Las Piñas lawmaker ready to face fertilizer scam probe to clear name
MANILA, Philippines – The wife of Senate President Manny Villar, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, on Friday said she is ready to testify at the Office of the Ombudsman and even at the Senate to clear name in the P728- million fertilizer fund scam.
Mrs Villar was reportedly listed as one of the Metro Manila lawmakers who received such fund.
“Haharap ako. Unfair sa amin na without knowing your name can be listed. Ginamit lamang ang pangalan ko," said Rep Villar in dzEC radio interview.
(I will answer the accusation. My name had been used in vain.)
Rep Villar was not the first Metro Manila lawmaker who denied benefiting from fertilizer fund mess, which was allegedly engineered by former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc" Bolante.
In last 13th Congress, Makati Rep. Locsin Teodoro took the floor to belie the report that he received funds from the controversial project.
Previous report said that over 100 lawmakers benefited from the project.
Mrs Villar admitted that Bolante had asked her to avail herself of the fund from the fertilizer program but she declined because her district is not an agricultural land.
“Inilista nya ‘yung pangalan namin with (other) congressmen in Metro Manila. Wala kaming natanggap na pondo. Aanhin namin ang fertilizer, wala namang sakahan sa Metro Manila," she said.
(He put me and other lawmakers on the list. We received no fund. We don’t need fertilizer because Metro Manila is no place for farming.)
Mrs Villar also defended her husband amid accusations hurled by Sen. Panfilo Lacson that the Senate President was soft over Bolante’s arrest.
Lacson wanted Bolante to be brought to the Senate and face an investigation. The controversial former official was brought to the St Luke's Medical Center for medical check-up when he arrived last Tuesday evening after complaining of chest pain. - GMANews.TV
Mrs Villar was reportedly listed as one of the Metro Manila lawmakers who received such fund.
“Haharap ako. Unfair sa amin na without knowing your name can be listed. Ginamit lamang ang pangalan ko," said Rep Villar in dzEC radio interview.
(I will answer the accusation. My name had been used in vain.)
Rep Villar was not the first Metro Manila lawmaker who denied benefiting from fertilizer fund mess, which was allegedly engineered by former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc" Bolante.
In last 13th Congress, Makati Rep. Locsin Teodoro took the floor to belie the report that he received funds from the controversial project.
Previous report said that over 100 lawmakers benefited from the project.
Mrs Villar admitted that Bolante had asked her to avail herself of the fund from the fertilizer program but she declined because her district is not an agricultural land.
“Inilista nya ‘yung pangalan namin with (other) congressmen in Metro Manila. Wala kaming natanggap na pondo. Aanhin namin ang fertilizer, wala namang sakahan sa Metro Manila," she said.
(He put me and other lawmakers on the list. We received no fund. We don’t need fertilizer because Metro Manila is no place for farming.)
Mrs Villar also defended her husband amid accusations hurled by Sen. Panfilo Lacson that the Senate President was soft over Bolante’s arrest.
Lacson wanted Bolante to be brought to the Senate and face an investigation. The controversial former official was brought to the St Luke's Medical Center for medical check-up when he arrived last Tuesday evening after complaining of chest pain. - GMANews.TV
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