Senate committee of the whole to decide on rules Monday - Zubiri
Minority block given sufficient time to air legalities against okay of Senate ethics panel rules

Legal debates on what rules to adopt in the on-going Senate committee of the whole investigation into the allegations against Sen. Manuel Villar would end on Monday as the committee votes on the rules to govern the inquiry, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said over the weekend.

Zubiri said the majority block has given the minority block, to which Villar belongs, sufficient time to bring out their arguments against adopting the rules of the Senate ethics committee, which was the original committee assigned to investigate the double insertion allegations against the former Senate President.

"Sa Lunes napaka-importante nitong 9 a.m. meeting ng committee of the whole kung saan magde-desisyon na po kami kung aamyendahan ba ang rules ng committee of the whole or hindi," he said in a radio interview.

He said further delays in the Senate committee of the whole investigation would be unfair to Villar and to the public.

"Sa tingin ko kasi kung pag-uusapan po natin itong rules made-delay eh. Magkakaroon ng extension, delay ng delay itong kaso ni Sen. Villar. Sa tingin ko hindi na nakakabuti kay Sen. Villar iyon dahil mas maganda na pumasok na tayo sa hearing proper, preliminary inquiry... para sa ganoon makasagot din si Sen. Villar," he pointed out.

The Senate Majority Leader said Villar should now be given the chance to air his side on the controversy to stop public speculations that he abused his authority when he was president of the Senate to favour his family's business interests.

"As of now puro speculation iyong lumalabas, kung ano po iyong mga charges sa kanya, kung ano po iyong ginawa niya. Mabuting makasalita na rin siya at magbigay na rin ng kanyang pahayag, ng kanyang side dito sa problemang ito para sa lalong madaling panahon at least marinig na din po natin kung ano ang defense niya, ano pang gagamitin niyang rason dito bakit nangyari itong sinasabi ni Jamby na double insertion na ito," Zubiri added.

He said that as soon as the rules for the Senate committee of the whole inquiry is approved, the preliminary investigation into the complaint could begin.

Zubiri said the Senate inquiry into the complaint against Villar should serve notice not only to senators but to all lawmakers about getting involved in anomalous transactions in relation to the disbursements of their Priority Development Assistant Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel fund.

"Ito ang kagandahan nito... magkakaroon ng takot ang ating mga senador, kaming mga senador na gumawa ng kalokohan. Dahil kung gagawa kami ng kalokohan, halimbawa mambastos kami, manuntok kami ng isang taon, mag-swindle kami ng isang tao, puwede kaming imbestigahan. At ganito po ang mangyayari. Alam mo magiging deterrent ito," he said.