9 senators have signed report on C-5 road project - Enrile

MANILA, Philippines – Nine senators have signed the Senate Committee of the Whole’s report on the C-5 road project controversy involving Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said yesterday.

Villar was accused of asking the Senate committee on finance to “insert” an additional P200 million to speed up the construction of the C-5 road extension project. He denied it at first but Enrile later identified him as the one who sought the additional funding in the 2008 budget.

The issue became more controversial when Sen. Jamby Madrigal filed a case before the Senate ethics committee, saying the project was realigned to benefit the properties of Villar.

Enrile, chairman of the Senate Committee of the Whole, said the report was confidential and would not be debated on the floor if 12 senators that would compose a majority would not sign it.

“It will become a non-report (without the signatures),” Enrile said over radio station dwIZ. But he added it would be part of the records and the public could secure a copy and read it.

Enrile refused to divulge the names of those who have signed the report, said to be unfavorable to Villar.

He earlier said the report had considered testimonial and documentary pieces of evidence presented before the Committee of the Whole.

Since Villar refused to appear before the hearings, his side was never considered in the report.

Before the committee report was completed, Villar also secured a resolution dismissing the charges against him.

Twelve senators signed it but Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada later withdrew his signature because it was released before the committee report.

Villar snubbed the ethics committee hearings, saying its members were presidential aspirants like him and thus would not be fair.

The Senate then decided to refer it to the floor and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, ethics committee chairman, recommended that the Committee of the Whole hear the case instead.

The C-5 issue also cost Villar his Senate leadership as he was ousted as Senate president after the controversy broke out.

Villar, Nacionalista Party’s standard-bearer, has maintained he is innocent of the charges and that the Senate is a “kangaroo court” out to convict him and derail his bid for the presidency.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he was unsure if the report could still be debated on the floor since they only have nine days more to conduct sessions before the start of the campaign period on Feb. 9.

But he called on his colleagues to sign the committee report so it could be filed and debated on the floor. “It’s going to be a bloody debate on whether the Senate should approve or reject the report,” Zubiri said.

He said signing the report would not mean concurrence to all of it because the senators could sign with reservations or objections.

The signatures from the majority will only allow the Committee of the Whole to file the report and tackle it on the floor.

“Otherwise, we cannot calendar it for plenary debates. It will be ideal for them to sign the report and decide whether it’s factual or not, if it’s warranted or not, after the debates. That’s the only time they should come up with a vote,” Zubiri said.

Enrile will defend the report since his office prepared it as chairman of the Committee of the Whole.

Zubiri said it would also be an opportunity for Villar to air his side because he had not been facing his colleagues.

Enrile said senators would try to finish their legislative agenda and attempt to pass 13 Senate bills and two House bills up for third reading during the resumption of session tomorrow.        – Aurea Calica