MANILA, Philippines – Sumiklab ang banggaan nina Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo at Camille Villar matapos ipagtanggol ng huli sina Senador Jinggoy Estrada at Rodante Marcoleta sa kinahaharap na kasong plunder na kapwa nakakulong ngayon.
Sa magkasunod na menipestasyon sa ginanap na impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa paglulustay ng confidential funds at iba pang kaso, tumindig si Villar nang pangalanan ni Tulfo na hindi makadadalo sina Estrada at Marcoleta sanhi ng kasong plunder.
“I would like to manifest a response to the manifestation of Senator Erwin Tulfo. While I respect all of my colleagues here, all of you. I think we should be reminded that all of the senators that are detained and who are not here right now, that is not their choice,” ayon kay Villar.
Sinabi ni Villar na hindi makatuwiran na tawagin sina Estrada at Marcoleta sa kasong kinahaharap nila dahil hindi pa sila nahahatulan ng korte sa kinahaharap na kaso.
Kapwa nakulong sina Estrada at Marcoleta sa kasong plunder dahil nasangkot sa flood control scandal at undeclared campaign contributions ayon sa pagkakasunod-sunod na kapwa wala sa “coercive power “ ng impeachment court, ayon kay Tulfo.
“And I think it is unfair to call them out that their crimes are plunder and theft because none of those senators have been convicted. There are even a lot of questions why they are not here in the first place,” giit ni Villar.
“Hindi naman pwede na kung anu-ano na lang sinasabi natin sa mga colleagues natin di ba? Konting respeto naman. Dahil lahat naman po ng wala dito, hindi naman po sila napatunayan na may sala. Hindi po sila plunderer, hindi po sila magnanakaw. Hindi po sila napatunayan na ganoon,” ani Villar.
“So, wag naman tayong tumayo diyan at mag lowball ng ganoon. I afford my colleagues due respect and I just hope that our colleagues can do the same for those who are here and are not here,” dagdag ni Villar
Maaalala na nahaharap din si Villar sa ilang kaso hinggil sa isyu sa palpak na serbisyo ng Prime Water Infrastructure Corporation kasama ang magulang nitong sina dating Senate President Manny Villar at dating Senador Cynthia Villar at kapatid na Senador Mark Villar at Paolo Villar.
“Iyon lamang po,” ani Camille.
Sa kanyang tugon, tumayo din si Tulfo sanhi ng pagbatikos ni Camille sa pagsasabing “Mr. Presiding Officer, I just like to make a comment because my name was mentioned earlier. I’d like to take this opportunity.”
“May nasaktan po sa nabanggit ko tungkol sa ilan nating mga kasamahan. Ako po’y humihingi ng paumanhin,” ani Tulfo.
Ngunit, nilinaw ni Tulfo ang isyu sa pagsasabing: “Ginong Presiding officer, Ginoong Pangulo, wala po akong sinabing convicted ng plunder ang ilang kasamahan natin. Ang sinabi ko po ay charged with. Further, the statements were not attacks against our fellow senators but merely confronting– the present reality that some senators are physically or legally unable to participate in the impeachment trial. The issue of detained senators is so intertwined in the determination of denominator.”
“We cannot discuss baseline without touching on the reasons why four of our senators are absent. We cannot proceed because bakit nating pinag-uusapan at i-raise ang issue kung sino ang bibilangin kung lahat tayo po ay narito. I was just sounding off the questions of the people, of our netizens. That’s why I brought it here,” ani Tulfo.
Kung hindi po natin naririnig mga kasama natin, aniya, “aba, everyday po, before coming over, I looked to social media, the newspapers, I looked at reports. Hindi lang po pupunta ko dito na sarili ko iniisip ko, iniisip ko yung gusto sabihin ng taumbayan because we represent those people.”
“They voted for us. Kaya karapatan din po natin na marinig sila dito through us, who were voted by these people. Yun lamang po, Ginoong Pangulo, Ginoong Presiding Officer,” paliwanag ni Tulfo. Ernie Reyes
