How can you vote for someone who is more cunning, more wily, more subtle, more evil scheming than Marcos and Arroyo into the presidency?

I thought we have had enough of too much plunder, too much graft and corruption, too many repulsive 'trapo' politicians? - that's why we stormed the lenght of EDSA to oust a dictator in 1986?

I thought we had grown tired of hearing excuses after excuses, seeing fall guy after fall guy being presented as escape goats, and reading well crafted cover ups after cover ups designed to literally 'sweep under the rugs' the many charges of impropriety and enrichment in office under Arroyo's nine years of despicable rule?

I can not imagine how you can even entertain putting a man like Manny Villar in control of the highest position in the land, when while still a congressman and a senator he had managed to use his authority and influence for the self-serving needs to benefit his various enterprises?...and, much much earlier in his political career,.. and with more astounding finesse at the art of political machination and manipulation than either Marcos or Arroyo!

I can not believe that  many of us today, (about 31% according to the latest surveys), are still  able to entertain the thought of voting for a candidate who had already skillfully mastered the art of deception and manipulation while still a congressman and a senator? (God forbid what he can and will do when he becomes president!)- A candidate who had skillfully honed his ways in using his public office to gain favors for his own companies, and corrupt government institutions by bribing and intimidating its employees in order to produce documents, certifications, and hasty project approvals meant to give him a 'clean bill of health' and provide legalized excuses for his plundering acts should anyone challenge him in the future!

Stop for a while and ask yourselves where Villar got his billions which he is now spending like "Mikey Mouse" money just to become president. Have you not been scandalized by the fact that this candidate has spent 2 billion in political ads in less than 3 months in his desperate pursuit of the presidency?

If your answer is "no" then you must be one of those belonging to the 31% of voters still cheering for Villar (according to the latest surveys)! If your answer is "no", then you must be one of those who have fallen for Villar's rags to riches tale and have swallowed hook line and sinker his empty and statistically improbable promise to totally eradicate poverty all over the country during his presidency!  

(Have you not heard these kind of old empty promises from 'trapo politicians' before every election time?... Repeated over and over again like broken records - only to be forgotten soon enough after they get elected? I can't believe you will still fall for these same old tricks?)

Yet, no, I won't fault you for it. But, do read on to the end of this post!

Do not dismiss this post as another one of those black propaganda (as Villar always says), or a campaign ploy meant only to mudsling your favored candidate! ...because this is not!...Rather, this post is meant to bring out the truth behind the many charges being hurled against candidate Villar! This post is meant to open your eyes to who the real Manny Villar is and at the same time bare his plundering ways!

According to existing records, Cynthia Villar, wife of the then Speaker of the House Manny Villar together with a certain Anacordita Magno who was the first vice president of  the Villar owned Optimum Development Bank (formerly known as Capitol Development bank) managed to obtain a loan for 1.17 billion on April 22, 1998 and another 334 million on April 24, 1998. Based on the promissory notes signed by Villar and Magno, they promised to pay their loan after six months at an interest rate of 14.957 percent per annum.

As collaterals, they put up -

(1) a property bought by Northwinds Prime Properties Inc. (a Villar company) for over P120 million from Sta. Lucia Realty and Development Corp. which they then mortgaged to Capitol Development Bank (a Villar-owned thrift bank now known as Optimum Development Bank) under the name of ADR Farms in the amount of P150 million (Northwinds making a hefty P30M profit) on July 4, 1996 ; and

(2) a 424 hectare farmland in Norzagaray, Bulacan (valued only at 290 million)  covered by a spurious sales patent issued on July 17, 1944 and an original certificate title issued on July 25, 1944 (The documents submitted by Villar's CDB  to BSP when they made the loan) - questionable and definitely spurious  because the date of issuance of both the sales patent and original certificate title “took place when there was no civil government in the Philippines,” which was then under Japanese occupation. (Commonwealth Act 141, as amended,  “authorizing the issuance of sales patent was illegal and inoperative during the Japanese occupation.”)

(Note: The original owners of this land are farmers whose ancestors have been tilling this land for ages. They are now currently contesting BSP's foreclosure case for the property with the Malolos City RTC.)

From the records, it appears that the first property (1) was eventually sold to RCBC Savings bank by Capitol Development Bank and finally bought back by Palmera Homes (another Villar company). How the transaction pushed through despite the fact that the property  was used as a collateral for the almost 1.5 billion loan with BSP is highly suspicious and questionable.

Apparently, the BSP ended up with only the 484 hectares of agricultural land the ownership of which rightfully belongs to the resident farmers of Norzagaray who in April 27,1964 were granted Original Certificate of Title P-858/Free Patent No. 257917. Unfortunately, the original documents that will prove the farmer's claim burned in a suspicious fire that destroyed the building which houses the local Register of Deeds of Norzagaray in 2007. It was only then,  after the farmers went to the Malolos City RTC to have their titles reconstituted that they found out the land was the subject of a foreclosure proceeding initiated by BSP against Capitol Development Bank - much to their amazement and dismay!

In 2006 (while Villar was already Senate President courtesy of Arroyo), plunder raps were filed by Villar's political opponents covering this issue. It was, however hurriedly and suspiciously dismissed by the Ombudsman for "lack of palpable merit"  (whatever that means)! When the farmers themselves filed a new plunder case later on, Villar's camp were quick to cite double jeopardy! Neat, indeed! Now, they say this is a rehash of an old issue already dismissed by the Ombudsman...but the truth is the case will remain unclosed until the farmers get their end of the justice they deserve!

If you look at the issue objectively, it boils down to the Bangko Sentral granting a huge 1.5 billion loan to Villar's Capitol Development Bank covered by real estate properties which have been grossly over valued (apparently to justify the big loan amount). Now, with the farmers rightfully claiming ownership of the 484 hectares, the BSP risks to lose ownership of the land (should Villar's clout and Mafia like ways fail) ... with it, the whole amount lent to Villar!

However, if Villar wins the presidency, the whole issue will again be swept under the rugs the Arroyo way. The Norzagaray farmers will loose their entitlement to the land that they have been tilling for ages; and the BSP will be 1.5 billion short and holding on only to a  grossly overvalued piece of property!

If you don't call this plunder, what is?

Let us now go over to Iloilo and scrutinize Villar's Savannah Property!

Villar’s company, Crown Communities Iloilo, bought 12.7 hectares in Jibao-an, Pavia, Iloilo from farmer CARP beneficiaries and converted this first-class irrigated rice land into a residential enclave, Savannah Subdivision.  Construction of the subdivision started in the year 2000 but Villar only obtained the Department of Agrarian Reform’s approval to convert the agriculture land into a residential area in 2007 seven years after construction started.

Villar and his henchmen must have studied the CARP closely to find loopholes they can use to circumvent the provisions of the agrarian reform law and ended up buying and owning  land formerly granted to farmer beneficiaries under the CARP - thereby undermining the true spirit of genuine agrarian reform in the country!

Under SEC. 27 of the CARP,  Transferability of Awarded Lands. - Lands acquired by beneficiaries under this Act may not be sold, transferred or conveyed except through hereditary succession, or to the government, or to the LBP, or to other qualified beneficiaries for a period of ten (10) years. Further, under Section 65 of RA 6657 and AO 1 series of 2002 states that after the lapse of five years from its award, when the land ceases to be agriculturally sound and economically feasible or if the locality has become urbanized and the land will have greater economic value for residential, commercial or industrial purposes, the awarded land  may be converted into residential, commercial and other non-agricultural uses.

Apparently, the first purchase of  12.7 hectares of awarded agricultural land in 2000 was preparatory to acquiring more of the adjacent land awarded to farmer beneficiaries of CARP - because immediately after acquiring said property, they plugged all the irrigation canals there effectively cutting off water supply to the other adjacent lots - rendering it  totally useless as an agricultural land , and (according to section 65 of CARP above) since the land ceases to be agriculturally sound and economically feasible, they may now be used for residential or non agricultural purposes. (Subtle and neat, indeed). The other farmer beneficiaries, denied of the much needed irrigation water, had no choice but to sell out their now agriculturally useless land to Villar's  Crown Communities. This explains the 7 year gap before finally the Department of Agrarian Reform granted them a green light for the conversion.  They needed to render the whole area no longer feasible for agricultural purposes. Villar ended up expanding the project into a 250 hectare prime real estate property. And hey, he also gave his project a much needed boost to perk up its real estate value! Using P4 million from his pork barrel funds, Villar built a 585-meter national road that led right into the entrance of Savannah.... Villar's only public works project in the province! As a Result, from P150 per square meter, Villar's Savannah property has gone up to P3,500 per square meter!

Genuine agrarian reform was one of the clamor of the farmer peasants during the martial law regime. Enacting the CARP into law was Cory Aquino's answer to their clamor during her term. Land to the landless tenant farmers was the ultimate objective of CARP. Unfortunately, Villar, not even a president yet, has already shrewdly crafted a way to undermine it to enrich himself.  He sees a goldmine in them those CARP awarded agricultural lands. He renders them useless for agriculture then buys them cheap. After developing them into housing projects, he then, using funds from his pork barrel, builds a road traversing the property immediately jacking up their real estate values!

Sounds familiar? You bet! That's exactly what he did with the C5 Road extension project! Despite his knowledge of an existing road project that will link C5 with the Coastal Road being undertaken by  the Toll Regulatory Board, despite knowing that the government has already paid millions in road right of way payments for the said project, he initiated another road project running  more than 80% parallel to the existing TRB  road project but longer and traverses more of his housing projects in the area. He effectively forced the
contractor of the toll way to quit knowing Villars road project will render the proposed Toll Way totally usedless!....And with it, down the drain went the millions in RROW payments! We haven't touched much on the Daang Hari Road Project in Cavite which clearly, Villar constructed to link all of his housing projects in the area!

A pattern of using his public office to influence projects that will benefit his companies is turning out clearly to be his primary pre-occupation since he entered politics. It is a good thing that an LA-based Philippine Anticorruption Movement USA, Inc.is now here to help us unearth the truth behind Villar's plundering ways!  Headed by Frank Wenceslao, Pamusa is authorized by the U.S. Department of Justice to work with and submit evidence of corruption against current and former Philippine public officials and people that have colluded with them in conjunction with the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).Wenceslao promised to start publishing its findings starting next month.

Now, in all sincerity,... for the love of your country, ...for the future of your children, for your own sake,... can you still say you'll vote for this man on May 10m 2010!

14 October 2009

Dear Uncle Ed,

I was very relieved to hear that you were all safe and sound in the wake of Ondoy and Pepeng. But how devastating that our people had to go through two such onslaughts (particularly in Pangasinan, Ilocos and Manila -- all of which remain very close to our hearts) one after the other! I hope and pray that the flooding eventually subsides and people are rehabilitated safely. And if Napocor and the San Roque people are in fact partially responsible for the terrible flooding in Pangasinan, I sincerely hope that they are made to face their day in court.

I thought I would write you because I’m concerned about some things that have been happening at home. I am not sure who you will endorse for president but I know that it will most likely tip the balance again, much in the way that your endorsements have done in the past. I have never felt the need to write you before, although I have always carefully observed your decisions through the years.

And I certainly had questions -- questions about human rights during the martial law years, military logging under the Marcos administration, the signing of IPP contracts after the power crisis (and the high cost of electricity for consumers), the San Roque dam, PEA/Amari, the Fort Bonifacio conversion/privatization program, the VFA, the Centennial celebration, the endorsement of Joe de V and the continued support of GMA until the bitter end. I was relieved to learn that you had been cleared of any wrongdoing in the PEA/Amari case, but always wondered whether your decision to endorse Joe de V (which was after all a party decision as well) was inextricably linked to it.

Why am I bringing all this up now? Only to say that, as your niece, I have had many questions about your decisions through the years, but none that ever made me feel the need to engage with you at length. To begin with, ours was not a particularly discursive relationship. More importantly, I always felt the need to give you the benefit of the doubt, and trusted that you had the best interests of the Filipino people at heart.

And there was certainly ample evidence that you had done tremendous things in your lifetime. Not only were you a hero of EDSA 1: you had had a brilliant military career and were arguably one of the best presidents the country has ever had. Winning by only a small margin, you turned what might have been a costly liability into the success of pluralism. With liberalization and deregulation during your term, FDI increased and the economy as a whole remained strong, even throughout the Asian financial crisis. In fact, privatization, revenue generation through a VAT on luxury goods and services, working with the communist and Muslim insurgency, and focusing on OFW rights (particularly in the case of Flor Contemplacion) -- were all hallmarks of your administration, and certainly the kind of decisions my Fletcher professors would have applauded. Indeed, the suggestions of corruption were minimal, seen in the context of all your positive contributions and in comparison with preceding and succeeding presidents. Without a doubt.

But I finally had to break my silence after having watched the Ondoy aftermath with horror, realizing that our government was as much to blame for the colossal loss of life and habitation in the country as was climate change. As an engineer, you know that the flooding was also due to poor civil engineering, urban planning and zoning; lack of waste management; lack of education and corruption.

The thought of your supporting Gibo (or even a Villar/Escudero tandem, for that matter, in the event that Gibo has become too unpopular since Ondoy) was finally enough to make me put pen to paper. Without a doubt, Gibo is “incomparably competent,” but then so were Joe de V and GMA, Uncle Ed -- and look what happened. I understand that you supported GMA because you wanted macroeconomic stability in the country above all, particularly in the apparent absence of any viable alternatives.

But I think the sweep of history speaks for itself: competent candidates with strong party affiliations are not necessarily going to be good leaders, nor will they necessarily be what the people want. Because they lack a certain basic honesty, and I suspect the people sense that. If Gibo were sincere, why would he stay with Lakas-CMD, particularly now that the merger with Kampi has been honored by the Supreme Court? Surely the ruling party has been discredited at this point, in view of everything GMA has done? There really is no need to enumerate anymore: I think, by now, we’re all pretty familiar with what those things are.

Even Obama was reluctant to have an audience with her, and overseas Filipinos continue to refuse to send money to the Ondoy victims through their embassies and consulates, so deep indeed is their distrust of the government! Moreover, his performance in the post-Ondoy relief effort has hardly been stellar, as you must have already noted. Gibo is also undoubtedly backed by Danding (despite the alleged rift), which suggests that the two things that very much impede progress in our country -- monopolies and oligarchy itself -- will ultimately remain unchanged. This is ostensibly the reason why many young people remain wary of Chiz/Loren or Villar/Escudero. As for Manny V, his meteoric rise to power is nothing short of impressive, to be sure, but his proclivity for engaging in back-room deals has certainly not gone unnoticed. In short, what we see in these candidates appears to be more of the same -- a position, I might add, we can no longer afford, and certainly not at this critical moment in our nation’s history.

Of course Erap’s decision to run will split up the opposition even further, which certainly strengthens the ruling party’s hand. But perhaps my biggest fear about Gibo (apart from the very real possibility that, in subtle ways, the ruling party might cheat) has to do with the fact that charter change appears to be imminent, in which case, if GMA runs for Congress in the meantime, it is not entirely inconceivable that she could become our next Prime Minister. To be sure, you would be granted the same type of soft power you’ve been granted during GMA’s administration, but is it really worth it in the end, Uncle Ed? Do you really want to go down in history as the guy who saved GMA after “Hello, Garci” and who continued to hand the country down to its unscrupulous elite from one administration to another? Isn’t the respect of the young -- and of history itself -- the most important thing, at the end of the day? In my humble opinion, the best way to refurbish the fading Eddie brand now is to do the right thing and heed the will of the people.

Noynoy, of course, is less than perfect: we all know that. His record is remarkable only in its lack of remarkable achievements, and he certainly isn’t a particularly brilliant thinker or charismatic speaker. But he has never been tainted by any suggestions of corruption and does not appear to have the propensity to throw his weight around. He is apparently thoughtful, respectful and humble, and we can only hope that his lineage will encourage him to sacrifice for the country the way his extraordinary parents did. Because of this inimitable heritage, he is now the one candidate with the potential to unite the opposition against the ruling party. For his part, Mar is no slouch, moreover, and the Liberal Party appears to have some progressive elements.

The point is: the people are clearly tired, not just of the “bickering,” as you say, but of the trapos themselves, and are willing to bet on someone who falls very far outside the standard mold (Noynoy is, if you will, a reluctant Cojuangco, something many respect and appreciate). At any rate, I sincerely hope you will consider my thoughts -- the thoughts of a young Filipina who loves her country immeasurably -- when you make your decision.

But none of this changes my love and respect for you, Uncle Ed. I’m just sorely disappointed and hope that, for once in my life, you might actually recognize that I'm old enough to make my own assessments. Nor does this mean that I’m not a “team player.” Because my definition of teamwork is not that you command the team and everyone is thereby obligated to obey you. Instead, team members should be able to have different view points, while still working together for the greater good of the collective whole. In fact, democratic exchange within the team can often enhance the quality of its collective decisions on the whole.

I sincerely hope that you place the country over any other considerations and choose the candidate who is really best for the country, and not in terms of who might further consolidate the tremendous power you already wield.

I hope you won’t be offended by what I have written (and hope you understand if I decide to include some of these ideas in my new blog) but, at 42, I think I’m finally entitled to my own opinion, Uncle Ed. You are after all the only father figure I have ever had (although you may not know it) and I’m writing you the way I would have written my own father, had I just been given a chance.

Please take care of yourself.

Love always,

Lil

Let us just hope the uncle will listen his niece because her thoughts are also the thoughts of millions of suffering Filipinos today.