Senate President Manuel Villar was charged with plunder before the Office of the Ombudsman for the alleged failure of his family’s bank to pay a P1.5-billion loan with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
In response, Villar’s office said a similar case had been dismissed “for lack of palpable merit” by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2006.
“Clearly, therefore, this case is a rehash, recycled strategy,” read the statement.
Villar’s lawyer Ma. Nalen Rosero-Galang said this was a case of double jeopardy.
Former Senate president Manuel Villar Jr. said yesterday that he is ready to face his colleagues anew to defend himself over the alleged double insertion of P200 million in the 2007 budget to fast-track the C5 Road Extension project.
“I have nothing to fear,” Villar told The STAR in a phone interview shortly after he arrived from provincial sorties in Baguio City where he was guest of honor in graduation rites at the Benguet State University.
He also watched the Canao Festival and visited a foundation in Baguio.
“I am ready. I’d answer (the allegations),” said Villar when asked about the plan of the Senate under the leadership of Juan Ponce Enrile to pursue the complaint filed with the ethics committee by Sen. Jamby Madrigal over the P200-million “double entry” in the 2007 budget.
The Senate elected on Monday Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile as the new Senate president in a bloodless coup against the leadership of Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.
The vote was 14-0 with six abstentions. Enrile, who had been pictured as an administration ally, ascended to the top Senate post with the help of oppositionist Senators Panfilo Lacson, Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd, Loren Legarda and Jamby Madrigal.
Villar resigned before the voting took place.
If Senate President Manny Villar is so sure about the legality, morality and beneficiality of the second P200 million allocated for the C-5 road extension project, then he should waste no time in seeking its immediate release. Then, let his critics try to stop the faster completion of the project through the courts. This issue of double entry and conflict of interest is certain to hound him until 2010 unless he acts decisively by asking the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release the second P200 million for the project.
SP Villar has already been cleared of the “double entry” issue by the Senate Committee on Finance headed by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. JPE, whom I consider the busiest senator in both committee and plenary works, said the addition of P200 million to the initial P200 million proposed by Malacañang for the C-5 road extension project, was done without any intent to profit financially from the double entry.
Senator Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal-Valade on Friday remained adamant on her allegations that Senate President Manuel “Manny” Villar benefitted from the double appropriation of the C5 road extension project.
In an interview at ABS-CBN News Channel’s News at 8 Friday, Madrigal alleged that Villar wanted the C5 extension to cut through his property so he could sell the property at a higher price. Read more
MANILA, Philippines—A farmer’s group has filed a plunder suit before the Ombudsman against Senate President Manuel Villar and his wife, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, for their alleged failure to repay a P1.5 billion loan with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) which led to the loss of their farmlands in Norzagaray, Bulacan.
The farmers claimed the transfer of the farm lands from Capitol Development Bank, formerly owned by the Villars, to the BSP was illegal. The contested Norzagaray property also includes a controversial sanitary landfill project that had been put on hold.
Villar’s camp was quick to refute the charge as a rehash of a similar case filed by another group of farmers on the same property which was dismissed by the Ombudsman for “lack of merit” two years ago.
A plunder complaint was filed Friday against Senate President Manuel Villar, his wife Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, and three others before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection to an alleged unpaid loan from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) by a bank the Villars own.
The plunder complaint was filed by a group of farmers whose ownerships of some 484 hectares of agricultural lands in Norzagaray, Bulacan are being disputed by the BSP before the Malolos Regional Trial Court.
MEMBERS of the Solariega Homeowners Association called Sen. Manny Villar arrogant for not meeting with them when he visited Davao City on Sunday.
Homeowners headed by Jerry Napalit, its president, and Bill Martin, president of the Davao City Homeowners Federation, claimed Villar snubbed them when they tried to seek an audience with the senator Sunday morning at The Marco Polo Davao.
Napalit said they wanted to air their problems related to housing but instead were shocked to hear what Villar told them.
