Villar takes media on C-5 'tour'
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/21/2009 12:16 AM
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Senator Manny Villar took the media on a tour of the C-5 road extension on Wednesday to refute accusations he sought to realign and further extend the road to benefit his real estate business.
Villar admitted the taxpayer-funded project traversed some of his properties, but maintains these comprise only five to seven percent of the entire stretch of road.
Villar critic and ethics committee chair Senator Panfilo Lacson quickly jumped on Villar’s admission.
“Whether its 80, 70, 50, [or] five to seven percent, may percent, may tinamaan pa rin. Ang sinasabi ng Constitution ‘di kailangan 50% or mahigit 7%. Ang sabi ng Constitution, kung may potential conflict of interest, dapat di mag-participate ang isang legislator, mapa-congressman man o senador sa pagbabalangkas ng batas,” Lacson said.
Villar pushed for the construction of the C-5 road extension by inserting additional funding in the 2008 General Appropriations Act.
Villar also showed reporters the unfinished portion of the C-5 road extension where they plan to build a flyover to connect C- 5 to Coastal Road.
Villar said the proposed flyover would have been funded by the second P200 million that he had inserted in the 2008 budget, denying allegations of double insertion.
“So ang inestablish ko lang dalawa ang proyekto, hindi dalawang entry sa isang proyekto,” Villar said.
But Lacson said the media was taken for a different kind of ride.
“’Di po yan ang na-point out sa GAA (General Appropriations Act) 2008 na kung saan doble ang appropriation. Ito galing sa C-5 road extension papuntang Sucat na ang C-5 road extension Ang pangalan C.P. Garcia. Kaya the same stretch of road. So mukhang natsubibo kayo kanina,” Lacson told reporters.
On Thursday, senators will decide on whether there was credible evidence to support the complaint of unethical conduct against Villar. -- Lynda Jumilla, ABS-CBN News
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