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AFTER staying away from Senate sessions for a couple of months, Sen. Manuel Villar showed up at the plenary to deliver a speech denying accusations against him in connection with the controversial C-5 road extension project.

Once finished with his 16-page report, Villar immediately left, leaving his colleagues in the minority bloc to engage members of the majority bloc in a verbal tussle.

Senators are expected to vote on the Senate Committee of the Whole today. The plenary would also decide if it would be a simple majority of a quorum, majority of the 23 senators, or two-thirds of the Senate.

The Senate came out with its report after 19 hearings in the span of two-year investigation of the C-5 controversy and asked Villar to also return the P6.22 billion his corporations allegedly obtained from the road projects.

Villar said the findings and the recommendations of the report censuring him for alleged unethical conduct was grossly unfair, and that he committed no mistake.

With fifteen senators present, Villar claimed his name was being tarnished by his political rivals by using the same recycled issue which he said was designed to pull him down and destroy his political career.

"(I am here) in defense of my name and my honor... to prove na hindi ako duwag at hindi sinungaling. Walang duwag na taga-Tondo," Villar said at the start of his privilege speech.

Villar said he is being pulled down by his political foes because of his continuous surge in the surveys lately.

"I have never stolen money from the public coffers and I have no intention of stealing," he added.

"I can explain my wealth. I am the principal shareholder in a public company that I founded. In business circles, I have been known as the brown Taipan. Hindi ko kailangan ang 200 million pesos na sinasabi nilang nakimkim ko sa proyekto ng C5 extension," Villar said.

Villar defended the C5 project saying only those with vision and capability can be part of such an undertaking.

"The C5 project is a project that shows the country is moving forward. While many of us who want to get elected promise progress for our country, C5 is that promise realized. It is there for everyone to benefit from and take advantage of," he said.

Villar’s corporations allegedly received road right-of-way compensation and still have unpaid claims. The properties of Villar that were acquired were reportedly given zonal valuation for different areas, thus increasing the compensation due them.

"The report was most unfair to me. The report does not reflect truth. Walang itong katotohanan, wala akong kasalanan, walang anomalya sa C5 project, hindi ako nakinabang dito," Villar said.

Villar also denied the accusation of corruption and blamed his political rivals for the allegations.

"Where is corruption? Hindi na-release ang pera. Yan ay nasa imahinasyon lamang ng ilang senador," he said.

"Lutong makaw ito mula simula hanggang katapusan," Villar said. "Mahirap gisingin ang nagtutulog-tulugan pero mas mahirap gisingin ang kalaban sa pulitika dahil kahit anong paliwanag ay hindi nakikinig."

Sen. Ma. Ana Consuelo Madrigal, complainant in the ethics case, immediately stood up on the floor to interpellate Villar but the latter did not even acknowledge her.

Villar’s allies, minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano defended Villar’s decision not to be interpellated.

Cayetano said this has been the practice in the past.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who had wanted to interpellate Villar, insisted that if there were accusations and assertions, the truthfulness of these have be tested through the rigors of questioning.

Despite this, Enrile expressed his appreciation that Villar faced the Senate to explain his side.

"Mr. President, I stood up several times because I wanted to ask questions from the distinguished gentleman who delivered a privilege speech a while ago to find out whether his statements could be tested by cross examination," Enrile said.

"Be that as it may, I’m glad that the gentleman has come here to explain to the people his side of this issue, whether he told the truth or not is up to the people to evaluate that based on the facts that were stated by him as contra-distinguished with the facts narrated in the report that are being supported by 990 documents that could not lie," Enrile added.

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