BELMONTE: GLORIA ARROYO WELCOME IN PNoy'S
SONA-3
[2010 PHOTO -FORMER
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was welcomed by newly-elected Congressman and
outgoing Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. upon her arrival at the 61st
Multiple District 301 Lions State Convention and Retrospective Seminar on
Finance Friday (May 21, 2010) at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. (PNA/NIB photo by B.Canilang) scs/eda]
MANILA, JULY
18, 2012 (ABS-CBN) by RG Cruz - House
Speaker Sonny Belmonte on Wednesday sad former President and now Pampanga 2nd
District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is welcome to attend President Benigno
Aquino's State of the Nation Address (SONA) next month if she is allowed to post
bail.
"Why not? Oo kung she's not under detention by court order, she should be
welcome here same as any member," Belmonte said.
Arroyo has a pending bail petition before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court
in connection with an electoral sabotage case filed against her for the 2007
elections in Maguindanao.
An Arroyo ally, House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, expressed hope that the
former President will be allowed to post bail after former Commission on
Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos was allowed to post bail for a similar
charge.
Belmonte doesn't see Arroyo's bail or presence during the SONA as a dampener
to Aquino's SONA.
Aquino has been calling for Arroyo's accountability for her 9-year-presidency
over various controversies.
Belmonte, meanwhile, said that even if she's allowed to post bail, Arroyo
will still have to seek a separate travel permit from the courts before she can
leave the country.
Arroyo's allies have been seeking medical treatment for Arroyo overseas.
Belmonte said the Philippines has many able doctors to treat the Pampanga
lawmaker. He added that if the expertise needed is not available here, doctors
can just be flown to the country.
Belmonte, meantime, noted that the Ombudsman's decision to clear Arroyo from
bribery and corruption cases over the 2004 elections proves Ombudsman Conchita
Carpio Morales is "far from being a hatchetwoman."
"We have an Ombudsman here who applies the law as she described herself. Fair
and even handed. When people are like that, the institutions are stronger," he
said.
RELATED NEWS
Arroyo stays in House until convicted By RG Cruz,
ABS-CBN News Posted at 07/17/2012 3:56 PM | Updated as of 07/17/2012
MANILA, Philippines - Former President and now Pampanga 2nd District
Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo cannot be removed from Congress nor prevented from
running for the same post until she is finally convicted of plunder, House
Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales said Tuesday.
The Ombudsman yesterday filed its first plunder case against Mrs. Arroyo and
8 others over irregularities in the misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes
Office (PCSO) intelligence funds.
"No, wala pang conviction yan. In fact, di ko alam kung sa electoral sabotage
kung na-arraign na siya. Wala pang conviction yan. It must be a conviction.
These are alleged crimes committed before she became congresswoman. Walang
jurisdiction ang ethics [committee]," Gonzales told reporters.
The House majority leader said Congressmen Ruben Ecleo Jr. and Romeo Jalosjos
were only dropped from the rolls after their convictions became final.
"When final judgment includes the penalty of absolute and perpetual
disqualification to hold public office, that becomes part of penalty. In fact,
she's free to run. She can still decide to seek a 2nd term. Walang pipigil
hanggat walang conviction ng final judgment," he said.
Gonzales said he does not think the filing of the plunder case has anything
to do with President Aquino's State of the Nation address on Monday. Aquino has
made it a crusade to jail Mrs. Arroyo.
In her counter affidavit filed with the Ombudsman, Arroyo stressed that she
was empowered as president to approve the disbursements of the PCSO's funds,
that all her approvals were above board and did not cause injury to the public,
and that she did not amass ill gotten wealth.
In its ruling, the Ombudsman said that the final interpretation of the PCSO's
charter as well as the general appropriations acts for 2008, 2009 and 2010 are
best left to the courts.
About P365 million in PCSO funds were involved in the allegedly anomalous
disbursements which the Ombudsman said were diverted for personal gain.
'PCSO plunder case to pin down Arroyo' by Jojo
Malig, ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 07/16/2012 11:30 PM | Updated as of 07/17/2012
11:26 AM
MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) - Plunder charges filed by the
Ombudsman against Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other officials in
connection with the alleged misuse of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes
Office's (PCSO) intelligence funds could be case that will send the former
President to prison.
Author and journalist Marites Vitug, president of the Journalism for Nation
Building Foundation, believes that this is a stronger case against Arroyo
compared to the electoral sabotage case for which the former President is now
under hospital arrest.
"This is the case that seems to be the most promising based on what we have
seen in the Senate [investigation] in terms of documentary evidence, when the
President approved these funds, and the testimony of [former PCSO General
Manager Rosario] Uriarte," Vitug told ANC Prime Time on Monday night.
She said the Office of the Ombudsman was thorough in investigating the misuse
of the funds that were earlier revealed in Senate hearings.
"With the Ombudsman's Office, they've been quite deliberate. There's some
thoroughness here before they filed the plunder case," Vitug said.
She said the ball is now in the hands of the Sandiganbayan. "I hope it
doesn't take many years to resolve this."
Filed in time for SONA?
In a statement, Anacleto Diaz, a lawyer of Mrs. Arroyo, said it appears the
case was filed in time for President Aquino's State of the Nation Address (SONA)
next week.
"This is another dark day for the rule of law. In the past, cases were
decided solely on the basis of evidence adduced on record.... It appears that
the case was filed against the former President to time it with the President's
forthcoming SONA in which he will be accorded another opportunity to pillory and
demonize the former President, and worse, justify her further detention without
bail even as a Petition for her bail is precisely pending resolution in the
court," he said.
"We will avail of all remedies under the law even as we stand ready to prove
that the present charges against her are devoid of merit," he added.
Plunder is a non-bailable offense.
Arroyo's co-respondents in the case are Uriarte; Assistant General Manager
for Finance Benigno Aguas; former PCSO board members Sergio Valencia, Manuel
Morato, Raymundo Roquero, Jose Taruc V, and Maria Fatima Valdes; former
Commission on Audit (COA) Chairman Reynaldo Villar and COA Region 5 head Nilda
Plaras.
The said the respondents' acts "form a pattern, not only of misuse and raid
of PCSO's CIF [confidential/intelligence funds] from 2008-2010, but also of
illegal conveyance or disposition of cash advances disbursed therefrom, all the
while taking advantage of their respective official functions."
The aggregate amount of P365,997,915 representing cash advances were
supposedly disbursed from PCSO's CIF in the names of Uriarte (P352,681,646) and
Valencia (P13,316,269) from January 2008 to June 2010.
The case stemmed from two separate complaints filed by Jaime Regalario, Risa
Hontiveros-Baraquel and Danilo Lim, for plunder, malversation and violation of
Republic Act (RA) No. 3019; and by the PCSO itself represented by Eduardo
Araullo, for plunder and violation of RA 3019.
PCSO Director Aleta Tolentino earlier said the COA officials were included
due to "conspiracy and connivance."
The complaint accused the 10 of conspiring with one another" to "willfully,
unlawfully and criminally amass…ill-gotten wealth in the aggregate amount or
total value of P365,997,915.00.
It said the group diverted funds from the PCSO operating budget to its
confidential/intelligence fund that could be accessed and withdrawn at any time
with minimal restrictions. It accused the group of "raiding the public treasury"
and "taking advantage of their respective official positions, authority,
relationships, connections or influence in several instances to unjustly enrich
themselves."
A Senate Blue Ribbon Commmittee investigation had showed that Mrs. Arroyo
approved PCSO GM Uriarte's request for the use of intel funds from 2008 to 2010.
The investigation showed the intelligence funds were used to purchase relief
goods and to pay "blood money" for overseas Filipino workers.
Intel funds used for 'noble causes,' Morato claims
Morato, in a separate interview on ANC Prime Time, defended the use of the
PCSO's intelligence funds.
He also said he did not have a hand in their use.
"In fairness to the general manager [Uriarte], I know what she did with the
fund, she used it for 'noble causes,'" Morato said.
"Ang pera ng PCSO, for the OFWs in death row to save their lives, pay their
lawyers, and pay blood money," he said.
He also admitted that Arroyo approved their use. "It's the prerogative of the
President."
Morato also claimed that the practice is "also happening right now."
"Once approved by the president, there's nothing you can do. The PCSO is
under the Office of the President. We cannot dictate on the higher office. We
have to follow the President's instruction and approval," he said.
He also claimed that some of the money were also used to help victims of
tropical storm Ondoy.
"To go through a channel, to ask for charity fund from different departments,
patay na iyung mga tao. Ginagamit itong intelligence na ito, para biglaan,
gamitin," he said. "Yet, I really don't have anything to do with that."
"You can use the intelligence funds for anything. That's why it's called
intelligence fund," Morato said.
Intelligence-gathering not in PCSO's mandate
Hontiveros-Baraquel, one of the complainants, rejected Morato's claim on the
former administration's use-all policy for intelligence funds.
"My understanding, as a citizen, ay may mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan which are
charged with intelligence functions pero hindi iyon sa PCSO. That is a fact, Mr.
former chairman," he told Morato in their face-off.
"Wala po sa charter ninyo," she added.
Hontiveros-Baraquel said Morato seems to have admitted some of the
allegations in the plunder complaint.
"Halimbawa po, sinasabi ninyo that there was in fact a P150 million amount
approved for intelligence where in fact, wala po sa mandato ng PCSO na for
intelligence," she said.
"Sinabi niyo rin po na inaprubahan ito ng dating Pangulo. This is why she is
the principal respondent in our case," she added.
"Panahon na po para harapin ni GMA iyung mga kaso. Unfortunately, nandoon din
iyung mga dating directors, iyung dating executive secretary, iyung dating
general manager who did various acts or omissions in terms of the intelligence
funds," she said.
The former Akbayan party-list lawmaker said the complaint is based on the
discoveries made in the Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigation.
"Hindi lang namin ito ginawa ngayong taon. Noong nakaraang taon pa. Ngayon,
nagkakataon na may bagong ombudsman na nakikinig sa reklamo ng mamamayan,
tinitimbang niy," she said. "Salamat naman, nakita ng kaniyang office nayon, may
merito iyung kaso. We really welcome the filing fo this plunder case sa
Sandiganbayan."
"We believe the case is airtight," she said.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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