Jamby: Nothing personal in tagging Villar in anomalies

MANILA -- Former senator Jamby Madrigal believes that all is well between her and Senator Manny Villar, whom she once accused of benefiting from the controversial C5 road extension project that reportedly jacked up the value of properties owned by the billionaire lawmaker.

Facing reporters after filing her candidacy papers, Madrigal said her exposes against Villar is part of her of advocacy to promote good governance.

"It was not personal. That was issue-based and I was fighting for my principles at the time," she said.

She also related that she, Villar and wife Cynthia had already buried the hatchet after the announcement of Liberal Party coalition bets last Monday.

"He (Villar) shook my hands," the former senator said.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who was Villar's spokesperson in his failed run for president in 2010, earlier expressed discomfort running with Madrigal as a result of the controversy.

"I have nothing against him (Cayetano). We're okay with each other when we were at the holding room of Club Filipino (prior to the announcement of the senatorial slate)," Madrigal said.

Madrigal, whose claim to election in 2004 was her resemblance to popular television actress Judy Anne Santos, has lead a quiet life since losing in the 2010 presidential elections.

Among her advocacies is to lower the cost of living especially the price of food, water, rice and basic commodities through anti-cartel and anti-smuggling legislation and the promotion of organic farming.

Madrigal also intends to look into the rising cost of water in the country.

"There is a need for the water concessionaires to be transparent in their billing system, there should be no hidden charges, this is like robbing the Filipino people their hard earned money," she said in a statement.

In the same briefing, Madrigal was also asked why the LP bets came in trickles in filing their COCs unlike the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

"Kasi solid kami sa spirit, hindi na namin kailangan magkaroon ng circus, kasi tuwid naman ang daan naming. Hindi na kami pasayaw-sayaw. Kaya tuwid yung aming pananaw, maganda yung simple lang pero trabaho, hindi pasayaw-sayaw lang," she said. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)