Villar wants closure on C-5 road controversy

Despite refusing to open himself to interrogation on the issue in the Senate, Senator Manuel Villar Jr. on Thursday said he wants closure on the C-5 road extension controversy. Speaking on radio dzBB's "Ikaw Na Ba? The Presidential Interview," Villar maintained that there was no anomaly in the road's extension, and said he wants his name cleared. "Kailangang tapusin yan, kailangan mapawalang sala ako niyan...sapagkat wala akong kasalanan diyan (That should be finished, I should be vindicated... because I did nothing wrong there)," Villar said. [Listen to the full interview here.] Even as he said he is leaving the judgment up to the people using the C-5 road, Villar chastised his political rivals in the Senate for not bringing the issue to the courts, which he said are the proper fora. "Bakit ayaw nilang i-file sa korte? Kasi mapapahiya sila e (Why don't they want to file a case in court? Because they'll just be humiliated)," he said. Villar was accused by other senators, including Sen. Ma. Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal--another presidential aspirant--of exerting his influence on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) so the C-5 road extension will pass through his real estate properties. [See: The C5 road extension controversy: an interactive map]

Click here for larger version Click on the arrow in the lower right hand corner of the map to see other layers of information. Villar said his accusers were only after publicity. "Ang gusto nila nasa Senado dahil doon ay televised, yun ay nasa TV parati, nasa radyo, paulit-ulit na hearing (They want to do it in the Senate because [the hearings] are televised, they're on TV and radio all the time, the hearings are repetitive)." Villar repeatedly refused to show up at the Senate to face the allegations against him. He only stood to answer on the floor on February 2, when he insisted that there was no anomaly in the project. He did not entertain questions from senators and quickly left the session hall after his speech. [See: Villar takes Senate floor, says C5 issue all about politics] The next day, he and his political allies did not show up at session when the chamber was supposed to vote on whether to censure him for allegedly profiting from the C5 project. - RSJ, GMANews.TV