Enrile defends Lacson anew over questions on ethics panel chairmanhip

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday defended anew Senator Panfilo Lacson’s chairmanship of the Senate ethics committee that is hearing a complaint against Senator Manuel Villar Jr. At the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel, Enrile said it is incorrect to say that Lacson was the accuser of Villar on the alleged double entry of the P200-million fund for the construction of the C5 road project. “It is not correct to say that Lacson is the accuser and the judge at the same time," Enrile said, adding the complaint was filed by Senator Ma. Ana Consuelo Madrigal. He added that when Lacson raised the issue on the double entry of funds at a hearing of the finance committee in 2008 the accusation was not directed to Villar but the Department of Public Works and Highways and Department of Budget and Management. In that hearing, he said Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya admitted that Malacañang put the first P200-million fund in the 2008 national budget and he did not know who allocated another fund for the project. Enrile said it was he who named Villar as the one who asked the Senate finance committee to "allocate" P200-million fund for the road project. “Ako bilang chairman ng finance committee, sinabi ko na that was an amendment of Senator Villar [I, as the then chairman of the finance committee, told them that the allocation was an amendment of Senator Villar]," the Senate President said. He said that he believed the double insertion issue was not the only matter that was included in the complaint of Madrigal. “That was not the only thing being investigated by the Senate ethics committee, there were other ethical issues," Enrile said. He added that Lacson cannot be forced to inhibit himself from the ethics committee. “The Senate cannot force Lacson to inhibit from the probe. That (decision) is personal to him. Inhibition is a matter of personal responsibility - your assessment of yourself that you can be impartial to render justice to the respondent," Enrile said. He added: “Nobody can force anybody to inhibit himself." - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV