Minority senators ready for showdown on ethics probe

MANILA, Philippines - Minority senators are ready for the showdown today over alleged irregularity in the ruling of the Ethics Committee chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson that found sufficient in form and substance the impropriety charges against Sen. Manuel Villar.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said their group would first ask Lacson and other members of the ethics committee to inhibit themselves from the proceedings.

Lacson heads the committee with Sen. Richard Gordon as vice-chairperson, Senators Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas and Gregorio Honasan as members.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Pimentel are ex-officio members.

Once the entire ethics committee contingent have inhibited themselves, Pimentel said they will seek before the plenary to nullify the “unethical” order that found credence in the complaint filed by Sen. Jamby Madrigal against Villar over the alleged double insertion of P200 million in the 2008 budget for the completion of the C-5 Road Extension Project in Parañaque.

Pimentel said the minority would later move and ask the committee to follow its own rules.

Sen. Alan Cayetano, a member of six-member minority group at the Senate, said they would seek the nullification of the order against Villar during the caucus today by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

In a press conference last Friday, Cayetano conceded that the minority “cannot dictate policy” but can question it.

Enrile called for a caucus to address the concerns raised by Pimentel before session adjourned last Wednesday. 

Pimentel questioned the move of the ethics committee to circulate a resolution a day ahead of the actual hearing last April 15.

Villar has joined Pimentel and Cayetano in criticizing the “unethical order,” pointing out that the move was in violation of present rules of the Senate.

Lacson, Gordon, Zubiri and Legarda defended their signatures on the resolution, saying there was nothing wrong with their actions because the members met and formally adopted the resolution anyway.