The wrath of the Masses against the C-5 road scam

Senator Manny Villar's monumental drop in the surveys shows the wrath of the ABC-D classes. Villar lost a considerable number of Filipinos belonging to the socio-economic ABC and D classes due to the C-5 road controversy. People are now realising that Villar is corrupt. More than the 40 plus percent from the ABC classes who went to Noynoy, and a considerable drop in the D classes show the Masses' contempt of Villar regarding the C-5 road scam. Villar's inability to explain what really happened and his evident contempt of the Senate boomeranged against him.

Likewise, his drop also reflected the successful re-claiming of areas considered as traditional Erap bailiwicks by an invigorated Estrada campaign machinery.

The Nacionalista Party released a statement saying that they are not entirely concerned and that Villar can still regain it. I sincerely doubt it. I have friends in the Nacionalista party and I must laud their sectoral efforts. However, areas which were traditionally Erap are now being tapped and invigorated. It seems that Erap is on the roll. 

Fact is, the soonest Erap regain these areas, the more Villar will lose this game. And the more that Noynoy Aquino's team hammer their anti-corruption slant in their infomercials, the more that Villar will lose ground.

Villar has released his "Laging mahirap" commercials again, but without the pizzaz. The reception is quite lukewarm. And this is the problem with TV ads. If you already saturated the airwaves, people will get tired and instead of positive reactions, you'll get negative feedback.

Villar needs a change of tack fast and must realise that his so-called poverty story is not effective anymore. He needs a new gimmick. Whatever it is, it should probably address the C-5 road scam.

The question really is---will he be able to convince us that he did not dip his hands in the gravy pot with C-5 when overwhelming evidence show otherwise?

Villar is mocking the Senate: Where is Lacson, Legarda and Pangilinan?

Where were Senators Panfilo Lacson and Loren Legarda in yesterday's Senate session? They were supposed to support Senate president Juan Ponce-Enrile. Legarda and Lacson were at the forefront of the Senate attempt to probe Villar's unethical practices. Yet, they were not around when the Senate was supposed to take up that report.

Mr. Lacson, what gives? And Ms. Legarda--where is your loyalty? Is it to Villar or to the Nation?

And how about Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan who signed the report written by no less than Senate president Juan Ponce-Enrile? Was Pangilinan asked by his friend Villar not to attend yesterday's session?

Where is your loyalty, Mr. Pangilinan? To Villar or to the Nation who suffered?

Senator Manny Villar should not mock the very institution which professes to be the last bastion of democracy in this country. Villar should not hide behind the "alibi" of political propaganda and face the accusations like a man. Why is Villar so afraid of facing his colleagues before the Filipino People? 

Like what a judge said, guilty people, they are those who usually make the wrong excuses.

Villar is trying to weaken the very institution which took care of him for so many years and which, allowed him to get 6.22 billion pesos from the public coffers, the very same monies he is now using to get to the top spot.

Villar should be man enough to admit that he erred or at the very least, acted in an unethical manner.

If you look at it, this C-5 report serves as the final nail to seal Villar's campaign for the presidency. Senator Jamby Madrigal wants Villar charged before the Ombusman and Madrigal should be supported by the People.

This C-5 probe will serve as the Damocles sword hanging above Villar's head even if he wins the May 10, 2010 elections. This will forever haunt him and will mar his administration, if he wins.

And this is a very bad thing for us, the Filipino People. We do not deserve someone with a graft case again sitting as president.

Reso 1472 an exchange deal?

How transactional Philippine politics is, you ask Mang Isko? I will refer you to Senate Resolution 1472, that piece of document purportedly signed by twelve "See-Nay"-tors and allegedly cleared the name of Nacionalista party president bet and billionaire Senator Manny Villar.

The Resolution, which was purportedly written and pushed by no less than Liberal Party member Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, expressed the "sense of the Senate" and bore the signatures of Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Gregorio Honasan, Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Ramon Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Loren Legarda, Francis Pangilinan and Villar.

The "see-nay" tors who signed based their "sense" on oral testimony instead of overwhelming documentary evidence linking Villar to the mess which was presented before the Senate of the Whole.

Resolution 1472 was released to the media a few days before yesterday's (November 17) announcement of the Villar-Legarda tandem. It had impeccable timing. Yet, like all dastardly deeds, it stinks to the highest heavens.

Shortly after it was released, Senate president Juan Ponce-Enrile was apprised of the sneeky reso and threatened to resign. His colleagues prevailed him.

Eventually, Enrile learned that there was an element of deception here. Most of those who signed the Reso, omitting of course the familiar names of Pimentel, the Cayetano siblings, Pangilinan, Joker and Jinggoy and of course, who else but Loren, are claiming that they signed the reso purportedly after being told that it has the expressed support of the Senate president.

Enrile denied supporting Resolution 1472 which he, in fact, viewed as a direct affront to his leadership. That Reso, says Enrile, violated Senate rules and smacks of fraud. And who else to defend it but the venerable See-nay-tor Francis Kiko Pangilinan, whom pundits say, was the one who lobbied the others to sign.

Strange that a non-Nacionalista party member would push for a Resolution exonerating Villar when it is clear in the Senate rules that it is now the Senate of the Whole who will release the final report on the C-5 controversy.

Wagging tongues cannot but say that maybe Resolution 1472 was an "exchange deal" between the Nacionalista and the Liberal Party, ahead of the expected filing of an ethics case against Liberal Party presidential bet Noynoy Aquino, this time, on another "C-5"-like road controversy involving of course, the conversion of hectares of land in Hacienda Luisita for SLEX.

Remember that it was Cong. Crispin Remulla, a Nacionalista, who "exposed" the supposed complicity of Senator Aquino in that alleged overpricing of Hacienda Luisita land used for SLEX.

Seems like the Nacionalistas used Remulla's expose as a "bait" for the Liberals to enter into an "exchange deal"--tit for tat---your overpriced C-5 in exchange for my overpriced SLEX. Sounds logical right? And with a Liberal (PANGILINAN) leading the pencil pushing and lobbying, all the more suspicious.

And it seems like the Nacionalista got Loren Legarda not because the beautiful environmentalist shares a common goal with their presidential bet Villar. Legarda was one of Villar's rabid commenter at the Senate. And Legarda admitted that it was "all for show", part of the "daily grind" of "usual questions", of "common parliamentary debates".

Statements such as these can't prevent one from asking---did Loren baited Villar to make her his VP in exchange for one signature in that Resolution? That signature might have cost Villar a hand and a limb. Such political prostitution extraordinaire, if you ask me.

The sad thing about this---that Reso 1472 was junked. And the obvious loser was of course, Manny Villar, who mobilize all his resources just to make that Reso happen. Poor Manny. He tried to sneak himself out of the C-5 mess only to learn that, in the end, he still stinks and worst, left holding an empty bag (of tricks?).

As they say, when it stinks, it stinks really bad.

Villar should be prosecuted for plunder

" Those who have no sin, let him cast the first stone," said Jesus Christ when he spoke before a throng of Jews who accused a woman of adultery. No one threw a stone nor a pebble.

It is in this context that I ask Senators Jamby Madrigal and Ping Lacson--can you possibly say with all honesty that you did not use your power to influence any activity in government? Did you or did you not, in one instance or another, use your influence to push for a project?

Yes, they would probably tell me. Yes, there are instances where we used our standing to push for a project. But, this is different, Pat. We are casting a stone against Senate president Manny Villar because he used his influence to gain more money from his projects. We pushed for projects using our influence, yes, but we did not gain a single cent from it.

Imagine, Senator Enrile categorically saying that Villar did, indeed, requested for a double insertion in the C-5 project. Yes, Villar did that, and the good senator admitted it. He did push for that project because it would benefit his constituents. Yes, they will gain from the C-5 project, I agree, Mr. Villar. They'll benefit from a flyover without a road. They'll benefit from it, especially those living in your subdivisions.

Who pushed for the c-5 project to pass the properties of Brittany and Vista Land? Villar. Who gained from selling "right of way" properties worth 1,500 per square meter to 15,000 per square meter? Villar. And who'll amass billions of billions of pesos from that C-5 extension road? Villar.

Madrigal and Lacson are right--this is not a political issue. No. This is plain and simple corruption or plunder even. Villar should be cruxified and jailed.

Erap and Jinggoy are laughing right now. Remember that Villar banged the gravel when he was Speaker of the House, after accusing Erap of plunder. Erap is now free, and those who accused him of crimes against the people, are those who are now being accused of the same. And this time, there's no Jose Velardes.

Those who have no sin, let him cast the first stone.