VILLAR EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE ON
THE OUTCOME OF ORAL ARGUMENTS

Senate President Manny Villar, President of the Nacionalista Party, is confident and optimistic about the outcome of the scheduled oral arguments tomorrow between the Senate and the Supreme Court regarding the petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by the Office of the Solicitor General on behalf of Philippine Commission on Good Government Chairman Camilo Sabio.

I am confident that the arguments of the Senate will be presented very competently by Senator Joker Arroyo. He is very familiar with the issue and he knows exactly what this is all about since he himself drafted the order that Chairman Sabio is using against us, says Villar.

To recall, PCGG Chairman Sabio was cited for contempt and then arrested by the Senate last week for repeatedly snubbing summons from the Senate committees (Government Corporations & Public Enterprises and Public Services) conducting a probe on the supposed anomalous losses of PhilComSat.

Villar adds, Together, Senator Arroyo and Dean Agabin are very competent. I have no doubt that we have the best team that could possibly be assembled to defend the Senate. Also, we have nothing to worry about since we are in the right. We follow the procedures and the rules.

According to Villar, Senator Arroyo has also defended or represented the Senate in previous oral arguments at the Supreme courtagainst Executive Order 464 and the Presidential Proclamation 1017.