PROVINCIAL board member Alfonso Bince Jr. is cheering on embattled Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr., head of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG).

Villar, founder of Biskeg and former mayor of Sto. Tomas, has been under fire by two congressmen who have urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to abolish PASG even as they threatened to cite him for contempt for snubbing the hearings of the Committee on Good Government regarding smuggling in the country.

“Knowing Bebot (Villar’s nickname), he would rather be arrested or detained in Congress if he would be cited for contempt rather than be insulted there in his face”, Bince said.

Villar has said he would attend the hearings as a resource person but not to be investigated on cases involving the two congressmen, Reps. Al Francis Bichara and Maria Milagros Magsaysay

In two previous House hearings, Villar sent representatives of PASG believing that the invitation was to explain the status of its operations only to find out that they were being probed by the congressmen to explain themselves for seizing suspected smuggled cars of the congressmen.

“Is this in aid of legislation or in aid of vengeance?” Bince asked, adding, “What legislation will they do?”

He also said Villar’s detractors, who have reportedly been affected by his anti-smuggling campaign, maintain PASG has only collected P13 million when in fact PASG has in fact contributed P6 billion to the national coffers.

Villar had offered to quit his job last week in a bid to save his immediate superior from any political backlash as a result of his campaign, but was told by the President Arroyo to stay.#

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments