Senate finally discusses committee report vs Villar

The committee report seeking the censure of Senator Manuel Villar Jr. for allegedly earning billions in the government's C-5 road extension project was finally tackled by the Senate Monday afternoon. Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., however, questioned Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile why the report was the first item on the day's agenda. "I would like to specifically object to the taking up of this committee report as the first item on the agenda. We have a rule that those first filed will be discussed first. This committee report cannot supervene the resolutions and bills filed ahead of it," Pimentel said. Enrile, head of the committee of the whole that probed Villar, said that under existing rules, a committee report is always in the order of business. "A committee report submitted takes precedence over other things." Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri sided with Enrile, saying they agreed Wednesday last week that the committee report would be the first item on the agenda after the chamber ran out of time to discuss it. Enrile said the committee of the whole conducted 12 adjudicatory hearings and the complainant, Senator Ma Ana Consuelo Madrigal, presented 900 pieces of documentary evidence and testimonies of witnesses. He said that despite the opportunities accorded to Villar to participate in the hearings, the latter refused to do so. The Senate chief said the committee found Villar, a presidential candidate, guilty of violating Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution and Section 3 (i) in relation to Section 9 of Repbulic Act 6713 or The Code of Conduct of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and engaging himself in improper and unethical conduct "that adversely reflects upon the Senate." Aside from censuring Villar, the committee wanted the senator to return to the government the P6.22 billion his company allegedly “gained" through illegal means from the construction of the C-5 road extension. Enrile said there is substantial, credible evidence that Villar is a major stockholder of Adelfa Properties Inc, which owns Golden Haven Memorial Park and Azalea Real Estate Corporation (now Britanny Corporation), and was the proponent of Las Piñas-Parañaque Link Road project and the government's C-5 road extension project. He said the road projects were made to pass through the properties of the corporations of Villar following a curved, instead of a straight, alignment. Enrile said the alignment of the C-5 road extension segment of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project had to be changed just to accommodate the alignments of the Las Piñas-Parañaque and C-5 extension projects. Villar's corporations allegedly received road right-of-way compensation and still have unpaid claims. It said the properties of Villar that were acquired were given zonal valuation for different areas, thus increasing the compensation due them. Enrile said Villar failed to avoid a conflict-of-interest situation by not divesting himself of his shareholdings or interest in the mentioned corporations. It added that Villar used his power to satisfy the interest of his corporations. After Enrile's sponsorship speech, the minority bloc said it would present its side and the resolution it filed in November clearing Villar of the charges. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano will sponsor the resolution. He will be followed by Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Joker Arroyo who will be delivering speeches as co-sponsors of the resolution. Madrigal questioned this, saying it could be dilatory tactics to prevent the Senate from adopting the committee report. As of posting time, the Senate was still tackling the issue. - Amita Legaspi/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV