CABACAN, North Cotabato — Nacionalista Party presidential bet Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. Wednesday shrugged off yet another allegations of bribery that a presidential candidate has hurled against him.

Villar was referring to the claim by Sen. Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal that a candidate sent an emissary to offer her P1 billion in exchange for backing out of the May presidential race.

Although Madrigal did not name the candidate, she claimed part of the deal was also for her to stop making any accusations against Villar.

Before Madrigal, Sen. Richard Gordon, another presidential candidate made a similar claim.
Villar said he sees a pattern made by rivals to discredit his campaign.

"Ito naman ang nakikita natin na pattern. Palit-palitan lang, tapos na yung isa, tapos yung isa naman. (This is the pattern we see. Just one after another)," Villar told reporters in an ambush interview after a campus tour at the University of Southern Mindanao.

Villar said he is anticipating a barrage of similar accusations from his rivals as the May elections heat up.

He also claimed he is already short of campaign funds that is why it is highly unlikely he would offer such amount to Madrigal.

"Alam ninyo magastos din ang eleksyon, palagay ko lahat naman nahihirapan sa gastusin. Kaya wala nang pang-offer kahit kanino at hindi ako nago-offer nang ganyan (running a campaign is also expensive and I think everone is experiencing the same thing. That is why I don't have anything to offer  and I don't offer anything like that)," Villar said.

"Basta ako kampanya lang. Kami ay desidido na gamitin ang programa namin. Kung kaya't wala na halos kami pakialam sa ginagawa ng ibang kandidato,( as long as we campaign. We have decided to push for our programs that is why we have no more time to look at how other candidates run their campaign," he further said.

Without his party mates, Villar during the second part of his Mindanao campaign leg also visited Central Mindanao Colleges in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato. He also made the rounds at the Koronadal Public Market in Koronadal City South Cotabato.