Nacionalista Party standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr. Thursday admitted meeting Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) officials but he never “twisted anyone's arm” to benefit a publicly-listed real estate company his family controls. He made this clarification Friday, a day after former president Joseph Estrada and his allies accused him of pressuring corporate regulators to exempt him from a rule that required him to hold his shares in Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc. for six months. Proceeds from the share sale supposedly helped fund his presidential campaign, Villar's rivals claimed. But the NP presidential bet said that Estrada, the standard bearer of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, could have been misinformed about the issue. Nevertheless, he still respects Estrada, adding that he refuses to file charges against him, Villar said in a press conference Friday. Under PSE rules, shareholders who own at least a tenth of a company being listed on the exchange cannot sell their shares until after six months. “Baka nakuryente si Erap. Meron lang nagpapaandar sa kanya, hindi nawawala ang paggalang ko sa kanya,” he said.
