Senators vote to probe Villar

MANILA, Philippines - Twelve senators yesterday voted to adopt a resolution finding credence and substance in the ethics complaint filed by a fellow senator against Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. over the alleged realignment of funds for the C-5 Road extension project.

Bur Villar, who has accused the Senate committee of the whole of being biased against him, remained firm in his decision not to attend the proceedings and said he reserves his legal right to defend himself.

Sen. Jamby Madrigal, the leading proponent of the complaint, cast her yes vote along with Senators Rodolfo Biazon, Panfilo Lacson, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Edgardo Angara, Manuel Roxas II, Jinggoy Estrada, Richard Gordon, Loren Legarda, Benigno Aquino III, and Gregorio Honasan.

Enrile did not cast a vote but manifested that he be counted in favor of the adoption of the resolution.

Senator Villar and the members of the minority bloc did not attend the proceedings after Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Sen. Alan Cayetano expressed dismay over the handling of the rules for the ethics hearing.

Absent were Senators Bong Revilla, Francis Escudero, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Lito Lapid, who are part of the majority, and minority senators Joker Arroyo, Pia Cayetano, and Kiko Pangilinan. Sen. Antonio Trillanes is still in detention.

Enrile said Villar is not compelled to appear in the preliminary conference on Tuesday “if he does not want to.”

Presidential aspirants Roxas, Legarda, Lacson and Gordon stressed that they want to give Villar due process and enough time to explain his side on the accusations.

The senators explained how their votes should be viewed in the face of insinuations earlier made by Villar that the composition of the committee is biased and that the presidential candidates plotted to eliminate him.

Enrile said the senators will vote on Villar’s guilt after the examination of affidavits and evidence during the “trial.”  

If found guilty, Villar may face any among a range of penalties, from the lightest penalty of admonition up to expulsion, which is the strongest penalty that can be slapped on a senator embroiled in an ethics case.

Enrile explained that whatever punishment, if any, will have no effect on Villar’s plan to run for president in next year’s elections.

Finding probable cause

Angara explained that the Senate proceedings yesterday were still in the preliminary stage, and compared it to the filing of charges at the prosecutor level in criminal proceedings.

“There is no finding of guilt or innocence at this stage. We are just making a finding of probable cause to enable the calling of a hearing to receive the evidence formally that will be offered by the complainant and hopefully, the evidence offered by the respondent,” said Enrile.

Angara said there is no definitive judgment or determination of guilt at this point until the senators have scrutinized all records and evidence.

The Madrigal complaint alleged that Villar caused the realignment of the C5 Road Extension project to benefit the properties registered in the names of the corporations owned and controlled by him and his family.

It added that Villar allegedly committed conflict of interest when he failed to divest himself of his interests in corporations whose properties were acquired by the government for road right-of-way for the Las Piñas-Parañaque Link Road.

Madrigal also alleged that Villar inserted P200 million in the 2008 budget for the construction of the C5 Road extension project from the Southern Luzon Expressway to Sucat Road including the right-of-way when “such project is already covered by an appropriation for the same amount in the same law.”

Villar hits back

However, Villar said the committee’s move is a confirmation that he will not get a fair trial from the members of the committee.

Speaking at his own press conference, the former Senate president said he was not surprised with the outcome of the vote but was actually expecting it.

He lashed back at his accusers, especially the presidentiables, whom he accused of conflict of interest.

“I will not attend. I don’t recognize it. It wasn’t only the complainant who voted, but also the presidentiables. It’s clear that they too have conflicts of interest,” Villar said in Filipino.

Villar, who jumped the gun on a leadership coup aimed to oust him as Senate head last year by resigning, also slammed Madrigal for acting in bad taste when she voted in favor of the resolution when she was the complainant.

He said the complaint is about politics and the 2010 presidential elections.

“I know this is just politics but they need to provide a good cover so it isn’t too obvious,” Villar said in Filipino.

Madrigal, on the other hand, said she does not find logic in Villar’s comments.

“I am the complainant and it is just logical that I stand by my complaint,” Madrigal said in an interview on ANC.

In explaining her vote earlier in the day, Madrigal said she was standing by the complaint she filed.

Villar said he and the minority senators have decided that there is no sense in participating in the proceedings.

“We will not participate, we will not send a lawyer or representatives. In principle we do not recognize these proceedings,” he said, adding that his legal team is still preparing their strategies and he is following their recommendations.

The committee of the whole ordered the conduct of a preliminary conference next week.

Villar said he is exerting efforts to explain his side to the Filipino people by conducting regular press conferences to reach out to the public. His team also distributed primers and pamphlets to explain his side.

Villar said he does not care if he is admonished or expelled from the Senate if he is found guilty because of his decision not to participate in the ethics proceedings.

Sen. Alan Cayetano, an ally of Villar at the Nacionalista Party, said yesterday morning’s proceedings are all part of a “political show” where everything is “scripted.”

“So whatever they do, it’s not a matter of Villar versus the institution. It’s Villar against the presidentiables and people connected to the presidentiables,” he said.

Cayetano added that the ethics proceedings have diverted the Senate from its other functions of legislation and the conduct of inquiries, particularly on corruption charges against the administration.

Palace: Hands off

Meanwhile, Malacañang expressed concern that the Senate would not be able to act on important pieces of legislation when it is preoccupied with the ethics probe against Villar.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Anthony Golez said the Palace could not do anything about what is going on in the Senate, and is merely a spectator.

“Well, of course every one of us will be worried because all important bills are going to be put on hold because of a certain scenario in the Senate,” Golez said.

Since it is only watching the events in the Senate, he said the Palace would not offer any advice to the personalities involved in the current ethics committee probe since they make their own decisions and are fully aware of what they have to do to help their own causes. — Artemio Dumlao, Marvin Sy