Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile gave senators until Thursday to decide whether the ethics complaint against Senator Manny Villar is sufficient in substance and thus would warrant a full-blown investigation.

This, after Enrile submitted to them in open hearing on Monday his report on the preliminary inquiry conducted Thursday last week.

The 13-page report, which Enrile ordered placed in a sealed envelop marked "exclusively for senators", contains a summary of potential evidence of unethical conduct against Villar.

All senators, including Villar and his allies in the minority, will be given a copy of the preliminary inquiry report despite their refusal to participate in the proceedings.

No pressure

Enrile said his only recommendation was for committee members to "carefully evaluate the evidence... (and determine) if such pieces of evidence constitute substantial evidence" that Villar may have committed a violation of Senate ethical standards.

He said senators would be left to decide individually, without any pressure from him.

"Ang boto natin dito ay individual, walang sapilitan, walang pupwersahin, walang iimpluwensiyahan," he said. "Kung meron mang senador na lalapitan ang chair para bumoto one way or the other, yung senador na lalapitan, you can denounce the chair."

No finding of guilt

Sen. Richard Gordon, vice chair of the Senate ethics committee, which had original jurisdiction of the Villar case, emphasized this is an ethics proceeding, and there would be no finding of criminal guilt or lack of it on the part of the respondent.

"Hindi po ito guilty o not guilty sa kriminalidad," he said. "Dito conduct lang ng senador ang pinag-uusapan, kung ang asal na yon ay nakaapekto ba sa reputasyon, integridad ng Senado."

If the senators decide that the complaint is sufficient in substance, the case will be set for hearing.

The first stage would be a preliminary conference between the parties. If the senators determine that there is no sufficient credible evidence to back the complaint, the complaint would be dismissed.

Villar is accused of unethical conduct in pushing for the construction of the C-5 road extension which benefited his real estate business.