Pangilinan withdraws signature from pro-Villar reso

The Senate resolution clearing Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. on the charges hurled against him in connection with the controversial C-5 road extension project is now two signatures short of the majority number of senators. This was after Sen. Francis Pangilinan withdrew his signature from Senate Resolution 1472, which was signed by 12 senators. He was the second senator after Senate Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada to do so. In a letter sent to, and read by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri during Monday's session, Pangilinan said that he believed Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile should be given a chance to report the findings of the committee of the whole against Villar. "After series of consultations, we have come to the conclusion on a matter of the report of the committee of the whole. Regardless of my own stance, the proponent should be given the opportunity to report the contents and findings of the committee of the whole in the plenary," Pangilinan's letter read. Pangilinan, incidentally, was a member of the so-called Wednesday Group in the Senate along with Villar, Sen. Joker Arroyo, now Vice President Noli de Castro, and former Sen. Ralph Recto. Villar, in an earlier interview, had earlier admitted that he was hurt by Pangilinan's support to the committee report.

Pangilinan has affixed his signature on the committee report censuring Villar and demanding the return of P6.22 billion his corporations allegedly gained from the road project. Pangilinan earlier said he did this as part of the stand of the Liberal Party, which is fielding the tandem of Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and Sen. Manuel Roxas II for the May elections. Villar is running for president under the Nacionalista Party with Sen. Loren Legarda. The Senate Resolution 1472 was filed in November last year. Estrada withdrew his signature from it due to reports that he received money from Villar in exchange for his support. - Amita Legaspi/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV