Villar hits smear, disinformation drive

"None of my housing companies borrowed from, or owe a single centavo to government nor were they involved in any irregularities."

This was the reaction of former Speaker Manny Villar to allegations that low cost housing companies that he founded prior to his entry into politics cornered Pag-ibig housing loans.

"First of all I am proud to say that companies that I founded were able to provide for the housing needs of thousands of low income earners," said Villar. "Suggesting any irregularity is inaccurate and due to lack of understanding of the processes in acquiring a housing loan," added Villar.

The People Power Coalition senatorial candidate stresses that it is the homebuyers who secure a loan from Pag-ibig that owe the institution and not the home-developer. "There is a very big difference here," he said.

Villar adds that since C&P Homes was the market leader at that time, it is but natural for it to be the choice of persons availing of housing loans.

As to so called "falsified documents" submitted to the National Home Mortgage and Finance Corporation (NHMFC) to support loan applications, Villar clarifies that these are submitted by the homebuyers and thus it is the NHMFC and Pag-ibig job to determine whether such documents such as certificate of employment, income tax returns and DTI business registration are genuine. Only then, adds Villar, will the Certificate of Loan Eligibility (CLE) be given to the home-builder.

"Now if there is any collusion between housing officials and those who processed these documents, they must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," said Villar. "‘I will certainly not tolerate any wrongdoing if there be any," he added.

Villar, who has consistently landed in the winning circle in poll surveys says that it is natural for black propaganda such as the housing issue against him to surface since elections are drawing near.

" I have no doubt that this is part of the smear drive against me and is politically motivated. But no matter how they try to twist facts, I am confident that Filipinos know better."