Under the present Senate leadership, the anti-Manny Villar campaign is shifting to high gear with the goal of derailing the Nacionalista Party’s standard bearer’s bid for the presidency, Nacionalista Party (NP) stalwart Iloilo Vice-Gov. Rolex Suplico said.

“This whole C-5 issue, from the time it was started to this day, has been all about politics and about sound bites and headlines. From the very start, we knew that the C-5 hearings were going to be a one-way street. Ang nag-file, ang prosecutor, ang judge, iisa. Talagang hindi patas ang laban,” stressed Suplico, who is running for Congressman of Iloilo’s 5th district.

Earlier, NP senatorial bet former Rep. Gilbert Remulla said in an interview with DZMM that they were surprised with the findings of the C-5 report.

“They said there was overpricing, the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) said there was none. Then they said there was diversion, the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) said there was none. And then they said there was double insertion, the Senate (Budget and Research Monitoring Office) said there was none,” Remulla said.

Remulla also denied that they were involved in a reported plan to unseat Senator Enrile at the Senate.

“I think our opponents in the Senate are conducting psy-war ops (psychological war operations) just to get Manong Johnny (Sen. Enrile) mad,” he said.

“The developments only bolster our case that the C-5 report is all about politics and never about the truth,” Suplico added.

Suplico also said Sen. Jamby Madrigal’s announcement that she would file a plunder case against Senator Villar before the Office of the Ombudsman was a dead giveaway.

“If that’s not politics I don’t know what it is. Why file now when you could have filed it last year?” he said.

The NP stalwart from Iloilo said the P6.2 billion that Senator Villar is being asked to return part of his critics’ psy-war ops. “It is preposterous and downright ridiculous. Their statements were carefully calibrated to make it appear that Senator Villar was a recipient of P6.2 billion, which he must return. Everybody knows that that’s nonsense,” Suplico said.