Villar Senate Speech on C5 Extension controversy

SPEECH OF SENATOR MANNY VILLAR
ON C5 CONTROVERSY
02 FEB 2010



SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT




OPENING.


Mr. President:

I stand before the Senate and the People of the Philippines in defense of my name, my honor, and dignity against my accusers in the so-called C5 controversy. To set the records straight and to prove to the Senator who called me coward na hindi ako duwag.

Wala pong DUWAG na taga-Tondo!

May kasabihan tayo na ang mga Pilipino ay may crab mentality. Sa aking kabataan ay kasama ko ang aking ina sa pagbenta ng pagkaing dagat sa palengke. Nakita ko na totoong ganun nga ang asal ng mga talangka -- hinahatak pababa ang kanyang kapwa.

Ang hindi ko maintindihan ay kung bakit sa dami-dami nang pagmamanahan ng ugali, sa talangka pa nagmana ang iba sa atin.

Ako’y dating mahirap; di ko ikinahihiya ang aking pinagmulan. Sa murang edad, nalaman ko agad na di ako kakain kung di ko ito pagpapawisan. Mula sa aking mga magulang – isang tindera at isang karaniwang empleyado – natutunan kong mabuhay nang marangal. Siyam kaming magkakapatid na itinaguyod sa malinis na pamamaraan.

Ngunit taas-noong kong masasabi sa inyo na kahit ng anong hirap ang dinanas namin, wala kaming inagawan, wala kaming inagrabyado. Wala sa dugo namin ang manloko o mandaya ng kapwa. Ang mga nakamit ko sa buhay ay aking pinagpaguran. Mula pa nung skwater ako sa Tondo, ang kinagisnan ko na ay ang magtrabaho. Kaya sa tulong ng maykapal, ng pagsusumikap at ng sipag at tiyaga ay naiahon ko ang sarili ko sa kahirapan.

Wala akong minanang yaman bukod sa kabutihang asal; ang lumingon sa pinanggalingan at tumulong sa nangangailangan.


Nung gumanda ang aking kapalaran, ninais kong suklian ang tadhana sa pamamagitan ng pagtutulong sa mga kapuspalad at manilbihan sa mga nangangailangan. Natanto ko na iyon ang aking misyon sa buhay kung kayat ako’y nabiyayaan.

Ngayon, bagamat nais kong ipagpatuloy ang serbisyo publiko, pilit akong hinihila pababa ng aking mga katunggali sa pulitika. Sila’y nagmimistulang mga talangka.

Sabi nila’y ako ay masyado daw mayaman. San daw galing ang yaman ko? Pilit nilang nilalagyan ng malisya ang pag-ahon ko mula sa kahirapan. Magpapayaman pa daw ako pag nanalo. Babawiin ko daw ang ginagastos ko sa kampanya.

I can explain my wealth. I am the principal shareholder in a public company that I founded.. From a small gravel and sand enterprise 30 years ago with but an old beaten up truck as its main asset, I have been able to grow it into a trustworthy, viable, and solid real estate company. It is a matter of public record.

Mahigit 250,000 na pong mga bahay ang naitatayo namin sa buong Pilipinas – karamihan para sa mga middle at lower income nating mga kababayan masipag at masinop.

In business circles, I have been known as the brown taipan.

Hindi ko kailangan ang 200 million pesos na sinasabi nilang nakimkim ko sa proyekto ng C5 extension. Di pa sila nakuntento ay pinalaki pa ito. Pagkatapos ng so-called investigation nila ay 6 billion pesos na daw ang napunta sa akin.

Pano po mampupunta sa akin ang 200 million pesos, Mr. President, kung:

Una, di pa nare-release ang nasabing 200 million pesos
Pangalawa, kung na-release man ito ay di dadaan sa kamay ko ang pondo dahil ang DPWH ang implementing agency.

Pano ko maibubulsa ang wala pa at ang hindi dumaan at dadaan sa kamay ko?

Uulitin ko po. Pulitika na naman ito.

Dalawang taon na po ang isyung ito. Hindi ko ubos-maisip kung bakit naggugugol po ang Senado ng ganito karaming oras upang ipilit sa taumbayan na ako ay magnanakaw.

Pilit na sisinira ang aking pangalan. Tinalakay nang napakaraming ulit na itong C5. Nadinig ko na ang mga akusasyon. Inihayag ko na ang aking saloobin at depensa nang napakaraming beses na din.

Walang makapagsasabi na hindi ako sumagot sa mga paratang sa senado. Nandito kayong lahat noong ako ay nagsalita dito. Nagsalita na din akong nang mahigit na isandaang ulit para sa media. Lahat ng pertinenteng dokumento ay kinalap at kinolekta namin sa aming official website na MannyVillar.com.ph. We printed informational pamphlets and even advertised. I personally brought journalists to the location. Wala akong nilihim tungkol sa aking partisipasyon sa marangal na proyektong ito.

Ako’y nananawagan na sana’y maging patas naman ang aking mga kasamahan sa senado. Noon ko pang sinabi at pinatunayang wala akong kasalanan at walang anomalya at katiwalian sa C5. Wag po nating hayaang maging kasangkapan ng pulitika ang napakagandang proyektong ito.

Subalit pano makakakita ang nagbubulagbulagan? Pano makakarinig ang nagbibingibingihan? At ika nga, ang pinakamahirap gisingin ay ang nagtutulug-tulugan. At higit sa lahat, pano magkakaroon ng hustisya at katotohanan sa isang kasong may hatol na bago pa man litisin?

Mr. President, I was condemned without the benefit of a fair trial.

Alam ko namang hindi ako titigilan. Yan ang dahilan, Mr. President, kaya ayaw kong sumali sa sarswelang ito na ikinubli sa tawag na imbestigasyon. Ang isang boxer ba ay lalaban pa kung may decision na ang mga hurado?

Sa kagustuhan nilang sirain ako sa mata ng bayan, ang isang marangal at napakandang proyekto pa ang babaluktutin at gagamitin laban sa akin.

This is precisely what’s wrong in our country, Mr. President.

Ang mga gumagawa ng tama at kabutihan ay ang siya pang kinakastigo. Kung ganyan ang ipagpapatuloy natin, wala nang mangangahas mangarap at gumawa ng mabuti. Only those with vision, capability, and are strong-willed can be part of something like the C5 project – a project that shows the country is moving forward. While many of us who want to get elected promise progress for our country, C5 is that promise realized. It is there for everyone to benefit from and take advantage of.

I am proud to be part of this project.

The construction of the road which is meant to serve the people is far from complete. A day lost in the development of the C5 extension project is a day taken away from the people we committed to serve. They need the road. They need our help. But some of the senators here have other needs – such as a need to embarrass me in public. They want to weaken my candidacy. They want me out of their way.

Nalulungkot ako na ito ay nagpapalayo sa atin mula sa sinumpaan nating trabaho sa Senado. Habang nagbabangayan ang mga senador ay may mga tao sa labas ng dating marangal na institusyon na ito na naghihirap. I am here today for the people who aren’t here in this room today. Kahit na magdamag tayong magdebate, sigurado tayong may kakainin sa ating pag-uwi ng bahay. Ngunit ang karamihan sa ating mahihirap na kababayan ay di pwedeng umupo lamang at maghintay matapos tayo. Kung di sila kakayod, wala silang kakainin.

Mr. President,


For the record, Mr. President,

I want to set the facts straight. The report of the committee of the whole – as submitted and read to the public last Monday – is most unfair to me. I believe it was so presented to deceive the people. It was meant to besmirch my reputation.

Whatever the motives of my accusers, the report does not reflect the truth.

Wala pong katotohanan dito.

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. Mula simula hanggang huli, ang sinasabing imbestigasyon ay punung puno ng pulitika. Lahat ng aking mga kalalaban sa election ay nagimbento.

Sila’y nagluto ng isang kaso na kanilang pinalaki sa media.

Nung binato nila ito sa Ethics Committee at nalamang hindi sakop ng ethics ito, nagluto ng special set of rules para lang sa akin at in-apply retroactively -- in clear violation of our Constitution.

Sila mismo nag conduct ng hearings, at kung dati ay executive session dapat ay ginawa nilang publiko para lamang sa akin. An unprecedented 19 public hearings were staged to shame me. Napakaliwanag na pamumulitika lang. Gumawa sila ng kakaibang pamantayan para lamang sa akin.

At nang lahat ng saksi ay nagsabi na wala akong kasalanan, nagluto na naman sila ng sariling desisyon.

Lutong Macau lahat ito, Mr. President. Lutong Macau mula simula hanggang katapusan.

Nung una, double insertion ang paratang. Nung nakitang di naman totoo at para sa dalawang proyekto naman pala yun, realignment naman ang banat. Nung napakita namin na dalawang kalye ito – isang toll road at isang surface road, overpricing naman. Nung napakitang wala namang overpricing, conflict of interest ang sumunod. Napabulaanan ko yun at sa katunayan ay may ruling ang Department of Justice na walang conflict of.

Simple lang naman ang paliwanag e. Napaliwanag ko na ng simple dati pero tila walang naririnig. Kumbinsido na sila sa kasinungalingan nila.

Naluto na.

C5 Project Details

For the record, Mr. President, the C5 Road Project is not just my own personal project though it is one I am proud to be associated with – all these controversies notwithstanding. This is a project of the government implemented through the Department of Public Works and Highways. Renamed the President Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, the C5 Road was conceptualized as early as 1946, and runs from Manila Bay-Malolos-Caloocan-Quezon City-Taguig/Pateros-Paranaque-Las Piñas-Cavite. It is a 51-kilometer long thoroughfare starting from Manila Bay, and goes full circle to end likewise in Manila Bay.

Of the entire stretch, 32.5 kilometers are fully developed, covering Malabon and Caloocan going all the way to Quezon City-Taguig/Pateros-Paranaque-Las Piñas.

The Additional P200 Million Appropriation

As I am an ardent supporter of development, I have been pushing for the completion of the project.

I have emphasized in the past that the C5 Road Extension project would ease the worsening traffic problem common in the neighboring cities of Paranaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa, as well as the nearby towns of Cavite. Kita po natin ang grabeng trapik sa Coastal Road araw araw. And I have lived in Las Piñas for the most part of my life. I can attest to the severe traffic situation residents face there every day.

Even on weekends, it is almost impossible to exit BF Homes via its two main gates, the Alabang and Lopez gates, without experiencing at least 30 minutes of traffic. The Lopez gate, being nearest to the C5 Extension, is under frequent gridlock due to a large number of vehicles passing through BF Homes, which itself straddles the cities of Paranaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa.

May I also add that with the completion of the C5 road extension, as envisioned, travel time from northern areas to and from the industrial parks in Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas will be shortened. This translates to fuel savings for motorists.

For this reason, I proposed an amendment in the form of additional budget amounting to 200 million pesos for a certain portion of C5 –the flyover to be constructed in the Cavite Coastal Road.

May I enlighten you, fellow legislators, that this is an ADDITIONAL amount to the budget of the SAME project. Meaning, the total appropriation should have reflected 400 million pesos in the GAA, instead of 200 million pesos as earlier proposed. For your information, the proposed aggregate budget for the C-5 is placed at 4.2 billion pesos.

To this end, allow me to bring to your attention the declarations made by Atty. Yolanda Doblon, Director General of the Legislative Budget and Research Monitoring Office (LBRMO).

In the hearing of October 6, 2009, Atty. Yolanda Doblon CATEGORICALLY SAID THAT THERE IS NO DOUBLE INSERTION IN THE C-5 ROAD PROJECT.

Again, I would like to repeat, reference is the TSN of October 6, 2009 public hearing of the Committee of the Whole, pages 128-136.

Of significance, let me bring to your attention too that I have no doubt that the DPWH knew and got the instruction correctly. In the public hearing of October 15, 2008, Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane was right in saying that the two 200 million pesos were allocated for two different sites, but they are still within the confines of the C5 road project. Hence, I insist it is for the SAME project (C5), albeit on different locations – the first being the Sucat road flyover, and second, the Coastal road.

The “double entry” or insertion of 200 million pesos is not irregular because it covers two different – let me repeat, TWO DIFFERENT and SEPARATE segments of the C5 project.

“Insertion,” per se, or amendment, which is the appropriate parliamentary lexicon, is not illegal as it is a right commonly observed within the realm of policymaking to allow lawmakers to adjust the proposed annual budget by introducing appropriate amendments, with the public’s welfare in mind.

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. Pulitika lamang po.

I Did Not Use Influence vis-à-vis the Project



According to the Committee Report, the Las Piñas-Paranaque Link Road Project and the DPWH C-5 Road Extension Project were made to pass through the properties of my corporations, instead of a straight alignment. It went further to say that the alignment of the C5 Road Extension segment of the Manila Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP) of the Toll Regulatory Board has to be changed just to accommodate the alignments of the Las Piñas Paranaque Link Road Project and the DPWH C5 Road Extension Project.

These are blatant lies, Mr. President.

I did not direct, or influence, the DPWH to have the C5 Project pass through my properties. The fact is that the conceptualization, alignment, planning and execution of the said project were all done by the DPWH.


If indeed there was any re-alignment of MCTEP, it only involved a “kilometer” of said alignment. Surely, such did not cause the MCTEP to be mothballed. There is no evidence that the supposed re-alignment resulted in MCTEP becoming unnecessary as to require its being discontinued.

As to the alleged re-alignment of the C5 Road Extension Project, it was only a slight shifting of one bridge (Bridge No. 2) in the upstream direction in order not to create conflict with the proposed alignment of the LRT Line I South Extension Project. This slight shifting of Bridge No. 2 was at the request of LRTA; and it did not involve my intervention or even a request from me.

As explained in the letter dated 15 October 2008, of DPWH Regional Director Roberto G. Lala, CESO III, to DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. (attached to the Affidavit submitted by Engr. Adriano to the Committee):

“The segment of C5 Project that is described hereto is from Sucat Road to Pres. Quirino Ave. (also known as Paranaque-Las Piñas Link Road)

The project was not re-routed as it followed the original route or alignment prepared by the DPWH-NCR except for the location of one bridge (Bridge No. 2) whose centerline was slightly shifted in the upstream direction in order not to create conflict with the proposed alignment of LRT Line I South Extension Project. This was made in attention to the request of LRTA to then NCR Regional Director Salvador A. Pleyto, per letter dated Feb. 23, 2001 copy attached marked as Annex I. But even with this slight change, the 30 meters road right-of-way was still maintained. Except for such shifting of the Bridge No. 2, no more modification was made from the original alignment up to its construction phases from Sucat Road to Pres. Quirino Avenue.” (As cited in the Affidavit of Engineer Adriano, TSN, 8 September 2009, 11:06 a.m., pp. 2-3)


It is noteworthy that at no time during the entire adjudicatory proceedings did the complainant and counsel ever present testimonial or documentary evidence to disprove the truth and veracity of this letter of DPWH Regional Director Lala.

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. This was all politics.

There is no corruption


They accused me of financially benefiting from the C5 transaction; that I made a pile of money out of it.

There is nothing farther from the truth, Mr. President.

It is common knowledge that the fund was impounded by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), upon directions from President Gloria Arroyo herself. It means the fund has not been released by the DBM. So where is corruption there?

As regards those deeds of sale and payments made by DPWH to companies my family owned - in legal terms, the payments made are called just compensation. Properties were taken and so corresponding payments should be made.

I could not have possibly prevented the construction of the road. That is the government’s prerogative. But I cannot, in my conscience, sacrifice the interest of the general public simply because some of my companies’ properties will be affected.

Let me stress that as developers of real estate properties, the Villar companies could have, by themselves, constructed the road and earmarked some portions as exclusive in which case, the properties could have had higher values. But public interest demands that we open the properties and allow motorists and the commuting public to utilize the roads.

Besides, allow me to state that I am not a member of the Bicameral Conference that approved the 2008 budget. That is significant to prove that I did not dip my fingers or never exerted influence in the passage of said legislation.

More importantly, not having anything to do with the final disposition of my proposed amendments to the 2008 GAA, I cannot be accused of proposing the amendments in order to benefit my real estate companies.

The Senate’s role in the enactment of the GAA starts and ends with its proposing and approving amendments thereto. Once approved and signed into law by the President of the Philippines, the Senate or the Senators no longer have anything to do with the disposition or implementation of the GAA, which belongs solely to the implementing agencies of the Executive Department.

Above all, there is nothing from the evidence presented to even suggest that I ever intervened in the disposition or implementation of the 2008 GAA as to derive benefit for myself or my real estate companies to the detriment of the Filipino people.

On the contrary, the records show that other land owners in the same area of Las Piñas and Parañaque whose lands were also taken by the DPWH as right of way for the C5 Project were long paid ahead for their lands, while some of my companies to this day remain unpaid and have not even filed the requisite documents with the DPWH to facilitate payment. (Testimony of Engineer Adriano, TSN, 8 September 2009, 12:06 pm, p. 4; 12:46 pm., pp. 4-5)

No Overpricing

The C5 issue brought with it otherwise irrelevant matters, but I am compelled to answer anyway for they mischievously depict this humble representation as a scheming man – which I definitely am not.

There is an allegation that as a result of the undue advantage, the properties owned by the Villar companies are grossly overpriced. Allow me to state, for the record: Zonal valuation is determined by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), not by Senators, not by me.

There is absolutely no evidence that I ever interfered with the issuance by the BIR of the zonal valuation of the properties owned by my companies.

SA MISMONG REPORT, SINABI NA “THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO PROVE THE DIRECT PARTICIPATION OF SENATOR VILLAR IN THE OVERPRICING OF SUCH PROPERTIES”.



ITO AY PAGE 83, PARAGRAPH 1, VERBATIM:



“As to the valuation of the properties of Senator Villar’s corporations that were acquired for roads-right-of-way for the Las Piñas-Parañaque Link Road Project and the DPWH C-5 Road Extension Project, although there is no evidence to prove the direct participation of Senator Villar in the overpricing of such properties, it is fair and safe to assume that Senator Villar knew about the said overpricing as his corporation stood to gain from such transactions with the government and considering the closeness of Senator Villar to Engr. Adriano who was directly involved in these transactions.”



SAMAKATWID, ANG IBIG SABIHIN NITO - SA HINABA-HABA NG KANILANG MGA EBIDENSYA, HALOS 127 YATA, ANG KANILANG BASEHAN LANG AY “ASSUMPTION” O “YUNG KANILANG STATEMENT NA “IT IS FAIR AND SAFE TO ASSUME”.



ITO AY SOBRANG MALI.



CONSISTENT ANG SUPREME COURT SA DECISION NITO NA HINDI BASEHAN ANG SIMPLENG “ASSUMPTIONS” PARA MAG-CONVICT, LALO NA KUNG ITO AY PATUNGKOL SA ETHICAL BEHAVIOR.



Proof, not mere conjectures or assumptions, should be proffered to indicate that the accused had taken part in, to use the Court's words in Arias vs. Sandiganbayan, the "planning, preparation and perpetration of the alleged conspiracy to defraud the government" for, otherwise, any "careless use of the conspiracy theory (can) sweep into jail even innocent persons who may have (only) been made unwitting tools by the criminal minds" really responsible for that irregularity. (for reference, ito ay kaso ng Sabiniano v. CA, GR 76558, October 6, 1995).



SA MGA KASO SA AMERICA NA APPLICABLE SA PILIPINAS – AT GINAMIT ITO NI PANGULONG ESTRADA MISMO SA KANYANG MGA KASO, SINASABI RIN NA -



“Logical reasoning in the law does not work in this manner. Courts are not allowed to supply missing evidence or to give a party the benefit of unreasonable speculation or forced inferences. Liability cannot rest upon guesswork, conjecture or speculation beyond inferences to be drawn from evidence.”



Ang sabi nga, inference must be the product of reason and logic and it must rest on evidence, i.e. on probability rather than on speculative possibility or conjecture, and must comport with physical laws and human experience.


Certainly, my participation cannot simply be “safely assumed”. It is never “safe” to assume malicious intent.

Moreover, the supposed higher valuation given the Masaito property was duly explained by the very same BIR officer who issued the certificates of zonal valuation for it. Former BIR-Parañaque Revenue Officer Carmelita Bacod, whom complainant Senator had subpoenaed and who issued the certification on the zonal valuation of the Masaito lots, not only verified the P30,000.00 zonal valuation for the said lots but also the P4,500.00 per square meter zonal valuation for the other lots along Sucat Road.

She explained that the other lots along Sucat Road are classified as “residential”; hence, they have a zonal valuation of only P4,500.00 per square meter. She went on to explain further that the Masaito lots were classified as “commercial/regular,” hence, they have a zonal valuation of P30,000.00 per square meter. (TSN of 22 September 2009, 12:23pm, pp. 7-8).

In other words, the P30,000.00 per square meter valuation for the Masaito lots in question did not come from thin air. Former Parañaque Revenue District Officer Bacod got the figure from page 9 of the Revised Zonal Valuation of 1998 of the Department of Finance.

Ms. Bacod was even adamant about the zonal valuation as she declared at the hearing on 22 September 2009 that if she were to issue another certification, she would use the same zonal valuation for the Masaito lots. (Ibid., p. 7). Thus:

“MR. FRANCISCO: But if you are to make another certification and you were asked for the zonal valuation of San Dionisio, Sucat Road, what will you state?

MS. BACOD: I will state the same facts as contained in the same certification.

MR. FRANCISCO: Which is?

MS. BACOD: That the zonal value of the property will still be 30,000 per square meter.

MR. FRANCISCO: Even if that is not found in the Revised Zonal Valuation of 1998?

MS. BACOD: Yes, because in this page 9 of San Dionisio, even if the zonal value of Don Antonio Avenue – the zonal value is 4,500, it is residential. But we have – on page 9, we have commercial/residential valuation of Php30,000.00. And for sure, my basis for classifying this property as commercial/regular is the tax declaration presented to us as issued by the Assessor’s Office classifying the same property as commercial/residential as to its actual use, Your Honor.”

Interestingly, the said testimony of Ms. Bacod was conveniently ignored in the Report.

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. Pulitika po lamang ito.

No Conflict of Interest

While none of the witnesses they presented accused me of any wrongdoing – I was shocked, and still am in shock, that the conclusion they arrived at is completely the opposite.

In the Report, they concluded that I violated the Constitution for my alleged financial interest in the C5 Project, which as senator placed me in a conflict of interest situation.

First. I did not author the 2008 GAA as no senator can be its author since the GAA originates solely from the House of Representatives.

Second. It is not true that I did not disclose my financial interest in the companies whose properties will be traversed by the MCTEP and the C5 Road Extension Project.

The truth of the matter is that one of my companies even sought the opinion of the Department of Justice precisely to determine whether or not the validity of the proposed transaction will be affected by the fact that I am its principal stockholder and whether the proposed acquisition will be violating any law or regulation, particularly the Constitution.

And, significantly, on November 9, 1999, the DOJ, through Justice Serafin R. Cuevas, rendered an Opinion holding that the acquisition by the Government of private property for right-of-way purposes does not fall within the Constitutional prohibition against Members of Congress having direct or indirect financial interest in any contract with the Government.

As aptly put by then Secretary of Justice Cuevas:

“In the instant case, there is no showing that the principal stockholder of the API took advantage of his position as a member of the House of Representatives to enable API to enter into a contract with the TRB involving the API’s property. The transaction arose as a necessary consequence of the government’s decision to implement the MCTEP and for which it became necessary for the TRB to acquire properties for right-of-way purposes. The API’s property happens to be one of those that the TRB had identified as necessary for the implementation of the MCTEB.

Clearly, the proposed acquisition by the TRB on a voluntary sale and purchase basis of the subject property of the API for right-of-way purposes does not fall within the subject constitutional prohibition. The said proposal is a mere consequence of the exercise by the TRB of is power to “condemn private property for public use subject to the provisions of existing law.” In acquiring the API’s property through negotiated sale, the TRB was acting pursuant to law.

In sum, inasmuch as the proposed transaction was not sought by the API nor by any of its stockholders, but was initiated by the TRB in view of the importance and urgency on the part of the government to acquire the subject properties of the API to obviate delay in the continuous implementation and eventual completion of the MCTEP, this Department does not foresee in situations such as this, that a principal stockholder of a private corporation who happens to be a member of the House of Representatives would be cited as having violated Section 14, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution which expressly prohibits legislators from being directly or indirectly interested financially in any contract with the Government or any of its subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities.”

Again, said DOJ Opinion was conveniently ignored by the Committee.


ON THE P6,226,070,427

Worse, the Report recommends that I return the amount of P6Billion, which I allegedly made the people to suffer.

This is totally ridiculous, Mr. President.

Let me state categorically that no government money was wasted in the C5 Project – not a single centavo!

To reiterate, there was no “re-alignment” of the C5 Road Extension Project or of the MCTEP.

The MCTEP was not rendered useless by the construction of the C5 Road Extension Project. These 2 projects are entirely separate and distinct projects. The MCTEP is a toll road, which requires payment of toll fees; while the C5 Road Extension is a public road, which allows free passage to all commuters. In other words, the C5 Road Extension is an alternative route to commuters who cannot afford to pay toll fees. The MCTEP has “limited access”, meaning it has a single entry and exit point; while the C5 Road Extension has “open access”, such that through said road commuters can access various cities and/or municipalities. Clearly, by their very nature, it is not difficult to comprehend that the 2 projects are not mutually exclusive of each other or that the C5 Road Extension is a duplicate of the MCTEP. The construction of the C5 Road Extension did NOT result in MCTEP becoming unnecessary as to require its being discontinued. The truth is both projects are necessary to decongest the worsening traffic condition in Paranaque, Las Piñas and Cavite.

ROW payments on the MCTEP were not wasted. The roads acquired are still there and owned by the government. Once the TRB shall have found another joint venture partner, the expressway project can continue.

Wala po akong ninakaw sa kaban ng bayan.

Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. Napulitika po si Manny Villar.


On the Unjust Process

MAHIRAP GISINGIN ANG NAGTUTULUG-TULUGAN. NGUNIT MAS MAHIRAP PALANG GISINGIN ANG KALABAN SA PULITIKA.

Kahit anong paliwanagan, hindi naniniwala ang mga ito sa akin.
Binago ang proseso para yurakan ang aking dangal at sirain ang aking pagkatao.

Umpisahan natin sa naka hilerang hearing na naka schedule sa Senado. Kahit hindi pa dapat, inuna ang C5 issue para matiyempuhan ang pagkampanya sa darating na eleksiyon. Ito ang inaasahan nilang lahat na makapagbaba ng aking ratings sa mga surveys.