PLANS, FACE ALL ALLEGATIONS
[PHOTO LEFT -
SEN TEOFISTO GUINGONA; RIGHT- MIKE A.]
MANILA,
NOVEMBER 25,
2011 (TRIBUNE) By Angie M. Rosales - Former First
Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo should defer his plans to travel abroad and
face the possible filing of charges against him in connection with the alleged
anomalous helicopter deal with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2009,
blue ribbon chairman and Sen. Teofisto "TG" Guingona yesterday said.
"I urge Mr. Arroyo to stay in the country to face allegations against him. He
should be present in preliminary investigations of this case if he wishes to
avoid speculations that he in-tends to evade prosecution," he said.
"I believe that the preliminary investigation will result in the filing of
the appropriate case in the Sandiganbayan against Mike Arroyo, (former Interior
Secretary) Ronaldo Puno, (former PNP chief) Jesus Versoza, and other members of
the PNP who are accountable for the apparent misuse of the people's money in
this anomalous transaction," he added.
Sen. Franklin Drilon, for his part, is confident that government prosecutors
have in the bag a supposed graft charge against Mr. Arroyo.
"The denial of Mike Aroyo here (in this particular case) does not hold
water," said Drilon, reacting to the move of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales
adopting the report of a five-man fact-finding
panel that recommended the filing of graft charges against the former First
Gentleman and several others over supposed conspiracy to defraud the government
of almost P63 million in the acquisition of choppers for the police
organization.
The Senate investigation on the so-called chopper deal formed the basis in
creating the Ombudsman's fact-finding panel after Guingona and Sen. Panfilo
Lacson furnished Morales a copy of the committee report last Oct. 13.
The said report is yet to be presented on the plenary but records showed that
has already been filed and is now pending for sponsorship on the floor.
In a news forum in the Senate, Drilon could only express hope that the
Ombudsman would expedite the conduct of the preliminary investigation and waste
no time in the filing of appropriate charges before the Sandiganbayan.
"Based on the evidence that gathered by the blue ribbon committee, we have a
strong evidence against Mike Arroyo to prove that he is indeed the (alleged)
owner of the helicopters and that the sale of two second-hand choppers to the
PNP was anomalous, highly overpriced.
"It cannot be denied that the extensive influence of Mike Arroyo in the past
administration was a factor in the decision of the PNP to purchase these two
helicopters," Drilon told reporters.
The senator added it was clearly established in the blue ribbon inquiry that
Arroyo's firm was the one paying for the maintenance fees of the two choppers
and has control over who should use it.
"The helicopters would land in Malacañang (grounds). So how can you said that
it's not owned by Mike Arroyo. Also, the money used in purchasing the choppers
came from him. Of course, excuse is, 'I disposed off my stocks in LTA building.'
Maybe on paper that's true, but on factual evidence presented before the blue
ribbon would certainly point to Mike Arroyo as the owner.
Guingona said he was pleased to learn of the fact-finding panel's
recommendation to conduct of preliminary investigation based on their own
inquiry of the case.
"This is a major gain in our people's quest for justice. It also strengthens
our resolve to continue our probe of allegations on reported misuse of the
people's money," he said.
Arroyo, in turn, described the complaint before the anti-graft office as
"another round of Arroyo bashing" by the Aquino administration.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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