MANILA, Philippines ? (UPDATE) The gloves are off as Senator Manuel Villar fired back at Senator Panfilo Lacson for insisting that he answer an ethics complaint over corruption allegations.

Villar said he was ?not afraid? of anyone and was ?ready to defend? himself in the plenary, but not before the ethics committee, which Lacson heads.

During a plenary session on Monday, Lacson attempted to hand to Villar a copy of a committee order asking him to explain in five days the P200-million double entry in the 2008 national budget for the rehabilitation of C-5 road.

Villar did not accept the document. In a privilege speech, he said Lacson?s move smacked of disrespect and that he should be investigated for the ?unethical? move.

"Hindi ako natatakot [I am not afraid]...I'm ready to defend myself to anybody,? Villar said in a privilege speech on Monday.

?If my accuser fails to prove the allegations, will he be investigated by the ethics committee too? Shouldn?t the entire ethics committee be investigated for unethical practices?? he said.

?Yun po bang pagbigay ng notice ng ganun ay hindi isang akto ng kabastusan? Mahal na pangulo, sobra naman [Handing over the notice in such manner, isn?t that an act of disrespect? That?s too much, Mr President,? he said.

?Kaya kong ipaliwanag kung saan ko kinuha ang aking kayamanan. Sila ba kaya nila? [I can explain where I got my riches. Can they?]," said Villar, a successful real estate developer before he joined politics.

Villar said he knew ?many? things about his accusers, but there was not enough time to reveal everything.

In a radio interview before the plenary session, Villar said the Senate ethics committee should also investigate allegations of murder, not just alleged corruption.

But Villar stopped short of saying that Lacson should have his committee investigate the murder allegations against him, including the recently revived case on the 2000 Dacer-Corbito killings.

?Alam mo medyo personalan na ito at medyo masama na rin ang loob natin sa kasamahan natin dahilan sa dito sa ethics ay para namang nasi-single out ako dito [This is getting personal, and I am saddened by a colleague because I am singled out in the ethics committee],? Villar said.

?Tanong ko lamang, ano bang mga kaso ang dapat imbestigahan sa ethics committee? Iyon bang mga kaso halimbawa cheating sa election, iyong mga murder cases? Iyang mga iyan ba ay hindi pwedeng imbestigahan doon sa ethics? [I ask, what cases should the ethics committee investigate? Cheating in the elections for example? Murder cases? Can?t the ethics committee investigate those as well?],? he said.