Lawyer Adel Tamano, a senatorial candidate and spokesman of the Nacionalista Party (NP) said Senator Manny Villar's track record and impressive leadership skill are what convinced him to support Villar's presidential bid instead of former President Joseph Estrada, his long time political ally and friend.

“For me the best presidential candidate for 2010 is Manny Villar. I continue to respect Erap and I acknowledge all the help he has done for me. But I think Villar makes a better president,” Tamano frankly said on news program Bandila’s Hot Seat segment late Tuesday night.

Earlier, Tamano was expected to support the comebacking Estrada and running-mate Jejomar Binay as he used to be the spokesman of the United opposition (UNO) headed by Binay himself.

He reiterated however that he remains a true friend of Estrada, who was ousted in 2000 as president after being convicted and jailed for plunder but was eventually pardoned by President Arroyo.

Estrada, although popular with the masses ranks 3rd behind Villar and LP standard bearer Benigno Aquino III in almost all of the surveys.

Tamano said, “you do not choose your president based solely on friendship. Erap is my friend, but at the end of the day, I will pick the best man for 2010. I believe it is Manny Villar.”

Tamano noted that Villar as a businessman and lawmaker has an impressive leadership experience that can be applied to address the country’s pressing problems, such as poverty, which is the main agenda of all presidential candidates.

Tamano, the first Filipino Muslim scholar-graduate from Harvard Law School, is the son of civic leader Hadja Putri Zorayda Abbas Tamano and the late Senator Mamintal Tamano, also a Nacionalista.

Education is one of the key priorities in Tamano’s platform. He was former president of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.