MANILA, Philippines - Bangon Pilipinas' standard bearer Eddie Villanueva has been known first as founder of the fundamentalist Christian group Jesus is Lord Movement before his presidential campaigns in the 2004 and 2010 elections.
For the 2013 midterm polls, the charismatic leader is instead seeking for a seat in the upper chamber of Congress, wishing to "put moral leadership" into politics as a senator.
"Moral leadership is the foundation of good governance, and good governance is equal to good economics, and good economics is the key or the gateway to prosperity for the people," Villanueva, an economist, told Philstar.com in an exclusive interview.
Villanueva, however, went a long way from his youth in discovering and rediscovering the political and religious principles he would later on be known for.
"I was made to believe that there is no God ... I was sincere, but I was sincerely wrong," he said. Watch the video to learn more about Villanueva's spiritual turnaround.
Read Villanueva's profile on Philstar's Election special