MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) A day after the election, Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Senator Manuel Villar has given up the fight for the presidency, conceding to Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and urging the people to work behind him.
"Nagpasya na ang mga mamamayang Pilipino. Malinaw na sa kabila ng ating pagpupunyagi, hindi tayo nabiyayayaan ng tagumpay sa halalan noong Lunes (The Filipino people have decided. It is clear that despite our efforts, we were not blessed to win in Monday’s elections)," Villar said, reading a prepared statement before members of the media in his headquarters at the Starmall in Mandaluyong.
"Humaharap ako sa inyo ngayon upang tanggapin ang pasyang ito, upang igalang ang boses ng sambayanang Pilipino (I face you now to accept this decision, to respect the voice of the Filipino people)," he added.
"I fought a good fight…I congratulate Senator Noynoy Aquino on his victory. The challenges he and our country face are enormous and we should all work together," Villar, who was clad in white polo barong, said.
Villar will remain a senator as he has yet to finish his six-year term.
Villar lamented that he was the subject of lies during the campaign.
He said he believes he will be given the chance to clear his name before the public.
"Ako ay naniniwala na sa darating na mga araw ako ay mabibigyan ng pagkakataon na linisin ang aking pangalan upang maliwanagan ang ating mga kababayan. Yan ang mahalaga sa akin higit sa anupamang bagay (I believe that someday I will be given the chance to clear my name before our countrymen. That is most important to me now)," he said.
Villar thanked his family, volunteers, supporters, and his party-mates for sticking it out with him in this election.
He said he will also remember the millions of Filipinos he met during the campaign trail, especially the poor.
"For the rest of my life, I will remain their champion. Bagamat ako ay hindi pinalad, ang aking pangarap na tapusin ang kahirapan ay hindi nagwawakas (Even though I wasn’t fortunate, my dream to end poverty is not finished)," he said.
Tuesday's public appearance capped Villar's aspiration for the highest office of the land which some said began as early as 2007 when he was re-elected senator.
Villar has been touted the closest rival of Liberal Party's Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III until the last two weeks of the campaign period when the former began to slip in the surveys.