EDITORIAL
01/21/2010
Being able to face the music is a true test of leadership, and from the looks of it, Sen. Manuel "Manny" Villar has failed that test - and this, over a mere censure resolution that still would have to be voted upon by the senators.
Instead of frontally challenging the resolution on the C-5 controversy censuring him for unethical conduct and seeking the return of P6.2 billion involved in the changes done in the original road project that moreover were said to have benefited Villar and his real estate corporations, he and his supporters wanted the Senate committee of the whole's (ScoW) resolution covered up, and killed, through the unseating of the Senate President, to get Villar absolved by the Senate.
Clearly, the earlier resolution prepared by the Villar camp that predictably absolved him of any unethical conduct, was meant to cover up and cleanse him from the irregularities in the C-5 road extension project.
But when the ScoW resolution finding him guilty of unethical conduct that caused damage to the Senate as an institution, having gained 12 signatories to bring this up to the plenary for discussion and voting, the Villar camp not only boycotted the session, to ensure that there would be no forum, but also attempted to stage a coup against Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, which failed.
But these moves from Villar and his supporters are tell-tale signs of what a Villar presidency - if he gets to win the presidency - will be like: A series of cover-ups for irregularities, moves to kill investigations into graft and corruption and perhaps even bribery, which really would be no different from the ways of Gloria Arroyo in Malacañang.
It was evident that Villar and his supporters wanted this censure resolution to be killed through a change in the composition of the Senate, where he and his camp will be in a position to trash the ScoW resolution and replace it with his earlier resolution clearing him of all charges. Thus explains the coup attempt and the alleged offer of the Senate presidency to a majority bloc member who had signed the ScoW.
But these moves of Villar and his Senate supporters also say a lot about their integrity as senators of the republic, since they appear to be willing to cover up anomalous transactions and worse, allow transgressions to thrive - all because they are with the Villar camp. Are they serving the interest of the nation and of the Filipino people when they deliberately try to stop a public discussion of the report and the voting in plenary?
They say it is all politics, with the camp of Villar coming out to say that Villar was already closing in on Liberal Party presidential candidate Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino in surveys, but wasn't it also politics behind the resolution the Villar camp engaged in when his supporters in the Senate broke all rules and issued that resolution absolving him of any irregularity, without as much as disproving the evidence presented during the hearings?
It will be recalled that Villar and his senator-supporters refused to participate in the ScoW hearings and Villar himself refused to offer any evidence to disprove the charges.
How then can the Villar supporters even clear him of any unethical conduct displayed by their presidential bet as well as clearing him without even touching on the evidence against Villar then claim this absolution has nothing to do with politics?
But even granting that politics, as claimed by the Villar supporters, is behind this resolution to censure Villar, the fact is that there is that resolution, supported by evidence and up for senatorial judgment, that Villar and his camp want to kill, knowing that this could prove damaging to the campaign of Villar.
Why so, when the supporters of Villar, who claim to believe in his non-involvement in the C-5 road extension controversy, can and should debate on this issue and disprove the charges raised against Villar in the censure resolution?
If they have proof that Villar is squeaky clean and not guilty of unethical conduct and making the people suffer a loss of some P6 billion while enriching himself and his companies at the expense of the Filipino people, then disprove these charges, not kill the resolution.
But perhaps they can't disprove these charges, which is why they fall back on claims of this censure resolution being all about bringing down Villar's survey ratings.
And by trying to kill it, Villar may just have proved that he doesn't have what it takes to be a president who will do right by the country and the people.
01/21/2010
Being able to face the music is a true test of leadership, and from the looks of it, Sen. Manuel "Manny" Villar has failed that test - and this, over a mere censure resolution that still would have to be voted upon by the senators.
Instead of frontally challenging the resolution on the C-5 controversy censuring him for unethical conduct and seeking the return of P6.2 billion involved in the changes done in the original road project that moreover were said to have benefited Villar and his real estate corporations, he and his supporters wanted the Senate committee of the whole's (ScoW) resolution covered up, and killed, through the unseating of the Senate President, to get Villar absolved by the Senate.
Clearly, the earlier resolution prepared by the Villar camp that predictably absolved him of any unethical conduct, was meant to cover up and cleanse him from the irregularities in the C-5 road extension project.
But when the ScoW resolution finding him guilty of unethical conduct that caused damage to the Senate as an institution, having gained 12 signatories to bring this up to the plenary for discussion and voting, the Villar camp not only boycotted the session, to ensure that there would be no forum, but also attempted to stage a coup against Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, which failed.
But these moves from Villar and his supporters are tell-tale signs of what a Villar presidency - if he gets to win the presidency - will be like: A series of cover-ups for irregularities, moves to kill investigations into graft and corruption and perhaps even bribery, which really would be no different from the ways of Gloria Arroyo in Malacañang.
It was evident that Villar and his supporters wanted this censure resolution to be killed through a change in the composition of the Senate, where he and his camp will be in a position to trash the ScoW resolution and replace it with his earlier resolution clearing him of all charges. Thus explains the coup attempt and the alleged offer of the Senate presidency to a majority bloc member who had signed the ScoW.
But these moves of Villar and his Senate supporters also say a lot about their integrity as senators of the republic, since they appear to be willing to cover up anomalous transactions and worse, allow transgressions to thrive - all because they are with the Villar camp. Are they serving the interest of the nation and of the Filipino people when they deliberately try to stop a public discussion of the report and the voting in plenary?
They say it is all politics, with the camp of Villar coming out to say that Villar was already closing in on Liberal Party presidential candidate Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino in surveys, but wasn't it also politics behind the resolution the Villar camp engaged in when his supporters in the Senate broke all rules and issued that resolution absolving him of any irregularity, without as much as disproving the evidence presented during the hearings?
It will be recalled that Villar and his senator-supporters refused to participate in the ScoW hearings and Villar himself refused to offer any evidence to disprove the charges.
How then can the Villar supporters even clear him of any unethical conduct displayed by their presidential bet as well as clearing him without even touching on the evidence against Villar then claim this absolution has nothing to do with politics?
But even granting that politics, as claimed by the Villar supporters, is behind this resolution to censure Villar, the fact is that there is that resolution, supported by evidence and up for senatorial judgment, that Villar and his camp want to kill, knowing that this could prove damaging to the campaign of Villar.
Why so, when the supporters of Villar, who claim to believe in his non-involvement in the C-5 road extension controversy, can and should debate on this issue and disprove the charges raised against Villar in the censure resolution?
If they have proof that Villar is squeaky clean and not guilty of unethical conduct and making the people suffer a loss of some P6 billion while enriching himself and his companies at the expense of the Filipino people, then disprove these charges, not kill the resolution.
But perhaps they can't disprove these charges, which is why they fall back on claims of this censure resolution being all about bringing down Villar's survey ratings.
And by trying to kill it, Villar may just have proved that he doesn't have what it takes to be a president who will do right by the country and the people.
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