Manny Villar Can’t Fool Mareng Winnie

—– Forwarded Message —-

From: dumagat bulacan

Sent: Saturday, February 6, 2010 9:14:34

Subject: MANNY VILLAR CAN’T FOOL MARENG WINNIE

Tuesday, February 2. 2010

Everything you wanted to know about the C5 project but were afraid to ask

(Following is the transcript of the segment “Analysis by Winnie Monsod” which aired on News on Q on Feb. 1, 2010. Prof. Winnie Monsod is the resident analyst of News on Q which airs weeknights at 9:30 p.m. on QTV Channel 11.)

What are the specific charges against Senator Manny Villar?

Based on the Senate Report 780, stripped of all the legalese, the charges are that he used his position and influence to cause a government roadway — the so-called C-5 road extension project — to be built and that the road was unnecessary, financially disadvantageous to the government, and would actually yield him enormous financial benefits.

It was unnecessary, because there was already an existing project, the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (MCTEP), which was a Build-Operate-Transfer project to be built by private contractors.

It was financially disadvantageous to the government because the Villar-proposed project would be longer and would be built entirely by the government using public funds.

And it would result in tremendous financial benefit for Villar because it would pass right through his properties so that the government would have to pay him road right-of-way and at the same time, considerably enhance the value of those properties.

What exacerbates the situation is that the government, per the documentary evidence, paid much more for the right-of-way for the Villar properties than the other properties, that Villar allegedly used his position as a senator — in particular as the Senate Finance Chairman and then as Senate President — to make insertions that would ensure that his properties would be paid for right away.

Based on the Philippine Senate resolution 1472 filed by mostly Villar allies, the committee of the whole had no jurisdiction, that it adopted rules that were inapplicable, that it did not even publish the final rules, that there was an inadequate quorum reuirement; and most importantly, that Manny Villar was being singled out.

What does it then find?

Resolution 1472 finds that:

(1) there was no “double insertion” and that the same were actually “regular amendments”;

(2) that there is no realignment of the C-5 road extension project, much less one authored or done at the behest of senator Villar to secure that it passed through his real estate properties.

Why? Because there are two separate alignments: one is the C-5 road extension project, which is a public road; and the other is the MCTEP, a toll expressway project, which, if completed, would require the payment of toll for its use; and

(3) that there was no overpricing because the right of way payments were based on properly certified zonal valuations; that all requirements were complied with; and that there was no participation of villar or his staff in the acquisition of the properties.

What can we make of these conflicting opinions?

A picture is worth a thousand words.

A map prepared by GMANews.TV shows what the case is all about. [See: The C5 extension controversy: An interactive map]

Here, you see the original C-5 extension project, called the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project.

The idea was that this would be a BOT project, with the private partner bearing the costs of construction, to be paid by future tolls, and the government’s exposure would be limited to P2.5 billion pesos which will be used to obtain right-of-way.

Here now is the new project.

We have super imposed the burnt orange line representing the new project again connecting SLEX to coastal road except it is very much longer and hits the coastal road farther along.

Here are the Villar properties.

On the basis of this map, it is clear that there are two alignments.

But it is also clear that one of them was unnecessary — why?

It has to be the burnt orange project, because the other project had been approved earlier.

It is also clear that the C-5 extension project is going to be more costly, first because it is longer, and second because it was built wholly with government funds; and third because of what the government spent on the road right of way for the old project will now be gone to waste.

Why will it go to waste?

Can you imagine the joint venture partner building this project which is a toll road, when a free road is almost right beside it — who will want to pay the toll?

And finally, it is very clear that the greater length of the C-5 extension project enables it to pass through all the Villar company properties — Golden Haven, Adelfa, Camella, Azalea.

There remains the issue of the overprice of the Villar properties.

Based on the documentary evidence that was presented in Senate Report 780, there were 22 properties that had to be bought to get a road right of way for the C-5 extension project.

The average price paid for the non-Villar properties was Php 2,422 per square meter.

The average price paid for of Villar properties was Php 11,519 per square meter for mostly raw land.

So, now i think we have sufficient basis, free of the posturing and screaming, to make our own decisions.

Kahit Nasa Tondo Palang Mayaman Na Si Villar. Noon Pa Sinungaling Na Talaga

—– Forwarded Message —-
From: dumagat bulacan
Sent: Monday, February 8, 2010 1:02:41
Subject: KAHIT NASA TONDO PALANG MAYAMAN NA SI VILLAR. NOON PA SINUNGALING NA TALAGA

http://www.chairwrecker.com/column.php?col=676 Was Manny Villar really ever poor? AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo The Philippine Star 2010-02-07

“Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura? (Have you bathed in a sea of garbage?)” is the opening line of the jingle of Nacionalista Party presidential candidate Manny Villar which is featured in a television commercial that attempts to project him as having been one of the poorest of the poor. But was Manny Villar really one of the poorest of the poor as what his advertising has been projecting? A Chair Wrecker reader from Tondo who claimed to know the Villar family when they still resided there debunked that notion of Villar ever having been poor. This information was relayed to yours truly via our response email address. The former Villar family Tondo neighbor cited reference points to support his assertion that Manny Villar was never really poor — including the claim that Villar’s father used to have a “nikaladong (stainless steel clad)” private Jeep. During the 1950s, a nikaladong private Jeep is a status symbol in Tondo, definitely not the hallmark of a poor household. Considering how Manny Villar has been dodging the serious issues pertaining to his use of public office in order to add immense benefits and profits to his businesses, your Chair Wrecker decided to do some investigating. Guess what Manny Villar’s online bio revealed: “Manuel Villar Jr. was born on December 13, 1949 in Tondo, a densely populated district of Manila. He was the second of nine children of Manuel Villar Sr., a government employee, and Curita Bamba, a seafood dealer. As a young boy, he helped his mother sell fish, crabs, and shrimp in Divisoria to help earn money to pay for his education. Villar finished his education at Holy Child Catholic School in 1962, and finished his high school education at Mapua Institute of Technology in 1966. He attended the University of the Philippines-Diliman and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1970. He returned to the same school to earn his master’s degree in business administration in 1973.” In the early 1950s, the rich lived in the big compounds in Ermita and Pasay and what was called New Manila in Quezon City. In Tondo, you found the middle class and the poor as well. Former president Joseph Estrada also claims roots in Tondo but his family was never poor. Based on his online bio, Villar cannot really justify calling himself poor. The Villar Tondo home, as shown on his 2009 TV commercials, was made of sturdy materials. It has lasted to this day. His father was employed while his mother operated a fish, crab and shrimp dealership in lucrative Divisoria Market. It may not be Class AB household income but it is definitely not Class E. Proof that the Villar children were never really wanting is the fact that Manny Villar studied in private schools. The indigent kids went to public school. Enrolling one’s child in a private school is a middle class value and option. The indigent kids who do manage to finish high school would tend to immediately learn a craft in order to be able to earn money right away. Aspiring for a business administration master’s degree is not the usual post high school move of indigent kids. Villar narrated on his 2009 TV commercial, with Boy Abunda interviewing him, that as a young kid he thought that corned beef was soupy because that was how they used to prepare it at home. This, he claimed, was their way to ensure that everybody had a share. But the fact is that there are really two ways to cook canned corned beef. One is the dry sautéed type while the other is the soupy type where you can add potatoes and cabbage. Both the rich and the middle class enjoy corned beef both ways. Also, poor folks, especially a family of eleven, CANNOT AFFORD to eat canned corned beef. For a family of 11 to be eating corned beef confirms that the Villar family is anything but poor. That was the case then and more so now when the poor go hungry or manage to eat only one meal a day. Up to the 1980s, people from the provinces consider it a status symbol to be eating corned beef. That is why canned foodstuffs, especially corned beef, are being displayed in the sala by many households in the provinces for these to be seen by visitors. For Manny Villar to don this facade of being “poor” once upon a time just to gain political advantage should make every Filipino voter ponder as to what else he would be willing to do just to attain his objective. Wisdom from a cherished honest man Tomorrow, our family will mark the death anniversaries of our Dad and Mom who both died on the same date, four years apart. Mom passed away on February 8, 1966 while Dad passed away on February 8, 1970. Our Dad was the most honest person we knew. During the era of President Elpidio Quirino, a close friend and former classmate of Dad, an opportunity was given to Dad to make a cool P200,000 — a fortune then when Forbes Park lots cost a mere P50 per square meter. The one-hectare government owned NAMARCO lot at the corner of what is now Claro M. Recto and Quezon Avenue in Quiapo, then considered prime property, was offered to Dad in a no strings attached and perfectly legal transaction by the cash strapped government. Dad could have easily bought and resold it to make P200,000. But Dad turned down the offer because he sensed an impropriety owing to his closeness to President Quirino. Many of our family friends admired Dad for that but in the same breath they also felt that he was crazy not to grab it. I can never forget two lessons about honesty which Dad taught me. Dad did warn me: “Be very wary of people who like to project that they are honest because they believe that honesty is the best policy. Honesty when used as a policy is the worst form of deceit. Be honest because you believe in the virtue of honesty and not because you need a policy for personal gain.” Shifting to Filipino, Dad also said: “Ang MANLILINLANG ay kambal ng MAGNANAKAW (The deceiver is the twin of the thief).” Dad was right. Our country’s biggest deceivers are also our biggest thieves.

Villar Unfit for President or Public Trust

20 January 2010 14 Comments

FRANKLY SPEAKING
by Frank Wenceslao

My Pamusa colleagues and I were alarmed by Nene Pimentel’s and Alan Peter Cayetano’s reaction to the Senate committee of the whole finding Manny Villar to have engaged in improper and unethical conduct as though they give more weight to procedure than the evidence adduced from the investigation.

Being lawyers, such attitude keeps the Philippines locked on a slippery slope and pushed by cavalier regard for the rule of law to continue rapid deterioration until a disaster drives the country into chaos and ungovernable like Haiti.

The Senate found Villar the proponent of the C-5 extension and another major project, the eight-lane Daang Hari linking Cavite to Laguna through Las Piñas and Bacoor. Instead of a straight alignment as sound engineering requires, the road projects “snake” through Villar-owned or controlled corporations (VOCCs) to provide ingress and egress for their 23 subdivisions.

Villar evidently pressured Dept. of Public Works and Higways (DPWH) officials to discard previous feasibility study, engineering design and plans including their cost likely funded from official development assistance (ODA). It behooves every objective Filipino to ask therefore if the Senate broadened its inquiry to include the resources lost and new funds needed specially appropriated for the change of plans that are unlawful and immoral act Villar is criminally liable.

Moreover, the alignment of the C-5 segment of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project was changed by the Toll Regulatory Board to conform to the revised plans for two road projects, which meant additional costs that could’ve been better used for some other budgetary needs.

VOCCs’ properties that are traversed by the C-5 extension and Daang Hari road projects got zonal valuation higher than previously given to their location which again resulted from pressuring the concerned bureaucrats in order to jack up the ROW prices paid to VOCCs.

Will the justice system under GMA continue with Villar if he wins the presidency to govern worse than her administration? How could Villar address graft and corruption when like GMA he’d be among the first to be targeted for prosecution?

The Senate report only recommended the return and restitution by Villar to the Philippine Treasury of the money or pecuniary advantage “he has or his companies have illegally gained or obtained as a result of unlawful acts and improper and unethical conduct” instead of forwarding the evidence and recommending to the Ombudsman to file criminal action.

The losses are P4.28 billion for the C-5 extension project, P1.8 billion original project cost that was wasted and P141.1 million for overpriced ROW payments to VOCCs tantamount to technical malversation. The report was released before Congress took its holiday break last month to get the signature of senators. It needs the signature of the majority of senators or 12 for it to be reported out in the plenary as though not signing it will absolve Villar of criminal liability.

Clearly, Villar while Senate President and finance committee chairman during the time his unlawful actions were taken didn’t only violate the Constitution and the Code of Conduct of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713) but, more so, Sec. 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019). The senators swept the latter under the rug which provides that in addition to acts or omissions of public officers already penalized by existing law, the following shall constitute corrupt practices and therefore criminally actionable, to wit:

“(e) Causing any undue injury to any party, including the Government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence. x x x x x x x x.” (Underscoring mine).

Villar acted unlawfully using his government positions to pressure DPWH officials to do his bidding making them co-conspirators when they agreed that the C-5 extension be realigned contrary to sound engineering practice to “snake” through and provide ingress and egress to at least 23 subdivisions of VOCCs that yielded Villar “unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference,” to wit:

1. Income for ROWs at jacked-up prices and payment contrary to a policy of prorating annual appropriations according to the age of an account; hence, VOCCs shouldn’t have been paid ahead of others waiting for payment years before ROWs were expropriated from their properties.

2. Aside the higher prices at inflated zonal valuation paid for ROWs expropriated from their properties, VOCCs were given unwarranted benefits in the rise of market prices of the houses and lots, vacant properties still to be developed, their collateral values and VOCCs’ borrowing capacity with government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) such as PAG-IBIG, National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), SSS, GSIS and others. All of which is detrimental to home buyers since it’s the government that enabled VOCCs to earn additional profits earned without adding a centavo of equity.

3. VOCCs became the country’s biggest group of companies engaged in real estate development. In an interview by a reporter Mrs. Cynthia Villar unabashedly claimed the group starting virtually from scratch has built 200,000 housing units across all income classes.

The Villars have always prided in their rags-to-riches story. It’s thus logical to conclude their PhP43 billion ($940M) net worth as of 2008 is ill-gotten and beyond statistical probability that came from what the US Justice Department considers “a process or series of actions through which income of illegal origin is concealed, disguised, or made to appear legitimate (main objective); and to evade detection, prosecution, seizure, and taxation” practiced by the Mafia, international drug traffickers, terrorist financiers, and corrupt government officials.

The investigation of the Senate began in June 2009 based on the allegations of Senators Panfilo Lacson and Jamby Madrigal that Villar inserted “earmarks” of doubling the P200-million funding for the C-5 extension project in the 2008 national budget and pressuring DPWH officials to change its alignment to benefit VOCCs. The Senate concluded Villar violated Sections 12 and 14, Article VI of the Constitution by failing to notify the Senate of a “potential conflict of interest” when he proposed an amendment to the 2008 national budget by appropriating P400 million … for a project that would benefit his corporations and which amount may be used to pay the claims of his corporations for unpaid road right-of-way compensation” (Sec. 12) and for intervening in the project with the DPWH for his “pecuniary benefit.” (Sec. 14).

It’s as though the Senate wanted Villar’s culpability limited on ethical grounds and swept under the rug the crimes Villar probably committed inferred from the report. The truth of the matter is Joker Arroyo already leveled similar charges against Villar when they’re members of the House of Representatives from 1992-98 for violating the Constitution and RA 6713, which I’ve modified, paraphrased and updated in parts, as follows:

Charge I.  Villar’s low cost housing development business has been totally dependent on GOCCs and government financial institutions (GFIs). VOCCs were given accommodations by GOCCs and GFIs while Villar’s a House member and had stint as Speaker from 1992-1998 for financing their housing projects.

Charge II.  From 1992-98 Villar didn’t divest himself of his holdings or severed interest in VOCCs that eventually became a housing conglomerate, Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. whose subsidiaries have been renamed: Brittany Corporation, Camella Homes, Crown Asia and Camella Communities.

When Villar was a House member, then senator he didn’t sever his interests either in VOCCs and their successors when they continued to be granted loans and financial accommodations by GOCCs and GFIs. Villar violated the Constitution and RA No. 6713 because the latter specifically requires, as follows:

“Divestment – A public official or employee should avoid conflicts of interest at all times.  When a conflict of interest arises, he shall resign from his position in any private business enterprise within thirty (30) days from his assumption of office and/or divest himself of his shareholdings or interest within sixty (60) days from such assumption.” (Underscoring mine).

Charge III.  Villar during his tenure in the House and Senate to the present hasn’t divested interests in VOCCs.  While Speaker, Villar arrogantly declared he’s in no hurry to divest because he’s under no obligation to do so – a continuing violation. He should’ve fired his lawyer then.

Charge IV.  Villar controls Capitol Bank where Mrs. Villar is the CEO while a House member. Capitol received loans, financial accommodations and guarantees from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas from 1992-98. The husband and wife were members of Congress in 2004 when Capitol had a bank run and obtained BSP loan.  That’s constitutionally forbidden.

Paraphrasing Arroyo, the constitutional prohibition is simple.  If a member of the House, namely: Villar or wife has controlling interest in a private firm or business entity, it can’t be extended a loan, guaranty or any financial accommodation for any business purpose by GOCCs or GFIs unless both have first divested of personal interest in the firm.

Surprisingly, the Senate report alluded only to Villar’s violation of the conflict-of-interest rule (RA 6713) by not divesting himself of his interests in VOCCs with contracts with the DPWH for ROW acquisition. The report found Villar had significant stockholdings in VOCCs that benefited from ROW payments on top of diverting said road projects to “snake” through their subdivisions to provide ingress and egress.

IN CONCLUSION, probable cause exists that the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Anti-Plunder Law (RA 7080) have been violated by Villar et al.  Surely, Mr. and Mrs. Villar’s pecuniary benefits derived from abovementioned unlawful acts contributed to the growth of their PhP43 billion ($940M) net worth.

The Senate report somehow tried to mitigate Villar’s criminal acts by saying he hadn’t directly participated in overpricing his properties as though the Senate’s oversupply of lawyers wasn’t sufficient to conclude that ignorance isn’t an excuse in violating the law.
If there should be restitution, therefore, the Senate should vote to expel Villar forthwith; demand that the Ombudsman file the complaint for the violation of the anti-graft and anti-plunder laws and let the chips where they may; and seek a restraining order or preliminary injunction for the Court to temporarily sequester the Villars’ assets and prevent the transfer to other parties of potentially forfeitable property to the state.

Moreover, it should be unmistakably clear for Villar to withdraw his candidacy for the presidency because no way the Filipino people will consider him trustworthy to occupy the highest government position or any public office.

Norwalk, CA – 01/18/10

Source: http://globalbalita.com/2010/01/20/villar-unfit-for-president-or-public-trust/

Manny Villar’s Supporters Are Red In The Face

—– Forwarded Message —-
From: dumagat bulacan
To: bebe bebe
Subject: MANNY VILLAR’S SUPPORTERS ARE RED IN THE FACE

Get Real
Refuting Manny’s defenders
By Solita Collas-Monsod
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:33:00 02/05/2010

IN RESPONSE TO LAST WEEK’S COLUMN where I presented some incontrovertible facts regarding the ethics case against Sen. Manny Villar, I received an e-mail from one Danilo Suarez of Quezon City. He wrote: “Read your column re your take on C5 and Sen. Villar’s ‘involvement.’ In the interest of fairness, I exhort you, as a supporter of Sen. Villar, to also check his official website and his side on the matter. I trust you would put this out as you search for the truth …. Looking forward to reading about it in your column.”

My reply: “Dear Mr. Suarez, If there is anything erroneous in any of the statements of fact that were published in my column, please feel free to point them out, together with the documents you have that will allow me to verify that they are indeed erroneous. As you may have noticed, the A’s in my column can be verified by documents and uncontroverted statements from official sources, which I was very careful to cite, precisely so that readers like you can check them. I am certainly glad that Mr. Villar has aired his side on his website. That is his choice. It is mine to look at the government documents and the sworn testimony that are part of the Senate record. I look forward to Mr. Villar’s defending himself in a venue that allows for clarificatory questions and refutations. That is, after all, part and parcel of transparency and accountability that are so necessary for good governance. Regards.”

The Inquirer also forwarded me an e-mail from Ma. Nalen Rosero-Galang, who identifies herself as legal counsel for Senator Villar. I also received a paper titled “C-5 sound and fury: Is Monsod painting the full picture? Student rebukes professor” by Ricardo G. Barcelona of Spain, who identifies himself firstly as “a former student of Prof. Monsod,” before going on to reciting the rest of his impressive curriculum vitae. I am honored that he considers his being my former student (albeit a rebuking one) more important than the rest of his professional achievements.

For the most part, both Galang and Barcelona do not contest the facts presented in last week’s column. An exception is when Galang asserts that “There is no evidence whatsoever that the alignment of the C5 Road Extension was determined by Senator Villar, or that its alignment was changed in order that it should pass through the real estate properties of Senator Villar’s companies.” Excuse me, Ms Galang: May I remind you that per the Department of Public Works and Highways, Senator Villar conceptualized and initially funded both the CX-5 and the Las Piñas-Parañaque Link Road project. That is in black and white in the DPWH project feasibility studies.

Both do contest what I considered a reasonable conclusion: that since there was already an ongoing (MCTEP) linking C-5 to the Coastal Road, it was unnecessary (and therefore wasteful) to build a second one. Galang argues that both were necessary, given the “worsening traffic condition (sic) in Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite.” Barcelona argues that it was not a case of wastefulness, but rather of creating choices for motorists.

To Ms Galang: where in urban Philippines are traffic conditions not worsening? To Mr. Barcelona: MCTEP was conceived precisely to create choices for motorists. There already exists a current road network, toll-free, that will allow motorists to move from SLEX to the Coastal Road. MCTEP would give them the choice of going from point A to Point B more quickly—as long as they are willing to pay for the convenience. Giving motorists a third choice, in the context of competing demands on scarce resources, cannot be—never mind, should not be—defended. Giving motorists a third choice, while at the same time ensuring that the third-choice road passes through Villar-owned properties (I notice neither Galang nor Barcelona refuted the 50-52 hectare area involved), is even less defensible.

Then there is the matter of zonal valuation. Barcelona is correct to point out a seemingly inconsistent set of estimates: In my column, I stated (not suggested—it is a matter of arithmetic), that the Villar lots were acquired at an average price of P7,168/sq m while non-Villar properties went for P1,880/sq m. In my analysis for News on Q, which was earlier taped, the figures I gave were P11,520 and P2,922 respectively (not the P11,000 and P4,500 that Barcelona cites. Tsk.). Inconsistent? No. The P11,520 figure refers only to the properties that are directly Villar-owned. The P7,168 figure refers to direct properties and those in joint-venture with Villar companies. Please note that I used the lower figures in my column.

To Barcelona: Do not put words in my mouth. I was not suggesting that capital gains linked to proximity to public works should accrue to government. And there is a world of difference between the Hacienda Luisita issue and the Villar properties issue: (1) Noynoy Aquino probably owns less than 2 percent of Luisita, Villar owns 100 percent of his properties; and (2) Villar conceived and initially funded CX-5/LPPLP; Aquino had zilch to do with SCTEX. Tsk.

Moral of the story: Do not rebuke your teacher using insinuations and without full knowledge of the facts. My fault is that I didn’t teach him any better.

Finally, I cannot resist quoting Joker Arroyo, circa 1998: “So in the case of Speaker Villar, it is simple. If he wants to go/continue in business and deal with government financial institutions, he can do so but he cannot also be a congressman. If he wants to be a congressman, then he must not be in business which deals with the government. We have to pay a price.” Amen.

Kahit sa America alam ng tao magnanakaw si Villar

—– Forwarded Message —-
From: dumagat bulacan
Sent: Monday, February 8, 2010 9:09:19
Subject: Kahit sa America alam ng tao magnanakaw si Villar

by Greg Macabenta (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

President Villarroyo?

M a n n y Villar is lucky, he is running for president of the Philippines. If this were an election campaign in the US, he would be shamed into withdrawing because of the censure threatened by at least 12 of his colleagues in the Senate.

He is also lucky because a censure might be the worst thing the Senate will do to him. In fact, if the erstwhile champion of good government, Alan Peter Cayetano, were to have his way, there won’t even be a censure and the damning findings of the Senate President himself, Juan Ponce Enrile, would be treated like a worthless piece of paper.

Cayetano, who would have us believe he was a crusader against the corrupt Arroyo government, apparently hasn’t heard about what Manuel Luis Quezon had to say about loyalty to his party ending where loyalty to the country begins. Cayetano sees things in reverse.

If Villar were a US senator and were to be accused and “found guilty” by his Senate colleagues, the way Ponce Enrile’s findings indicate, a mere censure would cause an uproar across America. That would be like a mere slap on the knuckles and Capitol Hill would not hear the end of it from the media and from the citizenry.

In America, the Justice Department would step into the picture or an independent counsel would be appointed. The FBI would quarantine Villar’s financial records, go over his transactions with a fine tooth comb, interview dozens of potential witnesses and make a viable presidential campaign impossible to run. And fat chance the voters will even entertain the idea of Villar becoming president.

Consider what Bill and Hillary Clinton, as president and first lady of the United States, had to go through as a result of allegations of unethical conduct in connection with their real estate investments while Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas. The Clintons were subsequently cleared in the Whitewater scandal but not their associates Jim and Susan McDougal who were both convicted, along with Clinton’s successor, Governor Jim Tucker. If enough evidence had been built against the Clintons, they would have been ejected from the White House.

And yet, what the Clintons were accused of could pass for a small case of official misbehavior compared to what Villar has been accused of by his colleagues in the Senate.

Consider what Gary Hart and John Edwards, both US presidential hopeless had to suffer when the former was shown with a “bimbo” on his lap in a yatch and the latter was exposed concerning his extramarital affair. Hart had to forget about his presidential ambitions and Edwards had to end his promising presidential campaign.

Would Villar entertain such a thought? Not on anyone’s life. He has invested so much in his campaign, he won’t withdraw even if every member of Congress were to turn blue in the face censuring him.

I n d e e d , the findings of the Senate Committee should be enough to kick off the kind of exhaustive investigation that will get to the bottom of this scandal and either exonerate Villar or get him indicted and jailed. But don’t count on the Senate demanding that Villar should withdraw. The Senate is still an Old Boys’ Club and, at most, will rap Villar on the knuckles and leave him free to run for the highest office in the land.

Villar has been accused of having “made the Filipino suffer the total amount of P6.22 billion” because of the alleged realignment of the C5 highway through subdivisions in which he has substantial holdings. On top of that, he has been accused of directly benefiting from the realignment because of the increased value of his property and allegations of overpricing in the right-of-way payments, on top of which he reportedly was first in line to collect payments from the government.

Twelve senators have already signed the draft report and are endorsing it to a plenary session of the Senate. That very act would mean the end of Villar’s presidency aspirations, if this scandal had exploded in America or Korea or Japan or Europe. In such a case,Villar would have to put up a determined defense to defend his honor and uphold his reputation.

But this is happening in the Philippines. Therefore, Villar may not even feel constrained to speak out in his defense but will simply leave it to his spokesmen, apologists and publicists to cry “political vendetta” and claim martyrdom.

And don’t be surprised if this furor will not even affect his standing in the surveys. In this country of bleeding hearts, blind loyalties, votes for sale and media practitioners moonlighting as apologists, Villar is not likely to lose any support. Dolphy will continue to extol him as an outstanding Son of Tondo. Willie Revillame will continue to sing praises to him in his TV show. Loren Legarda will hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil and, at most, will find a proper euphemism to justify her continuing support for her presidential teammate.

This is truly sad. This presidential election is supposed to offer a ray of hope to the long suffering people of the Philippines. After almost a decade of Arroyo misrule, this is supposed to be the chance to turn things around, to field candidates who are the opposite of the present Malacanang occupant.

But what do we have? Erap Estrada, after having been ejected from the presidency and convicted of plunder, is running again for president and is ranking third in the surveys. Gilbert Teodoro, who believes that loyalty to his patron, Arroyo, is more important than loyalty to the country (another individual who hasn’t heard of Manuel Quezon) is the official candidate of the administration. And Manny Villar, accused of using his Senate position to benefit his business empire and threatened with a censure by his Senate peers, is still gaining on Noynoy Aquino and leaving Dick Gordon far behind in the polls.

I mention Aquino and Gordon because of the irony that these two candidates present. One is accused of having “done nothing” to deserve the presidency except to be the son of his father and mother, while the other has an impressive public service record that fails to impress the masses.

One will likely lose, despite being qualified to be president. The other one brings real hope for a new era of honesty and integrity in public service but has to confront the harsh prospect of a tight race against someone who could bring a repeat of the very plague of corruption that this election seeks to erase.

Can you imagine a President Manny VILLARROYO????!!!