Senator Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) formally accepted Tuesday the offer to be Senator Manny Villar’s running mate in the 2010 elections.

NPC spokesperson and Valenzuela Representative Rex Gatchalian, however, clarified that Legarda is still a member of NPC despite running under Villar’s Nacionalista Party (NP).

He said Legarda's union with Villar underwent consultations among members of the NPC but plan of merging the two parties has not been considered.

Some NPC members have already expressed their support to Legarda; however, the party has yet to come up with a consensus as to the ground of supporting Villar.

Gatchalian said NP is privileged to have Legarda as their vice presidential candidate because she has brought more supporting groups behind her.

Villar and Legarda stressed that their union is not a result of a political expediency but because they share similar advocacies and visions for the nation.

Legarda said that she and Villar both came from a modest and humble beginning and they are both dedicated to address issues on poverty, employment, education and climate change.

The peace process in Mindanao and the basic social benefits of the Filipinos are also part of their platform.

The tandem used to have opposing stands in the Senate, but in the end, the two decided to collaborate on the notion to “eradicate poverty in the country and conserving the environment.”

Poverty, as Villar said, "has negative effects for the environment.”

Legarda, on the issue of the tandem’s opposing beliefs, said she doesn't walk away from her words and what she stood in the Senate is an expression of speech given that the law provides it.

She cited the similarity of her experience with running mate Villar as that of Obama and Clinton who surpassed the issue and successfully led the US to be stronger nation.

Villar also laid his and Legarda’s platform that introduced a new kind of governance, politics and leadership that will transform the country and reward the best and the brightest.

Political analysts said the Villar-Legarda tandem can be bothersome to the decision making of both parties since Legarda accepted the invitation as a guest candidate for NP.