Defiant Villar challenges critics to sue him
There are claims of irregularities in the public offering of stocks of the firm belonging to the presidential candidate
Manila: Senator Manuel "Manny" Villar, presidential candidate of the Nationalista Party challenged his critics to file charges in court against him, after they claimed there were irregularities in the public offering of stocks of his firm in 2007.
Former President Joseph Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile should present documents and file charges in court against Villar, said lawyer Nalen Rosero-Galang, Villar's chief legal officer.
"The public should know that this is clearly nothing but political mudslinging," Rosero-Galang said.
Villar, while campaigning in Bacolod, central Philippines, said in a radio interview, "I did nothing wrong."
"They [my critics] want to divert the issue from the question of who is truly capable of leading the government, who has the track record to serve as the country's president," he added.
Earlier, Estrada and Enrile said Villar pressured the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) board to approve the public offering of Vista Land & Lifescapes.
The proceeds of the sale would be used to fund his campaign in the May 2010 elections, Estrada and Enrile said, adding it was allegedly "detriment to the Filipino stockholders of the company".
Also on Thursday, Sanlakas, a militant group said it might file plunder charges against Villar because of a complaint filed by the senator's former lawyer who has knowledge of alleged corrupt practices of his real estate companies.
"If Senator Villar thinks he can bully attorney Restituto Mendoza, he is dead wrong," said Argee Guevarra, Sanlakas legal counsel and spokesperson, said.
Villar's former lawyer has knowledge of the alleged irregularity engaged by the senator with regards to the diversion of a national road that passed by his properties to increase their real estate value, Guevarra said, adding that a case against Villar will be filed even if he becomes president in the May 10 polls.
In defence, Villar's lawyer Rosero-Galang said, "Vista Land's public offering was cleared by both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange."
