Bro. Eddie not giving up hope

BOCAUE, Bulacan — Bangon Pilipinas presidential candidate Eduardo Villanueva is not yet giving up on his bid for the highest post in the land.

At a press conference at his residence in Barangay Bunlo here yesterday, the televangelist — known to his followers in the Jesus is Lord (JIL) movement as "Bro. Eddie" — said he "still has a responsibility and duty to dissipate a huge and ugly cloud of doubt that continues to hang over the May 10 elections."

Villanueva cited the massive disenfranchisement of voters in the elections as one of the reasons behind his continuing "crusade" against what he saw as a blatant attack on the rights of voters and on democracy itself.

He told reporters that in his hometown alone, at least 17,000 voters were unable to vote because they couldn’t find their names on the official voters’ lists.

"In my own barangay of Bunlo alone, I have received information that some 1,000 voters were disenfranchised due to what they referred to as ‘special operations’ by some political leaders," he said.

He expressed dismay over the low votes he received in places where he expected to capture a sizable share of the voting population.

"In Barangay Molino, Bacoor, Cavite, I got only one vote, when, surprisingly, there is a church of the JIL located just a few meters from the polling place. In Hong Kong, we have around 30,000 members and I only got 10,000 votes," he said.

Villanueva said his group wants to undertake a fact-finding mission to document or debunk reports of irregularities in the elections.

"The Bangon Pilipinas National Renewal Movement launches a nationwide campaign to identify all disenfranchised voters and to document all forms of fraud. I urge all crusaders of truth — the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino, Alyansa ng Pag-Asa, Ping Lacson for President Movement, K-4, Coalition for Hope, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the PATRIOTS and all watchdog groups – to join us in ferreting out the truth and uphold the people’s will in this political exercise," he read from a prepared statement.

Villanueva said he would concede only "if the elected or proclaimed president won in a credible and legitimate process."

"We cannot accept a bogus president. We want a legitimate and genuine president," he said.