Rep. Mark Villar ditches planned Senate bid, to seek re-election instead

Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar has ruled out running for senator next year despite landing in the winning circle of prospective candidates in the latest voter preference surveys.

Mark, son of Senator Cynthia Villar and Nacionalista Party (NP) president and former Senate President Manny Villar, said he arrived at the decision not to run for higher office following consultations with his family, supporters and constituents.

“While I have not formally declared a Senate bid, I remain flattered by the encouraging polling numbers. But after consultation… we’ve come to the conclusion that there is still much to be done in Las Piñas and in the House of Representatives," he said in a statement Thursday.
 
“I am running for re-election as representative of the Lone District of Las Piñas in May 2016,” he added.

The latest Pulse Asia poll on prospective senatorial bets ranked Mark anywhere from 8th to 14th place in the senatorial race if the elections were held last September.

Prior to announcing his reelection plan, the younger Villar’s camp aired a television commercial showing him mingling with street children in a slum area with his father.

There were also reports that he was being considered for inclusion in the senatorial lineup of the Liberal Party and the camp of Senator Grace Poe.

Despite ranking positively in the latest pre-election survey for the senatorial race, Mark said he is “at peace” with his decision to remain a member of the House of Representatives and happy that he has his family’s support.

“As Las Piñas congressman, I want to focus my energies on the advocacies I have started since my first term while spending more time with my wife and baby,” he said.

Mark’s wife, DIWA party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, gave birth to their firstborn child last month. —Xianne Arcangel/KBK, GMA News