Gives a speech but refuses to be interpellated

MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) - Senator Manny Villar on Tuesday finally faced his colleagues and answered allegations that he conducted himself unethically in connection with transactions involving the C-5 road project.

In a privilege speech, Villar denied that he benefited from the C-5 road extension project and accused fellow senators who conducted the investigation of fabricating lies to destroy his reputation.

"Wala po akong kasalanan, wala pong anomalya sa C5 project, at hindi po ako nakinabang. Sa mata ng Diyos, masasabi ko iyan na hindi ako nakinabang. Ito ay magandang proyekto. Mula simula hanggang huli, ang sinasabing imbestigasyon ay punong-puno ng pulitika. Lahat ng aking mga kalaban sa election ay nag-imbento. Sila’y nagluto ng isang kaso na kanilang pinalaki sa media," he said.

(I am innocent, there is no anomaly in the C-5 project and I did not benefit from it. In the eyes of God, I can say that I did not benefit. This is a good project. From start to finish, this so-called investigation was full of politics. All my enemies in the election made fabrications and they cooked up a case that they can present to the media.)

He said the alleged P200 million insertion for the project was never released, and that if the budget had been released, it would have passed through the implementing agency, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and not through him.

"And yet, when some of my enemies talk, it is as if I pocketed the P200 million when they know that the money was not released," he said.

Throughout his speech, Villar repeatedly referenced his humble roots while pointing out that the senators conducting the hearing on the C-5 were his political enemies. He said that his status as one of the richest politicians in the country was a result of hard work and not corruption.

"Wala akong minanang yaman. Hindi ako haciendero. Wala akong minana kundi kabutihang asal; ang lumingon sa pinanggalingan at tumulong sa mga nangangailangan," he said.

"I have never stolen money from the public coffers and I do not intend to steal.  Whatever station in life I am in right now, whatever I am earning now, is a product of hard work, sweat and industry....A child of privilege gets the benefit of doubt; a child of poverty hardly does," he said.

He also answered allegations that he was spending millions of his own money to win the presidency with the intent of enriching himself if elected.

"Magpapayaman pa daw ako pag ako'y nanalo. Paano ko raw babawiin ang ginagastos ko sa kampanya? Bakit ko kailangang bawiin ang aking nagastos? Wala po sa isip ko yan dahil hindi naman negosyo ang pagiging pangulo. Kung gusto ko lang pong magpayaman, magnenegosyo na lang ako.

(They said that I would enrich myself if I win. They ask how would I recover all my expenses during the campaign? Why would I recover my expenses? This is not in my mind because being president is not a business. I wanted to get rich, I would just stay in business)," he said.

He added: "Nagawa ko na matulungan ang sarili, ngayon sa iba naman, sa nakakarami. Ang pangarap ko, hindi ito matutumbasan ng pera (I have helped myself, now I want to help others. My ambition is something that cannot be matched by money.)"

C-5 project 'above board'

In his speech, Villar disputed the findings of the Senate Committee of the Whole that two road projects -- the Las Piñas-Paranaque Link Road Project and the DPWH C-5 Road Extension Project -- were made to pass through the properties of his corporations.

He also denied that the alignment of the C5 Road Extension segment of the Manila Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP) of the Toll Regulatory Board had to be changed to accommodate the alignments of the Las Piñas Paranaque Link Road Project and the DPWH C5 Road Extension Project.

Villar said he proposed an amendment of P200 million for the construction of a flyover in the Cavite Coastal Road. He said the “double entry” or insertion of P200 million pesos covered two different and separate segments of the C-5 project.

He also denied that he influenced the DPWH to have the C-5 Project pass through his properties. "The fact is that the conceptualization, alignment, planning and execution of the said project were all done by the DPWH," he said.

'Just compensation' for Villar properties

Villar did not deny that his companies were given "just compensation" for some of the properties that were affected by road right-of-way projects.

He noted, however, that he could have earned more if his company had constructed the road himself and earmarked some portions as exclusive "in which case, the properties could have had higher values. "

He also denied that allegations that his properties were grossly overpriced compared to properties of other developers in Las Piñas and Parañaque who were affected by the road project.

He said zonal valuation of his properties was determined by the Bureau of Internal Revenue based on the Revised Zonal Valuation of 1998 of the Department of Finance.

He said that during the Senate hearing, BIR-Parañaque Revenue Officer Carmelita Bacod explained that other lots along Sucat Road are classified as “residential”; hence, they have a zonal valuation of only P4,500.00 per square meter. On the other hand, properties owned by Villar's companies were classified as “commercial/regular", which have a zonal valuation of P30,000.00 per square meter

"Interestingly, the said testimony of Ms. Bacod was conveniently ignored in the report," Villar said.

Villar particularly blasted the Senate Committee of the Whole for concluding that it was "fair and safe to assume" that the senator knew that his corporation would gain from the road right-of-way projects.

He noted that the Supreme Court had consistently ruled that a simple assumption cannot be the basis to convict someone of unethial behavior. "Certainly, my participation cannot simply be 'safely assumed.' It is never 'safe to assume malicious intent,'" he said.

Leaves quickly without interpellations

After giving his privilege speech, however, Villar quickly left the Senate plenary session and refused to be interpellated.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile criticized Villar for refusing to follow the tradition in the Senate of answering questions from his colleagues. "Whether he told the truth [in his privilege speech] or not, it's up to the people," Enrile said.

He lamented that Villar did not even explain why he refused to be interpellated.

Enrile said the report of the Senate committee of the whole recommending Villar's censure is supported by over 900 pages of documents.

'Unnecessary and wasteful project'

In her column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Saturday, UP economist Prof. Winnie Monsod said C-5 road project was an "unnecessary" and "wasteful" project which benefitted Villar.

Monsod said the government threw away P6.96-billion in public funds in the road extension, which was just a duplication of the earlier Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (MCTEP) project, linking the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to the Coastal Road.

The MCTEP was a joint venture between the government and a private Malaysian partner. In this project, Monsod said the government only shelled out P2.68 billion for the purchase of the road right-of-way, and the private partner was responsible for the construction.

On the other hand, the P6.96-billion C-5 extension, which together with the Las Piñas-Parañaque Link Project (LPPLP), also links SLEX to Coastal Road, was wholly financed by the government.

"It was totally unnecessary to build a second one. There was a waste of scarce resources," said Monsod, who cited official documents from the Senate and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Monsod said that the C-5 extension passes through at least 50-52 hectares of Villar's property holdings, whose values increase significantly with the construction of the project.

She also said that in acquiring right of way, the government paid P168.1 million or an average P7,168 per square meter for Villar-related properties compared to only P22 million or P1,880 per sqm for non-Villar properties.

"This unnecessary and wasteful project was certainly Villar's idea," Monsod said, quoting a DPWH feasibility study stating that the project was conceived and initially funded by the senator.