Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) — Senator Cynthia Villar said she is consulting with her legal respresentatives to see whether a case can be filed against the person who took and posted a video of her confronting a guard who barred public access to a composting site.
In a briefing on Wednesday, Villar said she knew who took the video that has since gone viral. She also denied she had an outburst over the incident, adding “they’re just inventing that.”
“Walang outburst, there’s no outburst. They’re just inventing that,” she said. “I was just telling them to remove the gate because it’s for public use. It’s not for me, I don’t need that.”
Villar also said she would have not been able to harm the security guard.
“Ang laki-laki niya para masaktan ko siya,” she pointed out. “There’s something wrong with him. He’s a security guard, he has a gun in his holster. Anong sasabihin ko, masasaktan ko ba yan? Ang tapang ko naman, ang laki-laki niya ang liit-liit ko, wala akong baril, siya may baril. Why will I do it?”
[Translation: He is too big for me to injure. There’s something wrong with him. He’s a security guard, he has a gun in his holster. What should I say, can I hurt him? That would be too brave of me — I’m small, I have no gun. Why will I do it?]
The senator said she wondered why the gate was put up just at the public composting site she established when it has been there for years and has been recognized by Austria’s Energy Globe Awards.
She speculated that the issue with the BF Resort Village was over use of the Friendship Route in the area. Villar said she has been a resident of the communty for 45 years.
“I filed a case before the Regional Trial Court of Las Piñas because of the prohibition of the BFRV to accept our friendship sticker to pass through the road of BF Resort Village, and that is against a local legislation,” she said.
A temporary restraining order was issued by the court, resulting in motorists being able to access the route.
“Siguro doon sila nagalit sa akin kasi that will bring down the income, because they’re charging ₱2,500 per sticker,” she said. “Eh yung friendship sticker is free for Las Piñeros.”
[Translation: That might have been the reason why they got mad because because they’re charging ₱2,500 per sticker. The friendship sticker is free for Las Piñeros.]
“So, since then I have encountered problems involving the BFRV Homeowner’s Association, Inc.,” the senator said. “The first, is that they are removing the signages na nag-iindicate [which indicate] that BFRV Homeowner’s Association should honor the friendship sticker based on a local legislation passed in 1995.”
Apart from the incident over the fence installed at the composting site, Villar cited other incidents such as not being given permission to build an impounding or shelter facility for stray dogs and cats in the subdivision.
She said she has also consulted with her lawyers and instructed them to study what cases or actions could be done along with the complaint where she was granted a TRO.
“I don’t want people to remember me as a senator who just kept quiet. I want to be remembered as someone who will fight for what is right and what is good for the people,” she said.
