"I stand for good governance"
Chiz rejects team-up with Sen. Villar

Opposition Sen. Chiz Escudero yesterday rejected a team-up with Sen. Manny Villar even as the latest SWS survey shows a likely win for them if presidential elections are held today.

"Impossible. It will never happen. I stand for good governance," the 39-year old lawmaker said.

"Given what I have seen and read about the allegations raised in the C5 controversy, it seems to be just the tip of the iceberg. I cannot in good conscience run with or under him," said Escudero.

Villar has refused to attend the hearings by the Senate on allegations raised by Sen. Jamby Madrigal in October last year that his real estate empire benefited from the diversion of the C5 road extension project.

Instead, the billionaire senator has launched an aggressive media campaign to deny the charges, claiming that the allegations are meant to undermine his bid for the presidency.

"If the charges are false, then there is still time for Sen. Villar to present his side before his peers in the Senate," Escudero said.