ON 'MORAL REVOLUTION':

Senate President Manny Villar lauded the efforts of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia for a moral revolution in the country in a bid to fight graft and corruption.

"This is a necessary prelude towards genuine reforms in our state of governance which in fact our citizens and churches have long been strongly advocating," Villar said.

Citing his position at the helm of the Senate and the need to remain objective and shun biases in the face of ongoing Senate investigations, the Senate President also said that he could not take an active role in the Council for Moral Revolution or a trustee position.

"While I support the moral revolution movement which is in line with my advocacy to weed out rampant corruption, I cannot take on an active role in the council in deference to the ongoing Senate investigations."

"As Senate President, I am called upon to exercise utmost caution so as not to bestow any semblance of politics or mere grandstanding in the Senate's sensitive undertakings at this time."

Villar attended a dinner and get-together with De Venecia and wife Gina, and political and religious leaders at the house of the former Speaker on Feb. 17, when the moral revolution movement was also launched.

"Carrying out our check-and-balance function through our investigations is in fact the Senate's concrete share in seeking to effect changes in government," Villar emphasized.

"We earnestly hope our respective efforts in the Senate and the House to bring about changes in our government sweep the hearts and minds of our countrymen towards unity in stirring changes and rebuilding our country," Villar said.