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Thursday, March 25, 2004
More charges filed v. Arroyo
By Marie Neri
MANILA -- Another disqualification case for early campaigning was filed Wednesday against President Arroyo before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
In a 17-page petition filed by Pro-Constitution (Pro-Con), the group accused Arroyo of instructing the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporations (Philhealth) to enroll 25 million indigent citizens into the National Health Insurance System.
The complaint, filed by Agripino Baybay and Patrick Velez, noted that the counter-affidavit of PCSO chief Ma. Livia de Leon and Philhealth president Francisco Duque III identified President Arroyo as the one responsible for the implementation of the PCSO Greater Medicare Access (CGMA).
Pro-Con said the claims made by Duque and de Leon that they only followed the order of the President clearly "establish that Arroyo herself at the forefront of the violation of the Omnibus Election Code and its amendatory laws."
Baybay and Velez said prior to the filing of a case against Duque and de Leon, Arroyo was "seen and heard" as spiteful of those who questioned the Philhealth membership drive during a gathering held in Angeles City.
The complainants said Arroyo not only committed election offenses, but is also an "active and willing participant of illegal activities committed both by the PCSO and the Philhealth executives."
"Arroyo is thus engaged in vote-buying, together with Duque and de Leon, when she distributed the Philhealth cards and offers membership in the program for free," Baybay and Velez said.
Aside from charges of vote-buying, the petitioners accused Arroyo of illegal use of public funds for her campaign and in the unbridled use of prohibited election propaganda.
"The PhilHealth cards, which she unabashedly distributes and the expensive tarpaulin streamers that adorn every site where she distributes the cards are all prohibited election propaganda. By distributing and or using the materials during the campaign period for the May 10, 2004 elections, where she is a candidate, Arroyo is clearly violating the Elections Act," the petition said.
Pro-Con filed a complaint against Duque and de Leon for alleged electioneering, vote-buying and unlawful use of public funds for enrolling 25 million indigent citizens in the CGMA program.
Another suit
The petition for disqualification came after senatorial candidate Melanio "Batas" Mauricio or Aksyon Demokratiko also charged President Arroyo and several justice officials with graft before the Office of the Ombudsman over Malacaņang's decision to take over the Maynilad Water Services Inc.
Malacaņang is not backing out of the planned reorganization of Maynilad Services Inc.
Arroyo said, in a statement, that what is important is to ensure that the every barangay would have access to clean water.
"The public interest was being affected by the internal problems gripping the water utility firm... The public gains from this move in terms of better access to clean water," she said.
However, Mauricio said Malacaņang granted Maynilad with "unwarranted benefits" when it allowed Benpres Holdings Corp., Maynilad's mother company, to convert the firm's P8 billion debt into government equity.
Deputy presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo, meanwhile, said that while the government would own 39 percent of the Maynilad, the water firm would still have to find ways to cover its debts either by raising capital or restructure its debt.
He said Malacaņang welcomes the charges, and that there is no change in Arroyo's stand, or plans to suspend the implementation of the deal.
Next week, the Senate committee on government corporations and public enterprises would hold a legislative inquiry on the planned takeover by the government of Maynilad Water Services.
This, as Justice Secretary Merceditas Gutierrez said the proposal is above board and not disadvantageous to the government. She criticized the filing of a suit against the government over the matter.
Sen. John Osmeņa, chairman of the committee, said that he is willing to hold hearings despite his busy campaign schedule in order to give the Maynilad and the government opportunity to air their side regarding the contract.
According to Osmeņa, the hearing would be focused on the bidding process, terms and condition, terms of reference and the agreement between the government and the Maynilad Water Services.
The committee, Osmeņa added, has already started gathering preliminary information to be used in the inquiry. With JMR/Benjamin B. Pulta
(March 25, 2004 issue)
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