BOCAUE, Bulacan–The more than a million Jesus Is Lord (JIL) Born Again Christian church is not endorsing any presidential candidate in the May 9 elections to preserve the endorsement of four presidential aspirants to re-electionist Sen. Joel Villanueva.
Deputy House Speaker Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party list and JIL founder and president Bro. Eddie Villanueva said here on Saturday their groups are not endorsing anyone among the presidentiables so as not to affect and damage his son’s bid.
The younger Villanueva, known as TESDAMAN for his successful stint as secretary of Technical Skills Development Authority during late Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s term is seeking a second term in senate.
He is a member of JIL and started his political career as CIBAC party list representative.
The elder Villanueva in a press conference after speaking before the leaders of different Born Again Christian groups at the JIL Compound here said that it has been the decision of the JIL Council of Elders not to endorse any presidential bet especially publicly because all of the top executive post candidates have personal ties with their family and are close friends and which four of them had endorsed his son.
“It is parallel with the candidacy of Sen. Joel being an independent candidate. He was publicly endorsed by four presidential candidates, but if I or we will endorse one of them, it might damage his candidacy, I will surely earn the ire of the three presidential candidates,” his father said.
The elder Villanueva who is House Deputy Speaker for Good Governance and Moral Uprightness boasted the Doctor Para sa Bayan law, institutionalization of emergency jobs, end of Endo contracts, law to stop the e-sabong as among the senator’s number of landmark legislations.
“We know the outstanding performance of Sen. Joel. He fought the bogus mafia, fought the e-sabong. He stood in all issues that put the country and our people in jeopardy. He pushed for a number of land mark legislations,” he said.
But the congressman despite not endorsing a president said the next top leader of the land need not be that intelligent or a Harvard graduate but rather must be a strong leader with backbone to run the country and not coward and corrupt but with a pure heart and good character.
Villanueva spoke before the said groups and ask everyone of them to seek Divine guidance in choosing the next president of the country.
“My president is Jesus Christ. Let us read the Inscriptions in the Bible to guide us. What we need as president is someone who has a backbone and not a coward. But we don’t need somebody who is that intelligent and bright who don’t have a pure heart but rather a corrupt leader, with evil heart and rotten character. The leader we should vouch for is someone who would respond to the need of our people,” he told about 700 religious leaders.
