Palace: Nothing wrong in coalescing with Villar

Photo of Sen. Manuel Villar from www.senate.gov.ph; photo of President Benigno Aquino III from AFP/Getty Images

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang sees nothing wrong in coalescing with Senator Manuel Villar, who was accused of corrupt practices by the Liberal Party during the campaign period for the 2010 presidential elections. 

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Villar, who heads the Nacionalista Party and was the rival of President Benigno Aquino III in the 2010 polls, has been "supportive" of administration measures.

Lacierda said "party principles transcend individual differences."  

Earlier, Aquino said LP's talks with NP and his uncle Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr.'s Nationalist People's Alliance for the formation of a 12-member senatorial slate were "very, very successful." 

"Campaigning is campaigning. There were words that were exchanged during that time but we move on for the sake of the country," Lacierda said. 

"They (LP and NP) recognize what is good for our countrymen so they will rise above political differences and see what's good for the all of us," the Palace official added.

Lacierda also took the cudgels for Villar, saying the senator was never convicted on the allegedly anomalous C-5 project case. Vilar was accused of committing double insertion of P200 million for the C-5 Road Extension project in the 2008 budget when he was still Senate president. 

Lacierda added that NP members, such as Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, have "stood for good governance," which is also the platform of the Aquino administration.

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