Lacson bags 3 big committees, pursues ousted Villar’s case

By Angie M. Rosales

11/21/2008

A big winner in Monday’s Senate coup is Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who bagged two major committees, the ways and means committee that used to be headed by Sen. Francis Escudero, and the accounts committee. He also sought, and got, the ethics committee, that Senate sources identified with the Villar camp said was Lacson’s “revenge” as he is expected to push the expulsion of ousted President Manuel Villar from the Senate.

Ousted Senate President Villar has claimed that the move to depose him was all about politics, pointing out that all the “presidentiables” voted against him.

But Sen. Francis Pangilinan yesterday took a dig at Lacson for seeking the the chairmanship of the ethics and privileges committee, noting what he described as the apparent impropriety of the move, as Lacson was first to come out and accuse Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. of alleged anomalies in the C-5 road extension project controversy.

The C-5 issue is pending for investigation before the ethics panel, following the filing of a complaint by Sen. Jamby Madrigal against Villar, taking off from the charges made by Lacson.

Pangilinan issued this statement of the impropriety exhibited by Lacson in the light of the latest revelations made by newly-elected Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile that it was Lacson himself who sought the position.

Pangilinan, a staunch Villar supporter, noted that while Lacson is not the complaining party in the pending case, it was nevertheless Lacson who first brought out the issue by citing the alleged double insertion of the P200 million in funding the said infrastructure project.

The senator pointed out that while the issue was still being referred to the panel, then still under the chairmanship of Sen. Pia Cayetano, Lacson opted to inhibit himself from being a member.

“So as not to be accused of being biased, so to speak,” he said in recalling the floor debates then, referring to Lacson’s move.

“Now that he is to be the (ethics panel) chairman, all the more reason he should inhibit, to be consistent. Unless he now believes otherwise,” he said.

Pangilinan also criticized the opposition senators from the old minority bloc for opting to align with some known Palace allies to form a new majority bloc as they ousted Villar, bringing up the former charges hurled against the earlier majority bloc, with the same opposition bloc attacking those who ran and won under the Genuine Opposition (GO) for merging forces with the administration members at the start of 14th Congress.

“They (Lacson et al.) said those who ran under GO were sleeping with the enemy. Why don’t we ask them the same question now? I think in the end, they are the ones who should explain before the public. How will they explain this, that before they didn’t want to be identified with the administration (senators) and yet, they installed an administration ally” he said.

Enrile, for his part, said Villar will have to confront the issue over the ethics complaint, hinting that there will be no stopping the ethics probe against the former Senate president since it has already been referred to the panel.

“I’m not going to cover up for anybody, including the case pending before the ethics committee, that will go on because that has been referred already to the panel,” Enrile said.

“Anybody who is being accused in the Senate and if these have basis, must answer the charges. Enrile is not going to cover up the ‘asses’ of anyone,” said Enrile.

Enrile also validated earlier reports that Sen. Edgardo Angara will get the finance committee, the agriculture panel will likely end up with Sen. Loren Legarda, environment committee to Madrigal and the education panel to Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, who will still keep the Trade chairmanship.

The blue ribbon committee is currently a toss between Senators Escudero and Richard Gordon.

Back to top

For comments about this website:Webmaster@tribune.net.ph
The Daily Tribune © 2006