Zubiri calls on Jamby to wrap up presentation vs Villar

MANILA, Philippines - Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday urged Sen. Jamby Madrigal to wrap up her presentation of evidence against Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. regarding the C-5 road controversy.

Zubiri said the continuous investigation into the issue by the Senate acting as Committee of the Whole could conclude the hearings over the issue.

Zubiri also said the recent exchanges of accusations between Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada were not affecting the legislative agenda of the Senate.

But he admitted the senators had been finding it hard to attend to so many things all at the same time, which is the reason why the number of senators attending the hearings of the Committee of the Whole had been dwindling.

“We should come up with the committee report already, whether it’s favorable or not to (Villar). If there are recommendations, whether to file a case before the Ombudsman or not, the most important is to wrap this up already,” Zubiri told Madrigal.

Zubiri believed the evidence and witnesses in the issue against Villar had been properly presented.

Zubiri also told radio station dzXL that Villar was not making any effort to convince or bribe their colleagues not to attend the hearings anymore. He said the former Senate chief would not even attempt this because “he knows it might explode in his face.”

He said the speculations were unfair because the senators were just really too busy with the committee hearings, particularly on the proposed budget for 2010 and bicameral conference committee meetings for different bills.

“We are really very busy so if we conduct the hearings every week, we will have a problem on quorum. That is what’s going to happen especially since many of our colleagues are running in 2010,” he said.

Zubiri said the issue between Senators Lacson and Estrada forced Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who had been sitting as chairman of the Committee of the Whole, to act as a referee.

Villar was accused of inserting P200 million in the 2008 national budget for the C-5 road project when there was already an allocation of P200 million. Madrigal also said Villar had the project realigned because it would benefit his properties in the area.

Villar denied the allegations, pointing out the road project would greatly benefit motorists and commuters.

Villar questioned the jurisdiction of the Committee of the Whole over the issue and has never attended any of its hearings.

He expressed belief there would not be enough votes from his peers to convict him of the charges.