketLegardaMANILA, Philippines – The political union of Senators Manuel Villar and Loren Legarda for the presidency and vice presidency in the May 10 elections may be publicly endorsed by the head of the charismatic group El Shaddai at a prayer rally in Hong Kong on Sunday, Legarda herself disclosed Saturday.
Legarda revealed this to the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview before she and Villar flew to Hong Kong at noon Saturday to attend Sunday’s anniversary of El Shaddai's Hong Kong chapter.
"I think we are the only ones invited by Brother Mike Velarde," said Legarda, hinting that the leader of El Shaddai, which claims a following of eight million, would formally endorse Villar and Legarda, standard-bearers of the Nacionalista Party, as the religious group's candidates in the elections.
In a predominantly Catholic country, politicians seek the support of religious groups, particularly El Shaddai and the five-million strong Iglesia Ni Cristo which supposedly practice block-voting in elections.
Should Velarde anoint the NP duo during the prayer rally, it would be a tremendous boost to the candidacy of Villar, who is gaining ground in surveys on presidential preferences, and a much-needed shot in the arm for Legarda, who is trailing Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas, the running mate of Liberal Party presidential candidate and Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, in the recent surveys.
But the El Shaddai's endorsement of the Villar-Legarda tandem is only a matter of formality as Velarde has given his blessings to the pair.
Legarda told the Inquirer that it was Velarde who advised her to run with Villar.
“I was consulting him last year on who to run with after Chiz [erstwhile partymate Senator Francis Escudero] left bolted the Nationalist People's Coalition,” said Legarda, adding that Velarde’s reply was: “Chiz is gone. Don't look too far. You should be with Manny.”
Legarda said it was Velarde who personally extended the invitation to her and Villar to attend Sunday’s El Shaddai gathering of mostly migrant Filipino workers, a sizeable chunk of absentee voters.
Legarda and Velarde sit together for lunch almost every month.
“The last time we had lunch together, he was with his daughter and son,” said Legarda.
Since it's the anniversary of the group's chapter in Hong Kong, she expected thousands of El Shaddai members to gather at Chater Garden in the Central District of Hong Kong for the prayer rally.
Escudero had been groomed to be the standard-bearer of the NPC, but backed out at the last minute. Suddenly left with no presidential running mate, Legarda was subsequently courted by some of the contenders for the presidency.
Legarda revealed this to the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview before she and Villar flew to Hong Kong at noon Saturday to attend Sunday’s anniversary of El Shaddai's Hong Kong chapter.
"I think we are the only ones invited by Brother Mike Velarde," said Legarda, hinting that the leader of El Shaddai, which claims a following of eight million, would formally endorse Villar and Legarda, standard-bearers of the Nacionalista Party, as the religious group's candidates in the elections.
In a predominantly Catholic country, politicians seek the support of religious groups, particularly El Shaddai and the five-million strong Iglesia Ni Cristo which supposedly practice block-voting in elections.
Should Velarde anoint the NP duo during the prayer rally, it would be a tremendous boost to the candidacy of Villar, who is gaining ground in surveys on presidential preferences, and a much-needed shot in the arm for Legarda, who is trailing Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas, the running mate of Liberal Party presidential candidate and Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, in the recent surveys.
But the El Shaddai's endorsement of the Villar-Legarda tandem is only a matter of formality as Velarde has given his blessings to the pair.
Legarda told the Inquirer that it was Velarde who advised her to run with Villar.
“I was consulting him last year on who to run with after Chiz [erstwhile partymate Senator Francis Escudero] left bolted the Nationalist People's Coalition,” said Legarda, adding that Velarde’s reply was: “Chiz is gone. Don't look too far. You should be with Manny.”
Legarda said it was Velarde who personally extended the invitation to her and Villar to attend Sunday’s El Shaddai gathering of mostly migrant Filipino workers, a sizeable chunk of absentee voters.
Legarda and Velarde sit together for lunch almost every month.
“The last time we had lunch together, he was with his daughter and son,” said Legarda.
Since it's the anniversary of the group's chapter in Hong Kong, she expected thousands of El Shaddai members to gather at Chater Garden in the Central District of Hong Kong for the prayer rally.
Escudero had been groomed to be the standard-bearer of the NPC, but backed out at the last minute. Suddenly left with no presidential running mate, Legarda was subsequently courted by some of the contenders for the presidency.
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