Pangilinan withdraws signature from pro-Villar reso
The Senate resolution clearing Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. on the charges hurled against him in connection with the controversial C-5 road extension project is now two signatures short of the majority number of senators. This was after Sen. Francis Pangilinan withdrew his signature from Senate Resolution 1472, which was signed by 12 senators. He was the second senator after Senate Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada to do so. In a letter sent to, and read by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri during Monday's session, Pangilinan said that he believed Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile should be given a chance to report the findings of the committee of the whole against Villar. "After series of consultations, we have come to the conclusion on a matter of the report of the committee of the whole. Regardless of my own stance, the proponent should be given the opportunity to report the contents and findings of the committee of the whole in the plenary," Pangilinan's letter read. Pangilinan, incidentally, was a member of the so-called Wednesday Group in the Senate along with Villar, Sen. Joker Arroyo, now Vice President Noli de Castro, and former Sen. Ralph Recto. Villar, in an earlier interview, had earlier admitted that he was hurt by Pangilinan's support to the committee report.