MANILA - Sen. Manuel Villar on Monday said his political ads are a way of leveling the playing field against potential 2010 presidential candidates who have had more exposure in the media.

Villar said actor and former President Joseph Estrada, Vice-President Noli de Castro, and Sen. Loren Legarda have a natural advantage against other potential candidates because of their backgrounds in show business and the media.

"I am up against people who have been in the media for a long, long time. Ngayon nga lang ako. Noli has been in the media for a long time. Loren also and Korina [Sanchez, fiancée of Sen. Mar Roxas]. Erap also. Some of the candidates have been in show business and the media for decades. Kaya ngayon lang kami nakikilala o nagpapakilala ng ganito. It is our way of leveling things," he said in a roundtable discussion with ABS-CBN editors.

Villar declined to say how much he has spent on his commercials. He said that while he has spent a lot of money on his commercials, it also shows that he is not beholden to any financial backer.

A report quoting a study by Nielsen Media Research in June 2009 said Villar had spent P80 million while Roxas had spent P140 million. An article by Newsbreak last July 13 said around P500 million have been spent by Pag-IBIG for the housing ads of Vice-President Noli de Castro since 2007. (Read story here: Noli: Pag-IBIG ads cost P164-M since 2007)

"I am probably the only candidate who can say that I do not rely on just anybody. Some would say, 'I will not do this, I will not do that' and then go asking for money from someone. If someone decides to back you up all the way, if one or two people decide to bankroll you, who's to say that those backers will not run the country?" he said.

A former House Speaker and Senate President, Villar is the wealthiest among the nation's 23 senators. He has a declared net worth of P1.046 billion as of end-2008 mostly from his earnings as one of the country's top real estate developers.

His wife, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, is also the richest among the 267 members of the House of Representatives.

Villar is also the frontrunner among candidates who may run in the 2010 presidential race, according to the June 2009 leadership poll of Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The survey showed 33 percent of respondents chose Villar as the best leader to succeed President Arroyo. His rating jumped by 4 percent from 29 percent in May 2009.

Former President Estrada jumped to second place, overtaking Vice-President Noli de Castro, after he went up from 13 percent in May 2009 to 25 percent in June 2009.

Senators Manuel Roxas II and Francis Escudero were tied in third place with 20 percent rating while Vice-President de Castro slipped from second place to fourth place in the SWS survey.

De Castro's ratings in the SWS survey on "best leader to succeed President Arroyo in 2010" has dropped from 31 percent in December 2008 to 27 percent in February 2009 to 21 percent in May 2009 to 19 percent in 2009. He fell from first place last December to a statistical third-place tie in June 2009.

Villar-Noli alliance?

Villar denied reports that he has approached the Vice-President to be his running mate in the 2010 polls. "To be fair with Noli, we are not talking. He’s my friend. There is no pressure because nobody wants to negotiate or discuss alliances at this time because everybody is still hoping that his ratings will still go up," he said.

The former Senate president said he expects some of the potential candidates to drop out, leaving two to four candidates to duke it out in the presidential race.

He also said a possible tandem between Sen. Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III and Roxas could be tough to beat but only if Noynoy decides to run for president.

Villar confessed that he was miffed over a Senate ethics investigation over allegations that he authorized a double insertion of funds in a C-5 road project. He said most of his critics have yet to prove their allegations a year after starting the probe.

"I resent being called a thief...At a certain point, people are not angry with you. They are just jealous," he said.

Villar said he has many advantages that could help him win the elections including popular support in the Ilonggo provinces and strong party machinery in the grassroots.

He also said that his experience as a former Senate President and Speaker of the House proves that he is capable of making radical decisions and necessary reforms.

"If you look at my record, you will see what I have accomplished. Kaya ngayon, nakikita ko na malaking pagbabago ang kailangan natin sa ating lipunan, palagay ko kaya naming baguhin yan. Hindi ko sinasabi na ako ang magiging pinakamagaling na Pangulo o siguradong mangyayari yan kapag ako’y naging Pangulo. Sinasabi ko lang, dahil nagawa ko na ang mga bagay na yan, malaki ang posibilidad na kaya kong gawin yan," he said.

Villar also quashed suggestions that he could slip down to the vice-presidential race next year.

"Will I run for vice-president? No. This is it. Even if my wife was the only one who voted for me, I’d still run," he said.