Mrs. Arroyo cited the presence of Villar, whom she described as a "son of Metro Manila" since he hails from Las Piñas City, on stage at a campaign rally held at the Tañong National High School in Marikina City.
"Thank you for being here with us today," she told Villar as he joined her at center stage and raised her hand and the hand of her vice-presidential bet, Sen. Noli de Castro.
"He is not a candidate but he is here to express his support," the President told the crowd.
Interviewed after the rally, Villar told The STAR that Mrs. Arroyo called him up last Tuesday, a day after he appeared at a campaign rally in Las Piñas of opposition presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson and his lone senatorial candidate, Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla.
"Wala iyon, sumama ka na lang sa aming kampanya (That’s nothing. Just join our campaign)," Villar quoted the President as telling him.
He said he sensed the President understood that he and his wife, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, "merely entertained Lacson in their city."
Villar, however, admitted he will personally support the candidacy of Padilla, a relative. He refused to say who among the K-4 senatorial candidates he will junk in favor of Padilla.