Villar’s Heavy Baggage II

Frankly Speaking
by Frank Wenceslao

Twelve senators reportedly signed the resolution to dismiss the complaint against Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. in connection with the alleged budget insertions and diversion of the C-5 Road Project extension to benefit his real estate companies. Some Pamusa colleagues and I believe the senators missed the main point that should’ve been looked into.

That’s how many insertions Villar made in approved appropriations bills pending in the bicameral conference committee, firstly, for the right-of-ways expropriated from his properties be paid ahead of other landowners similarly situated and, secondly, led to the rise of land values that surely have enriched him.

Let it be stressed he’s a declared presidential aspirant before the case arose. The burning question most objective minds ask is if elected President could Villar resist repeating similar acts to favor his close associates and immediate family members, or private individuals and businessmen to repay their contributions to his victory.

Villar did the same scandalous earmarks of U.S. Congress members to pay for overruns of federal contracts or appropriate funds for projects especially Department of Defense contracts on year-to-year basis. Several U.S. Congress members are now in jail for steering earmarks to contracts of political contributors.

One of the most celebrated cases was that of Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-San Diego) who pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2005 to fraud, conspiracy to commit bribery and tax evasion. Shortly after entering his plea, Cunningham announced he was immediately resigning his seat. The Associated Press reported that Cunningham admitted he took $2.4 million in bribes to steer defense contracts to his favored contractor MZM Inc. headed by Mitchell Wade who had close ties to Cunningham. Cunningham was sentenced to eight years in jail on Feb. 27, 2006.

Prior to his political career, he was an officer in the U.S. Navy for 20 years during which time he became a flying ace for actions during the Vietnam War which made his conviction more shocking to Americans.

Thus, the Senate would allow Villar to escape probable criminal charges because the insertions have surely enriched him. On top of it, the Senate would turn loose a man who could be President and commit illegal acts he did while a member of Congress which are heavy baggage.

Many Filipinos emailed me that Villar hasn’t achieved something spectacular, for instance, a fraction of the international honor gained for the Philippines by Manny Pacquiao or Tony Meloto and Gawad Kalinga’s low cost housing program for him to be a serious candidate for the presidency.

Neither can Villar claim any achievement in Congress not beclouded with how he built up a one-billion-dollar enterprise which only made a rocket-take off after he’s elected congressman, Speaker, senator and Senate President entirely different from other businessmen with undeniable rags-to-riches stories.

Could there be any doubt therefore the growth of his business is beyond the realm of statistical probability and wouldn’t have been possible without his government positions serving like the “wind beneath his wings”?

I hasten to add an email of Loida Nicolas Lewis, the most recognized Filipino leader in America on my suggestion that Villar withdraws from running for President and leave the field to Noynoy Aquino and Gilbert Teodoro to narrow down the people’s choice because as sang by Madonna, each is like a virgin as far as graft and corruption is concerned, to wit:

“WOW! It may just work! Or at least, alert every voting Filipino ’something is rotten in Denmark!’ – Loida.”

It’s but logical people will ask how Villar can fight graft and corruption — the most debilitating national problem — when he might’ve enriched himself engaging in it. He’ll be like Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who has refused Pamusa’s requests for the Ombudsman, PCGG and PACG to share evidence of graft and corruption we can submit to the FBI and USDOJ to take legal action against government corruption pursuant to the UNCAC enforced by U.S. laws obviously for fear she, her husband, close associates and immediate family members will be targeted by Pamusa.

By withdrawing, it’ll be Villar’s greatest service to the nation so the 2010 elections will be a transformational process and cleanse the national spirit like a sinner. Perhaps, this should be considered by VP De Castro, Ping Lacson, President Estrada, Bayani Fernando and Chiz Escudero to renounce presidential ambitions.

Meanwhile, to rebut my first “Villar’s Heavy Baggage” column on Globalbalita.com, Jimmy Cura in apparent defense of Villar threw everything at me including the proverbial kitchen sink. My rejoinder is instead of Cura’s ad hominem accusations why doesn’t Villar simply answer the following questions:

1. Is it true or not he had a hand in the insertion (whether PhP200M or PhP400M) in the 2008 national budget charged by Sens. Madrigal and Lacson which was not in the appropriations bill pending with the bicameral conference committee?

2. Was the insertion so the right-of-ways expropriated from his properties would be paid ahead which will also benefited by the rise of land values that will enrich him denied other landowners in similar situation?

3. For the sake of transparency for people to know if Villar is fit to be President, would he agree to an audit and comparison of his current assets, liabilities and net worth vis-a-vis the statement of his financial conditions the year prior to his election to the House?

4. Would Villar agree to an asset-search hired by Pamusa to dig up bank accounts and investments in the U.S. and other countries in the names of Mr. and Mrs. Villar, their children and close associates especially the top executives of Villar’s owned or controlled corporations?

5. If Pamusa finds what the USDOJ considers “assets that came from 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,” would Villar and his wife turn over to the Philippine Government their inexplicable assets over what an ordinary businessman can build up under the most favorable conditions?”

Pamusa, of course, reserves the option to sue Villar and wife civilly to recover for the government their ill-gotten wealth with evidence the FBI, IRS, etc. may dig up to render specific forms of mutual legal assistance in gathering and transferring evidence for use in court which will support the tracing, freezing, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds of corruption whether the action is in the U.S., another foreign nation, or the Philippines (UNCAC international cooperation provisions).