Whether the newly released Senate report on the C-5 road controversy was fraught with politics or a mere gimmick to throw mud at the controversial Senator Manny Villar, the fact is, this institution has rules. As a member of this institution, Villar has the responsibility of complying faithfully with all its rules.
And, as the rules say, an incumbent Senator of the land should not involve himself with government projects. That’s in the Constitution. That’s the rule. That’s the law.
If, as Villar alleges, the report was fraught with political partisanship, and it was “stage managed” by the majority, it is still incumbent upon him and his allies to read and debate the report on the floor. That is what I call democracy.
That is the beauty of democracy, an accused is allowed his day in court. The Senate has given Villar all the time in the world to go and plead his case before his colleagues. If, as a matter of right, one chose not to answer these charges and just allowed the chamber to draft a report, it is still incumbent upon the accused to respect the rules.
A person who took an oath of office has the responsibility, nay, the DUTY of respecting the institution which took him in. Villar is under the jurisdiction of the Senate. If he charges that his colleagues has conspired against him, then, let that be ON RECORD before the chamber, and not in the public sphere.
Villar has accused the Senate, the very institution which cuddled him for so many years, of being partial or biased in favor of his political enemies. Reason dictates that, as the accused, Villar should have been vigilant and in fact, be in the lead in defending himself before the chamber, not outside of it.
That is the beauty of democracy, an accused is allowed his day in court. The Senate has given Villar all the time in the world to go and plead his case before his colleagues. If, as a matter of right, one chose not to answer these charges and allowed the Institution to make its own conclusion, that’s a right unassailable.
The reason why Villar resorts to just TV interviews is very simple–he cannot be made accountable for his remarks. Villar must be made to realize that his actions are simply unparliamentary and is beneath his stature as a senator of the land. He is making a mockery out of the only pillar of democracy in this country.
And this issue is beyond Villar nor of politics. This is all about the Senate, as an institution, acting with full powers given to it by the People.
This is about a chamber, given full powers, to act according to its rules and according to the very laws which animate this Nation.
This is about leadership, responsible, accountable and principled. This is about leaders who respect the laws and the mandate given to them by the People.
This is about enforcement of laws, of rules drafted after hours and hours of debate and deliberations, and of Reason.
And this is about the strength of convictions and of respect to the workings of democracy. So what if political partisanship plays a big part in the workings of the Senate? Villar knew that the very moment he decided to cast his lot in politics. Since his time as a Congressman, Villar played politics like an expert tactician. It was no secret that he used his enormous resources just to be Speaker of the House.
What would happen to all of us if we allow a billionaire Senator and his allies to continue mocking our laws? What kind of leadership are we promoting here? What are we saying to the next generation? That it is okey for someone as wealthy and as influential as a Villar to just taunt and make a mockery of all of us? That it is okey for one to use his Office and get 6.2 billion pesos?
We cannot but disrespect a rogue Senate.
Popularity: 3% [?]
There are more law breakers than law makers in the Senate and Congress. I have not heard villar utter the word honesty or integrity in his TV Ads. It’s all about sipag at tiyaga at di na dapat magnakaw…walang integrity, walang morality, walang character…Maraming mandarambong na masipag at matiyaga at galing sa hirap….di lang siya…
Si GMA nagnakaw noon naging presidente. Si Villar kandidato pa lang nag cash advance na! C5 at Taga!
The C5 issue is as clear as a noonday Philippine summer sun. Mr. Villar
is a sitting and an incumbent Senator. He used his political position
to put roads and highways near his subdivisions. Making his houses
and lots there. Appreciate or increase their values.
Why is Mr. Villar hiding under his candidacy for President? And shouting
political persecution? Just answer us the question, WHY? Mr. Villar. Then, we will go away and leave you in peace. As long as there are
unanswered questions. We will not go away and continue to bother you
to the Gates of Hell.
I only hope that my fellow filipinos will not be blindsided by Villar’s far-fetched and outrageous promises of a “bright future” for the less fortunate.
Can’t anyone see that hes just preying on the hopes and dreams of the people who can’t support themselves financially and maybe even morally?
Claiming to be one of the “mahirap” or poor, he masquerades in TV shows, commercials and radio programs as a person who sympathizes with the true urban poor.
And those ADDS! Haven’t we all seen enough of them? Well, I think its just plain desperation.
Its almost like brainwashing, repeating it again and again until it sticks to the back of your mind.
AND the adds don’t even make sense, I mean if you trully listen to it.
So people, PLEASE! OPEN YOUR EYES.
The truth is staring you in the face.
VOTE WISELY.
im a steacher and unfortunately a lot of my students will b e voting for this man, i keep on telling them to read the papers and watch the news so they will be enlightened. i do hope that they will change their minds and not vote for this guy.
Well, I think Villar’s first ad was campaigning for the rights of ducks(itik) then realizing that ducks could not vote, he then shifted to OFWs.
After that, he focused on the urban poor. Claiming to be one of them. Well, guess what.. He’s not.
And now, as ‘as’ mentioned above, he’s tying to convince everyone that he will ‘eliminate poverty’ so to speak.
Well, Good luck on that man, a LOT have tried. None succeeded…
God I hope people read these kinds of forums. They could get a lot of insight. Not just false hopes from ads.
I read the article of Patricio Mangubat. The author is contradicting himself when he said “the beauty of democracy is that the accused is given his day in court.” Why would Manny Villar face the Senate if it is not a court? I believe that what is beeing referred to here is a Court of Justice.
Why would Villar face the Senate? The Senate majority is not a group of disinterested persons who can give an impartial investigation and evaluation of his case? Only the Court of Justice can. No one in that group is a disinterested person. If they are not presidential candidates, they are supporters of other candidates and not of Villar. Ano maaasahan mo sa kanila? Pambabastos siguro.
I know most of us have seen not only once but several times how our Honorable Senators treat people they call to testify, to investigate, or to be as resource persons, etc during Senate investigations. They embarrass people,they are sarcastic and they talk as if they are demigods. Why would I like to be subjected to this embarassment if I were Villar?
Several months ago, I was shocked and until now I cannot forget my disgust seeing one of the Senators on TV who was obviuosly fuming mad and shouting words on the Senate floor like maniac, etc when he was delivering his privilege speech condemning Hayden Kho. Tama ba yon? Wala siyang karapatan magsalita ng ganoon. Hindi pa na investigate ang tao nahusgahan na? Lahat ng mga sinabi niya maririnig pati ng mga bata na nanonood ng tv?
Ganitong mga tao ba ang dapat harapin ng kahit na sinong taong iimbestigahan lalo pa at hindi kasangga? Ng hindi maipahiya ng majority si Villar gamit ang floor ng Senado, saka lang sila nag file ng case sa court. Bakit kaya hindi nila ginawa noong umpisa pa? Obviuos ba? Gusto lang nila ng pogi points at media mileage na libre. At least si Villar nagbabayad ng ads niya.
we think manny villar’s latest tv ad represents a bold shift in advertising strategy for the villar campaign. the villar campaign now claims “si manny villar ang magtatapos ng ating kahirapan” (manny villar will end our poverty) at the end of the tv ad.
this is the first time the villar campaign has positioned the candidate on a anti-poverty platform. more importantly, this is the first time that villar ads are making such a very direct and brave claim as eradicating poverty.
villar’s ads were not on poverty directly. he was on the ofw campaign when he started airing ads. the ofw positioning only indirectly touches on poverty and in these ads, the positioning was on his generosity at helping ofws. it was really more on establishing the charactr of being helpful and generous and much less on solving anything.
from the ofw campaign, it shifted to introducing the villar persona and his history. these were the ads where he told viewers his roots in tondo, that he himself was poor. the idea is to paint a personality profile of villar to the voters, sort of like distributing his resume to the voters. in advertising terms, this was to establish villar’s brand image in more concrete terms.