BREAKING NEWS: EX-PRESIDENT ARROYO ANSWERS P550-M PLUNDER RAPS AT DOJ
[PHOTO - Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo on Friday answers the P550-M plunder raps filed against her at the DOJ before senior state prosecutor Theodore Villanueva. Danny Pata]
MANILA, JULY 22, 2011 (GMATV NEWS) After failing to appear before a Department of Justice investigating panel three times, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo went to the DOJ on Friday to finally submit her counter-affidavit answering one of the three plunder complaints against her.
Mrs. Arroyo and her lawyer, Benjamin Santos, clandestinely went to the room of Senior State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva, who heads the three-member panel conducting a preliminary probe into the plunder charges stemming from the alleged misuse of P550 million in welfare funds for migrant workers.
Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo on Friday answers the P550-M plunder raps filed against her at the DOJ before senior state prosecutor Theodore Villanueva. Danny Pata
Behind closed doors, Mrs. Arroyo subscribed and swore to the authenticity of her counter-affidavit denying the accusations against her. The former leader, clad in a light blue blouse, declined to speak to the media but agreed to have her photo taken with DOJ employees.
Mrs. Arroyo, incumbent congresswoman of Pampanga's second district, has to personally appear before the DOJ panel and swear and subscribe to the authenticity of her counter-affidavit.
The plunder complaint was filed in April by former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez, who claimed that about P550 billion in private Overseas Workers' Welfare Association (OWWA) funds were infused into PhilHealth funds, which are public in nature.
Chavez alleged that of the amount, P530 million was used for Mrs. Arroyo's election campaign in 2004.
Santos has already denied that his client committed any wrongdoing.
"There is absolutely no basis for the charges, absolutely none," Santos said during the preliminary investigation hearing last July 11.
A preliminary inquiry seeks to determine if there is probable cause that warrants the filing of criminal charges before the proper courts.
Mrs. Arroyo is facing two other plunder complaints at the DOJ. The first was in connection with the alleged anomalous sale of the old Iloilo airport property in 2007. The other complaint, filed again by Chavez, stemmed from the supposed diversion in P1.6-billion fertilizer funds to Arroyo's campaign coffers in 2004. All three complaints are still pending before the DOJ. — LBG/RSJ, GMA News
FROM MALAYA
GMA a declared SONA no-show BY WENDELL VIGILIA
Belmonte tells her to break her silence.
SPEAKER Feliciano Belmonte Jr. yesterday urged former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo to break her silence on the various allegations against her, particularly the misuse of the intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and her alleged orchestration of the massive electoral fraud in 2004 and 2007.
"It's always in her best interest that her side is known…if you say 'no comment ako diyan' or 'I don't like to give my answer,' then the conclusion is 'baka totoo yung sinasabi,'" he told reporters.
But what for, as the former president is not even attending the second state of the nation address of President Aquino on Monday, according to Occidental Mindoro Rep. Amelita Villarosa.
Belmonte said even former president Fidel Ramos attended Senate inquiries to shed light on issues against him like the Centennial Expo projects in Clark and the entry of independent power producers.
"In fact, if I remember right, ex-President Ramos was once summoned in a hearing, and he went there. Sabi, niya, I'll go there and answer. So I think even on the issue of human relations, interpersonal relations within a legislative branch, I think there are precedents," he said.
Villarosa said Arroyo told her of the decision on Wednesday during the minority bloc's meeting at Arroyo's house in La Vista subdivision in Quezon City.
She said Arroyo made the right move to avoid the controversies hounding her.
Arroyo also did not attend Aquino's first SONA last year. Her decision to again skip the SONA is an apparent move to avoid being embarrassed by Aquino who has a penchant for denouncing the excesses of Arroyo's administration in his speeches.
Belmonte also said if the House suffrage committee decides to investigate the poll fraud controversy, he would make sure that Arroyo will be "invited" and not "summoned."
We hardly ever use that word summon. Mas magandang pakinggan yung invite," he said.
Belmonte has said he is against the moves of Bayan Muna Reps. Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares to investigate the allegations of suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and former Maguindanao election official Lintang Bedol that Arroyo was the brains behind the alleged fraud in the 2004 and 2007 elections.
He said the issue should be brought to the Commission on Elections, the Department of Justice, and Office of the Ombudsman which can eventually file a case before the Sandiganbayan for a full-blown trial.
Malacañang yesterday gave the assurance there will be no leakage in the contents of President Aquino's state of the nation address (SONA) on Monday, unlike last year's experience.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Communications Group has discussed several ways to avoid a leakage and the measures are being finalized.
"So I can assure you that this time around there would be no premature leaks on the SONA speech…But seriously nothing is fool-proofed. But we will make (sure) there will be no leaks," Lacierda said.
He said the Palace's investigation last year failed to ascertain the source of the leakage because Malacañang gave away many copies to Cabinet members, lawmakers, and other people.
Members of the Malacañang Press Corps were irked last year when the Palace refused to give them advanced copies of Aquino's first SONA even 15 minutes before the speech so they could check it against delivery.
The Palace reporters were told to wait for their copies after the speech, but in less than a minute after Aquino ended his first SONA, a full text of the address was already posted in one news website.
Lacierda said Aquino's speechwriters are still working on his second SONA, with the President joining them from time to time.
He said a SONA technical report, which enumerates the achievements of the one-year-old Aquino administration, is being finalized by the Presidential Management Staff and will be released on July 25.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad has said this year's SONA will be "positive and forward-moving."
President Aquino had no public appearances during the entire week because his schedule was full of private meetings and briefings on current issues that would be part of his report to the nation.
But he was able to take a break Thursday noon after Abad took him, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and a few other Palace officials for lunch at Casa Roces, a newly opened restaurant just outside the Palace compound. – With Regina Bengco
FROM MANILA BULLETIN
No leakage of Aquino's SONA By MADEL R. SABATER and DAVID CAGAHASTIANJuly 21, 2011, 7:14pm
MANILA, Philippines — No leakage.
This was assured Thursday by Malacañang on the upcoming second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Aquino on Monday.
It will be recalled that there was a leakage of President Aquino's first SONA last year, with television station ABS–CBN as the first to get a copy, taking members of the Malacañang Press Corps by surprise.
But Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda assured that there will be no leakage of the SONA this time.
"We've discussed several measures on how to avoid a leakage. It's now being finalized to make sure that what we'll be doing will not be prematurely leaked to anyone," he said. "So I can assure you that this time around, there will be no premature leaks on the SONA speech."
Lacierda said they have yet to determine how long the SONA speech will take as they have yet to finalize the draft.
Former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will not attend the SONA on Monday, one of her allies said Thursday.
Occidental Mindoro Representative Amelita Villarosa said Mrs. Arroyo confirmed to her that she will not attend the SONA.
Villarosa said she suggested to Mrs. Arroyo that she skip the SONA, in consideration of the attacks by the Palace against her, particularly on alleged misuse of intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and the election fraud in the 2004 presidential elections.
Lacierda criticized Arroyo's legal spokesman Raul Lambino who said that the upcoming SONA will be a "state of no accomplishments.''
Lacierda said that instead of picking on the upcoming SONA, Lambino should answer allegations hurled against Arroyo, particularly on poll fraud.
Lacierda said that there is no final date yet on the second Legislative – Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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