Sen. Joel Villanueva —INQUIRER.net PHOTO
Despite the dismissal order by the Office of the Ombudsman, Sen. Joel Villanueva will continue his work in the Senate until there is a final resolution on his case, according to Senate President Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III.
Villanueva has filed a motion for reconsideration on Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales’ order to dismiss him from public service over the allegedly anomalous use of his P10-million pork barrel allocation when he was still a congressman.
READ: Senator Villanueva ordered dismissed from public service over ‘pork’
Pimentel said that as there was no final resolution on the case yet, nothing could prevent Villanueva from doing his work in the chamber.
“Ang bumoto sa kanya mga 20 million yata e, so ’yun po ang mandato nya. Meron po syang mandato sa taumbayan na kailangan naming irespeto,” the Senate leader said in an interview over dzBB on Wednesday.
Villanueva ranked second in the latest senatorial race after receiving more than 18 million votes.
Pimentel also expressed doubts if the chamber could penalize Villanueva for acts that he had supposedly committed when he was still a congressman.
He said a complaint could be filed against Villanueva at the Senate committee on ethics but the alleged offense should have been committed during the latter’s term as senator.
Otherwise, Pimentel said, the case would be doomed.
“Pag ka i-raise nyo sa Senado ngayon baka sasabihin ng ethics committee hindi naman nya ginawa yan ng senador sya e bakit namin sya paparusahan bilang senador?” the Senate leader further said.