Noli says he is being wooed to run for president under Lakas

Vice President Noli de Castro is being urged to run for president in 2010 under the banner of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats.

Speaking at the sidelines of the BizNews Asia Real Estate Who is Who (BREW) awards at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati yesterday, De Castro said he was seriously considering the invitation of the pro- administration party.

“Yes, of course,” he said, when asked if he took the proposal seriously. “They considered me because tumakbo ako (I ran) under Lakas, that’s why.”

De Castro was one of the awardees in this year’s BizNews Asia Real Estate Who is Who (BREW) awards which honored the real estate industry’s leaders.

As chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, De Castro joined 10 other luminaries in the government and private sector as BREW awardees.

Other BREW awardees were Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando, Century Properties Group chairman Jose E.B. Antonio, Phinma Properties president and CEO Willie Uy, R-II Builders Inc. president and CEO Reghis Romero II; Alfred Xerez-Burgos Jr., president and CEO of Landco Pacific Corp.; Nestor Mangio, chairman of Central Country Estate, Inc.; Isidro Consunji, president and CEO of DMCI Holdings, Inc.; Exequiel Robles, president and CEO of Sta. Lucia Realty and Development Inc., and Victorio Soliven, president and CEO of V.V. Soliven Group of Companies.

Former Senate president Manuel Villar Jr. was awarded the BizNews Asia’s Business Icons Gold (BIG) award.

Villar owns several real estate firms including Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc.