Cynthia Villar seeks second Senate term

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 11:24 a.m.) — Sen. Cynthia Villar, who topped a September Social Weather Stations survey on senatorial candidates, has filed her certificate of candidacy for a second term at the Senate.

Villar went to the Commission on Elections with her husband, former Senate President Manny Villar, who is also a business tycoon primarily engaged in property development, to file her candidacy papers on Monday.

Villar, a member of the Nacionalista Party, is chair of the Committee on Agrarian Reform as well as the Committee on Agriculture and Food.

She is also chair of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources and led a site inspection of Boracay island after President Rodrigo Duterte called the top tourist destination a cesspool.

She has been holding follow-up hearings on the progress of rehabilitation work on the island, which is slated to reopen to the public this month after being made off-limits to tourists since April.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar is her son.

Regarding her campaign, Villar said livelihood projects for the poor have always been her advocacy.

"I've always worked for the building of livelihood projects, especially for our poor people. So it's an advocacy it's not a campaign line," she said to reporters.

"I will continue doing it because it’s good for our people."