MANILA, Philippines – The Bangon Pilipinas party is expecting 16 million votes from supporters, according to its vice presidential bet Perfecto “Jun” Yasay Jr.

“We will win,” Yasay confidently told ANC’s Headstart on Monday.

Yasay is the runningmate of Bro. Eduardo “Eddie” Villanueva who founded the religious group Jesus Is Lord Movement.

Yasay said somebody who wants change must win this election. “Change must happen, and it will only happen if you love God.”

Yasay said they are expecting block votes from religious groups. They are hoping their platform for change will attract more voters.

In February, Yasay also tried to court the support of Mindanao-based religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. On Monday, however, Yasay said they are not expeting endorsement from Quiboloy who will announce his church’s annointed on May 2.

Yasa also believes he has an edge over other vice presidential bets: “I do not have vested interests. I have proven my integrity and my stand.”

What survey?

Yasay and Villanueva, however, have not been faring well in the pre-election surveys.

In the April 2010 SWS survey, Yasay garnered only 1% voter preference, placing 6th place among the 8 vice presidential canadidates. Villanueva, on the other hand, has placed 5th out of 9 presidential candidates, with a 2% voter preference.

Yasay shrugged off the survey results. “It (surveys) does not tell anything about the candidates,” he said, highlighting that people should not lean on surveys but rather listen to the pressing issues.

When Villanueva ran for president in the 2004 national elections, he garnered 6.2% of the total national votes despite his lackluster performance in the surveys, Yasay pointed out.

Bangon Pilipinas candidates were always on the tail end of the surveys, he added.

He cited the ongoing overseas voting in Hong Kong where exit polls showed 78% voter preference for Bangon Pilipinas candidates.

“Bangon Pilipinas is doing very well. We are number one in exit polls,” he said, adding that OFWs know that candidates who “have integrity and credibility, competence, character, experience, and love of God” will best serve

This proves that surveys are not the barometer for winning, he stressed.

SEC, party lists

Yasay , the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), also answered issues about the allegations of former President Joseph Estrada that Sen. Manuel Villar intervened on behalf of a listed firm that was having hurdles at the stock exchange.

Estrada and Villar are the standard bearers of Partido ng Masang Pilipino and Nacionalista Party, respectively.

Yasay said Estrada is the last person he expected to criticize Villar given that the former president had done the same thing in the past. Yasay played an active role in the 2001 impeachment of Estrada when the SEC chair exposed that Estrada called him to intervene for the owner of an erring listed firm.(Read: Estrada, Villar and stock market—something in common?)

During a visit to a public event organized by Quibolloy last February, Yasay apologized to Estrada.

He said he did not say sorry to retract his previuos stand. “Sorry is not to say what I did was wrong,” he stressed, adding that it is just right to apologize to someone whom he thinks he has hurt.

Yasay said he would have the party list system abolished if elected. “I don't believe in party-list groups. (I want it) abolished. Every representative of the land must know they serve all the people.”