[caption id="attachment_1539" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="After visiting Paolo Villar, I was introduced to President Manny Villar."]<a href="http://www.lloydluna.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/3R_Villar.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1539" title="LLOYD LUNA for Manny Villar" src="http://www.lloydluna.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/3R_Villar-300x200.jpg" alt="LLOYD LUNA for Manny Villar" width="300" height="200" /></a>[/caption]

On [slider title="May 10"]Presidential elections, legislative elections and local elections in the Philippines was originally scheduled to be held on Monday, May 10, 2010. The elected president will become the 15th President of the Philippines, succeeding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is barred from seeking re-election due to term restrictions.[/slider], the Filipino people are given with two choices: to move forward or to move backward. We can't afford to choose the latter.

Emotions should not be in the way. Platform of government is worth looking at. Qualification and past performances and exercise of leadership must be one basis.

I've asked many times on who I will vote for. And I've been consistent with my answer: <strong>Manny Villar</strong>.

I want a President who has the experience, qualification, and heart to lead, manage, and govern. I want a President who is his own man. I want a President with proven track record of leadership. I want a President beholden to no one. I want a President who has been there before he tells me, "Let's go there."

<strong>Why Manny Villar?</strong>
<ol>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar is a father.</strong> He understands what it's like to have a family, which he must defend and love. He knows when to protect the abused and when to discipline them the abusive. He's been fighting a good fight for the greater good. We need a father, and not a son.</li>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar will be president.</strong> He will be the President—not his vice president or Cabinet secretaries. No one can dictate what he will do. He will listen, for sure. But it will be his decision not his family or party. He will lead the government, and not the people surrounding him. And why can he do it? Because he has been exercising his leadership skills. Aquino, his closest rivel, didn't have the leadership quality that is necessary for a President. He is a good person but we don't need only a good person but a person who performs. We can't afford to be led by a blind leader.</li>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar is a leader and a manager.</strong> He was able to lead his life from the gutter to now the country's highly celebrated business icon. He has demonstrated his personal leadership by making a name of his own. He's reputation is rock-solid from bottom up. He's qualified to tell us, "I'm going to take you there" because he has been there. And what happens if a blind leads a blind? You tell me.</li>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar isn't guilty.</strong> Or, unless proven otherwise. But all accusations were setup to make the Filipinos hate Villar. Did these people ever tried to file a case before the Ombudsman or any Courts as far as their allegations are concerned? No. If you're going to think about it and look behind the intention, these are nothing but an excuse to cover up their inability to present their platform of government. File a case and see Manny Villar in court.</li>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar will do it.</strong> And who can tell Manny Villar, "It can't be done?" No one. Because in several occasions, he did it. He led the ouster of Pres. Erap. He fought against Charter Change twice because he knows the danger of doing it under the ruling administration. He built a real estate empire that made a competitive housing industry. Now, the other guy may say, "I won't steal." Alright, of course. Obviously, nobody shouldn't. We don't need to be another President's son to know that stealing is bad. But what are you going to do? It's not enough to tell the people what you won't do. The question is what you will do.</li>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar owes no one nothing.</strong> The idea that Manny Villar will take back what he spent in his campaign is nothing but an assumption. Why would he do that? Manny Villar had experienced the best of the best—the best of two worlds—being poor and being rich. What else does he need? People who don't have something naturally aims for something. That's my problem with other candidate. They don't have anything (in this case the money) and therefore they are more likely to steal!</li>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar isn't beholden to any one</strong>—not even the media or the business community. My idea of why some business groups support Aquino instead of Villar is because having a president without much knowledge in real business makes it easier for them to do business. How can they do monkey businesses if the commander-in-chief is a businessman? So, logically, they support the guy with less knowledge. It's for their own self-interest.</li>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar is a role model.</strong> He has been consistent in asking his opponents to fight on the basis of platform and accomplishments. But the other camps have been consistent on bringing out unproven issues. If C5 really is a big issue, file a case. If the PSE meeting is a big issue, file a case. But Villar has been a model of bringing his battle in which the people will benefit: Let's talk about experiences and platform of government. His opponents say, "Let's talk about allegations."</li>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar is a good citizen.</strong> Every interview, he answers like a citizen. There's no script. There's no anything but his thought. He is a citizen with transparent records of his riches and activities. He is a citizen that makes our economy resilient by giving jobs to the jobless and supporting our OFWs. A good citizen helps his fellow Filipinos, not make their lives poorer by grabbing the land that they should have owned long ago.</li>
	<li><strong>Manny Villar isn't an overnight sensation.</strong> After his mother's death, Aquino suddenly became a superstar. He automatically became a "good leader." Let's be realistic here. Some people simply jumped in his ship because of his (or his) mother's popularity. Leadership is made over time. Manny Villar has built his own reputation without haste or reservation. He can work across parties and party members. He has the real respect of his peers. And I mean real respect.</li>
</ol>
If I were Manny Villar, I would do the same thing. I won't answer their allegations in improper forum. That's my President. He doesn't go down to the level of traditional politician. He makes his own stand on issues based on his personal conviction, not because of the conviction of his party or running mate.

I want a President who has the experience, qualification, and heart to lead, manage, and govern. I want a President who is his own man. I want a President with proven track record of leadership. I want a President beholden to no one. I want a President who has been there before he tells me, "Let's go there."

I want a President by the name of Manny Villar.