MANILA, Philippines - After seeking the presidency twice in 2004 and 2010, Jesus Is Lord (JIL) founder and Bangon Pilipinas Party (BPP) chairman Eddie Villanueva has joined the 2013 senatorial race.
Villanueva filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) yesterday at the Law Department of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as a substitute candidate of Israel Virgines, who backed out from the election to give way to the spiritual leader.
“When his (Virgines) nomination was unanimously approved by the Comelec, the national leadership of BPP, together with the supporting groups, represented to me the clamor to entertain the substitution. Amazingly, it was initiated by Virgines himself,” Villanueva said.