|
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Group declares Arroyo guilty of poll rigging
MANILA -- The Citizens' Congress for Truth and Accountability (CCTA) that looked into alleged electoral fraud, corruption, and other charges against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced on Wednesday that they found the President liable for such acts.
During a presentation in Greenhills, San Juan, the CCTA headed by former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. called on President Arroyo to immediately resign and face the charges.
The so-called "People's Court" found the President guilty of betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, and culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution.
Guingona turned over their report to House Minority Leader Francis Escudero who said they would use the CCTA findings as part of evidence in the second impeachment complaint they would file against the President next month.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. belittled the CCTA's findings and recommendations.
Ermita said only the courts and Congress can try cases against government officials so the CCTA has no personality to do the trial and hearings.
Gonzalez, for his part, said "well, the only people's court that we have in the Philippines is the court that tried Philippine collaborators after World War II but that was for that specific purpose and it was created by law. That was a special court, from then on there was never any people's court that has been legitimately organized in the Philippines."
"So this people's court, I don't see any basis legally for that and at the end of the day, you cannot really disassociate that from a normal hearings in aid of legislation in the Senate which is also -- to gather dust and garbage, to let the people believe that certain acts had been committed and they use that against the President," he added.
Gonzalez also said the CCTA's investigation was one-side because "there was no defense lawyer there representing the administration or the people identified with the President."
House senior deputy majority leader Arthur Defensor said the CCTA report was just a manifestation of the right to freedom of expression by the people in the group. He said since the CCTA has no authority to take legal action against anyone, its report would remain as "opinion".
Defensor said if the CCTA organizers do have evidence to incriminate President Arroyo of electoral fraud, they should bring the case to Congress and file an impeachment complaint.
The CCTA report said Arroyo allegedly cheated her way to the presidency in 2004, and that there is strong basis to conclude that her victory and that of Vice President Noli de Castro in the provinces of Cebu, Pampanga, Iloilo, and Bohol were the result of manufactured or tampered election returns.
It found the President liable for alleged widespread and systematic campaign of summary executions, abductions, acts of political persecution, and other human rights abuses since she assumed office in 2001.
Arroyo likewise allegedly violated the country's anti-graft laws, particularly in the alleged diversion of public funds for her election campaign and in at least two transactions involving the Venable LLP contract and the NorthRail project.
The fact-finding body said around "P7.3 billion worth of public funds were allocated for election-related government programs in the months prior to the May 2004 elections."
The largest of which included funds for the Ginintuang Masagana Ani (GMA) program worth P728 million and agriculture department's fund for agricultural inputs (P1.1 billion), the public works department's Kalsada Natin, Linisin Natin program worth P1.6 billion, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) cards and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's (PCSO) Greater Medicare Access (GMA) program worth P3 billion, and various campaign-related expenses shouldered by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) amounting to P687 million."
Guingona said the plan to commit electoral fraud was locked in place with the appointment of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano Jr.
He criticized the President's attempts to allegedly cover up the controversy surrounding the charges against her, including the effort to fast-track Charter change "intended to consolidate her political power, marginalize the opposition, and sweep aside all the issues raised against her".
He said President Arroyo should step down so that a new government could investigate and prosecute those who were involved in illegal acts.
In the report, the CCTA recommended that the international community should withdraw aid and recognition of the Arroyo government and a case should be filed against her before the UN human rights commission for alleged violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws.
It called for reforms in electoral laws, in institutions, and in the criminal justice system and an enhanced people's participation in governance. It also urged the people to reject moves to revise the Constitution.
The CCTA was organized in October 2005 in order to conduct fact-finding proceedings and public hearings on issues affecting electoral fraud, graft and corruption, and other actions involving human rights violations.
It opened its session on Nov. 8, 2005 and held five public hearings, heard testimonies of 22 witnesses and pored over voluminous documents gathered from various sources, including official documents from congressional investigations, hundreds of election returns, and studies conducted by experts on allegations against President Arroyo. (Jonathan M. Mactal/UST Intern/JFF/JMR/Sunnex)
(May 11, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Suspected Sayyaf militants snatch Basilan girl